Trying a New Lifestyle (Subscription)
Earlier this month I wrote about the FabFitFun starter box that pushed me over the edge to subscribe to the full seasonal box. Ever since I signed up I’ve been waiting on pins and needles for my FabFitFun Summer 2018 box to ship. And it finally arrived this week…hooray!!
FabFitFun? Please Explain.
FabFitFun is a seasonal lifestyle subscription box. Each quarterly shipment contains a mix of beauty, fitness, fashion, home, and wellness products. The boxes contain about eight FULL SIZED products valued at $200+, with the option to add discounted items to your shipment. If you subscribe early enough before the upcoming season you’ll be able to choose a couple items in your box. I unfortunately subscribed to the summer box too late to make selections, though I should be able to do so for the fall box.
Let’s talk money: each seasonal box costs $49.99 including shipping*. If you use my referral link, you’ll get $10 off your first box (and I’ll get a $15 credit). If you’re ready to go all in right away, you can shave $5 off the price of each box by pre-paying a full year’s subscription for $179.99. Plus, annual memberships receive Select status, which offers early shipping and extra box customization, among other perks. If you stick with the regular seasonal membership you’ll be billed $49.99 once a quarter. Scroll to the bottom of this post for a bit more about FabFitFun!
My First FabFitFun Seasonal Box
I’ve seen so many Instagram posts about the Summer 2018 FabFitFun box that I simply had to try it. (Call me impressionable, I don’t mind.) One product included in every box REALLY sold me…but I’ll get to that later.
I already knew what the summer offerings were, but because I wasn’t able to choose any of the items in my box there was still an element of surprise for me. Which is always fun!
Behold…my eight full sized items, plus a paper straw from the Wildlife Conservation Society:
As you may know, plastic straws are wreaking havoc on marine life. So FFF partnered with the Wildlife Conservation Society to give members paper straws to raise awareness about the plastic straw problem. And…FFF members can sign up to receive a free metal straw from the WCS. Let’s save those sea turtles, people.
And now, it’s unboxing time!
The Home Products
I was psyched that FFF sent me this Yumi Kim Makeup Train Case ($58 value)! Members who were signed up early enough got to choose between a train case or a Summer & Rose beach towel. I 100% would have selected the case! I’m a sucker for a pretty floral print, and I love the designer’s gorgeous dresses (of which I own zero). Not only does the case have a roomy bottom compartment, there’s another compartment on top with a smaller zippered pocket and—the best part—slots for makeup brushes. This product alone is worth more than what I spent on the entire box, so I call that a win. My new makeup case will be going to Comic-Con with me!
I also thought this Pier 1 Imports Marble Ring Dish ($14.99 value) was very cute. The dish is one of the three products included in every summer box. You can’t go wrong with white marble, and I love the gold accent along the edge.
The Fitness + Wellness Products
Product number three is the Maji Sports Loop Resistance Band ($15 value). I’m least excited about this item, but I’ll try out some of the exercises from FabFitFun TV and see how I like it. I do arm weights at home so maybe I can incorporate the band into my routine. Who knows, maybe it’ll surprise me and become my new favorite thing.
The next product is an interesting one: Aromatherapy Associates De-Stress Muscle Gel ($39 value). I have a lot of trouble with my feet (damn you, sesamoiditis!), and my right arm gets muscle fatigue pretty quickly when I use the computer. So I’m definitely going to try this gel out on those areas. This gel smells spicy but soothing—it contains rosemary, lavender, ginger, and black pepper essential oils. I’m looking forward to trying this stuff out!
The Beauty Products
Beauty product number one is the Orlando Pita Play Atmos-Shield Hair Protectant Treatment Spray ($34 value). This product claims to shield hair from heat styling and UV rays. I’m not much of a hair care product fan (broken record, here) so I may set this one aside for a potential future giveaway.
Another product included in every summer box is COOLA Face Sport SPF 50 White Tea Moisturizer ($32 value). I received a sample of this in my May 2016 Birchbox and I thought it was just okay. I don’t love using scented products on my face, but I do like the brand and the fact that this SPF is made using 70% organic ingredients. A high SPF is preferable, so 50 is right on the mark for me. The scent is okay but I don’t love that it lingers long after application. Though touted as a moisturizer, it’s not moisturizing enough on its own if you have dry skin. This won’t become my daily SPF, but I’ll travel with it because the tube is small-ish.
The tarte tarteist PRO glow highlight & contour palette ($45 value) is another fun product. I’m a highlight and contour newbie (I’m especially new to contouring) and the palette is not something I would have bought on my own. TBH I would rather have received the tarte tarteist PRO to go palette & sex kitten liquid liner that some subscribers got instead of this item. But, it gives me a reason to step outside my comfort zone and experiment.
This gorgeous palette includes four powder highlighters (lit, fire, strobe, and stunner), one powder contour (sculpt), and one cream contour (shade):
The highlighter shades are all very pretty but a little glittery for everyday use (for me, at least). This palette has tarte’s signature vanilla scent to it and as per usual, the products contain Amazonian clay. The cream contour is a little dark for my fair skin so I’m not sure how often I’ll use it. The highlighter shade fire is also too dark for me to use as a highlighter, but I could certainly use it as an eyeshadow. I’d like to try creating a golden-bronzy eye look using this palette.
Here be swatches:
La Pièce de Résistance
The #1 reason I decided to get the summer box is the FOREO LUNA™ fofo** ($89 value). Foreo launched this device as a FabFitFun exclusive! Fofo is a facial cleansing device with Bluetooth that analyzes your skin’s moisture levels and uses AI to tailor a cleansing routine to your face. I downloaded the free Foreo app and input my age and skin type (normal, I think?). When I synced the app with my fofo, it asked me to hold the sensors on the back of the device to different areas of my face. Then it told me how well moisturized each area was. That’s pretty cool!
To wash your face with the fofo, wet the device and your face. Then apply cleanser directly to the fofo and turn it on (don’t use a grainy cleanser or exfoliant, which can damage the device). The app will guide you through which area to cleanse when. The fofo vibrates gently as you move it around your face and pauses briefly when it’s time to move to the next area. Sixty seconds later, you’re done! Just rinse and dry your skin, then follow with the rest of your skin care routine.
The fofo is supposed to get smarter the more you cleanse and analyze your face with it. I’m not sure how that works, but we’ll see how it goes! So far I’ve washed my face with it once before bed, and when I woke up the next morning my skin looked quite radiant. I don’t know how much I can attribute that to the fofo versus my usual nighttime routine…but color me intrigued.
FabFitFun Summer 2018 Summary
My eight products are valued at a total of $326.99, with an average value of $40.87 apiece. Just the train case and fofo make this box SUPER worth it to me. All of these products for $49.99…that’s an incredible deal! And you know how hard it is to pass up a good deal. I have zero regrets with FFF thus far.
Are you a FabFitFun subscriber? What’s your favorite product from the Summer 2018 box?
A Little More About FabFitFun
An important thing to note is that FabFitFun seasonal subscriptions auto-renew, so if you decide you’re done, you must cancel before your next billing date or you’ll get charged for the upcoming box.
There’s a lot of information about how FabFitFun works on their Membership FAQ page. In between seasonal boxes, they offer Editor’s Boxes and special one-off boxes such as the new Pinterest 100 box. The website also has a ton of giveaways and exclusive offers for members, plus FabFitFun TV with videos on fitness, cooking, and more. If you’re ready to sign up, click here.
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*Shipping is free in the continental US. Shipping costs $8 for subscribers in Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.
**To me, “fofo” sounds like a child’s nickname for a vagina. I’m not saying this in a derogatory way, it’s just the vibe I get from the name because I’m a 12-year-old trapped in a 40-year-old’s body. 😛
