Gift Guide | Subscription Boxes

Coming up with unique gift ideas for the same people year after year can get difficult, especially in a day and age where many of us (myself absolutely included) tend to go out and buy the things we want when we have the extra money. My mom has always complained that I am SO hard to shop for because when I want something, I go and buy it. To further prove this point, last year I was really wanting to get a crockpot. We had just moved into our apartment and I was in full-on nesting mode and to be the best ever nester, obviously you need to make things in a crockpot (haha, seriously though, this was my thought process). I had mentioned one day, a couple weeks before Christmas in fact, that I was going to go buy a crockpot because I had all these great ideas of things I wanted to make. My mom basically blew up at me. She was like, “STOP BUYING THINGS BEFORE CHRISTMAS BECAUSE YOU’RE SO HARD TO BUY FOR AND DAD AND I ALREADY GOT YOU A DAMN CROCKPOT!” Hahahaha. Clearly, she had some pent up frustration from every birthday and Christmas in my adult years in which I was ridiculously hard to buy for. Oops. Sorry mom. I ended up getting my crockpot for Christmas and we all lived happily ever after.

Now, back to the whole point of this. Some people are super hard to buy for because they already have all the things. Coming from experience as someone who is apparently really hard to buy for, what I’m about to tell you is gifting gold: SUBSCRIPTION BOXES. There are so many different kinds available that it’s basically impossible to NOT find one that works for pretty much everyone in your life (including your baby or your dog, for reals). They are, for the most part, monthly subscriptions that are delivered to your door and full of things that you will most probably really like. It’s like Christmas, but every month! It’s the most genius idea ever, if you ask me. Before I list off a bunch of awesome subscription boxes, make sure to sign up for Ebates (it’s easy and free!) if you aren’t already, because a lot of these subscription boxes offer cash back on your purchases… and who doesn’t like free money?

For The Fashionista

StitchFix

I’ve never used StitchFix myself because I’m in Canada and they currently only ship to the US, but I am always reading people’s monthly StitchFix posts to see what they got! I love how this one works. Basically, the price you pay every month is the stylist fee. You fill out this thorough quiz on your body shape/size and your fashion likes/dislikes, and your stylist chooses a few pieces to send you. You get the pieces, try them on to see what you love, and then send back anything you don’t love. You pay for the items you keep, and that stylist fee you paid for them to send anything to you in the first place gets applied to whatever you buy. It’s like having a personal shopper… but also in the comfort of your own home. Win-win.

Wantable

I’ve tried out the makeup box from Wantable before and loved it, so I can only imagine the accessories box from them is just as amazing. It’s a perfect way to add new jewelry and accessories to your closet. You take a fairly detailed quiz before ordering your box, so what you receive should be pretty on point with your tastes!

POPSUGAR Must Have

Okay, so the POPSUGAR Must Have box isn’t technically a fashion subscription box but more of a lifestyle subscription box. I figured this was the best section to put it in, because it HAS to be mentioned. This is, hands down, the subscription I am most excited to get in the mail. Every month you receive all things pretty and beautiful in this box- accessories, jewelry, beauty products, home decor, tasty treats, and more! This is what I asked for for my birthday this year, and when my birthday present subscription ran out I continued to get the boxes myself because I just love love love them.

Golden Tote

While this isn’t technically a subscription because you just purchase it on a monthly (or however often) basis you’d like, it’s got the same concept. They offer two different tote bags, and you get a few pieces of clothing in each. I love that you get to pick out one or two of the pieces you’ll receive yourself and the stylist picks out a couple other pieces for you. It’s the fun of a surprise, but you are also pretty much guaranteed to love some of the things because you picked them yourself!

For The Beauty Queen

ipsy

You see my reviews on these every month (see what I got last month here). I love ipsy and I’m always at least 85% happy with the items I get each month (and that’s pretty good for a subscription that only costs $10!). It’s a great way to try out new brands, products and colors without breaking the bank. I also love their ipsy points program. Every month, you get opportunities to share that your bag is coming on Facebook and review all the products you received and in turn you get points that eventually add up to free products! I absolutely look forward to receiving this every month.

Julep

Know someone who is nail polish obsessed? I have been getting this box for nearly two years now, and I am never disappointed. You get to choose which polish set you get each month, so there’s no receiving colors you hate! Julep also gives you jules (points) every time you get a box (as well as for people you refer to subscribe), and your jules can be used towards getting free monthly boxes or getting free nail polish and other goodies!

Birchbox Canada / US

BIRCHBOX HAS FINALLY COME TO CANADA! I want to shout it from the rooftops! You lucky Americans have had this box for what seems like forever, and I’m so excited I get to join in on the fun now. As soon as I am back from my trip, I am subscribing. Birchbox is a monthly beauty subscription (another $10 a month box!) that sends you five personalized beauty samples every month. Previous boxes have included great brands and I seriously can’t wait to subscribe myself! Like Julep and ipsy, Birchbox has a points program for reviewing products that I’ll be taking full advantage of.

Beauty Box 5

Another affordable beauty subscription box! BB5 is only $12 a month, or $10 a month if you buy three months at once. You receive a mix of deluxe samples and full-sized hair and beauty products every month. This is another one I want to look at subscribing to in the new year!

For The Tea & Coffee Lover

Tea Box Express

I’ve tried out this box before and really loved it! Not only do you get tea to try, you also get other fun tea-related things. In my box, I got delicious tea honey, a yummy bee cookie and some other goodies. I think this box is particularly great because the fact that you get other little things along with your tea makes for more of a surprise!

Twice Coffee

I love being able to share Canadian-based companies on here when I can. Twice Coffee sounds awesome! Cole and I LOVE coffee, and use both a Keurig as well as a french press. We love to try new coffees and always choose something different when we run out of what we’re currently drinking. I’ll definitely be looking into subscribing to this one for us!

Tea Sparrow

This subscription box is Vancouver-based (holla!), and has a top-notch team of tea connoisseurs curating the boxes every month. Each box contains four premium loose leaf teas, with a mix of both herbal and caffeinated teas.

For The Men In Your Life

Mantry

Mantry sells themselves as the modern man’s pantry. It’s a foodie subscription box for men and it sounds DELISH. Every month, you receive six full-sized artisan foods. They are currently shipping to the US only, but as soon as they make the switch to Canada I’ll be hopping on this bandwagon. Cole really enjoys cooking and I think he’d love getting this box every month! I mean, they once had a bacon box that included things like bacon mayo, bloody mary mix and smoked bacon. I’ll just be over here drooling…

Birchbox – The Men’s Box

The Birchbox men’s box sends you 3-4 grooming samples every month, as well as a lifestyle accessory (in the past, this has been anything from headphones to ties to socks). This is not only a fun box, but also a practical one.

Gentleman’s Box

Do you have a man in your life that takes extra pride in his appearance and enjoys dressing up? This box would be perfect for him! The Gentleman’s Box chooses a new featured gentleman every month and curates the box based on him. Included in the monthly subscription are men’s wardrobe and grooming related items.

Do you subscribe to any monthly boxes?