GQ Quarterly Subscription Box Review #GQQ03
The GQ Quarterly subscription is a seasonal subscription box for men from the editors of GQ.
This box was sent to us for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).
The Subscription Box: GQ for Quarterly
The Cost: $100 a box + $8 shipping (ships 4 times a year)
The Products: Style, Lifestyle and grooming products selected by GQ Editors
Ships to: Free to the US. (Canada +$30; rest of world +$40)
Check out all of my Quarterly reviews and the Men’s Subscription Box Directory!
Each Quarterly box comes with a letter from the curator detailing the items included and why they were selected. The theme of this box is putting together the perfect date night at home.
Lite+Cycle Urban Forest Candle – Value $45
Blind Barber Watermint Gin Facial Cleanser – Value $18
This candle was one of the first spoilers in the box, and the item I’m most excited about. (I’ve wanted to try this candle line for a while, but the price point has been a deterrent). The candles are made with natural vegetable waxes, cotton wicks, and a high content of 100% pure essential oils. I’m guessing this forest scent may not be for everyone, but I really like it. It has an overall woodsy/herbal scent, with some fennel undertones.
This cleanser has a very refreshing scent with a subtle mint addition. (It is also paraben free!)
Mast Brothers Almond Chocolate – Value $9
Borracha Pearly Wipes – Value $7
My husband and I both called dibs on this chocolate bar as soon as we saw it! It’s made with only a few ingredients: cacao, cane sugar, almonds, olive oil and sea salt. And I love the packaging!
These Pearly Wipes are designed for removing coffee and tea stains, bad breath, etc. I definitely see how this item ties in with the date night theme!
Surfing Photographs From The Seventies Taken by Jeff Divine – Retail Value $40 (On Amazon for $29)
This book was included to “flaunt your cultural prowess” and make sure your coffee table isn’t overlooked in terms of decor. Here is a look inside:
Verdict: Counting the sale price of this book, the value of this box comes to about $108. Moving forward subscribers will have to pay $108 for the box ($100 plus $8 shipping), but for February box the cost was just $100. Even with the full price of the box, the value is about $119, which still feels a little low for a $100 box. If you are looking for a curated box from GQ every season, I’d recommend this box, but not if you are looking to get a high value too.
I do really like the products GQ picks out each month. The presentation/packaging is great, and I’ve found some great new brands too. I think my favorite this month is the candle, but I haven’t tried the chocolate bar yet!
What do you think of #GGQ3?
Written by Liz Cadman
i cancelled right after getting this box, and this was my first quarterly box! i am so furious; for me/us, it was a truly disappointing and horrible box.
i finally managed to convince the fiance to try a subscription box because it’s been great for me, and now this box of crap landed as his first box.
the book is horrible, and ridiculous – i can’t even beg people to take it for free. the candle is fine, but dont like the scent. the teeth thing is like, what? so essentially i paid USD100 for the facewash, a smelly candle, and a chocolate. to top it off, i paid usd30 for international shipping. argh.
Totally off topic but can you PLEASE sign up for Travel Noire from
quarterly????
Yep – I’ll be reviewing it! 🙂
I actually really like all the items in this box, but it does seem like there isn’t any point in buying this from Quarterly when you could buy each item separately for the same price. I think that subscription boxes have to offer at least some savings, or a special not regularly available product, to justify themselves. That being said, I will be on the lookout to see if anyone is selling items from their GQ boxes.
Looking at the recent changes and their promise that the box value would at least equal the cost, I don’t think they are achieving what they hoped to achieve. I almost see them becoming more of a technology niche subscription box and dropping alot of the other curators. I was pleased with both Rosario Dawson’s and Arianna Huffington’s last boxes, and have kept Nina Garcia’s for now, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see those boxes go soon. They really need to announce some good changes or they will be gone soon.
Have to agree that Quarterly is pretty stinky lately. SPOILER … Just received my Book Riot box today and it was horrible. A mass-market apocalyptic paperback, a notebook, a book on talking to loved ones about dying, and a flask. I ran, not walked, to my computer to cancel. Worst $50 I ever spent 🙁
Not really sure whats going on at le chateau quarterly lately. The
company is not offering enough incentive for a sign up in a subscription with price point of items contained in thebox. Also, my opinion is that GQQ02 had more night date in it. I would be more impressed with a guy serving something in the chesse board and using the awesome coasters included in their second box than discovering that horrible book in a coffee table.
If your date night consists of looking at a coffee table book, you’re doing something wrong.
LOL! Seriously! If any guy said to me “Hey let’s light a candle and snuggle up on the couch and look at a book of half naked surfer guys from the 70’s”, I wouldn’t be able to get to the door fast enough!
That reminded me of a date years ago where I went over the guy’s house, he lit a candle, and then wanted me to look through Maxim and other similar magazines with him. I left LOL
LOL! Maybe he was the one that curated this box!
I cancelled after receiving this box. It was a total let down, especially for $100!
I just received the Food52 Quarterly box and its a huge disappointment. For $50 I received a covered water bottle, a small box of marshmallows and a jar a chocolate to make hot cocoa. Estimated value of $25 would be a stretch….. Cancelled!
That is sad. I received artisan marshmallows, peppermint hot chocolate, and 3 other items from New England Sack back in December for less than $30.00 (discount plan).
I don’t know what Quarterly or GQ is thinking. I would think that GQ had the pull to put in the men beauty products at a discount which would allow them to spend more money on the box. I’m more about can I use the items than the value, but I do think the box value should be a little higher.
I understand Liz’s point about the candle. The box was sent to her to review so it’s a win-win situation for her. It’s not what I had pictured in my mind. I, too, wonder if the book is appealing for a date night. I’m not the audience for the box so maybe the target audience has a different view.
This is the same reason why I feel uncomfortable getting $100 boxes from quarterly. I don’t like the values. Swapping can be irritating to with low value boxes. Knowing that the value of the box is almost full price, and someone seeing the value of an item in the box thinking it means the same as the value of an item in their box, even though their box had 50% higher value.
I canceled Fathom for this reason. I hope I did not make a mistake in canceling yet it was $100 risk I did not want to take, if the box value was $100 or a little more.
After reading this and considering the recent changes in Quarterly terms/prices, I am done with Quarterly.
I bet I am not alone.
Wow, I would have been very disappointed if I had ordered this box.. And yo think I almost did. The only date night item Is the candle. And that photobook for a guys coffee table for a date night is a joke.. Not to mention its surfers. Was that really selected by GQ?
OMG! If I spent $100 on this box, I’d be very angry. Liz, you didn’t want to buy that candle before because of the price point, but you just did! Considering the actual cost of the book, the box contents ostensibly equal what you paid, so you really did pay full price. If you don’t care for any of the other products, then you paid MORE than $45 for that candle, since you got no value or use from other things. For example, do guys really care about coffee table books, especially ones which mainly feature pictures of half-naked guys?!? For that matter, do guys really want candles?
Actually my husband and brother-in-law both really like candles. They are however not the types to spring anything near THAT much on one!
If you look you’ll see Liz received this box to review so No, she didn’t pay $45 for the candle because she didn’t pay for the box at all! One of the perks of being a blogger but small in comparison to all the work that she puts in to it!
I canceled this one at the last minute. Glad I did. Candle is awesome but not 100.00 awesome.