It was just after sunrise in a modest warehouse on the outskirts of London when Boop’s logistics team clicked through their first “rescued” pallet of cosmetics.
Rows of moisturisers, serums, and fragrances stacked in crates bore nothing more than a faint scuff or older packaging, yet inside every bottle was immaculate.
For founder Yasmine Amr—once an in-house legal counsel at a global beauty group—this sight held both heartbreak and hope.
Amr had spent years watching the cosmetic giants she advised quietly discard perfectly usable products: new lines reformulated, packaging refreshed, print errors deemed unacceptable.
In one telling moment she recalls that a huge number of beauty products are destroyed each year by manufacturers and retailers without ever hitting the market. It was a waste she felt compelled to turn into something meaningful.
The Scale Of The Problem
In the UK alone, around 90 million beauty items are thrown away each year—equivalent in weight to about 650 double-deck buses. Of those, 10 % are wasted somewhere in the supply chain and 6.2 % are the result of overproduction.
With products that function perfectly but appear imperfect or surplus, Amr saw an opening: what if “wonky” beauty wasn’t scrap, but opportunity?
Turning Surplus Into Supply
The idea behind Boop is simple yet powerful. Instead of consigning unused and unopened beauty goods to landfill, Boop acquires them from manufacturers, brands, or over-stocked distributors.
These might be items whose external packaging is slightly damaged, whose formulation has been reformulated, whose branding is changing, or simply which brands manufactured in excess.
Then they are sold to consumers at large discounts—up to 70% off retail—to people who care more about what’s inside than the box outside.
Amr explains that consumers and brands are becoming far more conscious of sustainability—and most shoppers don’t mind if a product doesn’t look perfect or has older packaging.
Early surveys showed that 95% of people said they would happily buy stock deemed surplus or imperfect because it’s what’s on the inside that counts.
What makes this model noteworthy is that Boop doesn’t deal in used or damaged goods—they sell new, unopened products, verified for quality and shelf life. In other words, what the industry wrote off for aesthetic or branding reasons still has full value and full function.
A Human Moment
During an online meeting, Amr recounted the story of a rescued pallet filled with luxury skincare products. The packaging had minor imperfections—slightly dented boxes and faint marks on the foil seals—but the items themselves remained flawless and untouched.
Her team carefully examined each product, ensuring that everything met quality standards before it was approved for sale. For Amr, this meticulous process symbolised more than a business operation; it reflected a belief that effective beauty should not come at the expense of the environment.
Her warehouse staff also shared in this mindset. On one particular evening, a team member uncovered a forgotten batch of discontinued lipsticks. Rather than dismissing them as unsellable, they recognised their continued worth and prepared them for the next shipment.
That quiet moment captured a deeper transformation—an understanding that surplus items are not waste, but resources deserving of a second chance.
Why It Matters Beyond The Box
The significance here is two-fold. First, there is the environmental waste issue. The beauty industry has long been criticised for overproduction, for packaging changes that force unsold items into destruction, and for seeing surplus as a cost rather than as a resource.
By creating an outlet for surplus stock, Boop is directing items that would otherwise be destroyed into the hands of willing users.
Secondly, a clear cultural transformation is underway. Boop’s approach mirrors the innovation seen in the food sector with companies like Oddbox, which redefined perceptions of “wonky” fruit and vegetables—produce once rejected for its appearance despite being perfectly nutritious.
In much the same way, Boop is challenging the beauty industry’s obsession with perfection. A slightly dented box or outdated logo no longer signifies waste; it represents a chance to rethink value and redefine beauty standards.
Further reinforcing its purpose, Boop has partnered with charitable organisations such as Beauty Banks and The Hygiene Bank. Through these collaborations, a portion of its rescued products reaches individuals who might not otherwise have access to quality beauty essentials.
This initiative not only reduces waste but also extends dignity and self-care to those in need—turning surplus into shared benefit.
Challenges And Next Steps
The next chapter of Boop’s journey blends both caution and optimism. In July 2024, the company was acquired by Huddled Group, which secured a 75% controlling stake—a clear signal of trust in Boop’s innovative business model and its potential for expansion.
Alongside the acquisition came a strategic pause: the website was temporarily closed to allow for the integration of systems, logistics, and warehousing.
This transition reflected the challenges of transforming a niche sustainability concept into a large-scale, commercially viable operation.
Amr and her team recognised that growth required investment. With new capital and infrastructure, they began preparing for a relaunch featuring a broader range of partner brands and products.
Yet important questions lingered—would the beauty industry at large embrace this model? Would major brands redirect their unsold stock toward circular solutions instead of destruction? And would policy frameworks evolve to support this change?
Momentum is already building internationally. France has implemented a ban on destroying unsold cosmetics, and similar regulations are being explored in both the UK and the EU.
These shifts suggest that Boop’s approach is not an isolated experiment but part of a growing global movement toward responsible, sustainable beauty.
What This Means For The Consumer
For everyday buyers, the message is optimistic. You can buy better beauty at better prices and know you are doing something positive.
You can purchase a premium serum at half price not because it’s compromised, but because it exists in that strange nether-world of supply-chain surplus. The packaging may be older, the branding may have changed, but what matters is the formula inside.
As one reviewer wrote of the brand, “All the beauty products from Boop have been in pristine condition… you can actually find out why an item is listed.” This transparency helps customers trust the process and feel good about their purchase.
And for the planet, this model nudges the industry toward a circular economy—where goods are not discarded purely because they no longer meet marketing polish but instead find a second life.
In Closing: Hope In Action
In a world of headlines that often dwell on waste, depletion, or ecological despair, the story of Boop offers something different: a story of redemption, of turning surplus into service, and of people choosing value over perfection.
When the warehouse team sealed the last box that day in London, they weren’t simply dispatching products—they were sending out a message: that beauty, like anything else, is not defined only by its wrapper.
If the industry heeds this model, the 90 million beauty items slated for landfill each year in the UK could become an opportunity—productive, sustainable, and generous. For the consumer, for the brand, for the planet. The change is subtle but strong: what’s imperfect on the outside can be perfect on the inside.
So the next time you consider the price of a luxury cream or a discounted serum, remember this: you might be doing more than saving money—you might be giving a second chance to something that was already good, and helping the planet breathe just a little easier.
