Brown Sugar Box is a monthly Women of Color lifestyle subscription box offering tees, accessories, and lifestyle products designed by and made for Women of Color.
Each Brown Sugar Box includes a graphic tee and 4-5 additional full-size products ranging from drinkware, accessories, bags, jewelry, makeup, housewares, and stationery. All items are from black-owned businesses.
My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).
About Brown Sugar Box
The Subscription Box: Brown Sugar Box
The Cost: $39.95 per month + $4.95 shipping
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 20% off your first box!
CODE: FIRSTTIME20
The Products: 1 graphic tee plus 4-5 additional full-size lifestyle products
Ships to: US for $4.95 and International for $12.95
Good to Know: Boxes are shipped around the 15th of each month. When purchasing a subscription, you have the opportunity to select your T-shirt size and fit preference.
Brown Sugar Box “The Cookout Season Edition” June 2019 Review
Each Brown Sugar Box includes a mini-magazine that highlights the theme of the box, lists the products included and offers interesting and inspiring articles. This month’s box is all about making sure you’re prepared for the next big cookout!
This article describes the theme of the box and lists all the items included to help make sure you arrive at the next cookout cute and equipped. The next article highlights the top five summer events. I’ve only attended one of the five and I’m sure it’s due to my dislike and distrust of large crowds and heat!
Our arms, legs, and feet come out from hiding in the summertime! This article highlights five products to give your ashy skin a summertime glow. The next article highlights five summer fashion trends. I live in white blouses and maxi dresses during the summer!
This article lists the types of people you don’t want to invite to the cookout. I thought it would be funny but it’s quite negative and unkind. Thumbs down! This next article, I did enjoy! It highlights all the fun cookout games. I know how to play them all and very well if I might add.
This spread provides details on the Izzy & Liv activities at this year's Essence Fest and the next has pictures of Brown Sugar Babes with items from last month's box.
What's a BBQ without good music? This page has a playlist perfect for a laid-back get-together. Each magazine also provides answers to the most frequently asked questions. Finally, the back cover of the magazine has a picture of some Brown Sugar Babes in one of my favorite T-shirts from past boxes.
“Spades, Dominoes, and Double Dutch” Tee – Listed Value $28
An ode to the most fun cookout games, this T-shirt reminds me of all the joy I had growing up at family gatherings. I especially loved Double Dutch which doubles as an excellent workout. I like the colors on this shirt too – super cute!
8-Pack Paper Plate Set – Listed Value $7
These paper plates are colorful, have fun BBQ-themed quotes, and are a lot sturdier than I expected them to be. The plates come in three designs: "Where's the Aluminum Foil?", "I Like My To-Go Plates Hefty", and "Who Made the Potato Salad?" I received 2-3 of each. If you’re going to a cookout, you’ll have to bring more than 8 plates! I think these would work better as serving plates.
“Sip Champagne When We're Thirstay” Double Wine Tote – Listed Value $16
What's a Brown Sugar Box without a song quote?! These lyrics are from Juicy by The Notorious B.I.G. where he raps "birthdays were the worse days, now we sip champagne when we thirsty"! It's all about how his life from "negative to positive and it's all good"! This neoprene two-bottle wine tote is something I plan to get a lot of use out of!
Big Toe Seasoning Sampler – Listed Value $3
Big Toe Seasoning is a black-owned brand known for its flavorful seasonings. We all know that just salt and pepper won't do when your cooking for a black family BBQ. Included is a generous sampling of their all-purpose, lemon pepper, and creole seasonings. I can't wait for my husband to try these on the grill!
Bamboo Hand Fan – Listed Value $12
My least favorite part of a cookout is the heat and the bugs! This wood and fabric fan could come in handy to cool me down and fan away the flies. It comes in four designs. I received the white fan with the afro sista. I’m not sold on its sturdiness, but it should last at least a cookout or two.
Brown Sugar Babe Card Deck – Listed Value $12
Play a card game like Spades or Bid Whist at a black cookout at your own risk! My family is very serious about the cards – even going as far as to try to ban my husband and me from playing as partners. We never cheat, we're just really good! All the high cards in this Brown Sugar deck feature brown sugar babes. Unfortunately, these cards are not cookout ready. The texture is shiny and slippery, the color is dull, and we all know that you can’t just bring any brand of cards to the BBQ.
Black Girl Magic Tote – Listed Value $15
I love a fun tote! These black girl magic totes come in four designs. I received the white tote with the afro sistas that matches my white fan. I like the canvas material and strong straps and hardware, but the tote isn't lined, and it doesn’t have any pockets. I’d likely use this as a cute grocery bag.
Verdict: I’ve been a Brown Sugar Box subscriber from the very beginning, so I’ve seen every box. It’s no secret that it’s one of my favorites and a brand with a mission that I love to support.
This month’s theme was everything! I really enjoyed the items selected and will likely use every product. I especially love the addition of the Big Toe Seasoning. Early on, Brown Sugar Box would make an effort to include products from other black-owned businesses. Lately, it seems that all the items are Izzy and Liv branded with very few exceptions. I would love to see more features like this.
The only item that sort of missed the mark for me this month was the cards. The dull color was disappointing, and the $12 value seems inflated. On the other end, I loved the T-shirt (as usual) and the wine tote is my favorite item in the box. Lately, Brown Sugar Box has been spot-on with the themes and I'm having fewer and fewer complaints about the quality of the items. I like the direction we're going!
To Wrap Up:
Can I get this box if I sign up today? No, but sign up today to receive the August box.
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 20% off your first box!
CODE: FIRSTTIME20
Value Breakdown: The listed retail value of this box is $93 which a little lower than usual with a few questionable listed values. At $44.90 a box ($39.95 + $4.95 shipping), you are paying approximately $6.29 for each of the 7 items in this month’s box. This is a pretty good value!
Check out all of our Brown Sugar Box reviews and more Women of Color subscription boxes, along with the best women's subscription boxes of 2019!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
What do you think of this month’s Brown Sugar Box?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.