GlossyBox: REVIEW!

When I was very young, I remember I was subscribed to a monthly 'Tinkerbell' package; each package would be filled with delightful trinkets and always had a special letter, once it was written backwards and had to be read in the mirror. I loved those, and would hurry downstairs eager to seize my package. "When you grow up you'll dread the post," my father predicted, "It'll all be bills and Inland Revenue." When my subscription was cancelled he consoled me, "It's two fat men behind a desk."

Well, who knew that all these years later, the same thrill could be re-ignited! Imagine, your doorstep is host to a pile of bills... and then THIS:

I was very kindly sent the October and November GlossyBoxes and the very best thing about these is the immaculate presentation - it instantly brightens up your day. The concept is simple, each month you receive 5 samples, enough to try out a product and decide if you'll invest in the full size. Some months (you can check the archive here) feature amazing full size products, other months are heavily dominated by one brand (e.g my October box had 3 out of 5 products Dermalogica samples) but the general idea is that you are paying £12.95 a month for a surprise selection of 5 novel treats. The October box had a bonus 6th item to celebrate 6 months of GlossyBox but sadly this didn't mean they'd add one every month indefinitely! I am confident that in any given month, you will always get your £12.95 value back - and some months hopefully you will get a spectacular windfall. The boxes are sent Tracked, but you don't need to be in to sign for them, so the idea is that it'll be there waiting for you.

So, let's have a look at my October GlossyBox,

And now the November GlossyBox,







The Arbonne FC5 hand cream (£19 for the full size) is incredible stuff. That is a good example of a product I would never have even looked at, because I use any old hand cream and £19 is precious makeup money. But now I must buy it. And there's the rub... (so to speak) these GlossyBoxes, for us makeup and beauty addicts, are DANGEROUS! I also loved the Dermalogica lip complex (the extra product in October GlossyBox) but it's £22.50 for 1.75ml?! So, if I were to hestitate on my own personal subscription, it would be for fear that if I invite all this temptation into my life, it would be inevitable that I succumb. Of course this is where the brands' advantage lies, this is afterall a fantastic marketing strategy. I am sure that is no secret. In fact it's peculiar no one thought of it before - it seems to be taking off now though! The boxes each come with a card detailing your samples, and if you use your phone app it will take you to the brand website. I would suggest that it would be brilliant if these linked up directly to the product, and if there could always be a little discount to make it all the more appealing. There are often some products with a discount (the fantastic Dead Sea Magik Bath Salts is currently on offer with a code for 25% off, there's 15% off Nail Rock Wraps with a code, and 20% off Philip Kingsley with a code) but ideally it would be the standard and part of the incentive to sign up.



But these are minor gripes and all in all I would confidently recommend GlossyBox. I think it should be marketed to husbands as a painless way to get their wives to remember to treat themselves - you know the women who are so flustered that they have forgotten what it feels like to pamper themselves... I think it is a very good gift idea. Talking of husbands and men in general, GlossyBox for Men has just launched this month. It will be quarterly (i.e every 3 months) and will include 7 samples. With metrosexuals now the standard, I think this is a genius idea.

There are various ways to earn points, GlossyDots, once you are a subscriber - e.g, writing reviews or referring a friend. For every friend you refer you'll be awarded 200 GlossyDots, which go towards your 1000 needed to earn yourself a free GlossyBox.

There are subscription bundles available for 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months. As a Christmas present, it would be a very nice idea to perk up someone's day every month like that. Check out the GlossyBox website, YouTube, Twitter and blog for all the gloss. (squirm, did I really make that pun.)


...Let me know if you have tried GlossyBox?