The Gift Refinery Review Spring 2022

Hello hello! I have a few really wonderful boxes to share with you this week, all of them Canadian 🇨🇦 which is interesting because I feel like it wasn’t so long ago that pickings were slim. Three or four years later it’s a whole different story, with several exceptional made-in-Canada boxes to choose from in virtually every category. Today’s box is one of the more luxurious offerings and a great value for the price, IMHO. It’s the Spring delivery from The Gift Refinery, a quarterly lifestyle subscription box that sends you a 7 to 10 luxe Canadian-made products from beauty to housewares and everything in between. I treated myself to this one and I’m so glad I did. Let’s take a look.

The Gift Refinery ships four times a year: March, June, September and December.

• Annual subscription: $379.80 (all prices in CAD)
• Seasonal subscription: $99.95/box
• One-time purchase: $124.95

The Gift Refinery ships across Canada + shipping is included.

The box opens with an absolutely gorgeous product guide with detailed information about each item, the retail value, and subscriber discounts for each brand.

“TGR was founded from a place of genuine passion for helping others discover quality, Canadian products. Our mission is to show Canadians that supporting their communities, on a nation-wide scale, can be easy, chic, and charitable.”

— The Gift Refinery

Now on to the goods! (And they’re very, very good.) I’ve included info from the product guide in italics.

Dom Organic Rosemary Hand Sanitizer Spray · “Freshen things up with organic sanitizers made from 100% organic ingredients. Dom’s organic hand sanitizers are not only safe, effective and will give your hands a powerful clean (we’re talking, Monica-level clean), but they’re also nourishing for even the most sensitive skin.

Dom products, including their Rosemary Hand Sanitizer Spray, are organic, medical-grade, hypoallergenic, locally-created in Ontario, cruelty-free, vegan, 100% chemical-free and sustainably crafted. $14″

Most of us have tried a variety of hand sanitizers by now and I think we can all agree a lot of them are pee-ew! 🤢 This one smells gorgeous and doesn’t turn your hands into husks. Great for your purse, car, powder room or wherever. And the spray format is much better for me than the gel. (I almost always squirt too much gel on my hands.)

DermaTech Skincare Gold Sculpting Beauty Bar · “DermaTech Skincare is a Toronto-based & female-founded skincare boutique with a mission to elevate your skincare experience and encourage self-care at home.

Inspired by luxurious spa treatments, they use simple skincare technology to provide spa-like treatment kits & tools that are easy to use at home. Their Gold Sculpting Beauty Bar was designed with sonic vibrational technology to imitate the effects of a professional facial massage. $49″

l received one of these a few weeks ago in an excellent Canadian beauty box and it feels so, so good on your skin. My teen loves it too and now she can have her own!

Voir Haircare Rhythm of the Rain Hair Masque & Scalp Detox · “Founded by a beauty-obsessed creative collective from Toronto, Voir is a collection of luxury haircare essential designed to uplift and inspire women around the world with mindful ingredients, captivating artistry, and incredible hair days. Scalp-sooting ingredients like rosebay and clover extract give this hair mask a fresh and revitalizing scent, while instantly softening hair from root to tip for reduced weight and amplified shine. $36”

I’ve tried shampoo and conditioner from this brand and really wasn’t a fan but I like this mask. My hair is fine and can look pasted-to-my-head flat even after it’s been freshly washed but this mask seems to give it some lift. And it smells amazing!

Pixie Mood Rae Crossbody · “Pixie Mood is dedicated to designing cruelty-free vegan leather accessories that are a multi-functional as they are beautiful.

From your phone to credit cards, Pixie Mood’s Rae Crossbody helps keep everything in one place. Made with 100% vegan leather and recycled plastic bottles, this compact bag features a front phone pocket with button closure that fits up to an iPhone 13 Pro Max. $60″

Subscribers received this bag in one of three colours — black, desert clay or sand. Any of which I would have been thrilled to see but this sandy coloured one feels especially Spring-y and goes great with just about everything in my wardrobe. It’s the perfect size for my phone, holds plenty of cards and looks so chic. Well designed and well made. I feel like my mom and my bestie need one of these too. We can be twinsies! I mean triplets!

Aira Release Multi Purpose Wash · “Aira is a modern wellness company founded by two best friends, based in Toronto, Ontario. Aira combines high quality personal care products with feel-good experiences to encourage people to cater to both their physical and emotional wellbeing.

Everything at Aira is high quality, handmade, ethically and sustainably sourced, vegan, cruelty free and made in Canada with minimal ingredients. Aira’s Release Multi Purpose Wash can be used for a bubble bath, body wash & shower gel, and a relaxing aromatherapy experience. $40″

My favourite item in the Spring box. First, it’s just beautiful to look at with what looks like magic gold dust suspended throughout and then the scent is beyond. Aria’s blend of lavender, sandalwood and vanilla might be one of my favourite fragrances. I tucked it away to use only after my workouts which haven’t been that frequently lately so it should last a while, ha ha. They need to make it in a candle too!

Lunata Beauty Tame Me Gloss Serum · “The holy grail of hair serums, Lunata Beauty’s Tame Me Gloss Serum is a lightweight, non-greasy oil that helps tame frizz, locks in unbeatable shine, and provides hydration.

You can use Tame Me Gloss Serum on wet hair, dry hair, or both for extra power. Tame Me Gloss Serum is free of: Parabens, Para-aminobenzoic acid, Sulfates, Phthalates, Gluten, Diethanolamine, and Artificial dyes/colour. It is also fantastic for travel as it is small enough for carry-on luggage. $25″

This is the only product I haven’t yet tried just because I’ve been too lazy to make much of an effort with my hair but it sounds promising. Do you use it?

JOYÀ Dark Chocolate with Lion’s Mane · “JOYÀ was founded by Ruth Elnekave, an ex-corporate lawyer, after years in the high-stress rat race ran her health into the ground. Her studies in Holistic Nutrition empowered her with knowledge of the ingredients that ultimately healed her, and she knew she had to share the power of these ingredients with others.

Through their adaptogenic supplements, functional chocolates and inspiring content, JOYÀ brings ease and excitement to your daily wellness routine. $10.60″

And to complete the box on a sweet note, The Gift Refinery included these two 30-gram bars. I’m not a dark chocolate fan so I put them aside for a friend who will enjoy them much more than me. I’d love to see a milk chocolate bar in a future box, maybe Camino‘s milk choco with sea salt? 😋”

The Gift Refinery Spring box is valued at $234.60, more than twice the purchase price and it feels like even more. This one is weighted heavier on beauty products than some other Gift Refinery boxes I’ve seen but they’re items I’ll readily use and enjoy and the quality is amazing. If you want to treat yourself to a luxury lifestyle subscription box without the luxury price tag, I think The Gift Refinery is a fantastic choice.

Try Small Things – https://trysmallthings.com