The GQ Best Stuff Box is a quarterly men's subscription from GQ magazine that's $50 a box with free shipping. The box features $200 worth of products the editors have curated after testing and finding them to be the best in their class. Although this subscription is geared towards men, women love it for themselves as well. This quarter's box is about prepping for the summer.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)
Inside the GQ Best Stuff Summer 2022 Box
Diff Eyewear Cody Sunglasses - Retail Value $98
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For the second year in a row, GQ has included a pair of shades in its Summer box. This design from Diff Eyewear is called Cody. I'm not sure what the color is called. It's sort of a tan with light and dark brown spots. It's not quite tortoise shell. Almost like camo ... ish? The lens are round and polarized. They are light on my face, but this pair was a little small for my head. The arms, which I just learned are called temples, skew outward toward my ears and I don't find that a flattering look for me. So, enjoy a couple pics of my daughter wearing them.
In Summer 2021, the big ticket item was also a pair of shades, which I called a "huge risk." To quote that review, "The risk is that sunglasses are very much a personal style thing. For that reason, I wish this could have been a voucher or gift certificate situation. Even to have the option of different colors would have gone a long way." I stick by that. If GQ is going to include a stylish accessory like glasses again, I really wish they'd give us a choice. Even a small one. Ultimately, I did not like the look of these sunglasses for me, but I will say they feel nice on my face and they will surely look great on other people. You know, who don't have a melon like me. I'll likely keep these glasses in my car, where they are more for function than style.
Note: I am not confident I linked to the correct color, but there are several to choose from. Prices vary slightly. The website is having a BOGO sale, FYI.
Misc. Goods Co. Playing Cards - Retail Value $15
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I've loved playing cards since I was a kid. My family loves to game, so we've always played a lot of cards. I was excited to receive a mature, well-designed deck of playing cards that are different, without being obnoxious. The box is matte green with gold leaf lettering. The box says things "Keep your nose clean" and "Here today/Gone tomorrow." Embossed on the front, it says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition." I'm not sure why it has all these sayings. The back of the box is the same design on the back of cards themselves – sans the gold lettering. The fronts are ordinary in a good way. I dislike when cards are designed to be cool, cute, or funny. Just give me the numbers as plain as day. The face cards are well-designed without being distracting. The aces have more sayings on them. I like that they included a fill-in-the-blank card in case you lose one. Overall, I was really happy with this deck and it will definitely be put into the rotation. Personally, I think $15 is steep for a deck of cards, but I must say they are certainly of quality. If you order from Misc. Goods Co., you can choose between black, ivory, sandstone, sunrise, or cacti. These are the latter.
TRX Training Club 2-Month Pass - Estimated Value $20
As I am getting older, I am seeing the need to be active become more and more important. I'm still not doing anything about it at the moment, but I'm really thinking about it. Maybe a membership to TRX Training Club is just what I need. GQ has included a two month membership for subscribers. Membership includes things like live classes, on-demand videos, and access to experts. There are more than 500 workouts across 15 different training programs and all you need is a device, the app, and a membership. You can workout any place, any time that suits you. The best part is you don't have to give them your credit card info to sign up. There is also an exclusive code for 20% of all TRX gear.
Jack Black SPF 20 Double-Duty Face Moisturizer (1.5 oz.) - Retail Value $18
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We have several moisturizing stations in our house, but I think I'll be keeping this little guy in my toiletry bag just for me. It is a moisturizer with a healthy dose of SPF for your face. Jack Black's comes infused with algae extract and sea parsley, along with a handful or powerful antioxidants. The website says the formula "helps protect the skin from the damaging effects of environmental stress–including UV light, blue light, and pollution." Take care of your face, everyone else will thank you.
Mudmasky Vitamin-A Booster Blue Clay Mask - Retail Value $59
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Speaking of taking care of your face, Mudmasky's Vitamin-A Booster Blue Clay Mask is a real win for me. It's a thin, milky mud that uses "premium grade natural clay" to soak up excess oil and debris clogging your pores. Just wash your face normally, apply a thin coating, let the blue mask turn white, and rinse off. I liked that I didn't need a lot of it to feel clean and that it is fragrance-free.
Benton Fermentation Eye Cream (0.35 oz.) - Retail Value $10
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What, more face stuff? Benton from Korea uses "fermented ingredients well-known in Korean skin care, helps repair damaged skin while ceramides, hyaluronic acid, aloe, and panthenol deeply hydrate the skin." I have never been one for eye cream and always feel bad when I have to review them. I just don't know what I'm supposed to feel or see to comment on. I will say, since I don't normally wear eye cream, I felt very fancy having applied it and made sure my wife knew about it.
Art of Sport Victory Body Spray Deodorant - Retail Value $7
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Believe it or not, I've never actually used spray deodorant. So this was a new experience for me. Art of Sport, or AOS, sells Victory or Complete scents. The Victory scent I received is made with eucalyptus, which I personally love. Goes on dry instantly with a clean, aluminum-free formula. I wouldn't call it a sport, but I spent that last two days chasing my kids around the house ... still fresh. I rather enjoyed this product. I could see me purchasing this in the future.
Note: Their website just links you to Amazon where they sell the two bottles for $14.
Image Skincare I Mask Hydrating Hydrogel Sheet Mask - Estimated Value $7.80
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Sort of like the eye cream, I don't typically partake in face masks. However, I really love trying every face mask that I get a chance to. I currently have on this face mask from Image Skincare. It's cooling and soothing. I like that it's a gel and fits my face a lot better than others have. However, I probably should have shaved first, because my facial hair is preventing the mask from attaching to the bottom of my face. It's kind just hanging off my nose. Anyway, I always enjoy a good face mask and this one was good.
Thayers Natural Remedies Cucumber Facial Toner - Retail Value $3.99
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Lastly is this Thayers Cucumber Facial Toner made with cucumber and a blend of Aloe Vera and non-distilled Witch Hazel. The latter is grown exclusively for the brand on a family farm in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Their method of extracting Witch Hazel avoids distillation and does not require the use of alcohol. Just pat your face with this here tonic. Skin texture is visibly smoother, pores appear smaller, and skin tone looks more even, according to their website. I enjoyed this toner a lot. Like aftershave without the burn.
Note: This size is sold out on their site at the time of this post, but I saw it on Target.com.
Verdict
I'm going to say this was my least favorite GQ Best Stuff Box of the eight installments I've reviewed. It wasn't terrible by any means, but there was nothing special in it for me. The glasses were obviously a make or break item and this time it was a break. Maybe if they had chosen a simple color, it would worked better for me. Maybe I'm way off base and a lot of people will like them. The cards and clay mask were my favorite things. They will both get used a lot. The moisturizer, toner, and deodorant were OK. The eye cream is lost on me. And the guest pass to the workout app, while a good idea, will likely go unused. I actually don't like when subscriptions include trials to other subscriptions in the value of their box. If it's included as an advertisement - fine - but don't act like we're being given special access. Overall, an underwhelming effort from GQ Best Stuff Box, which is something I don't say often. There is still a lot of value (see below) and your opinion on the glasses may make the box for you. Comment on this post what you thought of the sunglasses: the look, the price, the doing it two years in a row. Thanks for reading.
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Let's Talk About Value
By my calculations, this box clocks in at around $238.80. That's nearly five times the subscription's cost and pretty typical for GQ Best Stuff Box. Even with value of the workout trial, you are still receiving an incredible value.
For $50 for this box, here's approximately what you're paying for each item:
- Sunglass ($98): $21.32
- Cards ($15): $3.05
- Training Pass ($20): $4.06
- Moisturizer ($18): $2.88
- Clay Mask ($59): $11.98
- Eye Cream ($10): $2.03
- Deodorant ($7): $1.42
- Face Mask ($7.80): $1.58
- Toner ($4): 0.81
To Wrap Up
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes. As of this post, the box is still available.
Would you grab the "Summer 2022" GQ Best Stuff Box for a guy in your life... or yourself?
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