Glossybox

I'm not usually one to get involved with heated debates, especially on the internet, yet after the reactions on Twitter today regarding June's Glossybox, it seems a good time to express thoughts on the beauty programme that seems to have quite firmly split the blogging world in two.

I won't lie. When I opened my box this morning I was a bit disappointed. I fully understood when I signed up that the whole point of the company was to offer luxury miniature samples, and that's what I got (well, apart from the 50ml Batiste can...) - a sample bottle of serum, a sample bottle of perfume, a 3ml OPI polish and a travel sized shower gel. Fair enough, it's not as dazzling as the NARS orgasm but hands up, we all knew deep down that was merely an amazing tactic to build up the launch, and I, being the beauty junkie I am, completely bought into it.

It wasn't until later on today when I logged online that I started to get miffed. £20 Rouge Bunny Rouge glosses? £14 body scrub? £20 foot lotion? Suddenly my £7 shower gel was looking a bit, well, crap. Yes, I guess it's the whole "his toy is bigger than my toy" complex, but when everyone is paying the same amount of money it feels a bit unbalanced that a selected number of customers are being rewarded with not only more expensive products, but full sized ones at that. I guess it's a bit like going to a restaurant with a friend, both paying £5 for a sandwich, only for the waiter to bring one of you a baguette and the other a slice of toast. Besides, if the content is based on your personal survey answers then why did so many people who'd stressed their interest for make up receive a product developed for pregnancy?

In general I think Glossybox is a great idea. Whilst I'm fortunate to live in a city where many beauty brands are stocked, most people aren't a tube ride away from central London and can only do their research online. Being able to test, smell and feel items that would otherwise be unavailable to the masses is a great thing, especially in the unreliable world of cosmetics where almost every product promises to change your life. For me though, I just don't feel comfortable spending £10 (soon to be £12.95) a month on what is essentially a lucky dip of items that I might not even want. For instance, the products I got today: British Beauty Blogger arranged for readers to receive the Bio Effect sample for free last year, the nail polish is a colour I'd never wear, I don't use shower gel and the scent of the perfume just isn't for me. Effectively because of my tastes I've ended up paying £10 for a £1.25 can of Batiste.

I fully understand why some people feel disappointed, yet at the same time I fully understand why others think both this system and its products are great; the items contained are all fantastic quality and sourced from brands that generally aren't widely available (except for you know what)! I also love Glossybox's packaging and in theory the scheme itself, after all, it's a young company and is clearly finding it's feet. But for me, I'd rather invest my £12.95 on items I really want, picking up samples along the way from the likes of SPACE NK, Debenhams and Boots. I guess it just wasn't for me - after all, I'm not really one for surprises - which means I probably should never have signed up anyway. Damn my vulnerability to clever marketing!

How do you feel about your Glossybox? Are you pleased with the items you received or do you feel let down by the selection you were sent?