A Beauty Box That Actually Gets It

You know the feeling. You open a beauty box expecting a moment of calm, and find yourself wading through plastic filler, throwaway samples, and that overwhelming sense of meh.

That’s exactly what Fran & Lou, the co-founders of The Beauty Standard, set out to change. And they did.

We’re thrilled to welcome this intentional, female-founded brand to The Helpful Collective. Their beauty and wellness boxes aren’t just stunning - they’re useful, grounding, and actually helpful. And just like us, they’re part of the Buy Women Built movement (we LOVE supporting and working with the incredible businesses in this community).

Why We Love The Beauty Standard (And Think You Will Too)

• Full-size only. No tester sachets. No mini frustrations.
• Indie brands with integrity. Each one carefully selected from a place of deep industry and brand knowledge.
• No subscriptions. You buy it when you need it - or when she does.
• Rooted in ritual. Designed for calm, reset, restoration.

These boxes are for the woman carrying a lot. The one who does it all. The one who never asks for help but could definitely use a gentle nudge to look after herself, too (sound familiar?!). Whether it’s your sister, your best friend, your mum or yourself - this is the kind of beauty that supports.

What’s Inside the Boxes: A Quick Look

be_restful:

• A proper sleep ritual in a box - pillow mist, bath salts, candle, skincare and a digital breathwork + meditation series. 
• Perfect for: Burnout, postpartum, or anyone navigating a tough season.

be_mindful:

• A gentle reset for the start of the year (or any new season). With a minimalist journal, calm patches and grounding scents.
• Perfect for: Big transitions, fresh starts, or gifting someone reflection + clarity.

be_calm:

• Five full-size products + free access to the LIVE BRAVE programme - a digital resilience toolkit for the nervous system.
• Perfect for: The overwhelmed, the emotionally loaded months or the midweek SOS calls. Worth over £300.

be_unique:

• Indulgent but useful - a collection of feel-good, mood-lifting beauty products that smell, look and feel like care.
• Perfect for: Curating a moment of indulgence that doesn't require planning

be_well:

• A stress-soothing, skin-calming edit packed with nourishing essentials.
• Perfect for: Supporting energy, emotional reset, and self-gifting on the harder days.

Meet the Founders: Fran & Lou

We asked the women behind the brand a few quick questions:

Tell us your ‘why’?
We started The Beauty Standard after recognising a gap in the market for a ready-made, premium gift that offers meaningful discovery in beauty and wellness. The beauty box space had become overcrowded with wasteful, throwaway products that lacked intention and lasting value. Our boxes are curated with full-size items from brands of integrity - designed to be thoughtful, useful, and elevate the gifting experience.

What is The Beauty Standard in a few words?
The Beauty Standard is the first of its kind, we curate beauty & wellbeing boxes which launch throughout the year as limited runs.  Each box is carefully curated to create a wellness experience from beauty and sleep to nutrition and movement.  Our brand partners share our values, believing in a more sustainable, intentional approach to beauty - one that values substance over excess.

Best gift you’ve ever received?
When I had my first baby, a wise friend gave me food delivery vouchers and honestly, it was a lifesaver - I barely had time to shower, let alone cook. It meant I could eat something vaguely healthy without using my brain, which was great because sleep was a distant memory!

Three words to describe your inner circle?
Kind. Patient. Thoughtful. Big-hearted.

Why They’re in Our Collective

We invite brands into our Collective that share our mission: to make gifting more meaningful - especially when life is messy, emotional, or overwhelming.

The Beauty Standard doesn’t just tick the boxes, they redefine them. And like us, they believe in help, not just stuff.

Whether it’s for new motherhood, midlife, recovery, grief, burnout or just because, these beauty boxes offer real care without compromise.

Explore The Self Care Edit Today. Because beauty should help you feel - not just look - a little more like yourself again.

Each box is available now, in limited runs. No subscriptions. No filler. Just full-sized care, designed to meet life’s messiest and most beautiful moments.

Our Pick: be_restful

If we had to choose just one box to start with? This is it.

be_restful is everything we love in a gift: thoughtfully curated, quietly luxurious and deeply supportive. Valued at over £230 (and selling for just £69!!!), it’s a total standout.

Inside: a full ritual for better sleep - from the scent and the soak to the skincare and guided practices. You'll find bath salts from Mirror Water, a restorative Evermore candle, Ross J Barr’s cult sleep patch, Olverum's pillow mist, and the deeply nourishing Wildsmith Skin eye serum.

Plus: a free one-month subscription to sleep-focused breathwork, meditation, and yin yoga from Basic Space worth £50 on its own.

It covers all the senses, encourages wind-down rituals, and features some of the most trusted indie wellness brands in the UK.

And honestly? Who doesn’t need more sleep right now.

Enjoy x