Remember me going all gaga over my February MSM box? I was really impressed with this monthly beauty box subscription and blogged about it here. Right from the packaging, to the beauty samples, to the full size products and the extra gifts – everything was perfect. They raised the bar ohh so high, that I was eagerly looking forward to this month’s box.

I opened the same pretty, pink packaging to reveal a packed house. This month’s box left me a tad bit disappointed. Here’s what I got:

1. Biotique Aloe Vera Sunscreen SPF 50 – A full size product of 50 ml priced at Rs. 99/-. It was nice of them to include a sunscreen in the box as it is much needed in this heat, but this one leaves a musky fragrance behind which I’m not sure I liked. 

2. Biotique Bio Kaajal – Rs. 109/- for a full size. Another product by the same brand, I was weary of using this kaajal at first. I’m not one to experiment much with eye makeup products, but I’m pretty pleased with this. It is well pigmented, does not smudge as easily, inspite of it being a bullet type kaajal. The problem may arise when the tip of the kaajal becomes blunt, as there is no way to sharpen a stick like this, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.

3. Just Herbs Silksplash Neem-Bitter Orange Rehydrant Face Wash – Rs 245/- for a full size of 100 ml. Just Herbs seems to be a favorite of all beauty bag/box companies. This face wash foams well, is not drying, but is not something I’d buy or use again. And Just Herbs is far from being a high end beauty brand.

4. Kronokare Provencal Lavender Soap and Body Lotion – Sample Sizes. The only brand in this edition of MSM box that excited me. I hadn’t used any kronokare products before, and apart from their fun packaging and funky names (Raise the Bar Soap, Smooth(ening) Operator Body Lotion), they have a lovely lavender fragrance. I’m so excited to use these!

5. Discount Cards/ Vouchers from the brands that are included in the box. This was a nice gesture on their part in case you like what you’ve tried and want to buy some more. There are also some random vouchers from random brands in there, and I question the reason for their existence in the box.

My Verdict: The MSM box is absolutely Value for Money, and I maintain that. I got products that are valued a lot more than how much I paid for my subscription. But the purpose of a beauty box is somehow lost in all of this. I’d rather get smaller samples of brands I can’t buy readily in the market either because of their price of unavailability. Isn’t the purpose of a box to highlight newer luxury brands to the subscriber? Also getting two products from the same brand is kind of a waste, isn’t it?

I’m still confused over how I feel about the MSM box. I guess next month’s box will be a deciding factor for me, if I plan to continue my subscription or not. Nevertheless, they are doing a fab job, and I know a lot of women who are happy with what they are receiving. 

(The author reviewed the product anonymously, and paid for her own box).