PopSugar Must Haves March Box

So I really love monthly subscription boxes. Getting packages in the mail is quite fun, and the whole element of surprise makes it even more exciting. My first venture into the world of monthly subscription boxes was Birchbox. Birchbox is $10/month and you get 5 samples of either makeup, skincare, or hair products. I was a subscriber for a year when I began to feel overwhelmed by the millions of packets of hair creams and face moisturizers overflowing my makeup drawers. (If you want to see specifically what's included in a Birchbox, I have posts on my September and October birchboxes!) So, in December of 2012, I decided to try a different box. Through my hours of watching "beauty gurus" on YouTube, I had seen several unboxings of the PopSugar Must Haves box. I was hesitant about this box at first, because it is $35/month, which is significantly more money than Birchbox. But after seeing people get books, full-size beauty products, food, and workout gear, I decided the extra money may be worthwhile. Birchbox was good for a while, but the boxes were definitely hit or miss for me, and you can only try so many different moisturizers before your face starts to rebel. PopSugar is different because it's not just beauty products - it's lifestyle products. So without further adieu, I present to you my PopSugar Must Haves March box!

Right on top is a little guide to everything that's in the box. If you want to be spoiled right away, you can read this, but I personally like to draw out this process by reaching my hand in and pulling one thing out at a time.

Item #1 is the Corkatoo Corkscrew. I think this is the cutest thing ever and seeing that I do not own a wine opener myself, I actually needed this. My parents are very big into the vino as well, so this item will get plenty of use in my house. This retails for $16 and can be found here.

Item #2 is the Laundress Wool & Cashmere Shampoo. This was the only item in the box I was "ehh" about. According to the guide, the boxes came with one of three washes, the other two being the Denim wash and the Delicate Wash. I guess I just got unlucky and got the wash that I would use/need the least. Hopefully my mom will find a use for this. This product retails for $19 and can be found here.

Product numero tres is The New Black Nail Polish. I love (hoarding) nail polish, especially blues and greens, so look out for these bad boys in a future nail of the day post! This duo is called "Pardon my French" (which I cannot find online anymore), however more from this brand is available on the company's website as well as at Sephora. The duos retail for $10.

Next we have the Hollywood Fashion Secrets Sweater Saver. This contraption reminds me of a pumice stone you would use on your feet in the shower, except this one you use on any fabric that suffers from pilling. I have yet to try this out, but I'll be very happy if it can save my Lulu Lemon yoga pants! This item can be found aqui and retails for $6.

Next we have the Heather Belle Signature Tassel Necklace. I really love how long and simple this necklace is, and although gold doesn't look as good on me as silver, I am looking forward to wearing this! This can be found on the Heather Belle site and retails for a whopping $72!! With the exception of a Tiffany's necklace given to me by my man friend, I do not own "nice" pieces of jewelry. The most I'll spend is probably $30 on some costume necklaces from American Eagle or Lucky Brand. I'm really excited about this because I would not have spent that kind of money on it.

Last, but certainly not least, we have item #5. I can't even really describe how happy I was to get this - I'm pretty sure I screamed with joy. This is the Buxom Sculpted Lash Mascara. I have heard wonders about Buxom mascara always wanted to try one. Buxom can be found at Sephora and this mascara retails for $19. I have a few other high-end mascaras that I need to go through but expect a review/demo on this soon!





The final two items are considered "special extras" in the PopSugar Must Haves box. The first extra is the Hollywood Fashion Secrets Fashion Tape Assortment Pack. Since this is a sampler pack, there is no retail value, but the various kinds of fashion tape offered retail for $5-9.







The second extra is Marshmallow Peeps. I personally hate marshmallow by itself, but was lucky that my younger sister took a fancy to these. Peeps can be found at pretty much any grocery store. I'm pretty sure these cost about $1, but they may be even cheaper now that Easter is over.

Overall, the total value of this box comes to $148! Not bad considering I paid $35.

While I do love subscription boxes, I can't help but feel buyers' remorse sometimes. Yes, I did get $113 worth of products for "free". However, that $35 I spent could have gone towards something I really need. While I will use almost all of the products in this box, there are still cons to these boxes. What if I don't like the mascara? What do I do with the wool and cashmere shampoo if I can't find someone who wants it? Then I'm "stuck" with stuff I don't want or need. 

With that being said, if you have some extra cash (tax refund season is upon us) and you're thinking of signing up for a monthly box, I would say this one is the most bang for your buck. Yes, it's more expensive, but you get full-size items that you would actually use. I did enjoy Birchbox, but there were only a few items that I ended up using consistently. I have definitely gotten more use out of the items in my four PopSugar boxes than I have in all 12 of my Birchboxes. 

Question time!

Have you tried PopSugar before? What did you think?

Which was your favorite item in the March box?

Any other monthly subscription services you think I should try?

Let me know in the comments below!

More ininformation on PopSugar's Must Have's monthly subscription service can be found here.

More information on Birchboxes monthly subscription service can be found here.

PopSugar unfortunately did not send me this box for free.