Culture Carton is a monthly lifestyle box for men. Each month you’ll receive curated lifestyle items and literature to enhance your gentlemanly status.
Culture Carton has three subscription options: Essential (just the lifestyle items for $35 a month), Standard (lifestyle items and book for $45 a month), Book Club (monthly book shipped to you for $16 a month).
This is a review of the $45 a month Culture Carton Standard.
This box was sent to us for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).
About Culture Carton
The Subscription Box: Culture Carton
The Cost: $45 a month + US shipping. Save with 3, 6, and 12-month subscriptions.
ACTIVE DEAL: Free shipping on all orders over $100
CODE: FREESHIPPING
The Products: A curated selection of men’s lifestyle items and a book “that belongs on every man’s bookshelf.”
Ships to: US for a varied cost. Shipping to SC is $7.55. International shipping varies.
Culture Carton April 2018 Review
My husband, John, is helping me with this review by testing all of the products and giving me his perspective. I can already tell I like this box because it smells delicious.
An info card with an introduction to the month’s theme and contents is included. This month’s theme is “The Spring Refresh Box”. The items are classics with a refreshing twist.
Kiko Leather X Bifold Wallet - Retail Value $55
Kiko Leather is a small brand started by brothers out of LA that specializes in wallets and bags. This bifold wallet is made from a rich tan leather with bold white stitching. There are 5 card slots and a billfold so it fits the essentials without being too bulky. John prefers a super thin wallet right now, so I think I’ll be nabbing this to slide into my smaller purses.
Drifter Grooming El Dorado Whiskey Soap - Retail Value $8
Ah, here’s the item bringing all the good-smell game! This intoxicating blend of sandalwood, bergamot, lemongrass, and fir needle is both spicy and bright. The scent lingers after rinsing, which I love, and the soap leaves skin clean and fresh feeling, which John loves. This soap actually has barrel-aged whiskey in it which acts as an astringent to clean and tone skin. Drifter Grooming products are all small-batch and handmade in the US.
WiseStays Collar Stays - Retail Value $6.99
These stainless steel collar stays definitely look cooler than the basic ones you get with your shirts. WiseStays is actually a monthly subscription that sends a pair of collar stays with new sayings engraved on them every month. You can purchase them outside of the subscription though. They come in a nice little fabric bag for storage and are available in two lengths (this is the standard length). I don’t think John would use them enough to want a new set every month, but it’s nice for him to have these on hand.
Lord of the Flies by William Golding - Retail Value $16 (Found here for $15.87)
This month’s book is a classic story of survival and desperation. This edition has an introduction by Stephen King and great cover art that is designed like a book jacket. The print is big and easy to read. John has read this in the past but was excited to revisit the story especially with such an intriguing cover.
Book summary on Amazon:
William Golding’s unforgettable classic of boyhood adventure and the savagery of humanity comes to Penguin Classics in a stunning Graphic Deluxe Edition with a new foreword by Lois Lowry
As provocative today as when it was first published in 1954, Lord of the Flies continues to ignite passionate debate with its startling, brutal portrait of human nature. William Golding’s compelling story about a group of very ordinary boys marooned on a coral island has been labeled a parable, an allegory, a myth, a morality tale, a parody, a political treatise, and even a vision of the apocalypse. But above all, it has earned its place as one of the indisputable classics of the twentieth century for readers of any age.
This Penguin Classics Graphic Deluxe Edition features an array of special features to supplement the novel, including a foreword by Lois Lowry, an introduction by Stephen King, an essay by E. M. Forster, an essay on teaching and reading the novel and suggestions for further exploration by scholar Jennifer Buehler, and an extended note by E. L. Epstein, the publisher of the first American paperback edition of Lord of the Flies.
The bonus bookmark has a promo code for Beau Brummell skincare products on the back. This is a clever way to include a promo code in a book box! A Beau Brummell skincare set was included in last month’s box so this is convenient timing in case you are running low.
The Verdict: Both John and I really enjoyed the box this month! Though John has read the book before, he was excited to have a new copy with an updated, cool cover. The soap smells so good and the wallet and collar stays are perfect refreshers for accessory basics. The curation was great and really stuck to the theme. I also like the emphasis on products from small, specialized companies. I’m excited to see what kind of items are included next month!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No. Sign up now for the June box.
Orders placed before the 15th of the month will be shipped on 15th-17th of month. all orders placed after the 15th will ship the following month.
Coupon – Use code MYSUB10 to save 10% off your first box!
Value Breakdown: The box costs $52.55 ($45 a month plus $7.55 shipping) and I estimate that I received $85.99 in value. That means I spent approximately the following on each item:
- Kiko Wallet - $33.61
- Drifter Grooming Soap - $4.89
- WiseStays Collar Stays - $4.27
- Book - $9.78
Check out all of our Culture Carton reviews and more men's lifestyle boxes in the Men’s Subscription Box List!
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