FabFitFun Winter 2015 review
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Something to make everyone Squee
The idea of subscription boxes has always been right up my alley: give them money and you get a box of surprises throughout the year. Sometimes the reality can be less exciting: sample sizes, off-colors and things you’ll never use. After receiving my first FabFitFun box, I can assure you that this is the subscription box to end all subscription boxes.
The subscription box to end all subscription boxes.
Seasonally, VIP subscribers to FabFitFun will receive a box of goodies from the home, beauty, fitness and fashion realms—approximately $200 worth in exchange for a $49.99 price tag (including shipping). The products are full-size and, above all, useable! The items are curated based on the season. I let out a veritable squeal when I received an email preview of the contents of my winter box.
But enough of my gushing, you be the judge…
First up, the home: a EJH pomegranate reed diffuser. Selling retail for $37, this diffuser has taken up residence in my bathroom where it supplies a steady, fresh scent, combating mustiness and smelly-smells of all sorts. The best part of this gift may be discovering the EJH Brand. They make beautiful coconut wax blend candles with essential oils, as well as pillows, stationary and gorgeous artwork.
Next up for the home is something of which I am definitely sure to get plenty of use: FabFitFun’s own wine stopper and charm set. This colorful silicone stopper is whimsical and useful. The stopper itself reminds me a lot of myself—he dives headfirst into the wine bottle. Keith Haring-esque figures wrap their arms around your glass, its individual bright color letting you know whose glass is whose. This set is valued at $15.
My clear favorite beauty product in this box is a Juara Candlenut Body Crème. With a scent somewhere between a sweet kukui and a white flower, this 7.5 ounce jar of velvety rich crème is sure to delight. It’s like a Hawaiian vacation in the middle of winter, just when I need it the most. Value: $35.
I was happy to see Dermalogica represented in this FabFitFun box in the form of a travel-size kit for the face. The always-gentle special cleansing gel, multi-active toner and skin smoothing cream are all excellent products. Perhaps I was a tinge disappointed at the size (I mean, full-size travel kit?), but Dermalogica is such a great brand and inside the kit is a coupon for 20% off other products, plus free shipping if you order from their website. This kit is valued at $45.
Winter is the time to let loose your inner vamp, so FabFitFun thought it prudent to include a bottle of Zoya nail polish in Blair ($9 value). This wine with a metallic sheen is sure to look fab against winter pale skin.
The “fit” part of FabFitFun surely comes to play in their gift card for Hello Fresh, an online market that supplies the ingredients and recipes to make healthy meals at home. Advertised as 3 meals free, you are required to purchase 6 (3 meals each for 2 people). Since hubs and I are attempting to eat less meat, I chose the vegetarian option ($59 value, $24.50 with FabFitFun discount card) and am awaiting its delivery.
Resolutions aside, sometimes it takes a little something extra to get your butt to the gym or the great outdoors this time of year. FabFitFun felt it prudent to supply a set of Frends earbuds to help make that workout more workable. The buds have a jewelry-like design that let you show off your fashionable self. I couldn’t find this particular design online, but similar ones on Amazon retailed for $109! Fitness, meet fashion!
I truly saved the best for last. Fashion is where this winter box is at. Included here are fashion gift cards that are yours to use towards purchases of your choosing. First up is a $25 gift card for Shoptique, an online curation of boutiques. My first thought was that I’d never find anything I want for that amount. Wrong. Shoptique has a great sale section—it’s where I found an amazing blouse sure to be in my closet for years to come. Price? $27.
Next up is my Sweet and Spark vintage jewelry $40 gift certificate. That’s right—4-0! I am mad about vintage jewelry so, while there are pieces for under $40, you better believe I spent more. And I have one darn fine brooch to show for it now.
Lastly in the fashion category is the one item for which I had initial mourning and sorrowful loss for: the Whitney Eve X FabFitFun fingerless gloves. These were my first squee when I saw the contents of the box. Alas, our Editor-in-Chief Stef couldn’t bare to pass them up. So, I spent a very reasonable $26 for my very own pair. (Editor’s note: I’m sorry Sherri, I live with a Heat Miser who only doles out heat on ocassion. I actually often need gloves in my office. And these are made for warmth and function. ~Stef)
Lastly and most importantly, this FabFitFun box includes a charitable activity that costs absolutely nothing. The ASPCA teamed up with FabFitFun to offer to donate $1 for every cute pet moment caught on Instagram with the hashtags #FFFAnimallove #FabFitFun #ASPCA while tagging @FabFitFun and @ASPCA. I love a do-good ending.
Get the winter 2015 FabFitFun box HERE with code weheart10 for $10 off. That’s just 39.99 including shipping!
we heart this readers, is there a subscription box you swear by? Tell us in the comments.
This is such a phenomenal box and a great review! So many cool items, and I love the ASPCA activity. I get 4 boxes–Ipsy, Birchbox, Allure Beauty, and Julep. The Allure one is my favorite–15 bucks a month and I’m always happy with the contents (usually 3-4 high end skin care deluxe samples and 1 or 2 high-end makeup items).
I’ve been so tempted by Birchbox!
@stef – WOW!! You scored!!! I am a sucker for the “traveler sets”. They can be hard to find as well. I love the surprise element of the subscription boxes.
This is one of the best boxes I’ve ever seen– every item is a winner! Love the gloves!
I’m so glad I bought the gloves! They are L.A.-glove perfect: warmth without being bulky or cumbersome, and free fingers!
I was thrilled with this box. I don’t blame @stef at all for poaching the gloves but, as I told her, I couldn’t unsee them!
I just made my first Hello Fresh meal, too, and I must say that I could get used to that: delivered to your door, sorted, pre measured, clear recipes, and all the recipes take about 30 minutes to prepare. I had butternut squash agnolotti with apples, sage and spinach today. It’s particularly great for me since I work nights and don’t have to worry that my husband is going to the drive thru every night. Either I can make it, or it’s simple enough for him to do (I’m not being sexist or rude, he’ll be the first to tell you that his only kitchen skill is turning on the burner with a fry pan for a grilled cheese or quesadilla). Today, we made the dinner together.
The rest of the box is great, too. Sad note: I lost my ear buds already :((
Ok. I have to make an amendment. It’s about Hello Fresh. Yes, good idea. Yes, convenient. But….ooooooh, they just made me mad. I noticed tonight that I had a $59 charge on my debit card for Hello Fresh. This is after my initial $24 charge via the FabFitFun Box. I call to inform them that I didn’t want an additional shipment at this time… at which time THEY proceeded to tell me that THEY were sorry that I(!–read, NOT THEIR FAULT) misread the information when I initiated an order and did not realize that I was entering into contract with a subscription service. I said that their service was purposefully deceitful to coerce subscribers.
On the one hand, I understand subscription services require active deactivation. However, a coupon WITHIN another subscription service should be more clear. It wasn’t until I escalated my annoyance that I got a credit and a cancellation. So, yes, I amend my review to include that if you do not want Hello Fresh as a steady, every week sort of thing, do not initiate. It’s a shame because I could totally see using Hello Fresh once a month or so. I couldn’t ever be tied down to a weekly thing, though. Plus the Customer Service attitude left a very bad taste in my mouth, butternut squash agnolotti notwithstanding. Sorry FabFitFun, there was one sour grape.
SO many goodies… I could always use a regular subscription that includes ear buds (omg I always lose them). Thanks for sharing about Hello Fresh–I got a coupon for some free meals from them from somewhere else but I think I’m going to pass after hearing about their customer service.