Bombay & Cedar is a luxury lifestyle subscription box for women that focuses on essential oils, diffusers, skincare, books, snacks, and other products. In addition to the Lifestyle box, they also offer a Beauty Box that includes 5-6 full- and/or deluxe-size products for $31.95 a month (retail value of at least $100). Check out our Beauty reviews here.
FYI, COVID-19 Update: Bombay & Cedar is experiencing shipping delays. Keep up to date on progress and estimated timelines here.
This review is of the monthly Lifestyle Box for $44.95/month.
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 this Premium Self-Care and Aromatherapy Subscription Box
The Subscription Box: Bombay & Cedar
The Cost: $44.95 per month + shipping, or save with longer subscriptions.
The Products: 2 essential oils and 6-8 full-size products such as diffusers, skincare, books, healthy snacks, and other surprises with a retail value of $120+.
Ships to: The U.S. for free, Canada for $10.95, and internationally for $17.95
Good to Know: Bombay & Cedar also offers a seasonal Lifestyle Box that includes 6-9 full-size products and a value of $200+ for $74.95/quarter.
Bombay & Cedar "Bash" August 2020 Review
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The box arrives with a booklet of information that lists out the products and highlights some of the brands. The theme this month is “Bash.”
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Mandarin Essential Oil by Bombay & Cedar, 10 mL - Listed Value $14.00
Japanese Peppermint Essential Oil Blend by Bombay & Cedar, 10 mL - Listed Value $14.00
These oils made the perfect combination! Sweet and minty! According to the booklet, the mandarin blend is native to the Far East. I used this oh-so-sweet blend in a diffuser in my bathroom to help awaken my senses early in the morning. The peppermint scent is so bold, perfect to use in a diffuser. It is also great to have on hand as cold season approaches since it could support the relief of sniffles and sneezes. I use a few different diffusers throughout my house so it is always good to have different oils on hand, this box always helps to give me variety in my essential oil collection, which I love!
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After Dinner Amusements "Name That Tune" by Chronicle Books - Retail Value $8.95
My husband is obsessed with trivia so he was really excited to see this card set. While I typically don't love trivia games, I am a big music lover so this seemed like something I would enjoy. The box comes with 50 past and present music trivia questions. The questions will have you singing, naming musicians, bands, and song titles throughout the whole game. Since we are going to be at home all winter without any date night options, this is going to be a great game to have around for an "at-home date night." Maybe I will come around to trivia after all!
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Solid Block Mineral Sunscreen by We Are Wild, 0.8 oz. - Retail Value $26.00
I received this solid block sunscreen in a box back in the summer and really loved it! I have tried other products from this brand that I wasn't thrilled with, but I like the stick form for sunscreen. It makes it super easy to apply and keep handy in my diaper bag or pool bag. You can swipe on quickly in a pinch which I love. This sunscreen is vegan, cruelty-free, non-toxic, and is made with non-nano minerals, and the safest broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection (SPF 35++). It goes on clear and smooth without feeling greasy. The top ingredients in this block include Octyldodecanol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide, Titanium Dioxide (Non-Nano), Zinc Oxide (Non-Nano), Diisostearyl Malate, Dibutyl Ethylhexanoyl Glutamide, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Dipropylene Glycol Dibenzoate, PPG-15 Stearyl Ether Benzoate, Hemp seed oil. Even though it is cold where I live now, I still use a daily sunblock. I am excited to keep this in my makeup bag to apply a bit each morning to keep my skin protected without having that greasy sunblock feeling.
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Cocktail Glasses by Viski - Listed Value $23.99, Retail Value $28.99
These glasses are really beautiful! I love the angled bottom and that they are perfect for a cocktail or the perfect pour of wine. I am a big wine drinker and all of my wine glasses are stemless so these will match with my sets really well! They are sturdy without feeling too fragile, making them great to use for a drink with my husband on our deck. I could even see myself packing these to use for a picnic. I really appreciate the quality of these glasses and they really elevated this month's box in a big way!
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Coffee Candy by Kafe Candy, 4 oz. - Listed Value $6.00
I love coffee and I love candy, but this combination was a big miss for me. Made with organic cane sugar, organic tapioca syrup, organic spray-dried coffee, plus each little candy is boiled with real organic coffee to infuse it with a truly bold taste. While the candy that I received is caramel coffee, I didn't get that velvet creamy caramel flavor that I love. Instead, I just got this really strong black coffee flavor with very little sweetness. I finished the whole piece hoping it would grow on me, but I think the after taste is what really solidified that this coffee treat was just not for me. I passed these along to my husband hoping that he would enjoy them since we got such a big bag, and luckily he loved them! Everyone's tastes can be so different, that is what is so interesting about subscriptions, but hopefully, you can always find someone to take items that you might not be loving like I usually can!
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Home Cleaner + Refill by Public Goods, 24 fl oz. - Listed Value $7.50, Retail Value $5.75
I am that person that loves to clean. It calms me down, it gives me a feeling of accomplishment and pride, and cleaning products bring me joy – plus, no one else can do it right! When everything hit in March and I couldn't buy cleaning products, I felt so out of my body, like so many of you probably felt as well. So I am truly happy to see cleaning products in boxes these days, and I love learning about new clean brands! This cleaner is made in Massachusetts, free of animal testing, vegan-friendly, eco-friendly, and biodegradable. It is made with purified water, active ingredients derived from coconut, food-grade preservative, and jasmine essential oils. It works so well on cleaning spills, grease, and dirt. While it isn't heavy-duty enough for me to use when cleaning my bathrooms, it is the perfect cleaner to use to clean the many messes my two kids make and to wipe down my kitchen counters throughout the day. It has a fresh clean smell that leaves my house feeling clean and smelling great! This bottle is going to get used quickly so I was really excited to see the bonus refill container as well.
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Cocktail Infusers by Te Tonic - Retail Value $15.00
These infused botanical bags are really interesting! Each bag is infused with flavors to help you make the best cocktails around without all of the extra work and ingredients. My husband is the cocktail drinker and bartender in our house so I passed these along to him to try. The steps are super simple to follow and the drinks are quick to make. All you do is start with the infused bag, a dessertspoonful of sugar, and 2 oz. of your selected spirit. Let the sugar dissolve for about 3 minutes before adding lemon juice (we added lime since we were making the margarita). Then simply add ice and shake in your shaker, pour, and drink! My husband said that the final results were good, but nothing life-changing in his opinion. He said he would almost rather do the extra work to make a signature cocktail than to use the infused bags since he said you couldn't really taste the difference or get a botanical flavor from the drink. Maybe this is something more to use when you are just wanting a quick cocktail at home for yourself but in terms of making a really great drink for guests perhaps not the best option. I could see this being a great gift for someone that is new to the cocktail making game and is looking for an easy way to create some amazing drinks at home!
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Notecard Set by Galison, 16 cards - Retail Value $16.99
This notecard set is so beautiful! I truly enjoy sending notes in the mail, but I also love writing notes to pass along to friends, family, teachers at my son's school, or an employee at my favorite coffee shop just saying thanks or hi. What a unique set this is! The drawer box comes with 16 notecards and 17 envelopes that were designed by NYC designers, Patch (Don Carney and John Ross). The designers are best known for their attention to intricate details inspired by flea market finds, combined with an unexpected color palette and gold foil accents. My aesthetic always tends to lean to more vintage items, which is probably why I am so drawn to these prints. I can't wait to leave notes and send letters on these lovely cards!
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Tea Towel by PinkyUp - Retail Value $10.00
I mentioned earlier that I have two very messy kids who I am constantly cleaning up after. I always seem to be doing laundry because we are always out of towels, especially in the kitchen. So having an extra tea towel is always something I will need. This towel is a linen/cotton blend and is machine washable. It doesn't absorb big messes very well, but it is great to use on light spills or to dry my hands or wipe them while cooking. My daughter is obsessed with pink and yellow so she was really into this towel. She has already used it to help me clean the kitchen table, and even spilled her own cup of water just to use the towel to clean it up. So I can safely say that this works, plus it washes and drys well!
Verdict: This month's box was a fun assortment of products. I do want to start by saying that this box arrived very late. This has been a trend lately for this box due to shipping and vendor delays, which I absolutely understand given the state of everything right now. (More information about their shipping delays and estimated timelines here.) The past few months, when I received a box late, it didn't feel like too much of a big of a deal because the products were usually warm weather-focused and the weather where I live was still balmy. However, right now we are fully into chilly fall weather, and receiving an August box in October felt a bit off. The products felt more "end of summer" during a time when I am looking for cozy warm products and scents. With that said, there still were a lot of products that will work no matter what season you are in. The cocktail glasses are by far my favorite items this month, they are sleek, sturdy, and timeless. I do wish I had received them in the warmer weather to use more on our deck or for picnics, or even when I was enjoying warm evenings outside with my neighbors as we watched our kids ride their scooters around. The notecard set was beyond gorgeous, filled with delicate vintage prints that I'm sure are going to delight everyone to whom I send a special note. The essential oils and surface cleaner were other items that I will always love to receive and was so happy to add to my oil and cleaning collection. Plus, I really enjoyed learning about the surface cleaner brand! The cocktail kit leaned more towards summery drinks, and we have fully moved over to wine, fall IPA beers, scotch, and whiskey now that it is cold. The cocktails in this set would have been perfect on a hot August evening.
The estimated retail value is $147.43, well above the $44.95 monthly cost including free shipping. A really incredible value! While I might not have been completely blown away by the products this month, I really did enjoy everything and will use pretty much all of the items. Plus, I was introduced to some amazing brands that I am looking to purchase from for holiday gifts.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, this was the August box. September boxes started shipping on 10/23. October boxes are expected to start shipping on 10/27.
Value Breakdown: This box costs $44.95 + free shipping, which means that each of the 10 items in the box has an average cost of $4.49.
Check out all of our Bombay & Cedar reviews and the best women's subscription boxes of 2020!
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What do you think of the Bombay & Cedar August "Bash" Box?
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