By reading her daily posts I have steered away from boxes that wouldn't be a good fit for me while finding some boxes that I really enjoyed splurging on because I could see multiple examples of what the company offered and get a good feel as to the types of items that may arrive on my doorstep. She seems to know what customers want in a subscription and has heard from the comments from subscribers what thrills them and what they would be content in never seeing again. Her box promised to focus on products that were free of harsh chemicals and parabens and offered a range of beauty, lifestyle and fashion items. You can check out my unboxing video by clicking the play button! (Note: you will hear me giggle and see me fumble my way through opening everything with one hand. At one point I say I hope the body scrub is jam because it arrived without a label and I thought that would be rad.)
The cost of this box was $50.00 - fairly steep in terms of a subscription box. Also, Quarterly charges shipping fees on their boxes so that was an additional $8.00. I had a coupon code from the My Subscription Addiction site for $5.00 off that was offered on the day of the announcement, so my box cost $53.00 shipped. I knew that the value of the products in the first MSA Quarterly box would be higher than the purchase price simply because the best boxes always offer you a great variety of products, introduce you to new brands you may be unfamiliar with and have a value exceeding what you paid. In that way, this box definitely delivered, however several of the items were misses for me, and I don't think I would buy this box again. I wanted to support Liz in her endeavor, and I'm glad I did - I will be gifting most of the box contents to friends and family, so even though this box wasn't particularly thrilling to me personally, I know there are people in my life who would love these items.
Here's what came in the #MSA01 "Fall Favorites" Box:
Tatcha Polished Classic Rice Enzyme Powder - 2.1 oz. (Full Size) - $65.00 value
This product is from a brand that I have heard of but I'm unfamiliar with. It is a cleansing powder which you add water to and it exfoliates and smooths your skin from what I understand. It is formulated with rice bran and papaya extract. I am allergic to many tropical fruits including papaya, and other cleansers and masks that I've tried in the past that included it made my skin react unfavorably so I will be gifting or trading this item. It has the highest value of any of the included products and was the teaser that was listed as a preview on the My Subscription Addiction site several weeks ago.
Raw Naturals Chai Latte Scented Soy Wax Candle - $24.00 value
This soy wax candle is fairly small in a clear glass holder. I enjoy the fragrance and love that it is a wood wick style candle. I like the crackling sound you get with this type of wick. The scent is heavily spiced with cinnamon and cardamom. My husband was overwhelmed by the scent, so when I light this I will probably place it in the kitchen and hope that the throw is milder than the out of the box fragrance.
Juice Beauty Reflecting Gloss in Guava - .14 fl. oz. (Full Size) - $15.00 value
Juice Beauty is an organic beauty brand that features all natural products. This lip gloss and products by this brand are featured regularly in beauty subscriptions like PopSugar Must Haves and Ipsy. I have received their products several times, and I just don't enjoy them. When I got this in my Ipsy bag I tried it. It tastes like oranges to me, and I didn't leave it on long enough to get a sense if it was sticky or not, because I just hated the flavor, but I do remember it being very shimmery. I'm sure it's a win for some people, but I have received it in three different subscriptions in the past year and it doesn't excite me simply because of the flavor. The color seems to be a bright orange red. This is one of four shades that went out.
Fig + Yarrow Cardamom and Coffee Body Scrub - ? oz. - $22.00 value
Ummm? This product was a mystery to me. I don't have the information on the size or ounces or really anything about this scrub because it had no labels on it. When I shot my unboxing video I was cracking myself up because I had no idea if this item was jam or a scrub or something else. The scent that I was getting was more likely from the candle than from this. I believe it is sealed under the lid in addition to the piece of tape that was stuck on the jar. There was an ad from the company enclosed with a picture of the label and that is where I got the brand information first. Liz mentions on the card that one of the ingredients is shea butter which is another one of my oddball allergies, so this is also not destined for me. I really wish it had a label since I will be gifting this item, but it didn't come off because the oil had leaked or anything like that - it was well wrapped in tissue paper and bubble. They must have just forgotten mine.
Simonetta Acrylic Infinity Knit Scarf - $25.00
This is a circle scarf and it seems very soft and fuzzy. The herringbone pattern looks a little like a zebra print to me in this charcoal grey and cream blend. I almost didn't remove the plastic wrap from this item because I was sure it was wool, but I was surprised to find it labeled 100% acrylic. It seems very warm, and my husband said I will probably be very happy for it come winter but we agreed that it seems like an outerwear scarf rather than a fashion scarf. I am not a skilled wearer of scarves. I'm always super excited when they turn up in subscription boxes because I never buy them for myself since I always feel a little odd in them, but when the weather snaps this will probably be under my coat since outerwear scarves are less curious for me to figure out.
Also included in the box were codes for Fig + Farrow (a 20% discount), Tatcha (a free deluxe size cleansing oil with your first order) and Just Fab (75% off your first item with a subscription). The Just Fab code is only good through mid October, so I hope that the MSA01 Quarterly boxes all go out in time for the recipients to redeem them. I never add codes of this type into the box value since they usually rely on you spending more money outside of the initial purchase. Still, the overall value comes to $151.00 which is excellent for a box of this type. The My Subscription Addiction box was thoughtfully curated and I know Liz worked hard to make this a winner. It sold out quickly, and I hope Quarterly keeps it in their lineup even though the natural products didn't work for me personally. I know that they will make great gifts and that if I wanted to trade them on the swap forum at MSA they would be snatched up in a heartbeat. I wish I wasn't such a weirdo, but that is what I am and how I leave you!
Much love my friends!
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