FabFitFun VIP Fall Box Review

After a bit of delay, my FabFitFun box arrived mid-last week. While I had already peeked at the spoilers, I was excited to see the contents in person. As often happens, I was more pleased with the box once I got to see all the goodies for myself. Take a look at what my FabFitFun box contained:

 First look...

... and all the goodies!

Here are more details on all the individual items with photos of the ones I really liked:

Gorjana Canary Scarf ($57) + $25 Gift Card
I am in love with this scarf! I knew I'd like it, but it's so gorgeous - very light (much lighter fabric than I expected), in the perfect neutral dark grey shade, "sprinkled" with pink canary silhouettes - very appropriate for fall. I already wore it a few times and for me, the box was worth it just for this scarf itself. The included $25 gift card makes this even better.

Barre3 Standing Slim DVD and online program ($19.95)
I like when I get workout DVD's in my lifestyle subs. I've heard from my workout-fanatic friends about barre - very hot right now - and I am curious to try this. It'll be a good change from my elliptical-and-strength gym routine

Starlooks 5 Shade Shadow Palette ($41)
I received the St. Tropez palette and it is gorgeous - the colors are warm and seem neutral enough for me to try. It contains brilliant matte, satin and sparkle shadows suitable for a day or night-time look. I visited St. Tropez a few summers ago and the colors do remind me of the sand and sun there - daydreaming...
I haven't tried any Starlooks products and based on some of the raving reviews, this palette sounds like a treat. I'm still deciding whether to keep it or gift it to my mom.

Surface Trinity Protein Cream ($17.48)
This blowout cream is said to smooth, strenghten and protect hair without any harsh chemicals. I've been using Moroccan Oil on my fine hair, but will venture out and try this one, as well.

SpaRitual Nail Polish ($13.95)
I always love when I get nail polish and this true purple shade called "Illume" is gorgeous. I don't own any SpaRitual colors - they are 3-free and 100% vegan, definitely a win!

Orly Nail Polish ($8.34)
This was the "special extra" item that I received because of the double-charging mix-up earlier this month (a note to those of you who were not aware: some subscribers got over-charged and FabFitFun reacted and resolved the issue fairly quickly, I thought, promising a "little extra" in the box...). The sparkly rose gold / pink Orly has the name "You are not alone" - pink for Breast Cancer Awareness month, very appropriate; and what's not to like about sparkly & pink nail polish!

Orville Redenbacher Popcorn ($7.55)
I received the sea salt variety. My family likes popcorn and I like the non-butter kind. This one tastes yummy and is healthier than regular popcorn - it's whole grain, fluten-free and half the fat of the regular variety.

Health Warrior Chia Bar ($1.40)
I received the Banana Nut variety and I really liked it. It was chewy and not overly sweet. I use chia seeds in my cereal but have never tried a chia bar before. This one is said to be the only one on the market with chia seeds as the primary ingredient.

Drinkwel ($1.99)
A sample of what is said to be multivitamin for health-conscious drinkers was included. While I won't be using this one, I found it an interesting addition to the box...

There were some Mini Game Cards and, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness, a Bright Pink's Brighten UP Card and Alert Sticker.
Finally, missing from the box was the Bliss Triple Oxygem Instant Energizing Cleansing Foam - FabFitFun informed all of its subscribers that they were sending the Bliss item in a separate package - I already got my notification.

I was actually happy with FabFitFun Fall Box - I absolutely loved the Gorjana scarf and was very pleased with the couple of nail colors and the hair cream. The box had a total value of $176.18 (that is excluding the Bliss product) which is triple of what I paid for it. The FabFitFun VIP box is $49.99 / quarter and if you would like to sign up for one, you can use code EARLYBIRD5 to save $5 off your subscription.

What do you think of FabFitFun Fall VIP box? Are you a subscriber, are you planning to become one?

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?

New Subscription Alert: FabFitFun VIP Box

NEW: Read my review of the Spring FabFitFun VIP Box here.
 
I just signed up for FabFitFun VIP quarterly box and I am super excited! This is a new lifestyle subscription box - very similar to my favorite PopSugar MUST HAVE 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.

Price: $49.99 for 3 months and you can cancel any time.
The goods:

• The hottest seasonal items sent from the red carpet to your door 4 times a year
• Full-size products and premium items worth over $100
• You could be a winner! Randomly selected members will receive super-fab bonus gifts!

While the contents of the first FFF VIP box remain a secret, it is said to include guaranteed full-size MoroccanOil hair treatment which I've loved and used on a daily basis for the last few years. In addition, they state that you’ll also get five other super fab products to help you get through spring in style. The inaugural spring box is said to be valued at $120+. 

Promotion Code: You can use code FAB48 for $10 off your first box - it still worked for me today (not sure for how much longer it'd work). Latest code for $10 off: FAB10. I figured that since the total cost of the box comes roughly to the cost of the MoroccanOil and this is a product I'm buying on a regular basis anyway, I have nothing to lose. Once I get my first box, I'll decide if I want to keep my subscription onward.  
Once you sign up, you are asked to fill out a style / size profile - that way, FFF VIP has your size info in case size items are included in the box.

What do you think of this new subscription? Are you going to give it a try?