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Dottie Box Subscription Box Review – October 2014

Haley Faye
ByHaley FayeOct 18, 2014 | 15 comments

Dottie Box Subscription Box Review – October 2014 Box

Dottie Box is a box curated every month for women. They feature high quality handmade items, small businesses, and indie brands. They offer a regular and a mini box; this is a review of the regular box.

This box was sent to us for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).

 

 

Dottie Box Subscription Box Review – October 2014 Items

The Subscription: Dottie Box

The Cost: Full Size Box: $20/month + $6 shipping, Mini Box: $10/month + $3 shipping

The Products: Quality hand-made items for women selected from indie brands and small businesses.

Ships to: US

Check out all of our Dottie Box reviews!

 

Dottie Box Subscription Box Review – October 2014 Info

Each box comes with an informational card detailing the featured items (there were also two coupons included this month).

 

Dottie Box Subscription Box Review – October 2014 Candle

 

Dottie Box Subscription Box Review – October 2014 Soap

 

Plain J Body and Home Caramel Popcorn Candle – ~4 oz, value: $8

Not a Dirty Hippie Shampoo Bar - ~4 oz, value: $6.50

Candles are one of my favorite things to get in subscription boxes (especially soy candles) so I was definitely happy to see one in this month’s Dottie Box. This Caramel Popcorn candle definitely has a nice, salted caramel scent to it and Fall is the perfect time to use it!

 

 

Dottie Box Subscription Box Review – October 2014 Balm

 

Gabriel’s Good Tidings Lip Balm Holder Keychain – value: $16

Black Widow Tinted Lip Balm - .15 oz, value: $10

This lip balm is priced higher than I’d personally value a single chapstick, but I do like the color on me - I know I’ll use it.

Verdict: Overall, I liked this month’s Dottie Box and I know I’ll get good use out of pretty much everything. The value adds up to $40.50 which is more than double the cost – I’m happy!

What did you think of the October Dottie Box?

Haley Faye
Haley Faye
Haley Faye first discovered the wonderful world of subscription boxes in 2012 and began writing for MSA in 2014. Over the years, she has found many subscriptions to love. Now a mom of three, her favorite boxes are ones that dress her kids, help her get organized, feed her family, send her snacks, and offer educational fun for her children.

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15 comments

Gabbi B

I loved this months Dottiebox! The candle I got was Apple Maple Bourbon scented and it was amazing!

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sonya

I received that balm in my pashbox subscription and it is amazing. They have a deal where you can get 35% off your entire purchase through December on the black widol etsy shop. Use code BWIDOW35

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sonya

*widow

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PA Anna

DottieBox sends out an email each month with the Esty vendors listed. I ordered this box as a one time box because of the lip balm holder. I promptly put the lip balm that I made from the Homegrown Collective in it and placed it in my purse. Carmel popcorn candle! That would be a big hit in my house. The candle scent I received is spice market perfect for the fall.

I’ll admit to being a teensy-weensy sensitive about the price comment because I encounter that a lot with my products. I think the price is on target for a tinted lip balm. There is a lot involved in running a small business like this. She may need to use a certified kitchen or have her kitchen certified depending on her state regulations. Good quality oils are expensive. A quality product will produce a higher price point. It’s hard for a small business to compete pricewise against large well known lip balms companies.

Still it is a valid point because the comment is about what a lip balm is worth to her. Some people might value a handmade tinted lip balm at a higher price point than others. I was impressed with her label which makes her product stand out.

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Jessica

PA Anna,
Can I ask what your company is called, or what type of products? I’m crazy about handmade beauty products and am always searching for more.

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PA Anna

Jessica, Thank you for asking. What we produce is certified organic food and crops so no beauty products… yet. I’ve been studying herbalism and am planning to grow herbs next year for medicinal and culinary use, but even for us to dry them, there are special rules and regulations that we have to follow because it is consider a value-added product.

One of the things I’ve been weighing is the cost of the certified kitchen to produce value added products. In PA a certified kitchen can be in your home if you have no animals. Otherwise it needs to be in a separate building or a community certified kitchen where you are charged by the hour. Other states have cottage laws which allows small producers to prepare things at home without having a certified kitchen. I don’t know if PA has a similar law, but I do know the things that I looked at to increase our product line (cheesemaking, drying herbs, making herb salves etc) requires a certified kitchen.

A long answer to a short question 🙂

Gina

The tinted Black Widow balms are awesome. They come in a variety of colors and are long lasting. I have several…lol. I was first introduced to them through Dottie Box last year.

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Bryn

If Benefit can charge $18 for a tinted lip balm. I don’t think $10 is out of the question.

I checked out their Etsy site and it appears they use natural, high quality ingredients. I think you need to take that into account and also that it’s a small company you are supporting.

Sometimes it really disappoints me how much emphasis these reviews place on monetary value. There’s so much excitement about a scarf with a retail value of over $100 but a snarky comment about a lip balm. I feel bad for the company – it sounds like you are saying their product isn’t worth the price they charge for it.

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Tacie

Snarky? I didn’t get that at all from the post. Ten bucks for chapstick is a bit higher than I’d pay on my own as well. That in no way reflects what the product’s actual worth is. In addition, that’s why we subscribe to these boxes- to try brands we might never have picked up in a store or online. We may not have even known they existed prior to unboxing. If the product turns out to be amazing, then it might warrant a purchase at the price sought out by the seller. They have the opportunity to succeed in adding value (in my eyes) by allowing me to experience a product firsthand that I didn’t know existed.

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Tacie

I forgot to mention one more thing. As unfortunate as it may seem, the American culture is most often on the lookout for a “good deal”.

Katie

I love Dottiebox. So much actually that I get the regular and the mini. I do totally agree that $10 for a lip balm is more than I would ever pay.

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