Glossybox vs. Boxycharm, 5 Differences

At first glance there doesn’t seem to be much, if any, difference in Boxycharm and Glossybox. But there are subtle advantages to each. I’ve broken down the top five nuances below. …Or you can just watch my my youtube explanation and unboxing here:

Price

Boxycharm is $25/mo, month-to-month, cancel anytime. Pay for 3 mo up front & box drops to $23.33, 6 mo drops to $23, and 1 year paid up front drops the price to $22.95 per box. There are options to upgrade subscriptions to BoxyLuxe and BoxyPremium.

Glossybox is $21/mo, month-to-month, cancel anytime. Pay for 3 mo up front & box drops to $19.50, 6 mo drops to $18.50, and 1 year paid up front drops the price to $17.50 per box. Glossybox also offers a student discount.

bottom line: Glossybox is cheaper

Value

Boxycharm will always have a minimum of 5 full size items that equal to a value of $125 or more.

Glossybox will always have a minimum of 5 products that equal to a value of $60 or more. For reference the April 2020 box was valued at $170.

bottom line: Boxycharm guarantees a better value, but the actual value is similar.

Packaging

Boxycharm and Glossybox both come in the same size recyclable black box packaging, however inside of Glossycharm you will find their signature pink box. It is chic and beautiful albeit frivolous. Great if you plan on keeping these boxes for storage (they’re pretty enough to display!), but not great from an environmental waste standpoint (although they’re also recyclable).

Boxycharm and Glossybox will also always have a theme for their boxes, which is extra fun!

bottom line: Glossybox packaging is superior in aesthetic, but more wasteful.

Perks

Boxycharm typically includes special discounts and promos in their boxes. They also have a boxypop up store online every few months where you can shop beauty and makeup products for heavy discounts (up to 80% off!). You can earn ‘Charms’ by reviewing products and inviting friends to Boxycharm to use on purchases in the ‘Charm Room’.

Glossybox will similarly include special discounts and promos in their boxes. You can also earn ‘GLOSSYcredit’ by answering surveys to spend at beauty retailers. Students get a 20% discount on their entire Glossybox subscription.

bottom line: both have fun perks and ways to earn credits towards beauty purchases.

Products

Boxycharm in my opinion is more suited for the makeup obsessed. It’s trendy, edgier and bolder. They do include face, hair and body care products too, but every box I have received contains makeup. I have been pushed out of comfort zone (in the best way possible) to try beauty trends I would have never otherwise purchased. The products are not all cruelty free or vegan (which really sucks), but the majority are.

Glossybox to me is less trendy and more classic. You will see a mix of beauty, skincare and haircare in the boxes, but you might also get nail color, temporary tattoos and other fun little goodies. The products are generally more girly and less edgy. The products are not all cruelty free or vegan (which, again, really, really, sucks), but the majority are.

bottom line: Boxycharm is more makeup heavy and trendy, Glossybox is a mix of beauty products and more classic. Neither are 100% cruelty-free, vegan, organic or natural. Hopefully both boxes will make the switch to cruelty-free, vegan and natural beauty in the near future! (FINGERS CROSSED!!)

The Real Bottom Line

Hope this post helped you narrow down which box is right for you.

…but I’m still torn, I love ’em both! The most fun option is to subscribe to both boxes, of course. Another fun suggestion is to team up with your bestie. One of you gets Boxycharm the other gets Glossybox and then you can swap items between the two of you.

Whatever subscription you end up choosing, I’d love to hear your reasoning. Leave me a comment below 🙂