Yogi Surprise Subscription Box Review – November 2014
Yogi Surprise is a monthly health and wellness subscription box that sends you natural goodies each month. Some items may be specifically for yoga, but in general this is more of a lifestyle box.
My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).
The Subscription Box: Yogi Surprise
The Cost: $45 a month ($36 a month with coupon)
Coupon: Use coupon code GRATITUDE to save 20% off your subscription for life.
The Products: Each month, you’ll receive 6-8 full-size products designed to nourish and support your well being, vitality and growth. You’ll get a variety of items from handcrafted yoga accessories and natural beauty items to herbal tonics, organic snacks and super food essentials.
Ships to: US only.
Check out all of my Yogi Surprise reviews!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add Yogi Surprise to your Wish list or Subscribe List!
Each box comes with a card detailing each item included.
There was also a card about the missing Tiger Eye Mala Beads. (They were the spoiler Yogi Surprise released a few weeks ago). They will be in the December box instead. And Yogi surprise replaced them in the meantime with two different products and an added special extra bonus.
Rawnola Bar– Value $2
Sencha Green Tea Mints in Tropical Mango – Value $4
Lush Nuts in Coconut Lavender – $4.50
I thought these were all good! The rawnola bar kind of reminds me a of a crumbly pie crust. These mints I’ve tried before and always enjoy. And these lavender sugar coated almonds are amazing! They were hands down my favorite treat in the box. (Plus I love that everything was gluten free and vegan!)
Jo-Sha Wipes (4) – Value $3
I love getting essential oil wipes in boxes – I always keep a few in my purse and use them for cleaning around the house too. (This was my bonus item in the box).
Valentina’s Home Brewed Sunny Outlook Natural Body Mist – Value $9
Valentina’s Home Brewed Psychic Detox Magickal Mineral Bath Salts – Value $3.50
I actually just bought this body mist a week ago from Abe’s Market! It’s a lovely citrus scent, and works as a room spray too. Now I’m excited to try the bath salts!
Schmidt’s Cedarwood + Juniper Deodorant – Value $9
Golden Earth Chakra Wellness Oil in Energy – Value $26
I think all Schmidt’s deodorant scents smell great, unfortunately they don’t work well for me long term – it ended up irritating my skin. (Plus I hate having to apply deodorant out of a jar!)
I like my wellness oil scent though – it is minty with a hint of citrus!
Hurraw Vata Lip Balm – Value $4.29
This lip balm is super moisturizing – I love it!
Verdict: I really like this box. The value is a great improvement over last months (this month’s box is about $65), and these are all items I will use and many I would buy myself. (The only item that isn’t a hit for me is the deodorant). Also their packaging is great.
What do you think of the November Yogi Surprise? Are you OK with the beads coming in the December box?
Written by Liz Cadman
Glad someone addressed the oil thing…I thought I misinderstood/misread what fragrance I was supposed to receive when I saw the peppermint…good to,know I am not crazy.
I was disappointed about the beads, but I would not have known about it had they not sent the mailer…so not sure how great that was, except it kept me hanging on…which was tough, as we have hit some harder times. I was crossing my fingers that 3 friends would sign up, but so far only one. Guess I will have to cancel soon. I get that the value is much more than we are paying, and so far loving most of the items, but too expensive for me…amd most in my area…hence the lack of friend sign-ups.
I did not expect just “yoga stuff”, and am also grateful for that, as I have plenty! So am enjoying the lifestyle enhancers for us all to try, whether we are already patchouli-wearing, green juice drinking, essential oil diffusing yogis and yoginis or not…
I received this deodorant brand in a different sub box, and it broke me out in a truly painful rash, so you are not the only one. Its too bad, really, as the scents are great.
I love this box! I’m happy the mist made it’s way in this month as it was my favorite item. I planned on using things in the box for gifts but after seeing the items I decided to keep everything 🙂 I cannot afford this every month but it will be something I will treat myself to a few times a year. This being their second box I think they are doing a great job of listening to feedback and learning from all the bumps they encounter. I’m sad I can’t get a box every month!
I wanted the beads, I would have been mad with the way it was handled. Thankfully, I skipped it.
Hi all, Jen from Yogi Surprise here. I wanted to chime and address the missing beads. First off, I wanted to clarify, we weren’t trying to be misleading or dishonest, that’s not who we are. We literally waited till last minute for the beads to arrive and when they didn’t show we had to quickly print the apology cards and order three new products (the body mist, the lip balm and the mat wipes). We tried to make it right with the extra products and we thought printing the apology cards was a more thoughtful approach to sending out a mass e-mail. Again, we apologize for the miscommunication.
okay, this is YOGI surprise – not YOGA surprise. it has been very clear to me since day 1 that this box was meant to appeal to someone who lives the lifestyle of someone who practices yoga, i never one time thought that i would get all my yoga practice supplies from this box.
also, it is so weird (and i guess i shouldn’t be surprised because i run into this in real life too-) that a bunch of yoga practitioners are literally SO ANGRY about something like this. things happen, pick your battles.
then, the beads – i kind of get why they didn’t just want to send them all separately after the fact. a sub box is a nice little surprise to receive, and i’m sure it would have cost a fortune to get the beads packaged up all pretty with notes and cards re-apologizing for the mistake, and sent WITHOUT that it would seem like a meaningless afterthought, to me – like, here’s your damn beads. after being handcrafted in india, assuming they were made with care, i would prefer them to be delivered in the same manner – with care, not haphazardly. this is a really unfortunate situation because there is no way they could have dealt with it that would make everyone happy. i think i would have preferred a credit on the next box.
I am SO angry about this box. Massively angry. This box was a complete waste of money as far as I was concerned. I wouldn’t have paid $10 for everything in this box and ended up immediately listing nearly all of it for swap; the ONLY thing I kept were the wipes.
I am particularly furious about the beads. I agree that the way they dealt with this was all wrong. They apparently didn’t have time to get them in after they released the spoiler, but they DID have time to get glossy card-stock excuse notes printed up to go in the boxes. A reputable box would have said they were sorry they were late and they would ship the item later OR sent a note saying the BOX would be late once the beads arrived. This qualifies as a bait and switch.
I also received a different oil from the one that was on the card, and after a lot of searching could not find the one I got on their website. What I know is that, based on the style of the box and the name, this was NOT one of their chakra wellness oils; it was one of their perfumes from nature, and the prices on those are just nuts. The idea of paying over $20 for a couple of ounces of peppermint oil is just insane.
While I am not quite to the point of disputing the charge as fraud, I am done with this box. There was nothing in here worthwhile. At least the first month included the little towel and the yoga mat deodorizer/cleaner. There was nothing in here at all that said “yoga” to me or that was in any way useful to my practice, and certainly none of the kinds of things they were showing on their website when they started. I have far better things to do with my money.
Although I’m not currently a subscriber, I’m actually glad they’re NOT sending out yoga blocks, straps, etc. I have all of that stuff. In fact, I have two mats, two sets of blocks, two straps, a yoga bag, towels (one large non-slip one for over the mat and a smaller one for drying off with), socks, a non-slip sock + glove set, and about 30 yoga DVDs (plus 12-15 yoga books). (For what it’s worth, I also have maybe 5 or 6 malas, so I don’t need more.)
So I wouldn’t want a box that sent that type of stuff, and it wouldn’t be sustainable in the long term. They’d send out a set of blocks one month, a strap the next month, socks + gloves, and towels, and then they’d have to start repeating themselves. There’s a limited number of accessories that can be sent. And then people would complain about repeats and unsubscribe after 4 or 5 months.
This is really stuff that goes with a yoga lifestyle and is not just for physical yoga practice. That lifestyle suits me and so the items suit me (mostly — I’ll never be sold on natural deodorant).
There’s kind of a split in the West, though, between people who think of yoga primarily as exercise and people who get into the spiritual/lifestyle side of things. (I happen to fall into the second camp, but to each his/her own.) And one box is probably never going to satisfy both groups.
The scope of yoga is so vast. A “yoga box” could really include just about anything, depending on your definition of yoga.
What I don’t really like about this box is that it seems to cater to the stereotypical patchouli-wearing yoga hippie. Which is fine, I guess, but like… I wish it was more about yogis and yoga practitioners on both (or all) ends of the spectrum. Personally (as a 15+ year yoga practitioner and a full-time yoga teacher of 10 years who has been there and done that) I’m kind of over the whole “balance-my-chakras-with-this-groovy-oil” thing. The audience for this box seems unnecessarily limited, imo. In a box like the one in this review, ONE item related to physical asana practice (a strap, a book, some yoga pose/sanskrit flashcards, some Tiger balm, etc) really wouldn’t come amiss.
I get what your saying, I did like the box as I am into the yogi lifestyle as well. But I think people are frustrated because they advertised more accessories on their website and Facebook. So when you think your signing up for something and it turns out not like you thought (due to false advertising) it puts a bad taste in your mouth.
I am so irritated with this company.
Does anyone really believe that they didn’t know that the beads weren’t going to come in time?! They posted that spoiler just days before they sent these boxes out.
It is so dishonest to use a spoiler to advertise, and then not notify anyone beforehand that they aren’t going to get what they were sold. If they had emailed and said, “Hey, there was a mistake. But don’t worry! WE WILL MAIL THIS SEPARATELY WHEN IT ARRIVES IN ORDER TO KEEP OUR PROMISE,” that would be different. It would be mildly annoying, but mistakes happen. Nothing in this box (other than the oil, and it turns out that isn’t even close to the value they stated) is over ten dollars, so even if they did put in two extra items, it would not make up for that value. Then to tell me that I have to get another box to get the item I was promised in the first place is just… it’s downright shady.
On top of that, we didn’t get the oil they have listed on the card. Has anyone noticed that? They list an oil that is a jasmine essential oil blend infused with Carnelian and is 2.125 oz. Instead, I got a different energy oil that is just straight up peppermint and only an eighth of an ounce. This is the one we were supposed to get (the one advertised in their spoiler) – https://www.goldenearth.net/store/chakra/chakra-2-125oz/. The one we *actually* got isn’t even on the site and is certainly not anywhere close to that value. So even if they *really* meant it was only “like” this oil, they still listed that value and it’s definitely not that.
What a ripoff. I am so angry and I’m going to contest the charge since this is actually fraud. I immediately cancelled my membership. I’ll see what Buddhibox does this next month and possibly try them out.
I’ve come very close to ordering this since their debut. After seeing the last 2 months, I think I’ll skip it for now. The concept is great, too bad they don’t seem to have their act together.
Hi Lisa,
What would you like to see done differently, product wise or otherwise that would make you want to join?
I don’t think I’m quite as mad as you. But this was my initial reaction as well. Based on this month and last, Yogi Surprise has not made a good impression on me.
Your comments are spot on. They should’ve sent the beads separately instead of forcing members to pay for another box.
I hope the box creators are lurking and reading about how frustrating this box is. I’ve never wanted to return a whole entire box before because I was so disappointed in the empty promises of the sub company.
Unfortunately, I cancelled my subscription after this month. I really feel sub boxes should provide value to there subscribers, especially since the competition out there for those dollars is pretty fierce. In addition, I was actually hoping the box would focus more on the yoga practice and not the yoga “lifestyle”.
Too bad, really wanted to love this one.
Hi Larissa,
Sending out the beads separately and paying for shipping would be inefficient and cost money that would otherwise go into including even more products in the next box. That’s why we opted to replace the beads with 3 additional products and simply include the beads in the next shipment.
Value wise, we heard everyone comments from the first month and listened. We made a serious effort to get the value up there. This month’s box has a $70 value. What could we do differently to make you happier?
Jen, as someone who unsubscribed after the first box and then resubscribed after getting this one, I think you did a great job of listening to your customers. Your customer service is also very good. I personally don’t need a whole lot more yoga accessories and think your curation is appropriate and interesting. I do look forward to some jewelry and hopefully the yoga video you are working on.
Yes, I completely agree that they’re handling the issue well and appreciate the customer service. I, for one, am not complaining about extra items. Plus, they’re a new subscription service , give them a break people! Overall I’m really enjoying the items that I received in the November box, although a yoga DVD sounds awesome, I VanStory; I would love to see that in a box!
I enjoyed reading the review and learned about new to me products. The Jo-Sha wipes interest me. I’m still going to wait a few months although I would had enjoyed this box very much if I received it.
It was good of them to replace the beads with 2 products and send a note about it. Still I don’t understand why some sub subscriptions are reluctant to communicate with their customers. I think they could had handled it better by also emailing their customers to let them know especially since they are a new unknown/unproven box. It didn’t help that some people did not receive the card which adds to the confusion.
I like this box, but my biggest issue is that I joined this box hoping for more yoga accessories. Straps, blocks, yoga DVD, meditation/practice music, anything!! I really wanted to build my collection and they had pics of most of those things on the website when they first started taking orders. Even the promotional photo they still have on Facebook has a strap in it! Maybe these are things to come but I would think they would try and get some items like that out in the start to get people interested.
I’m subscribed to this and BuddhiBox so which ever starts delivering more directly yoga stuff will be the one I keep
Same here re: Buddhi Box
I’m with you on the completely absent yoga items. I subbed because this was advertised with a focus on yoga and not so much as another beauty box (natural or not). The site to me is very misleading in its depictions of possible box contents. I agree that if they want to build a solid subscriber base, they better start adding some yoga accessories! One more month and I’m done. I can take my $36 and spend it on natural beauty products I choose in the Saffron Rouge online store.
It seems like EVERY sub box gives out lip balm (or even worse, lip scrubs). How many can one possibly use? Personally, I never use lip balms (prefer gloss or lipstick).
I use balms at night and whenever I’m just going to be around the house. No need to put on a full face of makeup for that, and it keeps my lips from getting chapped.
Granted, too many balms ARE sent out in boxes. I agree about that.
Honestly, I go through lip balms fairly quickly. I also sometimes lose them, so for me, they’re always appreciated. My dry lips are worse in winter, too. I keep a spare lip balm in my car, at my desk at work, in the three various purses I use regularly, on my nightstand. And although I wear lipstick whenever I go out, I always use a balm underneath or even sometimes on top unless the lipstick is already super moisturizing. I realize I’m not the norm and I agree I get a new lip balm or two every month from subs, which is overkill, but I definitely use all the ones I get and haven’t actually bought one from a store in a very long time!
I would’ve liked this box, too, if I’d been able to stay subscribed, although I’ve decided natural deodorant isn’t for me (the Schmidt’s gives me a rash, plus I live somewhere that it’s hot for a good portion of the year, so I need something stronger). The mints are great, I think we got the same brand from Yuzen a couple of months ago. It’s fun to see where this one is going, and hopefully I can rejoin one day.