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Escape Monthly Subscription Box Review – December 2015

Ragan Buckley
ByRagan BuckleyDec 21, 2015 | 9 comments

Escape Monthly Subscription Box Review December 2015 - box

Escape Monthly
3 overall rating
36 Ratings | 10 Reviews

 Escape Monthly is a monthly “vacation in a box” subscription.  Each box comes with food, beauty items, and other souvenirs from a new destination.  There are three versions – the regular box (what I’m reviewing here), a mini version, and a luxe version.  In the regular subscription, you get a tour guide book, which may be of use in planning your next vacation!

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

Escape Monthly Subscription Box Review December 2015 - inside

The Subscription Box: Escape Monthly

The Cost: $49.95

Ships to: US (free shipping)

The Products: Each box is a destination-inspired monthly delivery of luxury products to help you relax, renew, and escape.

Check out our past Escape Monthly reviews!

Normally, the box comes with a full-color trifold brochure with more information about the items and the destination.  This time, my box didn’t have one.  I had to go to their Facebook page to figure out the destination – New England.  I went to college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, so I have spent a lot of time in New England, but I graduated 15 years ago so my memories are a little hazy.  At any rate, I was excited about the destination!

Escape Monthly Subscription Box Review December 2015 - book

Frommer’s Easy Guide to Boston, Cape Cod, and the Islands – Value $12.63

The listed price is for a new copy on Amazon.  I had fun flipping through this and looking for things I remembered from my college days.

Escape Monthly Subscription Box Review December 2015 - body

Body Brush with Strap – Value $2.30 (?) 

I linked to something similar.  Without any context, this is just strange.  This is the third month in a row we’ve gotten a body-exfoliating tool.  Perhaps if there had been a brochure, I would have better understood the inclusion of this item.  (It sheds bristles like crazy, by the way.)

Plum Island Soap Co. Face Moisturizer – Value $4 (?)

Plum Island Soap Co. is based in Newburyport, MA.  This moisturizer has a lemony scent and lots of good, natural ingredients.  The value is just a guess because there is no indication of a size on the jar I got nor on the product page on the company’s website.  I’m guessing this is a sample size?

Nature’s Mysteries Lavender Roll-On Perfume – Value $18

This looks to be a full-size bottle, but that’s another guess.  This is pretty much straight lavender oil diluted in a carrier.  I’m thinking it will be good to use around bedtime to help me get to sleep.  (This company is based in Vermont.)

Escape Monthly Subscription Box Review December 2015 - granola

Lake Champlain Chocolates Rum Caramel Filled Dark Chocolate Bar – Value $4

This is made in Vermont in small batches.  I haven’t tried it yet because there is only so much chocolate one person can eat at a time (see below).  I am looking forward to it, though.

True North Maple Vanilla Granola (2.9 oz) – Value  $2.24

Maple vanilla is a great flavor combination for fall.  I nibbled a bit on this and I like it but am saving the rest to put on yogurt.  This is gluten free (does contain oats) and nut free, although a lot of the other flavors contain nuts so proceed with caution if you have allergies.  This is from another small company from Vermont.

Delights of the Earth Cran-Lavender Handmade Lip Balm – Value $3 (?)

You can only buy this wholesale right now (or locally in some New England area shops and Whole Foods locations), so the price is a guess.  This is nicely moisturizing, but be forewarned that the flavor is far more “lavender” than “cranberry” (at least to me).  This is from a small Massachusetts company.

Escape Monthly Subscription Box Review December 2015 - dans

Dan’s Chocolates, Assorted Bars (6 pieces) – Value $7.50 

Dan’s Chocolates is based out of Vermont with a factory in Rhode Island.  Their website has some beautiful chocolate photography – I am drooling and itching to pull out my credit card, even though I don’t *need* any more chocolate right now.  I went for the peanut butter one first, followed by white chocolate.  They were delicious.  I am trying to pace myself with the rest of them…

Verdict: I calculated a value of about $54 for the December Escape Monthly box.  Granted, several of the values were total guesses due to lack of size information, and the Amazon price for a book is almost always going to be lower than the MSRP.  But even if I’m off by a bit, that’s slightly over the cost of the box, and there are often coupons and deals available for this subscription.

However…this was a really weird box.  There were SEVEN chocolate bars!  I like chocolate, don’t get me wrong (I will eat every bit of it eventually), but I feel like this box could’ve been a lot more (and more varied).  The only companies represented were from Massachusetts and Vermont.  What about Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, and Connecticut? 

Anyway, I am crossing my fingers for next month.  The destination is India.  I love stuff from India and there are a lot of possibilities for handicrafts, spices, foods, etc. 

What do you think of the December 2015 Escape Monthly Box?  Do you subscribe?

Starting at $49.95
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Every month Escape Monthly lets you experience incredible destinations – from Tahiti to Rome and from Sicily to Barcelona. Inside, we pack incredible foods, relaxation tips and secrets, and the highest quality products focused on pampering oneself. Each box contains an assortment of deluxe items, pl... read more.
Ragan Buckley
Ragan Buckley
Ragan stumbled across My Subscription Addiction in late 2013 and immediately subscribed to way too many beauty boxes. She's now focused on boxes for her cats and dog, vegan/vegetarian food boxes, and craft subscriptions (and she didn't give up beauty boxes entirely).

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9 comments

Keziah Stroppel

This month’s box sucked. At first I thought that someone had opened it and took stuff out, until I verified the same items were reviewed. I have now cancelled this subscription. It’s just not worth it.

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Kate

This is a box that has so much potential – the idea of trying goodies from around the world is such an appealing one – but I have never seen one box that has the slightest bit of appeal to me. The need a new curator! I think any of us could come up with better ideas. It’s a shame, too, because they seem to be the only one on the market with this niche. I’m actually surprised no one else has picked up on it and tried to compete, – I’m quite sure it would be pretty easy to blow them out of the water. Maybe like someone else says they’ll move to quarterly and then hire someone who knows how to properly curate a box.

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Amber

I can’t believe this box is still going. With that said, that Rum Caramel is one of my favorite chocolate bars (NY native here relocated to VT).

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Ragan

It is pretty good, I finally got around to trying that one.

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Mandy

I don’t sub to this box but based on the pics it looks like everything was just thrown into the box with no care or concern or set theme. It looks horrible!!! There are so many wonderful and interesting items that could have come from New England and I don’t understand why there wasn’t more thought behind the items in the box. Every review on this box prior to this one has seemed at least a little more…put together. This one seems just unimaginative and boring! So much chocolate and not really anything else of value…a lip balm, book, and small pouch of granola? Wow!!! Now don’t get me wrong…I like chocolate (a lot!!!!) but that isn’t what I would expect or want from any sub box unless it’s a chocolate of the month box or something like it.

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Tamara

Yay for New England! I grew up in Connecticut (moved to Florida when I was 25.) I think I would have been excited and then disappointed by this box.

I don’t know what to make of this box. The first one I received was for Japan and it was awful. I cancelled but accidentally got two more boxes and they were both MUCH better. I thought they were turning it around.

But then I see this.

I agree that it’s just weird. Nothing says New England to me except that the companies are based there. And, asaik, they’re not even iconic NE brands.

Yeesh.

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Lori

Every time I see reviews of this box, I’m so glad I cancelled after 2. Seems like they should change these to quarterly and really put the effort in to curate properly.

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yourbilletdoux

Wow that’s a lot of chocolate!

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Ragan

I seriously couldn’t even attempt to eat it all at once — and I have a massive sweet tooth.

It’s good chocolate, though.

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