So it’s time for one of my favorite reviews – a Popsugar Limited Edition box. If you are a frequent reader, you know these boxes are like crack to me. As soon as they come out, I must grab them, so when Popsugar introduced the Limited Edition Fall box I just couldn’t help myself.
Now one of the things I love about Popsugar LE boxes is the actual box it comes in. They are sturdy and full of win. I use the giant Neiman Marcus box to house my polish collection, while the others like this one, hold my gift stashes from boxes.
Now enough of my love and adoration for the box and let’s see what’s inside.
Marchesa Voyage for Shopstyle Printed Scarf (Suggested Retail: $140)
Category: Must Have Fashion
Description: “Impulse makes a great accessory. Inspired by designer Georgina Chapman’s own scarf collection, this printed scarf details an all-over floral pattern that encircles the Marchesa’s logo. A vibrant accent, it instantly wraps a flash of luxe to any look.”
Verdict: Ambivalent
I love Marchesa, (or better said I have loved Marchesa from afar because I am mostly poor), so I should be psyched to get this, but I just can’t muster up to much feeling for it. It’s soft and excellent quality but the print feels very ho hum to me. I also don’t understand why Popsugar would put a scarf in the September box and a scarf in this box when they come out at about the same time? The ombre scarf from the September box was more my type of vibe. This scarf is also being given as a free gift if you purchase the knit zip dress or moto jacket if you use the code SCARF at checkout. The fact that it’s a free gift and not all that interesting sort of lowers the value to me. Don’t get me wrong it’s a nice scarf and I’m going to keep it because I want a Marchesa piece in my collection, but I’m just not as thrilled with it as I expected.
Make Silk Cream Lipstick in Radicchio (Suggested Retail: $25)
Category: Must Have Beauty
Description: “When it comes to lipstick, long –lasting color and hydration should go hand in hand. Using a unique blend of waxes and oils, this creamy lipstick delivers both intense color and luxurious nourishment for pigmented perfection.”
Verdict: Like
Red lips are huge for fall and I really like this brick red shade. I am unfamiliar with the Make brand so I’m excited to try it out. The packaging on this was a bit unique as well which made it a little more interesting than the usual lip product. I currently have a ton of lipsticks and glosses in use, so I didn’t swatch this one and am setting it aside until I finish up a few more products.
Sugarpova Chic Gummy Candy (Suggested Retail: $5.99)
Category: Must Have Food
Description: “
Verdict: Hit!
I have a weakness for gummies. As you can imagine this low carb diet crap has been very very sad news for my gummy addiction. Good news is that I am going on a carb bender for my birthday so I am reserving this bag for my little birthday trip. I probably wouldn’t have grabbed this on my own as I am partial to Swedish Fish and Twizzlers, but it’s a fun, cute treat.
Capsule Parfums Byway Eau de Parfum (Suggested Retail: $38.00)
Category: Must Have Beauty
Description: “Influenced by fashion, beauty, and street culture, this boutique fragrance might just become your new signature scent. With notes of crystal spun sugar, vanilla essence, amber petals and twilight jasmine, this sweet and playful blend is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.”
Verdict: !#$#$@$
Damn it Popsugar! How many times have we had this conversation? Stop sending large perfumes in these boxes!!! I don’t care if you think a scent is a “guaranteed crowd pleaser”, the odds are a lot of your subscribers won’t like it or just won’t be able to use it. I don’t mind small parfum sprays, but it’s always a bummer when I see a perfume as a large item. It’s doubly sad when it shows up in a LE box. We had this same problem with that awful Coconut perfume in the May Must Have Box. Setting aside my inherent dislike of perfumes, this one is super sweet and to me reads a bit young. I don’t hate it, but I don’t like it either. It also seems much more like a summery scent than a fall one.
Joie Zorina Knit Hat (Retail: $98.00)
Category: Must Have Fashion
Description: “As the cooler months approach, this knit hat will keep you warm in style. With a wool-cashmere blend, this chic cream-colored hat will prepare you for the chilly days ahead.
Verdict: Hit!
I love that we finally got an item that totally screams out Fall. My current go-to Fall/Winter hat is a slouchy knit cream, so this is write up my alley. This one is a bit more fitted, but I think it will look great with my hair and complexion. I’m psyched to try out the Joie brand and I think this is a nice classic piece that a lot of ladies could use.
Indie Lee Brightening Cleanser (Suggested Retail: $32.00)
Category: Must Have Beauty
Description: “…this cult-favorite brightening cleanser is your one-stop shop for flawless skin. The all-natural pink formula oxidizes into a buttercream hue to exfoliate, tighten, and soothe your skin to perfection.”
Verdict: Hit!
As you know I love trying out new beauty products and this one sounds particularly intriguing with its whole “oxidizes” spiel. It’s also fun to try out “cult-favorites” and see what all the fuss is about.
OVERALL:
Verdict: Like, but with some reservations…
This box cost me $107 and according to my math skills (aka Excel spreadsheet) we received $344.99 worth of product. So from a strictly technically standpoint I got plenty of retail value out of this box. So what’s the problem?
Well, this box really felt like it was missing a lot despite the high retail value. There was no home item included at all, and as much as I love the Marchesa brand I think a piece of jewelry would have been a much better choice given that a hat is already in this box and loyal subscribers already snagged a scarf with the September Must Have. Not only is the perfume a frustrating item to receive for so many of us, but the scent had nothing to do with Fall and neither did the food item. For me, the two “Fall” items were the hat and the lipstick. The others could have been in any box at any time. Fall has so many visceral connotations that this box just doesn’t work in that context.
What did you think of your LE Fall Popsugar Box? Did you love the contents or were you missing the “Fall” part of the box?
THE BACKSTORY
Popsugar is a women’s lifestyle subscription that delivers a monthly box of fun, full-size products hand-selected by Popsugar editors.
In addition to Popsugar’s monthly must have boxes, they have some seasonal special edition boxes that contain uber luxe items. The price tag on these boxes is higher, but the products you receive are high end.
Popsugar Pricing:
Monthly – $39.95
3 Months – $109.85
6 Months – $214.70
12 Months – $404.40
Coupon Codes: REFER5 = $5 off site wide
POPSUGAR10 = $10 off a 3 month subscription
Lisa Preziosi 
I like it! They have great products.
They do feature some fabulous brands.
I’ve been waiting for you to review this box! I felt the exact same way… Nice enough, but definitely felt like it was lacking. The effort was so flat I think it’s turned me off from future Special Editions. 😦
I’ve gotten all the special edition boxes since last Fall. Out of all of them only two have felt lackluster and that was this one and the Resort box (although I did like this one more than the Resort). I’m still open to getting more boxes, because I loved so many others, but if the Holiday one is like this one I may end up finally being able to resist these editions.
I haven’t been a subscriber of PopSugar Must Have in a while. I feel like sometimes they’re a hit! Often times, they seem to be a miss. 😦
The special edition boxes seem to fall into two categories for me either awesome or lackluster. Luckily most of them have been awesome. The regular Popsugar sub tends to be more hit for me than miss. I do wish Popsugar would spend a touch more time making sure that bigger items are more universally appealing to their subscribers.