ONE of the great things about beauty boxes is that they enable you to discover loads of new products without having to spend a fortune.
The best beauty boxes contain a mixture of skincare, body care, maybe even make-up and fragrance, all packaged up in a gift box that’s a delight to open.
Whether you opt for a 12-month subscription, a one-off collection or something in between, you’ll be introduced to premium products that may otherwise be out of your price range, niche brands you’ve never heard of, limited edition collections and new season colours to try out.
What’s more, the value of the products is usually worth way more than the cost of the beauty subscription boxes so you’re really getting your money’s worth.
Many brands now offer curated collections, one-off boxes that showcase a theme, such as haircare, trending products, or cult favourites, while others stick to the traditional subscription route, where you can sign up for three, six or 12 months.
There’s usually a mix of sample and full-size goodies included and it’s the best and most cost-effective way we’ve found of discovering new products without having to buy them individually. If we like a product then we can safely buy the full-size version knowing it will be used and not left in a drawer, if we don’t then nothing’s lost.
Companies often list the contents of their upcoming beauty boxes on their website, if you’re the kind of person who needs to know the details or are unsure about purchasing. However, we think waiting until the box arrives and unwrapping the unknown is part of the fun. It’s like a gift to yourself every month – and why not, you’re worth it!
We’ve tested some of the most popular beauty boxes available in the UK so read on for our verdicts on the best beauty boxes to buy at the moment.
Pros: Good value for money, two full-size items, sustainable options
Cons: Can’t pick products
Rating: 5/5
If you're looking for a beauty subscription box that doesn't break the bank, GLOSSYBOX might be the one for you at only £11.50 a month (if you sign up for the whole year).
It offers five products per box, which arrive gift-wrapped in chic pink and black packaging. The box it arrives in also makes a handy storage container if you're all about upcycling.
I got my hands on January's selection of goodies to see if they were worth the monthly subscription and was pleasantly surprised by the range of products and brands that arrived.
My favourite inclusion was a 10ml version of the Nails Inc Gel Rehab Strengthening Nail Treatment which on its own costs £11 — nearly the entire price of the box.
The make-up on offer was also pretty good, especially the Eyeko Spotlight Highlighter Pencil, which is soft and blends beautifully, and the lesser-known brand Glow On 5th Beauty's Lip Dew. Both items were full-size.
To satisfy our conscience, there was also Dr Botanicals' Cocoa & Coconut Superfood Facial Cleansing Bar and the box was rounded off with a full-size version of Mudmasky Vitamin-A Booster Blue Clay Mask.
There was a nice mix of brands I hadn't tried with well-known brands like Nails Inc and Eyeko, so we were met with both comfort products and challenged to try something new.
The value of this box was £70 which way outdid the cost of the box and because of the full-size products, it felt like I was getting my money's worth. Because of its branding and the sorts of products available, I'd say this is a great one for young adults to discover new brands.
Review by Olivia Perl.
Price: From £11.50 per month Plan: 1 month and 12 months Amount of Products: 5
Beauty Pie
Pros: Can read reviews before buying, cheap prices for high-quality products, broad range
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 £10 per month or available for an entire year for just £59, 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.
The Perfume Shop x Look Good Feel Better Charity Beauty Box
Pros: Amazing value for money, full-size premium products, versatile products
Cons: No makeup options
Rating: 4.5/5
The Perfume Shop has released a new Beauty Box in partnership with Look Good Feel Better, and not only is it perfect for beauty lovers, but all the products in the box have also been donated to the charity.
In most boxes, there are one or two products that stand out and in this box, it’s the Olaplex No C Clarifying Shampoo and Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm that are the heroes. Not only are they both full-sized, but the combined price tag of the two is £58, which is more expensive than the entire box at £50, making it a steal.
But that’s not to say the other products aren’t worthy of praise and I’d say this is one of the most well-rounded beauty collections as it contains a lot of useful products, making it a great gift for anyone - beauty fanatic or not.
Another highlight has to be Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Water Cream, which is a lighter iteration of its bestselling Magic Cream that’s perfect for summer weather. There’s also a face mask from BeautyPro, lip tints from Dr Lipp, OPI nail colour and a Dr Paw Paw hand cream, all of which are full-size.
Unusually for a box from a fragrance store, there is only one perfume, which is Britney Spears’ Fantasy scent and while it’s a lovely refreshing smell, I would’ve preferred to receive a more premium perfume like Giorgio Armani’s Si.
But I did love the scent of the orange hand soap included from Roger & Gallet, and while it’s not what I’d typically pick out, it’s super handy and will be used tons at home.
While some may be disappointed to discover that there aren’t any makeup items in the box, I think it’s still a worthwhile buy, especially when you consider the fact it contains a range of full-size products and saves a whopping £95 off typical retail prices.
Review by Natalie Chui.
Price: £50 Plan: One-off beauty box
Liberty London Sun Set Glow Box
Pros: Lots of high-end brands, good value for money, products will work for most skin and hair types, unique independent brands
Cons: Pricey, can’t choose blush colour
Rating: 4/5
Liberty has one of the best selections of premium beauty brands and so you can expect that the Sun Set Glow box is a treat.
Perfect for holidays, this kit contains 11 products that are ideal for travelling and comes complete in a Liberty-printed wash bag that’s surprisingly large and a lovely treat.
Impressively, the majority of products are full-sized and while it’s over £100, it’s great value for money with a whopping £262 saving.
Onto the products, the highlights include the Ultra Violette Extreme Screen SPF 50, a summer skin staple, and the Sunday Riley CEO Glow, a much-loved Vitamin C serum which I’ve used in the past that works on even the most sensitive of skin.
I also appreciated that there are products from independent brands like Charlotte Mensah and Muihood, which makes the box unique as you won’t be able to find these brands on the high street.
While most of the contents are skincare, you’ll also find some make-up bits including the Surrat Artist Liquid Blush and the Blink brow gel.
The blush only comes in one colour so it won’t suit every skin tone, but its typical retail price is £42, making it one of the best savings next to the Dermalogica Skin Smoothing cream at £45.
Other surprise additions include the Philip Kingsley Swimcap - designed to protect hair while swimming, Ortigia rollerball scent - perfect to pop in your hand-carry, and the Dr Sebagh Tanning Drops - ideal for continuing that post-holiday glow.
There’s not much to dislike about this box and it’ll definitely thrill most beauty lovers, so if you’re not getting it for yourself, get it for a loved one.
Review by Natalie Chui.
Price: £110 Plan: One-off
Boots Little Luxuries Beauty Box
Pros: High-end brands, a mixture of all beauty, travel sizes
Cons: No hair products, small sizes, can’t pick shades
Rating: 4/5
To welcome Spring, Boots has released a new beauty box with various luxury brands, making it the perfect gift for yourself or a loved one.
Given its worth of £147, it’s priced at just £45 which is a decent saving considering that it includes 11 products that are all from high-end brands.
The box mainly includes skincare and make-up, except for two body products and a nail varnish.
It’s great for a beauty fanatic as it has a fantastic selection of brands, from classic brands like Liz Earle to more unique brands like r.e.m (Ariana Grande’s beauty brand) and Frank Body.
Highlights include quite literally, a full-size highlighter from Iconic London that creates a beautiful lit-from-within glow and Sol de Janeiro’s Cheirosa 6 body mist, which has a distinctly summery scent and is perfect to throw in a bag.
There’s not much to fault with this beauty box, although it doesn’t contain any hair products, there are not a lot of full-sized products and you can’t pick shades, which is slightly disappointing for the highlighter and blush as it won't work with all skin tones.
Review by Natalie Chui.
Price: £45 Plan: One-off beauty box
Lookfantastic
Pros: Good variety of products, always one full-size product, brand collaborations
Cons: Can’t pick products
Costing from £13 a month, the Lookfantastic box offers around six products in every box, which are all available to purchase in full size on the beauty retailer's site.
Every month, the box has a different pattern or colour to it, and its contents often follow a theme. In the January box I tested, there were lots of hydrating products including a 20ml Polaar Neige Eternelle, a mini 15ml bloom&blossom Hands Up hand cream and a travel-size AHAVA Deadsea Water Mineral Conditioner.
There was also a full-size body wash from Bubble T, the cult classic Deep Sleep Pillow Spray from This Works and a very noughties-looking lip plump from Skin Chemists.
Compared to Roccabox and GLOSSYBOX you don't always get quite as much for your money with this one, but you never know what you're going to be able to try next because they really keep their boxes under wraps.
Lookfantastic also collaborates with some top brands, which have included This Works, Illamasqua, Elemis, Laura Geller, EVE LOM, Molton Brown, Sleek, and more.
Review by Olivia Perl
Price: from £13 per month Plan: 1 month - 12 month Amount of Products: 6
John Lewis The Glow Beauty Edit
Pros: Luxury beauty products, amazing value for money, broad variety
Cons: No face serum or SPF
Rating: 4/5
It's no secret that glowing skin is always coveted and John Lewis' beauty box contains 9 products that all promise a glow over the face and body.
The best thing about this box is its value for money.
The box is £45 and contains a full-size jar of Votary's Super Seed Nutrient Cream which typically retails for £75 alone, which means that it's cheaper to buy the box with all the products.
There are several luxurious brands available that you wouldn't be able to find in high street stores like Kate Somerville and Sisley.
It's mainly got an assortment of cleansers, moisturisers, scrubs and masks which are all skincare routine staples. Plus, the foot mask is definitely a unique addition that most boxes don't include.
While there is an eye serum, I wish there was a face serum or SPF included to complete a full skincare routine.
But other than that - it's pretty much perfect and skincare junkies will be thrilled to receive this.
Cons: Only four times a year, can't choose products
Rating: 4/5
Liberty is known for its incredible selection of beauty with global brands and niche products. The Beauty Drop offers four boxes a year with products picked from Liberty’s expert Beauty Buyers from £25 a month.
In my box, I received a sample size of The Seated Queen’s Cold Cream, which is a multitasking 3-in-1 product that will definitely stay in our skincare routine.
Other products included Sunday Riley’s Good Genes, NouNou shampoo, Votary Super Seed Nutrient Cream, 111Skin Rose Gold Illuminating Mask and a size of Sabonete Bossa bar soap, which can also be used on the body and hands.
While there was no make-up, we were impressed with the assortment of luxury brands and the fact that products were versatile to suit most beauty routines.
Boxes are sent in mid-January, mid-April, mid-July and mid-October, which coincide with summer and the start of autumn. Plus, the £20 can be redeemable on any beauty product online or in-store - more bang for your buck.
Review by Natalie Chui.
Price: £25 per month Plan: Fixed contract for three months; four boxes each year Amount of Products: 6
Skin + Me
Pros: Saves time, personalised to suit skin's needs, fully recyclable, delivered to door
Cons: Not suitable for delicate areas of face, can cause discomfort
Rating: 4/5
Skin + Me is a beauty subscription that is personalised to your needs (as well as your future wants).
It makes shopping for skincare easy and it’s personalised to your skin, reducing your regimen to a handful of essential products.
After signing up you submit a selfie of the left side, right side and centre of your face, which is then analysed by one of the company’s dermatologists, or prescribers.
You answer questions about your skin type, lifestyle and the changes you’d like to see in your skin – our wishlist included fewer spots, as well as reduced fine lines and pores.
They then create a personalised product tailored to your skincare concerns and this arrived a couple of days later in a recyclable aluminium tube – the ‘Daily Doser’.
It’s simple to dispense the correct amount of product with the doser and you can easily see how much you have left. It is even personalised with your name, which is a nice touch.
The ingredients in your skincare are unique to you and will depend on the condition and how severe it is. The ingredients are pretty intense though, so you should wear an SPF every day also.
It works. It has made skincare simple, and I'm not wasting money on products I won’t use and it really has made a difference.
Review by Emmie Harrison-West
Price: £24.99 up Plan: Monthly
Boots x Love Island Beauty Box
Pros: Huge variety of beauty products, good value for money, high-quality brands
Cons: Few premium products, a lot of mini products
Rating: 3.5/5
Boots has partnered with Love Island again to launch its latest beauty box, inspired by the Love Island All Stars season and contains some of the islanders' most loved products.
You get a whopping 16 products inside the box, of which five are full-size, and once you unwrap it, it looks quite impressive.
With a value of over £132 and a 66% saving, it’s excellent value for money considering the hefty amount of products.
Compiled with summer in mind, it includes a body care routine with a full-size Soap & Glory Body Scrub, mini Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Cream, for prepping the body for tanning, and a St Tropez Gradual Tanning Lotion for a summer-inspired glow.
I appreciated the thought process behind the products and that it wasn’t a random selection of items.
It covers almost every beauty category apart from nail care. Skincare makes up the majority, with two cleansers, one serum, two moisturisers and a lip balm. However, most of the sizes are minis and given that skincare is used more than anything else, it’s a bit of a shame.
In addition, the Iconic London highlighter comes in a randomly picked shade - I was lucky mine matched my skin tone but it would’ve been nicer if there was an option to select your shade, or if it was swapped out for a more universal product.
Unfortunately, it’s also a limited edition, so it won’t be around forever.
I would have liked to see more full-size and premium brands included in the box given that it’s not the cheapest, however, it is a good selection if you’re looking for travel-sized beauty products for an upcoming holiday.
Review by Natalie Chui
Price: £45 Plan: one-off beauty box
Roccabox
Pros: Mainly full-size products, luxe brands, worth the money
Cons: Can’t pick products
The founder of Roccabox, Tia Roqaa, has made it her mission to give women the opportunity to be able to try out different products so they can find their favourites.
That means every Roccabox is curated with a blend of well-known and not-so-well-known health and beauty brands so you can find ones that work for you.
Expect high-quality, best-selling products from Huda Beauty and SugarBearHair to Smashbox and St Tropez. The subscription starts at only £13 a month (plus £2.95 delivery) if you sign up for 12 months.
I tried out the February box which was all about getting a perfect night's sleep. Of the five beauty bits included in February's offering, four were full size and the value of the box was a very healthy £71.50.
There was Paul Yacomine Body Oil, Skin and Tonic Slow Down Bath Soak, Feather & Down Sweet Dreams Pillow Spray, Beauty Pro Retinol 1% Overnight Serum and Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser, which was our favourite despite only being travel size. That's a very good selection for a bedtime wind-down.
The brands on offer are high quality and for four full-size products and one very good travel-size cleanser, it's really worth the money. Don't be surprised if you find yourself signing up for the full 12 months.
Review by Olivia Perl.
Price: £13 per month Plan: 1 month / 6 months / 12 months Amount of Products: 5
Birchbox
Pros: Includes five beauty products, can personalise box, detailed product descriptions
Cons: Can't choose exact product, samples only
From only £15 a month (including P&P) you receive four to six different beauty products from Birchbox, with the choice of two options each month.
These can be different colours, flavours or scents of the same product, or a choice between two different products altogether. The rest of the items vary slightly per person depending on what answers you give in the questionnaire when you sign up.
As it's a best-selling box subscription, I decided to try out the January 2021 Birchbox to see what all the fuss was about. The five mini products I received would have equated to £126.45 if we had bought them full-sized, so I was already impressed before trying them out.
Covering haircare, make-up and skincare, Birchbox ticked off all the boxes with Dr Botanicals soap, a purifying mask by Marcelle, This Works hyaluronic serum, Lise Watier illuminating primer, and Amika's scalp cleansing oil.
From winding down in the bath with Marcelle's purifying mask to realising the power of exfoliating poppy seeds with Dr.Botanicals soap, we loved every product for the high quality and niche nature of the brands.
Would I continue a subscription? Most definitely. I would never have ever considered using scalp cleanser before and it turned out to be our favourite item in the box!
The only issue is that you don't get to select all of your products, and I already owned some hyaluronic acid - it'll come in handy at some point though.
Review by Sadie Victoria.
Price: From £15 per month Amount of Products: 4 - 6
Next Beauty Box
Pros: High-end brands included, good mix of sizes
Cons: No subscription plan
It might not be the first place you think of for topping up on your favourite cleanser or finding your new perfect nude lipstick, but Next Beauty offers a wealth of well-known and high-quality brands. And some of those are in their selection of beauty boxes.
I tried out their Valentine's collections, which they had curated especially 'for him' and 'for her' and we were impressed. The Give Her A Little Love box is a mixture of sample sizes and full-size products and includes Murad, Clarins, Nails Inc, Ren Skincare, MAC and either Bumble & Bumble or Origins. That's a pretty good roster of brands.
My favourite products are the full-size MAC lipstick in the iconic shade Ruby Woo and a travel-size version of Benefit's They're Real! Lengthening Mascara. You can't get more cult than that.
If you'd rather have some autonomy over which products you'll receive and you're not totally convinced by monthly subscriptions, then Next is for you.
Review by Olivia Perl.
Price: From £12 Plan: One-off Amount of Products: Varies, but at least 5
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, such as Birchbox and Glossybox, you can find curated collections and subscription boxes on large beauty shopping sites such as Look Fantastic 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.
The products reviewed in our feature came from:
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 , with their monthly subscription starting at just £4.95, and the most expensive is , which costs £25 per month.
Most subscription beauty boxes reviewed here though cost between £10 and £15 per month.
One-off collections vary in price.
Which beauty subscription box is best in the UK?
All of the boxes on this list are available in the UK. impressed us with its wide selection of beauty, while features handpicked items from its beauty buyers.
What is the best subscription box for skincare?
If you want to make sure you get the best skincare solutions from a beauty box, then it may be better to choose a more personalised box.
Alternatively, is a monthly subscription service that will design customised skincare according to your skin's needs.
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.
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