Best beauty subscription box for a young teenager?

[Leftoverssandwich]

I would like to get a beauty box subscription for my niece, who is turning 13. She is a huge fan of beauty and skincare but is obviously still very young (and she is a young 13 too). I used to get some beauty boxes but they got very samey so I stopped a couple of years ago.

Would anyone recommend one for someone her age? Ideally nice bits of make up and skincare but no need for expensive creams or anti-ageing type stuff. Obviously (?) not hugely expensive either!

I wouldn't to be honest. The products in them are always so hit and miss. Instead I'd get her a sephora voucher or boots so she can get exactly what she wants.

It wont be age appropriate so just buy her some items from Sephora they like stuff from there

Really? I used to have Look Fantastic and Birchbox back in the day and I’d say 80% of the contents of those would have been OK for her to use/try out. But they were both going off the boil when I stopped them and I wondered what was currently good.

Why do you think the boxes wouldn’t work for her? Is it too much inappropriate skincare? Are there any that are more about make up?

I will go voucher if it seems the best option (although they don’t have a Sephora nearby so it might have to be Boots) but I thought she’d enjoy the monthly thing.

A lot of the boxes are the likes of serums which are too harsh for young skin. There used to be one called latest in beauty where you can choose products each month. That may be better

I’ll check that out, thanks. I’ve looked at it for myself in the past but not for ages.

As I said, not insisting on a box if they really won’t work, but hoping there might be boxes that are more make up than skincare!

DD14 loves her glossybox.

I would book an in store consultation at boot at the 7 counter (it varies but I paid £10 which I got back as a voucher to spend on anything.) She might enjoy the experience more than anything. Alternatively any of the other counters that do them!

Sephora online is good.

Anyway the thing is they'll know what they want from like tik tok and it won't be the same brands that get shoved in these boxes

She’s not on Tik Tok although she has friends that are. She’s always been thrilled with bits from my beauty advent calendar if they look posh enough and I think she’s fairly unsophisticated for her age about branding. (I might be wrong of course!)

I’ll look at Glossybox and also what the vouchers might buy her in Boots brands. I have to admit my first thought was to pick up a decent palette from one of their concessions but the prices made me pause if it ended up not being right for her. She’s also still young enough to be thrilled by lots of small things.

I liked glossybox!

There was loads of glossy box last time I was in home bargains. You could make up a cute hamper. Personally I’d try something like Grüüm, it’s all unisex, gentle, not overly scented, nice and natural. Shampoo bar, soap, gentle face wash, a very good spf 50 skin protector and bath soak.

I think a present should be a treat and DD would tell me No 7 is for "old people". Mac and a few other places do make up classes that are fun too.

I got a korean beauty box for a while that would definitely appeal to a teen. I can't remember which one it was but theres an article here about some of the different ones available.

The packaging of the korean items has that kawaii vibe I think most teens would love and the ingredients far superior to European skincare. Lots of natural extracts and actives and very little filler. The make up is great too.

Also, my tween and all her friends love Morphe. If you have one near a birthday trip to buy a palette could be a good idea. The staff are lovely in there and will do a little counter makeover for her to try the products

A teenager won't want to go to no7 to have a makeover - teenagers see them as a brand for older people.
I think look at glossybox for a subscription.
If you wanted to get some different things for her to try then maybe take her into a department store and look at different concessions.
Lots of brands offer teenage skin care sets if she's more into that than makeup.

Thanks, all (sorry for the delay).

Ha, no, not No. 7! But Boots has a few brands in it she’d like stuff from. Or at least our big one does so I assume they would have similar.

Make up over skin care would be ideal from my point of view. She has a ‘skin care routine’ which is better than mine, but uses fairly basic products and doesn’t need anything very clever at all whereas make up is for fun and she’s coming out of the clown face phase her younger sister is still in and starting to try out techniques.

I'd definitely take her to Morphe if you can then OP. It's a teenagers dream for make up in there

Sephora do a subscription box where she can choose the 5 (sample size) products online.