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44 October 2015 | beautystorebusiness.com Makeup Musings Monthly Beauty Subscription Boxes It's a new world—and the business model works. Is your beauty store getting all that you can out of them? by Lori Leib THE SAYING GOES: "GOOD THINGS COME IN SMALL packages." This certainly pertains to monthly beauty subscription boxes. Who wouldn't love receiving a monthly compact box filled with trend-forward, seasonal deluxe samples and full-size beauty products? Before the rise of beauty subscription boxes, consum- ers relied heavily on word of mouth and beauty magazines to learn about new products. In a technology-driven world, women are fl ooded daily via magazines, Instagram, Pin- terest, YouTube and countless websites informing them about the next must-have products, but very rarely do they know if these "favorites" will actually work on them. Most beauty stores have samples that give customers a taste of what they're purchasing, but subscribing to a popular beauty box means having this sample delivered to a cus- tomer's door so it can be tested at home in everyday life. Beauty subscription box companies have changed the way consumers make purchases because they are now able to test items that are new or trending, and decide whether or not they want to purchase the full-size product. This means customers are going to walk through the doors of their local beauty stores already knowing what they want to purchase. So if these boxes are infl uencing purchases, it's time we get to know them intimately. BIRCHBOX The first beauty box company I was introduced to was Birchbox in 2012. I heard about it through a public rela- tions representative of ours, and decided to become a yearly member. Birchbox offers a box for $10 a month or $110 for the year. For this price, the customer receives a specially curated box filled with monthly themed deluxe sample-size beauty products. The beauty products, like most of the boxes I will cover, range from makeup, skin care, hair care and fragrance. Birchbox is one of the least expensive monthly subscription boxes, and it does a great job of sending products that are specifically catered to each individual. Each customer fills out a personal profile so the box can be customized based on hair type, skin tone and overall style. Birchbox was founded by two friends, one a makeup novice and the other a connoisseur of all things beauty. What they had in common was their frustration when it came to navigating their way through the beauty-product aisle and the vast amount of brands on the market. They decided to create a way for cus- tomers to easily test, learn about and initially purchase beauty products online, and Birchbox was born. As a customer and beauty lover myself, I was very happy with this subscription, although some months were better than others and there were tiny shipping issues here and there, but all in all customer service was great and I was pleased with the variety of products in each box. The best aspect of receiving sample-size products was, as a woman who travels very frequently, I could utilize all my "minis" for travel, and it makes my life a lot easier. Birchbox Man, a larger box of products geared toward men—a less-tapped market in this genre—is also offered. GLOSSYBOX & OTHERS Glossybox is another box company that has always been interesting to me—not only because of its beautiful luxuri- ous packaging and high-end products, but its interaction with online influencers and global presence. Glossybox was founded in Berlin by Charles Von Abercron in 2011, and is the leading purveyor of luxury beauty samples on a global scale. Glossybox is now available in 10 countries worldwide and growing. It has trend scouts in Paris, Milan, Tokyo and New York, to name a few, always striving to bring the newest and most exciting products to its customers. For $21 a month subscribers receive five deluxe beauty samples wrapped in a beautiful "Glossybox" pink box and black ribbon. Glossybox also has an affiliate program and works closely with influ- ential bloggers, vloggers and websites, ensuring reviews and social-media traffic surrounding each monthly box. Glossybox's network of "YouTubers" fi lm unboxing videos and receive hundreds of thousands of views every month, exposing not only Glossybox as a brand, but the brands featured inside the box as well. Speaking of YouTube infl uencers, it is hard to write a relevant beauty article without once again circling back to Michelle Phan, the founder of ipsy. As an infl uential beauty mentor to women all over the world, Phan was constantly being asked, "What are the right products for me?" To an- swer this question, Phan and her team of expert stylists created ipsy, a highly personalized Glam Bag with deluxe samples and full-size products that they know and love for a mere $10 a month. Personalization is created through a beauty quiz taken by subscribers when they initiate their memberships, and asks questions about hair type, skin type, lifestyle, fashion, age, etc., to determine which products will be sent in the monthly Glam Bag. Along with the Glam Bag, subscribers also receive an interactive component. As one might expect, ipsy partners with infl uencers who make videos on how to use the prod- ucts offered in each bag, helping to create a conversation between brands and consumers—spiking social media for all parties included. Members of ipsy also receive 70%-off retail products, and have the opportunity to win prizes and enter giveaways each month. As far as I know, ipsy works on a donation basis and won't pay for brand participation; its subscribers are sizable. For the consumer who doesn't want a bunch of sample- size product piling up in a drawer, BoxyCharm, coming in at a steeper $21 per month, offers four to fi ve full-size beauty products across all categories, totaling more than a $100 value each month. BoxyCharm also has a strong online community of "Charmers" who share pictures and tutorials on social media and offer exclusive members- only promotions from the best brands in beauty, as well as giveaways and free prizes. The list of beauty boxes goes on and on from the Allure Beauty Box, offering editor-curated favorites; to BeautyDNA, which uses scientifi c data to fi nd the perfect full-size beauty product to fi t your needs; to Wantable, a high-end luxury box that offers different boxes across all categories from lifestyle to beauty at a higher price point; to Popsugar Must Have, a celebrity lifestyle box offering trendy must-have products; to Photo courtesy of Lori Leib, Bodyography Professional Cosmetics