Beauty Box subscriptions: Save cash and earn tons of points and miles!

Beauty box subscriptions like Birchbox and Glossybox are very popular these days. For $10 – $39.95 per month, subscribers get a box of premium beauty product samples shipped to their doorstep. If you’ve ever been subject to a hard sell at Sephora or dealt with a MAC makeup artist who hasn’t quite mastered the nuances of an understated look, you’ll appreciate the ability to try out beauty products at home. 

Guys, I’m not leaving you out: If you’re looking for a thoughtful gift idea, a beauty box subscription is the gift that keeps on giving (without the need for antibiotics). As with most online purchases, it’s possible to earn bonus points, miles and cash back on beauty box subscriptions.

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Beauty box subscription coupons and deals

Last year I saved 50% on my Glossybox subscription thanks to a Gilt deal I read about on Points and Pixie Dust. Websites like Gilt and Groupon are great places to score deals on beauty box subscriptions. In addition to discounts, Gilt offers a $25 credit per referral, which can help reduce the cost further. Here’s my Gilt referral link, if you’d like to use it.

Be sure to opt in for email notifications so you’ll know when a great deal on beauty box subscriptions becomes available.

Another great place to find deals on beauty box subscriptions is RetailMeNot. Go to the website, type in the name of the beauty box you’re interested in subscribing to, and RetailMeNot will generate a list of coupon codes.

Amazon probably offers the best deal on their Sample Box: Amazon Prime members who purchase a Sample Box for $9.99 receive a credit for the same amount, which can then be used for future purchases.

If you’re a frequent Amazon shopper (who isn’t?), you’ll essentially get rewarded for things you were going to buy anyway. Either way, this is a great way to score some free product samples.

Shopping portals that offer rewards on beauty box subscriptions

There are countless beauty box subscription services out there, but only a limited number of them partner with shopping portals. Here’s a list of the most popular ones out there, starting with the cheapest:

Birchbox -$10 per month

• Amtrak Rewards = 357 points for 3 or 6-month gift subscriptions 
• Virgin America Elevate Fly Store = 150 points
• JetBlue Shop True = 125 points
• TopCashBack = 5% cash back
• Giving Assistant = 10% cash back
• Splender = 6% cash back

Play by Sephora – $10 per month

• Glamour Rewards = 10% cash back (temporarily)
• Splender = 8% cash back
• Citi Bonus Cash = 8% cash back
• Discover = 8% cash back
• Ultimate Rewards = 5 points per $1
• Marriott, Mileage Plan, AAdvantage, Rapid Rewards Shopping = 4 miles per $1
• Delta Skymiles, Hilton HHonors, MileagePlus = 3 miles per $1
• Hawaiian Miles = 2.5 miles per $

Beauty Box 5 – $12 per month

• Ebates: $4 cash back
• Mr. Rebates: $4 cash back
• TopCashBack = 8% cash back

Cocotique – $20 per month

• Coupon Cactus: $1 cash back on initial transaction
• Panda Cashback: $2 cash back on initial transaction

Glossybox – $21 per month

• Ebates = $2.75 cash back

Julep Maven – $19.99 – $24.99 per month

• TopCashBack = 15% cash back
• BeFrugal = 15% cash back
• Barclay RewardsBoost = 5 points per $1
• Hawaiian Miles = 7.5 miles per $
• Alaska Mileage Plan, AAdvantage, Rapid Rewards Shopping= 4 miles per $1
• United MileagePlus = 3 miles per $1

Beauty Fix (dermstore.com) – $24.95 per month

• TopCashBack = Up to 15% cash back or $5 off Beauty Fix
• Promise = 7% cash back
• Barclay RewardsBoost = 4 points per $1
• Alaska Mileage Plan, AAdvantage, Rapid Rewards Shopping = 3 points per $1
• Hawaiian Miles = 2.5 miles per $
• United MileagePlus = 2 miles per $1

New Beauty Test Tube – $29.95 per month

• Mr. Rebates = $6 cash back

POPSUGAR Must Have – $39.95 per month

• TopCashBack = $5 cash back

Free beauty box subscriptions

Most beauty box subscription sites have a rewards program, allowing members to earn points by providing feedback on product samples, making purchases, and referring friends.

This is perhaps the best option for not only saving money on beauty boxes, but getting them for free! Here’s a list of beauty box subscription referral program bonuses:

Birchbox

100 Birchbox points = 1 free box

• 110 points per annual subscription
• 195 points per annual Birchbox Man subscription
• 50 points per referral subscription
• 10 points for the first 5 sample reviews
• 1 point per $1 spent on beauty products

Beauty Box 5

• 1 free month for every 5 subscription referrals

Cocotique

800 COCOHearts = 1 free Cocotique box

• 95 points for a 12-month subscription
• 45 points for a 6-month subscription
• 5 points for a monthly subscription
• 10 points per sample review
• 10 points per Cocotique box review
• 20 points per monthly survey
• 20 points per monthly brand partner survey
• 50 COCOHearts per subscription referral

Glossybox

1,000 Glossydots = 1 free Glossybox

• 250 Glossydots per monthly subscription referral
• 500 Glossydots per 3-month subscription referral
• 750 Glossydots per 6-month subscription referral
• 1,000 Glossydots per 12-month subscription referral 

Julep Maven Box

$15 reward code per referral (up to 40 referrals per year)

2,000 Jules for a free beauty box

4,000 Jules for a free luxe beauty box

• 100 Jules for joining Julep Beauty Box
• 350 Jules for a monthly beauty box subscription
• 600 Jules for a monthly luxe box subscription
• 200 Jules on your birthday
• 500 Jules on your Maven Box anniversary month

DermStore BeautyFix

• $10 credit per referral

POPSUGAR Must Have

• 3 monthly subscription referrals = 1 free box
• $10 off per box for each additional referral

Which credit cards to use for beauty box subscriptions

To my knowledge, beauty box subscriptions aren’t classified as bonus category merchants. The best way to maximize points on these purchases is to use credit cards that earn more than 1 point per $1 on everyday spending:

• US Bank Club Carlson Rewards Business Card – 5 points per $1
• Club Carlson Premier Rewards Card – 5 points per $1
• Club Carlson Rewards Card – 3 points per $1
• Hilton Honors Reserve, Amex Hilton Honors Card, Hilton Honors Surpass Card – 3 points per $1
• Discover It Miles Card – 3 miles per $1 spent 
• Barclay Arrival Plus Card – 2 miles per $1
• Hilton HHonors Visa Signature Card – 2 points per $1
• Fidelity Rewards Visa – 2% cash back
• Virgin Atlantic WorldElite MasterCard – 1.5 miles per $1
• United MileagePlus Club Card – 1.5 miles per $1
• Amex Starwood Preferred Guest Card – 1 point per $1 spent
• Amex Starwood Business Card – 1 point per $1 spent

Why am I including the SPG credit cards? With the 5,000-mile bonus on transfers of 20,000 points or more, these cards essentially earn 1.25 airline miles per $1. More importantly, with the 1:3 ratio on SPG to Marriott transfers, Starwood credit cards earn 3 Marriott points per $1 spent. 

Another great options is the Club Carlson Premier card, which is the most rewarding hotel credit card and great for non-bonus category spending. If you prefer cash back or travel rewards, Discover It Miles is great with its 3 miles per $1 earning rate during the first year.

Those meeting spending requirements or aiming for an annual spending bonus should consider linking that card to your beauty box subscription account. It may just be a couple of hundred bucks a year, but it still counts towards something worth much more.

Are beauty box subscriptions worth it?

I’ve had my Glossybox subscription for a year, and it’s often hit or miss. Sometimes, I give the contents away, but since most of the products are travel-sized, I save them to make my own travel amenity kits.

I do think beauty subscription boxes can provide great value. If you’re interested in getting one yourself, you now have the tools to not only save money, but earn lots of points and miles as well.

How do you maximize rewards and savings on beauty box subscription services? I’d love your feedback in the comments.