Entrepreneur launches beauty product vending machine in Kettering

We’ve all put money into a vending machine for a bag of Walkers or a Twix – but now you can buy beauty products from one in Kettering.

That’s because entrepreneur Abbie Benstead-Evans has chosen the town for the launch of her different way of selling cosmetics essentials.

The 31-year-old, who is based near Peterborough, hopes to bring a ‘buzz’ to the area having opened her first Luxe Blender vending machine in the Newlands Shopping Centre.

It sells her own Luxe Blender make-up blending sponges, different eyelashes, lash applicators, mirrors and make-up brush sets.

She said: "When I first went to have a look around the Newlands Shopping Centre I saw so much potential there and could instantly envision the machine there. The staff are extremely friendly too and I got great vibes overall.

“I really wanted to bring something new and exciting to the area and the centre and be able to create a bit of a buzz with it being the first ever beauty and lash vending machine to be introduced.

"It’s myself that will be managing and stocking the machine so Kettering is close enough to allow for that, while still being far enough to reach an audience slightly further afield than my directly local area.”

Abbie, who also owns award-winning beauty and make-up studio Luxe Beauty, launched her Luxe Blender brand in 2019.

A busy bridal make-up artist, she needed kit she could rely on and was struggling for an efficient and hygienic tool that gave flawless professional results for blending foundation.

The brand started with just the Luxe Blender make-up blending sponge which became popular and saw products shipped up and down the country. She began selling other make-up accessories and wanted to bring her brand to more locations – before deciding to do it through vending machines.

Another is set to be installed in Cambridge and she is keeping an eye on further potential locations. But she said she’ll never forget the moment she saw her first vending machine in place in Kettering after months of hard work.

She said: "It was just amazing. I can’t even begin to explain the journey that I’ve been on to get everything to this point.

"I ran into problems and delays at what seemed like every single point so it really had been blood, sweat and tears that had been put into getting to that stage for months and months.

“Finally seeing the machine in place after everything was so surreal and I’m so proud.”

The new beauty product vending machine is yards away from where a pizza vending machine was installed last year, although it was later removed. We reviewed it – you can read what we thought of it here.