Subscription Boxes

These are really popular at the moment and I thought I would go through my experience with BellaBox.  I haven't tried any other subscription boxes yet.

I got lured in by the physical box the items can in.  I'm a sucker for a pretty box.  Its a Tiffany blue with with polka dots.  I have kept all the boxes!  So Pretty!

So grumpy I refuse to use a real picture of their box...

I got $5 off my first box (as is the norm with most services) and then paid $15 per month (included postage).  I started in May 2014 and cancelled after I got the December 2014 box. So about $130 in total.  Did I get more than that in value with products?  In total, yes.  In usable products, I would say $40.

Recently they have now added $2.95 P&H.  So it will now be $17.95/month

BellaBox lure you in with a survey where you fill out seemingly pertinent details, like skin type (dry), preferred interests (makeup types, vs skincare vs haircare).  They do state that they pick a feature each month to focus on.

In the 9 boxes I got, there were maybe 7 products I liked and 5 of those I loved, and they were 3 makeup products (all full size) and 1 face primer (foil sample sachet) and one full sized skin-care product (cuticle cream).  Usually there were 5 products in a box, from full sized to foil sachets. Majority of the boxes I received had supermarket/Priceline products like Vaseline, Aveeno or Palmers.  Product ranges that have testers at Priceline at least.  Generally the Palmers sample were the little foil sachets.  I will say that Vaseline and Aveeno had little bottles, which were good for my handbag.

My biggest grievance is that I specifically stated in my survey that I had dry and sensitive skin.  I continually got products for oily skin.  So I couldn't use them. I also got sick of getting the "natural" products because these often contain fruits and such that make me have an anaphylactic reaction.

I did contact them about the fact that in my December Box there were 5 items I could not use.  The response I got was completely unsatisfactory.

No point in paying for a box of samples if you cant use 80% of the items...

So at this stage of the game, I'm not planning on subscribing to any other boxes.  I would prefer to go and use the sample in Priceline/Chemist Warehouse for a patch test and go from these. Thus saving money and stress.  Or order samples online where I can read the ingredients list and make a judgement based on knowledge instead of relying on "the luck of the draw".

My number 1 rule : If I cant sample it or test it, I dont bother with it.

I don't care what claims a company can make, if I cant try it, my money will not pay for it.

So if you have allergies and sensitive skin, think twice before using the subscription box.  It's treated too often as a "one size fits all". Which we know, is not the case.

What products have you received in a subscription box that were just a no-go?

ps. Why the hell would I use a primer that has tea-tree oil in it if I have dry and sensitive skin!!!!