For a little background....FCS does a major product launch four times a year. A few weeks prior to the launch, they release "The Soap Box" which contains eight mini sizes of products being introduced. Each box also includes a $10 gift code that can be used in their on-line store. This is a great way to try out their new products before committing to full sizes. The cost of the quarterly soap box is $19.99 in the United States and $28.00 in Canada. There is no additional cost for shipping.
The theme of the Fall 2014 Soap Box is "Witch Please"! It was a bit disconcerting to get a Halloween themed box more than two months early but I can understand their seasonal marketing strategy. The Soap Box comes in a small cardboard box that contains eight adorably packaged little samples.
They always include a colorful information card that pictures each product and tells all about it. This was particularly important for this box as you'll see in a minute. On the back of the card is a code that gives a $10 discount in their store. I would share that but unfortunately, it's a one time use code and I plan to use it!
The "Flying Monkeys Personal Space Air Freshener" comes in a cute little pump spray bottle. This is a complex fresh and fruity scent that contains notes of peach, watermelon, neroli, jasmine and even banana. Not sure when I would use this but I really like the smell! Next is the "Roy G. Biv OCD Hand Sanitizer" which contains notes of citrus, florals, lemon and vanilla. On the site, there is a note that a portion of the proceeds from this product go to the OCD Foundation, which is the reason for the name.
All of the soap boxes include a signature fortune cookie soap. The one in this box is a deep slightly sparkly red called "There's No Place Like Home". This one has a strong scent of Macintosh apples, cinnamon, allspice and clove. M'mmm....intoxicating! (My fortune says "Stinkiness is a lonely place"....hard to argue with that!)
I hate to be negative but I have a real problem with three of the items in this box. As anyone who hoards cosmetics or receives a lot of sub boxes knows, the products pile up fast in our bathrooms. Many of the products do not get used immediately. What are we supposed to do when we eventually get to a product in an unmarked bottle? Unless one is supremely well organized and has the information card at hand two months from now, there is no way of knowing what the product is or even what company it's from. I can't be the only person with this concern!
Since I do have the card at the moment, I know that the tiny white bottle contains "Hair Flip" Hair Oil. This product is formulated to nourish and repair dry hair with just 1 or 2 drops. It has an interesting scent combination of hazelnut and vanilla cream. Nice product; poor packaging. Sorry, but there's just no excuse for this and I'm pretty sure the FDA would agree.
The second product is "Swankified Walnut Facial Scrub", a daily facial scrub scented with mashed bananas mixed with cake batter, then topped with walnuts. Not sure if this is a technical description or just a scent combination but it's very nice. Unfortunately, these tiny little facial scrubs don't go very far. Since the product is thick, it is quite hard to get out of the bottle and I'm usually only able to get one or two applications.
There is a little tub of "No Good Deed Whipped Cream" which is scented with pumpkin, cinnamon, maple syrup, rum, french vanilla and caramelized sugar. Smells like a yummy dessert (as do most of these samples)!
And here we go again with a tiny unmarked brown bottle. This bottle stands just slightly over an inch high and according to the card (but who really knows?) contains "The Shiz Perfume Oil". The wacky and inappropriate name describes a woodsy scent containing notes of balsam, maple leaves, laurel and sweet clove. To my nose, this seems to be more of a masculine scent.
My favorite product in this season's box is in yet another unmarked package. This is "Miss Popular Bath Powder". Absolutely love the scent combination of honey nectar, star anise, star jasmine, sweet orange and violet. But would it be so difficult to put a sticker or label giving at least a minimal description?
All of the scents in this box are right up my alley....fruity and sweet with some strong fall notes mixed in. I am tempted to use the $10 code towards a couple of these in the full sizes. The newly released products sell out very quickly so it can be quite difficult to snag the newer items. But you can always sign up for The Soap Box so you will have a chance to try the new products before they are available on the site. The Fall box is sold out but there's plenty of time to sign up for the Winter box, which ships November 3rd.
If you're interested in making a purchase from Fortune Cookie Soap's site, click here to get $5 off any order of $30 or more. I don't believe this will work for the quarterly boxes but trust me, there are PLENTY of great products on their site. I don't think I've ever purchased a full size product from FCS that I didn't like.
In closing, here's a special plea to Fortune Cookie Soap and all other subscription box companies: PLEASE label your products properly!!!
Thanks for reading,
Cheryl
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