Popsugar recently launched a downsized version of their subscription box called The Must Have Mini. The box costs $18.95 and features two full sized items with no overlap for their regular sub, so you can opt to receive both if you want some extra Popsugar in your life.
Last month’s introductory mini box left me pretty underwhelmed. I opted to give this sub one more chance to wow me, or at least give me the idea that they would attempt to send something interesting.
So let’s dive into the second Must Have Mini Box:
Zing Anything Bottle
(Suggested Retail: $12.99)
Description: “This 22 ounce citrus-infuser bottle is the perfect size for bringing to a steamy yoga session or on the go.”
Verdict: Does anyone not have a fancy water bottle by now? Anyone? Hands?
I guess when I crossed my fingers that Popsugar wouldn’t send a water bottle in their subscription, I clearly should have been more specific. While it didn’t show up in the regular Must Have box, it made its appearance in the mini. You know, because when you only have two slots in a box, you should totes choose something incredibly generic that shows up in nearly every women’s lifestyle sub. Also as far as water bottles go, this one isn’t even attractive. ZingAnything has cuter ones (which I own and not surprisingly got from a sub box) so it’s not even a great choice in that regard.
H20+ Oasis Hydrating Treatment
(Retail: $38.00)
Description: ”This bestselling product from H20+ for a quarter of a century, this treatment will hydrate your skin for a softer smoother look..”
Verdict: Okay
A moisturizer. You know cause, those are so rare in sub boxes. This seems like a nice enough product and I like that it’s a gel, but it’s just not that interesting. We get plenty of moisturizers from pretty high end brands in the regular Popsugar so I’m just not feeling that this is all that special. I tried this out and while it feels immediately hydrating, it doesn’t seem like it keeps my skin soft (if that makes sense). The included card suggested using this under make in the morning so I think I’ll try it out that way.
OVERALL:
Verdict: Canceled
We’ll start with the positives. With tax I ended up paying $20.28 for this box and the retail value came out to $50.99, so that was a nice improvement over the first box. It seems the mini boxes are continuing the regular subscriptions theme so this is clearly a “hydration” box but the choices made were so lackluster. If I were curating this box I’d try something like a cool pitcher and maybe a hydrating scalp treatment. Things that fit the theme, but don’t show up in every other box.
After two months of these boxes, I’ve figured out that this sub is basically for people who don’t have a bunch of other subscriptions. If you’ve never subscribed to a sub box, you *might* enjoy this, but if you’re a subscription junkie, there is absolutely no point for you to get this subscription. You get the same items that make the rounds in all the other boxes – including the main Popsugar box. The four items they’ve sent out so far: A Candle, a lip balm, a water bottle, and a moisturizer. That doesn’t scream out “must have” – it screams out “we already have”. This could be a really interesting sub, featuring more unique finds but instead it’s a snoozefest. Really disappointing.
I’ve canceled for now, but if the box curation changes I might give it a try again.
What did you think of the Popsugar Mini Box?
Am I being too hard on the little guy, or do you find the items as boring as I do?
POPSUGAR NEWS!
Summer LE Box Presale! The Limited Edition Summer box will be on sale May 19 at 10am PDT
Description: “As the weather heats up, prepare yourself with stylish essentials made to keep you cool in every way. Spending time outdoors never looked so good.”
Cost: $100.00
This box is typically pretty popular and I think if you want to gamble on an LE box, the summer box is probably most likely to have some really fun stuff. If I see some fabulous spoilers I might treat myself to this, but unless something compelling comes out, I’m sticking with my LE No Buy.
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 Mini Pricing:
(Features 2 Full Size Items)
Monthly – $18.95
Popsugar Must Have 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 