Well, friends, I did it. I succumbed to the siren call of subscription services and signed up for the FabFitFun box. I blame my boss and LOL dolls.

Let me explain.

FabFitFun boxes have been all over my social media for a while; a few of the people I follow on Instagram subscribe to them and I have watched their unboxings with interest. I never took the plunge myself for a combination of reasons. I figured that the boxes were bound to be expensive and, more importantly the products over-priced; I am not averse to frivolous spending, but I am pretty picky about what I buy and thrift stores have skewed my perception of prices. But, it turns out, it didn’t take much to overcome my skepticism. My boss, who also happens to be a good friend, mentioned to me one day that she had just signed up – herself inspired by another mutual friend, who has been subscribed for over a year. J was very excited about her customized box and, in pretty short order, so was I. In my defence, J has the kind of natural enthusiasm that could sell a trip to the North Pole to an Edmontonian in the dead of winter. Furthermore, my resistance had already been weakened as a result of my exposure to LOL dolls.

Those of you not acquainted with any girls between the ages of 3 and 10 may be wondering what an LOL doll is. It’s no joke, let me tell you – only the most brilliant marketing ploy in recent toy history. An LOL Surprise is a plastic ball, wrapped in several layers of plastic, housing a small plastic doll and its tiny plastic accessories wrapped in plastic baggies. There are different “series” of LOL surprises, each with dozen or so different dolls. [There are even tinier versions of dolls called “little sisters” as well as “pets” for each of the big dolls, but let’s not proceed down this rabbit hole farther than necessary.] What doll you get is … yes, you guessed it, a surprise. The whole thing is about $2 worth of plastic, at best. Retail price: $20 and up. Per doll. They are insanely popular, as attested by the endless stream of YouTube videos dedicated to all things LOL.

My daughter currently lives and breathes LOL dolls and I will confess that her father and I have enabled her to what is probably an embarrassing extent. But here’s the more embarrassing confession: I secretly enjoy opening the surprises as much as my daughter does. A friend of mine who has a daughter of the same age recently made a similar confession to me. And it reminded me of my own childhood; I used to save up my pennies to buy “mystery packets” of stamps for my philatelic collection, and the best part was always the surprise element. Times (and hobbies) change, but human nature doesn’t.

Which brings me back to FabFitFun. For me, it’s like an adult version of the LOL doll. With an annual subscription, each box costs roughly $80CAD (including shipping). Or, if you like, 4 LOL dolls.

So … is FabFitFun worth it? I recently received my first box (Spring 2019) and here are my thoughts.

I like the packaging a lot. The box is cute and perfect for reuse if I ever have something to ship.

Ooh, everything looks nice.

I think this was the “mystery” item I ended up selecting. [I ordered my box late in the game, so some of the customizable options were no longer available.] It’s a shine spray – presumably an updated fancy version of the 90s glitter gels we all used. It will be a fun thing to try, but nothing special in my books. Retail value: $20+USD.

Verdict: I’ve tried it but it’s not something I’m going to use long-term. I may try it on my daughter’s hair for special occasions. Meh.

This I am excited about. I don’t buy fancy skincare but I am always game to try some. I’ve heard a lot about Tula on social media, so I am curious if it’s any good. This is a full size product, which is nice. Retail value: $28USD.

Verdict: I like this but I don’t think I would pay full price to buy it again. My optometrist (of all people) gave me a great skin cleansing hack, which is much cheaper and seems to work just as well, so I will probably go with that once this Tula is finished. But I’m glad I got to try it and see what the fuss was about.

This is one of the products that everyone got in their box. My hair is drier than usual because of the perm, so I am looking forward to seeing if this product is any good. Retail value: $26USD.

Verdict: I liked this a lot too! Be forewarned that it smells strongly. I don’t typically mind fragrances in my products, but this stood out to me in terms of intensity. I got used to it over time. It seems to work great as a conditioner; it leaves my hair soft without any greasiness. Not sure I would pay the full retail value; it may depend on how long a bottle lasts.

Another product that was in every box, and more fancy skincare to try. I don’t know if my eyes need de-puffing, but I am game to find out. Retail value: $42USD.

Verdict: Honestly, I’m not sure it does much. Maybe I just don’t have puffy eyes.

This was one of the main reasons I was excited for this box. I know I could get a similar bottle on Amazon for $30CAD, but on its own, it feels like too frivolous an indulgence. As part of the box, I can somehow justify it. Don’t ask. Retail value: $20USD.

Verdict: Love, love, love this! I use it every day and it’s increased my water intake significantly – a much needed improvement. I went and sprung for a second bottle, so I could have one at home and one at work.

I had originally selected the other Quay sunglasses (a cats-eye shape) but they were sold out, and so I received this pair instead. I am a fan of this brand, so I was pumped about these. I am not sure if this aviator style works as well on my face shape, so I may give these to my husband who is perpetually short a pair of sunglasses. Retail value: $60USD.

Verdict: These went to my sister-in-law, who scooped my husband (her brother). She loves them.

This champagne and charcoal scrub also came with every box, and it’s the sort of bougie thing I would never buy for myself. But, YOLO! Looking forward to trying this with my new Japanese wash cloths (remind me to tell all about them another time, they’re fabulous). Retail value: $24USD.

Verdict: Im enjoying this but it’s not something I plan on replacing when the jar is done. I don’t know if it’s doing anything for my skin, but it makes my showers feel more pampering and indulgent. I hope I get something similar in a future box, otherwise I will be hitting up Winners.

Last, we have the canvas backpack. I really like the look of it, so I was excited to select it as one of my customized options, but the quality is disappointing. The canvass part is decent quality and lightweight, but the faux leather straps feels cheap AF. No way anyone would pay the retail value of $75USD for this. It looks cute but I am not sure if I am going to use it much.

Verdict: A miss.

All told, I am pretty happy with my box; between the water bottle and the sunglasses, not to mention the chance to try some new skincare, I feel like I received my money’s worth. For the next box, I am going to have the opportunity to customize much earlier and will hopefully not run into any issues with certain options being sold out.

13 Comments on I Did A Thing, Vol. 22: FabFitFun, Baby!

  1. Please tell us about that skin-cleansing hack your optometrist recommended!

    I also have a stainless steel water bottle and I love it. So good at keeping water cold (there’s nothing worse than trying to chug room temp water).

    • Hard agree – I hate room temperature water.

      The hack is Johnson’s no tears baby shampoo. It’s hella cheap, it cleans well and it doesn’t irritate eyes apparently. I’ve been using it for about a month (lately alternating with the Tula cleanser) and so far so good.

  2. What is the skin cleansing hack you mentioned?

    I have always been curious about these boxes but my curiosity is always sated by reading reviews/spoilers on mysubscriptionaddiction (website). I also have way too many beauty products at this point that I’d like to finish up before getting more.

    • See my other comment but it’s Johnson’s baby shampoo.

      I don’t buy a ton of beauty products (especially expensive ones) so this is a fun way to try new stuff for me. So that’s definitely a caveat on my end – if you like to pick products on your own, this may not be as great a deal.

  3. Yes, but what’s the eye Dr. Cleansing hack?!
    Do you have a beauty product exchange community? This may help with “misses”.

  4. I subscribed to this for one year. At the end I was frustrated because while there were one or two new products that I found through them that I love, I was accumulating a lot of stuff I did not need or want. I felt like I was giving away or donating more than I was keeping. Why was I paying to bring more junk into my house that I did not need just to have the fun of an unboxing? Lots of people love it though and if the majority of items are a better fit for you then I’m sure it’s worth it.

    • I’m not sure how long-term this commitment with end up being for me, but I think it will be fun to try for a year. I definitely hear you on not needlessly bringing stuff into my house.

  5. I’ve been a FabFitFun subscriber for the last few years and have found some of my favorite products through them. With that being said, I was not very excited about the Fall and Winter boxes, but really liked the Spring box. I’m looking forward to seeing what they offer for Summer (customization opens for annual members on Wednesday). I tend to throw the stuff I don’t love in a box and use it for random gifts (or let my sisters have at it).

    I also started a Causebox subscription last summer and have been comparing the two boxes. Causebox is very similar, but each product has a good for earth/people spin. Both my FabFitFun and my Causebox subscriptions are up for renewal in August… so I’m planning to drop one of them. I’m just not sure which one yet!

    Oh and a last bit of advice, many times after I am introduced to a brand through FabFitFun, I keep my eyes peeled and I can usually find it at TJMaxx/Marshalls (which I think is like your Winners). =)

    • Yes, I plan to do the same with stuff I don’t end up using. It’s nice to have stuff on hand for last minute presents and the products look to be nice enough to gift.

      That’s a good tip – will definitely check Winners if I fall in love with any of these products.

  6. I’ve been tempted to try it, too, but my aversion to bringing in stuff I won’t use is pretty strong. Luckily, I can get the excitement of the box by watching and reading other people’s unboxing blogs/videos, which I do with glee. And then I occasionally purchase things that look awesome in those reviews, without ending up with a bunch of things to get rid of.

    Do you have TJMaxx or Marshall’s in Canada? Their beauty sections are like a little treasure hunt for me. I find so many interesting, unusual, and well-priced luxurious beauty products there!

    • We do have a version of TJ Maxx, but my problem is that I tend not I buy random beauty products because I find it hard to justify the cost. This way, I somehow can, haha! Like, I’ve never bought a sugar scrub before and didn’t think I needed to, but I’m enjoying the one I got in my box.

      Honestly, I think I finally caved on this because FFF appeals to my love of mystery boxes more so than anything else. But it’s early days and I’ll have to re-evaluate in a year. I may get bored after a few boxes.

  7. The first thing I thought of when I saw the picture of the canvas backpack is that you could use it to try out some new embroidery designs. You have such a creative eye, I’ll be you could really make that backpack special!