StyleMint Review & Mystery Box Reveal

A few weeks ago I won some credits to StyleMint from the fabulous blog A Cup of Jo (Thanks, Joanna!). StyleMint is a subscription site with great basics and an ever-changing inventory. The stylists behind the site are Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen - and love their style or hate it, they've got a great eye for classic basics and flattering tops. When you make your first purchase on StyleMint, your account is activated and you get a credit every month to use towards a purchase unless you choose to skip the month. It's nice because you really don't have to buy something every month, but it can be kind of a pain to go in to the site and remember to "skip" if you don't want your credit card charged $29.99 (the cost of most tops on the site).

I loved the two pieces I got with my free credits: the Grace Tee in Navy and the Turner Sweater in Cream. Both are flattering, and the tee shirt is the softest I've ever owned. The sizing is a little strange on StyleMint - You choose from sizes 1-4, but I've found going by their sizing chart is pretty accurate. I chose to order my items in a 2. The pictures on the site normally tell you what size the model is wearing so that helps as well.

So, after being happy with my original choices, I thought I would be adventurous and get one of the StyleMint Mystery Boxes they offer every so often. I chose the "Summer Escape Mystery Box" for $34.95. I was guaranteed at least 3 items but could receive up to 10 items at a $300 value. I'd been planning so much for our upcoming Seattle trip that I haven't really gotten a lot of summer items, so I figured this would be a good time to do so, and I'd have some fun while doing it.

Now for what I received... We'll start with

The Good
Item #1 was a brightly colored headband. This will be great during those summer days when I don't feel like doing my hair and want to keep it off my neck.

Item #2 was... a black longsleeved turtleneck? Well, nothing quite says, "Summer Escape" like a black turtleneck. Although it's a very soft and lightweight quality. It will be good for the fall. I'm not usually one for taking "selfies" but I thought I would for this exercise to give you an idea of how things fit.

(I had to do some serious cropping so you couldn't see my dirty bathroom. Also, self portraits in the bathroom make you realize how dirty your mirror is).

And now onto...

The Bad
Item #3 was exactly what every woman who's ever given birth needs... a crop top! Don't worry, I didn't do a self portrait for this one. I guess at least it fits with the summer theme? I don't think I will ever wear this. Maybe under a top that's too low cut? I dont' know. If anyone has any suggestions for how to style this to disguise it or de-slutify it, feel free to let me know!

and finally

The Ugly
Item #4 was at least a tee shirt - the bread and butter of StyleMint. However, with this tie die pattern and flutter sleeve and flimsy tie at the top, it resembles something I wore in 7th grade circa 1997. Unfortunately there are no refunds or exchanges for Mystery Box contents. I'm also open to any suggestions on how to style this one.

So, needless to say, I probably won't be ordering anymore Mystery Boxes from StyleMint. The only top I could still find at the site was the turtleneck, and it was on sale for $12. I'm pretty sure I just barely got my money's worth. I'll stick to picking out my own items from now on. If I could have built my own "Summer Escape" Mystery Box with my own picks, I would have loved to have received Orion Tank, the Marconi Scarf, the Richmond Shirt, and the Keen Shirt. Now those are true summer essentials!