Arabnet Arabnet

Described as a “beauty magazine with a buy button” by co-founder Fares Akkad, Glambox.me is a subscription service where members receive a packaged box containing a mix of make-up, skincare, haircare, body and fragrance samples, based on a beauty profile that they complete upon registration. “At the end of the experience” users can purchase the products they like either from Glambox’s website or from the brands’ sites depending on the product.

Glambox also builds a community around these products through a content portal with articles and videos by beauticians and doctors offering tips and tricks relating to beauty care, in addition to crowdsourced videos from users unboxing their package and sharing their impressions on the products.

Glambox charges subscribers a fee for sending the box. The company also generates money from charging brands for distributing the samples and raising awareness about their products, in addition to the feedback that they receive from the users which constitutes an “in depth focus group” according to Fares. The company also takes a commission over the sale of products from its website.

Glambox is currently operational in a number of countries around the world and plans to launch in the Middle East in January 2012 starting with Dubai, and will later unroll in the GCC, the Levant, North Africa and Iran.