It’s the best time of the month, Popsugar time! Lauren and I both subscribe to Popsugar and get equally excited about it each month. If you’re not familiar with Popsugar, it’s a monthly box that sends you an awesome mix of beauty and lifestyle products for $39.99. It’s one of our favorite subscription boxes, but we generally have different opinions about the contents each month. For that reason, we will take turns talking about everything inside!
This month seemed to focus more on home and lifestyle products than beauty products and jewelry, and that was fine by me. There’s a spoiler out for the May box of a gorgeous necklace, so I know we’re getting that soon! (It’s seriously awesome, check it out)
Jill: I love this umbrella. I used to have a black and white polka dot umbrella that was confiscated from my suitcase on a rainy day by the wonderful airport staff of the Grand Rapids airport last year, and I just hate shelling out cash for a decent umbrella. I also really love how hefty this umbrella is – the handle is soft and ergonomic (perfect for high winds) and the umbrella seems to be pretty sturdy. Hurricane season is coming up, so it will get a lot of use!
Lauren: I also love this umbrella. I also used to have a black and white polka dot umbrella. Mine wasn’t confiscated by airport staff but during my brief stint as an adult barista, it was POURING rain and I offered my umbrella to a customer and she promised she would bring it back to me the next day but I guess she just got a cute black and white umbrella. Oh well– I have a totally cute polka dot umbrella with the pink handle! This would fit in my purse unlike my bulky big (also polka dotted) umbrella.
Jill: This is pretty cool, and I probably would have never bought it for myself so I’m really glad they included this. It’s a body serum that nourishes skin with antioxidants, but all I care about is that it smells lovely and leaves my skin really soft. I am really glad they sent this just in time for the weather to warm up and start showing some skin.
Lauren: I actually just tried this yesterday morning for the first time ever. And I am not sure why but I was surprised this came in a spray bottle. I was expecting a tube or something but I was unsure about that since this is marketed as a body “serum” and serums are typically thicker. This spray bottle helps give even, light coverage without going overboard. This stuff can get slightly greasy so I’m glad about the spray bottle feature so it won’t get out of hand. Oh, and it smells WONDERFUL. Gardenia is one of my favorite scents.
Jill: Ok, this bag is awesome. I always forget that I have reusable shopping bags in the trunk of my car because they are out of sight, but this one folds into a cute little neoprene pouch which is attached to the bag! It’s super easy to keep it in my purse.
Lauren: I like this so much! I have gotten much better about using my re-usable shopping bags lately since I pretty much exclusively shop at Trader Joe’s and if you bring your own bags you get entered into a drawing to win free groceries. I have never won. But MAYBE I WILL. I like this bag a lot because unlike my bulky Trader Joes bags, this would be great for keeping in my purse for unexpected shopping trips! Or even my car.
Jill: Soy candles are great. They always seem to last a little longer and smell a little stronger than regular wax candles. This one smells like rhubarb candy, and that is a-ok with me. I love this, it’s so sweet and fresh smelling. Even Brian loves it and he usually recoils when candles smell to sweet. A cool bonus about this candle is that there are slits cut in the lid so you can a) use it as a room fragrance without lighting it, and b) you can leave the lid on and prevent your curious furry pals from setting themselves ablaze.
Lauren: I used to have a cat who liked to stare at fire so closely that she would always burn parts of her head whiskers off and then the apartment smelled like burnt hair. She was fine but looked lopsided for a little while… until she did it again on the other side. Oh well. This candle would have been helpful for her. But I have three other cats so the effect is the same. I currently have this sitting in my guest bathroom unlit and it’s providing a nice scent for the room.
Jill: I have killed every single plant ever left in my possession. Plant murder is my super human power. I have probably gone through like 5 basil plants in the past few years, so I am not super hopeful that I can actually manage to harvest anything from this. I will try though, because it doesn’t require me to actually do much. The only necessary steps are to cut the bag open and put some water in it. I think I can handle that, but somehow I will likely kill this poor thing.
Lauren: I think even Jill could grow basil. I love basil so much. I’m not so much of a foodie (I recently learned that pretzels are actually NOT made out of potatoes as I previously thought) but basil was the first fresh herb I ever used when I started getting into cooking a few years ago. I also love what Jill and I call MozzTom which is our celebrity name for Caprese Salad and MozzTom obviously has basil. I like growing my own basil because 1. I feel like a farmer and 2. I feel more accomplished when I make my MozzTom.
Jill: I love it when Popsugar throws in little freebies like gift cards! I briefly looked at the Mott 50 site and it seriously put me in the mood for a beach vacation. They sell “protective sun wear”, basically swimsuit covers and the like. I happen to be in the market for some new beach attire, so this gift card will be put to good use.
Lauren: I actually has no opinion on this gift card because I didn’t really see anything I truly needed on the Mott 50 site. However, there were a few cute striped dresses on the site that I would wear but I can tell that $25 won’t go too far at Mott 50. Everything is pretty pricy. I do like it when PopSugar introduces me to brands I wouldn’t have heard of though. I like to be in the know.
JILL’S RATING: A
LAUREN’S RATING: A
Jill: I really liked this box. The retail value is $126 and we paid $39.99 for it. Popsugar is consistently one of the highest value subscription boxes around, and the April box was no exception. Not only did I enjoy everything in the box this month, but it’s all really useful stuff – who doesn’t want a new super cute umbrella or a luxurious body spray? I am SO excited for the May box, especially that gorgeous necklace!!
Lauren: I agree with Jill about this box. I’ll use every single thing they included (sans the gift card.) I was getting ready to list my favorite things from the box and I listed everything. Basically I started the blog again. I love everything! I’m almost excited for it to rain so I can use my umbrella! (I have the DarkSky app now, so it tells me when it’s raining because all my weather apps are APPS OF LIES and never tell me when it’s raining or when it will rain so hopefully I’ll be prepared for the next time.)
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XO,
Jill & Lauren
Love how you both shared your thoughts on each item! Great post!
Hooray! I give it an A as well. It’s fun to compare notes. Glad you girls loved it, too. :o)