Cravebox: Summer Beauty Limited Edition Box

So, I've been really annoyed with Cravebox lately. Cravebox is a company that puts out monthly boxes, like many other subs, but Cravebox is not necessarily focused on beauty products - rather, they've sent out everything from food to bbq supplies to skincare to office supplies. I was on the waiting list for MONTHS to join their monthly subscription program, and I finally got a spot in May. And in this amount of time, I've gotten exactly two regular "monthly" boxes, one of which was actually a limited edition bbq box that they decided to send to regular subscribers in lieu of a regular box, as well.

Cravebox has been putting out these limited edition boxes fairly regularly. In addition to their regular service (which used to be monthly, but now is apparently every 6-8 weeks, though they never officially notified customers about this...) these limited edition boxes are not sent to subscribers, rather, you enter for a chance to purchase one and they have a set number of each.

I feel strongly that all of the focus has been put on these Limited Edition boxes, which in my opinion, have not been very impressive, and the regular boxes are just an afterthought. That aside, I find it unbelievably unprofessional that they did not at least officially notify subscribers that what they originally signed up for had changed - that a box a month would suddenly be something more like "one every couple of months or so..."

That said, I signed up for the Summer Beauty box, and I received it last week. What was inside?

As always, the box is a good size. It's always fun to get a big package in the mail, for some reason. The shipping on this one was very, very slow. I am not sure, but I think that past boxes got here a lot more quickly than this one did.

As always, the packaging is fun, with a ton of paper confetti. I do have to say that their packaging isn't the most eco-friendly. It's still fun and colorful, and I have saved most of it for reuse in my own gift wrapping/packaging. 

There are five products in the summer beauty box.

The first item I pulled out started off this box on kind of a bad note. It is a thinkThin protein bar in brownie crunch. Okay, first of all, what exactly does this have to do with summer beauty? I am tired of getting nasty food bars in beauty boxes...I've gotten several from Birchbox, as well. I signed up for this box to try beauty products. If you want to include something like this, it should be a bonus, not a main item. 

Second, even if it made sense in the box, this is disgusting. Some bars I've received have been pretty good - the granola or nut based ones at least taste like food. This one is like a gritty piece of fake chocolate flavored chalk. How is this even edible? thinkThin is a very good name for the product, because the idea of it could put me off food for a week.You'd have to pay me to eat it again.

This is an Oatmeal Peppermint Body Bar by Garden Botanika. A bar of soap isn't the most exciting thing to get in a beauty box, but I do have to say this is a nice one. The oatmeal gives it a slightly scrubby texture, and the peppermint oil makes it really soothing. I've been using it on my feet and legs, especially before and after shaving. It's not too drying and leaves my skin smooth. It's soothing on bug bites and other irritation, as well. Garden Botanika is a new brand to me, but I'd be interested in trying more of their products.

This is a Bic Soleil Bella razor. It basically offers the benefits of reusable razors like the Venus in an affordable disposable. This one has 4 blades. I did find that it does its job well, and I was happy to get a razor since I didn't receive the one that Birchbox was supposedly sending to everyone. For the price, these razors are nice and I'd likely buy them again.

This is an Intensive Eye Treatment by puristics. I love eye creams, so this was a welcome addition to the box. It's a nice thick cream that feels good going on. It feels refreshing and hydrating without being too heavy. Obviously, it's too soon to say if it is effective when it comes to anti-aging, but I am happy with the consistency and feel, and will continue to use it. I'm told that Cravebox had already sent out this product or a very similar one by the same brand before, but that was before my time, so I'm fine with it!

And finally, Tropical Mango sugar scrub by Tree Hut. This tub is huuuuge and it smells amazing, but I do have to say I was a little disappointed to get this from Cravebox, simply because they sent out the same scrub in a different scent just one box ago. That said, this is an amazing product and is probably my favorite body scrub I've tried to date. It leaves your skin silky and soft and is perfect for summer. I just wish I wasn't already getting box repeats, considering the small number of boxes I've actually gotten from them.

So, in all, the Summer Beauty Limited Edition Cravebox is okay. I am happy with most of the products received, but I do feel that very little effort was made in putting this box together. There are two repeated products (the scrub and the eye cream) and one cop-out product (the protein bar). Had I known what was in the box, I wouldn't have signed up for it, and that is how I generally decide if a subscription is worth it for me or not.

I do believe this will be my last Cravebox for a while. I am just unhappy with the lack of communication and clarity from them and the dwindling quality of the boxes offered. When I was on the waiting list, they sent out several amazing boxes I lusted over (Valentines colored sharpies?? YES PLEASE. ) Frankly, I've yet to receive a box from them that I truly find exciting, so it's not worth it for me at this time.

Have you tried Cravebox? If so, how do you like it?