It seems the entire beauty community were out in force last month to celebrate the launch of the new Glossy Box. Every review you read or watched was a rave and the Full Sized Nars product they included in their debut package seemed to set the free advertising ball rolling. I joined before the first boxes were sent out but unfortunately missed the deadline so never received that all important starter box and was understandably disappointed. I suspected that the fantastic freebie would be a one off to hook in new subscribers to the service but I thought of it as a bonus for those who'd been lucky enough to sign up in time, not something you should expect monthly. However... when I did receive my first box last week I was still very much underwhelmed by its contents. Shower gel, a miniature OPI, a face serum (which I've since discovered you can request a free sample of online), a Lalique perfume (which I doubt would appeal to my beauty generation) and a travel sized can of Batiste. If I'm honest I think it was the Batiste that really got me.. It's a luxury sample service, I understand we shouldn't be expecting anything major but.. Batiste? It's quite possibly the least luxury brand out there! I could have purchase 4 full sized cans for the price I paid for the Glossy Box service! The only item I was pleased with was the OPI. Unfortunately by the time I'd decided it was a decent sample to receive the whole experience was tarnished by the can of dry shampoo which seemed to be mocking me. I will say this.. The packaging of the products is fantastic and this one month hasn't put me off altogether I think it has just lowered my expectations to a level that next month a sample of Frizz Ease will be like a Chanel lipgloss. I think that they ruined it with the first month. If the first month hadn't have been so noteworthy we would have allowed them time to get it right... it's a new business after all but for those of us that weren't sent our first box for free or didn't sign up in time month two seemed like a bit of a slap in the face. They obviously know how the community works. People talk about the product, that's what they are counting on, that's how people heard about it, YouTube and Blogs are a hugely powerful marketing tool but then when they came to following up that massive launch it was like they chose to forget that we would all discuss and compare once again. I don't want to harsh too much on this company and I will not be unsubscribing just yet.. at very least I think they will have to make July's box great before the £2.95 P+P kicks in and people decide it's not good value for money. There's also a new service on the horizon which is currently taking a waiting list and will be Glossy Box's direct UK competition! Boudoir Prive. I have already signed myself up of course and I don't intend to subscribe to two such similar services so Glossy Box could be over before it begun if it doesn't pull something fantastic out of the bag very soon.
