Lingerie Review: Empress Mimi Subscription Box

by Estelle Puleston

Disclosure: I received this subscription box free of charge to review. Links with a * are affiliate links.

Last year I reviewed and compared five lingerie subscription services. Empress Mimi* was one of them, and one of my two favourites. Since then, they’ve changed things up a bit. One change is that each month now comes with its own theme, right down to a custom artwork on the box. So the packaging is different to before, but it still has a luxury feel to it. Definitely a bonus if you’re looking for a subscription to give as a gift.

To recap from my earlier review, unlike some lingerie subscription services, Empress Mimi doesn’t send you a personalised selection based on a style questionnaire. All of their customers get the same products each month. I expect this helps them to keep their costs down, by ordering lots of the same item. June’s theme is ‘Honey Bunny’, and the ‘The Empress’ box includes a bralette set, a robe, a pair of handcuffs and a headband with bunny ears.

My first impressions were mixed. On the one hand, I find the designs really fun. I love the marabou! And the bralette set, while nothing new aesthetically, is still a very on-trend kind of style. On the other hand, the quality is only so-so.

Although the website talks about “high performance materials and decadent silks”, the lingerie here is made from a standard-looking mesh and what I’m almost certain is a polyester satin. The seams are mostly overlocked together, and after one wear I noticed a small section of the robe’s shoulder seam that had come apart and needed sewing back together. The headband feels pretty flimsy, although the cuffs at least seem better-made.

Last time I reviewed Empress Mimi I said the following, and after giving them a second go, I still feel the same way:

The appeal of this subscription box is less about the quality of the contents and more about their fashion-forward design, plus the gift-worthy packaging and the fact it felt like I’d received a complete ‘look’ thanks to the accessories. 

Robe by Empress Mimi, chemise by B by Ted Baker
Construction details

The other big thing that has changed since my earlier review is Empress Mimi’s pricing. Previously, a box with this quantity of contents cost £69.95 per month. Now it’s £89.95. (The prices on the website are a bit all over the place, with different ones listed on different pages, but this is what’s shown at checkout). This includes free worldwide shipping. You can also save 20% currently with code EMPRESSFRIEND20.

According to their website, the contents are worth £335, so that seems like a fantastic deal. But bear in mind that since the lingerie is exclusive to Empress Mimi, they are free to set any RRP they choose. You can also buy everything from this box (and previous boxes) separately, with the robe coming in at £165*. It’s cute, but it is absolutely not worth that much money. Neither is the bralette set something I’d be happy to pay £110 for.

I’m also pretty gutted that the robe didn’t last past the first wash. I followed the care instructions on the website and on the label to gently hand-wash it in cold water (after taking these photos), but whatever the marabou feathers are attached to shrank, making the cuffs twist and curl up. Ironing it had no effect, so I think the only way to restore it is going to be to replace the marabou entirely. I’m disappointed this wasn’t tested before selling the product.

But! There are positive things too. For one thing, both the robe and bralette are exceedingly comfy, just as the website promised they would be. That kind of surprised me because the mesh doesn’t feel especially soft to the touch, but once on I can completely forget it’s even there. I will definitely be wearing this bralette set all summer long. The robe too, once I’ve repaired it.

The sizing is also spot-on. The robe comes in S, M, L and I’m wearing the S, which will fit a UK 6-8 as per the size chart. The lingerie set is true to their size chart too, though note that it runs small compared to other brands – I have a size S brief and would normally wear an XS.

The bralette is in their new S+ size and fits me well. This ‘plus’ option is a special one for small-band-full-cup wearers, offering more room in the cup than the standard S. Currently, there’s only S+ (no M+, L+ etc. which it would be great to see them add). Still, their complete size range is fairly extensive, covering UK 4-18 and 30-44 band sizes.

So do I recommend shopping at Empress Mimi*? That depends. I have to be honest and say that I can’t recommend buying any of the standalone products in their shop* (unless they’re on sale), because you’d be paying well over the odds. And similarly, don’t sign up for an £89.95 subscription expecting to get hundreds of pounds worth of luxury goods.

If, however, what you are after is to be surprised with cute, fashion-forward designs each month, you could very well like this subscription box. I feel like the overall best thing in my box by far was the bralette set, and there’s an option to receive a lingerie set only (no robe or accessories) for the much lower price of £34.95/month. Or £14.95/month will get you a brief or thong only.

A few more good bits and bobs to know about: Exchanges and refunds are available, and if you realise on receiving your first box that you need a different size, subscribers are entitled to one free replacement box (no return necessary). Pay-as-you-go subscriptions can be cancelled at any time via your online account, and longer, pre-paid subscriptions (for 3, 6 or 12 months) are also available which give you a discount compared to paying monthly.

Are you an Empress Mimi customer? I’m intrigued to hear your thoughts on your box(es) if so! Everyone else, what do you think of lingerie subscription services in general?


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5 comments

MsMango October 4, 2019 - 9:33 am

Hiya,
Yes i signed up for the empress box for september after reading/watching loads of great reviews , i agree with your point about the price i received a silk look bra and panty set (not real silk so not high end imo) and a dressing gown thing, i am 5″6 and 10 1/2 stone so a uk 14, as per the website ordered a size L but it was a bit on small size so i had to return it. I posted recorded delivery on 18th september to the address label they included which it later turned out was their old office so i had to chase them about that. Customer service only has email so there was quite a lot of back and forth trying to work out the issue which would have been far easier dealt with by phone. Although customer service was polite and apologetic as it was their cock up not mine i have yet to receive a replacment in XL and they have already taken the this months money direct debit. So so far i have paid well over £100 and as yet have not got anything that fits and they have now stopped responding to my emails.
So far for this reason i would advise anyone to steer clear of this box if you are over a size 12, or if you dont have endless time to chase their customer service department you could easily get just as good quality items if not better on any high street without the hassel and for less money.

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Estelle Puleston October 4, 2019 - 2:05 pm

Thanks for adding your experience with the brand, and sorry to hear it hasn’t been great. Funnily enough, I am wearing the bralette set from this box today. I do really like it, so it’s a shame that other things let the brand down. I hope you get your replacement soon!

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Myla October 24, 2019 - 7:46 pm

The quality was terrible. I suspect them to get their products from cheap Chinese websites. So disappointed in the product… and the customer service is a cheap as the product Estelle :(!
Sizing was bad for my D cup, customer service not responsive at all by email and no phone numbers to call them up. Shipping time was a tad slow and return was impossible! so I didn’t return my set 🙁 it only looks good on pictures. It didn’t pass the first wash.
STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY PLEASE!

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Estelle Puleston October 25, 2019 - 9:39 am

I think you may be right about the product sourcing, at least some of it. I found these exact cuffs on Aliexpress for 3€ (though surprisingly, they are actually quite nice – much better quality than the headband!).

I stand by liking this bralette set, so in my opinion the bra set-only box that’s available for under £25 with my discount code (and free worldwide delivery) is decent value. But in this case, adding the robe and accessories didn’t make this worth more than double the cost of that box. Especially since, like your purchase, my robe didn’t last past the first wash.

I can’t comment on customer service since I was sent this box as a blogger, but sorry to hear you’ve had problems with it. From their FAQs it sounds like you can just ship items back within 14 days to be refunded/exchanged without needing to contact their customer service first. But they should definitely not be ignoring customer service enquiries regardless.

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Kelly February 16, 2021 - 1:31 pm

Buyer beware: Shipping is not trackable, and they do not replace what you do not receive. Do not waste your money!!!

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