It's always interesting to me to see how sub commerce entrepreneurs choose to position their businesses. With the beauty category SO saturated, carving out a new niche probably isn't that easy. There are box companies that address every conceivable aspect of health and beauty; some of whom do it exceptionally well. So I wondered where Adore Box would fall along the health/beauty/lifestyle box continuum.
Their stated premise is very simple. For $15 a month, you get 4 to 10 hand selected items that may include makeup, hair care, skin care, jewelry, edibles, accessories and/or housewares. Wow...that is a broad definition so I knew this would be a box for the open minded!
It took about three weeks from the order date for my first Adore Box to arrive. It came in a medium size plain white cardboard box. There was no branding on the box and the return address said "Ubukata Nation" in Bountiful, UT. That made me curious. Did this box come from a Native American tribe? After a little Google research, I see that Ubukata Nation is actually the name of a small on-line retail fashion business. This is important to know because "Ubukata Nation" is what appears on the credit card statement, NOT Adore Box. That can be extremely confusing if you subscribe to a lot of boxes.
Inside was an eclectic assortment of seven items, mostly beauty but with a couple of random things tossed in.
There is no fancy printed information card or brochure, just a half sheet of paper with a "What's In My Box?" list on one side. This gives the name of each product, a very brief description and the full size retail price.
I was happy to see a full size Physician's Formula product. This is the Organic Wear Face Sculpting Trio. I've never seen a product quite like this but it's a 3-in-1 highlighter, face powder and bronzer. Normally, I would apply those three products separately but since these are pressed into the same compact, I guess you just swirl a brush over the entire pan. I'll need to practice with this a bit to see how it works.
I don't remember EVER seeing a Prada labeled product in a sub box before! This Purifying Milk sample is tiny, only .1 fl. oz. It is labeled as a "free sample/not for sale" and there are no instructions on either the package or the information sheet. This looks like something that was picked up for free somewhere and tossed in the box. I have no idea what this is for or how to use it.
This little tube contains La La Lagoon Aromatic Bath & Shower Gel from TempleSpa. This has a slightly herbal clean scent with notes of ylang ylang, eucalyptus and patchouli. I like getting anything for the tub but this is quite small so will only provide enough for 2 or 3 baths at most.
In the completely random category is a "Classic Car Jar" air freshener from Yankee Candle. This one is in the scent "Luau Party" I won't open it until it's needed but I love Yankee Candle scents in general. Kind of a strange inclusion but very useful.
Although you can't see it in the photo (and it can barely be seen in person), the Jurlique brand name is on the lid of this pot. There are no marks or packaging whatsoever which I find a little disturbing. Without the paper, I would have no clue what this is...a big problem when a product disappears into a vast cosmetic collection. Turns out this is a Silk Finishing Powder, which is a finely milled translucent facial powder that refines the complexion and reduces shine. This is an elegant product with a sifter and puff applicator in the top, but why isn't it labeled? Really leaves me wondering where this came from.
Another random but quite welcome item is a package of Premium Hot Cocoa in "Double Chocolate" from Ghirardelli. No complaints here. It's chocolate!
Finally, there is a small bottle of "Bodyfixx Sculpting Jele" from Peter Coppola New York. You work this through towel dried hair, then style as usual. The product gives body, texture and moldability.
This is an interesting box with a fun mix of products. A couple of them are higher end than I expected which definitely makes the value more than the price paid. This box does not seem to be about curation but more about what's available at the moment. With both department store and drug store products, sample and full sizes, the contents are all over the place which makes this one both confusing and intriguing. On the plus side, there are some really good brands in the box. However, the lack of labeling on two of them is a problem. Some will disagree, but personally, I like the completely random items. Bottom line...this box is for those who do not have narrow expectations!
Adore Box has an excellent offer for first time subscribers. Use code HALFOFF to get your first box for just $7.50. The Physician's Formula trio and the Jurlique face powder are each easily worth that! Longer term discounts are available (3 Mos. - $42; 6 Mos. - $78 and 12 Mos. $144) which is a good way to get the monthly price down if you're interested.
Thanks for reading,
Cheryl
P.S. The owner of Adore Box says that she won't spend money on fancy packaging or branded boxes; that she wants the subscription amount fully invested in the products. I haven't heard that philosophy expressed by a sub commerce company before but it's fine with me. I'm tired of trying to find constructive ways to use all those gorgeous boxes anyway!
Disclosure: Views and opinions expressed in this blog are
strictly my own. Product discussed in this post was purchased by Lone
Star Shopper. Post does not contain referral or affiliate links.
