Are Beauty Box Subscriptions Worth It?

Subscriptions are wildly popular in the beauty industry, giving shoppers the chance to try new and existing brands. 

Did you know that 46% of shoppers in the UK said they would prefer to buy fewer beauty items with the cost of living? We don’t want to trade down on brands or beauty but choose a curated product list. 

Enter the beauty subscription industry. A beauty subscription box is a box sent to a subscriber’s doorstep for a monthly rate, with a selection of beauty or skincare goodies. With plenty of brands and products already on the shelves, it can help lessen the stress of building a routine. 

Many of us know that finding the right beauty and skincare products can help us feel happier with our appearance. It might make you feel more confident, creative, and empowered with knowledge about each product. Having a set routine - or subscription - that you stick to each morning can even reduce your stress over choosing products and encourage self-care.

Whether you’re shopping for beauty on a budget or waiting for the Liberty Beauty subscription drop, our guide to beauty subscriptions could help.  

Best for Skincare

Skin+Me

Minimum Pricing: £10 with our 60% off first-order promo code. 

Pricing: £24.99 p/m. 

Are you struggling with meeting your skincare needs on a budget? Or maybe you find searching for targeted treatments and a routine overwhelming? Skin+Me deliver personalized skincare solutions straight to your door. Their products are dermatologist-led, with a small team of pharmacists and skincare experts. 

You’ll need to complete a quick skincare questionnaire and send some photos of your problem areas before Skin+Me can evaluate the best skincare treatments tailored to you. Once completed, you can opt for their regular monthly skincare subscription. Of course, you can cancel or pause the subscription at any time. 

Interested? Take a look at our Skin+Me discount codes to save even more on your first purchase.

Best for New Beauty Products

Glossybox 

Minimum Pricing: £10.83 per month with a 12-month subscription. 

Pricing: Monthly subscriptions: One Month - £13.50. 12 Months - £11.50 p/m. 

Upfront subscriptions: 12 Months - £10.83 p/m (£130 total). 6 Months - £11. 50 p/m (£69 total). 3 Months - £12.82 p/m (£38.75 total). 

Did you know that the average woman in Britain will use 38 beauty products per year? If you also love discovering new beauty products, but perhaps not how costs add up, then a subscription box could be for you. Glossybox one of the original beauty subscription boxes. They introduce subscribers to 5 new beauty products per month, from bestselling to new-but-mighty brands. 

You can expect both deluxe and mini-sized products within the subscription box. Simply sign up for the next month’s subscription or choose a limited-edition box from their website. You can opt to pay monthly , yearly, or for six months. Unsure whether you want to commit? Glossybox has a flexible 1 month rolling subscription, suited to new subscribers. 

Looking for a discount on your subscription? Check out our Glossybox discount codes, as we’ve previously had codes for 10-20% off. 

Best for Beauty

 Sephora  

Minimum Pricing: £11.95 per month with a 12-month subscription.

Pricing: One Month- £13.95. 3 Months - £13.50  p/m. 6 Months - £12.75 p/m. 12 months - £11.95 p/m. 

Are you searching for the best beauty products each month? If you’re focus is on the best-quality beauty products from favorite brands, the Sephora beauty box could be for you. Sephora’s beauty box allows you to carefully select five deluxe samples each month, from brands such as Charlotte Tilbury, Kiehl’s, Caudalie, and Sunday Riley (to name just a few). 

Each sample is a deluxe size so you can expect the most for your money. You’ll need to create a Sephora account first to sign up for the beauty box. Once you have, simply choose your 5 samples and the regularity of your subscription. If you see a different sample you like after ordering, you can always amend your order up to 24 hours before it is dispatched. 

For the ultimate savings at Sephora, be sure to check our Sephora discount code page.

Best for Affordability

Roccabox

Minimum Pricing: £13 (excludes P+P) per month with a 12-month subscription. 

Pricing: One Month - £15. 6 Months - £14 p/m. 12 Months - £13 p/m. 

All subscriptions also incur a £3.95 P+P fee per month. 

Are you more focused on shopping for affordability? One in ten of us have cut down on our beloved beauty products, to cut down on expenses [Women’s Health]. Luckily, brands such as Roccabox exist to us get our monthly beauty fix for less. Whilst their brands might not be premium, you can still select 5-7 products each month. Their brands are also well-known, including names such as Nip+Fab, Cetaphil, and Revolution.

You can choose the best regularity suited to you - monthly, 6 months, or 12 month subscriptions. The boxes contain usually deluxe mini or full sized beauty products, all hand-selected by beauty experts to give you the latest in beauty. 

Best for Men

Manscaped 

Minimum Pricing: £17. 10 with our 10% off newsletter promo code. 

Pricing: £19 p/m. 

Looking for a male subscription box? Maybe you’re tired of overspending on facial razors and find beard care confusing? Manscaped.com works tirelessly to send the best beard kits (including a shaver) to your doorstep. Known for transforming male shaving, Manscaped products are designed to help you feel confident and at your very best. 

You will need to sign up to become a member of their Peak Hygiene Plan. Once you’ve signed up, you can then choose two of their Peak products. These are full-sized products which will be sent with each shipment. Whether you choose replacement blades or new products, you can change your product choice for the next shipment. 

If you’re looking to save on beard tools or shavers, then turn to our Manscaped discount codes. 

Best for Male Fragrance

Secret Scent Box

Minimum Pricing: £13 per month with a 12-month subscription.

Pricing: One month - £15. 6 Months - £15 p/m. 12 Months - £13 p/m.

Are you struggling to find the perfect masculine scent on a budget? Or maybe you want opinions from others before you commit to buying the full size? Secret Scent Box delivers monthly scent boxes for men to your doorstep. Each product is brand authenticated by the team at Secret Scent Box, and accompanied by a fragrance note card.

Each box has 3 x 3ml surprise designer fragrance testers, designed to last you 30 days. You can sign up from the Secret Scent Box and choose your regularity. Secret Scent Box will then send your perfume each month with letterbox postage, so you don’t even need to worry about being home for the delivery.

Compare Beauty Boxes

Health and beauty subscription boxes are one of the most popular subscriptions in the UK, with 11% of us already subscribed [ILG]. With such popularity, there are also plenty of brands to choose from. More discerning shoppers will take into account competitor brands, value for money, and their own needs. 

Some key brands we haven’t mentioned yet include Ipsy, Birchbox, and Scentbird. These are some of the original beauty subscriptions on the market, although they can be more expensive. Hopefully, our list above has also given you a brief comparison of pricing and the type of beauty boxes available. We’d always recommend doing some of your own research before parting with your hard-earned cash. 

Inspire Yourself

Do you love trying new beauty products and discovering exciting brands? If so, then a beauty box might be a great option for you. However, if you regularly stick to your staple products then changing things each month might not work for you. 

Most of the beauty subscription boxes on the market will let you pause, skip, or cancel your subscription at any time. However, we’d always recommend checking the terms and conditions to be sure.

Whether a beauty box is worth it usually depends on whether it meets your specific needs. For example, if you’re not likely to use 5 products within a whole month then a beauty box might not be for you. Most beauty boxes will include mini beauty products for you to try. Check our previous article, which discusses whether mini beauty products are cost-effective. You might also prefer a category such as skincare or fragrance instead of purchasing an overall beauty subscription. 

If you enjoy trying new things and love the latest trends, a beauty subscription could be worth it for you. You might just find your new favourite brand or product. A similar way to search for new products is with beauty advent calendars. As always, it’s essential to do your research before hitting checkout.