Sephora is the next in line to launch a subscription box service, following the footsteps of companies such as Birchbox and Glossybox. As part of the service, Sephora will deliver a box filled with five products focused on a common theme for a subscription fee of $10 per month.
The cosmetics brand will launch the service, called “Play! By Sephora,” in Boston; Columbus, Ohio; and Cincinnati, Ohio in September. Sephora plans to extend the service to additional cities in 2016.
The first box, themed around “Uncovering The Essentials,” will include: Sephora Collection Rouge Infusion Lip Stain in Peony, Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner Gel Eye Crayon in Blacquer, Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation Face Crème, Bumble and bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil and Glamglow Supercleanse facial cleanser.
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Sephora also will throw in bonus samples for each box, which may include items such as fragrance samples and even Spotify playlists, according to Fashionista.
The subscription service is one project that was conceived in the retailer’s new innovation lab, launched in San Francisco in March 2015 to build and test potential digital shopping experiences. The first service out of the Innovation Lab was an online subscription service, Flash. For $10 a year, Flash subscribers get free two-day shipping when ordering Sephora products online.
“Our digital innovations have always been developed with the client in mind — what will be useful and helpful to her, as opposed to trying a bunch of technologies to be buzzy and interesting,” said Bridget Dolan, VP of the Innovation Lab at Sephora, in an interview with Fast Company.
