When Maple arrived, it was a surprise. I thought it was the first summer box to arrive. I was wrong. The winter box arrived so late, and other summer boxes have already arrived (I’m looking at you FabFitFun) that I forgot they hadn’t yet sent their spring box. Ta da! There’s the spring box arriving on May 29. It’s supposed to ship mid April, so it should have arrived in April. Oh well.
This was the last box for my subscription as I prepaid for one year, which is 4 seasons. (Amazing, right?)
I’m not sure if I want to continue with the subscription. I think the box is generally well done, and they’re not constantly on me with e-mails. Subscribers also generally get a pretty good value for what is spent (assuming the prices are accurate), and the products are often quite good. This month’s box retail value is touted at $292, and it cost $112. It’s tempting, but I’m also itching to try something new.
The Maple Box Overview
Cost: $119 + shipping + tax
My Cost: $501.76 for 4
Value: $230~
Frequency: Quarterly
Cancellation Policy: Cancel by writing them at least 5 days before next billing cycle.
Payment: Quarterly or prepay for a discount.
Focus: “We source from socially and environmentally conscious, small and medium sized businesses primarily in Canada and the USA.”
Ships From: Coquitlam, BC
Established In: 2018
It’s another Maple magazine filled with more Maple magazine things.
These cookies have a fairly nice, not overwhelming taste. If you prefer your cookies not crunchy, then I would avoid. They’re like a cross between cookies and a crunchy granola bar.
I’m in love with these new dryer balls. I’ve been using dryer balls for over a decade now and having ones that look like sheep is the best. The sample of laundry soap is also a nice to have. I’m always looking to try new brands, but am disappointed that it comes in a plastic bag. It’ll be interesting to see how well it works, but for now I prefer the sheets, even if the polyvinyl alcohol is debatable as eco-friendly or not.
The branding on this is beautiful. Props to them for that.
Sea Salt does not sound like an inspiring scent, but it actually smells pretty nice with notes of white musk and bergamot. The latter, you may know, is the special ingredient for Earl Grey tea, which is my favourite.
Active Humans is based in the Okanagan, BC where they manufacture their products. Though their instructions say to apply to clean armpits, I chose to apply to stinky ones to see if it’d make a difference. They just smelled citrusy as well as stinky. I was expecting it to neutralize the stench as my Weleda spray deodorant did when I was living in London. Le sigh. I was also surprised to find that it left a bit of an oily film on my skin. The instructions say it can also be used as a body spray or room spray. Fair enough, but I think $28 is a little expensive to be spraying it around my room. That’s what candles are for.
I’m always shocked when things are really expensive. Sometimes they’re worth the extra expense, but often they’re not. This jar is tiny. It’s supposed to be 50g, but you open it up and it’s half empty, so even the small jar is deceiving.
I’m bad at skin care. I’m good at washing my face in the shower, if I remember to have a shower, but masks are almost an impossibility for me. I never remember. I have masks that have expired a very long time ago. It’s embarrassing, and this one expires within 6 months of opening. Argh! At least it smells nice.
Essentialist is a Canadian company based in Edmonton, Alberta.
Ahh cannabis. Loved by many in my area, but has never really been my thing. I even tried CBD oil once when I was in severe pain and desperate for relief. It did absolutely nothing except taste nutty. This product doesn’t contain CBD or THC, so I guess that’s a relief. Will it still taste nutty? An unfortunate thing is that once opened it has to be consumed within 6 weeks. It says it’s supposed to target, pain, sleep, and anxiety. We will see about that.
Cannanada is from Newmarket, Ontario and manufactures their products in Canada.
Antipodes is the only non-Canadian company in this box. I needed a new face cleanser for the shower, so this arrived perfectly on time. I was previously using the 100% Pure Strawberry Lemonade Cleanser. It was a limited edition item from 2021? Oops? They should really do it again because it smelled wonderful and I found it worked pretty well.
There are a lot of ingredients in this one and I like how kiwi is actinidia deliciosa. Kiwis are delicious. I’m trying to grow a kiwi vine on the chicken coop; not like grocery store kiwis, but edible kiwis nonetheless.
Back to Antipodes…
“By choosing a low-waste, low-plastic approach, Antipodes is actively preventing waste from reaching landfill – more than 10 million plastic jars to date. That’s our green beauty ethos, and we’re proud to share that with the world.”
I don’t understand the quote. The cleanser came in a plastic bottle.
Apparently each product can take up to 18 months to develop to make sure it’s been perfected. The founder says she’s super into science and green products. I’m very much looking forward to seeing how this one pans out.
I take magnesium almost every day. I’ve found it’s really helped my cramps during my periods. They used to be routinely debilitating, but are much improved if I take magnesium and stay away from caffeine. In any case, I am always willing to try a new brand of magnesium. This is also a new form of magnesium, so it will be interesting to see if it makes any difference.
ITL Health is another Canadian company, but it actually started in the UK & Ireland. Some of the manufacturing still takes place in Ireland, but this product is made in Canada. Their goal is to produce the most absorbable, effective, and fast-acting magnesium. They do not compromise on quality, but still offer it at an affordable price.
I don’t really like bars. Maple says they don’t really like bars either, but that these bars are an exception. I’m suspicious. But, as with most food, I’m looking forward to eating them. It’ll have to be tomorrow though, because I’m very full.
Maple also says that they are valued at $14 for the two, but my math has them valued at $3.30 each, which is much more reasonable. Who would pay $7 for a tiny little bar?
Made with Local is from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia and is “dedicated to using ethically, transparently sourced ingredients, strengthening our local community, and prioritizing real, nourishing foods.”
Overall Impression
This is actually a pretty decent box. I’ve noticed that Maple tends to focus on health products more than anything else. I don’t know how I feel about that. It’s not the worst thing, but not my favourite thing either. What is my favourite thing? Soap. Soap and food XD. Okay, the soap just might be ironic, and my body may prefer the health products.
wanderingfawn 