Beauty Boxes

I've been seeing lots of posts on Blogger, Twitter and Instagram with mixed reviews about beauty boxes. Some, I think can be a little bit harsh and biased towards that particular person. For those who don't subscribe or purchase one off boxes but are considering it, I thought I'd give you my honest opinion about them. Others may disagree with my thoughts but it does give you guys an idea of what to expect if you are thinking about it.

I first heard of beauty boxes on the Glamour Magazine Instagram profile. They posted a photo of the Latest In Beauty Glamour Editor's Pick so I had a look on their website. The box came with loads of goodies that looked appealing to me. It only cost around £14 and, as I was off sick from work for a while, I thought it would be great to experiment in my free (crippled) time. I was so happy with the box that I stalk the website daily for more, and over the past month have purchased another two boxes.

The great thing with Latest In Beauty is that it isn't a subscription. You can purchase any of the boxes on offer whenever you like, subject to availability. These boxes are perfect for me as you can see what you're buying, plus there is usually a selection of 5-6 boxes available at any given time to choose from. I've not purchased a box worth more than £15, and they often come with P&P included. You can also create your own boxes by purchasing items that are on offer separately, but this usually costs a little bit more depending on the items. The packaging for these boxes are relatively plain but they do come packed with shredding so your products don't get damaged on their way to you.

I can't find fault in Latest In Beauty boxes. If you don't like the products in the box, you don't buy it. Simple!

Editor's Pick Products by Latest In Beauty (August 2013) 

On top of buying Latest In Beauty boxes, I also have a rolling subscription with Glossybox. I first heard of Glossybox after typing in "Sites like Latest In Beauty" into Google. I had heard mixed reviews about Glossybox online, so I hit the Hashtag option on Instagram and had a little look at what was on offer in the current box. Needless to say it sold me straight away and I've just received my third box.

Glossybox offer 5 treats a month for £10 + P&P. Before you start you create a beauty profile and I guess this counts towards what products you receive, as I know some people receive different samples.  The packaging changes each month (so far for me anyway) and the products are padded with shredding, covered in matching tissue paper and beautifully wrapped in a ribbon. I'm obsessed with the aesthetics of things, so this really does make me smile! You also receive a little book, more recently a magazine, with information on your items and the brands associated.

Beautiful Packaging by Glossybox (July 2013)

The nice thing is that some of the treats are full sized. You get a few smaller samples (including perfumes and oils) but you are given enough to use each a few times over. Most of the samples are new brands, new products from well known brands or foreign companies so there's quite a range. And what is even better is that after trying the products, you go into your account on Glossybox.com and fill out a review form. You get points for each form you fill in and when you reach 1000 points you get your next box free!

The obvious issue with Glossybox is that it is a surprise, which I enjoy, but others may not. I like opening the boxes up to surprise gifts. It's like having a birthday each month (that you pay for...)! You can choose your subscription and if you pay in bulk for a year it works out a little cheaper. I'm currently sticking to a monthly plan, just in case I don't really like it after a few months. A lot of the comments are of people slating the items they receive in the box, but after getting my latest one (which a lot of people hated for some reason) and totalling up how much the items together actually cost, it was triple the price I paid for the box anyway. I for one can't complain with that.

I've not tried other boxes, but I might branch out into Burchbox very soon! I've heard fantastic reviews about their boxes. I hope that this is at least a little bit useful for those thinking of buying a beauty box.