Is A Holiday Mystery Box From Your Fave Store Worth It? The Reviews Are In

If you’re a type A personality with right-brain tendencies (that’s the creative side) like me, then gift-giving is probably your kink. The best part of the holiday season is seeing a friend or lover’s face light up when you hand them a present that makes them feel understood and appreciated. This is why ordering a surprise box of items from my favorite clothing store sounds like a little bit of a nightmare to me. I like a surprise when it comes to a silent man from across the bar paying for my drink, not when it comes to a Christmas present that needs to make up for a year’s worth of missing serotonin.

Still, some of you brave souls have risked it all by ordering a surprise package from one of the many girliepop-friendly retailers offering seasonal options like Free People, 12th Tribe, Charlotte Tilbury, Show Me Your Mumu, Olive And June, Ink + Alloy, Aurate, GQ, and plenty of independent Etsy shops and online jewelers. So, are the holiday mystery boxes on sale worth it? The internet has a lot to say on the matter, naturally.

What is a holiday mystery surprise box?

It’s essentially a totally blind advent calendar where you pay for the dealer’s choice from the selected retailer. Some of the mystery boxes are themed, like Charlotte Tilbury’s “pretty in pink selections” and GQ’s “beauty haul” while other stores like 12th Tribe promised to curate based on their customer’s wish list sent over DM.

What was the 12th Tribe Mystery Box TikTok drama?

Because 12th Tribe took a survey of likes, dislikes, and what 12th Tribe pieces were already in each mystery box customer’s closet, TikToker Tori felt confident she would get a bag of items she liked if not loved. Tori, unforch, was dead wrong. Even though Tori messaged the modern boho brand about disliking “sparkles/sequins” and florals while loving neutral colors and prints, her bag was stuffed with a bunch of fits that looked perfect for someone who celebrated every day like it was New Year’s Eve. Watching Tori pull out a 100% giant sequin mini dress and sparkly silver pants was a comedy of errors I couldn’t look away from.

By the time I saw her pull out the loudest colorful maxi dress I’d ever seen, I, too, had to ask if they were “pranking her” (especially because the box cost over $60). After the internet had a field day with her horrific haul, the 12th Tribe told Tori it was all a big mistake and a new mystery box is OTW. Tori is graciously giving away the Disco Fever edit to followers who will love the items.

Are the Free People surprise balls good?

Well, um, maybe not so much. For example, when Quinn unrolled her ball on-screen, the comments were screaming how the choices (a temporary tattoo, a metal four-leaf clover, the world’s smallest violin toy, a fruit-shaped bead, etc.) kind of looked like scraps an employee gathered from the warehouse floor. Sure, the cheapest balls are only eight bucks, but was I crazy to expect a ring or a hair tie?!

Other ladies’ hauls included what looked like several small rocks (lol). Considering the more expensive surprise balls go up to $25 dollars, I think Freeps might have some splainin’ to do about why there’s so much wrapping and so little gift.

What’s in the Charlotte Tilbury mystery box?

The Charlotte Tilbury set was supposed to contain four full-sized products that can help create a ~pretty in pink~ makeup look. While influencers (who may or may not have been sent the box for free) seem excited about the offerings, commenters have flagged that the four items shown were not all full-size. Some of the products also struck Charlotte Tilbury superfans as the less popular shades as opposed to the classics that the makeup girlies would love to get their hands on for less. One box (though I can’t say for sure if it’s the same globally) included:

• A matte Pillow Talk blush.
• A Pillow Talk lip blur.
• An eyeshadow.
• A mini magic cream.

The cost in the US is a not-so-demure $66, but Miss Charlotte says the worth is $133, TBF.

Is it worth it to order a mystery gift from Free People, 12th Tribe, or anywhere else?

It looks like the 12th Tribe top and bottom mystery bags are currently on backorder, so Santa may not be able to come through on that one, unfortunately. But as for the ones still for sale, based on the cold hard evidence of what retailers consider a “gift”, I’d only click “buy now” on a surprise package that costs less than a decent takeaway lunch.

I can live with being let down on a surprise that’s canceled out by one less cup of coffee, as in the ball from Free People. On the other hand, spending $200 with a jewelry company like Aurate seems too risky for my taste, considering we’re living in late-stage capitalist America where there’s no such thing as a free lunch. In this case, it seems like there’s no such thing as a benevolent mystery sale that doesn’t benefit these companies by offloading stock that isn’t as desirable.

With Christmas around the corner, you don’t have a lot of time to wait for the reviews to pour in before rolling the dice. But if you’re absolutely in love with the brand and know that a holiday check from grandma will cover the price tag, go ahead and live on the wild side if you want to!