We Tried Personalized Birchbox Subscriptions — & Here's What We Thought

As much as we love shopping for new beauty products, there’s no doubt it can feel slightly overwhelming at times. Not to mention, the whole trial-and-error process of splurging on that fancy new serum, only to discover that it’s too harsh for your sensitive skin, is annoying to say the least. It should come as no surprise, then, that we find serious appeal in Birchbox, the monthly subscription service that delivers curated, sample-sized beauty and grooming products right to your home for only $10 a month. But it does beg the question: How well can a beauty box actually address your specific needs?

Never one to shy away from a good beauty challenge, we set to find out and asked three R29ers (with totally different beauty routines, mind you) to each give a subscription a try — and then share their honest opinions on their top three fave products. Did their boxes live up to the hype? Did they discover new brands they might not have otherwise? Did their beauty horizons open up to a whole new, otherworldly level? Read on to find out. Oh, the suspense!