Disclosure: I received product samples; the post contains affiliate links.
The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

It’s no secret — I love getting great stuff in my mailbox.  After a long day at work, coming home to a fun little treat that’s just for me puts a smile on my face.  Signing up for a beauty box subscription is a great way to guarantee some good mail for yourself.  And there’s no shame in it, either.  It lasts a lot longer than sending yourself flowers too (and it’s cheaper).

One of my favorite monthly subscriptions is the Beauty Box 5.  This little green box gets me all giddy.  My daughter always says, “What’s in your box this month?” because she knows there’s probably something in there she can play with, too.   This month you can get 2-for-1 with the Beauty Box 5 special.  Simply order your February box before January 31 and you’ll get a January box, too.  That’s a super deal and it’s perfect for Valentine’s Day.  Don’t miss it!

 This month’s box was a wonderfully refreshing assortment of skin savers.   I especially loved the awesome lip balm and exfoliating gloves.  Together, actually. Chapped lips don’t have to be par for the course in winter.  Grab this pair of gloves and rub them gently over your lips after brushing your teeth or washing your face.  Then liberally apply the coconut hemp lip balm and top with your favorite gloss.  Seriously soft and pretty lips!  All the dry heat and windburn can wreak havoc on my tired skin, so I enjoyed the body wash and lotion as well.  Overall, this month’s box was a real treat.  It’s super affordable at under $12 a box, plus if you take advantage of the free January box it’s an even better deal!

The next box that arrived this month was the FabFitFun box.  Its price point of just under $50 might cause you to hesitate, but I think the FabFitFun.com VIP box is worth every penny.  The site itself is a fun place to hang out.  The articles are cool and I love learning about new products.  You don’t have to join to check it out, but it’s worth the extra couple of seconds since you can customize your options that way.  I’ve already started For the guy who needs to find his Valentine a nice assortment of pampering items, this would be a super option.  The box itself is a gift — it opens to this gorgeous pink logo and is wrapped in tissue paper.  I actually squealed a little bit.  After gently peeling away the sticker, I gasped at the beautiful goods waiting inside this box.  It was like someone handpicked all these items just for me.  The overall value of the box was far beyond the $50 box cost.  You can send this as a gift, but you have to select the full year option.  I’d love to see this offered as a one-time box for gifts, too, since it’s available for personal orders.  I would totally have bought this for my best friend’s birthday.

There are a couple of ways to save money on your subscription.  The website flashes a code to save you $5 off the first box, so that’s a way to save at least 10%.  If you subscribe for the entire year (4 boxes) take advantage of the New Years special which gives you $20 off the annual subscription.  Pay for it once and then just sit back and enjoy your mail.  Either way, I declare the FabFitFun VIP box the Best Beauty Box for 2014.

It’s hard to really choose my favorites from this box because it was ALL so great.  The Giving Keys Never Ending “inspire” necklace ($55) was adorable.  I loved that it was long enough to just pull over my head.  The next thing I was tickled about was the Simple cleanser ($7.50).  This has been on my list of things to buy for a while after hearing my sister rave about it, so I’m very excited to try it for myself.  The NYX “Florence” eyeshadow palette ($8) shades are gorgeous with just the right colors to get me out of the winter funk.  The great thing about these two finds is that I can restock by visiting the local drugstore.

My daughter has already commandeered the awesome TruEnergy earbuds ($40) for herself; they’re the perfect accessory for girls on the go.   The Beauty For Real lip gloss ($22) comes in a cool tube with mirror on the side.  Can I just say, that’s genius!  The shade was too bold for me so instead I’m using it as a lip stain.  Apply a very thin layer, blot, then top with a lighter glossy shade.  It’s pretty and works wonders for me; the formula has a wonderful tingling and cooling sensation after application.  The Skyn Icelandic Relief Eye Cream ($45) will last me possibly forever.  It took only the tiniest dab to smudge this across the circles under my eyes.  Miracle treatment?  Maybe.  The skin there definitely looks better after a couple of applications.  My box also included a $20 gift card for MeUndies.com.  It was a little disappointing to find that the site’s $20 briefs are sold out in my size; the thong is available but…..no.  Hopefully they’ll restock; if not, I’ll get some socks instead or maybe get my hubby a pair of boxer briefs.  There were a few other items like the Lorna Jane Bracelet ($30), Bioxidea Miracle 24 ($19), and Physique 57 Classes ($25) that I haven’t used yet.   It’s safe to say that at a $271 value, the FabFitFun box was a bargain.

Thanks to Beauty Box 5 and FabFitFun for sending me these great boxes.