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27 of the best subscription gifts to send yourself in lockdown

boxed whiskey in a white parcel next to wrapping paper

Patricia Maunder

Posted August 20, 2020

Subscription deliveries are booming. Here's some of the best to brighten your day.

If you’ve ever had a weekly fruit-and-veg box, monthly magazine or quarterly wine subscription arrive at the door, you’ll know the special pleasure of discovering what’s inside. At a time when we could all use a little something to brighten the day, subscription home-delivery services have been proliferating, making it easy to sample everything from cosmetics to craft spirits, or keep the jigsaw puzzles coming.

Beyond the delight of sending yourself a special treat every month, an online subscription can also help you get organised with set-and-forget deliveries of essentials such as toilet paper. Or it might save you money – curated boxes of sample-sized products, designed to generate consumer interest, are often priced below what you’d pay retail. And while treating yourself you may also be giving much-needed support to a local business or a good cause, as many subscription services are motivated by environmental or social concerns. 

From beauty products to doggy treats or feminine hygiene, there’s a subscription service to suit just about every want and need. 

27 of the best subscription gifts to send in lockdown

For beauty babes 

Beauty-product samplers, credited with making subscription boxes mainstream in the US about a decade ago, are now catching on fast in Australia. It makes sense, as the range of make-up, skincare and haircare products is constantly evolving, and trying them in-store isn’t ideal – or even possible in the COVID-19 era. Bellabox delivers at least five usually sample-sized products each month, from eyeshadow to petite hydrating eye masks. Some beauty subscriptions have a specific focus. For example, Nourished Life’s boxes showcase natural, environmentally friendly and cruelty-free products.

For well-groomed guys 

Men’s grooming subscriptions are also gaining traction. The Bellabox for guys includes a foodie product, while gentSac offers themed kits such as hair, beard and facetime. 

 

herbal tea in teap cup next to book and flowers

Take some time to get into your teas.

 

For quarantini hour 

Gin is having a moment as boutique distilleries have sprung up around the state, producing varieties infused with everything from native pepperberry to shiraz grapes. A gin subscription is an easy way to develop your taste for this diverse tipple, and add a touch of class to quarantini hour. Most gin subscriptions, such as Gin Society, deliver one full-size bottle of a quality, often new or hard-to-find gin from anywhere in the world. Gintonica makes it easy to expand your appreciation, delivering four sample-size bottles drawn from their evolving range of 100-plus Australian craft gins.  

For a wee dram 

Whisky Loot’s subscription tasting packs include three whiskies from around the globe. Craft Cartel boxes help you sip your way through some of the most interesting Aussie brews, while each Hops at Home delivery celebrates a different Australian craft brewery. 

For quarantined kids 

Don’t blow your mind and your budget trying to keep quarantined kids amused with a constant flow of non-screen-based distractions. There’s a range of subscriptions that deliver instant engagement for kids, including My Creative Box, with themed, hands-on learning kits for children in three age groups, from two to 12. That pandemic favourite, the jigsaw puzzle, is engrossing only until the last piece is placed, so consider Puzzle Post, which will tailor your subscription according to frequency, age, number of pieces and interests, from boats to birds. 

For the fur kids 

Get dog boxes packed with toys and treats from the likes of Waggly Club and Uglybox. Both tailor subscriptions to suit your pooch’s size and allergies. 

 

light brown french bulldog in banana pyjamas against a yellow backdrop

Don't forget to take care of your pooch too.

 

For tea totallers  

From chai to matcha green, herbal infusions and flavourful blends with flowers, berries and even chocolate, the variety of teas available in Australia has bloomed over the past 20 years. Branch out from your usual supermarket cuppa with a subscription from the likes of Tea Tasters, which delivers three premium samples each month: either teapot luck, or personalised according to your taste. The NovelTea Book Club ticks two boxes: a book matched with a tea sample. 

For caffeine fiends  

Take your pick of coffee subscriptions, from regular deliveries by a Melbourne roaster such as Seven Seeds, or beans from a different Australian roaster selected each month by Three Thousand Thieves. 

For that time of the month

Never get caught short again with a regular monthly delivery of feminine hygiene products. Many subscription services deliver products made with planet-friendly organic, sustainable fibres, and some arrive at your door with an extra treat such as chocolate or tea. Local social enterprises Tsuno and Taboo respectively direct 50 and 100 per cent of their profits to One Girl, a Melbourne-based charity supporting girls in Sierra Leone and Uganda. Their subscribers can also choose to donate a box to Australian women in need.

For the bathroom

A loo-paper subscription means you’re never caught without and can also make positive change with every flush. Subscription service Who Gives a Crap’s donates a percentage of profits to help build toilets in developing countries, while Pure Planet Club’s eco-friendly rolls are made from sugarcane and bamboo.

 

three bamboo toothrbushes on wooden bench in holder

Give someone that fresh toothrbush feeling.

 

More Australian subscriptions

  • Enjoy a clean shave every time with this razor-blade cartridge subscription tailored to individual needs; oscarrazor.com.au
  • The most cheering delivery of all: fresh farm-to-vase flowers; dailyblooms.com.au
  • Get three kinds of herb and vegetable seeds each month, just at the right time for planting; easycomeeasygrow.com.au
  • Never forget to replace your toothbrush, and reduce plastic waste too, with a bamboo toothbrush subscription; tinkleco.com.au
  • Treat yourself to four different artisanal Aussie cheeses every month; mouldcheesefestival.com/mould-cheese-collective/
  • Not yet in your forever home? Pay a monthly subscription for quality furniture and swap, return or buy as you go; breezefurniture.com.au
  • Relish the thought of five local condiments, from hot sauce to sweet jam, arriving each season; condimental.com.au