The PNW Box– August 2018 Review & Coupon

Price: $24.95-$20.00/Month, depending on subscription length

Website Description of Box:  “Each box is full of new high quality products from your favorite PNW-based companies!”

Shipping: US: Depends on zip code (ours was $7.35), International: $25.00

Ships to: Worldwide

This box was sent to us free of charge for review purposes.  View our Disclosure to learn more about our process.  This post may contain referral/affiliate links. If you buy something, The Review Girls may earn a commission.

Background

I was born in Salem, Oregon and called that lovely area home for ten years before moving to Wasilla, Alaska (I’ve linked a map here to save you the time of looking it up.)  While Alaska was different from Oregon in many ways, it was the same in one major way.  The landscape and nature aspect is nearly identical.  In many ways, I think moving somewhere that had these in common helped me latch onto those areas throughout my life.  The PNW vibe has always given me a sense of serenity like no other place I’ve been too.

At 20 years old I decided I was ready for a change and made my journey (via a road trip with my best friend) to San Diego.  To be honest, I knew I wasn’t a fan of that area within a week.  It is a great place to visit, but it didn’t have the Pacific Northwest vibe that I craved.  Since we had driven from Alaska to San Diego I had gotten to see enough of Washington to know I wanted to be there.  So after a few months in the San Diego and Baja California area, I moved to a city just north of Seattle.

When I saw there was a newly launched subscription box specifically curated around the  PNW (Pacific Northwest)  I knew I had to review it.  After reaching out to the company I was stoked when they agreed to have us review their first box.  Included in our box was an insert card that highlighted each company that is represented within the box, as well as a card to rate each product (not pictured).  Keep reading to see the products that were included in their launch box.

Bearded Oregon – Portland Beard Oil

Retail Value: $15.00

I don’t have a beard, and neither does anyone that I’m close to.  So this was hard to review.  However, after looking at the ingredients I noticed basically everything in there are the same products that I would use to make sugar scrub (minus the sugar).  So I think I will actually use this to make a Portland Sugar Scrub for myself.  It smells fabulous, not as masculine as I would have expected which is a plus for me.  I did rub some of the oil on my hands and the consistency seems perfect.  Leave me a comment below if you have tried this in your beard, I’m curious what your thoughts are.

Bob’s Red Mill – Blueberry Hazelnut Gluten-Free Oatmeal

Retail Value: $2.49

Oatmeal probably isn’t the most exciting thing for most people.  However, I’ve been following a low carb diet for five months now so an excuse to make an exception to try some oatmeal was pretty exciting to me.  I had this as my lunch one day and have to say, it was yummy.  The oats were hearty and the blueberries had a great texture and flavor.  The best part was, I was full for hours after eating this cup.  I can see myself buying these for camping trips.

Canopy – Incense Cedar Essential Oil

Retail Value: $15.95

I love the smell of this oil and it instantly relaxes my mind.  Since I don’t use essential oil very much, only when making a sugar scrub or occasionally adding some peppermint or lemon to cleaning products,  I wasn’t sure what the best way to use this scent would be.  I am thinking I will use some of it to make a masculine sugar scrub for my husband.  Also, I really like to just smell the bottle of this so maybe I will get a diffuser to use it in.

RealeGirl Designs – Mountain Stuffie

Estimated Retail Value: $12.00

RealeGirl Designs is a custom doll company.  Their dolls are handmade and the seams are triple stitched with kids in mind.  This mountain stuffie is adorable too.  I wish I had a baby that could cuddle this, however, since I don’t, I am planning to send this to my cousin’s newborn son (in Alaska).  I know they will cherish this.  RealeGirl Designs also included a pencil that has the quote “Let them be little, let them play”.  That is a phrase I sometimes have to repeat to myself when my four-year-old is driving me crazy.  So that pencil is perfect for my house.

E-Z Lite Fire Starter Trail Pack

Retail Value: $1.95

We got this box a few days after coming home from a camping trip.  I wish I would have had this then, but I am so excited to add it to the camping supplies for the next trip.  The fact that it is waterproof shows it was made in and for the PNW.  I love that they included something like this in The PNW Box.

Oregon’s Essentials Honey Wash – Sweet Mint

Retail Value: $3.00

This travel size head to toe wash knocked my socks off.  The soap suds up so fluffy it is unreal.  I used it for a body wash for two days and a shampoo another day and unfortunately, my supply is already out.  Therefore,  I will be ordering a large bottle, as well as another travel-sized bottle in the near future.  I highly suggest you check out Oregon’s Essentials.

Bushel & a Peck Lip Balm – Vivify

Retail Value: $6.00

I love a good homemade lip balm so was excited to receive this in the box.  The balm I received might have been exposed to the heat while in shipping though as the top of it was cracking and extremely rough.  After scraping off the top half of the product, I was able to use the middle portion, which went on much more smoothly.  I really like the scent which has cinnamon spice type thing going on.   It is also handmade and 100% organic which is a huge plus.

 

 

Triumph Outpost – Leather Key Chain

Estimated Retail Value: $10.00

This is the only product that missed the mark for me.  It is a very high-quality key chain that I’m sure some subscribers would love, however for me I can’t see myself using a keychain.  I did take the time to look up Triumph Outpost and am happy to report that they seem like a wonderful company with a lot of great products.  They even donate 10% of their sales to fight human trafficking.  I wish the box would have included something else from them, like these super cool diffuser earrings which would have been fun to use with the cedar essential oil that was included in this month’s box.

Jumping Sheep Soaps – Oregon Beer Soap

Retail Value: $5.00

I really, really enjoyed this soap! I wasn’t expecting the scent to be a citrusy as it was when I first opened it but, I was pleasantly surprised. I also really love to drink beer, so I think beer soaps are a really cool product and I love buying them. The soap left my hands feeling smooth and the nice scent lingered for a while.  I liked that everything was very natural and fresh with no added ingredients or weird chemicals. I felt comfortable using this product to wash my face which I normally am not that brave when trying new soaps since I tend to break out on occasion with unknown products.  I went on their website and there was a ton of other cool soaps I want to try out as well! I highly recommend giving them a try.

Tofurky – Coupon for a Free Product

Value: $7.00

This was a neat add-in for the box and I have never tried the Tofurky brand, so that will be interesting.  I noticed on their website they are in most grocery stores so should be easy to find a product to try.

Overall

The overall value of the products is well over the monthly cost of this box.  More than that, this box is finding amazing handmade PNW products and bringing them to the subscriber’s attention.  I love the shop small vibe that this box offers, as well as the eco friendless of the box itself.  This is not only a great fit for me as a person but I know a lot of people that would love to get this box as a gift for just about any occasion.  This is their first box and I can’t wait to see where their journey takes them and what other kinds of cool items they will include.

2/27/19 UPDATE: It appears this box is no longer for sale.  Visit Cratejoy to view similar boxes.

 

All views in this review are the opinion of the author. The Review Girls will never accept payment in exchange for a review but will accept a box at no cost to provide honest opinions on the box. This post may contain affiliate/referral links. Read our complete disclosure.