Okay, fun (serious?) fact about me: One of my top red flags in whether or not I should trust someone is this: If they’re not kind to animals – cats, dogs, bunnies, squirrels, the random pigeon pecking around looking for crummies – I don’t trust ’em.
If someone’s mean to animals, I just automatically find them, well… sketch. That’s why it’s so important to me that the beauty and skincare brands I use feel the same way toward animals as I do. So if you’re someone who insists on using only cruelty-free beauty brands, then you’re gonna love this blog post review for Better Beauty Box, the latest beauty subscription box to hit my radar.
Better Beauty Box uses only cruelty-free and vegan products, and they even go the extra mile to ensure their boxes never include products from any brands owned by a parent company who tests on animals.
But you might be wondering, what else does this brand offer? By the end of this review you’ll know all you need to know about Better Beauty Box – from my overall opinion, pricing options and what you’ll receive, to info that will help you decide whether this subscription box is a good fit for you.
Disclaimer: I was gifted Better Beauty Box’s November box in exchange for/ and in order to write an honest product review. I’d like to thank Better Beauty Box for the gift, as well as reiterate I only share my 100% honest opinion with you. Thank you for reading 🙂
What is Better Beauty Box?
Better Beauty Box is a subscription-based, cruelty-free and vegan beauty box that offers an ethical and cruelty-free alternative to many of the beauty and skincare brands on the market that still test on animals.
Like, guys. We’re in 2023. What the actual heck are beauty brands still doing testing on animals?
Better Beauty Box makes it easy to find cruelty-free brands to swap out your old brand products that test on animals by sending you beauty and personal products from trusted bunny-friendly brands.
In addition to monthly beauty boxes, they also have a Member Shop for subscribers to re-purchase items they loved (or purchase something new) at a discounted price.
To top it all off, they have a point system called Paw Points that gives members free products and discounts.
What will be included in each box?
Each monthly box includes 4-5 hand-picked products worth up to $276. The products range from skincare and makeup, to hair care, nail care, and personal care.
One of the best parts about this box (besides the use of ethical products lines) is that they only include FULL sized products. You’ll never receive a tiny sample that you only get to use once and then have to throw away!
I’ve personally never loved when a beauty box contains small samples or travel-sized products that get used up in days, so I love that that’s not an issue with this brand.
Your box will include products from well-known and established brands, as well as fresh up-and-coming cruelty-free brands.
So if you’re already leaning towards trying this ethical beauty box, head on over to the site to subscribe while the latest box is still up for grabs!
How it works
It’s a pretty simple process.
First, you choose a subscription plan: Monthly, every 3 months, or yearly.
Your first box will ship right away, and then your boxes ship the first week every month.
Then, you just carry on enjoying your monthly boxes forever or until you decide to cancel. Canceling is easy by simply emailing hello@betterbeautybox.com and can be done whenever you want.
How much does the Better Beauty Box cost?
Regardless of which plan you chose, shipping is free for continental United States, excluding Hawaii and Alaska.
For orders outside of the U.S., there is a $15 flat shipping fee.
Monthly subscription:
Monthly subscriptions are $39.99, billed monthly.
3 month subscription:
A three-month subscription is $37.99/month. You’ll pay upfront for 3 boxes totaling $113.97. Your subscription will renew every 3 months.
Yearly subscription:
A yearly subscription is $34.99/month. You’ll pay upfront for the full year, totalling $418.98. Your subscription will renew every 12 months.
And without further delay, let’s dive into my honest review for Better Beauty Box!
What was in my November box?
I was super excited to receive the November beauty box because I saw it included a facial mist and a facial oil – both of which I’d been shopping around for to add to my current skincare routine.
So, let’s break down what came in my cruelty-free beauty box!
Product 1: Cardea Auset Rosa Facial Mist (Retail price $44)
This light facial mist is a super hydrating formula and the perfect little hack to give your skin a boost throughout the day by fighting signs of inflammation and tired-looking skin.
It contains rose water and aloe juice to hydrate and plump the skin, while beta carotene, amino acids and a blend of vitamins including A, C, and E work to improve skin tone and reduce redness.
And because serums are best absorbed when applied to damp skin, you’d best believe I now mist my face with this right before applying my hydrating serums and moisturizers.
Another thing I absolutely love about this mist is the scent: It smells like straight-up roses, and feels incredibly refreshing on my skin.
Bonus: Super clean ingredients in this bad boy! The only ingredients are Rosa Damascena (Rose) Flower Water, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Hamamelis virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water.
It’s also formulated without Parabens, Mineral Oil, Synthetic Fragrance, Phthalates, Phenoxyethanol, Formaldehyde and GMO Ingredients.
Product 2: Cardea Auset Phoebe Rosehip + Jasmine Facial Oil
Comin’ in hot from the same brand that supplied the facial mist is this restorative facial oil is intended for nightly use.
This blend of rosehip and jasmine help repair, brighten and shield skin overnight. It’s also rich in collagen, and contains a blend of almond oil, vitamins A and E, and beta-carotene from carrot seed oil.
As someone with acne scars, I already know that rosehip oil is a God-send for reducing scarring, so I’m super excited to see the results after I consistently use this in my nightly routine.
Bonus: Just like the facial mist from Cardea Auset, this facial oil contains no toxic or sketchy ingredients!
Product 3: Laritzy Shade Stix in Mahalo
Next up in my cruelty-free beauty box was this contour stick from Laritzy.
Now, I’ll be honest here: Never have I ever used a contour stick, neither do I have any clue how or where to apply contour.
That said, I know a quick YouTube tutorial is all I need to get started.
Regardless of my pitiful lack of experience in the makeup category, this contour stick was a lovely color and glided smoothly onto my skin. (OK, yes, it glided smoothly onto the skin on the back of my hand, but it was gorgeous.)
Realistically, this might not be something I’ll really ever use. However, I’m not mad about it ‘cause I’ll probably end up giving it to my mom for fun. (Now she’s a lady who knows her way around a contour stick.)
Con: Ok, I’m gonna get a little hippie here for a second. I am absolutely aware that ingredients like Red Lake 40 dyes are common in cosmetics, especially blushes or lipsticks. And yes, I understand that the miniscule amounts in cosmetics is technically deemed “safe” by the FDA. BUT. My one con with this one is that I really do try to avoid dyes on my skin. I try to keep my personal care and beauty care products as clean as possible, and unfortunately dyes usually just don’t make my list.
Product 4: Floss Highlighter in Sunlit
Two words that always suck me in when it comes to makeup products: Natural and dewy.
And that’s exactly the look this highlighter gives me.
Plus, if you’ve been around me long enough, you’ll know that I love any makeup product that doesn’t require a makeup brush or any other tool.
I just dab my fingertip into the highlighter, swipe it along my cheekbones and the bridge of my nose, and voila! Instant brightening effect.
It’s easy and the color makes me feel like a faerie princess, which is basically all I’ve ever wanted to be.
Bonus: Like I said, no tools or makeup brush required!
Product 5: Auromere Exfoliating Body Bar
This exfoliating body bar is the perfect way to gently slough off flaky skin and dead skin cells to help your skin look fresh and new.
Formulated with Neem and a variety of Ayurvedic herbs, I love using this bar on my elbows and knees specifically.
Those are the areas where my skin tends to naturally be darker and a bit rougher, so the extra exfoliation and nourishing ingredients like coconut oil and Indian Butter Tree oil really help rejuvenate my skin.
Bonus: The exfoliation effect comes from dried herbs and apricot kernels, NOT micro-beads! Plus, all packaging is zero waste and biodegradable.
Better Beauty Box Review: Is this subscription box worth it?
So, let’s do a quick recap on this beauty box!
Pros:
- Always full-sized products without paying full price
- 4-5 products worth up to $236
- Free shipping in the U.S.
- Pause or cancel any time
- Total value is worth a bit more than some other cruelty-free subscription boxes
- Always cruelty-free
- Always vegan
Cons:
- A little more expensive than some other cruelty-free subscription boxes
- You might occasionally get something you have no need for
My final takeaway
To conclude my Better Beauty Box review, if finding cruelty-free and vegan beauty and wellness brands that you can actually trust are things that are important to you, then yes, the Better Beauty Box is absolutely worth it.
Better Beauty Box is also for you if you enjoy trying out new skincare and personal care products, and you’re always looking for new brands and goodies to try out.
I personally think the price of this box is worth it for the full-sized products, the overall value of the box reaching up to $276, and the fact that I’ll always know the products I’m receiving were ethically made and never tested on animals.
If you wanna check Better Beauty Box out for yourself, just click below!
Wishing you a fabulous rest of 2023, you gorgeous and bunny-lovin’ soul.
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XO, Sav
