Sep
2011
Australian Sample Beauty Boxes Are Not My Cuppa Tea
Sample beauty boxes recently arrived in Australia. For those who don’t know what I am talking about, it’s basically a concept where for a monthly fee, you get sent a number of sample-sized products from deluxe beauty brands. The idea is to introduce you to new brands and allow you to test out their products. However, you don’t get to find out what is included in the box until you open it. For US, they have Birchbox. For UK, they have GLOSSYBOX. Currently, Australia have Lust Have It and Beauty Box and there are others to follow, e.g. Red Meow and Haute Box.
Anyway, for “beauty blogging purposes”, I signed up for Lust Have It a few months ago and after receiving my second box, I unsubscribed. Australian sample beauty boxes are simply not my cuppa tea – allow me to explain…
I had high expectations after seeing the US and UK versions of these beauty boxes because they appear to have prettier packaging and sometimes, there are full-sized products in the boxes (e.g. NARS Orgasm Illuminator in May’s GLOSSYBOX). First impressions count!
Unfortunately, I wasn’t WOW’ed with the contents of the first 2 boxes of Lust Have It :-
- Ist box : Bioeffect EGF serum (love!), Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant (okay), Mirenesse Lip Plumper (meh!), Burt’s Bees Cuticle Cream (bleh!), Armani Sport Code (Last time, I checked, I’m female!), Naked Tan – Goddess Bronzer (I’m Asian and I don’t like tan!)
- 2nd box : Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes Mascara (love!), Kerastase Elixir Ultime (like!), Nicole by OPI x 2 (adorbs!), Pure Fiji Coconut Milk Shower Gel (bleh!), Urban Rituelle Flourish Organics Hand Cream (meh!)
The samples are tiny…which means they are cute! And I don’t like to use cute things. As you can see, I love to collect cute wee dinky samples – which are usually free! So why the heck am I paying for cute wee samples when I can just head to beauty counters and ask for samples there?! ”Hello Kiehl’s!” Or even better, go shopping in Seoul, Korea and receive samples galore! Of course, the plane ticket there isn’t free!!
Sample-sized products are great for travelling purposes but on a daily basis, I use my regular-sized products. There’s usually not enough product in sample sizes to last two weeks; let alone, allow me to make an informed decision of whether I genuinely like a product or not.
$14.95 per month isn’t expensive if you’re a full-time worker, but we live on our credit card so I had to say “bye bye” to Lust Have It. They were nice about it when I emailed them to unsubscribe. Apparently I’m the first person to unsubscribe so they let me off with the 30 days notice which is usually required. I’d rather save $15 per month to tick off items on my neverending wishlist.
However, do not let my experience put you off Australian sample beauty boxes. It’s great receiving monthly surprise packages and I bet I’ll be kicking myself one day if one of my highly lusted items turns up in one of the boxes.
Have you signed up for any sample beauty boxes? What do you think about it?
26 Comments on Australian Sample Beauty Boxes Are Not My Cuppa Tea
1Pingbacks & Trackbacks on Australian Sample Beauty Boxes Are Not My Cuppa Tea
-
[...] 19, 2012 · Leave a Comment · In Make-Up, Skincare Last year, I wrote a post about how Australian sample beauty boxes are not my cuppa tea based on my experience with Lust Have It boxes. Basically, I wasn’t wowed by the products [...]
Suzanne
22/09/2011 at 11:20 am (608 days ago)I unsubscribed from lust have it after the second box as well. Not seeing the value
if they were $10 a month like the international ones, I could probably be convinced, but we’re paying more for less product as far as I can tell.
And I just opted out in my account setting on lust have it, I didnt email them! now I’m worried I didnt do it right.
[Reply]
Ling Tung Reply:
September 22nd, 2011 at 2:37 pm
@Suzanne, Oooh, send them an e-mail just to confirm.
Glad I’m not the only one who thought the boxes weren’t worth it
[Reply]
Su
22/09/2011 at 11:36 am (608 days ago)I never fell into the fancy! I’ve been looking at the boxes and they are not really something I’d like for myself. I have too much as is and I agree, the cost adds up and you are only getting samples! Anyway, I seem to have saved a bit and proud of myself
[Reply]
Ling Tung Reply:
September 22nd, 2011 at 2:38 pm
@Su, Good on you Su for saving up. I’ve joined your gang now
[Reply]
beetrice
22/09/2011 at 12:19 pm (608 days ago)hey Ling, is it my side having problems cos I can’t seem to see the images in your post above..or did you mean to black it out that way?
for beauty boxes, we haven’t gotten them in SG or Msia just yet, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens when it does catch on here.
[Reply]
Ling Tung Reply:
September 22nd, 2011 at 2:40 pm
@beetrice, Oh boy! It wasn’t you…it was something weird…and then my server went down and then I couldn’t fix it…but now I have!
But SG and Msia have Sasa right? Or is that just Hong Kong? Plenty of amazing samples in there
[Reply]
beetrice Reply:
September 22nd, 2011 at 2:47 pm
@Ling Tung, yeah we do have Sasa, but what samples? I count myself lucky if I manage to avoid being pestered by their SAs…
[Reply]
Lexi
22/09/2011 at 3:02 pm (607 days ago)Since we have limited counters of anything where I live, and those that do have TERRIBLE SA and MUAs the sample boxes sounded like a great idea to me.
I signed up to the waitlist for haute box and didn’t hear about the others until you all started recieving them.
I haven’t signed up.
Was not impressed at all.
Think I will just keep buying my lusted prods from adore beauty who always throw in a heap of samples anyway
[Reply]
Ling Tung Reply:
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:00 am
Freebies are the best
although I’ve not ordered from Adore yet…
[Reply]
Isabel Ong
22/09/2011 at 4:06 pm (607 days ago)i was thinking of it but as am not working hence i didnt subscribe yet.. this blog of yours is definitely useful. Thanks again!
[Reply]
Ling Tung Reply:
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:01 am
Thanks for your support
[Reply]
Lilit
22/09/2011 at 6:12 pm (607 days ago)I’m giving both lust have it and beauty box one more chance and then it’s buh bye from me. I was totally expecting to be wowed too, NARS Illuminator, full sized makeup, but i think all the stuff included so far are things you can get for free via magazine cut outs. So yeah, one more chance and I’m outta there.
[Reply]
Ling Tung Reply:
September 23rd, 2011 at 12:03 am
I know, right?? Sighs. I had high hopes but wasn’t blown away. Even magazine freebies give full size items sometimes!
[Reply]
Charisse
23/09/2011 at 1:53 am (607 days ago)I’ve never signed up for any of the sample beauty boxes since I do feel the same way you do. I have sensitive skin and sampling products constantly usually freaks my skin out.
Great post!
[Reply]
Ling Tung Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 8:43 pm
@Charisse, That’s true – too much change can freak out sensitive skin. Thanks for your comment Charisse!
[Reply]
Vijaya
23/09/2011 at 5:41 am (607 days ago)I’ve got to admit, the sample boxes don’t impress me much in general. I’ve been playing with the idea of subscribing to Birchbox, but… EH.
[Reply]
Ria
23/09/2011 at 7:28 am (607 days ago)I have signed up for lusthaveit and I’m giving them to a few more boxes to wow me. I know what you mean when they’re supposed to be free because they’re samples. I’ll just have to wait for now.
[Reply]
Ally
24/09/2011 at 1:03 am (606 days ago)I’ve been tempted to start getting myself a Glossybox. Unfortunately when I was packing to move I realised how many products I had which were unused so I’ve made a vow to myself not to buy any more products until I get through them all (harsh, huh?!)
I love the Dermalogica daily microexfoliant!
[Reply]
Ling Tung Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 8:43 pm
@Ally, You’re good!! I am terrible and I can never resist the lure of more products!
[Reply]
Jen
28/09/2011 at 11:42 am (602 days ago)So glad I didn’t sign up. I find the sample sizes just to small to give an good review on. Like eye cream please if your gonna give out samples don’t give out maybe a small squeeze of it. Otherwise I’m gonna have to come back for like 12 packets.
[Reply]
Ling Tung Reply:
September 28th, 2011 at 12:41 pm
@Jen, It’s true!! One squeeze and it’s finished??!!!
[Reply]
Jessica
29/09/2011 at 3:48 am (601 days ago)I’ve been waiting for the sample box system to come to Aus, after enviously watching the goodies packed into Glossybox and Birchbox. I haven’t signed up yet to anything, the reviews and youtube vids of BeautyBox and LustHaveIt have yet to impress me. There’s just not enough ‘deluxe-ness’ in them to convince me to sign up. We live pay check to credit card too! And for $15 a month I can buy a good product I actually want from Asos or feelunique if I keep an eye out for sales! I love the idea (who doesn’t like getting a pretty parcel in the mail!) but as you say, if they’re not deluxe sized samples, I can just go and get perfume and makeup and skin care samples that are the same size for free from Myer or David Jones. I’ll keep an eye on the boxes and reviews, and I know ilovethisbox is meant to be starting a sample box service too, but for the moment it’s a no for me.
[Reply]
Ling Tung Reply:
September 29th, 2011 at 11:55 am
@Jessica, Yes, it is a shame. I think I will wait till the boxes get better before subbing again.
[Reply]
Emm
22/11/2011 at 8:14 pm (546 days ago)I’m a little surprised you don’t like the Burt’s Bees cuticle cream. A lot of nail bloggers feel it’s a holy grail product. I’d been debating trying it out and I like it. It isn’t super moisturizing but I didn’t expect it to be. I like the tart lemon scent and I feel it conditions my nails a little also, since I wash my hands a lot and dry them out, when I don’t have any polish on them.
I’ve never used Birchbox. It seems more difficult to get luxury samples?, I think that’s what they’re called, over here, especially if you don’t live in a major city. Sometimes cosmetic counters save them for customers who purchase something, so if you just ask, you’re out of luck.
You made good observations that I’ll remember if I ever subscribe to Birchbox.
[Reply]
Ling Reply:
November 23rd, 2011 at 9:17 am
@Emm, I haven’t actually used it yet because I’m not big on cuticle cream…but it must be good if nail bloggers love it!
I actually want to sub to some new sample boxes out on the market now – BellaBox and I Love This Box…
[Reply]