Illumicrate August 2018
- A Book-Bound Girl
- Aug 19, 2018
- 4 min read
*SPOILERS*
If you don't want to see what's in the August Illumicrate, or yours hasn't come yet, don't read on.
Seriously, that's... all this post is about.
This was my first ever Illumicrate, but I had checked out the contents of the past year's boxes, and I was highly impressed by the contents. I had noticed that the book contained within the boxes is usually signed/comes with a signed bookplate; and that the last few boxes had contained an ARC, so I was a little disappointed by the fact that this month's box didn't contain either.
However, I still felt the box was great value for money, and it included some items which I absolutely adore.
Also, everything in this Illumicrate (with the exception of the book) is an Illumicrate exclusive, so none of the items are available for purchase from their creators. Illumicrate have started a Buy/Sell/Trade event on their Facebook page for August's box, so if there's anything you're desperate to get your hands on, that might be the best place to look!
I'll link to all the creators at the bottom of this post for anyone who'd like to see their other content.
Firstly, the book! This quarter's box contained Catwoman: Soulstealer by Sarah J. Maas.
The purple edges on this book make it absolutely pop! They're a truly gorgeous addition to an already beautiful book - and, I'll confess, I'm not usually a huge fan of sprayed edges.
Sarah J. Maas is an author I've enjoyed in the past - as are the other authors who have produced books for this series - but I actually haven't read any of them yet, so I'm excited to get stuck into this one!
Next, we have the gorgeous 'Perfect Heist' candle by Elven Wick Candles. This sparkly soy candle is scented with Lime, Sweet Melon, Water Lily, and Musk - I'm not usually a fan of floral scents, but the Lime and Musk in this add a nice edge which I find quite pleasant!
The box also included:
- This fantastic 'Sirius Snacks' coaster by KatieAbey, which I absolutely love! I'm a huge Harry Potter fan, and the style of this is just adorable. It's also great quality, and doesn't feel like it'll get wrecked the first time I, inevitably, spill something on it.
- An Antagonist/Protagonist speech bubble necklace by Down the Rabbit Hole. While this probably isn't something I will wear very often, it is a cute and quirky addition to my jewellery box, and I suspect it'll make a good bookish photo prop!
- A 'No Mourners, No Funerals' lanyard by Fable and Black. First off, the quality of this is amazing - it's so silky smooth! - and the design is fantastic. I would totally sub this out for my everyday lanyard, but unfortunately this particular sentiment from Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo isn't really appropriate for my workplace since I work with kids. Dammit.
- A Darkdawn Nail File by Hey Atlas Creative. This is inspired by Darkdawn, the final book in the Nevernight series by Jay Kristoff. It's a series I haven't gotten around to reading yet, but it's definitely on my TBR pile! The nail file itself is gorgeous, and has some serious weight to it. I especially love the translucent gradient, it looks really unique.
- The Easiest Lies Mirror by Reverie and Ink. I'm not sure how practical this will be for me since a.) I usually walk around looking like I've been dragged through a bush backwards, and therefore have little use for a pocket mirror, and b.) I feel like I'd scratch the open-face of the mirror up very quickly. Having said that, it's a great exclusive piece of Curseworkers merch, and I'm sure a lot of people who got this box will get some good use out of it.
- A Gotham Sirens Print of Harley Quinn, Catwoman, and Poison Ivy by Jamila Mehio. This is a pretty cool print, and one which I'm sure my 8 year old niece will quickly divest me of the next time she comes to visit.
Finally, is my favourite item in this whole box. The 'Villains are my Bag' tote by KDP Letters.
Guys, I don't think I can adequately express my love for this tote.
The lettering on it is absolutely gorgeous. The design is so simple, just black on cream, and that makes it so utterly useable in everyday life.
Pretty sure this is going to become my go-to tote for carrying all my stuff around, which is just as well since the handle has completely detached itself from my last go-to tote (It was a cartoon of David Tennant in 3D glasses).
There were also some postcards advertising Girls of Paper and Fire, Tempests & Slaughter, Sisters of the Winter Wood, and Harper 360's upcoming releases. My bank account cries every time I receive promotional material like this, because I immediately want to buy all the books. They're so pretty!
Overall, I would definitely call my first Illumicrate a success! There were some fantastic items in this quarter's box, and we definitely got more than our money's worth.
For those who don't know, Illumicrate is a quarterly subscription box (currently shipping in August, November, February, and May) which contains a new book (released within the last 30 days) and various bookish merch which all ties in to the quarter's theme. It retails at £29.99 including UK postage, and is the only UK based book subscription box I've come across so far! If you know of any others, let me know in the comments!
Creators included in the August Illumicrate:
Elven Wick Candles. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elvenwickcandles/ Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ElvenWickCandles
KatieAbey. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katieabey/?hl=en Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/KatieAbeyDesign
Down the Rabbit Hole. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_down_the_rabbithole_/ Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/downtherabbithole10
Fable and Black. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fableandblack/?hl=en Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/fableandblack
Hey Atlas Creative. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyatlascreative/?hl=en Shop: http://www.heyatlascreative.com/shop/
Reverie and Ink. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reverieandink/ Society6: https://society6.com/herbookishthings
Jamila Mehio. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamilamehio/ Redbubble: https://www.redbubble.com/people/jamilamehio/shop?asc=u
KDP Letters. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kdpletters/?hl=en Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/KDPLetters
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