There are two main ways to go with eco-friendly packaging. Choice one's the more expensive route: Make it pretty by investing in good design made with sustainable materials for an eco-luxe look. Choice two's the practically free route: Make it using what you've got — and celebrate the ugliness of upcycling.

 

And when it comes to online shopping, there are two eco-beauty stores that exemplify these two options. NuboNau goes with choice one, wrapping each of its eco-luxe, high-end beauty products in recycled paper and nestling everything in beautiful, recycled honeycomb protective packaging.

 

In contrast, Soap Hope's trying to make ugly the new eco-pretty.

 

Soap Hope's one store that's taking upcycling to the extreme — by celebrating just how ugly it can be. Case in point: The store ships its products in what it calls the "Ugly Box" — made by roughly cutting up and taping up used boxes. Each of these come with a label on top — explaining why the packaging's ugliness is really eco-smart.

 

As you may have guessed, the inventory at NuboNau and Soap Hope differ quite a bit, with the former focusing on more high-end, eco-luxe beauty brands like Strange Invisible Perfumes and John Masters Organics, , and the latter on more affordable, basic beauty products from companies like Hugo Naturals. Soap Hope also has an additional altruistic goal with a Kiva-like model. The company lends all of its profits, interest free, to a nonprofit that works to empower women — getting back the money a year later.

 

What type of packaging do you prefer from your eco-beauty online store? I'm more likely to opt for Soap Hope's method when shopping for myself — but to go with NuboNau's way when shopping for gifts. Do you think your order should arrive prettily packed — or do you celebrate the ugly of reuse?