If you’ve been following my blog for a while now, you may recall that I really like subscription boxes. It’s fun to get a little surprise each month and try a few different things. However, around a year ago I decided to take a break and stop getting them for a while. I was getting things I didn’t want or need that just ended up getting donated, and I didn’t have the extra money lying around to get them every month.
Well, due to a combination of window shopping a little too hard and a lot of post-election stress, last month I subscribed to a new box called Fab Fit Fun!
A few of my friends at work get this box and told me they really liked it, and also every contestant on The Bachelor seems to miraculously have a discount code for this box on instagram. I’d been eyeing it for a while and last month I finally decided to take the plunge.
Fab Fit Fun is different from other boxes I’ve had in the past in that it’s not specifically a beauty box. It’s got a combination of lifestyle items, which can include makeup, skincare, home items, and a bunch of other things. It’s also different in that it’s not monthly, but quarterly, so I’ll get one each season. When I signed up I also opted to do the annual subscription instead of monthly, so I paid for the whole year rather than being charged every 3 months. The cost is $50 per box, but you can get some money off your first one using someone else’s subscription code (which are abundant). Subscribing annually saves you money as well.
The thing that I was really interested in about this box in particular was the customization options. In each box there are some items that every subscriber will receive, then a few categories that you can choose between. Annual subscribers get to choose a few more things than quarterly subscribers.
Now that I’ve talked way too much about the box itself, here’s what I got in mine!!
First off – the box has a little magazine thing inside to tell you about all the items, with a few other small articles and tidbits as well. To be honest I did not read anything past the first page describing the contents of the box. So here’s that:
You can click those to see larger. I really like how they did this with the color coding – items on the green background are in everybody’s box, blue background items are open for customization for all members, and items on purple background are customizable for annual subscribers only. There’s some fun in getting mystery items but I really enjoyed being able to choose most of the things in my box!
It also lists a small description of each item as well as the normal retail price. I was curious if those prices were real or inflated so I looked up the individual price of each item myself. Unfortunately a lot of them seem to be exclusive to this box so I couldn’t find them anywhere else except from resellers. Either way I’ll include the price they listed in the descriptions of each item below.
On to the stuff in the box!
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Mark & Graham Colorblock Throw
$49 value
“Cozy up with this woven throw, which features a stripe design and cool fringe detailing.”
Right off the bat here’s a pretty big item, a blanket! Everyone received this item but annual subscribers were able to choose their color, this grey or a tan/beige. I chose the white/grey because it matches our decor better. The blanket is thin but super soft and is a decent size. It’s big enough to get pretty cozy or wrap around my shoulders while I work on my computer. Here it is draped over our couch:
A few things I didn’t like about this: that supposed value of $49? It seems pretty steep for a thin blanket. I could get much better quality elsewhere, but this is apparently a Williams Sonoma in-house brand so I guess it makes sense. Either way I wouldn’t pay $50 for this. It also had a really strong scent when it came out of the box and I had to wash it before using. Aside from all that I did like this blanket and I think it’s a perfect addition to a winter-themed box. Super cozy!
Ahava Hydration Cream Mask
$33 value
“Enriched with mineral spring water, shea butter, and vitamin E, this rich, creamy mask softens and smooths the skin while providing intense hydration and comfort.”
Next is a skincare item, a cream mask from Ahava. This is an item everyone got in their box. I’ve gotten hand lotions from this brand in boxes in the past and they’ve always been very nice and hydrating, and so is this face mask. It’s also a mask you can use quickly so it’s a good one if you wanna get some skincare in but don’t have tons of time. It feels more like a lotion than a traditional mask that you’d wash off after some time, so it can also be used as an overnight mask. This retail value they listed is correct – I found it at Ulta for the same price they listed, $33. I like this, but I already have an overnight mask that I really like for about the same price, so I’m not sure if I’d buy this again. BUT I do like it.
Thrive Causemetics Brilliant Eye Brightener
$24 value
“Infused with macadamia and meadowfoam oil, this silky champagne eye brightener instantly highlights and brightens your eyes.”
Just a few makeup items in this box, starting with another item everyone got in their box – this eye brightener. The brand is called Thrive “Causemetics”, their name being a play on the fact that they are a very eco-friendly company. They’re completely vegan and cruelty free, and give a lot of money to various charities (though apparently this claim has been disputed in a recent lawsuit). Despite some recent controversy, they get pretty good reviews for being a reliable vegan brand. This item in particular is basically a highlighting stick. The color is a shimmery champagne called “Stella”. Here’s what it looks like swatched on me:
You can barely see it but it’s there on my hand haha. I gotta say I really like this. I have been using it almost daily on my brow bone and inner corner and it is just so pretty. The price is comparable to similar products I’d get at Sephora from a mid-range brand too. This is a winner for me!
Blaq Hydrogel Eye Mask with Hyaluronic Acid
$29 value
“Is your under-eye area puffy or swollen? Detox and de-puff with this activated charcoal mask for a refreshed eye look.”
The last item that every subscriber received is one of my favorites! It’s a set of masks for your under eyes – and I LOVE masks like this. There’s nothing like a nice cool eye mask to make you feel soothed and relaxed. This box has five sets of eye masks so the $29 price tag feels fine. Again, there are a lot of alternatives that are cheaper than this and work just as well – but I like eye masks a lot so I’m not mad about it and I’m glad these were included.
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Next up are the customizable items: I was able to choose one of a few different choices for each one. If I wanted both, I could add on any of the other options for an additional $10 (but I didn’t do that for any of them this time).
Bearpaw Combo Set: Headband and Pop-Top Glove Duo
$45 value
“Slip on the ultra-soft, 100% polyester sherpa-lined headband and fingerless gloves to beat the winter chill all season long.”
For this one, I was able to choose between this headband and glove set and a Moroccan hair mask. I chose these because I thought it was perfect a for a winter box! The headband is super soft and warm and I plan to take it with us on our upcoming cold weather vacations.
I love the gloves too, they’re so cute how they can convert from fingerless gloves to a mitten! I already have some touch screen gloves that I love, but these are a great backup to have on hand (pardon the pun).
H Halston Jewelry Portfolio
$48 value
“Keep your jewelry tangle-free! This large zip-around portfolio has three organizational sections to fit rings, bracelets, necklaces, and more.”
For this one, I could choose this jewelry organizer, a dry shampoo, or a necklace. I was between this and the dry shampoo, but I ultimately chose this one because I’d actually already been looking for a better jewelry storage for travel. I currently use a little box to store everything, but it’s really not good for travel because as soon as it gets tipped upside down, everything gets all tangled and it’s a mess. So I was REALLY excited to get this item! It’s a decent size without being too big, and it folds flat so it will be really easy to pack.
The inside is organized with little slots for things and it seems like it will really come in handy. The one thing I’m a bit bugged about is that this looked much more pink or rose gold online, and in person it’s decidedly gold – but that’s just a personal preference. I still really like this and am excited to use it!
Richer Poorer Reina Over the Knee Textured Sock
$24 value
“Equally cute and cozy, these socks are made from recycled yarn to keep you warm on even the coldest of nights.”
This time everyone could choose between these socks, a jade acupuncture roller, or an eyeshadow palette. I chose these because – just like with the headband and gloves – I was in a very cozy mood. That, and I didn’t want the jade roller and I don’t really need another eyeshadow palette. But I am SO HAPPY with these socks. These might be my favorite thing in the box. They’re so soft and comfy and tall enough to look cute with boots. This is something that I would actually buy and it made me want to get more knee high socks because I loved them so much!!
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Next are the additional customizations for annual subscribers only. For regular subscribers, the item was randomly selected for you.
Way of Will Elevate Essential Oil Set: Sweet Orange & Eucalyptus Oil
$31 value
“Unlike typical essential oils, these oils can be applied directly onto the skin. Eucalyptus helps with sore muscles and cold symptoms, while sweet orange eases stomach cramps and headaches.”
For this set, annual subscribers could choose between these oils and a lotion from Anthropologie. Now listen to me about this one really quick – I originally had that lotion selected, until I stumbled upon a Reddit thread that alarmed me. This person pointed out that the Anthropologie lotion contained xylitol which is toxic to dogs, and many people’s dogs have a habit of licking lotion off their owners hands. Teddy doesn’t normally do that to me, but I was taking no chances that he would get sick and immediately changed my selection to the essential oils. Not that I don’t like the oils, but they obviously weren’t my first choice. It was honestly a little disappointing that I basically only had one choice because someone didn’t consider that dog owners wouldn’t want the lotion. AND as someone in the linked thread pointed out, cat owners should avoid essential oils because they can be toxic to cats – so for owners of multiple pets, there wasn’t really a good choice here. These oils smell fine, and I’ll make use of them since I have them… but the principle of it all makes these my least favorite item in the box. I’m hopeful that they’ll be more thoughtful of situations like this in the future, since several people (including myself) have written in with this feedback!
Spongelle Beach Grass Body Contouring Buffer
$25 value
“With extracs of yuzu, edelweiss and vetiver, this body wash infused buffer smells delicious and leaves skin cleansed, exfoliated, and super smooth.”
So this and the next item are kind of random because I didn’t actually choose from the given selections for this category. Annual subscribers had a choice of a Bite lipstick, a set of coasters, or a set of “body sliders” used for workouts. I definitely didn’t want the fitness item, I didn’t need another lipstick, and the one that I really wanted, the coasters, were all gone by the time I went to customize. So that was disappointing! But FFF also gave an option for a “mystery item” if you didn’t want any of those three, so I chose that – and this is what showed up! This is basically a sponge with body wash infused. It smells fresh and summery and I like the idea of the product itself. It seems a little random and I’m not in love with the fact that I basically got whatever they had lying around because the actual item I wanted was sold out… but it’s fine and I like this well enough. I also got another mystery item:
Doucce Punk Volumizer Mascara
$24 value
“Get the look of falsies without fussing with lash glue. The jumbo brush help coat every lash and the creamy formula pulls every lash upward for a long-lating, clump-free curl.”
My second mystery item was a mascara. I like getting mascaras in subscription boxes because they go bad so quickly anyway so it’s always something I can use. I like the formula of this one – it’s a really wet formula and stays on all day. However, the brush is LAUGHABLY big. I have to be extremely careful not to get it on the rest of my face when applying! For me this is really kind of a throwaway item because I already have mascara I like and I wouldn’t pay $24 for a new one anyway. I like it and will use it up, but definitely not my favorite thing included.
So all in all, the items that I got to choose exclusively as an annual subscriber were actually some of the things I disliked the most – so that’s some food for thought I guess!
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So that was everything in my Fab Fit Fun box!
Overall, I’m pretty pleased with my first box. My favorite items are probably the socks, eye brightener, hedaband, and jewelry organizer, and my least favorite are the essential oils and the mascara. That being said, I still like everything in here and my feelings are definitely more positive than negative.
The total value of my box all added up is $332, which is frankly amazing when the subscription price is $50. The thing about subscription boxes is that they can be the highest monetary valued thing in the world, but if I wouldn’t have bought all these items separately anyway – is it “worth” it? Did I need everything in this box? No. But am I happy to have these things? Sure, yeah. And either way, I signed up for a full year so I’m going to be getting at least 3 more boxes so we’re in it for the long haul here haha
The very last thing inside was a card with a discount code to give to others for a discount on their first box. Of course you don’t have to use my code or anything, but if you’re interested and want that discount, here it is! You can also use this link!
Anyway! That’s all for this box! I’m pleased with it overall and optimistic for future boxes. Over time I plan to keep track of the average value of each box and maybe put together one of those analysis posts like I did for Sephora and Target in the past. It’s fun to get a little present in the mail in the form of this box so I look forward to my next one!
Hope you enjoyed this post! Let me know if you subscribe to Fab Fit Fun or any other cool boxes 🙂
xo!
