Ultimate Guide to Luxury Beauty Boxes in the UK
With the beauty industry’s endless variety of products, it can be quite a task to sift through and find the right ones for you. Enter luxury beauty boxes, your personally curated selection of high-end beauty goodies, delivered right to your doorstep.
Providing not just convenience, but also the thrill of discovery and the indulgence of luxury, these boxes have become a must-have for beauty aficionados across the UK.
If you’ve been contemplating diving into the world of luxury beauty boxes, this guide is here to answer all your queries and introduce you to some of the best options available.
What is a luxury beauty box?
A luxury beauty box is a specially curated subscription service that delivers a selection of high-end beauty products to your door every month.
These boxes are designed to introduce you to the creme de la creme of the beauty world – think established luxury brands and promising premium newcomers.
Unlike standard beauty boxes, luxury beauty boxes often feature full-sized products rather than sample sizes, giving you a chance to fully experience the product. The items included can also range from skincare and makeup to haircare and perfumes, providing a well-rounded beauty experience.
Why opt for luxury over affordability?
Now, you might be asking, why go for a luxury beauty box when there are more affordable options out there? The answer lies in the quality, variety, and value that these boxes offer:
Unparalleled Quality:
Luxury beauty products are renowned for their superior quality, having been often formulated with high-grade ingredients and backed by extensive research. With a luxury beauty box, you get to experience this exceptional quality every month and take your skincare routine to the next level.
Incredible Variety:
With a luxury beauty box, you’ll get to explore a plethora of brands and products that you might not have discovered – or been able to afford – otherwise. It’s a wonderful way to step out of your comfort zone and broaden your beauty horizons, and maybe even find your new go-to product.
Great Value:
While the upfront cost of a luxury beauty box might be higher than that of an average beauty box, the value of the products you receive is often much higher than the monthly subscription cost. Plus, you get to try products that are often quite expensive to purchase individually, many of which are exclusively created in travel-size for the beauty box.
Self Care + Indulgence:
From the moment you receive your beautifully packaged box to when you apply the last product, having a luxury beauty box as part of your self-care roster really does take your personal care to the next level; it’s a bit like receiving a special gift each month – a treat to yourself that you can look forward to.
Ultimately, luxury beauty boxes are not just about the products they contain, but about the all-around experience they offer: for those who value quality over quantity, and want a taste of the finer things in the beauty world, they’re absolutely worth considering.
The Best Luxury Beauty Boxes in the UK
While the beauty box market has grown exponentially over the last decade, there are a few standouts when it comes to luxury beauty boxes in the UK, with certain boxes offering high-quality, premium products that cater to the discerning beauty aficionado.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the best in the business: Cult Beauty Edits, Cohorted, Cosmetips, and Beauty Pie.
Cult Beauty Edits:
Cult Beauty Edits is a somewhat different approach to the beauty box: rather than a monthly subscription, they offer curated collections or ‘edits’ that focus on specific themes or brands.
This could range from skincare essentials to haircare heroes, allowing you to deep-dive into a particular beauty realm. The boxes range in price, typically starting around £30 and can go up into the hundreds, depending on the edit.
The true beauty of Cult Beauty Edits is in the product selection: each box is thoughtfully curated, with a focus on innovative, high-performance products that beauty insiders swear by. Plus, the box always includes a detailed guide explaining each product’s benefits and how to use it.
In terms of benefits, there’s the opportunity to discover cult-favourite products and the ability to try products grouped by theme or purpose – for example, Cult Beauty’s recent Glow Recipe Beauty Box lets you try some of the skincare brand’s best-sellers, while spending 50% less for the price.
Cohorted:
Cohorted is one of the most popular luxury beauty boxes in the UK, known for providing high-end, premium brands. The subscription costs £39.99 a month, which might seem steep until you realise the box’s content often surpasses £100 in retail value.
Cohorted offers a well-rounded beauty experience, with a mix of skincare, makeup, haircare, and even the occasional fragrance. One of the significant benefits of Cohorted is that they often include full-sized items, a rarity among beauty boxes.
Furthermore, each box includes a mini magazine, ‘The Cohorted Cult,’ that details each product, tips for use, and other beauty news, keeping you informed and updated.
Cosmetips:
Cosmetips is a beauty box with a twist: rather than curating their boxes themselves, they collaborate with influencers to create boxes that bring together the influencer’s favourite beauty products.
These boxes are limited edition and are priced at £110 and the exact contents vary with each collaboration – but you can typically expect 5-6 luxury, full-sized products in each box.
One of the main benefits of Cosmetips is that you get to experience beauty from the perspective of your favourite influencers and celebrities: it feels personal, exclusive, and offers a unique insight into the beauty routines of these internet celebrities.
In addition, the value of the products in the box usually far exceeds the box’s cost, making it a valuable investment for those who love trying influencer-recommended products.
Beauty Pie:
If you are someone who loves luxury beauty but finds the prices prohibitive, then Beauty Pie might be the perfect solution for you. Unlike the traditional beauty box model, Beauty Pie operates on a membership model.
For a monthly fee starting from £10, you get access to buy a range of luxury beauty products at factory cost. Yes, you read that right – you pay what it costs to make the products, no added markups.
The product range is extensive and includes skincare, makeup, haircare, fragrance and even wellness and supplements. You’re not bound by a pre-determined selection of products. You can choose what you want to buy each month, up to your spending limit.
The limit depends on your membership level, and unused limits roll over to the next month, giving you flexibility in how and when you shop.
One of the many benefits of Beauty Pie is that it allows you to access high-end beauty products at a fraction of their retail cost. It’s like having a backstage pass to a world of premium beauty.
However, do bear in mind that it is more of a buyer’s club than a beauty box, so you do have to make decisions about what to buy each month, unlike the traditional beauty box that offers a curated selection. For most, however, this is likely more of a pro than a con.
Which luxury beauty box is best for me?
When deciding which luxury beauty box is the best fit for you, it’s important to consider your preferences and beauty habits. If you love trying new products and enjoy the surprise element, then a traditional beauty box like Cohorted or Cosmetips might be the best fit. Cohorted offers a variety of brands, while Cosmetips provides an influencer-curated experience.
If you prefer to choose your own products and are looking for consistent savings on luxury beauty, then Beauty Pie’s unique model could be a game-changer for you. However, it does require more involvement as you need to choose your products each month.
For those who love deep-diving into specific beauty themes or exploring a specific brand’s range, Cult Beauty Edits would be a perfect choice. The thematic curation can help you explore different aspects of your beauty regime.
Ultimately, the best beauty box for you will depend on what you value most: surprise and discovery, savings, or curated themes. It’s about finding the right balance that suits your beauty regime, lifestyle, and budget.
Is a luxury beauty box worth the money?
Deciding if a luxury beauty box is worth the investment can be a subjective matter, largely depending on individual priorities and financial circumstances.
If you’re a beauty enthusiast who relishes the chance to try new, high-quality products regularly and appreciates the convenience and novelty of a monthly beauty delivery, a luxury beauty box could be well worth the investment.
Remember that the cost of a luxury beauty box often pales in comparison to the total retail value of the products contained within. You’re not just paying for the products, but also for the curation, the discovery, and the luxury experience – so if these aspects add value to your beauty routine, then the price tag can indeed be justified.
However, if you’re on a strict budget or prefer to handpick your beauty products, then a luxury beauty box might not offer the same value. As with most things in life, it’s all about finding what works best for you.