Ichiko Bento Box - September 2017

I so, so wanted to support this new start-up Beauty Subscription box. I understood and had patience with their shipping delays meaning that the monthly boxes kept being late to arrive. Their communication was very sporadic and this was an issue for many customers. But after a very heartfelt apology email from the founder, I felt even more for them.

 

And then...silence.

 

Despite promises of 'email rings' to keep customers in the loop about shipping issues and scheduling problems, the communication was not forthcoming.

I realise that I didn't even mention the Ichiko Bento box from August! This was received in September with further delays and although the contents weren't too great for me as one was a massive tub of Aloe Vera (which I have sensitivity issues with) and another was the Innisfree No sebum pact (which I already own), I did get some Cosrx Low PH cleanser (which had been on my wish-list) so I thought that it was a good value box, despite not being able to use a couple of the products. To me there wasn't a huge disparity between the classic and the luxe boxes (but the luxe customers got to choose their main product).

 

And so, mid-October, the September box arrived. But it wasn't a box at all - it was a padded envelope which fit through the letterbox - and I admit, that got me a little peeved, 'cos we all know that most products won't fit through a letterbox!

 

There's going to be no run of un-boxing photos here as there really wasn't much of an opening ceremony! The contents were all wrapped inside some coloured tissue paper inside the envelope.

I immediately saw that the only product with any shape was a small tube of hand cream.

Don't get me wrong, I love hand cream, it's a staple in my bag, but.... hand cream in a subscription box - it just feels like a bit of a filler.

 

 

So here it is - the September box.

 

This was the exfoliation issue. I had already seen which exfoliators were on offer as the luxe subscribers are offered a choice. What I didn't expect that as a classic box subscriber, I should be expecting a sample of an exfoliator. The type of sample which is usually added to a Kbeauty order (amongst others) for free. So that was a disappointment.

The next thing to make my heart sink was that the package seemed to mostly consist of 'lifestyle' items - some stickers, a pen and a slim Monthly Planner. Again, I'm not bothered with lifestyle items - I didn't subscribe to a lifestyle box and would never choose to (wah!wah! wah! - yes, I can hear myself!!).

 

The A by Bom mask at least made my eyes light up as I've been wanting to try one of these for a while. But the 3 step black head remover - nope, not for me!

The hand cream smelled nice and I will use the hair mask - but that's really all I have to say about those contents.

 

With mention of yet more delays and the planned 'Toner' box being pushed back even further and a 'surprise' (and possibly therefore rushed) Halloween packet promised for the October box to get things back on track - my purse over-ruled my loyalty and I cancelled my subscription.

Sorry.