Check back soon
Once posts are published, you’ll see them here.
First of all, I just want to wish you all a Happy New Year! Here's hoping 2022 brings you all lots of love, health and happiness!
It doesn't seem 2 minutes since the last one but here we are again- FabFitFun Winter 2021! This is a box all the way from sunny California, USA and it has been around for a long time, but hasn't always been available to the UK. FabFitFun are a seasonal (quarterly) beauty and lifestyle subscription box that allows you to customise some of the items in your box, and the rest are picked by their team based on your profile. There are 2 different membership options for fabfitfun, Seasonal and Select.
The way the box works has changed slightly- Seasonal members are now able to make 4 choices for their customisation instead of 3 from a selection menu and Select members are now able to fully customise their box!
The choices are in groups, from 1-5 and in each group, you can make one selection from a choice of around 7 items. You can also select 'Add ons' for your box, which is where you can select extra items for an additional, discounted price!
The price is slightly different for the UK than in the US, as we have to pay for shipping and VAT on top of the price, but I have a referral code for $15 off your first box! Use code F8-3QWBF at the checkout.
The price for Seasonal comes to around £50.00, which includes shipping and VAT, and for an Annual membership, it is around £195.00. It is delivered via Hermes.
Depending on when you subscribe depends on the box you get- you either get that seasons box or a Members Picks Box, which is offered between seasons.
As always, I unboxed this on my YouTube channel and you can watch it here:
As you will have heard from my unboxing, I had a variety of issues with this seasons box- and I won't bore you with that again- but I am hoping that it is just a one off as I really love getting this box, I have discovered some amazing brands and items! I will give the benefit of the doubt and hopefully next season will be smooth and stress free like before!
So, if you watched my unboxing, you will have seen the huge size of the box, and how much was in it, but let's go over that again now! They also send out their seasonal magazine and some other discount leaflets for you to make use of should you wish to.
The last few times, I have also taken advantage of the add ons, which happen a couple of days before the customisation opens. Recently I have been on a fitness mission! For those of you that don't know, I work in mental health as my day job, but I am also a qualified Personal Trainer and former bodybuilder, so I like to train hard! I have been doing an incredible programme on Youtube (shoutout to the amazing Caroline Girvan!) and am feeling better than ever. I had lost my way a little bit with my training but now I am back on track and as a result, I am trying to get my spare room kitted out to use as a home gym. I've been buying lots of dumbbells and other bits of fitness equipment to use and I thought I would have a look at the add ons to see if there were any options there- they do have 'Fit' in their name after all! I was in luck again, however I do need to check I am able to use it! I had been looking for an exercise ball for ages so when I saw the Textured Balance Ball Kit for $14, which is around £10.39 (RRP $19.99, or £14.83), I was very quick to add this to my basket! It comes with a pump, a plug and full instructions but it wasn't until it arrived that I saw it was for heights 5'6 to 5'11! I am 5'2, so this may be too large for me, but I will try it and see. You can use this to add resistance to your workout, to train the core and also to improve balance, so it is a great all rounder and I hope I can use it!
I also added on a skincare treat from MAD Skincare in the form of their Breakout Control Daily Moisturiser for $9, which is £6.68 (down from a whopping RRP $44, or £32.64!). I loved the cleanser I received a couple of seasons ago so I had to grab this bargain! This has a lightweight formula to help control oil production and calm irritated skin. It contains Tea Tree Oil, Peppermint Oil, Ginger Root Extract and Witch Hazel to help fight and control bacteria, tame redness and minimise pores. I don't have bad skin, but I can certainly struggle at that time of the month so I am hoping this will be my saviour!
Onto the box itself now! I will talk through the 4 items that I selected first of all, as these were the only ones in the box that I knew I was going to get- the rest were a total surprise! However, if you watched my unboxing, you will know that I had real trouble with one of my picks and that a couple of the others were not my first choice!
My first pick, I will admit, was not my first choice. Not because I didn't like it, but because I already have one from a previous FabFitFun! However the Unhide Lil Marsh Blanket (Small) in Charcoal (RRP $65, or £48.22) is absolutely gorgeous and seems even softer than my existing one! I just love the chic shade and cuddling up under this with a hot chocolate will practically be how I spend my entire winter (I do NOT take winter well ha ha). You could also use this as a throw for some stylish home decor too. So whilst it wasn't my first choice, I'm certainly not sad about it!
The same can be said about my second pick! Again, these weren't my first choice but I will definitely use them! The Sur La Table 4 Piece Silicone Utensil Set in Red (RRP $40 or £29.68) makes cooking a breeze! Featuring a spatula, spoon, slotted spoon and a slotted turner, they also have food grade silicone tops and wooden handles (beechwood, in case you were wondering!). The handles also have little holes in the top for if you wanted to hang them up somewhere, which is handy! I do like to think of myself as a dab hand in the kitchen and I love to cook, so I know that these will be very useful for me to add to my kitchen equipment- some of the utensils I have have definitely seen better days!
Up next is an item that WAS my first choice- hallelujah! The Michael Kors Beanie with Pom (RRP $48 or £35.61) adds a lovely flirty and cute touch to your winter wardrobes. It is in a chic gray colour, which means it will go with anything as well as featuring ribbed detailing a fluffy pom pom (too cute!) and a Michael Kors metal logo on the fold. This is so soft, comfortable and my new favourite winter beanie! I can finally say I own something by Michael Kors too, a brand I have lusted after for a while! Very pleased with this!
Ahh, pick number 4. This was supposed to be a hair product, as you will have seen in the video. This went out of stock and was replaced with the Craft Crush Embroidery Kit (RRP $30 or £22.26), which I was not made aware of. I was a little miffed, as this kit is lovely but absolutely not my thing at all. It included everything you need to create some floral art, but I have no interest in embroidery at all. The replacement I asked for when I reached out to them then didn't process correctly (which I again, was not made aware of!) so when I got the box I was expecting to see the Way of Will Slim Deep Toning Oil (RRP $37.50 or £27.82), which was the replacement I asked for, however the embroidery kit was still there and no oil! The customer service team did sort this very quickly and I now have the oil, which is a natural toning oil for the body. It is enriched with a nourishing essential oil blend to tighten and tone skin for a healthy-looking glow. I am not totally sold on the toning benefits, as I know this sort of thing doesn't really tend to live up to those claims but I do love using body oils so that is all I will be using it for. The embroidery kit has also been found a new home!
Next up were the picks that were made for me. I have to say, first of all, that I think the items in the box were definitely lacking compared to previous editions- there just didn't seem to be as many! However, the picks they made for me were as follows:
The first was the Vahdam Teas Recovery Sampler (RRP $25 or £18.55) which contains 5 blends: Turmeric Spice Herbal Tea, Turmeric Ginger Herbal Tea, Sweet Cinnamon Chai Tea, India's Original Chai Tea and Vanilla Spiced Chai Tea. These are perfect for the cold weather and are made with real herbs and spices to give you maximum flavour- the pyramid tea bag helps with that too! Plus, 1% of the revenue for the brand goes towards the education of tea growers children, which is a fantastic cause- all children deserve an education! I do like a good cuppa and whilst I am unsure about the 2 Turmeric teas, the vanilla and the cinnamon sound right up my street so I am excited to give these a try!
Finally, the next 2 items came as part of a 'bundle'- but I already have one of them! The bundle has a retail price of $39, or £28.93 and consists of the Barefoot Scientist Pedicure File (which I already own!) and Isaac Mizrahi Printed Fleece Slippers with Faux Sherpa Lining. The Foot File helps to remove calluses, dry skin and rough patches to exfoliate deeply and gently massage the feet. It is made of stainless steel and plastic. I do like it but I received this exact item in my summer box so I am a little annoyed they have sent me a repeat item, especially so soon! However, this has been given to my mum, who will make use of it. The slippers however, I love! They fit my feet perfectly and they look so cute! They are slip ons, have a faux sherpa lining , leopard print and grip on the bottom to make them super comfy- which they are! I was looking for a new pair of slippers as my current pair have seen better days so these are a great replacement!
So a quick adding up of the RRP's brings this boxes value to $284.950(£211.07), not including my add ons (I included both the embroidery kit and the oil though, as I did technically receive them both!), which is way more than the price paid!
Other than the issue I had with the fourth item, my payment being taken late and some of the original advertised choices not being available, I am impressed, once again, with the items, the service and the value of this box. It feels like such a treat and I love that you get to pick some of the items as it gives it a more personalised feel! I also love that there is such a mixture of items from beauty, to homeware, to clothing, to accessories and even fitness. I cannot wait for next season already, although I hope I do not have the same issues as before otherwise I may have to cancel!
