PopSugar Must Have February 2014 Box Review

Popsugar Must Have's box for February arrived this week!  This was my first box from them and my expectations were high.  At $39.95 a month, this is definitely one of the more expensive subscription boxes out there.  Each box contains a hand curated mix of mostly full size beauty, home, fashion, fitness and food items.  This is a more ambitious concept than many of the other subscription services which tend to focus on only one or two categories.     

My first box showed up 14 days after I placed my order.  I got a nice big box with "Enjoy!" in big letters inside the lid.  Everything was wrapped in pretty pink tissue paper with this pamphlet on the top.  This gives a full color explanation of each product in the box.

First out of the box was the Argan Face Serum by Nourish Organic.  This is a complexion-improving and softening face serum with a really nice apricot and rose hip scent.  At .7 oz., this seems to be more a deluxe sample than a full size product.  When I opened the cap and looked inside, the container was only about 2/3 full.  Also I thought it a bit strange that more than half the box it came in was empty...as if something (instructions?) were missing.  

The fashion item this month is a jewelry roll by Gorjana.  It's a beautiful bright pinkish red color with long ties on the outside.  It has three zippered sections on the inside with zipper pulls that match the outside...a nice touch.  This jewelry roll measures about 12-1/4"x 8-1/2" when open, so it's a really convenient size for travel.  This is very well made and seems to be the real "prize" in this month's box.  This jewelry roll retails for $45 and has 18K gold hardware.  Also included was a coupon for $25 off Gorjana's website.

Next is a Lip Pops Duo by Model Co.  One end is a neutral pink lip gloss and the other end is a mauvish pink lipstick.  These can be worn separately or together and are designed to be long-lasting and high shine.  When I tried it on, this duo almost exactly matched my natural lip color.  It definitely did not add color, but there was a lot of shine.  This product has a light slightly fruity smell.

Another beauty product this month is a gorgeous deep, deep plummish red or burgundy nail polish (darker than it looks in this photo) by NCLA Los Angeles.  While I love the rich color, it seems an odd choice for heading into spring.  I'll save this one for the fall.

The "home" item is a small hand poured candle in a metal container with a lid.  The scent is "Peony" by K. Hall Designs.  This candle has a wonderful strong floral scent.  Hard to believe a 2 oz. candle will burn for 20 hours....we'll see!  I'm looking forward to using this.

I got all excited when I saw the elegant Tiffany blue box tied up with a red cord in this shipment!  Not so fast...we're talking Valentine candy here, NOT Tiffany jewelry!  Inside was a generous size package of heart-shaped cinnamon candies with a card that says "Always expect something sweet is about to happen". The box is really adorable and will be great for re-gifting.     

Also included is a 20% off coupon for a "Petite Sugarwish" from their website.  This is a fun site for gift giving because you make the purchase but the recipient can go on the site and decide which candy they want.  

The heaviest item in the box (by far) was a 16 oz. bottle of Dial Vitamin Boost Body Wash.  This has a nice fresh smell (kiwi, I think) and is probably something everyone can use but I was a little surprised to see a common drug store brand in the mix.  It was presented as a "Special Extra" though, so hopefully, this is not typical of what we can expect in the future.

Popsugar has a straight monthly subscription plan with discounts for the more months you sign up for.  They do offer occasional discounts so be sure to check around before placing your first order.  (I wasn't able to find one as of the time of this post but will update if I run across one.)  

This was a fun box to open because of the product diversity inside.  However, I've read and heard a lot of complaints from subscribers who had received earlier boxes and felt they contained much more bang for the buck.  Some also felt that February's box should have been more geared to Valentine's Day.  Of course, people will complain about anything but my overall feeling is that Popsugar will have to step up the "luxe factor" of these boxes to retain subscriber loyalty.  

Pros

1.  Nice quality products
2.  Creative fun mix
3.  Attractive packaging
4.  Good coupons included

Cons

1.  Price
2.  Drug store product
3.  No opportunity for customization based on subscriber choices

I'm looking forward to next month's box.  Let's hope Popsugar will take subscriber input to heart and make the needed improvements.  If they do, they just may have the best subscription box out there!

Please use my referral code if you'd like to try Popsugar Must Have: http://popsu.gr/qaDh  

Thanks for reading,

Cheryl