I won The Happy Rebel Box, so I'm reviewing it

The Happy Rebel Box is a new subscription box that is targeting women who are into style with a bit of an edgy twist. This pretty much describes me perfectly. I was a kinda-goth kid back in high school and now in my mid-twenties I still have a penchant for the darker vibe mixed in with a more mainstream chic love of fashion.

USPS kinda banged up the box a bit

 This box ships quarterly and costs $100. I didn't pay for this box, however, because I won it through their Instagram contest! Yay! That doesn't really have any influence on my opinion of the box's contents, as being detached and cynical is pretty high up on my list of talents. Anyway, on with the review!

Opening up the Happy Rebel Box, there's a sweet handwritten 'thank you' note, an informational postcard about the subscription, and a booklet with in-depth information about the box's contents and the charity this quarter's box supports. This season's charity is called Room To Read and it helps further education in low-income countries. Very awesome on them for supporting a good charity.

Each item in the box was individually wrapped in black tissue paper and padded with crimped strands of black paper. It looked carefully done and quite secure. A+ on packaging.

 Eylure Lashes: Texture No. 154 ($8)
I feel like false lashes are kind of a risky item to put into a lifestyle subscription box. I view them as similar to contouring: for some people its a need, some people think they can do it but really should only wear it under dim lighting, and then there's the group that keeps trying and keeps failing. That's my group. I'm totally willing to give these a go, especially considering that they have some good reviews online, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

 Marlyn Schiff Chunky Chain Statement Necklace ($78)
The Happy Rebel booklet talks about this necklace being a dichotomy with the contrast between the thick chain and sparkly pendants...and I completely agree. Up close I love this necklace. It's heavy in a good, solid way. The stones catch the light wonderfully and the chain is a slightly aged-looking silver that I'm quite partial to. I could see wearing this with a little black dress or a pair of dark wash ripped skinny jeans and stilettos.

Arbotique Designs Stirling Silver Midi Rings ($12)

I really like that Happy Rebel has at least one indie company in the box! This one is based on etsy currently. These little rings are so delicate, but the silver has a hammered surface that gives it a faceted finish and slight urban-grunge feel. The only problem is that they're small. Okay, I also have big hands. I'm not really a big gal, but living and working on a horse farm has done nothing positive for the state of my hands. I can't get these over the first knuckle of any finger except my little pinkie. Sad times.

Edit: I feel the need to clarify, if it wasn't expressed well above, that these rings are the normal size for midi rings. I just have freakishly large joints. My sister, who doesn't have this problem, has already claimed these.

Deux Lux Croc Embossed Vegan Clutch ($58)

Pictures really don't do this justice. In person the design looks less "reptile" and more artistic. The colors are on the darker side and have a lovely metallic sheen to them and it's a good size for a clutch. I've heard people complaining about Deux Lux being too mainstream for a box touting itself as edgy and alternative, or simply that the subscription box market is a bit over-saturated with that brand's products. I haven't received any Deux Lux before this and really like the look of it, but I can appreciate what people are saying. My only personal gripe would be that I prefer real leather, but I respect that I'm in the minority there.

Essie Cashmere Matte "Spun in Luxe" Nail Polish ($8)

This nail polish was released last year and is from a collection based around the satiny-matte appearance of cashmere. The "Spun in Luxe" color is a black matte with blue shimmer. My nails look horrid right now (the consequences of working with horses), so hopefully when they grow out to a reasonable length I'll be actually be able to use this. I've found some lovely pictures of the nail polish being used as suggested (matte) and with a shiny top coat applied. Worn matte, it only has a very subtle hint of blue shimmer and has a slight grunge appeal. With a top coat, it is uabsolutely gorgeous with the blue practically glowing from within. I think this is a good change up from my usual basic black or red nail polish.
The Lindt chocolate was a welcome bonus.

My Thoughts:
I think I like where Happy Rebel Box is going. Their Instagram does seem to show a consistent vision for their style, and IMO the first box does reflect that style. I do, however, feel that there is room for improvement and that the improvement must be obvious for this box to survive. I've seen the Happy Rebel employee(s) taking the time to acknowledge and respond to feedback on MySubscriptionAddiction, so I'm fairly hopeful. I don't know if Happy Rebel Box has a similar corporate backing like Rachel Zoe or Popsugar Must Have boxes do, but from my few interactions with them I get the impression that they are more independently organized rather than the product of a pre-existing empire. If I'm right on that, it makes sense that their buying power isn't yet on par with "The Greats" of the subscription box world.

They've mentioned that their next box already has an increased value, so that's good news. I hope that next round they run the spoilers a bit differently. For this box they released a theme, then nothing for the awhile, then BAM the whole box spoilers were released. Hopefully next time around they listen to the buzz and maybe release a theme spoiler, and then a week later a big ticket item spoiler. I'd also like to see a little personalized variation between boxes eventually, like selecting a color of an item or a motif decoration, but that's just something I like in boxes in general!

What brands/products would you like to see in Happy Rebel Box? There's a London-based brand called Religion that I fell in love with when I lived there that would rock in this box.

I won this box through Happy Rebel's instagram contest. They didn't request a review or anything in return, especially since I only have somewhere between 2 and 5 regular readers. All thoughts and opinions are my own, because if they were anyone else's they would likely sound smarter. There's no affiliate links on this post because I'm too lazy to go see if Happy Rebel does affiliate linking stuff. Please feel free to leave Questions, Comments, or Casual Insults at your leisure.