Bombay + Cedar For Him Limited Edition Men’s Box Review + Coupon – Winter 2018

Bombay & Cedar is a luxury lifestyle subscription box company that focuses on essential oils, diffusers, skincare, books, snacks, and other products. We’ve been reviewing their women’s boxes for a while, but this is my first time checking out one of their limited edition men’s boxes!

This box was sent to us for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).

This review is for the Limited Edition Winter 2018 Men’s box. 

About Bombay & Cedar Vegan Men’s Lifestyle Subscription Box

The Box: Bombay & Cedar Limited Edition Men’s Box Winter 2018

The Cost: $129.00 for this one-time box (currently on sale for $115!)

COUPON: Use code MSALOVE10 to save 10% off a 3, 6 or 12-month subscription!

The Products: 10+ vegan men’s home items, gifts, and accessories focusing on natural, vegan wellness products and items that promote more mindful living.

Ships to: US for free, $39 to Canada, $59 internationally

Good to Know: Bombay & Cedar offers recurring women’s lifestyle boxes, as well as special edition boxes full of unique, curated items.

Bombay & Cedar Limited Edition Men’s Box Review Winter 2018

The box comes with a card that lists out the products and highlights some of the brands. Since this is a men’s box, I called in the assistance of my partner, Alistair to help review each item. Are these really things a guy would like? Let’s find out!

Patchouli Essential Oil, 10 ml – Listed Value $16.00

Vitality Essential Oil, 10 ml – Listed Value $19.00

I’ve gotten a little duo of essential oils like these in every women’s box I’ve received, so it’s nice that they do the same in their men’s boxes. Patchouli’s familiar, moody smell is pretty in small doses, but Alistair and I thought it might be a little too bohemian for our home. Vitality, on the other hand, was awesome—it’s a fresh piney smell, with bit of peaceful, herbaceous rosemary, pepper, and clove to temper the sharpness of the juniper, fir needle, and lemon.

The Legend of Me, a DIY Autobiography by Alexis Lampley – Retail Value $16.99 (Found here for $11.72)

Alistair isn’t much of a journal guy, but we had fun flipping through the pages of this book and thinking through each of our answers for the role-playing-game-inspired prompts. The book functions like an extremely thorough character sheet for an RPG, with pages focused on physical appearance, class, expertise, and skills. The way the book is set up, you can be as true to life or as fantastical as you please with your answers. I really liked the sections that have you document your “ships”—as in ships that sailed, sunk, etc. It’s a really cute way to self reflect, especially if you’re the type to get intimidated looking at a blank page in a journal. Will Alistair dive in and do this on his own? Eh, probably not. But it’s not like it’s a men’s-only item, so I might just use it myself, haha!

Kelvin.17 Multi-Tool by Kelvin Tools – Retail Value $19.99

Unsurprisingly, my ever-practical partner was instantly smitten by this handy tool. It’s honestly really cool—it’s only about the size of a screwdriver handle, but it packs a level, a screwdriver that snaps out at the push of a button, different commonly used bits for the screwdriver (including Torx and Allen wrench ends), a measuring tape, and a small flashlight. We don’t have a terribly extensive tool collection since we rent our apartment and don’t do a ton of construction or home improvement projects, and this gadget includes almost everything we use most often (aside from maybe needle-nosed pliers). Our tool bag is in a closet in the back of our place, but this convenient tool is small enough to tuck in a kitchen drawer for when we need it in a pinch.

Brumi Hot/Cold Brew Bottle by Full Circle – Retail Value $36.99

This was another big hit with Alistair. He’s been trying to get into the routine of making his own cold brew rather than buying it on the go, but he and I are both bad at using up all of the big batches we make before it gets kind of funky. This travel container makes it simple to make individual servings, so he’s only making as much as he needs at a time. There’s a little filter basket at the top that you can easily remove once everything is properly steeped. You can also just remove it and use this bottle like a normal to-go coffee tumbler. I might have to steal this bottle for myself sometimes, haha!

Mad Metal Stress Cube by Mad Style in Gold – Estimated Value $24.00, Listed Value $24.00

I couldn’t find this fidget toy in gold on the Mad Metal site, but the rose gold and rose-gold-and-gold versions are both $24.00, so that value feels accurate. Alistair was more into this than I expected him to be. It has essentially the same effect as a stress ball—you can flip the blocks around endlessly, rolling them around in your hand in a mindless, yet fun way. If Alistair worked a desk job, I think this would get a good bit of use. As it stands, it’ll probably get the most attention while we’re binge-watching TV.

Airome Inspire Essential Oil Diffuser – Retail Value $29.99, Listed Value $32.99

Alistair and I both thought it was cool that they included a diffuser in this box, as it gives essential oil newbies a way to use their new oil duo. We actually have a small diffuser that we keep in our bathroom (I like essential oils when I’m taking a luxuriously long shower or bath, plus we have to be careful not to use them in areas where our cats go a bunch, as oils aren’t the best for pets), but it’ll be nice to have a backup. (Maybe we can diffuse just a drop or two of essential oils in our bedroom at night since we usually close the cats out until morning.) Personally, the look of this diffuser isn’t my favorite. Alistair doesn’t care as much about aesthetics, but I kind of wish it had a smooth finish—the bumps are weirding me out for some reason, haha.

Soul of the North Socks by Gentlemen of the North – Retail Value $13.95, Listed Value $12.00

I think these socks are PERFECT for Alistair—they’re just his style, and that green color is really flattering on him. As I mentioned, he’s much less concerned with aesthetics, but he did think the stripes were fun and was generally excited to get a new pair of socks, haha! They’re 80% cotton, with polyester, spandex, and nylon thrown in for stretch so they’re nice and soft and have a comfortable not-too-thick, not-too-thin quality to them. This item is definitely a win.

Weekender Toiletry Bag by Grand Trunk – Retail Value $49.99 (Found here for $31.99), Listed Value $39.95

I was so-so on this bag, but Alistair said it could come in handy. He liked that there are loops in the front for razors and such and that it has a flatter shape, meaning it could be less cumbersome to pack. It’s waterproof, too, which is great for potential spills. Alistair’s main concern (again, ever the practical one) was that he already had a sturdy leather toiletry bag that works just fine for the amount he travels. Nevertheless, it is a great quality bag, and the gray fabric looks classy, but not too frou-frou. I’d say it could work for the gym or keeping in a locker at school if that’s more your guys’ speed.

Man Scrub by Doc Spartan, 8 oz. – Retail Value $14.99

Did you know this brand was on Shark Tank? How cool! They’re also veteran-owned and made in the US from really great natural ingredients, which I think is awesome. Both Alistair and I have tried this gently scented scrub by now, and I can attest to it leaving my skin feeling moisturized and smooth. Funny story, actually—I think this was Alistair’s first time using a salt scrub, and his first reaction was “I don’t know if I feel clean though.” What?! I made him unpack this feeling a little more and figured out that the poor dude is so used to the super squeaky (in other words drying) clean that you get from conventional grocery store bar soaps that the nourishing moisture left behind by the coconut oil in the scrub was a totally new sensation. HA! I think he’s dipped into it once or twice since then, so maybe he’s coming around to it—he insisted it that his “not clean” feeling wasn’t a bad one, just an unfamiliar one, so maybe it’ll become a new thing for him?

Okay, but before we wrap up on this scrub, it MUST be said that the machismo in the branding was a bit much for either of our tastes. The “usage”, for instance, says “Maintain manliness while combating dry skin,” and the instructions say “Have significant other apply scrub while Chuck Norris movies play in the background.” Oh, and there’s a warning label that says “Not responsible for increased sexual activity while using this product.” Like, okay, guys, calm down. It’s a salt scrub. Ironically enough, both my boyfriend and I were turned off by the bro-y messaging. It’s just not our style.

Beanfields Black Bean with Sea Salt Bean Chips, 1.5 oz. – Listed Value $1.39 (Buy 24 1.5 oz. bags for $30.00 here)

I did not expect Alistair to like these black bean chips at all. He loves healthy, whole foods, like roasted veggies, great-quality naturally leavened bread, and ethically raised meats, but he’s super suspicious of products that are “healthy versions” of not-great-for-you foods. I can’t blame him—I’ve been let down by many a “healthier” option (there was this healthy not-ice-cream ice cream that I tried once, and yowza, was it ever bad…)—but I’m the type that sometimes needs those snacks to pinch hit when I’m trying to dull a strong craving.

To my surprise, we BOTH munched through this bag of chips super fast. While Alistair did note that he did detect a bit of that mealy quality that beans have, his overall impression was that they were plenty crunchy, salty, and hearty, too. They’re thick chips with a good snap to them, and I bet they’d go great with salsa or even better, guacamole. We’re definitely penciling this brand down—if we ever need a snack for a night on the couch watching a hockey game, these would probably be a nice alternative to traditional corn chips. A yummy one, too!

Verdict: Bombay & Cedar did a nice job of finding a wide array of self-care goodies that really did appeal to Alistair’s tastes. Of course, all guys are different, so there may be some folks who would be more or less stoked about things like the scrub or the RPG-inspired journal. But I thought Bombay and Cedar cast a pretty wide net so that there’s a little something for everyone. The quality of the items was nice, too—my practical-minded partner definitely wouldn’t have been as excited about this box if the products didn’t seem like they’d last very long.

To Wrap Up: 

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes, as of publication, this box is still available!

COUPON: Use code MSALOVE10 to save 10% off a 3, 6 or 12-month subscription!

Value Breakdown: This box costs $129.00 with free shipping. The total value I estimated for the items in the box, using the listed value for what I couldn’t find an individual price for online, is $243.28. That means that the proportional cost to get the items via this box is:

• Vibrant oil – $10.07
• Patchouli oil – $8.48
• The Legend of Me book – $9.01
• Multitool – $10.60
• Coffee bottle – $19.61
• Fidget blocks – $12.73
• Diffuser – $15.90
• Socks – $7.40
• Toiletry bag – $26.51
• Scrub – $7.95
• Bean chips – $0.74

Check out all of our Bombay & Cedar reviews and the Artisan Subscription Box List!

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What do you think of the Bombay and Cedar Men’s Limited Edition Winter 2018 Box?