Le Métier de Beauté Beauty Vault August 2013

So excited! My first Le Métier de Beauté Beauty Vault box just arrived! I am more than impressed with it and I love that it comes with a hand written card. This is a prestige brand and I love these small touches. The subscription was $348 upfront and will only be available again in July of next year.

I was really hoping for the classic red lipstick I had seen around and lo and behold I got it! It's the matte lipstick in Signature. I love a red lip so I'm thrilled.  I also received the Kaleidoscope palette for lips in Bahaus, though I'm a little upset because it came in damaged, though I've contacted customer service to see if there's anything that can be done. There was also a Precision Liquid Liner in Noir. I love that it's a pen since it makes applying so much easier. There was also an included kabuki brush as a thank you gift.

Overall I was blown away with the amount I received and think it's an amazing value. The lip palette was wrapped in bubble wrap, but it wasn't enough, so I'm hoping they'll learn from feedback and improve that. **Update: I've heard back from customer service (very promptly I might add) and they're sending me a replacement. (Around the web I noticed other bloggers had similar problems with their palettes including the eye and cheek sets.)
Lipstick: $32
Lip palette: $95
Eye liner: $42
Kabuki brush: $85

Total: $254 which to me is amazing since it was $348 for the year (equivalent to $29 per month, which means I already got 10x the return.) The only thing I'd like to see in the following months is a product card since I had to do quite a bit of research on some products. 

  

  

Le Metier de Beaute Beauty Vault

Makeup and beauty products are the bane of my existence. I adore them and spend WAY too much money on them. In recent years I have reduced the amount that I buy and increased the quality of what I buy. For example, I used to buy $5 drugstore foundations that never quite looked right, while now I buy $42 Make Up Forever foundation which works perfectly. I may spend a little more upfront, but I know that I'm getting a better deal in the long run since I'll actually use it.

This brings me to my current dilemma. I've heard lots about Le Métier de Beauté and lots of good things. It's definitely a more expensive brand, but one that has a lot of credit. So when I heard that they were launching the Beauty Vault (i.e. ANOTHER subscription box) I got pretty excited. It is a little pricy, but when you look at what you're getting it's not a bad deal. The only downside is that you must pay for the year upfront. It's $348, which comes out to $29 per month.

From their site:

"Want a new pre-release, exclusive or limited edition product in your hands every month? We invite you to become a Beauty Vault VIP. Gift it to yourself or gift it to a friend. We promise: you won’t be disappointed. Liberate your inner Beauté and share the discovery of something beautiful every month.
How it works:
For a one-time fee of $348 ($29 dollars a month, for 12 months), become a Beauty Vault VIP. At the beginning of each month, our Le Métier de Beauté experts will send you a carefully curated full-sized product or assortment of products shipped right to your door. As an added bonus, Vault VIP Subscription shipping is free. All you have to do is sign up, receive your complimentary gift, and anticipate 12 exciting months of LMdB surprises. Savor the perks of insider access, and start discovering beauty with us.

• One full-sized item or an assortment of items shipped to you at the beginning of every month
• Curated mix of our favorite Color, Skincare, Pre-release Sneak Peaks, Lab Previews, and Vault Exclusives
• Receive a bonus gift just for signing up
• Shipping is free
• Share your feedback, we want to get to know you better

This offer expires on 7/31/2013, and is valid for US customers only. The first VIP shipment goes out on 8/1/2013."

So while $29 per month (or even the $348 upfront) sounds like a lot, when you consider that the masks and beauty products range from $50-350 and typically the makeup ranges from $32-75 (with some beauty items higher than that) it really is fairly reasonable.

I kept trying to tell myself I didn't really need it, but I know that I really want it, so I'll be purchasing mine this week. If you're interested, you don't have long to sign up, so hurry!