Petit Vour May Box 2014: Bonjour Belle! La vie est belle. {Review}

Overview

{rating}
Price Tag: $15 USD / month
Sign-Up: petitvour.com
Pros: Two full size products, contains a variety of products, good selection of brands
Cons: Not as cohesive a theme as previous boxes

Technically, I received my box last Friday, but I didn’t find out until Monday. The tracking code wasn’t put into link in my email and I couldn’t get my phone to copy & paste the tracking number at the USPS site. Usually the shipping alert goes out just as the package is shipped, but this month, according to the tracking info, the box had been shipped a few days before Petit Vour shipped the email.

The pink box was sticking out of our mailbox (we have one that’s attached to the front of our house), so I’m glad no one decided to steal it over the weekend. Though we live in a good neighborhood, bored teenagers will rifle through people’s cars at night, an occurrence that has happened to us several times.

Let’s get to the review!

Unboxing & First Impressions

The info card this time was all black with the words “Bonjour Belle!”. The back of the card says, “La vie est belle. Life is beautiful”, and includes the following text:

Spring is full of brilliant color, flashing rays of light and fresh fragrances. It is the season of renewal and, to us, that means time to play up our beauty routine—touching and awakening the senses.

The unboxing of May’s PV box.

The back of the card lists the contents and price of each item.

The Contents

Beneath the card was four items amidst the black krinkle paper: two full-sized products, and two samples.

Aromi Lip Gloss

Rating: 4.5 / 5 stars ★★★★☆
Price Tag: $15-$17 USD
Size Included in Box: 0.14 oz (Full size)
Shades Available: 9 shades
Where to Buy: aromibeauty.com

I must have done a better job with my profile because I actually received a bright color. In the past I’ve received products that were too light for me, so I was glad to get something more vibrant. Initially I thought everyone got the same red, but a quick check at Instagram revealed a wide range of shades in this month’s box.

Aromi Lip Gloss in Red, along with box packaging.

While I ended up with the lip gloss version, some individuals received a matte lip product. At first I was slightly disappointed that I didn’t get a Matte Liquid Lipstick from Aromi…until I remembered that matte lip products and I don’t get along. At all. My constantly dry lips are thankful for the lip gloss.

Applicator wand of the Aromi gloss.

Red [glossy]

This shade is simply named Red, but it’s closer to a deep berry. There is no shimmer in this product; just a sheer, glossy finish.

Swatch of the Aromi Lip Gloss in Red.

Normally I feel self-conscious wearing red and/or dark lip colors, but due to the sheer finish, I think I will be comfortable wearing this shade out in public.

Deep Steep Hand Cream

Rating: 4 / 5 stars ★★★★☆
Price Tag: $10 USD
Size Included in Box: 2 oz (Full size)
Scents Available: 7 Scents
Where to Buy: deepsteep.com

An odd name and a funny logo for this brand. At first I assumed the mascot was a penguin, but after looking at the second drawing on the back, it looks like it’s supposed to be a duck. I also thought the product was some sort of tea based lotion, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Box packaging of the Deep Steep Hand Cream in Grapefruit – Bergamot.

The hand cream has a good consistency and moisturizes well. I noticed that you need to be careful to not apply too much at once or else you end up with whitish globby bits on your hand.

Deep Steep Hand Cream in Grapefruit – Bergamot.

The yellow font on the back of the tube leads to some readability issues. The color is too low contrast for the white background.

Reverse of Grapefruit – Bergamot.

Grapefruit – Bergamot

For some reason I just assumed that everyone got the same scent, but there are actually seven different varieties. I love citrus scents—though not in perfumes—so I’m glad I received Grapefruit – Bergamot.

Harvey Prince Hello Fragrance

Rating: 3 / 5 stars ★★★☆☆
Price Tag: $55 USD (Full size)
Size Included in Box: Sample vial
Where to Buy: harveyprince.com

We received a mini bottle last month from Harvey Prince in Yogini and already we get another HP fragrance. This time around it’s a sample size, and for that I’m relieved.

Sample vial and card of the Harvey Prince Hello fragrance.

This is on the complete opposite side of the spectrum for perfumes I like. I usually wear heavy scents like vanilla, amber, or oriental fragrances.

Hello, on the other hand, is an uber clean, minimalist fragrance.

Inside the sample card of the Hello fragrance.

It’s not a bad fragrance, but it’s definitely not a scent I see myself wearing. I do find the paper packaging totally adorable, though.

The reverse of the Hello fragrance sample card.

Fragrance notes, as taken from the Harvey Prince site:

Meyer Lemon, White Grapefruit, Satsuma Mandarin, Summer Forsythia, Pink Plumeria, Wild Verbena, Tahitian Vanilla, Sensual Musk.

Paula’s Choice Resist C15 Super Booster

Rating: 3.5 / 5 stars ★★★☆☆
Price Tag: $7.65 USD (Sample size) / $45 USD (Full size)
Size Included in Box: 0.12 fl oz (Deluxe sample)
Where to Buy: paulaschoice.com

I had wondered if Paula’s Choice had any vegan options and now I have my answer. I thought this was another serum at first, but nope, it’s an anti-aging product designed to lighten age spots and even out your complexion, as well as claims to firm your skin.

Sample packaging for the Super Booster.

I initially didn’t read the box, so I was applying the Super Booster straight to my skin. While you can do so, the box also suggests adding it to your serum, which I found makes it easier to apply. To my chagrin, the box also mentions not applying the product directly to the eyelids. Oops.

Paula’s Choice Resist C15 Super Booster.

The product itself is a thin liquid. While it contains a modicum amount of oil, the Super Booster has more of a toner consistency.

I’m not sure how well I can review this product since I don’t have age spots to lighten and my skin is fairly firm as it is. As an example, I am still constantly ID’ed and I’ve been legal for almost fifteen years. Also, you generally need to use a product for about a month to start seeing visible results and there’s probably a week or two’s worth of product. On the other hand, I have not had any problems with it yet.

Closeup of the dropper.

The bottle and dispenser are too cute. Yet another container I plan to re-purpose.

Images

Final Thoughts

While this month’s box wasn’t as spectacular as the ones from earlier ones, it’s definitely a good box in its own right. As always, there is a ton of value here for the monthly $15 price tag.

My favorites for the month would be the Aromi lip gloss and the hand cream. Over the past couple of years I have begun to dabble in fragrances, so while I did not care for the Harvey Prince perfume, I’m still glad I was able to experience something different.

I continue to be amazed by Petit Vour, especially with my lackluster experience with the True Beauty Box (read more about that here). If you are interested in joining the Petit Vour monthly beauty box subscription service, you can sign up here.