Subscription boxes: Are they worth it?
SUBSCRIPTION boxes are huge in America and now they’re in Australia. If you haven’t heard of them before, you’re in luck - we’ve road tested the new trend.
SUBSCRIPTION boxes are having a bit of a moment, and if you haven’t heard of them before, you’ve come to the right place.
Designed to offer you the opportunity to try new trends on the market without having to commit to buying full product versions, the boxes have a huge audience in America, and are slowly gaining ground in the Australian market, too.
We road tested two kinds of boxes to get a feel for what subscription services like these can offer ...
WHAT IT IS:
Lust have it! Beauty box
WHAT IT SAYS:
“Lust have it are Australia’s leading beauty box service collating the best and latest trends in the beauty market. We help members discover new products without having to buy fullsize ones from department stores only to find out that they’re not quite right. It saves our members time, money and effort searching for the products that work for them.”
THE VERDICT:
If you’re prone to standing in the aisles of Priceline, bewildered by all the new shiny products staring you down, this is the box for you. It’s not surprising that beauty companies have jumped on the subscription box trend - it’s the perfect way of getting products into the market, and converting people into customers who otherwise might not have picked up something new in the first place.
I had a lot of fun with this beauty box, which included things like a Cosmetic Kitchen make-up brush, Clairol hair mousse, and a little sample of a green apple face peel. While I loved the brush I am not so sure the bright blue eyeshadow from The Cosmetic Kitchen is for me — but that’s the beauty of a box like this (excuse the pun). For $20 a month, you get enough samples to be able to find a few gems you’ll buy again, and give away the ones you aren’t so keen on. And, if you love getting a little pressie delivered to your door every month, the box is a fun way to do it.
THE DETAILS:
Sign up to Lust have it!’s Women’s Beauty Box for $19.95 a month. If the idea of a Beauty Box doesn’t take your fancy, Lust have it! also have a Fashion and Beauty box, and for a limited time, a Chloe Morello box. More: www.lusthaveit.com.au
WHAT IT IS:
GoodnessMe box
WHAT IS SAYS:
“GoodnessMe Box is here to help you make healthier food choices. Our team of health practitioners sort through hundreds of natural food products and choose only the best. We seek food products that are always natural and GMO-free and which are two or more of the following: Organic, raw, gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, sustainable or vegan. We want you to get excited about eating clean, nourishing your body from pure wholefoods and being a part of the wellness revolution!”
THE VERDICT:
The brainchild of Peta Shulman, who turned her life around after being diagnosed with an auto-immune condition in 2012, the GoodnessMe box is designed to be a bit of a taste tease for new, healthy products on the market. The box I sampled had a few different types of tea bags, some coconut water, a chocolate bar and a bag of granola, to name a few.
Those of you who love buying organic will know that it is an expensive way of life. For that reason alone, the GoodnessMe box is worth both your time and money — you can sample a bit of everything, knowing you’re not really wasting money — or food — if you don’t like a product, because most things are in sample size. A new favourite discovery of mine from this box? The Coconut Rough Simply Raw Superfood Bar. But be warned — the GoodnessMe box is not for the average food lover. If you’re not into organic, raw, natural foods, this isn’t the box for you.
THE DETAILS:
You’ll receive 5-10 health food goodies in a box each month for $25 a month, cancel any time. You’ll also earn reward points, which you can put towards a box subscription discount. More: goodnessmebox.com
If you have a product you’d like us to try, send the details to roadtest@news.com.au