The Explore Local Box is a monthly artisan subscription box that includes locally made items and food from a different city each month. This box stems from the love of travel and is a great way to experience a variety of US cities from the comfort of your own home!
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About this Box
The Subscription Box: Explore Local Box
The Cost: $39.99 a month + free shipping. Save with prepaid 3, 6, or 12-month subscriptions.
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 10% off your first box!
CODE: MSA10
The Products: Your box will include locally-made items and food from that month's city.
Ships to: The US only
Explore Local Box "Los Angeles, California" June 2019 Review
The first insert provides a map of the US, with a black dot indicating cities that have been "explored" by this subscription and a black "star" indicating the city that we will explore this month. The back of the card provides some general information and facts about Los Angeles, California.
A full sheet print out is included detailing the items contained in the box.
Pocket Latte Coffee Bar in Cream + Sugar and Dark Roast – Retail Value $5.98 ($2.99 each)
If you like the idea of chewing your coffee, this bar is for you! It's amazing how much this energy bar tastes like pure coffee (with some chocolate thrown in). The texture has a bit of a coffee grind grit to it, but I honestly didn't mind. I liked the taste of both of the bars, and I do think this was an interesting inclusion in the box and one that I wouldn't mind having on hand more often. I really like that the container labels the sweetness and caffeine quotient. I thought that the dark roast was plenty sweet for me, even with only 1 circle. Each one of these little bars packs the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee, perfect for those hectic mornings where you need a boost!
Deep Water USA Rose Lemonade
This bottle is beautiful and the potion inside smells beautiful. However, I can't drink flowers. I just can't – I tried. The smell to me was off-putting, but I did take a swig and was surprised at the zesty zing front note quickly followed by an overwhelmingly floral after taste. When I looked at the ingredients, I was a bit surprised that it wasn't just water and rose petals – it has added sugar and lemon juice as well. As for its inclusion in the curation, I was a bit surprised – this company is based in San Francisco and it's available for purchase in over 160 Fresh Market stores.
Tossware 9oz Champagne Flutes x 2 – Buy a pack of 12 here for $11.86
I love the idea of eco-friendly, yet disposable and/or non-breakable glassware (my husband's bestie has broken more than one of my wine glasses over the years!) – so I will use these for sure. I thought that the quality of the item was fair. I'm not sure if you're supposed to literally toss after use, or wash and use again. I think it could withstand more than a single use, and I think at the price point they'd be great for vacations or beach trips where you don't want to worry about lugging them back home.
Tea Drops Loose Leaf Tea x 3– Try the sampler kit of 9 tea drops here for $15.00
I couldn't get enough of these! I love tea, and I loved the concept of these drops. They tasted fantastic. It's not in a bag, it's not instant – it's true air-compressed loose-leaf tea. You simply drop it into a cup of hot water and you have an absolutely delicious cup of tea without a soggy tea bag to contend with! In my box, I received Rose Earl Gray, Citrus Ginger, and Matcha Green Tea. I loved them all – but the citrus ginger (shown) was my favorite.
Organic Candy Factory Gummy Cubs in Cubilicious Peach – Buy a pack of 4 here for $19.90
These gummy cubs were so good! To me, they tasted exactly like the old-fashioned peach rings that I grew up eating and brought me back to that place of nostalgia. They are vegan and organic – and at 90 calories per 12 cubs, these cuties are pretty much guilt-free!
Honey Belle's Lavender Rain Loofah Soap – Retail Value $6.00
Lavender is one of my favorite scents, so I always appreciate getting a product featuring that signature smell. This soap is made from coconut oil, and I thought that it really moisturized and exfoliated my skin. I love using this type of product before bed – I felt clean, moisturized, and relaxed!
Verdict: This is my third Explore Local Box, and it was just OK for me this time. I liked all of the items except for the Rose drink, but once again my verdict is that most of the items didn't feel very "local" to me. Everything that was sent was easily found online from pretty commercial & robust websites.
From my calculations, I received about $28.63 in product, which is well below the $39.99 cost of the box. In all of my boxes this far, I've received less than $30.00 worth of products. I feel that the items should be at least, if not greater than, the cost of the box and I think that more local or small brands should be featured. I really wish there was a standout item, and I wish that the items themselves felt a little more "local" to the city being featured.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, July will be your first box, as long as the order is placed before the 14th.
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 10% off your first box!
CODE: MSA10
Value Breakdown: This box costs $39.99 + free shipping, which means that each of the 6 items in the box has an average cost of $6.67.
Check out all of our The Explore Local Box reviews, more artisan subscription boxes, and the best food subscription boxes of 2019!
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