December PopSugar Must Have Review

Back in July when the PopSugar Must Have Bag launched, I was approached by the company to highlight their subscription service.  I turned it down at first because they weren't offering any sort of discount, and I wanted to see how the first few bags were before subscribing (since it's a bit more expensive at $35 a month).  It didn't pique my interest until October's bag, which I think has been their best one to date.  I was hoping to sign up to receive November's, but it had already sold out so my first shipment would be December's box.  I had high hopes, but this box didn't impress me.

Like I said, October and November were so good, so I was hoping that December would follow suit.  The box was a good value if you solely consider the retail prices of what was included, but as a whole I felt that the products were pretty lame.

Before I get to the products, I want to talk about how infuriatingly slow their shipping is!  The shipping is free (well, it's included in the $35), so I don't expect it to get to me super fast, but it shouldn't have taken as long as it did, either.  While I was waiting for my box I noticed some message board posts where people were saying that it seemed like their boxes sat in Sacramento for days before making any movement.  Mine did as well, and it made me wonder if PopSugar sends out the shipping notices when the labels print, not when they actually ship.  In total, it took the box 11 days to get to me in New York.

So after that wait, I was really hoping I would love this box.  I did peek at some spoilers, and I found the items to be not so great (listed below clockwise from top left).

• Bodum Bistro Mugs - A two-pack of double-walled glass mugs that can hold hot or cold beverages.  They retail for around $30 and they are nice, but it's not something I would want or buy otherwise so I was indifferent to them.
• Go Swype - This little wipe is to clean off tech devices, and I'll use it primarily for my laptop and phone screen.  They're only good for about two weeks, though, which is lame; but I'm sure I'll be using it for longer than that.
• Jaboneria Marianella Soap - I do like soaps, so this item was probably my favorite.  The scent I received was "Dama de la Noche," with apple, lemon, and Dama de la Noche bloom.  It's a pretty scent overall.
• Pinch Provisions Minimergency Kit - I read/watched some other reviews where people were pretty excited about this item, but it was another one that I could take or leave.  I was hoping to at least get a fun color like purple or green, but I got taupe.  Again, it's something I'll use, but not something that I really wanted (it contains little emergency items like floss, band aids, etc.).
• Tea Forte Sampler - So many teas.  I am so tired of getting teas in subscription boxes.
• Bogdon's Peppermint Poles - These are yummy and I liked them.
• Rent the Runway $30 gift code - I'll never use this.  I would post the coupon for someone else to use, but it says you have to be a Must Have subscriber to use it.

Bottom Line: This box did nothing to make me want to continue as a subscriber and I cancelled shortly after receiving it.  PopSugar Must Have is a good idea in theory, but for me it's too much to spend each month on items I may or may not use.