Coastal Cruising describes itself as a west coast road trip delivered right to your door. This subscription sends you a monthly assortment of hand-curated, artisan-made "souvenirs" from cities and towns along the Pacific Coast Highway.
Each box also includes thorough information about each of the featured artists and brands, plus the occasional coupon code to purchase their wares in the future!
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Coastal Cruising Artisan Subscription Box
The Subscription Box: Coastal Cruising
The Cost: $49.99 per month + shipping
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 10% off each month of your subscription!
CODE: LIFETIME
The Products: Artisan-made home, gift, and accessory items from locations all along the Pacific Coast Highway.
Ships to: US for $3.50 and Worldwide for an additional cost
Coastal Cruising Portland Subscription Box Review May 2018
Not only does this box come with a bunch of products to experience—there's also a lot to read! I got a bunch of different cards introducing the subscription, the month's featured location (which is Portland, Oregon), and the artisans whose products are featured in the box.
I like when subscriptions that feature "artisan" products actually give backstories about those artisans. It brings a level of legitimacy to the artisan-made story. Plus, buying from smaller producers/brands, for me, is a lot about supporting the people behind the products. So getting all of these thorough stories about the makers featured in the box is fun and fulfilling for me!
Portland, Oregon Postcard - Estimated Value $1.00
Postcards usually aren't too expensive, so I estimated the value of this photo design above. I'd feel a little funny sending someone a postcard from a place I didn't actually visit, but I appreciate it as a clever way to add to the road-trip-in-a-box vibe of the subscription.
Portland, Oregon Tote Bag by One Lane Road - Estimated Value $18.00
I couldn't find this specific bag design on the One Lane Road Etsy site, but another tote bag they offer goes for $18.00. I love the thickness of this canvas tote—it's hefty enough that I would use it with big heavy wine bottles or other clunky groceries, no problem. The illustration is really cute, too. The playful simplicity is super fun.
Badley Farms Goat Milk Soap in Eucalyptus
This little soap is just big enough to sit in the palm of your hand, so it's probably best for a bathroom sink situation. I looove the richness of this soap, which includes olive oil, coconut oil, and palm oil. I'm not so wild about the fragrance, just because it's a big strong for my taste, but the soap itself is awesome.
Rose City Sugar Bomb Wax Melt
I don't see a card for SugarBombs in the box, but I did check out their website! I thought this was another soap at first, but I think it's a wax melt. The rich floral aroma is a little strong for me, as was the soap, but the floral design is cute. Looking at the website, cute shapes are definitely their specialty—there are even some products shaped like Star Wars characters!
Coastal Tides Free Spirit Patchouli Soap - Retail Value $6.00
The first thing I noticed about this soap is that it's made in North Carolina...? That's sort of odd for a box dedicated to showcasing products from one specific area of the country (specifically, the total opposite coast as North Carolina). The soap itself is nice enough, with its swirling colors and heady patchouli scent. This earthier fragrance didn't bother me as much, but it's definitely filling my bathroom with its aroma (not just the sink). I don't want to come down on the soap, but I do feel a bit confused about the curation now.
Naked Coffee Scrub - Retail Value $5.00
This travel-sized tub of exfoliating scrub is made with coffee grounds, so it has a deep, earthy, almost floral coffee scent to it. I love a gritty scrub like this one, so I'm in heaven with this combination of coffee, coconut oil, and olive oil.
Little Bay Root Portland Patch - Retail Value $5.95
This patch is based on the design of a famous sign in Portland. I like the quality of the stitching and the bold contrast of the blue and red. I don't know if I feel quite right wearing a patch for a place I haven't actually been, but I do like how, like the postcard, this fits with the "souvenir" theme.
Sleepy Mountain Oregon Enamel Pin - Retail Value $10.00
I love collecting enamel pins, so I'm happy they included one! This is made by the artist Sleepy Mountain. The shape is just the state of Oregon, but there's an ocean-inspired wave pattern spread over it. I feel a little less odd about sporting this pin, as I can do love me an ocean, even if I've never been to Oregon before.
Urban Retrospectives Greeting Card - Retail Value $4.50
You could use this artist-made greeting card as a card, or pop it into a small frame and use it as a colorful piece of artwork in your home. I like the combo of blue and orange in the design. I also think the method of the art is interesting—they create these images using original photography!
Cheerful Cuts Vinyl Oregon Sticker in Silver - Retail Value $7.50
This vinyl design can live safely on car windows, notebook covers, glass, metal, and more. It's sturdy and thick and depicts the state of Oregon behind a line of trees. It's a cool sticker, though again, it might be too Oregon-specific for me to feel right about sticking to my car.
ACBC Design I Love Portland Sticker - Retail Value $2.00
I love the colorful, playful quality of this sticker! Though this artist makes stickers for all different areas of the country, the info card about them noted that they're based in Portland. Very authentic! This cheerful sticker could be a good match for a water bottle or the side of a suitcase.
2 Dog Stickers by All My Friends Are Dogs - Total Retail Value $6.00 ($3.00 each)
Aw, I love these dog stickers! Something about the illustration style is just very sweet. These stickers are scratch and weatherproof, so they'd make a great addition to a rear-view window (if stick figure families aren't your bag). My one qualm is that the company is apparently from Seattle. They make adorable products and even aim to give back to dog-friendly organizations, but the Washington base kind of throws off the Portland theme of the box.
Specifically Pacific The 101 Sticker - Buy 4 for $10.00 here
The 101 is the highway that runs all the way up the Pacific Coast. This is a fitting item to get via this subscription—especially in my first box! It's another good match for the back window or bumper of the car, a travel-friendly cooler or suitcase, or a book of photos commemorating travels up the coast!
The Verdict: This box is a toughie. I assumed that the items in the box would be products from the featured city, but I didn't expect the extent of items that would be super specific to that featured city. (For instance, the Portland greeting card, the Portland stickers, the Portland patch...) Personally, I feel a little weird sporting too much stuff from a city I've (sadly) never been to (though I totally hope to go). I can see myself getting use out of more generic items in the box, like the soaps, etc. I do feel a little uncertain of some of the curation for the box, though. I got cards for some of the products in the box, but not all, there was no full product list (which I like to get), and some of the items were from vendors outside of the featured location (either Seattle, which is closer to Portland, or North Carolina, which is much further flung). And lots of the items in the box were paper goods or stickers, which don't feel quite as valuable to me. I think this box has room to grow, but I don't feel wowed by it quite yet, especially for the higher price tag.
To Wrap Up:
Can I still get this box if I sign up today?: No. Boxes ship on the 5th of the month.
Coupon - Use code LIFETIME to save 10% off each month of your subscription!
Value Breakdown: This box cost $49.99 + $3.50 shipping to get to Pennsylvania. Based on the items I could find online/find equivalent items and prices for, I estimate that there's at least $65.95 worth of value in the box.
Check out more local subscription boxes in the Artisan Subscription Box List!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
What do you think of Coastal Cruising? Would you use items themed around places you haven't visited before?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.