I have a drawer in my bathroom that I call the ‘Beige Graveyard.’ It is currently home to eleven—yes, I counted—nude lipsticks that are all slightly the wrong shade of peach. They are the physical manifestation of my inability to cancel a subscription when I’m bored at 11 PM on a Tuesday.

We need to talk about the state of beauty boxes in Europe right now because, frankly, most of them are just a way for brands to offload the inventory they couldn’t sell in 2022. I spent the last 14 months tracking exactly what I received, how much I spent (roughly €342 across four different services), and how much I actually used. Out of 70+ products, I regularly use six. Six. That is a success rate of about 8.5%. Not great.

The one that actually feels like a treat

If you’re in the EU or the UK, Lookfantastic is basically the default. It’s the one everyone starts with. I’ve had a love-hate relationship with them for years, but honestly? They are the most consistent. What I mean is—actually, let me put it differently: they are the only ones who don’t consistently send me sachets of shampoo that I can get for free at a pharmacy.

I tracked the ‘filler’ material in my February box. Between the shredded paper and the oversized box, there were 42 grams of literal trash just to hold a travel-sized mascara and a face wash. It’s annoying. But the products inside usually make sense. You get brands like Caudalie or Medik8, which actually do something for your skin. I once got a full-sized Elemis cleansing balm in a box that cost me €15. That felt like winning the lottery, or at least like I was finally outsmarting the system.

The value is usually there, but you have to be okay with the fact that you will eventually own more black eyeliners than any human could use in three lifetimes.

Lookfantastic is the safe bet. It’s not revolutionary, but it won’t make you feel like you’ve been scammed. Worth every cent.

The part where I get a bit mean

I know people love the pink boxes, but I genuinely think Glossybox is a waste of money. I might be wrong about this—maybe I just have bad luck—but every time I’ve tried them, it feels cheap. The cardboard of the box itself feels like it’s trying too hard to be ‘luxury’ while the products inside are often brands I’ve never heard of and never want to hear of again. I’m talking about those weird ‘private label’ brands that exist only to fill subscription boxes.

I once tried to cancel my subscription while I was moving from Berlin to Lisbon. The website was a nightmare. I ended up paying for three extra months because I couldn’t find the ‘confirm cancellation’ button that was hidden behind a literal wall of ‘Wait, stay with us!’ pop-ups. It felt like trying to break up with a boyfriend who refuses to leave your apartment. I ended up having the boxes delivered to my ex’s house because I couldn’t change the address in time. He probably still has those unopened boxes of glittery eyeshadow. Good for him.

I actively tell my friends to avoid this one. Total trash.

I used to hate sample sizes (I was wrong)

I used to think that if a box didn’t have at least three full-sized products, it was a rip-off. I wanted the ‘big’ stuff. But then I realized that my bathroom cabinet was starting to look like a Hoarders episode. I had four different 50ml serums open at the same time, all of them expiring because I couldn’t finish them fast enough.

Anyway, I digress. The point is, I’ve started appreciating the ‘discovery’ aspect more than the ‘stockpile’ aspect. This is where something like Mintd comes in. It is expensive. We are talking €80+ per box. It’s a lot of money for a hobby. But the products are actually high-end—think Sunday Riley or Votary. Opening a Mintd box is like a blind date with a guy who actually has a retirement fund and knows how to cook. It’s sophisticated.

• Lookfantastic: Best for beginners and brand variety.
• Mintd: Best if you have too much money and want actual luxury.
• Cult Beauty: They don’t do a monthly sub anymore (they do ‘edits’), but they are better than any recurring box.

The harsh truth about ‘Value’

Every box claims a ‘value of over €200.’ This is a lie. Well, it’s a mathematical truth but a functional lie. If a box contains a €150 ‘anti-aging gold-infused serum’ from a brand that literally only exists on that one subscription site, is it really worth €150? No. It’s worth the €2 it cost to manufacture in a factory in the middle of nowhere.

I’ve become very cynical about the ‘retail value’ labels. Now, I only judge a box by one metric: How many of these items would I actually put on my face if I found them in a store? Usually, the answer is one. Maybe two.

I’m still subscribed to one box (Lookfantastic, because I’m a creature of habit), but I’ve learned to stop expecting it to change my life. It’s just a little hit of dopamine in the mail. Sometimes the serum feels like spreading cold, expensive hope on my face, and that’s enough for a Tuesday afternoon.

Is it a sustainable way to live? Probably not. But will I cancel? Not yet. I still haven’t found the perfect nude lipstick.