FabFitFun Fall & Winter 2019 Box

Fall — “The season between spring and autumn comprising in the northern hemisphere usually the months of September, October, and November or as reckoned astronomically extending from the September solstice to the December equinox.”

Winter — “The season between autumn and spring comprising in the northern hemisphere usually the months of December, January, and February or as reckoned astronomically extending from the December solstice to the March equinox.”

-Merriam Webster’s Dictionary

If you’ve been wondering where my review for the Fall and Winter FabFitFun boxes were, here they are!  I’ve been super terrible about keeping thetm up over the past few months and I think that’s the result of my boredom with being a FabFitFun subscriber.  So after three years of receiving boxes, I’ve officially cancelled my subscription.  It’s mainly because I’ve received so many products from the thirteen boxes I’ve gotten as a subscriber.  But that doesn’t mean it may not be the box for you to try out!  If you haven’t heard anything about FabFitFun, it’s a quarterly subscription box that has between 8-10 full size products in each box for only $49.99 a quarter.  Annual subscribers can start to customize their Summer 2020 box starting today, and FFF has released spoilers for all of the box customizations on their Instagram (hint hint: one is something from Reese Witherspoon’s brand).

 
Anthropologie Travel Yoga Mat (retail value:  $50.00)

If I had to pick my favorite item from the Fall box, it definitely may be this yoga mat!  Every subscriber could choose between the Plush Ultra Soft Plaid Scarf, this yoga mat, the amika Strand Perfect Ceramic Styler, or a mystery item.  I have a thick, rolled up yoga mat that I use at my apartment for barre but this one is perfect for travel or if you’re in the mood for a quick workout that doesn’t necessitate a thicker surface.  I’ve been using this a lot during quarantine at my parents’ house since it was easier to bring here.  I love the color as purple and blue are my two favorites!

Twine Cheese Board with Plate (retail value:  $30.00)

This choice had the options of a kate spade new york Lunch Tote, NassifMD® Detox Pads, a Kut from The Kloth Slim Striped Wallet, or this cheese board.  I picked the cheese board because I’m all about the home décor items.  This is a great housewarming piece or just addition to your kitchen if you’re big on cheese plates, which I am.  It comes with a board, a plate, and a cheese fork and knife, which are all in neutral tones so it would go with any color scheme.  Definitely a great piece if you’re big into hosting others for things or just using to make yourself feel fancy.

BaubleBar Farah Ear Crawlers (retail value:  $34.00)

Another choice for all subscribers had the options of The Better Skin Co. Skin Lava Magik, these ear crawlers, or Cosmedix Pure C Vitamin C Mixing Crystals.  I love these crawlers as they’re subtle but also fancy enough to wear if you’re trying to look nice for a special event.  FFF is somewhat notorious for having not so great quality jewelry in their boxes, but these are actually very nice.  I am sensitive to certain types of earrings if the metal isn’t of super nice quality, but I haven’t had any reaction to these and I’ve worn them a lot.  Definitely a good addition to my jewelry collection.

Wander Beauty Baggage Claim Gold Eye Mask 6 Pack (retail value:  $25.00)

Annual subscribers had the option to pick between the Aromatherapy Associates Deep Relax Roller Ball, the SKIN&CO Roma Truffle Therapy Face Toner, or these eye masks.  I love eye masks so I always choose them as an option if I have it.  These are more of a paper type eye mask instead of the more traditional gel eye masks that I’m used to using.  However, I do really enjoy using these and find that they are hydrating for the under eye area, which is something that I definitely need.

Eparé Dual Salt and Pepper Mill (retail value:  $21.95)

Annual subscribers could also choose between this salt and pepper mill, the Afterspa Hair Towel Wrap, tréStiQue Mini Eye Essentials kit, or the Skinvolve Body Boost Gel.  I really went for all of the home items for this box, didn’t I?  I love salt and pepper grinders when I cook so I knew I wanted to pick this as one of my items for this box.  Unfortunately, it didn’t come with any salt or pepper to use with it.  I bought containers of salt and pepper from Williams Sonoma to use in the mill.  It grinds the salt and pepper pretty finely, which is nice for topping food and looks pretty cool too with the design of the two sides of the canister.

AVEDA damage remedy™ daily hair repair (retail value:  $30.00)

There’s always one item in a FabFitFun box that surprises me and becomes my favorite product when I thought I wouldn’t like it.  This fall, it happens to be this hair cream.  I have been using this product every time I wash my hair as a protectant for heat styling and as a detangler.  As I mention in almost every one of these reviews, I have pretty thin hair and a lot of products weigh down my hair but this doesn’t and honestly makes my hair less tangled and easier to dry and style.  I definitely recommend this for anyone looking for a good detangler and the added benefit of a heat styler.

Harper + Ari Exfoliating Sugar Cubes in Juice Cleanse (retail value:  $16.00)

I wasn’t too sure about these when I first received them, I honestly wasn’t too sure how I would use them.  But I started to use them during my showers to get rid of some of the dead skin on my elbows and the soles of my feet.  I was pleasantly surprised when they actually worked on softening those rough areas of my body.  And they smell pretty good so they were a pretty good addition, I’m not sure if I would buy them myself but I definitely was not mad at receiving them.

Human + Kind Body Soufflé (retail value:  $18.00)

Thanks to FabFitFun I have so many body lotions, butters, etc. so I wasn’t too excited to see another one in the Fall box, which contributed to my decision to cancel my subscription.  It’s not a bad body soufflé as it’s moisturizing and smells good.  So there’s nothing too special about this item.  However, it can’t beat my absolute favorite lotion I received from FFF, which is the MerSea x Anthropologie Coconut Sugar body/hand lotion (my mom and I bought so many of these from Anthropologie for Christmas presents and for ourselves!).

Fall Add-Ons (extra cost – at a discount)

Total Retail Value:  $224.95

And since I’ve been terrible at reviewing my FabFitFun boxes, here’s the review of the winter 2019 box!

Rebecca Minkoff Marbled Beanie & Armwarmer Set (retail value:  $70.00)

I picked this set over a moisturizer, a blanket, shampoo and conditioner set, or a candle.  This beanie and armwarmer set felt the most wintery to me, and I thought it was super cute.  I love the marble design in the knit of both pieces and the ball on the top of the beanie.  I feel like I wore it so much during the winter that it became part of my aesthetic.  I wore the armwarmers less often just because they don’t cover the fingertips and my fingertips are always cold.

Ban.Do Bluetooth® Shower Speaker (retail value:  $30.00)

All FFF members could choose between an eyelash conditioner, slippers in two different sizes, a clay mask, or this speaker.  I picked this speaker because I didn’t really have any use for any of the other items and the speaker I had wasn’t waterproof.  One of my only complaints I have about this speaker is that I found it a little difficult to figure out how to have the suction cup stick on my shower tiles.  The sound is pretty good for how inexpensive it is and I like how easy the controls on the front of the speaker are.  I’m not sure if I would have purchased this without FFF giving me one but I definitely like it now that I have it.

Rodial Soft Focus Glow Drops (retail value:  $55.00)

So I kinda am experiencing some great FOMO with choosing this product.  The other items in this choice for all subscribers were a rose gold bracelet by Swarovski, fake eyelashes, a Karuna face and eye mask set, or these glow drops.  I thought I would pick something different by choosing the glow drops but I ended up realizing I should have gone with the mask set choice.  I don’t think the glow drops are bad, they definitely add a little something to your bare skin.  However, I find my skin to be a little sticky after using them and I definitely would have used all of the face mask without a doubt and I’m not sure I can say the same about this product.

Vooray Sidekick Crossbody Bag (retail value:  $17.99)

This was my favorite thing in the entire FabFitFun Winter box!  I picked it over an eyeshadow palette, a face cleanser, or a 2020 planner.  At first I wasn’t sure what to pick out of these options but I thought it might be a good idea to have an alternative to my Kate Spade crossbodies, which are all leather, for when the weather isn’t great.  The bag is a light grey and feels almost like a heavy neoprene material.  I also used this all winter and it’s been my go to crossbody when I go out for errands and shopping.  If you’re looking for a good to-go bag, I highly suggest looking at this bag since it isn’t that expensive and really cute.

Vera Mona Color Switch® Solo (retail value:  $16.99)

The last choice item in the winter box allowed annual subscribers to pick between a bath salt, a body scrub, or this color switch jar.  So how this works is after you use a given eyeshadow or blush color, you swirl your brush on the steel wool like surface and it cleans the color off your brush enough that you can switch to a new color and not worry about carryover.  It seems super gimmicky but it does work.  It’s definitely not a replacement for cleaning your brushes but it’s nice to have so I don’t have to worry about messing up my eyeshadow colors because I don’t have any other clean brushes.

Cuccio Somatology™ Calm + Clean Epsom Salt Hand and Body Wash (retail value:  $39.95)

FFF introduced a new concept to their boxes in the Winter called FFF Picks.  FFF Picks are a few items in the box that the FFF staff will choose for you based on your preferences.  I’m not too big a fan of this new idea, probably because it makes the box feel like a random collection of stuff rather than a perfectly curated box for that season.  However, I do really like this choice and in light of the coronavirus pandemic, it couldn’t have been a better pick.  This has a slight minty smell which smells really nicely, and I think it gets my hands pretty clean.

Drybar Prep Rally Prime & Prep Detangler (retail value:  $23.00)

All subscribers received this item in their Winter box.  When I saw that the brand Drybar was going to be in this box, I was really excited to try out something from them as I’ve heard really great things.  The smell of this detangler isn’t my favorite but I did think it worked pretty well as a detangler right out of the shower.  However, I have some other hair products that I like better so I probably wouldn’t buy this again.

Makeup Eraser in Original Pink (retail value:  $20.00)

This probably made the winter box stand out to me.  I had been wanting to try out the Makeup Eraser for a while because I go through makeup wipes like no one’s business and was totally about to buy some when I saw this in the box.  It does seem kinda crazy that a towel like thing can remove your makeup just as good as makeup wipes, but I think it does a pretty great job.  Mind you, I don’t wear a ton of makeup to begin with but it does remove my super black mascara and eyeliner, which is a total win for me.  I also like how one is supposed to last around 3 years so it saves a *lot* of money I would otherwise have to spend on makeup wipes.


Winter Add-Ons (extra cost – at a discount)

Total Retail Value:  $274.93
 

Overall, I did like these boxes and found that the items were definitely things that I could find a use for.  But it does seem like FFF is starting to repeat items and since I was subscribed for so long, I was getting kinda bored receiving so many of the same products.  That being said, I loved receiving my FFF boxes during law school as they always came at the beginning and end of my semesters, which was a fun gift to get around those milestones.  So if FFF interests you, I’d say definitely give it a shot with one of the seasonal boxes and then if you really love it, look into getting an annual subscription!