6 best beauty box subscriptions: tried and tested

BEAUTY box subscriptions have soared in recent years, and it feels like every brand is getting in on the bargain bundles.

Having collection of products delivered directly to your home is the dream way to experiment with new brands without the hassle – and they usually come far cheaper than if the items were purchased separately.

There’s beauty subscriptions for skincare and make-up fans, as well as practical memberships for everyday essentials like razors.

Most brands offer the choice to subscribe to monthly, or yearly memberships, and some offer one-off purchases to dip your toe in before taking the plunge.

I’ve put some of the top-rated beauty subscriptions to the test, and I’ve also thrown in a couple of trending standalone beauty boxes, too.

Best beauty boxes at a glance

• Best beauty subscription: Glossybox subscription, from £12.50
• Best one-off beauty box: Boots Korean Beauty Skincare Edit, £35
• Best razor subscription: FFS Beauty Razor Subscription, from £9.95
• Best skincare subscription: Beauty Pie Membership, from £4.95

How I tested

I tried some of the known and loved beauty subscription boxes to see if they’re really worth the money.

For each box, I considered the amount of products included, the quality of the products, the value for money and the efficiency of the subscription.

Some of the beauty boxes are purchased as standalone items, while others require shoppers to commit to one, three, six or 12 month memberships.

Glossybox subscription

Glossybox subscription, from £12.50 per month

Pros: Good value for money, mix of full-size and mini products, good for trying out new brands

Cons: Can’t pick products, not always well-know brands inside

Rating: 5/5

Glossybox is one of the biggest names in the beauty subscription space.

Every month, Glossybox subscribers receive five beauty products from a mix of brands, spanning from little-known names to viral favourites.

I tried the Glossybox August edition, and while I was initially disappointed with the lack of popular brands, I ended up loving some of the products included.

For that reason, it’s a great way for both beauty enthusiasts and beginners to experiment with new products.

Subscriptions start at £11.50, so the membership is one of the more affordable, and I like that the box comes with a combination of full-size and mini items.

Everything came packaged in a stylish pink box, and with the total of products adding up to over £50 each month, it’s definitely good value for money.

For a more in-depth look into the box, read my full Glossybox review.

Price: From £12.50 per month, Plan: One, three, six and 12 month options, Amount of Products: Five

FFS Beauty razor subscription

FFS Razor Starter Kit Subscription, from £9.95

Pros: Comes with accessories, razor is gentle on the skin, customisable, great value for money when on sale, can choose subscription frequency based on shaving routine, not tied to membership

Cons: None

Rating: 5/5

I tried FFS Beauty for the first time when I reviewed the best razors for women, and I haven’t looked back since.

I love everything about this subscription; from the quality of the razor to the accessories it comes with, and the value for money is fantastic.

Shoppers can choose their starter kit which comes with a razor (with the option to engrave), a shaving cream, a blade protector, a travel pouch and a shower holder.

Following the first order, refills of the blades will be delivered every three months or so (based around how frequently you shave).

The membership is currently on sale, so all of the accessories and the razor cost less than £10.

I also like that the subscription can be adjusted or cancelled at any point, so there’s no being tied in to a membership.

Price: From £9.95 per month, Plan: One, two or three month plans, Amount of Products: Six

Beauty Pie Membership

Beauty Pie Membership, from £29

Pros: Can read reviews before buying, cheap prices for high-quality products, broad range, option for free trial

Cons: Formulas for products are hidden

Rating: 5/5

While not technically a beauty box, Beauty Pie offers monthly subscriptions and members tend to buy more than one item because they’re such good value.

Priced at £29 for a whole year for the starter membership or £59 for full access, Beauty Pie labels itself as a members’ club for beauty lovers.

Products are usually marked up before reaching the shelves, but Beauty Pie sells them before all of those price increases – usually saving up to 80% of typical prices.

On both plans, you can spend up to £300 each month; if you choose the annual plan, Beauty Pie says ‘most members recoup the cost of their membership on their first shop’.

I decided to try out some products to see if they’re actually as good as their typical prices suggest.

In total, they were worth £140 and I was really impressed by the value for money and variety.

Upon first use, I could tell they were great beauty buys. They felt super luxurious and were a true treat for the skin.

Some highlights included the Plantastic Apricot Butter Cleansing Balm and Superdose Vitamin C Oxygen Boosting Moisturizer. In short, shop Beauty Pie for high quality and low prices.

Read the full Beauty Pie review here.

Price: From £2.50 per month for a 12-month subscription Plan: One-month and 12-month subscription

Boots Korean Beauty Box

Boots K-Beauty Skincare Edit, £35

Pros: Good range of products, great for trying new brands, value for money

Cons: Two of the products can only be used once

Rating: 4.5/5

This beauty box isn’t part of a subscription, but the Boots Korean Beauty Box is worth talking about.

The high-street retailer launches tons of beauty boxes throughout the year, but the Korean skincare ones are (in my opinion) the best.

And I’m not the only one who thinks so, as the last Boots Korean Beauty Box to launch caused mass sell-outs online (with one sold evey 12 seconds), and this one will likely follow suit.

K-beauty has soared in popularity recently, and while several brands have gone viral for their products, it’s still hard to know which ones are worth trying.

The Boots Korean Beauty Box is the perfect way to experiment with new brands for a discounted price, and it contains a mix of cleansers, serums and masks for a whole new skincare regime.

You can more information about Boots’s newest beauty box worth £89.

Price: £35, Plan: None, Amount of Products: Seven

Estrid razor subscription

Estrid Razor Starter Kit, from £7.75

Pros: High-quality razor, great accessories, handy travel case, option for refills every two, three or four months

Cons: Quite expensive when all of the accessories are added

Rating: 4.5/5

Estrid is up there with one of the most popular razor brands, and for good reason.

The razor subscription can be tailored to an individuals shaving needs (to get refills delivered every two, three and more months), to avoid a build-up of blades.

The razor is high-quality with a sturdy handle, and I love the carry case for keeping it clean and safe when I’m travelling.

As for the price, the initial purchase for the razor is £7.95, followed by £9.95 for every refill.

It starts getting a little pricey when you add on all of the accessories, but they’ll all last a long longer, making the initial price the only expensive one.

Read our full Estrid razor review.

Price: From £9.95 per month, Plan: Two, three and four month plans, Amount of Products: Two

P.Louise Wings of Wonder Box

P.Louise Wings of Wonder Beauty Subscription, £45

Pros: Good variety of products, would make a nice gift, ideal for teens

Cons: Expensive

Rating: 3.5/5

P.Louise releases a monthly beauty box that can be bought as a monthly subscription or a one-off purchase.

Every month the new month has a theme, and I tried the Wings of Wonder version.

It came with five products worth over £90 when bought separately, so shoppers are getting a big saving when buying as a set.

There was a good mix of items, including a glitter body oil, a primer, a lip balm and a palette.

I liked the packaging of the products, and I could see the set making a lovely gift for a teenager.

Price: £45,  Plan: One, six and 12 month plans, Amount of Products: Five

Where to buy beauty boxes in the UK?

As beauty boxes have become more popular so more brands and beauty companies are offering them.

As well as specialist providers like Glossybox, you can find curated collections and subscription boxes on large beauty shopping sites such as Lookfantastic and Latest in Beauty.

High-street stores are also now seeing the benefits of offering a similar service, with Boots, Next and M&S all offering beauty boxes regularly or at selected times of the year.

New to the sector are beauty subscriptions that provide massive discounts on products rather than sending out boxes of products.

You can even find collections offered by some of your favourite magazines.

How much are monthly beauty boxes?

Beauty boxes vary in price depending on their contents and whether you purchase them every month or sign up for an annual subscription.

The cheapest we reviewed here is Beauty Pie, with their monthly subscription starting at just £2.50 per month.

Most subscription beauty boxes reviewed here though cost between £10 and £15 per month.

One-off collections vary in price.

Are beauty boxes worth it?

It all depends on you! If you rarely splash out on beauty products, you might find that subscription boxes send more than you can use (although plenty allow the option to choose quantities).

However, if you love trying out new goodies and are always buying new beauty items anyway, then a subscription box can be a worthwhile investment.

Plus who doesn’t love receiving treats in the post each month?

What are the best monthly box subscriptions?

A lot of the boxes we’ve picked out boast monthly subscriptions, meaning you’ll either pay a set fee, which includes a standard number of products sent out to you monthly – or the fee grants you access to a revolving roster of goodies that you can choose to purchase at a fraction of the normal cost.