Monthly subscription boxes have been around for a number of years here.  I, myself have been a subscriber to a few of them, but in the end, I found the quality of products just wasn’t up to par with what the box cost.

I feel like when this concept first came out (pay a certain amount a month for a box of surprise products), the items were brands no one had ever heard of and they were sample size.  Well, companies have been stepping up their games lately to offer quality products that make the service worthwhile.

Enter Wantable, a Wisconsin-based company that creates custom boxes based on a series of product and personality questions.  The data is then used to create a customized box curated each month by in-house and guest curators that handpick beauty, fashion jewelry, and luxury intimate apparel products from hundreds of quality boutique, specialty, and premium vendors.  Offering three different boxes – makeup, jewelry, or intimates – no two boxes are ever the same and they only offer full-size products.  You can try it one time for $40 USD or subscribe for $36 a month. The company ships to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

I got a chance to try out their makeup box for May and was so excited to see the goodies that I would receive.  I think the best part about receiving these boxes is the surprise and excitement in what is going to be in them.  I used to subscribe to a Canadian-based box a year or so back and I would always ruin the surprise early because I just couldn’t contain my excitement, I had to know what was in it.  With Wantable, because you have to do a questionnaire, you can’t really ruin the surprise because it’s curated especially for you based on the answers you give them.  For example, they will ask if you love eye products; dislike them?  Then you won’t get them.  Wantable says that they never include products that you dislike, leaving you with a box you’re guaranteed to love.  Don’t love it? Send your box back for a free refund.

I got my box about a week and a half after I ordered it (to be expected as it came from the States) and I was quite excited by the products I received.  They were all makeup items that I would actually use.

• Mirabella Brilliant Mineral Highlighting Powder in Glowing Coral (retails for $38)
• NCLA 5-Free Luxury Nail Lacquer in I Only Fly Private (retails for $16)
• Vincent Longo Ultra Suede Trio Eyeshadow (retails for $30)
• Eddie Funkhouser Ultra Definition Bronze and Sculpt Powder (retails for $12.99)

In total, my box was worth $96.99, which is more than double the $40 that it retails for.  I feel like with these subscription boxes, the value of products is always higher than what you pay for it, but when you actually think about it, are they worth it?  In this case, yes, because these are all products that I would actually use (and have already used prior to writing this post).  The quality of everything is pretty good (I was blown away by the pigmentation of the eyeshadows), plus these are brands that I’ve actually heard of prior to receiving them.

Overall, I highly recommend Wantable if you are looking for a good monthly subscription service (c’mon, treat yourself!).  I would be interested in trying out their accessory box (where you get three to four on-trend pieces) as well, cause really, who doesn’t like jewelry?  These also make great gifts, as you can send someone their own personalized code so they can take the questionnaire for their own curated box.