Le Métier de Beauté 2015-16 VIP Program Wrap Up and Overview

Disclaimer: I purchased this.

The final month's offering from the Le Métier de Beauté (LMdB) 2015-16 VIP subscription program was 2 of their Revitalizing Hydro Red Algae & Collagen masks, which retail for $15 each.  Here is how they are described:

"The ultimate care your skin craves. The Revitalizing Hydro Red Algae & Collagen Mask is imbued with red algae and collagen extracts that nourish with advanced nutrients and boost skin's long term firmness and texture. The luxurious formula simply melts into skin and works its magic. The natural technology smooths, softens and improves the skin in as little as one application. Take a nap and wake up with time on your side."

Ingredients: Water/Aqua, Butylene Glycol, Cetyle Ethylhexanoate, Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan), Niacinamide, Polysorbate 80, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Ceratonia Siliqua Gum, Sucrose, Cetylpyridinium Chloride, Caprylyl Glyceryl Ether, Glyceryl Caprylate, Cetrimonium Chloride, Hexylene Glycol, Betaine, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Disodium EDTA, Adenosine, Citric Acid, Agar, Xantham Gum, Sodium Polyacrylate, Dipentaerythrityl Hexa C5-9 Acid Esters, Ceteth-10, Ceteth-20, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance/Perfume, ACID RED 18 (CI 16255).

I enjoy using face masks and am looking forward to trying these out.  I do admit to feeling a bit underwhelmed considering this was the last month of my subscription  This year was a mixed bag for the VIP program, although there were definitely some stellar products along with some definite missteps on LMdB's part - at least in my opinion. Below is a picture of everything I received this year:

The missteps were a few products that did not seem to fit the LMdB product line in looks (leopard print bronzer?) or quality (baked eyeshadow?). I didn't even post about the Whirlwind baked eyeshadow after someone on MakeupTalk pointed out that LMdB was clearly just putting their name on a shadow available from other brands.  For example:

The exact shadow, name and all, currently on sale for $10.95 can be seen here.

I get that it's a struggle to consistently delivery high quality products at the bargain basement price point of a subscription service ($29/month, although the VIP program requires payment upfront for the year, $348) and I've always questioned how LMdB would be able to even approach making a profit with this service.  Whirlwind definitely eroded good will amongst subscribers, however. To LMdB's credit, we also got an eyeshadow ($40) brush that month, and you can't go wrong with a a good quality brush.

There were also a few perplexing months where we received lipstick after lipstick after lipstick, including a pink (Emerge) and metallic bronze (Burnished) in December. Not exactly seasonal colors, although I've been enjoying Burnished as a topper over other colors this summer.

Trompe l'Oeil

However, LMdB did seem to correct course in the last half of the program, where we received the award winning Peau Vierge Anti-Aging Complex ($125) plus a foundation brush ($50), a gorgeous powder highlighter called Trompe l'Oeil, the Bohemia eye kaleidoscope ($95), a powder brow quad, and a body moisturizer ($125).

Even with just determining value based on products in LMdB's catalog and not factoring in items made exclusively for the VIP program, the value is definitely there.  I come up with over $500 worth of standard catalog items, which I paid $348 for.  Hard to beat, especially if you consider everything else along the lines of a GWP.

Plus, I'm really enjoying that the 2015 VIP palette we received in the first month is a metallic palette.  It inspired me to depot my eye kaleidoscopes and single LMdB shadows to make some stunning palettes.  More on that later.

So, while I did not resubscribe for year 4 of the VIP subscription program, I've got to admit that LMdB is still my favorite luxury brand.  Yes, there were a few misses, but hits outweighed them for me, and I've discovered more than a few favorites from this brand over the last 3 years. I'll have to admire year 4 items from afar :-)