August 6, 2015

LE TOTE: Netflix for Clothing

le tote

www.letote.com

Price: $49/month. $5/month insurance recommended. Free shipping both ways.

The Deal: After a style quiz, browse through Le Tote's catalog and collections to put items in your "closet" (basically your wish list). Every tote comes with two accessories and three clothing items chosen either from your closet or based on your style quiz. Keep them for as long as you like before you return them, or buy the pieces you love. Unlimited totes per month.

Review: Le Tote is basically the clothing and accessories version of Rocks Box–which, as you all know, I love. So far I think it's a pretty good deal. You get a lot of stuff for $50 a month, and you don't have to buy anything, so it's a great chance to try out new trends without cluttering up your closet.

Another thing I really like that's unique to Le Tote is that they let you review all the items in your tote *before* they mail it. You can then switch out pieces you don't want for something else. Love this feature! The only piece of clothing I really like in this tote is the one I decided to switch for.

Also, you don't even have to clean your clothes at all–they do it when you send them back. Basically you can order a weekly wardrobe and send it back without ever having to do laundry! (Note to self: Attempt to see if this actually works.)

Coupon: Use the link above to get $25 off your first month at Le Tote.

Notes: Portions of this post originally appeared on Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and Books. The link above is a referral link. The author will receive a $15 in-store Le Tote credit if you sign up using the above link.

August 5, 2015

BOOK RIOT QUARTERLY BOX: Bookish Delight in a Box

book riot chillin box


quarterly.co

Price: $50 every three months, plus $5 shipping. You can also buy individual boxes without subscribing, sometimes on sale. $8 shipping for non-subscribers. International shipping options.

The Deal: The people who brought you Book Riot hand-select 5-6 books and bookish items to brighten your life.

Review: I'll be honest, the only reason I ordered this box was because I wanted that #Booksandbooze flask. I love the flask. Ergo I am very happy with my purchase.

That said, I got this box on sale. I think the regular price of Book Riot's box ($50) is pretty steep. But for $25, getting an awesome flask, one book I'll probably never read and another book I'll *definitely* never read, a bookmark and some random notebook paper seems reasonable.

Notes: Portions of this post originally appeared on Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and Books. The author is a contributor to Book Riot but is not associated with the Book Riot Quarterly Box in any way.

August 4, 2015

LOVE WITH FOOD: Snacks for One

love with food

lovewithfood.com

Price: $10-24.95/month, free shipping

The Deal: Curated snack boxes are sent to your home or office every month.

Bonus: For every box sent, Love with Food donates meals to hungry children in America through various food banks.

Review: Love with Food has two significant differences to Nature Box. First of all, the snacks are single-serving, probably a good option if you're planning on enjoying them all by your lonesome. Second of all, each box is "curated" by various foodies, nutritionists, chefs, etc. You don't get to choose what goes in it, beyond a gluten free option.

The problem with curated boxes like this is that if the theme isn't cohesive or specific, it feels like you've been sent a bunch of random stuff. Unfortunately my box leaned more toward the random side. I was also extremely unimpressed with the "healthy snack" selection. It could just be the box curator for that month, but the taste of the snacks ranged from meh to blech and ptooie. If these are healthy snacks, give me Cheetos or give me death.

Notes: Portions of this post originally appeared in "Unboxing Subscription Boxes" in the April 2015 edition of The Pueblo PULP. The author received this box for review purposes.

August 3, 2015

WANTABLE: Intimates Collection

wantable intimates collection

www.wantable.com

Price: $40 for the first month and $36/month thereafter. Free shipping both ways.

The Deal: Wantable sends 3-5 "intimates" items (loungewear, lingerie, bras, panties, socks, etc.) every month based on a style quiz. You can return items if you don't like them and rate items for improved boxes in the future.

Review: So far I'm very pleased with Wantable! They have different monthly subscriptions focusing on fashion accessories, makeup, intimates, fitness clothing, and style edits (which are basically the same as Stitch Fix). I went with the intimates collection because I realized I didn't have enough pajamas, and the ones I did have were on their last legs. So to speak. There was a simple quiz about my size, style preferences, and what sorts of items I wanted (have I mentioned I'm a sucker for quizzes?), and then I got my box lickety-split. I absolutely loved the items they sent and the price was very reasonable–$40 per box, which translated to less than $20 per item. Plus a $4 credit on the next box if I keep everything. I can't wait to get my next box! Definitely recommend this service.

Notes: Portions of this post originally appeared on Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and Books. The link above is a referral link. The author will receive a $10 Wantable in-store credit when you sign up using the above link.

July 30, 2015

SCENT TRUNK: Niche Perfumes and Colognes

scent trunk

scenttrunk.com

Price: $18-$15/month, free shipping

The Deal: After completing a scent profile, subscribers receive three indie and niche fragrance samples hand-picked just for them.

Review: I was super excited to try this box service. I've never been the type of person who wears perfume, but I always wished I was, so this seemed like a great opportunity to try out different perfumes and see what worked for me.

There's a lot to like about Scent Trunk: I love that they only use niche fragrances, and the customer service is awesome and very personable. I also really liked the "Fragrance 101" emails they sent.

Unfortunately, all the perfumes Scent Trunk sent me contained scents I specifically said I did NOT like in the quiz. I don't know if it was human error or their website's algorithms were off or what. All but one of the perfumes were completely awful; one even made me sneeze. The "Rate My Scents" option is actually a way to get subscribers to write public reviews for Scent Trunk's retail website and not private feedback. End result: I did not feel listened to.

Add to that a snafu with the shipping (they said I'd receive the package by Friday, by Wednesday I was still waiting and then they sent me the wrong tracking number after I emailed them), and I think this box is a cancel.

On the plus side, though, these awful perfumes–which aren't cheap, by the way; check out how much this one retails for–provided an opportunity for my dad to give hilarious reviews of them. They ranged from, "You smell like you've been rolling around in old lady clothes," to "What's that smell?" to, "I don't smell anything. Five stars."

Notes: Portions of this post originally appeared on Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and Books.

July 29, 2015

NATURE BOX: Healthy Snacks

Naturebox Month 1
Image via flickr


naturebox.com

Price: $16.95-19.95/month, free shipping

The Deal: Choose up to five unique, healthy snacks to be sent to your home or office every month.

Bonus: For every box sent, Nature Box donates one meal to Feeding America.

Review: Nature Box offers a TON of very unique snacks you can't get anywhere else, like JalapeƱo White Cheddar Popcorn, Guacamole Bites, Flat Fortune Cookies, and Santa Fe Corn Stix. You can also find more typical snacks, such as pretzels, chips, and cookies, but without hydrogenated oils or artificial colors and sweeteners. Every bag has enough to share, and while not every snack is a hit, it's fun to try some of the stranger ones.

If you like trying new snacks and have a bunch of people to share them with, this is definitely the snack box for you.

Notes: Portions of this post originally appeared in "Unboxing Subscription Boxes" in the April 2015 edition of The Pueblo PULP. The author was sent this box for review purposes.

July 28, 2015

BAMBOO SUPPLY CO: Socks Box!

zockster socks

http://www.bamboosupplyco.com/

Price: $14-$16, depending on subscription, free shipping

The Deal: Bamboo Supply Co. sends you their brand of bamboo dress socks, which are soft, antibacterial, moisture-wicking, and safer for the environment than traditional socks.

Review: Who doesn't like socks, amirite? I think a subscription box service for socks is a great idea, because you know you're going to need them. I would have liked socks that were a little quirkier design aesthetic, but that's just my personal style. The socks from Bamboo Supply Co. are very comfortable and soft, like silk or cashmere, and luxurious. They might not last a super-long time, but hey, that's what the subscription's for.

Notes: Portions of this post originally appeared in "Unboxing Subscription Boxes" in the April 2015 edition of The Pueblo PULP. The author received this box for review purposes.