Friday, March 29, 2013

FabFitFun VIP Box Review: Spring 2013

I've been looking forward to receiving my Spring FabFitFun VIP box ever since I signed up for it in early March (March 8th, to be exact). My post about the new subscription has been one of my most visited posts this month, so it seems others have been looking into the box, as well. In short, FabFitFun is a new lifestyle subscription box where every 3 months you will receive your FabFitFun VIP gift box filled with full-sized items, hand selected by Giuliana and the FabFitFun Team.

Based on the initial feedback on forums and the FabFitFun Facebook page, there has been some disappointment at the variations of the boxes and the fact that not all boxes were identical to the so-called "bloggers boxes" that were reviewed before the launch and that contained a number of much anticipated "bonus" items (e.g. GoSmile On the Go Teeth Whitening Pen, Butter Nail Polish, Josie Maran Lip Stain). Armed with that information, I was hoping my box would be one of the "better" ones. Take a look:
The signature FabFitFun box was shipped in a bigger plain cardboard box and well protected. While the box was smaller compared to some of the other lifestyle boxes I'm receiving, I like the fact that is compact and well packed. Once I opened it and removed the welcome letter and information card, I immediately realized I didn't get any of beauty "bonus" items I was hoping to get. 


Here are more details as to what was included in my box (Kit 6):
MoroccanOil Hair Treatment, 3.4 fl. oz. ($41.20): The initial promotion of the FabFitFun box promised that it would contain this full-size product and this was one of the reasons I signed up. I've been using Morrocan Oil for a few years now and it is one of my "must have's" - it helps me with frizz (especially in winter) and makes my hair nourished and shiny. No complaints here.
Zoya Nail Polish by FabFitFun ($7.50): This is my second nail polish from Zoya (I got the lavender color from my PopSugar Must Have February box) and I like the fact that it is "free of toluene, camphor, formaldehyde, and dibutyl phthalate". I also really like this color, it is exclusive in FabFirFun fuchsia. It'd would be perfect for spring and summer.

Jouer Lip Gloss ($10): A nice-sized sample (at 0.11 fl. oz., it is more than half of the full-size product - 0.17 fl. oz retailing for $20), this is something I'd definitely use as it is neutral and I love lip gloss. The color says Glisten (nude with a bit of peach and sparkle), however I couldn't find the exact shade online.
ThinkThin Bar ($1.50 ): I like energy bars and I do like this peanut butter ThinkThin one.
 

JewelMint Jewels (~$60): I received two items - a necklace (I couldn't find the model on the site) and a pair of earrings (Geometric Shift Earrings) - that are really not my style and, unfortunately, I would never wear them. Had I liked these pieces, I think I would have been fairly content with the box. I do like some JewelMint designs but prefer more delicate pieces. With jewelry, I think it's best to either include vouchers that would let people choose what they like or include more generic pieces that would appeal to most people. The earrings have a value of $29.99 and I've assumed a similar value for the necklace.

Bonus Item: Per-fect Brow Perfecting Gel in Caramel, 0.01 oz (~$1; the 0.15 oz full-size retails for $20) - This is the one bonus item my box contained (it is the tiny green container in the total-box picture above). I've never used this brand and I'll give it a try, although it might be a bit too light for me.

Box value: The total value of the box comes to $122, including the JewelMint pieces. Had I liked these pieces, I would have been pleased with this great box value. However, since neither the necklace nor the earrings are something I'd wear, I'm excluding the jewelry pieces' value for a more realistic total box value of $62. While still more than the $39.99 I paid for the box (I got a $10 off coupon), the contents did leave me a bit underwhelmed.

My verdict: While I really like the MoroccanOil, Zoya Nail Polish and the Joeur Lip Gloss in my spring FabFitFun VIP box, I'm a bit disappointed that I won't be able to use some of the bigger ticket items (the jewelry pieces), since they are are not at all my style. That, coupled with the fact that my box didn't include any of the other bonus beauty items, definitely left me underwhelmed and wishing for more. I emailed the FabFitFun Support Team, expressing my concern and requesting to cancel my subscription for next season. They responded in a timely manner, saying they "felt terrible that I didn't get what I were expecting out of it" and offering the summer box free of charge.  Reading more reactions and reviews online, it seems the company has been responsive to subscribers' complaints and trying to make things right. I'm definitely pleased that they want to repair any disappointment or misunderstanding. Thus, I will be giving them another chance, hoping for a truly fabulous FabFitFun VIP summer box.

Did you receive a FabFitFun VIP Spring box? If so, what were your favorite items? If not, are you going to give this lifestyle subscription a try?

No comments:

Post a Comment