Subscription boxes seem to be a huge trend right now, and I can understand why. Getting a mystery present every month sounds super fun! My only problem has been finding a box that suits me and my tastes…
Most services describe themselves as “trendy” and “chic” and “classy” and those are so not words I’d use to describe myself. :P I like things that are odd and quirky, and most mainstream stuff just doesn’t do it for me.
If only there was a box for alternative weirdos!
And then I stumbled upon this:
“Spooky Box Club make, design, and sell a beautiful range of exclusive alternative lifestyle goods with an emphasis on witchy, gothic, supernatural, and paranormal interests and styles.”
The subscription is on the expensive side with £21/$31 per month, but if you don’t want to have a monthly subscription you can also buy each box individually. Right now you can order the upcoming Enchanted Forest Box for example.
In addition to that, they also have a webshop selling some items from previous boxes.
Usually all the fun stuff you find online is in America, so as a European I was very happy to learn they are based in England. United Kingdom = member of the European Union = decent delivery times and no customs for me. Win!
Another nice point is that Spooky Box is also a charity fundraiser. Every month a percentage of the money from sales is donated to a different charity.
The whole thing sounded so good I had to try it, and now I’ve received my first box:
The Saltwater Siren
First impression: there are bats on the packaging, that’s a good sign.
Second impression: wow, there’s so much stuff! :O
The charity of choice this month was the Marine Conservation Society, very suitable for the theme of the box.
Kraken tote bag & Saltwater Siren sarong.
The text on the tote bag says “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net forever”. I like it a lot! The print is cool and the quality feels very good.
I tried getting a decent pic of the sarong, but it’s just a really big sheet of thin soft fabric so I couldn’t figure out how to photograph is so you can see what it looks like. I’m not entirely sure what to do with it, but the pattern is really very beautiful and exactly my style so I’ll have to think of something.
From left to right:
– Jellyfish pendant in a shell box
– Shipwreck stud earrings
– Handcrafted lollipop flavoured “extreme sour watermelon”
– Hair chalks in mermaid hues
– Sailor’s Heart – hand made shampoo bar with tropical scent
In the middle/bottom:
– Mermaid bag charm
Upper middle:
– Jewellery bags that the earrings and hair chalk came in
Shampoo bar, hair chalk, and lollipop.
I’ve never used a shampoo bar before, but it smells nice so I’m going to give it a try.
I’ve never used hair chalk either. I already have blue highlights in my hair, but a few more colours wouldn’t hurt. ;) I’ll definitely use it sometime.
Haven’t tasted the lollipop yet, it’s so pretty I don’t want to ruin it, haha!
Little jellyfish pendant in a seashell box.
The chain feels rather cheap, but the pendant is cute and so is the box. You can never go wrong with simple silver jewellery so I’ll definitely wear this. :)
Shipwreck stud earrings.
They’re cute, but I’m NOT a fan of stud earrings. I like hooks, no, I need hooks. And even then I prefer my earrings huge and dangly. These feel cheap and plastic too. My least favourite item. :/
Ocean-themed stickers + bonus ghost stickers.
Love the designs, I’ll definitely stick these on something! :D And the ghosts are so friggin’ cute! Oh my god, I’m putting ghosts on everything now! There’s even a ghost holding a beer!
I think I’m a bit more excited about the ghost stickers than I should be…
Pearls and stars
The box also had a handful of pearls in various sizes, and star sequins, that fell out as I took out the items. At first I thought something had broken, but everything is fine so I assume it was just put in there for decoration.
I actually think it was a really fun detail. Of course, I had to chase a few stray pearls across the kitchen floor, but I still liked it. And I made sure to pick them all up and save them for later. I’ll probably find some use for them. :)
Conclusion
Of all the subscription boxes I’ve seen this is easily the most appealing one for me, the indie/handmade angle is right up my alley.
The items look unique and seem to be of decent quality for the most part. I like that it was many different types of things too, from candy to jewellery to stickers and more.
It’s a somewhat pricey box, but alternative things usually are. All aspects put together I definitely feel like I got my money’s worth.
I love the whole idea and will definitely buy more Spooky Boxes in the future! :D
Aww, that box looks so awesome and the items look like they are really cool. :D It’s a shame that the earrings where a bit cheap, but the other items seem to make up for it! The box with the bats also looks so cool. :D
Ooh how neat. I’d be interested in seeing just how sour that lollipop is :D
The shampoo bar looks beautiful. What a cool themed box.
This is one subscription box I can get into! (It’s like you get a “Halloween Swap” package every month!! :D ) The tote and sarong are really cute. It’s cool because you can give the things you don’t like as gifts to someone who will like them.
That’s exactly what I thought: that it’s like the Halloween Swap only all year round! :D
Haha oh my god, this would have appealed to me a few years ago when my style was a bit more like yours. There are still some pieces I would love, like the jellyfish necklace and the hair chalk (never tried that either). And the stickers are completely adorable.
I have a love/hate relationship with studs. The ones you got do look quite cheap and I’m not a fan of the style either. Because I have many piercings, some studs look very stupid on my ear especially if they are large and chunky. :P That said, I don’t like hooks, but I don’t mind earrings that have a bit of a drop. Studs can also be annoying to put in, which I’m guessing is a reason why you don’t like them. xD
I can’t remember what the box was called but I came across one subscription box that had laser-cut jewellery totally in your style, I thought of that when I saw this post. I am not sure if you’d like it because some people think most laser-cut jewellery is just cheap plastic… but I will let you know if I remember it or come across the link again!
Hey Karin, I just found the site, it’s called Sugar and Vice Designs: http://www.sugarandvicedesigns.com/ But unfortunately I can’t find their subscription boxes anymore. If you search, there are some older blog posts about it but it may be something they release from time to time. I hope it’s of interest to you anyway. :) :) I feel like my obsession with laser-cut necklaces is coming back haha.
Oh wow, that really is just my style! If they had a subscription box I’d probably be interested, but at least there’s a webshop. Thanks for the tip! :D
Looks like you got some great stuff in that box! Subscription boxes are something I’d like to try if I had more disposable income. Also, currency exchange rates are becoming a bit of a problem for us Aussies. ;_;
Have you ever heard of glitter bombing? Maybe that’s what those stars and pearls were about! Hehehe.
I’ve been seeing a lot of subscription box reviews, but this is my first time hearing of Spooky Box! I think this is such a cool idea, and that’s great that they also donate to a charity.
I love the design on the tote bag and the sarong! That’s too bad the chain on the pendant felt cheap, but I like the jellyfish design. Looks like you can put the pendant on a different chain at least :) Aahh, and the ghost stickers are sooo cute!
I’m glad you feel like you got your money’s worth! That’s a lot of things, and it’s nice that it’s a variety. I feel like I’d enjoy a box like this too, except I already have too much stuff, haha.