Genuine Articles Subscription Box Review + Coupon – Mar 2016
Genuine Articles is a quarterly subscription service that allows you to “enjoy all the fun of shopping at a bazaar without all of the hassle.” Their boxes include crafts and artisan items. A portion of the proceeds goes towards supporting Muslim charities.
This box was sent to us for review purposes. (Check out our review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription Box: Genuine Articles
The Cost: $49.99 per quarter
COUPON: Save 15% off any subscription with code MSA15!
The Products: Five items that you might find at a bazaar, such as handcrafted and artisan goods
Ships to: US (only) for free
Check out the Artisan Subscription Box Directory and make sure to add Genuine Articles to your subscription list or wishlist!
This is the info card that was included, detailing this quarter’s items. This quarter’s charity is Muhsen, an organization dedicated to raising awareness, acceptance, and accommodation of persons with disabilities in the Muslim community.
I photographed all the paper in this box without realizing that one of the pieces of paper was one of the five crafts included in this package!
“Refresh, Renew, Restore” decal (bottom center) from Sweet Crafts by Asma – Value $5
I’m not really big on wall decals, but if I can find the perfect spot for this, it would be a great reminder to take time out for myself once in a while.
Also in this picture, clockwise from the decal, are a 30% off coupon from Pure-N-Healthy, a business card from The Friday Collective, instructions for applying the decal, an information card from Muhsen, and a pamphlet about Ultonic.
“Beauty is a Gift” Thank You Card by The Friday Collective – Value $4.50
“Shine Like the Universe Is Yours!” Birthday Card – Value $4.50
These greeting cards were my favorite items in the whole box! They are beautiful, and I love the quotes on both of them!
Strawberry Marshmallows by Simply Mallows – Value $8
I’m not a big fan of marshmallows, and these had a really unusual taste. My son loves marshmallows, but he didn’t like these. They weren’t sweet like grocery store marshmallows, and the strawberry flavor was very authentic. If you are a fan of gourmet marshmallows, you might really like these.
Beaded Wrap Bracelet by Hannah’s Gemstone Jewelry – Value $56
What a cute bracelet! It’s not really my style, but I think my niece would love this. I couldn’t find this exact piece online, so I am listing the price that’s on the tag. I do think $56 is a little high for this bracelet, though, but I could be wrong.
Ultonic Paste by Pure-N-Healthy – Value $19.95
I haven’t tried this yet, but it’s really intriguing. It’s a wellness tonic made from superfood ingredients to help you fight allergies, colds, inflammation, and boost the immune system. It is made with honey, cinnamon, turmeric, garlic, ginger, bee propolis, and black seed oil. It sounds like it would work, but I’m a little afraid of what it might taste like!
Verdict: I think Genuine Articles is a subscription that has its heart in the right place. Unfortunately, the only items I was personally really excited about were the greeting cards, but that’s a matter of taste. Next quarter they will send five new items, and they could all be things I love. You never know what you might purchase at a bazaar! I love that they support important charities like Muhsen, and that they are supporting Muslim artisans as well. The value of the items comes to $98, which is great for a $50 box.
What do you think of Genuine Articles?
Written by Anna Rodriguez
I like this box. Jewelry is very personal and I am hard to please so yeah not kern on the bracelet. But I love the rest of the box
Thank you for taking the time to review our box, Anna! We hope to wow you with the next one.
Regarding the bracelet, the retail price is set by the maker, as is the case with all of the items. We understand everyone’s estimation of value will not be the same.
Genuine Articles is not a global box. We specifically highlight makers and artists from North America. GlobeIn does a wonderful job, but is a different sort of box. The bazaars we refer to are the contemporary sort found at Islamic conferences and gatherings across the US and Canada, where you find everything from clothes to food, and, yes, even health supplements. Those kind of one-stop shop experiences are what we seek to emulate with our box.
We did have a theme for the box, “Refresh, Renew, Restore”. Anyone interested can learn more about how the items fit the theme by visiting our website.
Nothing says “bazaar” like …..ultonic paste??!!! I think Anna was very kind with her review, I would be unhappy with this box. It just seems so random, no curation, no theme. And the value is low, no way is that bracelet $56. I think Globe In does a much better job, for less, for the same idea.
Of course an artisan has to make some money and so there will be markup on jewelry. But I could make that bracelet with about $10 worth of materials. I think you’re right, the value seems a bit high.
The tonic sounded interesting until I got to the “garlic” part. I had a packet of superfood greens from somewhere (Rawbox?) that came in a set. It took me awhile to get around to using it. I put it in my morning smoothie. The whole time I am thinking, why does my smoothie taste like garlic? It was the greens powder. I can put a half cup of kale in there and not taste it, but a fraction of the half-teaspoon of greens powder I used was garlic and all I could taste was the garlic. So you are wise to proceed with caution. Although it sounds like it might work in conjunction with Indian food that uses a similar mix of spices?
Interesting box. Thanks for the review!
I’d have to agree, Ragan and Anna, about the bracelet. I looked at the few items the creator had on her website, and this particular bracelet seems overpriced. It looks like the other ones are made with stones, and there’s one on her site with several pieces of labradorite for a few dollars less than this one.
http://www.hannahsgemstonejewelry.com/collections/luxe/products/aqua-blue-and-gray-labradorite-bracelet
I do love labradorite though!