Beauty Box: Love Me Beauty September 2014

 “Don’t fix what isn’t broken,” is one of those sayings that I don’t always necessarily agree with. While I can accept that change for the sake of change is pretty pointless (and a bit of a mouthful to say), I also think that freshening up a tired brand or concept can really help companies reach a new audience, and make things more interesting for loyal customers. That’s why, when I heard about Love Me Beauty’s revamp, I was quite excited. Love Me Beauty has always been my favourite beauty box because I think they choose consistently good products and give generous samples. And I also really liked the way you chose your box from three beauty menus, so although you weren't getting surprises, you always got something you actually liked the look of. But, forget that, things are a little different now.

My Love Me Beauty September box was the first after their makeover. The principle remains quite similar, except we are all now given six credits and can choose our products from an online beauty boutique. Full-size products are worth two credits and for one credit you can get a sample size to try. This new way of doing things really puts the customer in control. Essentially, you can use your credits to get things you actually really need. That’s why I chose three full-size items. Swedish Spa’s cooling shower mousse sounds really refreshing and it felt like a nice treat to choose a more luxurious brand, rather than whatever-I-could-find-in-the-poundshop-gel. The same could be said for the reason I chose an Oriflame all-purpose balm for my lips and extra dry bits. I am a sucker for good branding and I love the shape of the tub. Finally, I am on the last dregs of my hair mask so I thought that a Percy & Reed foaming hair mask would make the perfect addition to my beauty box. And that was it. I’d run out of credits. Love Me Beauty does allow you to add more to your order and pay the extra but I didn’t really want to spend more than the subscription price. 

I am pleased with the three products I received because I will definitely use them but I do think this might have been one of those occasions where change really was a bit unnecessary. I like that we are now given the freedom to choose exactly what we want but I also think that it has taken some of the fun out of the beauty box, or should I say bag? Getting a subscription beauty box is always going to be a gamble but it’s a great way of discovering new brands and trying products we might have otherwise missed. Shopping in Love Me Beauty’s boutique and spending my credits didn’t feel much different from having a browse on any other cosmetic website and I was particularly disappointed my order didn’t include any extras or freebies. I have had boxes in the past that have included three large products plus more so the six credits do seem a bit measly. I think it'll be hard for bloggers to review the boxes now as there isn't really a theme or any uniformity - it's essentially just buying things with pre-paid credit. I was also unimpressed with the general presentation. It all felt a bit unfinished and stripped back. I received an e-mail today to inform me that Love Me Beauty’s new box packaging would be unveiled in October so maybe things will get more exciting then. But for now I’m undecided. And, like the grey clouds outside, feeling just a little bit blaahh.

Are you a Love Me Beauty subscriber? What do you think of their new concept?