I feel like we just wrote about October’s PopSugar Must Have box because it was so late to arrive, and here we are with November’s box already. Truth be told, it needed to happen quickly to make up for how terrible the October 2014 box was (in my not-so-humble opinion).
This box was quite a bit better than the last one, but it had some issues. I’m hoping they’re saving up all the great stuff for the special winter box and December box. A girl can dream, eh? If you’re new to PopSugar, it is a subscription box ($39/month) that delivers a variety of beauty and lifestyle products each month. It’s one of my and Lauren’s mutual favorites, even if they are going through a dry spell at the moment. As usual, both Lauren and I subscribe to this box so we will tag team this review!
The Secret Recipes by Dominique Ansel – $35
Jill: I was really looking forward to this book. It was the only spoiler that PopSugar released before the box was sent out, so we all knew that this was going to be in the box. If you’re not familiar with Dominique Ansel, all you really need to know is that he owns a popular bakery in NYC and is the creator of the cronut (a hybrid croissant and donut for the uninitiated). Guess what. The cronut recipe is in this book.
He has other recipes in there too, but the cronut page is already earmarked and covered with drool. The holidays are coming up, so a few of these puppies are going to be whipped up and handed out to my lucky, lucky friends.
Lauren: Unlike Jill, I had no idea who Dominique Ansel was but now that I have seen those cronuts, I am intrigued. This is a really nice hardcover book with amazing pictures. Everything looks incredibly delicious. That said, I’m not so much of a baker/chef. I hope to do more cooking in our new kitchen but I know someone else who is going to love this more than me and she already knows she is getting this for Christmas. (Hi, Melissa.)
Sorial Saffiano Wallet on a Chain – $49
Jill: Where to begin. It’s navy, so that’s pretty. It has a zipper, so that’s great. But it’s like 7″ across, so it isn’t a purse. It has a chain, so it’s not a wallet (despite being called a wallet on a chain, we all know what wallet chains look like and we left them back in the 90s where they belonged). If you want to consider this a wallet, it’s pretty impractical for it to have a 4-foot long strap on it. If you want to call it a purse, you won’t be able to fit anything inside it. My iPhone 6+ won’t fit, I tried. They’re practically the same size. This thing has no function, and therefore no purpose. My actual wallet is bigger than this. Also, the card inside said it’s vegan and made to look just like real leather. That’s hilarious, because it is very clearly some sort of plastic type material. One more thing – they sent a navy clutch in a box less than a year ago. I’m just saying.
Lauren: This purse is comically small. I joked with Matt asking him if his Roommates needed a tiny purse. BUT. I think I could make it work on a special occasion. In the past few years, I started the concept of Party Purse. I would use a big ridiculous purse during the week and then a smaller, more lightweight purse with a long strap when I went out. I even got a smaller matching wallet so I didn’t have to carry around EVERYTHING when I’m out on the town. So what I’m saying, is I think this purse could be Party Purse’s little sister. I can fit my phone in there, a couple cards and probably a small lip gloss. I definitely cannot carry keys, mints, mirror, or a brush which I can fit in party purse. But if I am feeling very minimal, i might be able to make it work. And I might feel so free! Time will tell.
G.H. Cretors Chicago Mix Popped Corn – $3.69
Jill: I was so excited to find this in the box. A small sample size came in a Love With Food box a while back and I absolutely loved it. At first I was confused because it’s literally half cheese popcorn and half caramel popcorn, and who the hell thought to combine the two, but then I actually tried it and was totally on board. It’s salty, it’s sweet, it’s delicious. And PopSugar sent a full sized bag of it! They even packed it in its own little cardboard case so that it didn’t get crushed during shipping (that kind of consideration is rare in the sub box world). Good job, PopSugar.
Lauren: I was very surprised to see a full size bag of treats like this in a box! I am afraid to open it by myself so I am going to wait to open it til I am with Matt. I’m kind of confused by the cheese/caramel popcorn combo, but all of these things sound delicious. Why WOULDN’T someone combine them?
Tiny Prints Thoughtful Heart Stationery – $15
Jill: Stop trying to make note cards happen, PopSugar. We got note cards 2 months ago, we don’t need more. These were made specifically for PopSugar, so that suggests they tried really hard to send us more note cards. The box description card they included said they added a $25 gift card to Tiny Prints, but either that’s an oversight or it didn’t make it into my box somehow. That’s fine though. I really don’t need more note cards.
Lauren: Unlike Jill, I love note cards! I like sending cards to friends and I love having some on hand at different places so I can just CORRESPOND with limited planning. I keep cards at work. I keep them at home. I’m always ready. I’ve written so many thank you notes in the past few months and I am almost out of my monogrammed notes so I’m thrilled that I have some new ones in case we have a few more wedding presents that stumble in. Since these say XO, I think they are super cute to send to friends when you are sending them presents, too. They could work for a lot of occasions. I am a fan, PopSugar. You may keep sending me note cards. I was also so excited to get the $25 gift card to Tiny Prints because I still need to order wedding announcements. HOWEVER, weirdly, they don’t do wedding stuff. At all. Anywhere. They do every other kind of announcement possible, but not wedding. Weird.
Wine Glass Writer Custom 3-Pack for POPSUGAR Must Have – $9.95
Jill: I guess it could be worse. They could have sent pencils again to go with the note cards like they did a couple months ago. These markers write on glass without staining it, and are meant to be used as literal wine markers. The idea is cute, but I don’t know that I’ll actually use them for anything.
Lauren: Whenever Jill has a raving party, I think she should use these markers to mark her cups and glasses in a grown up fashion. Maybe she should also use them at her wedding. They also might be useful to make notes for yourself on mirrors? I like having a dry erase board in my bathroom because that is where I come up with my genius ideas and schemes there but unless I write them down, I forget these things and then the world is deprived of my ideas/schemes. So I feel like you could use these markers to make notes on the mirror, too instead of having a dry erase board. I’m just spitballing but that could be another use for these. I haven’t entirely decided if I am going to gift these to a friend who throws more parties than me, but it’s kind of a neat idea. Classier than the ol Sharpie on a red cup.
K. Hall Simpatico Ambergris Shea Butter Cream – $22
Jill: Ok, now this I love. It has been around 30 degrees in Maryland for the past week and my hands are drying out fast. I am lotion-obsessed, and I carry hand cream around with me everywhere I go. Good quality hand creams can get up there in price, and whenever I get a great tube in a sub box I am over the moon (do people still say that?) about it. This hand cream is awesome! It made my hands super soft, and it’s a huge tube so it will last a while. Plus it smells nice. It now lives in my purse.
Lauren: This is where Jill and I agree! My skin is dry all of the times but in Winter, it’s way, way worse. They used to call me Dry Knuckle. No they didn’t, but I feel like they could have, what with my terribly dry hands and yes, knuckles. This cream is thick and luxurious and it smells SO GOOD. I brought it to work because I tend to wash my hands a LOT during the day. I have lighter lotions that I might layer underneath this thicker one to really lock in that moisture. I’m not sure if people do that, but it’s something I’m willing to try. I’m an adventurer.
Jill: My overall ranking of this box a B. It’s definitely better than the October 2014 box, but it still has some items that I wish were other things. The total retail value of this box is $134.64 and I paid $39 for it. Even though the purse, cards, and markers were flops for me, there is still enough value in the box to make it above average. I hope they are considering sending some more wintry items in the December box because this one wasn’t very seasonal at all. I also hope we don’t get more repeat items (please, for the love of subscription boxes, no more note cards).
Lauren: Although I liked some of the products more than Jill, I’m rating this box a B as well. I just feel like the box is missing a little something… I can’t put my finger on it but nothing seemed really special. I really only see myself using the note cards and the lotion and eating the chips. However, the book is going to make a great gift and the pens might make a cute gift as well.
If you are interested in learning more about POPSUGAR Must Have, click here for a referral link!
Jill and Lauren both pay for POPSUGAR Must Have. Post contains referral links.
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