If you love learning about new beauty brands and trying trendy products, a subscription box is the perfect way to treat yourself. Tribe Beauty Box and GlossyBox are curated beauty boxes that focus on unique indie brands. Tribe Beauty is a small business owned by women of color who are passionate about finding the latest in the beauty world.
The difference between Tribe Beauty Box and GlossyBox is that GlossyBox is more affordable and available every month instead of every other month. Tribe Beauty Box, on the other hand, is carefully curated to provide a varied selection of eye, lip, and skincare products each month.
How Do They Work
These two subscription boxes are quite similar, but Tribe Beauty Box is only available once every two months instead of once a month.
Tribe Beauty Box
Tribe Beauty Box is a bi-monthly beauty subscription box that sends a box of beauty products to your doorstep every other month.
In your box, you’ll receive 5 full-size or deluxe products each month. Each box includes a face product, a tool, one eye product, one lip product, and a skincare product. You might get brow gel, eye cream, lip oil, and a body brush. The company provides customers with a well-rounded selection of useful items.
At least 4 items from every box are from a woman-owned brand, and all items are cruelty-free.
GlossyBox
GlossyBox is a monthly beauty subscription that sends you a selection of 5 beauty products curated by their beauty experts. Their beauty boxes include at least one full-size item, but sometimes they include more.
Each box has a loose theme, ranging from Global Beauty to Happy Birthday. The packaging reflects the theme and the items included. For a beach-inspired box, they included coconut products and sunscreen. Their Pure Relaxation edition included an exfoliating cloth, a packet of hot chocolate with reishi mushroom, and a moisturizing hand gel scented with lavender.
GlossyBox sends all customers the same box overall, but sometimes there are a few variations. They might send a few different brands of eyeliner, for example, or different shades of lipstick.
GlossyBox also made our list of the best beauty subscription boxes.
Pros & Cons
Tribe Beauty Box
Pros:
- Several product types each month
Tribe Beauty Box sends well-balanced boxes that include a face product, eye product, lip product, skincare product, and beauty tool. That means as a subscriber, you won’t be stuck with tons of eyeshadows or endless lip glosses. Instead, you can count on the brand to supply
- Value of $120 or more each month
Tribe Beauty Box gives you several times the box’s worth in terms of products. Most people can’t afford to spend hundreds of dollars on beauty products every few months, but your Tribe boxes make your money stretch further.
- Women-owned and cruelty-free brands
Tribe Beauty has a special focus on indie brands owned by women. They also guarantee that all products are cruelty-free and not tested on animals. When you subscribe to Tribe, you can know that your money is going toward small companies that make quality products.
Cons:
- No personalization
Tribe Beauty Box is curated by its small team of beauty experts. However, there’s no opportunity to request certain colors or product types. Instead, you’ll receive the same items as all other subscribers. A subscription will likely broaden your beauty horizons, but that also means you’ll get some duds that don’t work for your needs.
- Only replaces lost or damaged orders if you pay for insurance
Tribe Beauty suggests that you sign up for Route+ insurance in order to protect your packages in the event of damage or theft. If you opt out, they won’t replace packages that are damaged or lost in transit. Apparently insurance plans start at $0.98, but I’m not sure how much Tribe orders cost to insure.
GlossyBox
Pros:
- Themed, cohesive boxes
Each GlossyBox comes with a theme, whether it’s Rock ‘n’ Glam, Poolside Paradise, or Dive In. The products inside match a loose theme. The Dive In box, for example, includes nourishing skincare
- International brands
GlossyBox is known for offering brands from all over the world. They feature brands from France, Germany, Japan, and many other countries. They pride themselves on introducing customers to brands they may not have heard about otherwise.
- Minimum worth of $75
Each box has a minimum value of $75, much more than the cost of a box. You can be sure you’re getting quality products, including ones you might not ordinarily try.
- Great packaging
Each box has a unique design that reflects the theme. The boxes are cute and come with a pamphlet that explains the details of each product. They’re great as storage boxes or even as gift boxes.
Cons:
- Smaller sample sizes
GlossyBox usually includes a few sample sizes in each box. I don’t really like getting mini products or sample sizes, because I find they don’t give me a good enough idea of how a product works.
- No personalization
GlossyBox is the same for all subscribers, without the option to choose colors that match your skin tone or style preferences. That means you’re likely to get a few duds now and then. The company does a good job of varying their products and including several items that work for everyone, like hair serums and eyeshadows in universally flattering colors.
How Much Do They Cost
GlossyBox is cheaper on a monthly basis. Tribe Beauty Box is almost twice the price per box, but it comes every other month. If you stick with either service for a year, the overall cost will be about the same.
Tribe Beauty Box
- $39.99 bimonthly
Tribe Beauty Box is $39.99 per box, but it only ships out every other month, making it a more occasional treat than some other beauty boxes.
If you sign up for a long-term subscription, you get a small discount. For a 6-month subscription, you’ll pay $37.99 a box. For an annual subscription, you’ll pay $35.99 a box. These savings aren’t outstanding, but they’re a nice bonus if you already plan to sign up for a longer subscription.
GlossyBox
- $21 a month
GlossyBox is $21 a month. The company offers a few discounts on long-term subscriptions. If you commit to a full year of boxes, you’ll only pay $18 each month.
If you sign up for 6 months and pay up front, each box will cost $18.50. If you sign up for a full year and pay upfront, each box will only cost $17.50.
What Kind Of Products Do You Get?
Both of these boxes focus on beauty products like makeup, skincare, and hair products. You can find some of the same trendy independent brands at both companies. Their boxes are curated by beauty experts from their companies, giving customers a selection of items that work well together.
Tribe Beauty Box
Tribe features beauty products for your lips, eyes, face, and skin. They also send tools like jade rollers or brushes that you can incorporate into your daily routine.
When you receive your Tribe boxes, you can expect to always have a nice assortment of items that will serve different purposes in your makeup tool kit. The company is dedicated to small beauty brands, especially those owned by women.
Some of their featured brands include:
- Beautyblender
- Luxie
- Suva Beauty
- Gerard Cosmetics
- Makeup Geek
GlossyBox
GlossyBox is a subscription service that includes all kinds of beauty products, from lipsticks to face masks. The company also offers hair care products, beauty tools like sleep masks, and even essentials like conditioner and face wash.
Some of their brands include:
- SkinMedica
- Lord & Berry
- Polaar
- YENSA
- Juice Beauty
Final Thoughts
These subscriptions are a great way to get familiar with more beauty brands, especially trendy indie ones you might have heard about online. GlossyBox aims to share trendy brands from around the world with their subscribers.
Tribe Beauty Box is available every other month, and they carefully select products that will suit most customers, regardless of your coloring or skin type. I recommend Tribe Beauty Box over GlossyBox because they consistently provide well-curated boxes featuring up-and-coming brands. The bimonthly delivery makes it easier to test all your products and figure out what you like without being overwhelmed.
