Friday, April 3, 2015

Style Quarterly Fashion & Beauty Subscription Review, Spring 2015 + 10% Discount Code!

Is there anything better than a subscription box that over delivers?  I wasn't sure what to expect when I signed up for Style Quarterly.  This company started out as PashBox which I believe was mostly a scarf subscription service.  They quickly evolved into Style Quarterly whose mission was to tell a story around a seasonal theme by sending four boxes per year filled with limited edition fashion and beauty items.  Their focus is on small, independent businesses which always makes for a better sub box, in my opinion.  

Style Quarterly promises to send three to six fashion, beauty and lifestyle products per quarter so it was really exciting to actually receive NINE items in my first box!  The box itself is fairly small considering what it holds; I couldn't believe how much came out of it.  How often do you receive a sub box that contains NO filler whatsoever? No mountain of crinkle shreds, no half empty boxes, no tiny samples, no coupons where you have to spend a lot of money to get something, no advertisements.  This box really delivers!

My first Style Quarterly box is white with a cute graphic of a girl standing in front of a VW Bug, packed and ready to go.  I'm already intrigued!




Inside there is a letter detailing the products which are packaged inside hot pink tissue paper.  The theme for Spring is "Road Trippin'" so this box contains a lot of travel essentials.




This photo doesn't do justice to ALL that's jammed into this box!




First there is a pair of aviator sunglasses with a hard shell case.  These have gold rims and UV400 protection.  The case is faux reptile with a cleaning cloth inside.




The second item is a bottle of Lemon Vanilla body and hair spray, an alcohol free body and hair mist from Puur Body.  This smells like REAL lemons with a dash of vanilla...like lemon sugar cookies.


     
I wasn't familiar with Baggu before this box but I'm a fan now.  They make bags from 100% ripstop nylon that can hold 50 lbs and weigh less than 2 oz.  They can hold the contents of 2 or 3 plastic grocery bags.  These are available in an amazing array of colors and patterns on their website.  The one I received is a polka dotted salmon/coral color and came packed in its own little bag with a foldover top.



My camera really struggled with the color; it's brighter and prettier than these photos show. This bag is their "standard Baggu" which retails for $9.  The little pouch would make this really convenient to stash in a purse or backpack.  



Rifle Paper Co. products have been showing up in a lot of sub boxes lately.  That's not a bad thing since they are a high quality stationery and gift brand.  There is a really nice "Bon Voyage" themed travel journal in this box.  On the right side, the pages are lined and have a place for the location and date at the top.  The left sides are blank so you can draw pictures, attach photos or tickets or make notes about where you want to visit next.


This next item is a box containing 12 Luxe Towelettes from Box Naturals.  These are good for removing makeup, spot treating, quick wipe downs or whatever you need to do.  They are lightly scented with rose and lavender essential oils.  



I am not crazy about this gold "good luck" reversible coin bracelet, but it would make a nice layering piece.  It sells for almost $28 on Amazon.  It is lightweight and seems to be well made.


This elephant and paisley patterned square scarf is very lightweight and has an ethnic look to it.  This would be easy to wear no matter what the season and the colors make it a great versatile accessory.  This scarf retails for $16 on the Shop David and Young website.


Like a clown car, there is still MORE coming out of this box!  There is a 2.25 oz. bottle of foaming cleanser from One Love Organics in their "Easy Does It" scent.  This lathers into a non-drying foam that can be used on your face, hair and body.


Also from One Love Organics is a white heart shaped cleansing sponge.  The texture of this is hard and condensed but when you put it in warm water, it softens up fully and expands. This is meant to work with the foaming cleanser and is particularly nice for cleansing your face.


So there you have all nine products in my first Style Quarterly box.  This was such a fun box to open and dig through and I love the way that all the products were in some way useful for travel.

One real benefit to quarterly sub boxes is that the companies have more time to assemble quality products and thoughtfully curate their boxes.  The pressure is intense on monthly subs to get their boxes out and sometimes subscribers see the impact in terms of poor curation, sub standard products or "what were they thinking?" inclusions.  That is rarely the case with quarterly subs.  Three months is a long time to wait between boxes but chances are good that you'll generally be pleased with what you get.

If you're interested in trying Style Quarterly, use code RAM10 to get a 10% discount for the life of your subscription.  Their Spring boxes are sold out but June boxes are on sale now. You may want to sign up quickly as I suspect these will sell out soon.  If you don't want to subscribe, you can buy a single box for the same price ($49.90) as a regular subscription box.  (The discount code does not work on a single box purchase.)

Everything about this box appeals to me.  There are a couple of items that I won't use personally but everything is gift quality.  The diversity and focus on small businesses sets this box apart and makes it one to grab if you can!


Thanks for reading,


Cheryl

Disclosure:  Views and opinions expressed in this blog are strictly my own.  Product discussed in this post was purchased by Lone Star Shopper. Post does not contain referral or affiliate links.

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