Who subs to Ophelia's Apothecary?

[biancardi]

I had ordered 10 of her eyeshadows (from a flash sale) and this is what I discovered:

1.  the issue of "separation" - it looks like that in the baggie.  My personal experience is that once I opened the bag, I looked inside, it didn't look like that.  The colors are very pigmented.  I love the one marked voo doo magic - it looks like this purple color, but when swatched out, it is a beautiful figgy color.  Very rich

2.  I have lots of little pots from other samples and things - I save them for transferring other samples that come in baggies or foils.  So, I am transferring them to these little pots - it helps a lot.  There is a ton of product here that was sent

3.  There are some colors I would never wear on my eyes and it sounds like some of you ladies won't either.   What I plan to do is make nailpolish from it.  Since this is already finely ground up, it is easy to do - just buy some cheapo clear nailpolish, remove some of it (not a lot, but enough so that whatever powder you are adding is offset by what you removed.  Then add in your eyeshadow - you can do it in stages and see how deep you want the color to be.

If you make your own nailpolish with eyeshadows, everytime you want to use it, you will have to shake the bottle well.  But that is what I plan to do with some of these brighter colors and my toes will be happy in the spring & summer!

if you got the one marked satin rouge - that can be used as a blush too....it is very pretty.

 

[Lorilane]

Ok, so the problem I have is, her products are sooo awesome but the shipping time has been taking a long time. There are only a couple of companies I am willing to have this much patience with and this is one of them.Part of it is she is such a nice person and answers all her messages super fast. I messaged her, inquiring about my order from December and she profusely apologized. I know she has some health issues going on too soo â¤ï¸. Now my seasonsbox drama is another story!!

 

[ohforgetit]

<sigh>... at least you got a bag.  I got my december bag in the middle of January and have gotten NOTHING since. I'm in a long term subscription with her, and I feel totally stuck.  I know she does it all herself and we should support indie business... but I basically threw my money away since I never get updates about my stuff or if a bag is ever even coming.  Oh well.

 

[smiletorismile]

Quote: Originally Posted by ohforgetit /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  <sigh>... at least you got a bag.  I got my december bag in the middle of January and have gotten NOTHING since. I'm in a long term subscription with her, and I feel totally stuck.  I know she does it all herself and we should support indie business... but I basically threw my money away since I never get updates about my stuff or if a bag is ever even coming.  Oh well.
If you have Facebook message her on there! That's the only way I've been able to get a response from her since December!

 

[Frankie313]

I've gotten nothing from her since my November bag!!! I messaged her in January and she said my December bag along with a flash sale I had purchased would be packaged together with my January bag. I never saw any of that and it's mid-February! My subscription ends with February. I really do love her products and use her lip balm every day, but I may have to stick with flash sales every once in a while and give up on the sub. I know she's having financial and health problems via her Facebook and she says she relies on invoices to pay for shipping, but that makes no sense since my payment for a flash sale or three months advance subscription shouldn't be paying for other people's old orders to be shipped. So I don't know. I'm sure she's a nice woman doing everything herself but I think she's in over her head with the subscription.

 

[Jeaniney]

Quote: Originally Posted by Frankie313 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
   I'm sure she's a nice woman doing everything herself but I think she's in over her head with the subscription.

These are my thoughts exactly. I *want* to be patient and support her, but I don't have money to throw around right now. My first couple of boxes were awesome, but the last ones have just not been things I will use or worth $15 to me personally. I have faith that she will get back on the right track, but I'm not willing to take the gamble at this time.

 

[ohforgetit]

Quote: Originally Posted by Frankie313 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 I know she's having financial and health problems via her Facebook and she says she relies on invoices to pay for shipping, but that makes no sense since my payment for a flash sale or three months advance subscription shouldn't be paying for other people's old orders to be shipped. So I don't know. I'm sure she's a nice woman doing everything herself but I think she's in over her head with the subscription.
Yes, that's exactly how I feel as well!  I saw the posts on Facebook and I definitely sympathize.... but not enough to pay for stuff that I'll get MONTHS later or maybe not get at all.    I've reached out to her  on both e-mail and Facebook and once I got the "So sorry lovely I'm delayed because this and this and this..." stock answer and after that I haven't gotten any answers at all.   I definitely agree with the "in over your head" thing.

 

[Frankie313]

Yeah, at this point, I have $65 in orders, including the 3 months of sub and flash sale, I have not received from her that I paid for months ago.

 

[biancardi]

Quote: Originally Posted by Frankie313 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  Yeah, at this point, I have $65 in orders, including the 3 months of sub and flash sale, I have not received from her that I paid for months ago.
Wow.  I mean, she is slow in sending things out, but I have gotten everything within 2-3 weeks.  Since she is now charging for s/h on flash sales, she won't be bundling them together anymore.

You should message her again on FB.  Either request a refund or get your items out in the mail.  3 months is just overkill.

 

[ohforgetit]

I contacted her.... Finally heard back, and it's basically the same stock answer of "I'm really behind lovely! I hope to be caught up soon!" While I appreciate the reply, it didn't really answer any of my questions or address the possibility of a refund, so.... Nothing to do but wait and see if anything eventually shows up? At the point I'm not renewing this sub even if the next bags ever DO show up and are amazing. Way too frustrating.

 

[NaydeneM]

/emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[Frankie313]

I got yet another generic reply yesterday, and so far still no shipping label created... my Facebook message and her reply below.

"

Hi there, just wondering on the status of my subscription. November was the last bag I received, and I have a lip balm order out from December as well. Thank you.
Monday 2:05pm
I am going to be shipping soon! I will be printing shipping labels today and tomorrow! "

So frustrating since I paid for another three months in November and have yet to see any product from that money.

 

[biancardi]

Quote: Originally Posted by Frankie313 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  I got yet another generic reply yesterday, and so far still no shipping label created... my Facebook message and her reply below.

"

Hi there, just wondering on the status of my subscription. November was the last bag I received, and I have a lip balm order out from December as well. Thank you.
Monday 2:05pm
I am going to be shipping soon! I will be printing shipping labels today and tomorrow! "

So frustrating since I paid for another three months in November and have yet to see any product from that money.

I am so sorry to read this!!  She has only been really late with my stuff, but I do get them.   If I were you, I would respond and ask her if that will include the following

December's bag

January's bag

February's bag

the lip balm order

as that is what she owes you.

I would also c&p the paypal receipts to show her that you have paid for all of these things.

 

[NaydeneM]

This is just ridiculous. Her sweet !!!! answers are full of it. So unprofessional. I get that she is a one woman show, she has health issues, she ha stress and bad days.... but if you can't live up to your responsibilities refund the money and stop doing sub boxes!

 

[BigButterfly]

I am waiting on my order from January. I have not received my January or Febuary sub bag and I have close to $100 in order out there. I asked last week for an update and she told me she would have it out by Thursday....... Here we are a week and a day later. I don't understand.

 

[biskies]

Quote: Originally Posted by BigButterfly /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I am waiting on my order from January. I have not received my January or Febuary sub bag and I have close to $100 in order out there. I asked last week for an update and she told me she would have it out by Thursday....... Here we are a week and a day later. I don't understand.

Unfortunately, I don't think there is a lot to understand.  She keeps making promises, thinking that her customers will back off for a while, but she seems to have failed making good on them repeatedly.  She's in over her head.  I think she mentioned that she is relying on the income from current orders to pay for the shipping on overdue orders, which is ridiculous.  As an independent business, one should always be charging enough to cover supplies and shipping and to make at least a small profit.  Your current orders should be paying for your CURRENT orders to ship, not orders months overdue.  Some people mentioned having Black Friday orders, their November bag, AND their December bag ship in January and, frankly, I find that completely unacceptable.

I, of course, feel bad that she's facing health and financial problems, but, while her customers should be sympathetic, it's also not THEIR fault.  However, they are the ones paying the price for it.  They stayed with her despite some really lackluster bags and shipping issues just to, ultimately, get screwed in the end.  I really wish, instead of the, "I'm sorry, lovely!  I am fixing this as we speak", she would just come out and say, "I don't give a crap if you paid for this two months ago.  You're now past your paypal dispute window!  Just be lucky if you ever get anything!"  Because, I mean, really, at this point, that's pretty much the unspoken truth.

 

[PeridotCricket]

I do not understand the need to combine shipping on sub boxes and orders. I thought a business owner can write off 100% of shipping costs on their taxes. It seems like combining shipping the way she does would just confuse the issue when it comes to doing her taxes. I've thought of subscribing, but if I find something I like, I don't want to wait forever to receive it.

 

[biskies]

Quote: Originally Posted by PeridotCricket /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I do not understand the need to combine shipping on sub boxes and orders. I thought a business owner can write off 100% of shipping costs on their taxes. It seems like combining shipping the way she does would just confuse the issue when it comes to doing her taxes.

I've thought of subscribing, but if I find something I like, I don't want to wait forever to receive it.

It won't really confuse anything at tax time because she would just keep all postage receipts and add them up to deduct them come tax return season.  However, she wo't have as much to write off this way.  Really, what the issue is, is that she was super busy at Christmas time and continues to have a ton of orders from back then.  Because she has stated that she relies on NEW orders to ship OLD orders, some are just not getting shipped because she doesn't have enough new orders to pay for the shipping on her old orders (because, clearly, Christmas is going to be the busiest time, order-wise).  Essentially, she's screwing herself over and simultaneously screwing over every customer that bought stuff in December /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />  I feel bad for her, but I feel worse for her customers.

 

[Bethanys]

Anyone know where I can get a mositurizer that is very similar to her  cucumber green tea moisturizer? I got a sample of it in my bag, and my skin really loves it.  I'd order more from her, but with all the shipping issues, I'm feeling pretty hesitant.  Plus, I don't want to wait until my April bag comes (if it does) to get it.  I ordered some spray oil and detangler from her back in January, and haven't received, it, so I assume she's sending it with my march bag.

My skin has cleared up and looks so nice and healthy with that cucmber green tea stuff.

 

[marigoldsue]

Quote: Originally Posted by Bethanys /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  Anyone know where I can get a mositurizer that is very similar to her  cucumber green tea moisturizer? I got a sample of it in my bag, and my skin really loves it.  I'd order more from her, but with all the shipping issues, I'm feeling pretty hesitant.  Plus, I don't want to wait until my April bag comes (if it does) to get it.  I ordered some spray oil and detangler from her back in January, and haven't received, it, so I assume she's sending it with my march bag.

My skin has cleared up and looks so nice and healthy with that cucmber green tea stuff.

I have never subbed to her boxes, but I think this is the same woman that I bought jewelry from locally back in 2008.   She was in the process of switching over from jewelry at the time.   Is she still operating out of the Kansas City area?  If so, I could try to purchase locally from her and ship it to you myself if you would like.