STRONG self(ie) is a quarterly subscription box for teen girls aimed to empower and inspire.
Each box contains all sort of fun, positive products for teens, plus helpful information for parents, too. Choose from the BLOOM box, for 8-12-year-olds, or the BURST box for 13-17-year-olds. Both boxes cost $59.95 per quarter.
This is a review of the BURST box, which is $59.95 per quarter.
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 the STRONG self(ie) BURST Subscription Box for Tween Girls
The Subscription Box: STRONG self(ie)
The Cost: $59.95 per quarter + free US shipping
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 20% off your first box!
CODE: MSA20
The Products: Trendy products and positive messages focused on health, beauty, fun, and more. Each box comes with info for parents, too!
Ships to: US for free. International shipping varies.
STRONG selfi(ie) Summer 2018 Review
Note that I’m reviewing this as an adult, not a teen! If you have, know, or are a teenager, take a peek and leave a comment about what you think!
Inside the box, there’s a little pocket of information for both the teen and the parent. Each pocket contains the same information but communicated in different ways.
The teen version has a fun text-inspired conversation talking about the box.
While the parents get a letter.
Both packets contain an info sheet with the products included.
In each pouch, there are compliment cards. The ones up above are the teen ones.
And these are the ones in the parents’ pack. Each card has a little “To” and “From” section on the back to fill out.
Continuing the #beyondthebox campaign we learned about last quarter, Naomi and Sofia were featured this month.
Strong Self(ie) Summer Stripes Towel
Strong Self(ie) had this towel made specifically for this box, and I love the blue stripes. This is also significantly bigger than the towel that came in the tween box, as this is long enough for me to spread out and be able to lay on completely with fabric to spare. As a teenager, I could totally have seen bringing this with me to summer camp or the city pool, which is primarily how I spent my summers!
Blue Planet Eyewear Sunglasses – Estimated Value $50
These sunglasses are another thing that would have come with me to summer camp! These are also a big step up from the pair I would have been rocking from Claire’s or Icing. I love the wood accent details on these aviators, and the polarized lenses are right on trend with what teenagers and young adults are wearing right now. I couldn’t find this style in this same color combo, but I linked to a pair that looks to be the same only with black instead of white. According to the website, these sunglasses are made with natural bamboo and they 100% protect you against UVA/UVB exposure. Blue Planet also donates a pair of glasses to a person in need for every pair of sunglasses sold through their visualize change program! These frames were a bit too tight on my face, but I do have a wide face. These will fit 99% of every teenager who tries them on, and the quality is pretty great—they are sturdy and don’t rattle!
Here they are on to give you a better sense of the fit.
Natural Life Soul Happy Water Bottle – Retail Value $28 (found here for $14)
Strong Self(ie) is really going strong with their summer theme—this is another thing I would have packed for summer camp, summer school, or the pool! This 17-ounce capacity water bottle can keep water cold for up to 12 hours—which would have been a MUST in the hot Arizona summers! This water bottle is stainless steel and BPA free, and it is hand wash recommended.
Almay Shadow Squad in Here Goes Nothing, Full-Size! Retail Value $6.99
I remember in my teen years vividly my father not allowing me to leave the house until I wiped off my dark blue eyeshadow, and my mom would absolutely hate it if I used black eyeshadow. This eyeshadow has something that both teens and parents should enjoy—the parents will appreciate the light and natural colors, and the teenagers will appreciate the shimmer shades and that this can also be used as a highlighter! Because of how fair I am, when I swatched these colors on my wrist you couldn’t really actually see anything. This would look great at the inner corners of your eyes to really brighten them up, and a fan brush would let you used this palette as a natural highlighter too.
Frooze Balls Peanut Butter – Estimated Value $3 (buy a pack of 8 for $24)
Oh boy. These peanut butter froze balls weren't for me. The peanut butter was really dry in my mouth, and when I got around that all I could taste was the raisins (which I did not like as a kid, I did not like as a teenager, and I still don't like as an adult). I really think these frooze balls needed something a little sweeter than the natural peanut butter to pair with the raisins because I know a lot of other teenagers who feel the way I felt. Props to Strong Self(ie), however, for including a healthy snack that my parents would have approved of, at least. I brought these with me as a healthy snack to eat during my night classes, and after one big bite of one ball, I texted a classmate in my next class begging him to bring me jolly ranchers. Oh well.
BYOU 3-Month Magazine Subscription – Estimated Value $5 (buy a year’s subscription for $19.99)
BYOU magazine is a magazine that focuses on positive media for girls ages 8-16. It focuses on building the self-esteem of its readers with positive role models, advice on a range of topics from friendship, bullies, and body image, and features on inspiring girls who are making a difference in the world. This 3-month membership gives you access to the digital publications of the magazine (delivered one a quarter) plus full digital access to back issues and weekly empowerment tips. I was a voracious reader as a child, so having access to back issues to read would have been very valuable to me (and my mom, who I drove crazy). I don’t believe you need to enter your credit card information to get your subscription, which is a key thing of importance for parents.
Strong Self(ie) Wave Ring
This small wave ring is adjustable to fit a variety of fingers, and this is totally something I could see my younger self wearing when I was trying to embody ~beach vibes~. The metal on this is a little flimsy, but considering my penchant for losing jewelry when I was younger I think this was a smart choice.
The Verdict: I think STRONG self(ie) thoughtfully created a great summer box! While I am not the targeted audience, my summers in my teen years at summer camps and pools are some of my most vivid memories—and everything in this box is something that would have fit in perfectly. Strong Self(ie) promises a value of $100 in this box and figuring out a value for this was a bit tricky, as two of the items were box branded and STRONG self(ie) doesn’t have an online store. That being said, the values I could find totaled about $92.99, and the towel and ring certainly are worth more than the remaining $7 to meet that threshold. Overall, I think this is a really wholesome box that many teenagers would enjoy!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Yes, as of publication, this box was still available!
Value Breakdown: This quarterly box cost $59.95 with free US shipping and I received 7 items. That works out to $8.56 per item.
Check out all of our STRONG self(ie) reviews and more boxes for teens and tweens and our Kids Subscription Box List!
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Do you think tweens would like the STRONG self(ie) BURST box?
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