Canadian Gift Guide

If you think the whole beauty subscription box thing has run its course, I don’t blame you. Today there are just two companies left offering the service within Canada (although to be fair, many more ship up North). The complaints are often the same: I didn’t feel like I was getting enough value for my money, the products weren’t high end enough, the products weren’t things I would have picked out, I’m drowning in blush / lip gloss / bronzer etc. Now let me pose a question: what if all of those complaints could be resolved?

Meet Wantable, hands down the most covetable subscription service I’ve ever encountered. They offer annual subscriptions for $36 per month, however, if you want to pause or cancel the subscription at any time (i.e. you’re drowning in product), you can do so with no strings attached. If you’d like to ‘try before you buy in’, they also offer one-off monthly subscriptions for $40. In Canada, you’ll be assessed a small shipping and duty fee off the top, but it’s pretty nominal, plus it means no extra charges when your parcel arrives.

Now here’s where it gets fun (and amazing). You enter a customization survey that takes into account your hair and skintone, as well as your preferences. If you ‘love’ a certain kind of product, you’ll be more likely to receive it in your box. If you ‘dislike’ a product, you won’t ever receive it. And if you simply ‘like’ something, there’s a chance you’ll get that too. The level of detail goes pretty deep – for example, Wantable may ask your opinion on not just eyeliner, but whether you prefer gel eyeliner, pencil, or cream.

Once you’ve filled out your survey, your beautiful Wantable box will ship out tout suite. What’s inside you ask? Well full-sized beauty products – hence the steeper price point compared to the beauty sampling boxes out there. And if you really don’t love what you’ve been sent, you can actually ship it back for a full refund. It’s basically like having a cosmetics concierge to introduce you to new, potential must-haves – without a crazy commitment.

If you’re still not into beauty boxes, I’ve got even better news for you: that’s not all that Wantable curates. They also have an Accessories Box and an Intimates Box. Let’s talk about each of those. I had the chance to sample an Accessories Box (it was a foreign concept to me, I was curious) and once again, the survey process is pretty detailed – they ask about what types of jewelry and accessories you wear, the metals you prefer, how dramatic you like your pieces, your ring size, and so on. My box included two silver rings, a gold leaf necklace with clear beads, a pair of copper-hued aviator sunglasses, and a pair of gold drop earrings – oddly enough all of the pieces went pretty well together. All in all, I can’t tell you how fun it was to open each velvet pouch contained within my box and squeal in delight at the pretty contained within. It was just a fun, simple way to add some spark into my accessories wardrobe.

Wantable Intimates Box – Not mine! Just a preview of what could be inside.

As I mentioned, Wantable also offers a unique ‘Intimates’ box, which combines lingerie with loungewear, tights and more for when you want to add some comfort and sexiness to your closet. The survey again dives into nuances – do you like socks? High or low? Do you like getting new undies? What cut? From there, you get a monthly collection of 4-5 snuggly, premium loungewear pieces from brands like Cynthia Rowley, Betsey Johnson, CASS & Co. and many more.

Altogether, my thoughts are these: Wantable is awesome. Awesome! The customization process is unlike any other I’ve found, and literally no two boxes are alike. When you receive your box, you also get a little printout that tells you about why each product was picked for you and how to rock it. And the gift giving process is hella easy too. If you’re still pondering a Mother’s Day gift for mom, this is a great site to point her to – she can choose what type of box she wants and customize it to her heart’s content. I can also see this being a fun birthday gift for a sibling or friend, or a great bridesmaid pick for your girls. I’m psyched to have had the chance to intro this great brand to you and encourage you all to check it out!

Bonus Entry into my Lazypants giveaway! Tell me in the comments below: Which of these three subscriptions would you choose?