Goodbye My Little Box

I’m finally doing it, the internal fight and justifications of why I should stay subscribed to My Little Box have finally given away to my mature married woman stance. New chapter for everything at the moment, most of my wardrobe is currently in my bath awaiting a trip to the charity shop, and lastly the beauty box I’ve probably been most attached to is being cut.

I wrote a similar post for when I waved goodbye to Glossybox over two years ago now, and I though it would be the right to do the same with My Little Box and give my reasons why, as they’ve almost become a trademark for my blog with many people each month just coming back to read my thoughts on the latest monthly addition. I’ve been subscribed to My Little Box since their first UK box, which would be three years this September, I’ve reviewed every one and have been on the journey with them from their initial small  batch of about 100 likes on Facebook, to where they are now – over 226,000, so it’s a little sad for me when I’ve been there for the whole journey.

I’ve said a few times that I’ve only been subscribed for my blog – as providing it arrived on time, and I got my blog post photographed and written the same day, I was usually at the top of Google for my review, which at it’s most popular equated to 1,500 views in just a day for the review of the latest box, but often had around 2-3,000 a month overall. I have been subscribed to the box for that reason for a long time as I hadn’t wanted to wave goodbye to the chunk of views that post brought in, but my box has been arriving later and later each month and my reviews now go up past when everyone else’s level of intrigue to see what everyone else received, that I now don’t get the same level of views as it’s gone past being relevant, meaning the cord has been easier to sever.


Over the past year I’ve started to see the same products, or the same products in a different scent or shade appearing. Most notably when I received the same My Little Beauty (their own brand product which they include one of each month) three times in under a year. I didn’t like it the first time I received it, let alone a third. And despite what My Little Box said (They were so popular we included them again), it was clearly an inventory clearing exercise.

It hasn’t just been that product, but the same liner in different shades, or the same brands. My Little Box generally has only 3 beauty products a month, so it becomes easy for products to feel repetitive.

Whilst I will say that the customer service at My Little Box is usually good at sorting out issues like this, sometimes I’ve had a bit of a half assed “oh well” response from my contact form email on their website, and when I reply from my blog email address it’s almost like my signature all of a sudden means I will get a replacement. By the time a replacement has arrived from France it doesn’t create the same excitement or replace the disappointment of the arrival of a duplicate product in the first place. Often I’ve had perfume samples as a replacement, or a small body cream (10ml!) – which doesn’t really equate in value size from a full size moisturiser to a tiny 3ml perfume sample.

I wasn’t the only one who was in up-roar last year that everything in the box had suddenly seemed to have turned to being a cream of some form, their Facebook page was full of bored subscribers losing the will with the subscription. It seemed as if My Little Box addressed the issues towards the tail end of last year and the start of this year, but it seems as if now it’s slipping back to lots of creams again.

This month’s box featured a hair oil, cream cleanser and a body lotion, makeup items are becoming few and far between – but there’s only so much excitement you can get from yet another body lotion. If I look over the contents I’ve had in 2017 so far it’s not the most interesting list…

Face Moisturiser x2, Body Lotion x3, Hair Oil, Face Cleanser, Eyeliner, Nail Polish x2 (two boring colours brown and pale pink), Shampoo, Conditioner, Face Scrub, Primer x2, Perfume, Eyecream, Lip Balm & Toothpaste.

I don’t look at that list and be excited by it in the slightest on reflection, and there’s very little I can look back on and think “oh yeah that was a standout product” or “I loved that”.

Quite often if the theme of the box wasn’t emblazoned on the front of the box I would have no idea what the theme of the box would be. I’m quite honestly wouldn’t really be bothered by the idea of the theme and if it was just My Little Box every month, but when you’re advertising it as a certain type of box, if it doesn’t marry up to the items inside then it leaves me puzzled and a little mad.

My most puzzling ones have been last month’s Friday Night Themed Box, which featured party goers on the front and inside… coasters and shampoo. Another one which had me a little bamboozled was the Brooklyn themed box, pictured on the front a hipsteresque coffee shop, the box had the opportunity to showcase some uber cool New York vibes and showcase some up and coming US brands, it featured an eyeliner by By Terry (French), with a Polaar hand cream (Lapland) and their own brand item (also french). There was nothing Brooklyn about the box.

Often the lifestyle items are very cute, but it’s not irregular for me to throw some of these items straight in the bin. It can be anything from the cocktail recipe and invite card, the lingerie and bikini bags which were made for people with C cups or below or the brooch and tin that I just didn’t know what to do with.

It might only be one or two things a month, but I’m still paying for that thing to be included in my box, so when I’m regularly binning one item straight away it feels financially wasteful (for lack of being able to think of anyone else who would like it I could pass onto I should add!).

At the start one of the things I liked about My Little Box was that everyone got the same items, it might not have been the same colour nail varnish in every box, but everyone’s boxes had the same items and sizes in them. Now as the box has grown so has the variety of boxes, usually on a monthly basis there seems to be several different versions you receive, there’s no way of inputting a tailored type profile on the website so it’s just a luck of the draw as to which you receive, rather than one which might be the best fit. I look at other people’s contents and usually feel like I’ve drawn the short straw.

Different regions also receive different ranges of products, which is understandable, for example the French version of the box recently had a collaboration one month with Sephora. The french version tends to see the best variety of items and brands IMO, but the same care doesn’t seem to be paid to the UK version for finding more interesting items to include.


My MLB’s house my overflow of makeup which aren’t currently in rotation to keep my dressing table a little more clutter free, as well as all my skincare which is yet to be tested awaiting it’s time to jump onto my bathroom shelves. I will miss the box itself probably most out of everything about MLB, the box design has only got better with time, the first ones were pretty, the ones which arrive now are like little works of art each month.

This goodbye might not be forever, but I’ve felt like if I didn’t actually at some point say enough is enough, then I would have continued to be subscribed in the hope that the next box will be better. And out of the last 18 months there’s been a few bad, a lot of meh, very few good and I don’t think there would have been any that I would have total FOMO over and felt the need to resubscribe if I hadn’t have got them. I will be keeping a close eye on My Little Boxes and hoping to see that they go back to the quality and variety of stuff I love to receive monthly.

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Helpless Whilst Drying

Email: helplesswhilstdrying@gmail.com

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24 Comments

  1. Charlotte
    June 30, 2017 / 7:03 am

    I found your blog because of your my little box reviews but have continued to follow it and I have even considered starting my own because of you. I’ve been undecided about cancelling my subscription and after reading your reasons, you have highlighted a few things for me so I’m going to bite the bullet and do it. Thank you x

    • June 30, 2017 / 9:28 am

      Ahh Charlotte! It’s so annoying – I feel really attached to MLB and want it to be better, but just can’t help feel like the box just doesn’t have the same value for me any more when I’m throwing some of the contents away, and when most of the beauty products don’t excite me! I hope they find a way to reinvent themselves and get clever with their themes in future, because I’ll be back – but right now most months it feels like a box of junk for me 🙁

  2. ramblingmads
    June 30, 2017 / 8:19 am

    I am thinking of doing the same, the June box still hasn’t arrived and it’s the 30th! Might look into getting a different box as I do like getting a little surprise but it won’t be this one.

    • June 30, 2017 / 9:26 am

      Yikes and I thought mine were late arriving around the 20th! I’m currently only subscribed to Look Incredible, while I make my way through a backlog of things which I’ve not had chance to try for a few months while I’ve been so busy with the wedding – I may try Look Fantastic after that, it’s pretty much the only mainstream box I’ve not tried yet. x

      • ramblingmads
        June 30, 2017 / 9:58 am

        I’ve tried Look Fantastic – it’s ok but everything is sample size and can be a bit samey. I’m thinking of splashing out on Cohorted.

        • June 30, 2017 / 10:20 am

          I’ve had cohorted a few times in the past, and they often have the same products as what’s in look incredible so it’s not worth me being subbed to both!

          • ramblingmads
            June 30, 2017 / 11:23 am

            Fair enough, I’m going to check out some reviews first and then decide.

          • June 30, 2017 / 12:04 pm

            Check out the reviews of Look Incredible and Look Incredible Deluxe (same price as Cohorted), personally I think the LI Deluxe would be better value for money compared to Cohorted – Which Beauty Box has reviews on it x

          • ramblingmads
            June 30, 2017 / 12:50 pm

            I will check out Jaina’s reviews – she’s entirely to blame for my interest in beauty boxes! I found her blog and decided to give them a go. I am tempted to get the Pip Box as it’s all guaranteed cruelty free but it can be a bit boring – I tried 1 and it had soaps and bath salts and then the following month – more soap!

  3. Olga
    June 30, 2017 / 8:23 am

    I found your blog because of your MLB reviews too. But i unsubscribed about a half of year ago. Still curious what inside is but have never resubsribeв again. God they are so borig now((
    Thank you!

    • June 30, 2017 / 9:23 am

      I think out of the last year’s worth of boxes if I’d been unsubscribed the only one I may have got as a one off is the Coconut box last summer, it’s a lot easier to be less fuzzy and see things for what they are when you’re no longer subscribed, it’s very easy to just keep hoping they’ll get better!

  4. June 30, 2017 / 2:18 pm

    One thing for sure, their box designs were always incredible <3

  5. June 30, 2017 / 3:17 pm

    I’ve never read your blog before but came across this review. I think most people will follow you for you instead of a subscription box review. You are very genuine and I feel your sadness for ending your subscription. But sometimes getting rid of some things makes room for other things that are even better. 🙂

  6. June 30, 2017 / 9:28 pm

    Oh no, Joyce will be so sad to not have a UK correspondence!
    I don’t think it’s worth maintaining a subscription for blog views. Just isn’t worth the effort or expense imo.
    And for all the reasons you list… sounds like maybe this subscription box isn’t meant for the long term – the novelty just wore off.

  7. July 1, 2017 / 10:30 am

    I understand the reasons behind you cancelling the subscription. I understand that when products and brands gain in popularity they will try and cater for the masses but they shouldn’t lose what made them interesting and different in the beginning.

    • July 1, 2017 / 12:55 pm

      They either try and cater for the masses or they struggle to get great samples for everybody I think, which is why I think there’s often variety if a brand can’t provide the full amount!

  8. July 2, 2017 / 12:36 pm

    I had been waiting for this post since you mentioned it! You seem to have some very very valid reasons for parting ways! The theme dilemma definitely seems to bother me the post from an outsider perspective. If you are going to do a theme, you should stick with it! At least you have some cute ass boxes to store things in?! xxx

    • I completely agree with you! Last year they did a coconut box, and everything in it was Coconut scented – that’s what a box should be. What’s the point in doing a Brooklyn themed box with items from France and Lapland? A Friday night box with coasters and shampoo?!
      I’ll miss the boxes most of all – but I have around 25 of them – I think I’ve got enough and would have had to start throwing some away! xx

      • July 2, 2017 / 6:00 pm

        Oh gosh! Well at least you can keep your favourites and throw the rest away?! That sounds like a great box, I totally agree about the Brooklyn one… I don’t understand the marketing decision behind that?! xx

  9. July 7, 2017 / 9:34 pm

    I completely understand the subscribe to MLB for traffic thing. I maybe falling into the same trap, especially when the box sometimes suck. It’s only been 18 boxes for me and 3 incidents of repeated products. Touch wood that there will be no more. Will miss seeing your take on the MLB.

  10. July 26, 2017 / 8:36 pm

    I decided, that as a 54 year old subscriber to MLB, that the non beauty items were just too young/childish. Like you, as a number of items were just fit for the charity shop I felt the cost versus the benefit of the contents to me just didn’t match. There are only so many face creams a woman can use in 12 months!

    However, on a positive note there are some brands I now buy that I would never have considered, for instance Polaar and La Roche de posay.

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