March 2013 Topbox (Regular Box)

It seems like most of the boxes shipped early this month.  Topbox usually ships on the 10th of the month.

Before I received my tracking number, I got this email:

This prompted me to snoop around for spoilers.
I found this dialogue on their Facebook page:

HAHAHA... well, this would explain why ran out of the Mythic Oil.

It seems like most packages were shipped from Vancouver this month, though, mine was still shipped out of North York.


I didn't care for any of the Privé Box options this month, so I opted for the regular box.
The regular box for February 2013 contained a full sized Deborah Lippmann nail polish and a sample of the new MUFE foundation.

I may be conspiring, but I think these Privé Boxes act as Topbox's foolproof solution to the limited quantities of samples provided by brands' PR teams.  It's doubtful that brands are being cost-effective by offering upwards of ##,### individual samples to a single beauty box.  Topbox ends up with a shortage of a specific product sample most of the time, so by offering these Privé Boxes, Topbox is able to divvy us up into little preference clusters.

Anyway, here's what I received in my March 2013 regular box:

The regular packaging

Products card

As mentioned above, I didn't receive the Mythic Oil.  Instead, I received Lippygirl Sha-Zam Lip Shimmer Stick, which was actually one of the two products in the February 2013 Lippygirl Privé Box (see Beauty Calling's review here).  It's a full sized product and valued at $10 CAD.  I'm happy to have received this lip balm as my substitution, because it's something that I would actually use.  The lip balm has a mint herby scent.  There's no colour, but it leaves a bit of shimmer to the lips.

The April 2013 Topbox will be my final one, as I have cancelled my subscription (Topbox charges one month in advance, so I have already paid for the April one).  The quality of the products seems to be diminishing with each new monthly box.

The Privé Box concept is great if they are capable of maintaining boxes such as the February 2013 Benefit Box (my review), but it appears that they are not at that level, yet.  Something to note is that not all of their Privé Boxes stay true to Topbox's promise of four deluxe sized samples -- Some have as little as two.

One of the biggest reasons why I have cancelled is because of the repetition of similar products and brands.  For example, I saw that some subscribers received the Vera Wang Lovestruck Floral Rush perfume sample in this month's Topbox -- I received this in my November 2012 Topbox.  Also, I received a MaskerAide sheet mask this month, after receiving one the Detox Diva one in my first box, the October 2012 Topbox (my review).  Moreover, we've seen the brand Aveda plenty in the last few boxes.
I cannot help but think that a lot of these samples are leftovers from previous boxes.  Is Topbox just throwing the same samples in with a six month lapse?

OK, they aren't really "repeat" products, because Topbox doesn't consider similar products from the same brand to be repeat products.  However, I would urge Topbox to evaluate the collective disappointment in receiving "repeat" products.  My concerns and disappointment with Topbox have been echoed from many of their subscribers.

- M