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POPSUGAR Must Have Summer 2020 Box Full Spoilers!

POPSUGAR Must Have Box Spring 2019 Review + Coupon

Liz Cadman
ByLiz CadmanMar 8, 2019 | 242 comments

POPSUGAR Must Have
3.9 overall rating
530 Ratings | 71 Reviews

POPSUGAR Must Have is a lifestyle subscription box for women. Each season, members get beauty, fashion, food, fitness, and home items from top and up-and-coming brands that POPSUGAR editors have tried, tested, and loved.

This season, POPSUGAR changed their packaging to be more eco-friendly. (No more cardboard exterior box with another box inside.)

This box was sent to us for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).

And as you can see with the "PS, there's more!" cardboard piece, beneath the cardboard, you'll find the special extra sponsored goodies! (These items are not counted toward the value of the box.)

The Subscription Box: POPSUGAR Must Have

The Cost: $75 a box

If you haven’t signed up yet, use coupon code MSA20 to save $20 off of your first box!

The Products: “Must Have” items for women selected by POPSUGAR editors. (Fitness, Home, Beauty, Food, and more)

Check out all of my POPSUGAR Must Have reviews and the Women’s Subscription Box Directory!

Each box comes with a booklet detailing the items included, and a letter from Lisa Sugar:

And POPSUGAR also included a card with coupons for the brands featured in the box:

Now, on to the items!

Vooray Burner Gym Duffel in Snow Hex Camo – Suggested Retail Value $49.99

This bag features a large zippered inside pocket, 3 open mesh pockets, a lined pocket on the outside perfect for your phone, and a mesh pocket on the outside for a water bottle:

The top handles are magnetic so they connect + make it easier to carry. And there’s a ventilated shoe pocket:

Personally, I love it as a weekender bag. I can fit 2 outfits, plus all my beauty + sleep essentials:

(FYI – items pictured here are to help show scale – they are what I pack for overnight trips)

And there’s an adjustable strap for wearing it on your shoulder or as a crossbody bag.

T3 Smooth Paddle Brush – Retail Value $35

POPSUGAR included a T3 curling iron in the Neiman Marcus box last year (it's an amazing hair tool), so getting a matching brush in the Spring box is great for me! (Their line is all white with rose gold accents - super chic.)

This paddle brush has a broad cushioned base designed for giving your hair a smooth finish during blowouts.

The bristles are also heat-resistant, so no worries about getting this brush too close to your hair dryer.

This handle is non-slip and a little squishy so it's comfortable to hold, too.

It also works on both wet and dry hair.

Anna New York Vola Lucite Clock - Retail Value $85

I love pretty much any decor item made with lucite, so this item was a lovely surprise for me when I opened the box!

The super minimalist design is fab, too. I think it should work with just about any decor.

(It measures about 3.5 inches across.) And engraved on the bottom are the words, "Your time is now."

Here it is on my shelf to give you a better sense of scale:

Notice any other past POPSUGAR items? 🙂

OSEA Ocean Cleanser - Retail Value $48

I really love the OSEA brand! (I’ll never get tired of seeing it in subscription boxes - especially in full size!) All their products are made with only natural and organic ingredients and everything smells amazing. Plus, how pretty is this frosted bottle? I love packaging that looks beautiful on display in my bathroom!

This cleanser is non-foaming, gentle, and doesn't dry out skin! It's great at removing makeup and really left my skin feeling super clean. (If you haven't tried this cleanser yet, you are in for a treat!)

Manduka 4-Inch Headband - Retail Value $4

This headband is 4% Organic Cotton, 6% Lycra - it's super stretchy and comfortable. (And I sometimes have issues with headbands being too tight, but no problems here!)

It also stays put thanks to the width, and no weird indents in your hair either. It's perfect for workouts and getting all your hair out of your face for skincare routines. Here it is on:

Colors may vary, black and white are pictured in the booklet. I'm modeling the black headband here. I'm also wearing the silver version of the necklace that's up next!)

Kris Nations Opalescent Moon Necklace in Silver or Gold – Retail Value $68

All subscribers could pick the gold or silver version for this box. (This is a perk POPSUGAR added last year, and I think it has been a huge win for subscribers. Metal color with jewelry always seems to be so polarizing!)

The charm is 18K gold vermeil or sterling silver and the chain is Gold-filled or sterling silver.

This necklace has an adjustable length of 16 - 18 inches.

I'm all about delicate jewelry, and this piece is another win for me. (And while I normally go for all gold jewelry, I really like this danity necklace in silver, too.)

Missio Hair Styling Cream - Retail Value $26

This brand is completely new to me (love when that happens in a subscription box) and I'm really impressed with the formula. First, it's formulated without sulfates, parabens, and phthalates. And it's safe to use on all hair types + color treated hair.

And the cream is light enough that it didn't weigh my hair down at all. It helped with frizz and definitely made my hair feel a little softer, too. (This works as a blow dry cream or as a leave in curl defining cream.)

And the scent is fab! It's fresh citrus with added notes of Indian Sandalwood and Vanilla. (It's not a strong scent, so you won't smell it all day like you would with an Ouai product.)

Truwomen Daydreaming About Donuts Protein Bar - Retail Value $2.79

OK, so I haven't had a real glazed donut in years, but I have tried tons of gluten-free and dairy-free protein bars, so I can definitely evaluate this bar based on other bars in the category. (But keep that in mind!)

First, I was delighted to see that this bar is actually glazed! You eat with your eyes first, right? (I feel like there are a lot of protein bars that forget this part.)

And I really liked the flavor! (Again, haven't had a real donut in a long time, but compared to other protein bars this was a sweet treat!) I was originally planning on eating just one bite when I first sampled this since I had just eaten, but I kept going back for more and ended up eating the whole thing in minutes! (I also liked how this wasn't a crunchy bar - no crumbs everywhere issues!)

Also good to mention: it's 200 calories, plant-based, soy-free too, and they have lots of other flavors that sound equally delicious. This is an excellent new food discovery for me, and I'm already planning on buying more of this flavor and give cookie dough a try!


Now, time for the Special Extras in the box! (If you aren't familiar, these are extra items that don't count toward the value of the box. AKA bonus freebies!)

Yogi Green Tea Passion Fruit Matcha Tea - Retail Value $3.99

I drink Yogi tea a lot (I think the $3.99 price point is great for organic tea), so this special extra was pretty much made for me.

Each bag has approximately 20 mg of caffeine.

The blend is a mix of green tea leaf, lemongrass, matcha green tea, ginger root, and licorice. It has a subtle + smooth fruity flavor - perfect if you don't like a strong brew.

Pronamel Intensive Enamel Repair - Retail Value $5.49

This toothpaste is designed to help repair acid-weakened enamel. The Extra Fresh formula was minty but not very sweet, (I prefer a sweet mint), but I still liked this enough to plan on using the entire tube. Plus good enamel trumps taste-preferences!

Verdict: This box has a retail value of about $318 not counting the special extras! I think that's a great value for a $75 box, and I personally adore the curation of this box, too. (That works out to less than $10 an item.) I love the focus on wellness/self-care, and the color scheme, too. So many items in this box feel practical AND special = the subscription box sweet spot for me!

To Wrap Up:

Can you still get this box if you sign up today?  Probably not, but there's a chance. The Spring Box is sold out, but there is a waitlist, so if you subscribe and a box is available, your subscription will start with Spring. If not, your first box will be the Summer box.

DEAL - If you haven’t signed up yet, use coupon code MSA20 to save $20 off of your first box!

What do you think of the Spring POPSUGAR Must Have Box? What's your favorite item in the box? 

Starting at $75.00
Active Deal
Get $20 off your first box!
Use Coupon Code MSA20
Subscribe Now
POPSUGAR Must Have is a quartely lifestyle subscription box curated by the editors at POPSUGAR. Each box features their "must have" products for beauty, fashion, home, food, fitness and more. Every box has a value of $250 +!
Liz Cadman
Liz Cadman
Liz is the founder of My Subscription Addiction. She's been hooked on subscription boxes since 2011 thanks to Birchbox, and she now subscribes to over 100 boxes. Her favorites include POPSUGAR Must Have, FabFitFun, and any box that features natural beauty products!

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242 comments

CR

Does anyone’s clock actually work??? I received two clocks. I replaced the batteries in both because neither were working when they arrived. Both clocks STILL don’t work with fresh batteries! I’n curious to know if anyone received a functioning clock from popsugar.

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Bunny

My clock works fine. Did you pull out the little hard to see plastic tab at the battery compartment? If not removed, it won’t work.

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Makenzie

I absolutely love the missio styling cream!!! It smells so good and makes my wavy hair look amazing.

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Joan

I contacted them about the clock arriving already opened and box torn. They sent another and it looks intact, so hooray for the customer service. I’ll gift the new one to my sister for mother’s day.

I gave the gym bag to my sister since she and her boyfriend really liked it. I got the headband in black and my sister also liked that, so I gave her a “stack” of the same kind I got in another sub box.

Everything else is still sitting unused. So sad.

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KAT

That Osea cleanser OMG !! Burned my skin terribly, I don’t know what’s in it, but my face was raw and took a week to heal. Too bad a wasted expensive product I can not utilize 🙁

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Ashley

Omg, same! I sat and read through all the ingredients yesterday trying to figure out what was causing the burning. What a flipping waste. It was pretty much the only thing I was remotely interested in using in this box.

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Jt

Any chance for a summer spoiler?

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Sharon Braswell

I like most of what’s in the box. I like knowing what’s coming but extra surprises are a nice idea.

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Dede

I LOVE the Missio hair cream….the trick is to use just a tiny bit….my hair has never been so shiney. I love it!!!!!

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Kim

The box was really beat up with ripped holes and taped together. Nothing was lost or damaged but this box needs to be changed. I personally liked having a plain box which doesn’t advertise a subscription box….too tempting for others to take it end up missing….. I think the inside box helped support items and I always recycled the boxes with the lift flap!

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Marie

Kim, I totally agree about the box. I liked that the brown shipping box was more discreet and secure. A black box emblazoned with Popsugar Must Have is very noticeable sitting on a porch! And I liked reusing the heavy-duty keepsake Popsugar box for all kinds of things, like family photos and greeting cards. The new “eco-friendly” box just feels like a cut corner.

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Jt

My box came with a wing and a prayer. Taped up and looked horrible! They need to rethink their shipping box or it may cost them a lot of replacement items

Kimberley

Ohhhh the gym bag has a quality to it and I was surprised with the magnetic handles! Loved the silver necklace because it’s cute!
The brush is solidly strong and feels like a wet brush! This will get used!
Tea and toothpaste as well! Like getting items that are useful! Liked the headband…. mine was black. Hopefully will swap for white because I have textile dye allergy.
I have an allergy to fragrance and dyes so the hair cream and skin cleanser will be swapped. It’s off to the gym on Monday in style!

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Joan

Now to add my two cents.

My box arrived today and was intact. However, the clock box had obviously been ripped open and the clock partially opened.

Nothing in the box excites me. All I can do is repeat what others have said. The necklace looks dollar store cheap and I picked the gold version. I have naturally curly hair and don’t even use brushes and don’t pick up random hair products. The only cleansers I use on my face are ones I’ve been using for over five years now. The gym bag is literally of no use to me.

The only problem is with so many people unhappy in the comments, I wonder what my chances are of doing any swaps or sales.

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Joyce

So many people are complaining and I would give anything to own this box and the company will not send me one. I am really depressed that I can’t get them to send me one. They have had my money for over two years. I would love everything in that box. I have begged them to send me one and they just ignore me.

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Sally

They don’t have any to send. What do you want them to do?

Amy F.

First Popsugar box I have ordered and it was ok except for the $85 clock… I don’t get it. The battery needs to be replaced which kind of irks me because I don’t like it enough to bother. idk who would pay $85 for this paperweight and considering this is the “most expensive” item in the box I have already canceled my Popsugar. I really liked the gym bag and headband. I just threw the cleanser and the brush in the bag for the gym so at least I will use them but the cleanser is definitely overpriced as well.

ps I gagged on the protein bar…

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Tomorrow

My box was delivered today and I like everything in it, except for the clock…which I will probably sell. The pattern on the bag looks better in person. Absolutely LOVE the scents of the Osea and Missio products & can’t wait to use/consume everything in the box!

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Joyce

Would you mind telling me what date you signed up to get your box? I am trying to determine how far I am out to maybe getting one.

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Tomorrow

When they released the 2nd spoiler, so it was fairly early on.

Joyce

Has anyone else had an incident where you went into the web site and it asked what color necklace you wanted and then didn’t ship you anything? That happened to me yesterday afternoon and they let me make a choice, but have not shipped any box. 🙁

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Alyssa

I’m so upset. My box arrived nearly empty. The only items in the box were the brush, headband, tea, and toothpaste.
I’ve contacted popsugar about the missing items. I’m curious if anyone else has had a similar experience? How did popsugar handle it?

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Sally

Since they are sold out and don’t have the items to send you they will probably give you a partial refund.

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Stephanie N

My clock battery was dead so now I have to find a battery. The only thing I am REALLY disappointed with is the brush. If we could have chosen the style it would have made this box an overall winner for me. No box has EVER, and I have been a sub box subscriber since the stone ages, EVER been a complete winner.

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Debra

Mine arrived today and the box was smashed and open! Thankfully everything was there but really, you can’t put something to seal the box! Bad packaging job, Popsugar!

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Alyssa

My box arrived completely open and missing most of the items!

I’m fine with eliminating excess cardboard but it’s like they didn’t try to seal the box at all. 😭

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Sharon Paige

Mine came today, along with my Cause box. Neither one is knocking my socks off, but that protein bar is SOOOOOOOOO good! and unlike Liz, donuts and I have an ongoing love affair lol😜😜🤣!! The clock is really cute and I placed it on my vanity.

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LondonA

I just purchased a 12-pack of these Donut bars!! Truly blown away at how tasty yet relatively guilt-free these are!! The variety pack was sold out but will keep a close watch on it for sure. 😋

Loved this box, especially the bag, which is why I jumped on it in the first place. Clock makes my desk look sophisticated and the brush is quite nice!

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Anna

I miss the monthly boxes also! But I really liked this box. The clock is made of out heavy lucite, that’s why it it valued at $85. It fits in well with my decor. I actually liked it the best out of all the items in the box. And I already ate the donut bar. Glad to see they are putting a “treat” in the box again.

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Bunny

The box is practical and all items will be used. But I can go and shop for items that are both practical and spark joy. I may spend the same amount for two to three items as opposed to a box of eight items if I shopped retail. I fully admit I did not use all the items in the Fall / Winter boxes, but the boxes sure sparked joy! So I cancelled as I can go to Target for practical items that I can personally choose for $75. No spark joy items in the Spring Box for me! I hope others feel differently as $75 is a fair chunk of change.

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Lilly

For those asking why they are not getting a chance to CHOOSE the necklace color;

The silver necklace sold out.

I was sent the gold one, it was pictured with the box cover at the time I was able to pay for my box, so there was no wondering where the silver necklace was.

If you get a box, it probably will have the gold necklace.

Not a big deal, but I’ve read this about ” What about our choices?” and the only one WAS the necklace metal color. 🙂

Hope this helps someone on the waitlist.

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Lilly

I was waitlisted and I was charged for my box about 2 weeks ago.

Received it today, and it’s the Spring box! I REALLY do like it, even with the changes, because IMO, nothing else comes close to the many quality products PSMH curates.

Also, it seems to me that the duffel, which I really like, has a lavender shade in it. I didn’t expect that. Like it. 😉

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Joyce

Lilly

Did you get any notification the box had shipped? The spring box came up and asked me what color jewerly I wanted and I selected the silver and now it looks like they are not going to send me anything because nothing shipped out and it’s back to my first box the summer one tonight. I really didn’t care about the Jewerly and now I wonder if I would have gotten a box had I chosen the gold.

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Joyce

Lilly I am glad you got your box. I hope that they can find one for me. I signed up and was charged on March 12th so it hasn’t been 2 weeks for me yet. It seemed like it sold out so quickly. You would think they would have stocked more product than that. I would think even if they sold the boxes later on at a discount they would still get their money back on them.

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Joyce

So I heard back from pop sugar and they said they have no idea if the waitlist people will get a box. I really could use the gym bag and now I don’t know if I should try and get one on eBay or what. They left me very confused.

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Joyce

Well I went ahead and purchased the gym bag on ebay because after a year long illness I will be going back and joining the gym again and needed a gym bag. and I really thought that one would be the one I would want because it has some nice features. I am still hoping they will send me the box as well as I still want the other things in it.

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Chris

I think the wait list is just a way to get people’s hopes up so they subscribe and prepay for the summer box.
I am pretty disappointed that Liz is not reseaching this issue for us!
I know a lot of people are disappointed in the spring box but I would love to get it. I didn’t like the winter box at all and regretted that I bought it so much that I canceled 🙁

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Joyce

Liz is a very nice lady. Her reviews are fantastic. I love this site. I am sure she is very busy. I am thinking this company would probably not give her any information either.

Sally

Why should Liz have to research for you? Her job is to provide reviews not hold your hand and research sub box availability for you.

Jacqui Olson

Not happy. Last box was so awesome, this is a let down. Also, I had to keep asking when I was going to get the box…never recieved an email to choose options, never was notified about delivery, did not get booklet describing contents. I had to google what was in the box to make sure it was complete!

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Natasha Kelly

I first subbed as a b-day gift for my mil in December and changed it to my address for future deliveries. So bummed that this is my first box. I like the cleanser. I’ll use the headband when doing skin care, the brush (though I’d never pay $40 for a hair brush, ever), the toothpaste and I’ll give my sons the styling cream to tame their hair- I LOVE that it says it fights human trafficking and so will my oldest who has just learned a little about it. The gym bag will get used on our occasional overnight family trips and I’ll eat the bar and drink the tea. That clock is something I picture picking up at tjmaxx on an end cap for no more than 9.99 and I still wouldn’t buy it then. That will end up a gift for someone because the saying is cute or I’ll give it to my husband for him to gift an employee. Overall, it’s not exciting, I don’t feel the values are there but I will use the items so not a total loss. I also have fff and causebox on the way and agree with some others that those are delivering more bang for the amount paid.

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Chris

Liz, could you please reach out to Popsugar to see if the wait list is really a thing or just a marketing hoax?
Popsugar is pretty good with making sold out boxes appear again, we have seen that many times but I wish they would just be honest about it.

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