Unboxing : January Lola Box (New Year New You)

Hi, dearies...

I feel like howling right now because this is the second time this is happening (it happened once before in the Dubai part of my Europe trip) but i already written a full entry and then suddenly it disappeared and my other entry multiplied in my draft. WTF is happening???? GAHHHHHH!!!!! I'm so ANGRYYYYY!!!!!!

Anyway, i hope i still remember what i wrote earlier in the day *super gloomy*.

Oh yeah, i was saying that i was actually pretty excited and still looking forward for this month's Lola Box because somehow i am still enthralled by the concept of a monthly beauty surprises (despite the constant disappointment some beauty boxes kept on giving us), also i might or might not receive BTI this month because i got an e-mail telling us that they won't be able to send out this month's box (WTF, a beauty box service who cannot send out their boxes. So what is it that they actually do, exactly?). I got a choice between choosing their fixed boxes (there were two choices available) or a refund and considering their not-so-cooperative CS, i opted for the previous. God knows when they will send it out. So, Lola Box is (almost) the only hope for a proper beauty box this month for me

Errrr... yeah... They hardly filled half of the box *LOL*.

Same box with their October box. I guess they're not doing the theme-printed-on-the-lid anymore, eh?

Again, voucher that i already received in their November box. And sadly the repetition doesn't end there

5 Deluxe Samples and 1 extra (sachet samples)

First item was probably my fave item :

Cottage Shower Gel in Ocean Blossom (50ml)

I've been eyeing this rather newly-available-in-Indonesia (i think i saw it in other countries before) brand in Guardian ever since they showed up a few *short* months ago. They have super cute bottles (especially this tiny one! I totally want to collect all variants that comes with this tiny size!) with interesting variants and cute colors. Totally eye catching. However, since i do not need any more shower gel (there are still like a cupboard full of them waiting to be used in my stash) i decided to wait until they go on a sale (Guardian's always having huge sales, i almost never buy anything except essentials like medicine in full price there) to purchase them. Also, i was holding a bit of a grudge against them because (like so many other brands) they only had their launch in Jakarta #nonJakartabloggerenvy. You know, inviting bloggers and all. PFFFFTTTT.

So yeah, i am pretty happy i got to try this without having to purchase them myself. BUT, for IDR 18.000 (actually the listed the IDR 58.000 price for the 250ml bottle but i remember their prices by heart from ogling at them too much whenever i'm in Guardian-which is like once a week at least) this made me question the value of money of this box in total (doesn't look good).

IASO Aroma Clear Cleansing Foam (15 ml)

I write this following the list of products they gave us, but it just happens to be the same with the order of my favorite items (1 to 3)! My second favorite item from this box :p. Never heard of the brand IASO before (judging from all the Hangeul words printed at the back of the tube this is a Korean brand) and i love trying out new brands. It also came in a very decent sized sample (decent enough that i won't have to fear it to not be enough to bring on my longer trips), it stated to be 15 ml but it looks (and feels as heavy) almost as big as the next item-which is listed to contain twice the amount of product. 

This is great because more than once i opened a deluxe sample items, squeezed hard.... And... Nothing. LOL. The bottle/tube might look decent sized but they were less than half full WTF. I don't think that would be an issue with this product.

Wangsa Jelita True Natural & Healthy Body Lotion in Green Tea (30 ml)

Another brand that i've never heard of before. This is clearly a local product, which is good because i always love to try and support local brands whenever i can. With 30 ml i might finish the whole bottle within two usage or so (because i love to lather myself in lotion as well as fragrances) but still, a pretty good sample size.

The next two products however...

Lady Gaga Fame (1.2 ml)

Tony Moly Expert Triple BB Cream SPF45 PA+++

Both items i already received in my November box! Now, this is not the first time Lola Box committed the "crime" of repeating products within a very short period of time, but two repetitions within 2 months? Isn't that a bit... Insulting? LOL. Thankfully, i do like both items (i enjoy Fame but not enough to invest on the full item so now i have two useless vouchers for the perfume as well and i am a bit obsessed with BB Creams so i always love getting BB Cream samples. This Tony Moly one, like i mentioned in November box, was bigger than the usual BB Cream sample so that's good #foreverkiasu. They are also very handy for my travels), but getting the same products with only one month interval was hardly surprising (or it was, but not in a good way).

Last item which is a bonus item :

Laneige Be Waterful (Water Sleeping Pack_EX & Water Bank Gel Cream)

Not only had i also already receive this in my October box, i also noticed that they are starting to replace sachet samples for their usual extra beauty tools. While i like how they categorized sachet samples (which is never a proper deluxe sample, IMO) as a bonus item, if they plan on permanently giving out sachet samples in place of the more useful beauty tools... That would only gave them a mark down. At least in my book.

All and all, i am pretty disappointed with this month's Lola Box. Don't get me wrong, i do enjoy every item they gave me in this box, but aside from the repetitions (i mean... come on, 3 out of 6 of the items in this month's box' repeated products!), i also think this is one of the worst Lola Box so far when it comes to value with money. I just don't think five deluxe samples (from drugstore and affordable brands mostly) is worth the price we paid for the box (IDR 145.000). 

I actually don't mind if they gave out the same products (maybe the have too many stocks of them?) as a bonus, on TOP of another 5 deluxe samples. But if they counted it in... I think i do mind *LOL*. I know that not every subscribers are subscribed for more than one month at a time like i do (i always take their 3 months subscription) so this might be the first time they are getting these items (i know i'd be happy if i receive them for the first time. I DID, the first time round!), but shouldn't they keep the regulars (like me) in mind when coming up with their boxes? I'm sorry to sound harsh, but it was almost like they were not giving this month's box much thoughts. The more than half empty box saddened me, i hope Lola Box' not trying to outdo BTI as the incredibly shrinking beauty box *LOL*.

Also, i know the essence of a beauty box is to try out SAMPLES, but i also cannot help to compare with most beauty boxes out there (okay lah, OVERSEAS ones. US... I'm drooling over Ipsy Bags! But no need to look so far, even our neighboring country, Malaysia, has awesome beauty boxes!) that almost always feature at least a few full sized items makes this look even sadder. I know i know, i might have to move to another country if i expect any better, i'm just so envious that beauty boxes overseas always contains stuffs that are worth a lot more than what the subscribers pay for. *sigh*.

My subscription just ended (again), and like usual-the last box' my main consideration on whether or not i want to continue subscribing. I still want to have at least one regular beauty box and so far Lola Box' still the most stable one locally and with Valentine's Day coming up i'm hoping they have something special prepared for next month's box *wishful thinking, i know*, so... I dunno. I have a few weeks to consider.

Still, if you like what you see and considering subscribing to them please use my affiliation link (which is a testament to how much faith i still have in them and how i root for them to get a grip and come up with a better box next month because if i really dislike a box i'd never link them up and promote them) :

 http://www.lolabox.com/?refid=DVCjo4quJn

On a side note, i actually just tried out another beauty box (or bag actually because they have boxes and bags, and since i do not need anymore boxes and the bags costs less, i opted for the bag) which has a different concept than the others (this one's smaller and more personalized. They claimed that they hand picked every items according to the beauty profile the subscribers gave them and every box would be different), i paid a lot more than usual (i picked one of the highest priced bag because i saw that their cheaper boxes seemed to contain very blah brands), i really hope it won't disappoint me!

Toodles!

#Pink

UPDATE :  Lola Box's rep read this un-boxing entry and e-mailed me right away with apology (they said i was supposed to receive a different variation in the box, so it was human error) and sent me a little apology gift. I will explain more soon in a new entry :).