Clove Pink – Deluxe Holiday Mystery Box

*Clove Pink has paused their subscription boxes*

It was quite a mess trying to get this box. I ordered it for my step-mom for Christmas on December 3. Because our Christmas was on the 17th, I asked when it would ship because I wanted to make sure it arrived in time. Tammy said it would ship within the next few days, no problem. Unfortunately there was an issue on the website and I wasn’t charged shipping, so I was sent an invoice to pay the shipping. No problem there either, but when I went to pay, there was shipping added to the shipping, thereby doubling the shipping amount. This whole process dragged on for days with a lot of back and forth and I eventually ended up paying by e-transfer. Also no problem. But then the courier didn’t pick it up until December 12, which was already making me nervous. It was supposed to be delivered on the 16th, but then of course ICS had a sorting issue, which has happened to me more than once. If they had sorted it right the first time, there would have been no problem with getting it to my step-mom for Christmas. As it stands, it didn’t get delivered till December 29th. At that point I figured it was so far past Christmas I may as well just use it for (unneeded) fodder for the blog. It’s for the best, because when I opened it up, it was addressed to me.

It was on December 15 that Clove Pink announced their break. Being the star of my own life, I can’t help but think that I contributed to that push to pause with all my payment issues. Running a business like this, especially if you don’t have any staff, is a lot of work. Although I’ll miss the boxes, I’m happy for Tammy to prioritize her family. Time is something you can never get back, and there’s never enough of it. We should learn to use it wisely.*

*I have not learned this lesson as I spend way too much time blogging, and for who? A handful of people? I’ll finish my commitment, but it so far doesn’t feel worth it in any way.

Clove Pink Deluxe Holiday Mystery Box

Cost: $69.95 CAD + Shipping + Tax

Value: $100+

Frequency: Once

Cancellation Policy: None

Payment: Immediately

Focus: “A great way to discover new quality ingredient, non-toxic products.”

Ships From: Red Deer, AB

Inside the Box

Yay for less photo editing. Both me and my phone aren’t great at photos.

This is exactly what I got in my last monthly box, though this one was shrink-wrapped slightly better and didn’t leak in the box. It also has an “R” imprinted on the top, which I didn’t notice on the last one, so that’s cool. I really enjoyed this bath bomb when I used it.

The Bathologist is a Canadian company that hand mixes their products in Ottawa, and should really adjust the settings on their shrink wrap machine. You can purchase this online for $6.99.

Another duplicate from the last box. Helps me save time when it comes to the blogging, and what did I just say about spending our time wisely?

The Hadhad family escaped Syria to Nova Scotia and brought their chocolate-making tradition with them. You can read their story here.

This “holiday stacker” has a variety of flavours and is on sale for $3.74. It is not safe for people with nut allergies as there are almonds mixed in certain chocolates. These are quite tasty and I would recommend trying them.

This is just a guess, but I think these are supposed to be place cards for a dinner. It is a pack of 12. I was a fool and took a picture of the backside of them. They do look a bit better from the front. It was an interesting addition to this box.

A third duplicate.

I haven’t started using this yet, but I will soon.

This cleansing oil is made from MCT (a processed coconut oil), lavender essential oil, and geranium essential oil. That’s it! It smells very good and I can’t wait to start using it. This will set you back $19 online.

I’m sorry, $35 for a relatively small bottle of lotion? I feel like I’m splurging if I spend more than $10!

This does smell quite nice, with the lavender being the most prominent note. The lotion itself is fine. It goes on nice, but then just kind of sits there and doesn’t soak in very well. My skin is basically a sponge, so that’s saying something. I will use this up, but I don’t think I would purchase another bottle. We will see if I change my mind.

Graydon is a natural skincare company from Toronto.

I had thought this was going to be my bonus item for signing up for a 12-month subscription back in August, but I got an extra box instead. I’m delighted that I got my hands on it anyway. I think it’s very cute. It’s no longer available on Poppy and Peonies’ website, but as of the time of writing, you can still purchase one from Clove Pink for $39.

Poppy and Peonies is a Canadian brand from somewhere in Ontario.

Overall Impression

Valued at just over $100, this box would be great for people who didn’t already subscribe to Clove Pink, and there should have been a warning about that. Exactly half of the items had just come in the last box. I would think current customers are your best bet for selling a special seasonal box. I understand from the perspective of the business owner it’s a great way to get rid of products you haven’t been able to offload, but then it should say something like “an assortment of items we’ve seen throughout the year” or something along those lines. I didn’t originally buy it for myself, so maybe it’s just karma hitting me for keeping something I had meant to gift. It’s not that I don’t like those duplicate items, I just find it strange. In any case, the point is moot because Clove Pink is on pause and might never come back, which would explain the lack of new items. But if any reader happens to have their own subscription box business, I hope you keep my suggestion in mind.