Between differentiating the strobe creams from dewy balms and the toners from the liquid exfoliators, beauty can be an overwhelming topic at times. There are so many brands out there, it’s tricky to know where to start. But Beauty Pie is a great place to begin your journey. 

The brand isn’t a new concept. It launched back in 2017 and, along with the likes of Deciem, was part of a new wave of brands set to disrupt the beauty industry. It’s a service that gives members access to luxury cosmetics at factory prices – and it’s not too good to be true.

Beauty Pie is the brain child of entrepreneur Marcia Kilgore, who’s also the powerhouse behind iconic brands like Soap & Glory, Bliss Spa and FitFlop. She’s worked in the industry for decades, and along the way she has learnt a lot about how both business and the beauty industry work.

Tired of the mark-up and overpriced products, Kilgore’s aim is to create more transparency when it comes to knowing what you’re actually paying for, and she wants her customers to be able to buy luxury goods at cost price. 

For example, a moisturiser from a well-known, high-end brand could have a retail cost of £100. But with Beauty Pie, a similar product will cost just £12.04 – and the breakdown of that price is made clear on the website. Usually it will cover important things like product packaging, safety testing and warehousing. It’s also worth noting that Beauty Pie make absolutely no profit from any of the cosmetics they sell – so what you’re paying for is the price the factory has charged for it. All their profit comes from the cost of membership.

Granted, there’s no unnecessary extra money spent on packaging, so the products are very no-frills (but Kilgore still demands everything should be made from recycled plastic where possible), and there’ll never be a celebrity face associated with the brand. But full transparency and an extensive, constantly expanding range of hard-working, reliable products counts for much more, as does the precedent Beauty Pie is setting.

If you’re slightly dubious of where these cosmetics are actually made and where they come from, don’t be. Having worked in the industry for as long as she has, Kilgore has travelled the globe and knows exactly which factories in which countries are best for certain products. Plus, it’s no secret that the majority of cosmetics tend to be made in the same places – the very same places that Beauty Pie make their products.

There is a spending limit in place that relates to the retail value of products, and the amount you can buy every month depends on which membership tier you sign up for. 

But with so many items to choose from – including Japanese-inspired skincare, colour cosmetics, fragrances, candles, retinol creams and serums, lipstick and nail polish – it’s hard to know what to buy first. So we’ve rounded up an edit of our favourite bits, to give you a helping hand…

A Beauty Pie membership costs from £4.95 a month (£59 billed annually). Visit beautypie.com to find out more.