For beauty enthusiasts and skeptics alike, you don't have to look far to see that the market for make-up, fragrance, and skincare is entirely over-saturated. Considering the average consumer is likely to feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of options they have when shopping for cosmetics, it seems to follow naturally that the business model for offering subscription boxes was based on taking the decision-making turmoil out of the consumer's hands.
"Trust us, take this quiz, and we will select products tailored to your preferences!" they said.
And then, we were left with products we merely felt lukewarm about and weren't likely to reach for when the mood hit. Waste of time, product, and money.
I've tried several subscription boxes, Birchbox and BoxyCharm to name a few, and while the novelty and excitement entertains me for a bit in the beginning, I always find myself underwhelmed. Most of the time I'd end up giving away 2-3 of the products I'd find in my box because the shade wasn't a great match or a product wasn't something I'd be able to organically incorporate into my beauty routine.
Enter Beauty Pie™...
I’ve only been a subscriber for a little over a month and I’m so impressed. Impressed might even be an understatement. Admittedly, it took me a few reads of the website and convos with my make-up obsessed girlfriends to completely understand how it all works.
The idea is that by eliminating the middle man (the retailer), who usually drives price points up, you can buy direct for cheaper allowing you to access “a bigger slice of the [beauty] pie.” Additionally, you buy only what YOU select for yourself and pay super low prices for obviously high-end products. Trust me, if you’ve ever sampled a wide range of cosmetics you will have a sense immediately of what I mean by “obviously”. This ultimately equals less “stuff” from someone else’s blind attempt at a curated selection for you, more control over your purchases, and access to products that are more likely to become staples in your routine. I also see this service as being friendly to all age groups.
No one knows your cosmetic preferences and addictions like you.
So…who wouldn’t want this, seriously?
There are a few tiers of membership - I chose the lowest to start out. It’s $10/month with a minimum 3-month membership commitment. I figured $30 for 3 months is nothing to see if I really love this. My $10/month grants me a $100 “spending limit”. The website list fragrances, make-up, skincare & body products, beauty tools and even candles. *swoons*
Each product is listed with 2 prices: one for members and another for non-members, which is equal to a typical retail price. Naturally, you can only pay membership prices if you are a member. Here’s an example of how it works with a $100 spending limit:
If you want a face serum and the retail price is $90 but the membership price is $15, you would pay $15 but use $90 of your $100 spending limit. After adding the $90 serum to your cart, you will only have $10 of your initial $100 spending limit remaining. Essentially, you can continue to buy products for membership prices so long as the retail price points for those products don’t exceed your spending limit. As you go up in membership tier, spending limits increase.
The only "con" I've noted so far is you are on the hook for $8ish in shipping costs for each box. Meaning ordering twice or more in a month might give you a rash. In my opinion this shipping cost is well worth it considering the value of the total experience you are getting.
Everything about this membership feels "exclusive" and high-end - from the way you can shop for yourself to the packaging.
I personally like for my deliveries to look and feel pretty.In my first box, I opted for an undereye brightener, a fragrance, a foot cream, and a lip oil - all of which I'm OBSESSED with.
If you decide you want to give it a try you can sign up here. You will get your first month FREE (that's a $100 spending limit MINUS the monthly fee) and I get a some funds added to my spending limit. We can help each other out! If not, I should say I didn't write this specifically to get folks to sign up but rather to be honest about my experience with this subscription - as always I like testing products and doing my own research in order to give honest feedback from a "real person" perspective. Whenever I find swoon-worthy things in the world of beauty and fashion, I'm compelled to share!