Thursday, June 20, 2013

May and June 2013 Lust Have It Review.

Hello lovelies,

I received my June Lust Have It box on Monday, and I wanted to share with you my thoughts on what I received. Before I talk about the June box, though, I'm going to quickly summarise my thoughts on the May 2013 box. I didn't review it as I received it just as I fell sick, and what with all the dramas I've been having lately, I just didn't have time to review it before the June box landed on my doorstep.

In the May box I received:

Nicole by OPI textured polish in Aquamarine (full sized)

Nude by Nature Papaw ointment (full sized)

The Natural Source Camoflage Colour lipgloss in Wild Orange (full sized)

Seacret Body Lotion in Ocean Mist (full sized)

Paula’s Choice Resist Wrinkle Repair Retinol serum (deluxe sample)

Eleven Miracle Treatment (deluxe sample)

That's four full sized items, and two deluxe samples. I was pretty happy with the box as I love polish, happy to try out the gloss (which I was glad to see is an interesting shade), and always wanted to try the NBN papaw ointment. I've heard good things about the serum, and I love hair treatments so was happy to receive the Eleven sample (which, by the way, I absolutely loved). I think most people were pretty excited with the May box (although I'm not sure if it's because of the fact that there were 4 full sized items in there, or if it was for the actual items included in the box).

May 2013 Lust Have It Box.

Now, let's move on to discussing the items in the June box.

As per norm, it arrived in a pretty paisley box (does anyone else find the boxes keep falling apart? I think the manufacturers need to use better glue).

June 2013 Lust Have It Box

I opened it to find an easily identifiable card, and surmised it would be Great Gatsby themed.

June 2013 Lust Have It Box

In my box, I received:

Batiste dry shampoo in Cherry (deluxe sample)

Pure Fiji Hydrating body lotion sample bottle (deluxe sample - the card says Ocean Mist but I received Coconut)

Real purity regal red lipstick (deluxe sample)

Savi Organic Soothing Cream (deluxe sample)

Klara Waterproof eyeliner (full sized)

OPI Pure Lacquer Nail Apps (full sized)

There was also a disposable lip brush from Crown Brush.

June 2013 Lust Have It Box

Click for pricing.

L-R: OPI nail apps, Batiste Cherry dry shampoo, Savi organic soothing
cream, Klara black eyeliner, Real Purity lipstick sample and
Pure Fiji coconut body lotion.

What did I think of this month's box items?

I've been curious about the OPI nail apps, so I'm happy to give them a try to see if they are any different from the ones other brands offer. I've been hunting down that Batiste cherry dry shampoo for what seems like forever (to no luck, can't seem to find it on sale anywhere!), so I was really happy to see it in the box. I can't live without dry shampoo, and Batiste is my favourite dry shampoo brand, so this comes in handy. I also like the look of the lipstick pot, which appears to be more balm-like than lipstick in texture (I'd have preferred a mini lipstick but the streamline pot is perfect for slipping into your purse for a night out). Black eyeliner is the shade I wear the most often, so while it may not be particularly exciting, it's certainly practical and I welcome the chance to try a new brand out that I'd never heard of before.

Frankly, not super excited about the Pure Fiji coconut sample, I've received this in a previous box and only just got around to using it up, but I can live with that. The Savi cream is interesting, it's an organic, medicated cream, and apparently it's meant to be used on problem areas (think Eczema, Psoriasis, Tinea, lesions, etc), so I presume you can use it on your face and body. The inclusion of the Crown disposable lip brush is a bit odd; a retractable brush might have been a better option but I can see how it goes with the lippy pot quite well.

VERDICT? I actually really liked this box. Two full sized items, plus two samples that I'm very keen to try make it excellent value in my book. This box, however, seems to have incurred quite a bit of wrath among LHI subscribers, with some comments that it fails to live up to the standard of the May box, and other comments on the low 'value' of this box.

My line of thinking is as follows: I am signed up to a beauty box subscription for the purpose of trying new things every month. Personally speaking, if I'm interested to try one or two of the items in the box, it fulfils the reason I'm subscribed in the first place. I would also rather receive deluxe samples that I'm happy to try, rather than full-sized ones I'm not interested in. There is also an enjoyable air of suspense when your mystery box arrives each month, not to mention the glee when you find a product inside that you're excited to try.

I can understand how some subscribers feel a bit let down with the June box after the May box, but I think it's a bit unrealistic to expect so many full sized items in each box. I know that paying up $20 a month for a box can really add up, but when you take into account the cost of shipping and the cost of cosmetics in Australia, $20 does not stretch very far in terms of products purchased, so it's not quite reasonable to assess the value of a box in terms of how many full-sized items are in it. 'Value' can be considered in two ways, the retail worth of the product, versus the actual benefit you are to gain from it (benefits from actually using the product against giving it away or letting it collect dust in storage).

If, on the other hand, you have been subscribed for long enough that the samples are piling up faster than you can use them, and/or you are no longer excited at the thought of trying new things, then by all means drop your subscription, and save the money towards something you really want instead (we've all been in that position, *cough*Bellabox*cough*). It can be a loaded dice, particularly with different boxes containing different things (box envy can be a terrible feeling to have), but you must also consider that the items in each box may not always suit your preference; that does not, however, mean that the next box won't be more to your liking. One (wo)man's meat is another (wo)man's poison, and all that.

I hope I haven't put you all to sleep with the last couple of paragraphs. Bottom line, if you have lost interest in your subscription, it's easy enough to drop it and move on with your life. Life's too short to get all wound up over a sample box subscription. :)

What did you think of this month's box? If you're keen to subscribe, you can get $5 off your subscription (yes, that's ANY subscription, including the Men's box and the Eco box) by entering the code MAIDEN. If you're subscribed, let me know what you got, I'd love to hear it. :)

Much love,
MM.
x

23 comments:

  1. Firstly, on the May box I think the shade of the gloss is gorgeous and let me know how the Nude paw paw cream is gorgeous:) Am always after an alternative to the petroleum filled Lucas paw paw.

    June box: I love the theme, and you were better off receiving coconut from Pure Fiji because it's such a beautiful scent. I also like the full sized OPI nail apps but the dry shampoo from Batiste could easily have been full size although the small size is handy for travelling.

    X

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I certainly will! I don't actually mind petroleum products too much though!

      I do agree that the scent is nice, but would've been nice to try a different scent too. :)

      I like popping the mini Batiste cans into my work drawer!

      Delete
  2. Your box is pretty good! I've seen others that didn't get any full size products :/
    I'm glad I'm not subscribed to both Bellabox and LHI now - I feel as though there is alot of repeat products coming through (probably because I've been subscribed for so long) I'm half-hearted about Bellabox. The value has been good for the past 2 months I've been resubscribed and I like trying new products like you so I'll stay with it until I don't think it's worth it :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's always a mixed bag, sometimes the box distributions are a bit uneven. I've received those in the past too.

      I agree with you, there's a high likelihood of repeats when a) you've been a long term subber and b) you are subbed to several different boxes!

      I went off Bellabox because I was just stockpiling too many samples and a lot were skincare, which my skin sometimes reacts to, so I have to be a bit careful with what I use.

      Delete
  3. It is not easy to drop your subscription when it is annual. You are more or less a captive customer for an entire year and at the whim of what LHI send to you.

    I purchased an annual subscription with the increase in price on the promise that the boxes would get bigger and better and contain more full-sized items. I received 5 sample sizes this month and the majority of them were cheap repeats of products I had already received from previous boxes. Nothing new or exciting there.

    I agree everyone if you can walk away from LHI do and I would recommend no-one locks themselves into an annual subscription.
    Feel like I have totally been taken advantage of.

    Remember postage is free (we know it's not), LHI would receive great postage discounts for the sheer number of packages they send each month and the samples are free from the companies. LHI would not run this business if there wasn't money to be made, but they are paid to run a service and if they are letting their customers down they need to answer for it, after all they keep telling us they are taking all our feedback on board to help them provide better boxes in the future.

    Congratulations on your discount code!

    Jac x0x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, that's true, that's why I stayed on a month-to-month instead of shifting to an annual, although that's probably a lower cost long term as compared to paying month by month. I do know that some subscribers picked up their annual subscriptions when there were gifts with purchase on, like the Lancome skincare, so that's something there.

      Quite frankly, I've had boxes in the past that meet the description of yours, but unfortunately, for some months, you win some, you lose some.

      Like any business providing a service, they sometimes make mistakes and hopefully will take the constructive criticism on board, as has happened in the past. :)

      Delete
  4. I love pure fiji so I would be happy with this box.
    I haven't tired dry shampoo but I keep seeing them in almost all the box reviews! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OMG you must, it's amazing!

      The Pure Fiji products do smell really good. :)

      Delete
  5. I love the idea of a Gatsby theme! I'm not subscribed to LHI anymore just BellaBox but this box looks pretty good :) xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gatsby is so big right now! :)

      I'm the opposite to you, dropped my Bellabox but retained my LHI. :)

      Delete
  6. It's easy to talk about the varying 'value' of a box when you're happy with what you received. I'd have loved to received a "not particularly exciting" eyeliner to try, or the nail wraps regardless of design. I don't mind the dry shampoo, smells nice. The Pure Fiji lotion.. it's a cream, nothing "particularly exciting" there for me... but the Doctor Babor really takes the cake in my box! You talk about the 'value' of a box, we all get that we get more value in our boxes than what we pay, but can you honestly say that you'd swap your eyeliner and nail wraps for a puny little sample of some super expensive face cream? It's nice to try things we wouldn't normally buy, but a $250 face cream is something I WOULD NEVER purchase, so the little $25 {guessing cause there was no size listed} worth I received is pointless.. I'm actually thinking of wiping it out to reuse the container for my CC cream sachets :)
    Although there's some really nice samples in my box, I hated this months LHi box... and yeah, I have mega box envy for yours, cause I really want to try the nail wraps! Wanna trade for my Doctor Babor sample?? And I don't think that I've been subscribed for 'long enough', this is my first ever sample box and I joined in Jan, so the samples aren't really 'piling up' yet. I also didn't "sign up for full-sized products"... I wanted samples, to try. But when the boxes vary so much, it's easy to be disappointed. I only hope that all the future boxes impress you as much as this one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Loz,

      If you were a long time reader of mine, you'd know that I've been subscribed to every single box since they launched.

      Some boxes have been fabulous, and others a bit mediocre. I've had months where I've had the worst box of all the boxes, but I just passed the contents on to other people and hoped the next box would be better (which it was, since I'm still subbed).

      If I didn't have sensitive skin, I'd probably be a lot more keen to try expensive skincare samples that I'd have to pay a lot of money to try otherwise, so yeah, I'd probably have been happy to swap the wraps (I do my own nail art most of the time anyway) and pencil (nice, but I probably have quite a few other black pencils lying around) for your Babor. Sadly, my skin can react badly sometimes so I have to be very careful about trying out new skincare.

      I do know people who are more keen on skincare than makeup, so they might've enjoyed your box more than mine, but again, it comes to personal preference.

      I think you misunderstood my points above, it doesn't necessarily have to be about how long you've been subscribed or how many different box brands you are subscribed to, it does come down to the particular TYPE of samples you wanted to try. If they're not to your liking, or you feel that others received products that you'd have preferred, it's natural that you'd feel dissatisfied.

      I'm sure there'll be boxes I dislike, just as there'll be boxes I love in the future. I also didn't say that I was 'impressed', I just said I liked it because I'd, a) try new brands and b) actually use most of the products in this particular box. Hope your next box is more to your liking and thanks for sharing your thoughts. :)

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    3. Hi Loz,
      (sorry, I deleted my first comment as I forgot to address it to you, otherwise it's all the same!)

      You sound as impressed as me with the Dr Babor cream! Nothing against the cream (although it does have a very strong lemon scent), but when no size is listed and LHI tell you it's 10mls (glad to see you thought it only to be 5mls - I reckon 3mls!), I think you'll find your 4 x CC cream sachets wont fit in the Dr Babor container as they are 12mls -according again to LHI!

      Delete
  7. Loz, Just because YOU would never purchase a $250 cream, doesn't mean others wouldnt.. LHI should cater for all tastes not just budget concious.

    Also, this is a blog, if you don't like someone's opinion you shouldn't take it so personally, it really wasn't directed at you.
    I absolutely hated my LHI box, so I will be swapping with my friends who also subscribe to it.
    My goodness girl you really needed to vent :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Perhaps you're right dzzaika... I did need to vent :)
      I really would have liked the nail wraps and eyeliner lol

      Delete
    2. @dzzaika.....I don't think Loz was taking it personal or disagreeing with madeupaiden, she was just stating how she found this month's LHI Box after all madeupmaiden did ask what her readers thought of this months box, obviously for Loz it weren't that good lol........

      Hugs

      Jac x0x

      Delete
    3. @Loz
      My box was shocking I had around 4 sachets of some cream, some dry hair shampoo, some hand lotion and a lipgloss (that is no where near what I would wear).
      I'm actually thinking of dropping this box.

      Delete
    4. Dzzaika, you have an excellent point about LHI catering to all preferences and all budgets across their subscriber range!

      Delete
  8. After hearing some of the comments I'm glad I got the nail stickers and eyeliner instead. My sister really likes the nail stickers. I pretty much stick to the same face creams/oils as I'm scared of breaking out so I'm kinda glad I didn't get the sample of face cream. Great blog post and Some interesting comments too.

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    Replies
    1. Hmm, yes, people seem to be really divided on this month's box, we can only hope that next month's is better!

      Thank you!

      Delete
  9. the products look great! have fun with it!

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  10. Wow May seems a lot better than June. I still like seeing what other ladies got in their boxes but personally I wouldn't go back to them now!

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