#MSA02 Quarterly Box Reveal!
It’s finally time for the MSA02 Quarterly box reveal!
I was waiting until after Christmas to do this box reveal since quite a few readers let me know they were waiting until the 25th to open the box. And then…Â well I’m still getting caught up on reviews from December – so my apologies for being a little behind on getting this posted!
For the winter box I had two main themes I wanted to cover: a cozy day at home, and a little holiday sparkle. And to round out the box I also included one of my favorite winter skincare items.
Here is more background on each of the items and why they were selected:
Yes To Carrots Fragrance Free Intense Hydration Night Cream – Value $15
Yes to Carrots is a brand we originally reached out to for MSA01, and while the timing wasn’t right then, they let us know they were definitely interested for the Winter box. I’ve been a fan of Yes to Carrots for years now since first discovering them through subscriptions boxes, and I love that they are a natural and affordable brand. (It’s one of my go-to brands on Target shopping trips).
As soon as I found out we would be getting a Yes to Carrots product in the Winter Box, I knew I wanted to get the fragrance-free hydrating night cream. I love their fragrance-free line (especially in the winter when my skin is extra dry and sensitive), and this cream is fantastic. If I was blindly testing products and you told me it was a $60+ cream I would believe you. It absorbs so quickly, yet leaves your skin moisturized. It’s a thick cream but feels lightweight. I know it’s described as a night cream, but I’ve also been using it as a day cream too.
I hope you like it as much as I do – it’s one of my favorite affordable natural skincare products, and something I was really excited to share.
Bauble Bar Ice Crystal Necklace – Value $32
One of the two main themes of the box was Holiday Sparkle. When I was first thinking about the box, I knew I wanted a jewelry piece and a makeup item for that theme.
I browse Bauble Bar several times a week, and as soon as I saw this Ice Crystal Necklace I knew it was the one! I love delicate gold jewelry, and I think this piece has just the right amount of sparkle to feel special, but still be wearable for everyday looks.
I also think Bauble Bar makes the best quality jewelry at their price point – I’ve always been happy with every Bauble Bar purchase I’ve made.
I remembered Quarterly had worked with Bauble Bar for the original Nina Garcia box, so I immediately reached out to my Quarterly buyer to see if she could connect with them again. And fortunately for me they were excited to work with us and get the necklace in the box!
(I also love this necklace layered with other pieces for a more dramatic look, and I’ll be sharing some of those ideas in a follow up post).
FYI – Bauble Bar currently is having their Stash Up and Save event now through the 20th. Save 15% off 1 item with coupon code STASH15, 25% off 2 items with coupon code STASH25, or 30% off 3+ items with coupon code STASH30.
Au Naturale Creme Shadow in White Quartz – Value $20
Au Naturale Creme Shadow in Addiction – Value $20 (Not available online – exclusive for subscribers!)
I discovered Au Naturale makeup through a Gilt City deal early in 2014, and quickly fell in love with their entire line. The shades and formulas are beautiful, and they only use the best ingredients. (Their makeup is organic, non-toxic, gluten-free, paraben-free, vegan, non-nano, and made in the USA!)
When we reached out to them to be in the box, I let them know I was most interested in an eye shadow to go with the holiday sparkle theme. (Specifically a creme eye shadow – I love how easy they are to apply and blend). I described the Bauble Bar necklace to them, and how it would be great if the shades could play off the necklace without matching. So we decided on White Quartz to reflect the micro pave crystals in the necklace.
The White Quartz shade is an almost-matte pearlescent white. It goes on somewhat sheer, and is great to use as a brow bone highlighter, or as an all over highlighter. I liked this shade because I have a lot of white eye shadow highlighters – but almost all of them have a lot of shimmer, which means they aren’t great for me for everyday use. The White Quartz though is something I like to use everyday for a very subtle highlighted look.
When I was describing the gold part of the necklace, I let them know I was looking for something that was in the gold family, and was special, but a little more wearable than a yellow-gold shade. They sent me a ton of samples to try – including some pigments that haven’t been made into their final line of cosmetics yet – and “Addiction” is the shade I picked. (As you can tell, I also got to name it!)
It has a bit of an antique gold feel to it, and some green undertones, and I absolutely love wearing it.
(FYI –Â like with almost any eye shadow, I recommend using an eye lid primer with these shades.)
So that rounds up the Holiday Sparkle section of the box – I was going for special but also very wearable.
Now onto the cozy day at home items:
For the cozy day at home theme, I pictured a blanket to wrap yourself up in, super cozy socks, and something to curl up with and read. (I’ve also substituted watching Friends on Netflix instead of reading and that works just as well!)
Faribault Woolen Mill Co. Recycled Wool Blanket – Value $65
You can’t tell from the photo, but this blanket has a wonderful weight to it. The quality and detail work of this blanket are top notch too. I’m so thrilled we got such a quality American-made brand in this box! This is one of those items that will be in our household for years to come, and if you subscribed to this box, I really hope that it becomes a bit of an heirloom in your home too! (I’ve been using it as a throw on the couch, and also as an extra blanket on the foot of my bed when it gets chilly. A reader also recommended it as a great road trip blanket!)
One thing to keep in mind with this blanket – it is made with recycled wool and acrylic, which makes it softer than a typical wool blanket. And you can make it a lot softer if you like by putting it through the laundry a few times. For me the perfect level of softness was two laundry cycles, and my cousin told me it was perfect for her after just one round of laundry with fabric softener.
After Quarterly connected me with Faribault, I picked this variation of the blanket with the red stitching. I think the red is so festive (and works for holidays – including Valentine’s Day!) and the mixed grey blanket keeps the throw neutral enough to go with most decor.
FYI – Faribault is currently offering their Winter’s Best Sale, along with free shipping on all orders!
Foot Traffic Non Skid Fuzzy Slipper Socks – Value $9
It might sound silly, but I was determined to get fuzzy slipper socks in this box! They were a part of my cozy day at home vision, and one of those items I’m always happy to have more of on cold winter days. (My mom has also given me fuzzy slipper socks every year in my stocking for as long as I can remember, so maybe in a bit of a subconscious way I wanted to share this holiday tradition with you). To be completely honest, every year I’d never be too excited about getting the slipper socks, but then I’d go home, and a few days later put them on, and eventually realize I was using them more than anything else I received for Christmas that year.
Admittedly, I was not going for style so much as I was for comfort with these socks, and these were by far the softest socks I sampled. (Quarterly sent me a few options to try from different brands).
Next Issue Free Trial Offer – Bonus
To complete the cozy-day-at-home with some reading, I wanted to share one of my most used apps – Next Issue. (Next Issue regularly offers a 30-day free trial, and for MSA subscribers, they also included the 2nd and 3rd month at 50% off  – regularly $14.99 a month).
They have over 100 digital magazines on their app, and I pretty much use it everyday. (It is a lifesaver anytime I go to the salon for highlights!)
One thing to keep in mind with this app is that the magazines can take up a lot of memory, so make sure to delete them when you are done with them!
So that rounds out the MSA02 box. I’d love to hear what you think – any feedback or critique is welcome! (And of course if you have any questions about any of the items or anything else – let me know!)
Written by Liz Cadman
just found this posting. I like your curated boxes. It’s too bad you decided to end the partnership, but I understand. I love that you included a Faribault Woolen Mills blanket. Faribault is my home town and the woolen mills is a great small business! Though, I probably don’t need another one of their blankets. 🙂
This box is available on Quarterly Best Of
How do I sign up for this box?
Sadly, it was discontinued. Liz was unable to continue with it.
Liz, I just wanted to say I love these socks and have traded for more. SO COZY! Thank you!
Yay! I’m so glad you love them! 🙂
Hi Liz, I’m a fan of your site. I’m not a subscription box subscriber, but I use your reviews to learn about new products that I might try– for instance, I’m going to try the Yes to Carrots face cream you had in your MSA box on an upcoming trip to Japan, where it’ll be much colder than where I live and I’ll need some good moisturizer!
Do you think you could do a series of Top 5 products (face moisturizer, sunscreen, lip butter, hand lotion, for example) you’ve discovered through boxes? I’d find that type of list super helpful! 🙂 Thanks!
Thank you so much for the idea – I’ll see what I can do! And it means so much to me that you value my opinions on products – thank you! 🙂
Loved the box–especially the throw and the super-soft socks! The eye shadows I haven’t tried yet, but I’m glad you gave some suggestions here on how to use them. I will try them out tomorrow. I was happy to see a face cream included, but unfortunately I think I must have been allergic to something in it’s formula–it made my face all red and puffy. But I was happy with the rest of the box, so no complaints!
Sadly, this was not my favorite box. Sorry. I returned it the day after I received it. Quarterly was quick with their credit back to my card. It wasn’t a terrible box at all, but there were just too many ‘meh’ items for me to justify keeping it.
Just got an email from Quarterly that said they would no longer be able to accept returns– could be because they were hit so hard with the Nina Garcia send-backs? I was surprised to see this– I was impressed that they had such a customer friendly return policy…
Looks like Quarterly now has an official no-returns policy. https://quarterly.co/help?mc_cid=4b0c247570&mc_eid=54e34ae27d
It’s neat to see what works for people in different parts of the country and with different-sized families. I’m a single lady in my later 30s living in Colorado and the box was a great mix for me and a very good value because I’ve been able to use absolutely everything.
The blanket fits so well in my home (I have neutrals and antiques) that it looks like it’s been here for years. It was the perfect extra layer over my down bedding during the winter storms. The socks make my feet happy on wintry days.
One note: I waited to try the night cream until two nights ago because I was a little meh about it, like lots of folks here. The next day, a family member stared at me with wide eyes: “You are absolutely glowing!” I was pleasantly surprised. It was a great pick & I like finding a product that won’t cost me $100 to replace.
I loved the box. I’m still needing to wash the blanket a few more times to get it softer but I see the value, it reminds me of older Military blankets back when they made stuff to last! It has been too mild of a winter to really use the darn fuzzy socks but I think that having those will allow me to throw out an old pair so that’s not an issue at all, there’s always next year to use them if it doesn’t suddenly start acting like winter.
Love my necklace!
Didn’t love the eyeshadows but I do like using them with similar colors to layer. For some reason if I use a cream shadow I tend to have it wear off. It’s a me thing.
Love the face cream. Winter moisturizing is a MUST!
20 year olds, don’t discount using that because you have youthful skin… use it now and you’ll be pleased with the mirror in a few years. *cough* years. hee hee
So, when does MSA03 come out?!!?
I wanted this box as soon as I saw the throw spoiler! I told my mom about it and we ordered it as one of my Christmas presents. I completely loved this box!! The throw, necklace, & socks are PERFECT. I won’t be using the Next Issue offer because I’m on limited bandwidth (and I receive a ton of print magazines every month). At first I wasn’t super excited about the Yes to Carrots & Au Naturale, but I’m actually loving the cream shadow. I was afraid the Yes to Carrots would smell like carrots, but after reading your explanation I think it will work great for me. Thank you for creating an amazing box! I’ve decided to stay with the subscription, and I can’t wait to see what you come up with next time!!
Loved the blanket. I know some people are anti-wool due to scratchiness, but I love it. In January of 2009, 2012 and 2013, I went nuts with after Christmas sales (mostly Calvin Klein, Trina Turk, Nordstrom and J.Crew) so I’ve replaced my entire wardrobe in the last 5 years with high-end versions – including lots of wool sweaters and jackets. I just find that they hold color so much better and last so much longer – plus they are actually warm.
Also the socks are great. We just moved into a house that’s too big. I hate to wear shoes inside, but I also don’t want to walk miles on cold floors when I’m getting ready for bed or waking up in the morning.
Hearing your thoughts on why you picked the products you did makes me like the box even more. I use the eyeshadow all the time. The necklace is delicate and a great piece to wear alone or with another necklace. I wear the Yes to Carrots during the day and found that it hydrates my skin. I was surprised I liked the feel of the cream because I use Tatcha (thanks to all of your reviews) everyday and love how it makes my skin look and feel. My family uses the blanket all the time and we brought it on a road trip too.
You did a fabulous job. I wish I would have got your first box, but so excited to see what you have planned for your next box. Thank you for introducing such wonderful products!!!
The December box was my first. I had seen what you included in your first box, and died, wanted to get in on a great subscription service!
Unfortunately, I was sooooo disappointed with the December box that I cancelled my subscription immediately! Mind you, it took awhile to cancel, no easy way on the website. It took me days to finally cancel.
$50 for socks, an UGLY scratchy blanket, a cheapo fake necklace, a cheapo drugstore cream, and two not wearable eyeshadows just didn’t cut it. I can’t tell you how disappointed I was! I love your website, Liz, so expected more from this box.
Sorry to be negative when everyone else is so positive about this box. But, it’s my honest opinion.
Thanks for the feedback and I’m sorry the box wasn’t for you. Quarterly allows returns – no questions asked, so you can return the box – email [email protected] for the return label. I would hate for you to be stuck with a box you hate!
Quarterly just changed their policy – now it says no returns!!!
Sadly, I and my family are very allergic to wool…so I have the blanket still in its original packaging. I am sure it is a very nice blanket. I guess I should try to sell it while it is still winter.
However, I loved everything else…the necklace is dainty and feminine….and I am partial to gold. Love the soft socks…and the face cream is very nice and being used day and night.
I will still keep the MSA Quarterly Subscription…not your fault I am allergic to wool.
Ugh I am so mad at Quarterly. They didn’t put the eye shadows in my box. They’ve tried to make it right by giving me some credit but the fact that one of them is LE makes me more upset. They also said they were sending them and weeks went by and I didn’t receive anything, and that’s when they told me they couldn’t get anymore. Poor customer service from them which makes me want to cancel all my subscriptions.
I’m so sorry about that. Can you send me an email with the details? (liz @ my subscription addiction . com) I’ll figure out a way to make it right.
This box wasn’t for me – I returned it straight away – but much of it has to do with me having an overload of the products included already, rather than quality. This box was the exact opposite of MSA01 which I still regret not seeing until it was sold out, because it had so much I loved or didn’t have or hear of.
Eye shadows and eye creams, especially highlighter shade ones, are something I’ve been inundated with in boxes for the last few months. This was honestly the only disappointment in the box, in that I hadn’t expected eye shadows when they’ve been so repetitive. The other objects were unfortunately just not suited to me in ingredients or color.
Wool, I unfortunately can’t wear or have against my skin at all although I adore throws and would certainly have loved it otherwise. Dozens of fuzzy socks already. Quite sensitive and overloaded with facial creams, and I generally prefer facial items as ones I can’t commonly get in my local target or cvs. Gold and my skin tone just don’t agree even though I think the necklace itself is quite adorable.
I certainly look forward to MSA03 though! Hopefully my individual sensitivities and the box get along perfectly then.
I had very high hopes for this box since I saw the first box- its what made me sign up for this box. But I was expecting for it to be more like the first box with lots of high end skin care– like tatcha, and fig + Yarrow– and less with socks and blankets. I think I would have gotten a lot more use out of the first box than this box, especially with the nice candle and scarf. The digital subscription I would never use. I don’t like the cream eye shadows because it does not suit my skin tone at all. The necklace was nice, the blanket and socks could be useful but I probably won’t use them because I have lots of others, and I have too many face creams thanks to other subscriptions. I wish I had gotten the first box instead of this one because I wont use this one as much. I hope that the next box will be better.
i was out of town for 10 days around christmas for a family emergency and upon my return i had a card from fed ex with tracking number 5297 4158819 and since i so rarely purchase anything for myself i have to assume that the package that was returned to sender was my “christmas gift”to my myself in the form of your box. i have not seen a credit yet but mostly just wanted my box not the refund. it made for a pretty un merry christmas to me since i dont have anyone else that would have me on their christmas list. can you please check into this and email me back. i would like my christmas gift if possible and since the charge on my visa was about 50+$ i am assuming this was the charge for the box. i know this sounds like i am being petty but i thought i had the christmas gift for me from me covered.
Oh no – I’m so sorry to hear about this. If you haven’t already, I would first reach out to Quarterly to let them know. (They will be able to see your account info, shipment tracking etc). Their email is: [email protected]
If for any reason they can’t get everything straightened out, please email me and I will do my best to make it right. (liz @ my subscription addiction . com)
The necklace and the blanket were the stars of the this box. The necklace I wore non-stop all though the holidays. (For special occasions I layered it with the pearl necklace that was recently included in Little Lace Box – so pretty!) And the blanket is great quality and a great deal. I already own 2 other Fairbault Wool blankets (they are a hot commodity here in Minnesota) so I gave it to my sister for Christmas and she loved it. Wasn’t crazy about the eye shadow. The socks were SO soft and I’m still enjoying those. The face cream I haven’t tried yet… it’s so dry here right now that I need something a little more heavy-duty. I’ll save it for spring. Overall this was a really good box for me. 🙂