The last 6 months has seen the beauty market flooded with beauty boxes (b'box?! that'll do for the amount of times I have to mention it in this post!). For those who aren't familiar with the monthly subscription service, Perfectly Polished has a given a really great explanation here.
So, a box of mystery treats each month, presented beautifully for around £9-£15.00 a month. A luxurious treat showcasing the best in emerging beauty and make up brands? Or a well wrapped ploy to get us beauty obsessives to pay for what might essentially be free if we asked nicely enough?
Now, it's confession time. Forgive me Father b'box, for I have sinned. I have b'box whored myself to the excess. I am currently subscribed to 3....yes THREE b'boxes. It all started innocently with Boudoir Prive and spiralled from there. True to the reasons behind this blog, I became addicted to the rush of that mysterious thump on the doormat, courtesy of the b'box bearing postman. Three box subscriptions has given me the opportunity to really immerse myself in the beauty box experience, and here's what I think, together with a few recommendations for both consumer and manufacturer.
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| Boudoir Prive - soon to be Jolie Box! |
Now Boudoir Prive are responsible for popping my b'box cherry, and, like my first love, I'll always look on them fondly, but I have to say...they're on borrowed time.
The pro's
- I suspect that Boudoir Prive have always had connections with the French b'box Jolie Box, and also suspect that their recent takeover and name change by the brand of the same name was always anticipated, if not planned, however; there are some real pioneers in the French beauty market - Helena Rubenstein, Carita and Caudalie to name but a few - so lets see whats to come!
- Boudoir Prive are the new kids on the block to a market thats established itself and i'm hoping that Jolie Box will take the opportunity to learn from its Glossy elder sisters mistakes....we'll see though.
The con's
- Its obvious to me that Boudoir Prive are run by a very small team, who are still finding their bambi on ice like feet. Each month their boxes have been delayed and I'm sat here on December 12th with my November box having only just had it delivered. It took no less than 7 tweets and an email for anyone to get back to me about my lost bbox - and thats not good enough. As an emerging brand in a flooded market it wont be the contents that will set you apart - it'll be the service. There's no point employing a social media manager if they don't have a customer services manager to pass on complaints to - come on guys, lets reply to complaints before we RT blog posts please!
- There is a lot of repetition to the products - not just in brands but in type too. This month i received 2 hand creams / moisturisers and 2 brands that were in a previous box. I'm not entirely sure you can call that a 'brand showcase'.
Conclusion
If you're not too concerned about customer services but excited to get your hands on some niche french beauty / make up products, this is the beauty box for you.
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| Glossy box (image credit: ifashionmagazine.com) |
Now, i'm currently awaiting my first Glossy Box, but i've followed their development as a brand quite closely and feel confident enough to list their pro's and con's - although i'll be sure to update this post once I receive my first box
The Pro's
- Glossy Box are an established brand. Their boxes have contained full size products, and products from the likes of Illamasqua, Ciate, Dermalogica, OPI and Stila...to name but a few. Products that a lot of Glossy Box consumers wouldn't have the chance to try. The economic climate in this country means that most of us girls dont have the luxury of being able to splash £30-£40.00 on a product that we might hate as soon as we try - the Glossy Box is a great answer to that conundrum.
- From a business point of view, Glossy Box are killing it. They have a points based loyalty scheme, and this month sees the first men's beauty box being sent out. As i've said in the earlier part of tis blog, the beauty box market is flooded and each one will need to grow and evolve to keep its place in a very competitive market - Glossy are doing just that. They've also hosted some fab blogger events - and thats where my fascination with the beauty box industry started - by reading the likes of llymlrs and milk teef's posts on the subject.
The con's
- Now. I might have just praised Glossy Box for their interaction with the blogging community - but they've taken a risque move by sending out the Glossy Box to a select group of bloggers early. Its been useful in generating hype for the box whilst subscriptions are still open...but its been a trade off for people who feel annoyed at the fact that bloggers are being given the special treatment - for me, the great thing about bloggers is that they are the average consumer (in most cases anyways...). I trust their opinions and don't buy into elevating them to celebrity status. I'm interested to see how Glossy develop their interaction with bloggers without alienating the average Jo(sephine).
Conclusion
Glossy Box is the one for you if you're a beauty obsessive on a budget...or a man with severe post envy each month when your girlfriend / wife / sister / mum receives her b'box.
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| Feel Unique beauty box |
The Feel Unique box comes from the website of the same name that sells beauty products, and is well established as an e-tailer in the beauty market.
The pro's
- I havent received my Feel Unique box yet, but i'm excited, by virtue of their position in the online beauty market, they have access to a huge number of diverse brands and I'm excited to see whats in my first box in January
The con's
- I don't think Feel Unique see themselves as a Glossy Box competitor - I think the beauty box is an add on service for them, and I haven't been as impressed by their use of social media. Will they develop their beauty box service, or sit in the background on their well established laurels? We'll see.
Conclusion
A great box full of diverse brands, with a great support service - they definitely tick the customer service boxes.
Now there are a few other beauty box services out there, and i'm sure there are plenty more waiting in the side lines, so i'm going to call this an unfinished blog post and i'll update it as I whore from one beauty box provider to another.
I hope this post was helpful if you're undecided about whether to subscribe to a beauty box service, or event just which box to go with.
What's your opinion on the beauty box industry? Which box is your favourite? Have you had a really bad / good experience?
