FabFitFun Box Subcription: Spring 2020 Review

A new year, another FabFitFun box subscription. In my last FFF post, I mentioned I was debating whether or not to renew my subscription. Well – belated spoiler alert – I did. I enjoyed 3 out of the 4 boxes I got last year, and still use many of the products regularly; others went on to become presents for friends and family. In the long run, there may come a point where the box contents start being too much of “same old, same old” but for now I still enjoy the process of trying new products and discovering new brands I like.
On to the Spring 2020 box.

Superficial comment: this was one of my favourite box designs. I love butterflies. My daughter likes to use these boxes to build additions to her dollhouse. I also like to keep them around in case I have something to ship out.

Compared to the Winter 2019 box, this was very nicely organized inside. Again, it’s superficial but FFF is a splurge for me, and nice packaging adds to the experience. I did initially feel like this box was “lighter” than usual (and, indeed, they added a ‘false bottom’ to the box to make it appear shallower so that it wouldn’t look too empty) but I think it was mostly a function of my selections. There were 8 products in total, which is standard I think.

I am very pumped about these straws. I have been wanting to buy some reusable straws for ages, but never got around to it. These come with a cleaner brush and a travel case, which is very handy. They were not a customization (i.e. something I could specifically choose), but I am not sure if they came in every box. FFF is doing something new now, it seems, where they select your “extra” items for you from a list of options. The other options in this category were a mascara (not my thing) and a body wash (meh), so I am happy I ended up with the straws as they would have been my pick.
Retail price: $15USD

This was another FFF pick, and one I wasn’t initially too excited about. However, the only other option in this category was a face mask, and I got a ton of other face products in this box (and in general) so the body cream was a better pick for me. Plus, it was the perfect size to take with me to Mexico.
Retail price: $40

This was a customizable option, and I struggled with it a bit. This category included a couple of other products I was interested in, including a gravity eye mask. Reading the reviews for the latter, however, I found out that it supposedly works best for people who sleep on their backs. I sleep on my side, so I decided against it. Another option was a coin necklace by Amber Sceats, but after a disappointing experience in a past box, I have sworn off jewelry when it comes to FFF. So I chose the Cosmedix vitamin C powder as a default; it’s one of those products I will try at some point – and hopefully will like it.
Retail price: $54USD.

This was another FFF pick, which I was happy to get (although I would have liked to try the Winky Lux lip balm which also came in this category, as well). I had heard good things about Purlisse, and having tried it, I like this mask. It’s a sort of cross between a mask and a scrub. I haven’t used it long enough to know if it makes any visible difference, but it smells nice, feel refreshing and doesn’t irritate my skin, so it’s a win for me.
Retail price: $35USD.

This was a customizable option, and I debated between the brush and the Imperial Jade body oil. I chose this, ultimately, because I wanted to upgrade my daughter’s hairbrush. She has super long hair (which she adamantly refuses to cut) and it’s fine, abundant, and easily tangled. Brushing it is a constant challenge and her old Trolls hairbrush wasn’t cutting it. This brush wasn’t very impressive at first, but once I started using it, my tune changed. This thing gets the tangles out without the usual whining, and that is no mean feat. Consider me impressed.
Retail price: $35USD

This was part of the toughest category, choice-wise. Other options included some packing cubes (I love these for travel), a Tarte moisturizer, and a Tarte highlighter set. The packing cubes were the most attractive option initially, but I decided against paying the additional $15USD to add them as an extra to my box because, after applying the exchange rate, I figured I could get a similar pack on Amazon or at IKEA for much less. I know Calpak is a nicer brand and this set looked very cute, but my current IKEA packing cubes work just fine so I will probably buy more of those in the near future; we seem to need more and more every time we travel as a family, sigh.
Anyway, I ended up choosing this radiance booster in hopes that it would be similar to the Rodial Soft Drops primer I got in my last box and which has become a go-to product for me. Also, did I mention it supposedly retails for $135USD? I am NEVER going to buy a skin product that costs that much, so I figured this would be my one chance to check it out.
Retail price: $135

The selection in this category was slim for me – I wasn’t at all interested in the eyeliner or the salt & pepper mills. This speaker was a default choice, but one that proved quite popular at home. My whole family loves this thing! My husband already has plans to steal it come summer, for use in this vintage car (which doesn’t have a real sound system). It’s awesome. Only caveat is that the rechargeable battery life seems to be fairly short.
Retail value: $25USD.

This was the one product I was most excited about, even though I expect it’s just a gimmicky gadget. I was initially concerned because directions suggested it should not be used with products that may cause light sensitivity, and I know that retinoids (which I use regularly) can cause that. After looking into it a bit more, it sounds like it’s not an issue as long as you don’t use the retinoid immediately prior to using the Glo device. To be on the safe side, I plan to use it on alternate days when I don’t apply my retinoid. I’ll post an update once I’ve had a chance to see how it works.
Retail: $68USD.

And that’s the box. Overall, I am quite pleased with it and happy to have renewed my subscription. I am already looking forward to my next box – hopefully, the trend continues.