Au revoir (Le Club des Créateurs de Beauté)

Member Name: star500

Product:	Le Club des Créateurs de Beauté
Date:	10/01/01 (633 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: High quality products, good discounts

Disadvantages: It has now unavailable in the UK

UPDATE - CCB is no longer trading.

I last received a mailing from them in the summer and, a few weeks ago realised that I was running low on my trusty Agnes B foundation. It was only then that I realised that I hadn't heard from them in a while so tonight I logged onto the website to request the new 2002 catalogue - but all was there was a message:

"Unfortunately not every cloud has a silver lining and the doors of CCB-Paris UK close at the end of September 2001, it was by no means an easy decision bearing in mind the popularity of our brand in this country. This means that you will no longer be able to buy our products in the UK and you will receive no further mailings."

They didn't even bother to send out any information to customers who, like me, would probably have stocked up on their products before they stopped supplying UK customers. There is a customer service number displayed on the website if you have any queries but you will not be able to order.

However, I notice that the French and American version of the site is still up and running so I suppose if you really wanted to buy their products, you could get them shipped over - with very high rates of postage I expect though!

I will keep my original review and rating intact as I did find it to be great while it was trading - it is just a shame that they no longer have a British branch and loyal customers here are losing out.

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ORIGINAL REVIEW:

Welcome, class, to the first french beauty lesson on behalf of Le Club des createurs de beaute (CCB). My name is "Mademoiselle Etoile Cinq Cents" (that's Miss Star500 for those of you who aren't paying attention at the back) and I will be your teacher for today. Ready? Let's begin.

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LESSON ONE - Who are the createurs de beaute

#They are a collection of France's premier beauty ex
perts, each with their own range of high quality skincare, bodycare, haircare and perfumes. The createurs and their specialities include:

- Michael Klein - fragrances and bath products
- Agnes b - make-up
- Professor Jean Cotte - Cosmence skin and bodycare range
- Corrine Cobson - fragrance and accesories
- Jean-Marc Maniatis - haircare
- Tan Giudicelli - fragrance
- Pascal Schaller - fragrance


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LESSON TWO - How do I order the products

# A lot of people (myself included) were introduced to CCB through magazines such as Marie Claire or Cosmopolitan who were running special offers, money off deals and free gifts when you placed your first order.

# You can also find out more information from their website:

www.ccb-paris.com/uk

# Here you can read a bit about the products, order online and sign up for their email updates and newsletter as well as get beauty advice and tips. You can also request a free catalogue too.

# If you prefer to shop offline (which I personally do) you can order by phone, fax or post. You can pay by credit or debit card and they also accept cheques but only if you use the postal method.

# Delivery costs £2.95, usually takes about 7-10 days and the products arrive beautifully wrapped in yellow and pink tissue paper within a simple, white cardboard box. You can go for "express" delivery for £2 extra and they aim to deliver the products in two working days.

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LESSON THREE - How much do items cost

# With your first order you receive a free copy of the current, glossy catalogue (the cover price is £3.00). When you open it, your first words are "I will never be able to afford anything!"

# However, every 4-6 weeks you receive a newsletter and mini catalogue which details current special offers. There is always at least one free gift that you g
et for ordering and these are of very high quality.

# The discounts are amazing too and vary from month to month. For example, I had my eye on an Agnes b eyeshadow set but it was priced at £12.50 which I thought was a bit expensive. However a few months ago, they were offering a 50% discount on the first product ordered and I ended up paying only £6.25 for it. So it pays to wait for the special offers.

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LESSON FOUR - General points

# The free gifts that you receive are very good and so far I have managed to accrue several Cosmence skincare products, a watch, beauty secrets book, silver ring and a chain. I have also received Agnes b goodies such as a make up bag, photo frame, rucksack and some make-up products. There are probably more that I have received over the months but these are all that I can remember for now.

# CCB is one of the few outlets to get Agnes b make-up which is of a high standard and is usually what the majority of my order consists of every month.

# It is not an exclusive club that you have to buy from every month. I went through a spell of not ordering anything for about five months (because the offers had been so good previously that I had stocked up on what I wanted). I received a letter from them saying that they had noticed that I hadn't ordered for a while and that they would take me off their mailing list if I wished. So if you decided that you do not want to receive correspondence from them then they will not bombard you forever and ever.

# They have a 15 day guarantee where you can return products that you aren't happy with for a refund or exchange (even if they have been opened and used).

# Their customer service team are very efficient whenever I have contacted them. A few months ago, I did not receive one of my free gifts in my parcel so I phoned them up to let them know. A few days later the gift arrived with a letter of ap
ology and a £5 gift voucher.

# Similarly last year when they were moving offices, they sent me a letter apologising that my order could be delayed by up to three days and enclosed a gift voucher to say sorry. My order actually arrived within the same length of time as it usually does but at least they were concerned enough to let me know about a possible delay.

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So overall I have nothing but praise for CCB. Their products are of very good quality, their offer prices are very reasonable and any complaints or queries are dealt with quickly and without fuss. Because their ranges aren't available in the high street, they make good Birthday or Christmas presents - Agnes B products are particularly good for the hip and trendy friend who has everything.

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Class dismissed. Now, what are you all waiting for? Go try it out!!

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