20170112

Beauty Pie | High-End Makeup, Factory Prices?


This is the brand that seems to be on everyone's lips at the moment! I was kindly sent a few of their products and then placed my own order to get my hands on some others (for full disclosure, I was gifted a 3-month membership so paid the lower price for these products). In this post I'm going to talk you through the concept, review the products and do a bit of maths (not something you'll hear me say very often!) to get to the bottom of whether it's worth your money or if it's a bit of a gimmick.

The Concept

The idea behind Beauty Pie is 'transparent pricing'; this means you only pay a price that reflects the cost of producing the cosmetics. For each product on their website you can see the price broken down into the packaging, factory, development and research costs. However the factory cost is for members and non-members still pay the full price (for example, the difference in the cost of a foundation is £4.75 for members or £30 for non-members). A membership will set you back £10 a month and the minimum you can sign up for is 3 months. There's also a cap on how much you can spend per month of £100 (of the full price). Are you with me so far? Let's dive into the products...

The Products

Overall I'm really impressed with the packaging and the feel of the products. It's nothing overly luxe or fancy but it's clean, stylish and looks nice on my dressing table. They don't feel like the most expensive products in the world but Beauty Pie actually deliberately don't weight their products, as it's more environmentally-friendly not to, which I can respect. The embossing on the products themselves also feels nice and premium.

Brightening Micro-Miracle Serum Foundation (Medium 500 Sand) | £32 (£4.84 for members) | I actually meant to order the Great Skin Foundation, which I was sent but in a really light colour! However I guess this is more of a unique addition to my makeup collection so it's probably for the best. This is a water-light foundation so has a dropper applicator. The shade is fairly good on me, though it errs more on the side of an orange base (the eternal problem of people with yellow tones!) It's a very light coverage product so if you're all about that matte, flawless look then this won't be the product for you. It does even my skin tone out but I definitely still need to conceal any problem areas. However it does look very flawless on the skin. I was expecting it to be very dewy, however it's not at all; I'd say it actually mimics the finish of your natural skin and it also has decent staying power. Would I pay the £32 for it? No. Am I happy with it for £4.84? DEFINITELY! I feel the price I'd personally pay for this foundation would be around the £15-25 mark.

One Powder Wonder in Uberlucent Universal* | £26 (£3.98 for members) | This was definitely a standout product for me. It's a translucent pressed powder, which I'm often dubious of due to past experiences where they've given a horrible white cast on my skin, especially under flash photography. However this is so finely-milled and truly is traceless on the skin. It also has this slightly luminous quality so it sets everything in place and keeps the oils at bay but doesn't look too dry or matte at all. If you like to set your makeup  but don't want to take away your natural glow then definitely check this one out.

Quantum Bronzer in Ain't No Sunshine | £26 (£3 for members) | I was actually really disappointed that the gold on this was a spray-over! I added it to my basket thinking it would be a beautiful golden highlighter on my skin tone, however once you break through the surface, it is just a regular matte bronzer. It has a nice formula that means the product blends out beautifully and it's a good tone that's not too orange so can give some definition. However for me it isn't deep or pigmented enough to give me the look I want from it, though fairer skin tones may fare better with it. 

Pro-Glow Highlighter in Cosmic Shine | £30 (£5.46 for members) | I was most excited about this product as it looked so stunning on the website. I actually thought it would come out as more of a bronze shade so I was a little disappointed it was more pink-toned, however this surprised me with how much I liked it. There's a deeper shade and a more icy tone blended in together and the finish is metallic and subtle as opposed to glittery. It's quite a stark highlighter on my skin tone but I actually really like how it looks!

Uber Volume-Boost Mascara* | £20 (£1.93 for members) | This mascara just wasn't for me in all honesty; I can't really hold it against the product though because I wouldn't have picked this out myself. It has a fibre wand and whilst it does give some volume, I'm personally more about length and curl, and I just feel this doesn't give me that. To me, it just makes my lashes looks short and stubby so it's a pass!

Matte Futurelipstick in Cowboy Nude* | £20 (£2.24 for members) | This is a matte formula but nothing too drying, however I feel it's not quite as fully opaque as I'd like. I think a lot of people would like this pink-brown nude but for me it's a bit too close to my natural skin tone so washes me out a bit. Whilst the shade doesn't do me any favours, I'm still open to trying more of these lipsticks.

Superglazy Lip Gloss in Sugar Bun* | £19 (£2.16 for members) | I'm not a lipgloss person but swatching this, it did look promising. It actually has really nice colour payoff without being too thick or gloopy. I also like the slightly concave applicator, as it fits perfectly onto the lips. However it is in a very similar tone to Cowboy Nude so is a bit 'meh' on me. I can see the two shades pairing really nicely on other people though.



Let's do the Maths

Now it's time for the nitty gritty! I feel like, if you see a product around the £30 mark (like the foundation) that you want then it's a no-brainer if you see yourself buying anything else off the website in the near future.

The Serum Foundation = £32 for non-members
The minimum subscription is 3 months x at £10 per month = £30, then if you add in the £4.84 member's cost of the foundation, you're still only at £34.84

If we ignore the items I was gifted and look at the products I purchased and price in the £30 of subscribing for 3 months then my total cost would have been £46.72
I'd have otherwise paid £86 if the products had been full price, giving me a nice saving of just under £40, and that's just one month's allowance on a 3-month subscription

If we divide one month's subscription fee of £10 equally between the 3 products I purchased in one month then it's £3.34 on the price of each product so the actual cost to buy the products (based on the factory price and taking into account the subscription fee) is the below:
Foundation: £32 RRP | £4.84 Factory Price | £8.18 Actual Price
Bronzer: £26 RRP | £3 Factory Price | £6.34 Actual Price
Highlighter: £30 RRP | £5.46 Factory Price | £8.80 Actual Price

So, Worth the Hype?

I was initially dubious about the subscription as I was of the mind that it would essentially eliminate the savings you made, however if you actually use up your allowance, you can see the products still come in at an incredible price. I can see why there's a monthly cap (as otherwise I'd go wild!) however it's still a little bit annoying because it's based on the RRP price so you can hit the limit very easily.

I can also see a bit of a flaw in the entire concept; I feel like we all realise there are mark-ups in the beauty industry, however at the same time, having it in front of you like that kind of does devalue the products a bit for me. In that sense, I couldn't see myself happily paying the full price for the products I bought if I ran out of them, was outside my subscription and couldn't see anything else I wanted on the site to make restarting the subscription worth it. In reality, the products are excellent for the factory price and subscription fee you're paying (again, with the caveat that you max out the allowance each month). However I think their true value for me sits somewhere in-between. I do think though that they're closer to the RRP in quality than to the factory cost; I'd say from the products I've tried that are in the £25-30 range, I would pay something like £15-25 for.

However I still think in summary: this is well worth checking out for 3 months (the minimum subscription period) but I'm not sure they have enough products to justify paying the £10 a month indefinitely. I guess we will have to see how regularly they bring out new releases though (I hear there's skincare on the way, which is very exciting!)

Note: There have since been some changes to how the membership works, so check out my update here


Have you tried Beauty Pie yet? What are your thoughts on this concept?



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Disclosure - products marked * were sent to me for consideration however all opinions remain my own. 
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41 comments

  1. Beauty Pie sounds like it has such an interesting concept going for them. I'm not a huge fan of beauty subscription boxes and haven't ever stuck with one. But if Beauty Pie can provide enough products to be worth passing the 3month mark this sounds like a sub service I could definitely get on board with!

    Abigail Alice 💕

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I will definitely be interested in seeing what they come out with next to keep us interested! xx

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  2. I am so in love with the lipstick!
    xoxo, Colli
    Beautyblog tobeyoutiful

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  3. I've seen Beauty pie going around lately and I think it's such an interesting concept. I really want to try it out, the products you got are gorgeous! x

    Kate// itskaterose.blogspot.com

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  4. That highlighter looks incredible!
    I tried the foundation but wasn't too impressed!!

    Sinead
    http://www.lovestylemindfulness.co.uk

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  5. Such a great post as I'm very intrigued by this brand! I really like the concept, even though, as a consumer, I personally don't mind the branding and marketing behind one beauty product: it's a part of the industry which has a lot of importance in my opinion. I might try the 3 months membership!

    http://fannyanddailybeauty.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. For me, it's one of those things I'm aware of but would rather not have the markup so apparent and huge! xx

      Delete
  6. I don't know how I feel about this at all, it's such a complicated strange concept - personally I don't think this can last? It's just so odd - and not in like an exciting way, more like I have to think too hard about this way. You have explained it really well and raised some very good points! x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree, would rather just buy from somewhere like Kiko.

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  7. Interesting concept! I will definitely check them out :)

    Lotte | www.lottebeautybox.blogspot.co.uk

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  8. Very interesting concept! A real eye opener in terms of realising how much a product costs to produce! Putting this company on my 'to try' list :)

    Fatima x www.fatima-writes.blogspot.co.uk

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  9. very interesting concept! i've seen a lot of bloggers talking about beauty pie, though their products do sound lovely!
    jen | velvet spring

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  10. Its annoying theres a cap. I've read quite a few reviews on this and you're the only one that mentioned that! I'm intrigued by the concept but I think its only because I keep seeing it everywhere. I'm not quite sure it would be something I'd go for it I hadn't. The highlighter and foundation sound great though xx

    LPage Beauty

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    Replies
    1. Yeah for me it's a major drawback - I can see why they'd want to cap it but maybe it should be based on the factory price, not the full price (which means you can only get about 3-4 products a month!) xx

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  11. I really want to try the foundation, but the whole concept confuses me, although this did help lol,

    Erin || MakeErinOver

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  12. Loved reading this review Jasmine, I'm in the same boat as you, I received the trial and a few bits and I'm impressed with the quality but I can't see how you'd need more than 3 months as it is. I have heard they're expanding to skincare though so I guess if they constantly increase their range it would be worth it.

    I've actually got a really similar post to this going up some time next week, is that ok? I don't want you to think I've copied you!!

    The Makeup Directory

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    Replies
    1. Not at all hun! A lot of people received Beauty Pie products and there's only so many different ways you can review the same products haha thank you for taking the time to mention it though :) xx

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  13. I'd probably do this for a few months but it really doesn't seem worth the money overall.

    The lip gloss looks like a terrible formula by the way, it's a shame because the shade seems nice

    Mel ★ http://www.meleaglestone.co.uk

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  14. Interesting, I'm not sure what to think of this brand I think it could be a little bit hit and miss... The lipgloss doesn't look very appealing but that being said, the highlighter looks nice!

    Lauren x http://www.huggled.co.uk/

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  15. I personally wasn't a big fan of the mascara either it was too wet of a formula and just didn't do anything to my lashes. I loved the lipstick although I am fairer so it wasn't too close to my natural lip shade. I wish the foundation had come in my shade as it was so far off that I gave it to my mum, although she loves it! I think the mark up is pretty ridiculous for those who are not members as it isn't a well known brand, although if you are a member guess you do get a good deal! xx

    www.iridescentplaces.com

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    Replies
    1. Yeah I kind of feel like the concept relies on people buying the membership and no one really paying full price xx

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  16. When I first saw this brand all over social media and saw Wayne Goss talk about it, i really wanted to buy straight away but the maths got me confused. Thanks for all the major calculation work Jasmine. I'm poor with Maths (you can tell) :D

    Ash | www.mstantrum.com

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  17. I've not heard of this brand before but these products look so nice!

    Lauren Ashleigh xx

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  18. Sounds like a different concept! Thanks for being the guinea pig to share this with us! :D

    www.upyourvlog.com

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  19. I'm not too sure I'd use this, if it was a site that sold lots of other products for the actual price with a subscription cost then maybe I'd be more keen too? I do like the look of the products though! Especially the highlight.

    TheBrondeGirl

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    Replies
    1. I know what you mean, they will have to keep releasing lots of new products to make membership worthwhile in the long-term xx

      Delete
  20. Don't think this is available here in Canada but interesting concept. I do love the packaging and the products look really good.

    Face to Curls | http://facetocurls.com

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  21. I'd never heard about Beauty Pie before! The brand looks so professional and the quality rather good. The subscription programme is really interesting and new, however you're right about the quantity and variety of products they can bring out on a long-term subscription. The products you got are beautiful though. I mean, that highlighter is gorgeous!

    Julia x
    www.juliaspeaksbeauty.blogspot.co.uk

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  22. The highlighter looks so pretty!

    http://claresloves.blogspot.com/

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  23. I first saw about this through a video by Wayne Goss but I didn't quite follow his explanation so thank you for making it very clear. Love that you broke down the prices too, I think this is by far the best in-depth review I've read on Beauty Pie.

    Shireen | Reflection of Sanity

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    Replies
    1. Thank you - I'm so glad it was useful and not to hard to follow! xx

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  24. Wow I'm loving the sound of beauty pie! =) Sounds like a good way to try new products at an affordable price.

    xoxo
    Regina
    http://mybeautymusings.com

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  25. From what I see of your review. It doesn't look like these products are actually that good. The flaws all seem to be ones cheap products have. Certainly no where near the price they rrp at! To me, alarm bells ring and this sounds like the typical makeup hype scam. Make the consumer think they are buying good products and getting a deal, but sicker them into a subscription and actually sell them cheap products.

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  26. I think it is an interesting concept, and a bold move for a brand that isn't particularly well known!
    I may have to try some items and prove myself wrong about it all though!

    Danielle xx
    http://www.fashionbeautyblog.co.uk/

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  27. I've been hearing a lot more about beauty pie, it does sound intriguing but i don't see myself committing to something like that. The makeup does all look gorgeous, it sort of reminds me of bobby brown packaging.

    www.themakeupaficionado.com

    https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/makeup-aficionado-14629679

    https://au.pinterest.com/bernadette_95/

    https://www.instagram.com/themakeupaficionado17/

    https://www.facebook.com/themakeupaficionado/

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  28. Great post!
    Have a nice week-end!
    Gil Zetbase

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  29. Thank you for your comments everyone! xx

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  30. I never heard of this before. I will be checking them out the moment I am in the UK though!
    Fab post!
    Angie
    www.chocolateandlipstick.com

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  31. I already upgraded my membership to USD 15 as after the first 3 months I wanted​to order more products. I love almost all the products, except for the wondergel eyeliner, as it can't be sharpened. I think I will keep on ordering for a while.

    ReplyDelete

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