Hardest Beauty Subscription to Cancel: What You Need to Know

Ever try canceling a beauty subscription box and end up buried in endless customer service replies, hidden links, or guilt-trip emails? You're not alone. It’s almost like these companies are built to make quitting harder than picking the right concealer shade.

This isn’t just a bad day at the computer. Some beauty box services, like BoxyCharm and FabFitFun, become infamous for making you hunt through pages of FAQs before even revealing how to cancel. Others demand you call customer service during business hours, and then you’re on hold while your dog is eyeing the unopened box you’re still paying for. Sound familiar?

You deserve a routine you can control, and keeping subscriptions honest is a big part of that. If you’re going in circles with a company, knowing what you’re up against is the best defense. The tips and stories ahead will save you money—and sanity—the next time you want to cut ties with a beauty box. No more paying for boxes you don’t even want to open. Ready to break the cycle?

• Why Beauty Subscriptions Are So Tough to Cancel
• The Notorious Offenders: Hardest Boxes to Ditch in 2025
• Sneaky Tactics Companies Use
• What Really Happens When You Try Cancelling
• Smart Ways to Avoid Getting Stuck
• Step-by-Step: Actually Cancel Your Subscription (and Keep It Cancelled)

Why Beauty Subscriptions Are So Tough to Cancel

If you’ve ever wondered why quitting a beauty box feels harder than getting your eyeliner even, you’re not imagining things. Some companies work overtime to keep you subscribed, and it’s all by design. They know that making the "hardest subscription to cancel" gives them more money from subscribers who just can’t escape the maze.

First off, loads of companies use “forced retention.” That’s where the cancel button is hidden or there’s no online cancel option. Ipsy, for example, used to require you to go through a series of screens telling you all the stuff you’ll miss, each loaded with FOMO (fear of missing out). Birchbox was once infamous for needing you to send a cancellation email—no instant online option, just a wait and hope it went through.

Here’s a knockout stat: In a 2024 consumer survey, 63% of beauty subscription users said they tried to cancel and were stopped by confusing steps, missing options, or just non-response. Only 28% rated the process “easy.”

Company	Online Cancel Option	Customer Service Required	Reported Cancel Difficulty (1-5)
BoxyCharm	No	Yes	4.7
Ipsy	Sort of (many screens)	No	3.9
Birchbox	No	Yes	4.3
Allure Beauty Box	No	Yes (email or call)	4.1

If all of this sounds sneaky, you’re right. According to a 2024 Forbes article, “Subscription fatigue is real, but companies are betting on you giving up when faced with hoops and delays.”

“It took me four emails, three phone calls, and a 45-minute hold to finally cancel my beauty box. I felt trapped.” – Jane Montoya, beauty box subscriber (2025 Reddit AMA)

So why do they do it? Simple: the longer they can keep you, the more boxes they can send (and charge you for), whether you actually use them or not. This is also why you’re often offered "exclusive deals" or bonus gifts right at the point where you’re trying to leave. The hope is, if cancelling gets annoying enough, you’ll just let it go another month—and they’ll pocket more of your money.

The Notorious Offenders: Hardest Boxes to Ditch in 2025

If you’ve ever searched for the hardest subscription to cancel, certain names keep popping up—and not for good reasons. Beauty fans know BoxyCharm tops the list almost every year. The main issue? They bury their cancel button deep in your account settings and make you confirm multiple times. Each page asks ‘Why do you want to leave?’ and sometimes tries to lure you back with last-minute deals you never asked for. The catch: if your account has just been charged, you can’t back out of the next shipment.

FabFitFun is another big culprit. In 2025, users are still forced to call customer service by phone to cancel annual subscriptions. No online option, no live chat. Most calls mean waiting at least 20 minutes and—get this—having to insist you want to cancel multiple times during the call. They’ll offer you special offers or “pause” options, but unless you specifically say “no, cancel for real,” your box keeps coming… and your credit card keeps getting charged.

Then there’s Ipsy. What looks simple at first—just tap ‘Cancel Membership’ online—can turn into a longer ordeal if you miss their cut-off date. If you’re billed, you’re stuck with another month. Some people report email “confirm your cancellation” steps, so check your inbox.

Here’s a quick breakdown of other toughies:

• Birchbox: Back in the day, you could cancel online. Now, annual plans are almost locked in. Cancelling means jumping through email requests and arguing about “policy.”
• GlossyBox: You have to contact their customer care team and often wait days for a response—sometimes they sneak in extra charges while you wait.
• Allure Beauty Box: Surprisingly, you have to email them, and some users find their emails unanswered or delayed past the cut-off for shipments.

If you’re picking a box and hate hassle, always check how easy it is to get out before signing up. Look for honest cancellation policies and real customer support. Otherwise, you’ll waste time chasing boxes you don’t even want.

Sneaky Tactics Companies Use

If you’ve clicked 'cancel' and expected it to be over in seconds, brace yourself. Beauty subscription companies have turned making it hard to cancel into an art form. The hardest subscription to cancel? It comes packed with psychological tricks and straight-up roadblocks.

Here’s how they get you:

• Hidden Cancellation Buttons: Some brands stash the cancel option deep inside your account settings, tucked under vague wording like "manage preferences." BoxyCharm does this—expect to click through four or more pages just to see the option.
• Poor Support Response: Ever waited for a reply to your cancel request, only to get hit with days of radio silence? IPSY has had complaints about this, leaving users hanging long enough to get charged for another month.
• Guilt-Trip Pop-Ups: When you try to cancel, sites like FabFitFun flood you with "Are you sure?" pop-ups and discounts to make you second-guess leaving. The process can start to feel like emotional blackmail.
• Mandatory Customer Service Calls: Some companies, looking at you, Allure Beauty Box, force you to phone in to finalize cancellation. Their lines are open only during work hours, and you’ll probably have to wait on hold.
• Automatic Pauses Instead of Cancelling: Want to quit? Some brands only offer to pause your subscription, not end it completely. You’ll see options for “skip a month” or “pause for two months,” but finding the kill switch is like a scavenger hunt.

If you think this is just bad luck, check the complaints. A recent survey by Subscription Box Society in 2024 found that 41% of users rated beauty boxes as the hardest subscription to cancel out of all the types they had.

Company	Known Tactic	User Frustration Rating (1-5)
BoxyCharm	Hidden buttons & cancellation runs in circles	4.7
FabFitFun	Heavy guilt trips & forced discounts	4.5
IPSY	Slow email support & confusing processes	4.3
Allure Beauty Box	Must call customer service only	4.6

Remember, when they make it this tricky, it’s not random. Every click and popup is designed to get you to stay—even if you don’t want to. Knowing these tricks is half the battle. Stay sharp and don’t let them wear you down.

What Really Happens When You Try Cancelling

The minute you hit “cancel” on a beauty box subscription, the games begin. Some companies—BoxyCharm is a pro at this—don’t even have a visible cancel button. You’ll usually have to log in, poke around the account panel, and when you finally find the option, it’s in tiny text or hidden behind six different screens. If you try canceling before your renewal date, you might still get charged for one more box.

Certain companies refuse to let you cancel online. Instead, they’ll ask you to call or email them. IPSY used this approach until 2023, with hold times that once averaged over 20 minutes. You’d end up talking to someone who’d keep offering you discounts or bonus items if you stayed. Not everyone is prepared to keep saying “no”—so a lot of people never actually finish canceling.

Even after confirming cancellation, surprise charges still happen. A 2024 survey showed 18% of beauty subscription box users got billed after believing they cancelled. Sometimes it’s a “next renewal” trick, where they process another payment before actually canceling you. Here’s a quick snapshot of what users have run into, based on real community feedback (Reddit, Trustpilot, and support forums):

Brand	Online Cancel Option	Extra Steps/Delays	Customer Charges After Cancel
BoxyCharm	Hidden, multi-step	Yes—must fill out offers	Reported in 11% of reviews
FabFitFun	Must chat or email	Manual review takes 1-3 days	9% reported extra charge
IPSY	Online, but confusing	Guilt-trip offers pop up	7% reported delay or charge

You’ll also get bombarded with win-back emails, sometimes weeks after your cancellation goes through. They promise major discounts or “loyalty exclusives,” but these can be just bait to get you to resubscribe. If you do decide to quit, unsubscribe from their emails right away to avoid temptation.

The bottom line? Cancelling isn’t usually a single click—it’s a process. Be ready to screenshot your confirmation, double-check your billing, and if you get charged again, contact support (and maybe even your bank). Stay stubborn when they try to keep you hooked. This straightforward attitude is your best defense against the hardest subscription to cancel drama.

Smart Ways to Avoid Getting Stuck

If you’ve been burned by a beauty box before, you know canceling can feel like an obstacle course. The best way to dodge the headache? Don’t get trapped in the first place. There are a few tried-and-true steps you can use before handing over your card info.

• Check the cancellation policy first: Scroll down to the fine print before you ever subscribe. Some boxes bury the details, but companies that are shadier about cancellation (like requiring phone calls or written notices) are usually a red flag. Ipsy, for example, lets you cancel online, but some subscription companies make it crazy complicated.
• Use a virtual credit card number: Some banks and services let you generate a separate card number just for subscriptions. If the company takes forever to cancel, you can just cut off the payment stream. This trick can save weeks of arguing with support.
• Go monthly, not annual: The savings for yearly plans can be tempting. But data from subscription analytics firm Blissfully shows that people who buy annual plans are 68% more likely to keep paying for unwanted services. You’re better off with monthly, so you can bail faster if things don’t work out.
• Screenshot your cancellation: If you manage to cancel, keep proof. About 14% of people, based on a 2024 poll by Newsweek, got charged after trying to quit a subscription. A screenshot makes those refund emails a lot easier.
• Set a calendar reminder: Right after signing up, set a reminder to review your subscription right before the renewal date. Companies like Allure Beauty Box love to auto-renew without warning. A quick reminder can stop surprise charges.

Here’s a quick cheat sheet so you know the basics at a glance:

Service	Cancel Online?	Known Issues
BoxyCharm	No	Must contact customer support
Ipsy	Yes	Occasional renewal confusion
Allure Beauty Box	Yes	Hidden cancellation button
FabFitFun	No	Phone/email only, long wait times

No matter how pretty the packaging looks, always read up on how to cancel that hardest subscription to cancel before you commit. Saves a lot of headaches (and wasted cash) down the line.

Step-by-Step: Actually Cancel Your Subscription (and Keep It Cancelled)

Canceling a beauty box sounds simple, but as anyone who's struggled with the hardest subscription to cancel will tell you, sometimes it's more complicated than it needs to be. Companies like BoxyCharm and Ipsy have mastered the 'hide and seek' game in their account pages. According to recent consumer watchdog data, about 42% of users had to contact customer support at least twice before getting their cancellation request processed in 2024.

Here's a no-nonsense guide to finally severing those ties—and making sure you aren't secretly re-subscribed later:

1. Log into your account directly on the company’s website. Sometimes beauty box apps don’t allow for cancellations, so don’t trust just the app. Navigate to your account settings.
2. Find the ‘Cancel Subscription’ link. It’s usually buried at the very bottom or hidden in sub-menus labeled with words like 'Manage', 'Plan', or 'Billing'. If you can't see it immediately, use your browser’s “find” (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) function to search for “cancel”.
3. Follow prompts—and read carefully! Some services will try to “save” your subscription with discount offers or stress-inducing warnings. Don’t give in unless you actually want what they're offering. Confirm that you're continuing with cancellation every step of the way.
4. Screenshot everything. Take screenshots of your steps, especially the final confirmation page or any emails you get. This comes in handy if you have to fight charges later.
5. Watch your email. Look out for a cancellation confirmation. Most companies will send you one within a few minutes, but if you don’t see it in 24 hours, check spam folders. If there’s nothing, contact their support and quote your screenshots.
6. Monitor your bank statements. The sneaky charge after “cancellation” happens more often than you think. Watch for any unauthorized payments in the next cycle.

This might sound over the top, but here’s the thing: a recent survey found that 31% of former subscription box users were re-billed even after they thought they’d cancelled. Take your time to do it right.

Brand	Direct Online Cancel	Requires Customer Service Call	Average Wait/Resolution Time
BoxyCharm	Yes (hidden link)	No	2-5 days
FabFitFun	No	Yes	5-10 days
Ipsy	Yes (multi-step)	No	Same day
Allure Beauty Box	No	Yes	4-7 days

If the company tries to overcomplicate things or claims you “missed” the cut-off for the next charge, don’t just give up. File a dispute with your bank or credit card. You’re not just saving a few bucks—you’re setting a boundary for what these services can get away with. Hold onto those proof emails and screenshots just in case. That energy is better spent picking out new lipstick than fighting billing drama, trust me.