So if you are an avid reader here, you may remember my last Nina Garcia Quarterly review, the box so epically bad that it inspired me to write a poem about the tiny black rubber shoe it included. In homage to that box, I’ve decided to rate my Fall Nina Garcia box, with a new “tiny rubber shoe” rating. Worst = 1 tiny black rubber shoe, Best = 5 tiny rubber black shoes.
Now you may think this review is super late, but this box that was supposed to arrive in October, but showed up in late November. I have to admit it was a bit of a bummer since you kind of want a Fall Fashion Box to show up at the start of the season.
Now enough chitcat, let’s put on our judgy pants, bust out the little rubber shoes and keep our fingers crossed there won’t be another #$#%# hat in this one….
And…
Sigh…
Ballin’ Hat by Brian Lichtenberg: (Estimated Retail: $48.00)
Nina’s Description: “Brian’s pieces are playful and adored by the fashion set. This hat will keep you cool and stylish all season long.”
Tiny Black Shoe Rating: -10 shoes
FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY – STOP TRYING TO PICK OUT HATS!
Yes, that is a knit hat with the word “Ballin” on it. Okay, just think about what your day would be like if you walked down the street with the word “Ballin” on your fucking forehead. I can’t even…. There are a million awesome hats out there, why does Nina keep picking out hats with crap written on them that most women would rather be caught dead than wear? Seriously?
Pantone Mug: (Estimated Retail: $15.00)
Nina’s Description: “Whether you are a coffee, tea, or hot chocolate drinker, the winter is a time for hot beverages to keep you warm. I find that having a stylish go to mug makes the experience even better”
Tiny Black Shoe Rating: 2 shoes
zzz..zzz.zzz.zzz
What, oh, what’s that? Sorry, I was so bored I fell asleep. Now there is nothing wrong with a mug, but it’s pretty uninspiring. The fashion-y aspect of this makes it suited to the box but it’s just not interesting enough, imho. I also think it’s pretty funny that the Panteone color on the label doesn’t match the color painted on the mug even though they are supposed to be the same very specific shade.
Sweater Comb by the Laundress: (Estimated Retail: $18.00)
Nina’s Description: “It removes pills and keeps everything looking renewed and refereshed season afters season. I even use it on wool coats and scarves.”
Tiny Black Shoe Rating: 5 shoes!
I know that a sweater comb doesn’t scream out excitement, but this is incredibly practical and is something I didn’t know existed. I have that little vacuum shaver thingy that you use for pills but that really lessens the life of your knits. This looks like a less abrasive alternative and I’m totally digging it.
Rue Gembon Earrings: (Estimated Retail: $65.00)
Nina’s Description: “These earrings are a versatile accessory in that you can wear them to both the office and out to dinner or a party. They are also a good way to show your personal accessory style when you are all bundled up..”
Tiny Black Shoe Rating: 8 shoes!
I love, love, love these earrings. You can actually wear them several ways since the pearl piece is separate and can be removed. So you can wear the pearls piece either in front of your lobe (or behind) or just wear the studs. That’s a lot of looks for one small earring. I agree with Nina that these can easily be dressed up or down and I love the way they lay on the ear – almost like a cool ear cuff. This is exactly the kind of thing I expect from Nina and I wish more items showed this type of sophistication and practicality. This also came with a coupon code for the Rue Gembon site. I couldn’t find these exact earrings, but I linked to ones that are very similar.
Nude’s Progenius Treatment Oil: (Estimated Retail: $39.00)
Nina’s Description: “ …is made of plant oils containing omegas, but is free from parabens, sulfates, phthalates, mineral oil, or petrochemicals…”
Tiny Black Shoe Rating: 5 shoes!
I’ve really gotten into cleansing and face oils in the last year or so, so I always welcome trying out new products, especially all natural ones. I think this is a perfect beauty item to include in a Fall/Winter box so Nina definitely chose well with this.
RGB Cosmetics Polish in Oxblood (Estimated Retail: $18.00):
Nina’s Description: “ …As the season change, so does our nail color. To keep your nail game on point, I have included a chic, wintry polish.…”
Tiny Black Shoe Rating: 3 shoes!
Okay you know I love polish and you know I love dark reds, but I had to knock off a couple shoe points because this looks very very similar to the polish Nina sent in last year’s fall box. I know it’s a different brand, but I think it’s still way too similar. I think other folks got different shades so this might just be an issue with my box. The polish seems quite nice though.
Deux Lux Cross-Body Handbag (Estimated Retail: $75.00):
Nina’s Description: “ This cross body satchel is right on trend with its fringe and is a super fun, lightweight piece to tote your goods around town. A seasonal handbag is a great way to update your look and make your wardrobe feel fresh…”
Tiny Black Shoe Rating: 2 shoes
Okay so I agree with Nina on a lot of points here and I’m 100% behind the *idea* of this bag. The problem for me is the execution. This is a “vegan leather” bag which pretty much means pleather. I actually own a lot of vegan leather bags and I love them, but this particular color, in this fabrication, with all that fringe just looks (as Nina would say) “inexpensive”. I think in another color or with less fringe or something it might be better, but this just looks a bit Forever 21 for my taste. Perhaps if the fringe was shorter or finer, but this just isn’t sophisticated enough. I would have wanted to use this at the start of the fall season, so getting it in November just seems a bit on the late side. I couldn’t find this exact bag on the site, so I linked to a similar one. This one has a different strap and different colors, but you can already see how much nicer and more expensive that makes the bag look.
OVERALL:
Hit!
Was this a perfect box? No.
Was it well curated with thought put into most of the selections? Yes.
The only truly horrific item is the Ballin hat. While a knit hat is appropriate for Fall/Winter, it’s only that particular beanie I take issue with (and there’s a sentence I never thought I’d type.) While I didn’t love the bag or mug, they fit perfectly with this type of sub and I can easily see other folks loving them.
With using similar priced items to the ones that I couldn’t find exact matches for, this box came out to a retail value of $278.00. I paid $100 for it and got a few items I love, a couple I really like and a few I’ll give away, so I definitely think I got my money’s worth. Nina had a lot to make up for with her last box, and while this isn’t the roaring success of the 2013 Fall box, it’s a huge improvement over the mess we saw in July.
Theoretically our next box should come in March and I’m excited to see what shows up for spring.
What did you think of this box? Would it be worth the $100 to you?
Lisa Preziosi 