Give Style: Beauty Box 5

There's a lot of holiday shopping going on this weekend. Are you doing yours? Monthly subscription boxes have become all the rage, sending cosmetics, fragrances, even craft projects by mail. A monthly surprise can be a treat as a gift, but often I'm skeptical of paying upwards of $20 for samples of products that will run you four times as much to buy in full size, even if you find something you like.

But I got to try a box of samples this week that I actually like.

This is my Beauty Box 5 box from December.

The samples in my Beauty Box 5 box were a mix of brands that are familiar (Aveeno) and some that were new to me (Bellapierre cosmetics). Everything was useable, with the Every Beauty makeup remover pads being the most practical - I'll put those in my toiletry bag for Christmas travel - and the glittery eyeshadow being the most niche - a fun change of pace for evening holiday parties. If I want more of my favorite product from this box, the Nubar nail polish, it's only going to set me back $8.

Subscriptions to anything make great last-minute gifts because "it's in the mail" is part of the deal. Beauty Box 5 subscriptions come in varying lengths, and include a soap.com credit for you. Seems like a win-win.