The PR for these boxes made a big splash and was incredibly clever in it's use of social media to spread the word, along with a panic inducing 'VIP pass' to those who shared the link on their blogs, twitter, and facebook pages enough times. Clever!
With Glossybox so new in the marketplace and Feel Unique hot on it's heels, Boudoir Prive have a lot to live up to.
There was no surprise (and there should have been no disappointment) in the first set of brands found within the box - they were advertised on the website and facebook pages weeks and weeks before the box arrived, and in fact before anyone signed up for the box. Not that this stopped a few grumpy social media-ites complaining about the inclusion of the Bloom tea.
So what did I get, and what did I think?
BABOR HSR Firming Face cream
The cardboard box alongside the leaflet, and the gold seal on the top of the sample pot made this cream look like an expensive, luxury product. It screams 'exclusivity'. On breaking the seal the cream smells just as you would expect it to with no hint of perfume and only a very slight sense of chemical. It's meeting my expectations so far. In terms of day creams, I have been loyal to my Clarins for a decade now and not even my status as an Avon and Oriflame representative has swayed this, so Babor do have a lot to live up to here. Yet, the packaging impressed me enough to ditch my cream for a day and give it a whirl. It sinks in nicely, leaves the skin ungreasy, but by lunchtime the dry skin around my nose had begun to flake. Now I know that it takes at least a week to decide a face cream isn't right for you, but flaking skin is too much for me to bear so I've left it there.
Bloom Teas
This very nearly became Boudoir Prive's Batiste moment, but to be fair, this is the sixth sample in a £10 box and it is a luxury product. I have to admit that I am not and have never been a tea drinker so I passed these across to my tea loving husband who promptly ignored them.
Etat Libre D'Orange Perfumes in 'Rien' and 'Like it'
This is referred to as a 'cult' brand and the perfumes very much live up to this in that they are incredibly unique. This is the perfect addition for a sample box because they are not going to appeal to or suit everyone and this is the whole point of sampling - you reach the percentage of the audience that will buy. For me, 'Like it', I'm afraid to say, I don't. But, as I have said before, my skin turns any citrus blend into bathroom cleaner so this is really no reflection on the perfume. 'Rien' I really like, it smells dark and woody and like an incense blend. It is, however, very strong. An Eau de Toilette rather than a Parfum in this perfume would be ideal. The samples here are small, but you get two of them and it is a good, strong sample - you could literally use a tiny bit of this perfume every day and it would last you a good while.
Jane Iredale PureLash
As you can see from the photo, this one is teeny tiny! My first thought when I found it hiding among the shredded paper was 'you have got to be kidding me'. 
Of all the beautiful things on the Jane Iredale page of the Boudoir Prive website, I end up with the smallest and least useful of all. However, I have never used an eyelash primer so it was a perfect opportunity to give it a try and it went under mascara well and did indeed lengthen my lashes. It also helped to avoid the clumping when I added the mascara over the top of it. I have to say that this is a good product and although it isn't the biggest or the most exciting of samples, it will be one of the ones I keep using.
Olavie Body Butter
This is a reasonable sized sample and will last you a few all over applications, perfect for deciding whether or not you want to buy it but not so big that you'll have moved onto the next product before you've used up all of your sample. It is called 'wine therapy' so it has an interesting slightly wine/ grape smell which whilst not overly offensive, isn't really my kind of thing. The application is smooth, non greasy, and leaves soft skin in it's wake. It's a good product, but it's nothing special.
Sachajuan Hair Repair
I have never heard of this brand before so it is great to try out a new haircare brand and it is not one I have ever seen sold or in salons. The smell is pleasant but not overpowering and has no hint of chemical undertones, I am impressed. When I try and use it in the bath I find it difficult to get the product out of the bottle and need to take the whole lid off and give it a really good shake. This doesn't bode well for the end of the bottle as this is the first time I am using it. The hair mask itself is lovely, it soaks into my porous hair almost instantly, and remarkably once I've dried it my blonde hair looks lighter and ashier as though the mask has taken the brassiness away slightly. This is a very welcome effect on my blonde hair and I now feel like a Swedish beauty in the style of Agnetha c1977. Of course, I might not be so impressed if my hair was Anna-Frid red and was now dulled, but no product suits everyone!
Looking at the box overall, I have two products I am very happy with and will buy (Jane Iredale and Sachjuan), two that were good products but not something I will buy (Etat Libra D'Orange and Olavie), and two that, for me, were duds but still luxury products and I know that someone else would love (Babor and Bloom).
All in all, it's a good mix and it has given me some new buying ideas and also saved me from spending money on other things that might not have worked for me.
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