INKnBURN

INKnBURN

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

FabFitFun Spring 2015


FabFitFun was my first introduction to Subscription Boxes and may be what got me hooked. I love to receive packages in the mail and surprises make it even better. The box is guaranteed to contain at least $175 full-size, premium products in beauty, fitness, fashion, and Wellness finds. There is a wide range of items included, so for me, it's a lot of fun. . .not a bunch of the same. And, I try things that I might not have otherwise sampled. The cost is $49.99 per season, but there are discount codes available. And, subscribers can purchase extra boxes (usually $39.99) for gifts. I purchased an annual subscription last year for $179.99 and it automatically renewed (annual) at the same price for next year.
There are a few things about this box that make it a different from the rest and I really like that.
1.       You can purchase an annual subscription to receive 4 seasonal boxes, or you can purchase individual boxes. When my subscription was up and it was time for renewal, I was renewed at the annual rate instead of reverting to the quarterly rate.
2.      I like quarterly. Not too much $$ a year and I'm not filling up on too many products. You can also purchase extra boxes (until they sell out) without having an extra commitment. My communication with customer service has been good.

3. The last few boxes, the curators have been offering customization to people who have been subscribing for a while. This month, I was able to customize 1 item in the box. 
As usual when my shipping notification is sent, I get very excited. I couldn't wait to see what was in my box. I had seen spoilers and I was ready to see the rest.
The item I was able to pick myself was the Jules Smith Scarf in Watercolor. I had the option of Watercolor or Modern Arts. I chose this one as it's a bit more subtle. I love the light airy colors on a light airy scarf. It will add a great springy pop to dress up my wardrobe. $42
I am always a fan of facial Serums and am looking forward to minimizing wrinkles and keeping my skin smooth with Palmetto Derma Collagen Booster and Restoration Serum. I love it for springtime to refresh the skin after months of indoors during the cold winter. $48
Merrithew 3 DVD Set "Intense Body Blast" +25 Gift Card. I admit it ... I need to get back to working out and building strength. This is mat-based Pilates and includes Levels 1, 2, and 3. I need the instruction so I'm looking forward to giving it a try. And for $25, I can buy either some equipment or another DVD to kick myself into gear. I have to admit, I have been lazy and haven't tried it yet, but I've read great reviews. Another good springtime item to work towards summer bathing suits after a season of sweaters and covering up. $61 Update: The $25 gift card is pretty useless in my opinion. It cannot be applied towards anything that is on -sale and shipping is at least $15 even for small items. I have tried to use the card, but no success. It continues to tell me that "conditions aren't met" and if I try to use it for a non-sale item, it tells me the card has "already been entered." So, I'm downgrading my value for this to $36 for the DVDs. 

Orly Nail BB Creme and Orly Nail Polish "Cake Pop" I have never tried a nail cream, but it is supposed to brighten natural nails and is nourishing. I really like the very subtle Cake Pop Polish. It's a pale pink. I think these would look great together in a french tip. $15 and $8.50

Yasi Metallic Flash Tattoos. Really? More metallic temporary tattoos? UGH!! So many of these this year and so junior high. Priced at $36 for a single sheet? I have no idea where that pricing came from and I am sooo not interested in temporary tattoos.


Rifle Paper Co. Cities Coasters Set: OK ... so these are really cute. Little Scenes of New York, London, Tokyo, and Paris. These will get good use, but I wonder how well they will hold up. Probably good for one season. $16

OFRA Cosmetics Eyeshadow Brush Duo (#11 and #20). These are high end eye shadow brushes. But, they are made of synthetic hairs and Capra, which is goat. I'm a little sad because FFF used to be all about animal friendly and cruelty free ... animal products aren't really cruelty free. Although it is soft first cut hair, my belief is that in order to keep getting baby hair, you have to keep making babies and what happens when they aren't babies anymore. I couldn't find a lot of information on-line about Ofra so I reached out to the company. They responded by confirming the Capra hairs, but also said they were Peta and Leaping Bunny certified. So, this means they don't do any animal testing, but animal using? Hmmm ... I don't know what to think. If you like the products, they did include a code for 40% off your first purchase. Retail $45.90

Sprout it App Card _ Miracle Grow Grow-able Seed Pod. Seed pod is pretty easy. Dig a hole and plant it. It has everything it needs to grow. My pod was basil and it's my second herb gowing thing this season and both are basil. The app is free, but I'm not much of a gardener and I'm not sure this will make me one. It's not that I don't know how (which I don't), but I also don't know that I have time. $1.49




Cosmos Creations Premium Puffed Corn (sponsored): Can't go wrong with popcorn. Mine was salted caramel and contained dairy. Gifted to a friend. $1.49

Vow to be Chic Gift Card (sponsored): This is a gift card for a bridesmaid dress rental service. I guess it's OK for parents who have teens going to prom? Maybe? Valued at $125, but no value to me.


And another Hello Fresh Gift Card. I've received about 3 of these in the past few months $40 off first week's delivery. I guess this could be useful because it includes all you need to make a meal. No grocery shopping. They have "vegetarian" options, but they contain a lot of cheese and some of the cheese is notorious for rennet, so not really vegetarian at all. So ... again no value to me.

So ... what do I think? Overall, I'm really happy with the box. I love the spring theme. Everything fits pretty well. I wish they would get back to where they started where animal-friendly meant animal-product free. I would have less to give away and would be able to use more items. But, then again, my friends love getting gifts. I really was disappointed by the number of gift cards because they never really fully cover the cost of purchases and I don't want to be induced to spend in order to feel like I've saved. I don't mind the cards like Merrithew where you can actually purchase something in it's entirety with the card. Except that you can't really use it. See above. So ... not counting the sponsored items and gift cards which really don't have a lot of true value, the value of this box came out to $237.89. $212.89. I didn't count the tattoos, either, because the value seemed over-valued and really? Really? no more tattoos. So ... all in all, I'm happy as I always am with FFF. Spring boxes are still available and a Mother's Day box is available that also contains a Jesse Steel apron and FFF Water Bottle. You can save $5 with NEW5 code.