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Indie Beauty Expo 2017 Limited Edition Box – Available Now!

MSA
ByMSAJul 20, 2017 | 66 comments

Indie Beauty Expo 2017

Thanks, Luna, for letting us know about this new limited edition box from Indie Beauty Expo!

The Box: Indie Beauty Expo 2017 Discover Dallas Limited Edition Box

The Cost: $125

The Products: This curated collection of no less than 19 brands represents the best of IBE Dallas. These amazing brands have crafted products that prepare you to take on every part of your day with beauty and confidence. As always, all products in the collection are presented in full-size or deluxe sample sizes

Update: We have a photo of the box + items (Thanks Amy!)

 

Are you grabbing a box?

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66 comments

MontanaBelle

Does anyone know when this box is supposed to start shipping?

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MontanaBelle

I just got my box! Emailed Liz already so pics should go up soon!

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Jenny

Really? i havent seen an email to tell me that my order was shipped yet! Dang. I need to email them to ask

MontanaBelle

Has anyone received a shipping confirmation yet? The person that works for the company posted last week that they would start shipping that week (last week).

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Jenny

I’m waiting on it too ! havent seen anything yet

Lila

She was right!
They’re not sending out what they sold at the actual Dallas show! The bag this girl got on youtube has way more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t3K3aCgTI8

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Gwendylon

I would totally get this if it was all the stuff she had in her bag

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MontanaBelle

I ordered my first Indie box earlier this year and was very pleased with the contents! Yes the items seem random but that’s the point they’re the best in a variety of categories. True that my first box included a few things that really weren’t for me but I put them up for swap and it was win win. This box also has a few items that I know I won’t use but somebody on the swap site will and they’ll get to try a new high end product. I’m excited to get new products to try because if I get another black eyeliner, face primer or highlighter I might be cancelling my “cheap” sub boxes. Bring on the new items that I might not find on my own and would certainly not get in your basic sub boxes. Boo and shame on all the haters! (you know who you are)!

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Morgan

This box should be no more than $50 especially since these brands likely donated their items for free for this event bag.

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Siren

I really like the idea of this box, especially now that the company came in and explained that it is a VIP bag. It’s not really up my alley – but it could be for many others. If this bag had professional brands (not organic, for example, the ingredients very much aggrevate my ultra-sensitive skin), I would grab it in a heart beat. It’s just my choice to avoid organic and brands with a short shelf life. I can’t possibly use up the products quickly, my stash is very, very large.

Thanks, Indie Beauty Expo, for coming in and telling us the background of this package 🙂

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Lila

It’s not the VIP bag that they give out at the shows. This has much less, you can find the true bag on youtube.

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Jenny

I think I’m gonna grasp this box. Yeah, even though it’s kinda random selections and the price point seems insane, there is a few things in the box that I’m interested in trying. I thought I would want to get the Byrdie box but this is a better deal and more products to try. Plus I like to support smaller businesses.

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Tarah

I love this box, but agree with Luna’s comment about the heat. I live in CA, it’s definitely hot, and working during the day means it will bake until I get home. Given the high Price point + shipping cost, I’ll have to pass until cooler weather. My opinion? more appropriate at $99.

Christine, I empathize with your point 100%. The co’s message influenced me to go back over each of the products, and I feel like I’m censoring my feedback to fit what matters to the company. I appreciate the tone of their message (although the Deodorant portion was unnecessary), but it feels invasive because they’re interacting with and responding to consumers directly through comments. I’m not offended by the message but it would have been more appropriate in the information section sans Deodorant remark.

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KarenG

If it’s not for you, then it’s not for you.

I personally admire entrepreneurs and start ups. Amazon started in a garage and Facebook started in a dorm room. You have to start somewhere. Clearly nn is super passionate about this company and I am betting that they are not making bundles of money on selling this box.
We all have different criteria we use to decide what we would like to purchase. Some like to spend $10 on a bunch of small samples and some will only buy if it’s full size, organic, natural, hand made etc. Ipsy or Beauty Heroes.
Doesn’t matter, enjoy yourself and let others enjoy what they want.
This forum was never meant to be a place to criticize those that have a different opinion than you.
I hope nn has a rally successful company and that this box sells out to those who would appreciate it and gladly pay the cost and shipping.

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Luna

🙂 !!!

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Christine

There is nothing authentic about this thread. The box company got involved and now the discussion is no longer about the box itself.

I hope they learn after their experience with this “box”.

Chris

I am definitely temped by this, but the the $13 shipping isn’t very appealing to me.

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betty

They say on the site the shipping cost is because the package weighs 6#. However, when you do the math 3 # seams more accurate. I agree 125$ plus shipping is too high. Would be nice if they would do a discount for MSA members. Since they are unknown brands the company’s should like the advertisement. I have already purchased one item from the last box and planning on ordering from another 2 companies.

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Christine

I reiterate, after the below “comment”, too random and too overpriced. And I agree with the lady who made the deodorant comment.

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MN12

Christine, where do you buy your skincare and beauty? I don’t think this box is for you. This is a box for people who would most likely buy these things at full price already. This is not a box for people who want a deal (although it is a deal). Both Walmart and Target do beauty boxes. You’re coming down a little hard here, just saying. I think you got your point across.

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Christine

I buy my skincare from skincare company websites, Sephora, dermstore.com, lovelyskin.com, dermatologist offices and I also get skincare from various subscription boxes on this website.

In terms of skincare subscription boxes, I like BeautyFix and NewBeauty.

Hi Everyone. Thank you so much for your interest. We absolutely know that the price point is higher than other beauty boxes, so I think its worth giving you the back story and explaining why.

To begin with, we are not a subscription or beauty box company. Our core business is producing trade and consumer shows focused on independent beauty, wellness and lifestyle brands. Here is what one looks like (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1eC7eJ_1H0). Each IBE showcases anywhere between 100 – 200 brands from around the world. This is what we do for a living.

At each show, we offer members of top-tier press (Allure to Vogue) and top-tier retailers (Anthropologie to Ulta) a VIP gift bag filled with samples and goodies from the show. Consumers can also buy the very same VIP gift bag for $99 – $129 at the door. Our VIP gift bags always sell-out because they are a fantastic deal (retail value of the bag is always >$500) and often contain newly launched brands or products that are hard to find.

Over time, as word of IBE spread, we started getting requests from a indie beauty lovers who, for whatever reason, could not attend our show and who just wanted to buy our VIP gift bags and have us mail it to them (which they would happily pay for). Since we were a small company and growing rapidly with our shows, this was just not practical for us to do (on top of everything else), so we kept politely declining.

That was until earlier this year when we announced our Best in Show winners. Then we got a deluge of calls and emails from longstanding IBE fans asking us to put everything in one collection so that they could just make one purchase instead of 21. Since there is no show associated with this collection, we decided to do this as a service to our customers. We are not a retailer and cannot store inventory or have a fulfillment center, so we had to limit the quantity to 125 (which is about as much as we could fit in our Brooklyn office and homes). Our staff picked, packed and shipped every single box. For example, all those giant stickers on the boxes . . . printed right here and painstakingly applied by hand over one weekend.

When it came to pricing, we were challenged. The value of the collection was easily >$500, but that was clearly too high. And we couldn’t find a comparable “box” out there that had 20+ premium or luxury-oriented beauty items, all at full-size or deluxe-size. We found a ton of options in the $9.99 – $49.99 range, but honestly none were comparable in quality or breadth of selection to our collection. So we ended up pricing the collection at $99 simply because that is what our VIP bags were priced at and our customers accustomed to. The Best in Show sold out in a matter of weeks and, considering it was our first effort, we got a lot of excellent feedback–one being, interestingly enough, that is was a great value for money.

At recent our Dallas show in May, the same thing happened again. Email after email regarding our VIP gift bags. This time we got lucky and found a small distribution house which kindly offered to take on storage and fulfillment at an affordable price. So our team curated a lovely collection of 19 brands from our inaugural Dallas show and we priced it at $125; simply because that is also the new price of our VIP gift bags moving forward. As always we made sure that the retail value of the bag was at least five times the price so that, while “pricey” on the surface, for the shopper who wants a true comprehensive collection and understands value of all these items, she is getting a fantastic deal.

Sorry for the long answer, but we pour our heart and soul into IBE and take our reputation seriously. The community here at MSA has been very kind to us and we didn’t want you to think that we are insensitive to price or just “milking it”. If we were a retailer, we definitely would do more collections at different price points and certainly in larger quantities and really take advantage of this opportunity. But we are not, so we can’t.

So our Collections have a very specific purpose for a very specific audience–and that is why they are priced as they are and why they only appear in such limited quantities. So we totally understand that they are not for everyone. We wish we could do more, but right now we have to be very disciplined on where we allocate our time and resources. Hopefully next year we can offer more variety.

In the meantime, all the great brands in the “Discover Dallas” Collection are listed on our shopping page with direct link to their product so that–if you don’t want to buy the collection–you can just purchase as many or as few of these products directly yourself. It would make us just as happy! And if you find yourself buying seven or more of them, then you may to consider the Collection.

Finally, to the user who wrote “I wouldn’t pay $30 for a box with deodorant in a jar in it”, here are a few thing you need to know. First, the product you refer to, the Milk+Honey Coconut Vanilla Deodorant cream is an awesome innovation. If you don’t want any of the awful synthetic additives that are used in regular sticks (which over time find their way into your bloodstream–especially if you shave your underarm and use a deodorant every day), then you need to open your mind and think beyond a solid stick.

Alissa Bayer, the founder of Milk+Honey, is an incredible entrepreneur. We know her personally, and she is a person who is genuinely committed to bringing healthy organic luxurious products to the market. Milk+Honey is so good at what they do, that they now operate three spas and five salons–you don’t get to that size in less than 10 years, unless you bring real value to your customers. For many of us who don’t want nasty stuff in our beauty products, we are grateful to the likes of Alissa who spend the time and resources, and put their own capital at risk, to develop products that solve a particular problem . . . just in an unconventional way. And that is EXACTLY why we included her innovative deodorant in our “Discover Dallas” Collection. While not for everyone, its definitely a discovery.

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Diana

Right now, you should not be focusing on making money from the selling of these bags. You should be sending these bags out for free to bloggers who can get the word out about you and the products you showcase. Create a platform for these products & brands and THEN try to sell them. You’re definitely skipping a step.

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betty

I just watched on YouTube a review of the goodie bag from the Dallas 2017 show ( not the New York 2016 from your link) . I counted 30 different brands, some had 2 to 3 separate items. I work hard for my money and expect a fair price. Will spend my money elsewhere.

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Lila

Whoa! So they’re scamming people anyway??? Trying to act like they’re selling us what they handed out at the Dallas show?? I don’t like being lied to about what I’m being sold.

Heidi

I think this is fantastic, well written response from IBE that explains their philosophy behind offering this collection of products to consumers. And since they are not really a subscription service, I feel it was appropriate. Could they have reached out to MSA and requested that the response be included in Liz’s article? Sure. But they responded this way instead. I’m not really sure why one MSA reader is going on the attack.

I actually would probably not have looked at the collection had the one MSA reader not made such a big deal about IBE’s response . . . but I did. So your backlash and harsh criticism of this company actually has had the opposite effect.

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Christine

Then be the one that purchases it Heidi. Make sure you pay shipping too. I’m wait for the New Beauty Awards box coming out next week.

If you notice, everyone is now explaining why they still won’t be purchasing it for one reason or another. No one is actually saying they will buy it.

Alexandria

The response the Company gave was way too long. Where is the spam filter when you need it?

Alexandria

You are storing the boxes in your office and homes. So these skincare products are being stored in places that aren’t even under consistent temperature control during this Summer heat.

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Luna

That’s very considerate of you to take the time to breakdown this box & what it’s all about, especially for people who are on the fence or used to only seeing certain mainstream brands in beauty boxes that are in the $10 to $20 range.

Personally, I would have bought this box in a heartbeat when I received the email announcing it, because I really appreciate the curation of it, the brands included, and what IBE is all about (I *loved* the 2016 Best in Show box, btw 🙂 ). The only thing that’s making me refrain from purchasing it right now is that I don’t like to order skincare products (especially natural) in the summer due to the heat. I’m hoping it’s still available in September, but I know that’s a long shot. Hopefully, there’ll be a New York discoveries box by then!?! Heh heh.

Oh ya! And *please* bring IBE to the PNW! 😀

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Kara

Hi nn! Do you have an estimated retail value for the Dallas discovery selection?

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Luna

I was curious about the value of the box too, so I calculated what I could based off the links (some were a bit difficult to figure out), and for what I could calculate, it came up to $459 (excluding about 4 or 5 items). Not bad!

Christine

I think this may be a first. You aren’t suppose to come down to the comments section to explain this. You should go through Liz or another one of the website admins. They will put the info you want to share in the actual description part. The comments field is for consumers.

This is not your company Facebook page, Instagram page or your company website. It is not appropriate for you to address the discussion comments amongst the consumers here.

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Siren

Actually, other companies do engage in comments here (Fifth Avenue), and it’s helpful, especially in more pricey boxes. We can trust the companies, or not, and ask direct questions. No big deal.

Ann

I disagree, respectfully. I appreciate when companies reply with added information. It shows dedication to their product, and helps with any questions we may have.

This was a very respectful and thoughtful response. Thanks to nn.

Annabella

Why? I think it is totally appropriate to write a thorough and informative response in comments. Companies have often interacted with subscribers in comments. I for one took a second look after reading this post and am now actually considering buying this box.

Christine

Too random and too expensive.

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Claudia

I purchased (and enjoyed) the last box but I see so few items here that interest me. That’s too bad!

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Helen

That price point is insane. I wouldn’t pay $30 for a box with deodorant in a jar in it. Yuck and No.

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Taren

For $40 or $50 maybe, but not, $125.

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Missy

Agreed! Maybe it will go on sale. I’d be all over it for $30-$40.

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Lena

I feel like $75-$80 would be more appropriate given the sizes and values of some of these items.

Kara

I really enjoyed the previous Indie box – but I’m passing on this one. No makeup?

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Chris

I have been waiting for this one, but now I am not that thrilled by the goods.
Wallet wins!

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Mandy

Tempting….🤔 Unfortunately my wallet might not be as tempted as I am. 💸

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