Happy International Fragrance Day!

Spring began yesterday, and I’m really feeling it (even though today it’s raining). My house is full of flowers, I’ve changed to a bright new doormat, I’ve just gotten back from a long-weekend trip to celebrate my birthday with my husband, and today I’m taking Mr. Biscuits to a local taproom to watch the NCAA Basketball Tournament!

MARGOT ELENA

A few weeks ago, while I was at work, my mom sent me a text to ask what I wanted for my birthday. As luck would have it, I had just used my go-to hand cream that is always in my pocket at work – Lollia’s “At Last” shea butter handcreme. This reminded me that I’ve been eyeing the Margot Elena Subscription Boxes for a while now, but hadn’t pulled the trigger. So I asked my mom to send me a box for my birthday.

I love Margot Elena’s products. The first one that I bought was Tokyo Milk Dark perfume “Bulletproof,” in 2012, after I read about it in a magazine. Since then, I’ve bought countless perfumes, lip balms, handcremes, and other scented products for body and home from her various lines. The Margot Elena brands include Lollia, Tokyo Milk, Library of Flowers, The Cottage Greenhouse, and M.E. Life & Home.

You’ll rarely catch me anywhere without a tube of Lollia At Last handcreme. There seem to be less products in the “At Last” scent than there are in the other scents, and I live in constant fear that it’s being phased out. I would be crushed if that happened. (Margot — if you ever read this — I’m begging for an At Last liquid hand soap!)

There are Tokyomilk Dark Lip Balms in every room of my house (and every bag that I own), and a so I already knew that I would love whatever comes in the box. But still — the idea of getting a box full of scented surprises is really exciting, and I looked eagerly at the photos of previous boxes, wondering what treasures would be in mine. Now I know how Mr. Biscuits feels when he’s waiting for me to open the Barkbox.

The box arrived yesterday. It was tough to resist, but I decided to wait until today to open it.

Opening the box made me instantly happy. I’m a “detail person,” and everything in here is full of details. I’m not always into packaging, and I usually discard it immediately. But I’ll find some way to reuse this box, either to wrap a gift or as a mailer, because it’s just so nicely put together.

The large label on the top of the box has such a pleasing floral design, and a quote from Vincent Van Gogh — What is done in love is done well. I completely agree. It’s obvious that the products inside the box were created and packaged with love, because they are exquisite both in their visual details and their smell.

The little sticker holding the pretty pink tissue closed says “The Wait Is Over,” brought a big smile to my face. The wait for spring is over! (I can’t overstate how much I loathe winter here in the Midwest). The card says “Spring: Restore + Refresh” which seems to be the theme of the box. And I’m ready!

Even before I opened the paper, I could smell something amazingly calming and soothing. When I opened the box, seeing the pinks and greens, and that carrot — I feel restored and refreshed already. I made it through another winter in Ohio!

The carrot is everything… so cute, and perfect for spring. I’ve never had any of the Cottage Greenhouse products before, so I was happy to see this full-size Carrot & Neroli handcreme, plus the Orange Blossom & Honey face mask next to it.

The other thing on top there is what smelled so divine from the moment I opened the box. It’s an eye pillow filled with lavender, peppermint, & flax seeds. There’s a quote from Rumi (love!) on it — This moment is all there is.

Here’s a closer look at all of the products that were in the box, out of their packaging (starting at top left):

• Library of Flowers Shower Gel – True Vanilla – 2oz.
• Library of Flowers Bath Oil – Honeycomb – 8 oz. – not on website
• Tokyomilk Bon Bon Lip Balm – Rose Water – 0.22 oz. – full-size
• Lollia Fine Foot Soak – This Moment – 1.8 oz. – not on website
• Lollia Shower Gel – This Moment – 8 oz. – full-size
• Tokyomilk Travel Candle – Honey & The Moon – 4 oz. – full-size
• The Cottage Greenhouse Face Mask – Orange Blossom & Honey – 2 oz. – full-size
• The Cottage Greenhouse Shea Butter Handcreme – Carrot & Neroli – 4 oz. – full-size
• Library of Flowers Body Scrub – Willow & Water – 2 oz.

Not pictured in this shot are the Lollia This Moment Eye Pillow, as well as two paper goods — a hand-lettered greeting card and print with gold foil (see picture below). The print and greeting card are identical, they have pretty hand lettering with gold foil, and an inspirational quote from Lao Tzu — When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.

I really like the products in the box, and I will use them all. Based on the items and scents that were in the box, I feel like I got to know Margot Elena a little bit better, and I think that if I knew her in real life, we would be friends with similar tastes. And, if she packed up a box of gifts for me, they would be thoughtfully chosen and appeal to my tastes. The impeccable attention to detail in every product, the quotes she chooses, the aesthetic that she presents, all of these make me feel a connection to the brand, and it’s a good fit for me.

So, I would definitely buy another Margot Elena subscription box. In fact, I’m looking forward to it! (Yay summer! Yay scented luxury bath, body, & home products! What’s not to love?)

My mom paid $50 for the single subscription box (I know because it was my idea). Another option, which is an even better value, is the yearly subscription for $180, which includes 4 seasonal boxes.

The total retail value of the products inside the Spring 2019 box was $219. It was a good mix of 8 bath & body products, with one home fragrance item, one fragranced fabric item, and two paper products included. All in all, I feel like it is a good introduction to and representation of the Margot Elena Brand. Of the 10 non-paper products, 6 were full-sized, and 2 are exclusive to the box (as of today).

The box was also an introduction to Lollia’s new scent “This Moment,” which scents the full-sized shower gel and the foot soak. I haven’t had a chance to use either product yet, but I put some of the shower gel on my hand and gave it a good sniffing. The scent is light, natural, and uplifting – it does definitely have a cheerful, springtime vibe. Notes for This Moment are Water Lily, Sun Blossoms, Aquatic Greens, Sweet Grass and Honey Amber.

Special thanks to my mom for the lovely birthday gift. You can find more information about Margot Elena’s products, and order your own subscription boxes, at the Margot Elena website.