Popsugar Must Have, $40+tax/month, lifestyle products
Promo: Get November box for just $20 at RueLaLa
I paid $0-$20
Box retail value: $134 – My value: $40
Canceling subscription: Painless, through website.
Popsugar Must Have is a monthly box that includes five assorted beauty, fashion and home products, with generally a treat thrown in. The items follow a general theme, though one vague enough to include mostly anything. There isn’t much consistency between boxes, so they can very much be hit or miss. They are usually a good value, though sometimes they include items which are purposely overpriced. The box often includes coupons, though I don’t usually use them.
Each box comes with a little booklet describing the items included and giving their suggested retail price.
I got this box for free after referring two people to sign up (you now need to refer three people to get a free box). I later bought several more boxes using a special Rue La La deal, which offered them for just $20 (to get the deal, click on my referral link, enter your e-mail to subscribe to the website, and then either scroll down until you find the popsugar deal or do a word search for “popsugar”). While I didn’t love all the items in the box, I really loved two of them and was able to easily swap the rest.
This box had a total value of $134, and while my personal value was closer to $40, had I not swapped the items in it, I would have been able to gift them. This is really a great box to get this time of year – which is why I bought several more.
This is what came in the box
Deepa Gurnani Katie Crystal Headband, $56
I didn’t even take this item out of the package because I knew that I was going to swap it. It’s beautiful, and I’m sure it would have looked great on me when I was in my teens or twenties, but I don’t think many 40+ year old women could get away with wearing this. My daughters didn’t like it either. I had no difficulties swapping it, however. If you just want the headband, you can find it on ebay for around $15.
Capri blue Mercury Jewel Box in Rain, $19
This beautiful candle has two wicks and comes in a smallish (2 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ x 2″) box handmade of recycled glass. After the candle burns out, you can use the box as a jewelry box. The glass box has a metallic, old-fashioned look to it and it’d just beautiful. I love the wood cover and it smell divine.
This is by far my favorite item from the box and one I’m definitely keeping. I had been planning to buy additional candles as gifts, but they ended up costing as much as the whole box. The candle came with a coupon for 20% off and a $5 flat rate shipping for your first purchase (promo code CBPOP20). Their resale value is good enough that the cheapest one I could find on e-bay was $18.
Tarte Amazonian Clay Beauty & the Box Eye Shadow Quad in Apple of My Eye, 1.6 g x 4, $22
This quad is very cute, and I love the colors. But it’s made in China. I swapped it and a nail polish for one of the Tribe Alive bracelets from the FFF box (which my daughter loves).
Terrapin Ridge Farms Pecan Honey Mustard, 8 oz, $7
This mustard is ridiculously delicious. It’s quite sweet, a little tangy and a little mustardy. It’s definitely not a sandwich sort of mustard, though they recommend eating it with cheese or using it to glaze meats. I used it to glaze oven-roasted chicken and it was delicious that way, but I am not ashamed to say that I ate the rest of the jar with a spoon and my fingers. OK, maybe I’m a little ashamed.
West Emory Bingo Set, $20
I loved playing bingo as a kid, and I’m sure I’ll love it when I’m old. Right now, it doesn’t excite me too much but as soon as I opened the box, my daughter screamed “we can play it after Christmas dinner!”. I can’t really argue with that.
As far as bingo sets go, this is not one that I would have chosen to to buy. Its minimalist look can be appealing for adults, but there are funner versions for kids.
When the Popsugar box first came out, this set was on sale for under $6 (plus shipping) but it’s now sold out.
Gramr Gratitude Co Thanksgiving Postcard Pack, $10
Gramr Gratitude sells message-based printed postcards and cards. They have a quarterly subscription, but also sell items individually in their shop. This package included 5 postcards with a giving thanks theme. I don’t usually send out thank you cards or any other cards, but I’m sure I’ll use them, if only to include in swaps.
Generic Promo Codes
This Popsugar box came with a code for $20 off a photo order at inkdot. The promo cannot be used towards shipping, however, and shipping for most items is around $10. Still, it’s not a bad deal if you’re looking for a metal or wood print. The promo code is generic.
The second code gives you 20% off purchase plus $5 flat shipping at capriblue.