We're starting a new monthly post highlighting our favorite discoveries from subscription boxes! Here are our favorite items from all of 2015:
Lindsey's Favorites:
The Item: RawSpiceBar's Malaysian Spice Box
The Cost: $6
From: RawSpiceBar
Why I love it: RawSpiceBar sent some outstanding spice blends in 2015, but October’s Malaysian Spice Box was an absolute home run. The box included Curry Laksa Spices, Sambal Oelek, and Kaffir Lime Blend with recipes for Malaysian Curry Laksa, Sambal Oelek Paste, and Vegetable Salad with Kaffir Lime Dressing. The spices were well-balanced and delicious, and I thought they were incorporated into the recipes in fun and interesting ways. Looking back on all of the fantastic meals I had thanks to subscription boxes this year, this one was definitely the star.
The Item: Trio of Ravioli Stamps by Eppicotispai (Round, Square, and Triangular)
The Cost: $24
From: Hamptons Lane
Why I love it: I really enjoy making pasta at home, and ravioli stamps were on my kitchen wish list for years. Despite that, I never bought them for myself because I didn’t feel I made my own pasta often enough to justify the purchase. Imagine my delight, then, when they showed up in my first ever Hamptons Lane box! This was one of the first times the stars aligned for me in perfect subscription box fortuity, and I still get tickled about it every time I use my ravioli stamps.
The Item: Cactus Candy
The Cost: $7.95
From: Mantry
Why I love it: One of my favorite things about subscription boxes is sampling new products that I wouldn’t find on my own, and this Cactus Candy was definitely a new discovery for me! The consistency is very much like pâte de fruit, a classic French gummy fruit candy, but the prickly pear flavor is so unusual. (Or, at least, unfamiliar to my East coast palate.) I really enjoyed it, and it’s definitely one of the most memorable foods I received in a subscription box this past year!
Celicia's Favorites:
The Item: SprezzaBox - Socks
The Cost: $12.00
From: SprezzaBox
Why I Love It: My husband, John enjoyed all the socks received from SprezzaBox and were his #1 subscription box product.. Besides their selection of great ties every month, Sprezza killed the sock game! He says they are uber comfy and really fit his sorta “right outside of the box” kind of style.
The Item: Dirty Mintini Sugar Lip Scrub
The Cost: $8.00
From: Rainbow Honey Mystery Bag
Why I Love It: I had been on a hunt for a good lip scrub to replace my old favorite by Alikay Naturals. RH makes sugar lip scrubs in all sorts of flavors, and I received this one in the November bag. The consistency is perfect! And actually better than my old favorite. Lots of grit to remove lipsticks and dead skin, oils to ensure smooth kissable lips, and a taste that keeps you coming back to scrub some more. I want to collect them all!
The Item: Honest Company Wipes and Deodorant
The Cost: $4.95 - $8.95
From: Honest Company Diaper and Essentials Bundles
Why I Love It: Ok, ok so I cheated a little bit!! This was entirely too hard to pick one out of the endless products from Honest Company that we love. I eliminated the top third, the Honest Oil, only because I’ve received a few lotions and oils from other boxes this year. There’s not a day this year that either of these top two products weren’t used. Our two and a half year old Abigail is actively potty training and is also very messy. Wipes come in handy everyday for all sorts of things. I recommend adding on a pack to your Honest Bundle even if you don’t have children. I’m far from being perfect and 100% cruelty-free, but I personally went on a mission earlier this year to find a natural deodorant that really worked. I haven’t looked back since trying the Honest Deodorant. They come in three scents and Bergamot Sage is my favorite. I don’t miss my Clinical Strength Dove Deodorants one bit!
Anna's Favorites:
The Item: ASOS Curve
The Cost: Varies by item
From: Dia & Co.
Why I love it: Maybe I'm late to the party, but I had never heard of ASOS Curve before receiving this blouse in my September box! I loved this blouse but found it for less on another website, so I sent it back. Then I found out that Dia does price matching, so I could have kept it. I wish I had! Anyway, when I went to the ASOS Curve website to buy it, I learned that ASOS Curve has really, really stylish clothes for Plus Sizes! They are reasonably priced, too. They carry a lot of different styles, but nothing looks matronly or cheap like so many other Plus Sized brands. This was a thrilling discovery for me!
The Item: Anti Aging Hand Cream by Davines
The Cost: $14
From: Birchbox Limited Edition: Lovely Day BoxBirchbox Limited Edition Lovely Box
Why I love it: There's a saying that a woman's age always shows in her hands, and it's one of those sayings that I've always found to be true. Until now. This hand cream is a game changer, y'all. I really don't get excited about too many beauty products, but I've found that about once a year I get a new product that changes everything, and in 2015, this was it. It makes my hands instantly feel soft and look smooth. Plus it's not greasy at all, absorbs quickly, and has a nice fragrance that's not too strong.
The Item: Zoetropes
The Cost: Varies, but watching the videos of them is free
From: Tinker Crate
Why I love it: Tinker Crate is my nine-year-old's favorite subscription box! This was our favorite project from last year! When we opened it, neither my son nor myself knew what a zoetrope was, but since then we've become completely obsessed with them. The one we made last January (above) came with several sets of slides, plus some blank ones so you could make your own animation. We did all those, plus now we love finding cool ones on the itnernet and watching the animations others have made - both old and new.
The Item: Super Ape by Scratch and the Upsetters
The Cost: Currently $20.57 on Amazon
From: Vinyl Me, Please
Why I love it: I buy a lot of vinyl every year, but subscription vinyl has been a great source for new discoveries! This was my favorite new discovery of 2015, and considering the sudden, renewed fame of classic dub master Lee "Scratch" Perry, it wasn't just mine. I love to listen to Reggae on Sunday mornings, and this was the soundtrack for many weekends in 2015. Give it a listen.
The Item: Mountainsmith Hemp Cooler Tube
The Cost: $25
From: Cairn
Why I love it: This is so practical, yet so ridiculous at the same time, I simply adore it. Yes, it could be used to carry cans of water or diet soda, but let's face facts - there's only one beverage I'm willing to strap on five extra pounds to hike through the wilderness with, and that's beer. I love cracking open a cold one at the top of a mountain. I love strapping beer across my body like I'm Rambo. I love calling this my beer-tube-cooler-sling. This thing is awesome!
Ragan's Favorites:
The Item: Trayee by Neela Vermiere Creations
The Cost: $18 (for the three samples)
From: Olfactif
Why I love it: This was from Olfactif and it is everthing I look for in a fragrance. It is inspired by India’s Vedic period (I love all things India) and it blends all my woody, spicy favorite notes together! Of course it is $260 a bottle so I doubt I will be buying it in full size anytime soon…
The Item: Living Raw Darkest Cacao Truffles (1.64 oz)
The Cost: Value $4.49
From: RawBox
Why I love it: This is from October’s RawBox. I do not typically eat raw and I am not a vegan. (I am vegetarian but don’t have any other dietary restrictions.) But these were seriously the best food item I got in any box all year. Loved them. The texture was soft (with a bit of crunchiness around the outside) and the chocolate flavor was awesome (and this comes from someone who typically prefers milk chocolate)!
The Item: Kalamkari Fabric Hand Towels (set of 2)
The Cost: Value $8
From: Artisan Box by Luxurion World
Why I love it: These were from Artisan Box by Luxurion World, which is one of my favorite subscriptions to receive every month. It is hard to pick just one item from this box as a favorite for the year. But I can’t bear to use these as towels – they’re too pretty. They’re hanging on the walls as art in my yoga/exercise room (which has an Indian theme).
Haley's Favorites:
The Item: Kut from the Kloth Mia Skinny Jeans
The Cost: $84
From: Trendsend by Evereve
Why I love it: Trendsend is to blame for my Kut from the Kloth jeans obsession. The Mia Skinnies are awesome and they fit me so well they convinced me to pay more than I would usually consider for jeans. I also adore Kut’s Diana Skinny jeans, too!
The Item: Loveappella Maternity Azaela Cold Shoulder Knit Top
The Cost: $48
From: Stitch Fix Maternity
Why I love it: This top became one of my go-tos for maternity wear. I thought the cold shoulder cut-out made this top a little extra stylish, and I adore this color. It was really soft, comfortable, and easy to wear (which are the most important things for maternity clothes!).
The Item: the Balm Meet Matt(e) Hughes Long-Lasting Liquid Lipstick in Committed
The Cost: $17
From: Ipsy
Why I love it: The Balm is one of my favorite cosmetic brands since being introduced to it years ago through Birchbox. Between that and the fact that I’ve become obsessed with matte liquid lipsticks lately, I was thrilled to see this in my Ipsy bag this month! The color is really nice and easy to wear, the formula doesn’t dry out my lips at all and has great wear time, and has a vanilla-mint scent that I like.
I actually loved this so much I purchased 2 more shades, Charming and Adoring. The only photo I really have of me wearing it is from my November 2015 Sun of a Chic review, which is where this photo is from.
Bekki's Favorites:
The Item: Palomino Blackwing Pearl Pencils - set of 12
The Cost: $22.95
From: Moustache Stationary
Why I love it: These pencils are my #1 favorite out of all the things I received this year in subscription boxes. They write smoothly, the lead doesn’t smear, they sharpen beautifully, and they feel great in my hand. I never thought I would prefer a pencil over a pen; but I have been using these in my new Day Designer, and I honestly don’t think I’ll switch to using a pen. They erase completely too…which is great for someone like me who is a little OCD about keeping her planner clean of all mistakes. I will absolutely repurchase these pencils.
The Item: Olive the Senses Sicilian Lemon White Balsamic Vinegar
The Cost: $10.00
From: The Taste Club by Eat Feed Love
Why I love it: I’m always a fan of fancy oils and vinegars, so when both of my Taste Club boxes this year included multiple vinegars, I was so excited. All of the oils and vinegars I’ve received from Olive the Senses have been outstanding, but the lemon flavor is my favorite of all. I used it in my cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving, have used it for dipping bread, added it to my risotto, and more things that I can’t remember right now. It is just so subtly sweet, tangy, and delicious!
The Item: Cornucopia Smokey Sweet BBQ Popcorn
The Cost: $4.25 for a small bag
From: My Texas Market
Why I love it: Again, an item I didn’t expect to love, but fell hard for it! This stuff is beyond amazing. Every single kernel is packed with flavor – sweet, smoky, salty – this stuff ruined regular popcorn for me. Even the popcorn itself was great – perfectly popped, almost buttery kernels. Bonus points for it being vegan, and still available in January…I thought it was a seasonal thing, but was excited to find that they still have it on their site!
Eric's Favorites:
The Item: Dr. Emmett Brown Funko POP Exclusive Variant
The Cost: Value $25+
From: Loot Crate
Why I love it: I love Back To The Future, and I love POPs, so combine the two and you can't miss. I just love this version of Doc - it was my favorite item of the year!
The Item: Hover Board Replica
The Cost: Value ?
From: Loot Crate
Why I love it: See comment above about BTTF! I love this little replica board. It goes well when displayed with the Delorean!
The Item: Exclusive Batman ’66 Q-Pop Figure
The Cost: $12.96 on Amazon
From: Loot Crate
Why I love it: This was the first Q-Pop figure I'd ever seen. I'm a big Batman fan, and I just love the classic pose on the gargoyle.
The Item: Funko POP Hulkbuster
The Cost: Value $30?
From: the first-ever Collectors Crops
Why I love it: This was their first delivery, and they hit it out of the park, and have kept up that status. This Hulkbuster is beyond awesome! Have you noticed my trend of vinyl figures as favorites?
The Item: Captain Phasma POP (Chrome)
The Cost: Value $25+ on Amazon
From: the first-ever Smuggler's Bounty
Why I love it: Just in time for the movie, and to get me even more excited, I got 2 exclusive vinyls in the first-ever Smuggler's Bounty! But, this chromed-out version of Captain Phasma took the cake - I just wish she was in the movie more!
The Item: McNairy College Graphic Tee
The Cost: Value ?
From: Five Four Club
Why I love it: This is my go-to t-shirt. I love FFC shirts, but for some reason I typically go for this shirt when it's in my clothing pile - I like the colors and the graphic.
The Item: Mr. Bean Teddy and Bendable
The Cost: Value $10-15 and $8
From: Nerd Block
Why I love it: I was a big fan of the old Mr. Show when I was younger, so these definitely found a soft spot in my heart!
The Item: Gilded Age lambskin gloves
The Cost: Value $149.00
From: Bespoke Post "Frost"
Why I love it: Now that winter is actually here, I'm using these quite a bit - they're nice and softly lined. I'm not a glove person, but these are kind of converting me.
The Item: Presse Coffee Maker
The Cost: Value $30 on Amazon
From: Bespoke Post "Roast"
Why I love it: I love this thing, in combination with the handheld grinder, I've made some delicious brews!
Comic Boxes like Comicboxer, Comic Block, Comic Bento, and Blindbox Comics
This was the year I got back into reading comics, and it's thanks to these comic boxes! I've loved getting new series to try - and discovering new favorites!
Liz's Favorites:
The Item: NUDESTIX Lip Cheek Pencil
The Cost: $24
From: Birchbox Prestige Special Edition Box
Why I Love it: This NUDESTIX is one of my favorite discoveries this year. I can’t get over how creamy and moisturizing the formula is – it goes on so smoothly! I've been using this lip pencil every day since I first sampled it - I bought it in a few different shades too!
The Items: Bodyography Brow Trio and Bodyography Brow Brush
The Cost: $19 each
From: May 2015 Boxycharm box
Why I love it: This brow powder and brush set became part of my daily makeup routine thanks to the May Boxycharm box. I love the application with the angled brush and the darkest brow powder is a perfect match for my brows. (The middle shade was a little too warm). The brow powder is very pigmented too, so this little brow trio has lasted so long, and I haven't even used up half of it yet!
And since I picked two beauty staples, I'll mix it up with my other item:
The Item: Hooded Moto Jacket by Thread and Supply
The Cost: $105
From: October 2015 Golden Tote
Why I love it: Out of all the clothing I've gotten from subscription boxes in the past year, this one has been my favorite go-to piece. It's super easy to pair with anything, and I love the detail of the jacket.
It has an inner zipper hoodie lining:
I didn’t think it would be that amazing, but I just love the look of wearing the jacket open while still keeping it fitted with the inner zipper. The hood is great too:
What do you think of our favorites for 2015? And what were your favorite discoveries this year?
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