Earlier this year I was in the midst of a huge project at work and it was invading my life. I was stressed out all the time and need more things to which I could look forward. Normally I am a very prudent, frugal spender (read: cheap), but my mental state called for action. The cure I chose was exploring subscription boxes. Maybe not what a mental health practitioner would recommend, but it was something.
I’ve tried several subscriptions now and, while I have retired a couple of them, others have stuck around.
The outlier: lipstick
Some ongoing skin allergies have made almost all makeup a no-go for me, but mascara and lip products seem to be an exception. It was in a very un-me moment that subscribed to Lip Monthly. I, who don’t wear make-up, starting receiving a monthly installment of lipstick, with mixed results.
Lipstick is a funny thing. If you wear it, you want it to highlight your lips, go with your outfit, look right with your skin tone, etc. So assuming that a randomly chosen batch of lipstick will work with any random person is crazy. The results I experienced bear that out. For instance, I received an enormous tube of lipstick that looks like something I might use if I were dressing up as the Tin-Man from the Wizard of Oz. I think it would be a beautiful shade on someone with a darker, more golden skin tone. On me? Very meh. I also got a pastel pink gloss called Daddy’s Girl. The color and name are both so disturbing that I don’t know quite what to do with it.
The subscription I signed up for was $12.95 a month, so pretty reasonable. My last shipment came in defective packaging so everything spilled out long before it was delivered. Lip Monthly blamed the post office. I blamed them. And our relationship ended, just like that. And now I have a stack of lipstick that I am determined to wear. So if you see me out with some metallic look lips, know that it’s on purpose and that I already know it looks ridiculous.
My weak spot: frivolous trinkety nonsense
Wonder Boy does the grocery shopping in our house and it’s with good reason. In addition to me getting panicked at the idiotic behavior of grocery shoppers, and despite my inherent cheapness, I fall prey to so many displays of stupid things I know I don’t really need while shopping. It’s like I can’t help myself! When shopping around for subscription boxes, I basically had the word “sucker” stamped on my forehead. I tried two that fall into what I think of as frivolous trinkets: GlobeIn and Heima Market.
GlobeIn is, in theory, very cool. They gather fair trade artisanal items and I sincerely think the price you pay for the subscription, which I won’t admit to out of embarrassment but which you can easily look up, is worth it in terms of the labor invested. But the items? I just didn’t need them. The first box came with a bowl for knitters to use with their yarn (I don’t knit), handmade paper for origami (I don’t do origami), crafty tassels (I don’t use crafty tassels) and a very dainty mug (I like my mugs with heft). My second box got stolen off of my front porch, which I took as a sign and cancelled the subscription.
Heima Market is $29 a month, which I consider a little splurgey but have enjoyed so far. They feature things that celebrate “good quality goods, a sustainable lifestyle and slow living.” Oh, and the boxes are nordic themed. It’s so hipster I can hardly stand it except that I love it.
My first (and only month so far), I received a tray, two bowls and a cup. (The picture to the left is the right pattern but wrong collection of items.) Do I need these things? Nope. Do I feel fancy as heck when I use them at work? You bet!
I was going to leave my subscription on a “surprise” setting for each month until I realized I could get month after month of tray sets. Fortunately for me, my memory is like a sieve sometimes and I already forgot what I selected. Surprise for May!
My true love: books
The obvious match for me and subscriptions was around books. I’ve started three and love them all for different reasons.
Bookishly is out of the UK and such a ridiculously easy business plan. Each month I get a coffee sample (enough for 8-12 cups of coffee, so a pretty big sample) and a vintage book. I love coffee. I love books. And man do I think an old Penguin book is cute. Win!
A friend suggested I check out Hello Book Lover and it’s been great. I’ve only received one book, with another en route, but it has a few things going for it. Subscribers are given a choice of two well-curated books from which to pick. That way if I’ve already read one, no problem. Along with the book, you get things related to the theme of the book. So last month I got wildflower seeds, paper straws and recipe cards, all adorable. And finally, and I know this is silly, the box it all comes in is great. Getting a package that says “Hello Book Lover” on the top makes me smile.
My last subscription is too new to review, but is Book of the Month. It’s affordable and ensures I get one new hardcover book each month. I rarely buy books (aside from the subscriptions mentioned above) and rely on the library for new releases. For my May book, I got to select from five choices. All of the suggested books looked good, were reviewed well by other readers on Goodreads and they crossed many genres. I’m looking forward to receiving my first choice soon!
Money well spent, or thrown away
I stand by my decision to explore subscription boxes because it was what I needed when I started checking them out. I’m also pleased that I’ve already unsubscribed to a few and expect a couple others to get tossed aside over the next few months.
I love getting things in the mail. Cards, letters, packages. Too much anymore all we get are bills and junk mail. With some investment of time and a variable amount of financial investment, depending on your tastes and spending money, you can make mail pick-up a lot more fun. I have and with each package, minus that one someone punched a hole in and stole the contents out of, each of these has made me smile. Or, in the case of Daddy’s Girl pink gloss, laugh.
