All about Glossybox!

Having only stumbled upon the world of monthly beauty boxes a week or two ago, I could only assume that the tonnes of blog posts and reviews I’ve seen on them since are the universe’s way of telling me I needed to get myself in on it, and I’m so glad I did!

Basically, there are companies out there that want to send you monthly goodie boxes of sample-sized beauty products in exchange for your love and appreciation (and cash).

I’d seen a number of positive comments about Glossybox, so I headed to their website (www.glossybox.co.uk) to see what it’s all about. I know that there are a number of similar companies catering to Australia and the US, and I know that FeelUnique used to do a similar thing up until recently, but other than that I’m not sure what other options there are for the UK – I probably should have done a bit more research but I really liked the look of Glossybox so I treated myself to a subscription. 

 

 I just received my first box this morning, and I’m so so pleased with it! I thought I’d tell you a bit about the whole subscription process: how it works, what you have to pay and what you get for your money.

What’s it all about?

After signing up, choosing your payment plan and filling out your ‘beauty profile’ (more on this below) Glossybox put together a box of 5 beauty samples and post it out to you each month. I don’t think you get to choose what you want to receive or know what you’ll get in advance, but that’s the fun part! I think it’s a good way to try out some brands you may not have heard of before, new products, and products you might not usually buy.

 

What does it cost?

The subscription process is all very easy. All online, and you can choose whether you want to pay each month for your Glossyboxes or whether you want to buy 3, 6 or 12 months worth in advance.

• Monthly subscription: You pay £10 each month for your box, plus £2.95 postage and packing. So, the total you pay each month is £12.95. Signing up this way will mean your monthly payments will continue until you stop them, you’re not just paying for a one-off box. This is a bit like a monthly contract, but you are free to cancel at any time.

•  3 month subscription: for this one you pay £27 upfront for 3 boxes over 3 months, plus £8.85 postage and packing, so the total you pay is £35.85.

•  6 month subscription: this time you pay £50 upfront for 6 boxes over 6 months, plus £17.70 p&p. Your total is £67.70.

•  12 month subscription: and if you want a box each month for the next 12 months, you can pay £100 upfront, plus £35.40 p&p, so a grand total of £135.40.

Be careful with the monthly one as you’re not getting a one off box, you’ll get a box each month and be charged each month until you cancel. The 3, 6 and 12 months are one off, upfront payments that don’t autorenew.

I don’t think £12.95 each month is bad at all, but obviously the more you order the better the deal you’ll get. The 3 month option will save you £3 on the price of the boxes, the 6 month option will save you £10 (the equivalent of one box free) and the 12 month option will save you £20, the equivalent of 2 boxes free. I went for the 3 month one so I could give it a good try and see whether I think it’s worth ordering more.

Your Beauty Profile: Glossybox also give you the opportunity to fill out a beauty profile online. They ask 8 questions including your skin type, foundation colour (I was a bit stuck between ‘fair’ and ‘light’!?), hair type, whether you dye your hair, what colour it is, how much you spend on beauty each month (don’t think I want to know!!), how you describe your style, and your birthday. I assume that this is so Glossybox can tailor the items they send you to your needs and preferences.

What do you get?

My boyfriend bounded off like a puppy when the door knocked this morning, expecting it to be his new phone. To his dismay and my delight, it was in fact my very first Glossybox! I subscribed on the 17^th Jan, so it’s only taken 11 days to get here.

I fell in love with it before I’d even opened it, the packaging is so lovely! 

 

 

 This the outer packaging, a thick brown cardboard box with these pretty light pink (almost off-white) crown patterns.

 

 

Inside is a smaller pink box with a lid, a bit like a shoe box. I’ll definitely be keeping mine to use as storage!

Inside there you get a little newsletter, and yet more packaging! The samples were wrapped up like a gift in this cute tissue paper and pink ribbon.

  

And here they are! I was sent:

• Elemis Fresh Skin, Skin Glow Facial Exfoliator (30ml): This is a deep skin cleanser, designed to get rid of all those dead skin cells. This smells AMAZING, really fresh and clean. I love a fresh, glowy, dewy complexion so I can’t wait to try this.

• Monu Aromatic Mask (30ml): This is a natural clay mask, designed to ‘renew’ your skin. It also contains lavender, rosemary, beeswax and coconut. I love facial masks with a warming effect so I’m excited to give this a try, smells delicious.

• Duck Island Limited Body Lotion (30ml): I’ve been hearing a lot of good things about Duck Island products although I’ve never tried them, so I was delighted to find this little gem in my box! This is a really indulgent mandarin and bergamot all-over body lotion, it smells really expensive and fantastic.

• Jason Lips Bee Healthier (4.5g): This balm is an ingenious little mixture of beeswax, vitamin E, green tea extract and organic aloe vera gel, designed to hydrate and soothe the lips. I’ve had a quick try and this feels really good on my lips. Smells to me like mint chocolate!

• Premae Skincare Balance Rescue Face Tonique (30ml): From the description, this sounds like the perfect toner: hydrating for dryness, mattifying for oily areas, alcohol-free, fragrance-free, designed to remove all dirt and excess oil without removing the skin’s natural oils. It promises to freshen and plump the skin and close the pores. I have a very on-off relationship with my current toner so I’m dying to see whether this fulfils all it’s promises. It smells really fresh and light and clean.

And as an extra treat, Glossybox have thrown in this ‘Glossy dreams’ sleep mask!

The Newsletter was nice to read, it’s pretty much just a little hello and happy New Year from the Glossy team, and introducing the idea behind this month’s Glossybox. As everyone needs a little pick-me-up in January after all the indulgence of the holidays, the idea is that the products in this box give you a kick-start in getting back into all those good beauty habits. 

All in all:                                                                                                                

I love beauty, I love samples, and I love getting big parcels in the post so I don’t think Glossybox was in much danger of disappointing me! My box was beautifully packaged, it felt like I was opening a gift and I was really excited to see what was inside. I’m really pleased with the products they’ve sent me and I’ll do proper reviews on them when I’ve had chance to give them a good try.

Glossybox gives you a sense of luxury, like you’ve got a real treat. I loved sitting down this morning with a cup of tea and opening my box – the perfect pick me up on a rainy Monday morning! This is my first box but I’m very impressed and would definitely recommend it based on my experience so far. I also think a Glossybox subscription would make the perfect gift!

I hope this was useful for you if you were considering signing up to Glossybox, everything here was my own, honest opinion and I pay for my own subscription. All the information is as I understand it, but be sure to double check for yourself on www.glossybox.co.uk -especially before signing up to payments and things!

Thank you for reading

Sophie xxx