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I'm not one into subscription boxes. I've tried a few but I find usually the items aren't things I really want, need, or will use. However, in the past I was offered a free POPSUGAR Must Have Box and was impressed with the contents. I still regularly use items from it and found the value quite impressive. POPSUGAR invited me again to review their Must Have Box and sent me their June 2016 Box to try out. I took a bunch of photos of the unboxing and each individual item and felt it would make the post too image-heavy so I made them into a slideshow video:
Hat Attack Cotton Sarong, ‘Neutral Diamonds' pattern
This is a nice basic lightweight sarong that can double as a scarf. I love things like this in the summer; I throw them in my beach or pool bag for a coverup, a second towel, to drape over shoulders, wrap up my hair, or make a neck roll to lie down more comfortably. This one is a neutral pattern, but it's nothing to write home about. Hat Attack makes hats in the USA, but there is nothing on their site letting me know where this sarong was made, so I can't see why this is priced at $58. You can find similar for half the price at TJ Maxx or Target.
Ridley's Game Room ‘Who Am I?' Card Game
An adorable box with cute cards, this is a very attractive game that would make a cute addition to your beach house or a housewarming present. Only problem? The cards are inaccurate. Flipping through them I was floored to see things such as “I abolished slavery” as a guess under George Washington. The clues are really biased and strange too, for example they have a clue for Val Kilmer that is, “I'm a beefy American actor born in 1959” and three of the four for Scarlett Johansson were that she's a worldwide sex symbol, she dated Sean Penn, and she's the daughter of a Jewish woman (who cares about her awards won or well known roles, let's focus on her looks and love life). The writing is inconsistent, some are in the present and some are in the past and it has nothing to do with whether they are alive or dead. What the heck? Don't be swayed by the cute packaging, this game is all sorts of lamesauce. This is regularly priced between $11 – $15 online.
PACIFICA Underarm Deodorant Wipes
I saw that different people received different scents for these wipes. I received the coconut milk and kale extract and was psyched as I love all things coconut. The smell is… it's a bit like a day spa, a bit like a Crabtree & Evelyn store, but most reminds me of Poo-Pourri (which is utterly brilliant but just like Febreeze and other odor eliminators has such a distinctive smell it may as well be what it's trying to cover). The scent isn't as heavy when applied to the skin, and it fades with wear. The wipes are large and sturdy and the formula doesn't leave you feeling sticky. They're vegan, cruelty free, and formulated without aluminum, sulfates, SLS, parabens, phthalates, or petroleum. These would be brilliant thrown in your beach bag or daily tote for a refresher mid-day this summer. I haven't had a chance to really work them in the heat and humidity, but a Saturday with them made me like them enough that I would consider buying again. One package is $9.00 and contains 30 biodegradable wipes.
ncLA ‘Born on the Fourth' Glitter Nail Lacquer
This is the kind of stuff I love in a subscription box – something I don't really need but is fun to have this time of year and good quality. ncLA's polishes are 100% free of DBP, toulene, formaldehyde, and camphor. They don't do animal testing and are made in the USA. The formula is excellent – not gloppy but not too thin. Plenty of glitter in a variety of sizes, no need for multiple coats to get a good sparkle effect and it lasts quite well. This would be fun on its own, and I loved how it looked over my red polish – festive nails in time for the 4th of July! I don't think $16 is a bad price for the quality and the company's ethics!
KNOCK KNOCK's ‘Are You Ready (For Your Closeup)' Mirror Compact
The company OGX regularly sends me products to try out and review, and in their latest box to me I received one of these same mirrors that said “FACE IT” on the front and “It's all smoke and mirrors” inside. I thought it was adorable and tucked it in my purse. So receiving it in my Must Have Box wasn't as exciting, but it also wasn't exciting because this is a throwaway item, something you may receive free with a purchase. While it's well made, it's a compact mirror with a cute message, and I don't think it's worth $10.
Pressels Pretzel Chips – Sriracha Flavor
I've cut down on gluten this year, but I took one for the team so I could truly review and not just get Karl's opinion. It's important to note that these are baked, not fried, have 80% less fat and 30% less sodium than regular potato chips. They are also free of chemical preservatives, artificial colors, trans fat, MSG, cholesterol, GMOs, and added color. If you don't you'll wonder why you're eating dry little discs with a subtle tasty heat to them. I've had pretzel chips before, but they were made with plenty of fat and salt to make me want to consume a whole bag in one sitting, preferably with spinach dip or a tub of cream cheese. These are not that. They're a bit dry, though they are nicely flavored (the sriracha isn't too hot). I personally would just not eat chips, but if you have a craving, these are a healthy option that don't taste like crap. One pack is two servings and holds around 40 quarter-sized chips and usually goes for around $1.25. I couldn't find the sriracha online, Amazon has two other flavors available.
SISTERS OF LOS ANGELES ‘Cheers' Bottle Opener
This would look totes adorbs on a rose gold bar cart with some MCM vintage-inspired glasses and cleaned-out Diptyque Baies candle jar holding some peonies. It's solid enough metal that it won't bend when cracking open a bottle of beer. The gold finish is well done and doesn't look as though it will chip any time soon. This clearly isn't a product made for me, however I'm going to keep it in my box of gift supplies because it would be a cute addition to a housewarming/engagement/etc. gift. But like the compact, I wouldn't buy it on its own and I don't really get the $12 pricetag. The company sells city and state specific merchandise, this would be more appealing to me if it had regional significance.
And so ends my review of June's POPSUGAR Must Have Box. Thank you POPSUGAR for the opportunity to review the box. This month was pretty much a dud for me, but reviewing your site I see previous months were far better. If you'd like to sign up for the POPSUGAR Must Have Box, click on this link.
Looks like a great box! Love Pacifica and ncLA polishes 🙂 That Cheers bottle opener definitely would be great for Insta posts for party hosting
Thanks for the review. Must have box is expensive at $39 a month. In the box you reviewed I only saw 2 things I liked, the scarf and the nail polish. $39 is too much for those 2 items.
I tried Birchbox ($10 a month) and Goodebox ($21 a month) for a few months each. Both of them sent items I liked and used.I cancelled the subscriptions not because I didn’t think they were good values. I cancelled them because I need the money more than I need to explore new make-up and skin care options.
One of the two sent a small size Strivectin AR. I was considering investing in the full size Strivectin, so getting a large enough sample size to give it a good trial was very helpful. I discovered that the Strivectin didn’t do any more for me than a cheap store brand moisturizer. I figure that the subscription boxes saved me $100 because all the other items I used.
Another item I found exceptional is the “They’re Real” mascara. I have have a tempestuous relationship with mascara over the years. I have tried many, many brands. No matter the price, they all clump on my eyelashes, with one exception, Maybelline Great Lash. I always return to Maybelline Great Lash. It works well for me. “They’re Real” mascara actually lives up to its advertising. It made my lashes much longer and thicker without clumping. it stayed on all day and doesn’t smear.
Anyway, if anyone is interested in a make-up, skin care, and hair care subscription service to see if you like it, my suggestion is to start with Birchbox at $10 a month.
Chris