Review: POPSUGAR Must Have Box (May)

The PopSugar Must Have box has been kind of a hit or miss thing for me since I first signed up. Some months are absolutely great, while other months are clearly mediocre. The May box was definitely a hit in my book.

With the weather finally warming up (today was supposed to be 88 degrees in Chicago-land, what?), and everything went along with the theme of summer and having fun. I was really excited about the selection of items - especially the lunch bag and floppy hat (minus the super-flop).

I love the idea of PopSugar branded items. I wish they would do more with customized products like this. For the sake of variety, not everything can be a momento to PopSugar, but at least one personalized item per box even would go a long way for me. I think the brand is fun and flirty, and I definitely don't mind toting something with their logo along with me.

Speaking of, this month's branded item was the lunch tote - which is something that I am definitely toting around with me already (excuse the poor use of punning). It's simple and lightweight, and the perfect size for me to fill with my breakfast and lunch before I head off to work for the day. At least I'm convinced that's what it is supposed to be used for - there wasn't a description listed, so I'll count this as a bonus item.

Besides that gem, my box was filled with these lovely items (prices are what I found online):

• beautyblender Set - $23.95
• The Modern Cocktail Modern Margarita Set - $8.29
• Questions I Ask When I want to Talk About Myself: 50 Topics to Share with Friends by Mindi Kaling - $13.45
• Pacifica Color Quench Lip Tint -$7
• Charm & Chain Gift Card - $30
• Way Better Snacks - $1
• Kooringal – Giselle Mid Brim Hat - $27.99

Total - $111.68

Final Thoughts:

Since the box only costs $35, I definitely got my money's worth. Although, I've already tried the chips and they were a bit too spicy for my taste, so I'm going the write that off as a small loss. Other than that, I was thrilled with the things that came this month. I've always wanted a floppy-type hat, and the grey color is pretty perfect. The Margarita mixes will be thoroughly enjoyed ::crosses fingers:: also. I can't wait to have fun with the rest of the items!

Check out the items and descriptions below:

What did you think of the May PopSugar Must Have box?

Review: POPSUGAR Must Have Box (April)

I jumped on the POPSUGAR Must Have bandwagon back in late 2012 and with the exception of the special edition luxury box released over the holidays, have been pretty satisfied so far. I can usually trust that the items in each box will be at least somewhat useful, if not enjoyable. The themes so far in 2013 have made sense and the boxes included enough of a selection to make it worth my continued interest - and money.

April's box did none of those things.

Upon opening the April POPSUGAR Must Have box I was immediately disappointed by the curated selection. The theme of the box was 'embracing Spring' which is appropriate, but the items were severely lacking - especially in comparison to last month's haul.

The major draw was meant to be the POPSUGAR embossed garment bag (or The Green Garmento Four-In-One Reusable Dry-Cleaning Bag) which was complimented by a few smaller items - Alter Eco Dark Quinoa Chocolate bar, a sample of Kai Perfume Oil, Shashi New Nugget Bracelet, and Tatcha Petal Fresh Evening Aburatorigami Beauty Papers. Unfortunately, the garment bag was the only thing that I even liked.

Enough with the chocolate already! I understand quinoa is "in" right now, but I think every box I have received so far has included some version of chocolate - and I don't even like chocolate very much. The sample of perfume oil smelled nice, but I could have lived without it. Same goes for the beauty papers. And, the bracelet appeared to be cheap - at least in my opinion.

Which takes me back to the garment bag. It's a great size and appears to be very durable. I should get plenty of use out of it, and frankly I have a winter coat from EXPRESS that I recently ordered that came without one and needs to be bagged for the summer months, so this worked out perfectly. The only thing that bothered me about it is that it seems like POPSUGAR was trying to pass it off as more than it is. It's a garment bag, pure and simple. I appreciate the suggestions about what else I might use it for, but it's major purpose is to hang in my closet.

Final Thoughts:

One bad month for the POPSUGAR Must Have box isn't enough to convince me to cancel my subscription, but a couple more like this and I will definitely be reconsidering. Overall the box lacked in value and contents. Although the garment bag is useful, it was the only item I even remotely appreciated in the box which is regularly filled with many more enjoyable options. This box gave me a couple items to pass along, but not much else.

Check out the items and descriptions below:

 What did you think of the April POPSUGAR Must Have box?