After my original post on my FabFitFun subscription, one of the most frequent questions I received was “is it worth it?” After the first box, my answer was “yes” but I promised I would give an update with future boxes. Well, I received my Summer 2019 FabFitFun box recently, and here we go.

To recap, I paid for an annual subscription of 4 boxes (it was not gifted, and these posts are not sponsored) which set me back about $330CAD including shipping. This works out to about $80CAD, give or take, per box. That represents my frame of reference when deciding if the boxes are worth it or not. As an annual subscriber, I have the option of selecting a good chunk of the products in each box, which I appreciate and consider (for myself) a good trade-off for the upfront financial commitment to 4 boxes.

Here’s what I received this time:

As always, I do appreciate the presentation.

I believe this was a “mystery item” which was one of the customization options. My experience with the Dr. Brandt under-eye cream thing I got in my last box was meh. Having tried this luminizer primer, I have to say I am much happier. I don’t typically use primer, but I like how this one goes on and how it works with my Jane Iredale powder foundation; it does seem to make my skin look smoother. Retail value: $24+ (all prices given in USD).

I was super excited to try this Coola make-up setting spray with SPF. I like sneaking in SPF whenever I can. I’ve heard some people complain about the smell of this product (and question its efficacy) but I like it. On days when I know I’m not going to be outside very long, I use this in place of my Biore sunscreen. Retail value: $36.

I just cut my hair (long pixie for the win!) so these Invisibobble bands aren’t much use to me. I will probably see if they work on my daughter, who has waist-length hair. Retail value: $16.

This shower cream/body cream duo from Sol de Janeiro was my top pick for the box. I adore the Acai cream I received in a mystery box last month, so I was pumped to try to famous Bum Bum cream. Since I’m still using the other jar, I haven’t opened the Bum Bum, but I have tried the shower cream and it’s a-mah-zing!! Love the scent, love how soft it makes my skin. I would be happy with a SdJ product in every box, to be honest. Retail value: $45.

This was a product that everyone received, and it’s meh for me. My feet need help, but a foot mask is simply not something I can get excited about. I’ve tried this one once, and had no adverse reactions, but also experienced no extraordinary results. I’m not sure I’ll get much use out of it. Retail value: $32.

Another meh (also came standard in all boxes). I love my Mario Badescu facial sprays, and this product probably won’t replace them. But I will probably get some use out of it – I took this to the office to have on hand during the work day. Retail value: $26.

I don’t use mud masks, but I am intrigued to try this. My biggest concern is a possible allergic reaction. I don’t think I need brightening products but maybe this will just be a nice moisturizing mask. Note that this was another product included in all boxes. Retail: $36

This was a customizable option, and I chose it because I didn’t like any of the alternatives more. That being said, it looked more appealing to me in the stock photos than IRL. It’s much daintier than I was expecting, which is not really my jam. The quality is lower end costume jewelry – along the lines of what you’d find at, say, Target or H&M. Retail: $52 (inflated, IMO).

This was the final customizable option, and I am very pleased with it. I love the aesthetics of these bowls (white and blue colour scheme, Japanese-inspired prints) and I find them handy to have around the house; you can use them for display, for storing trinkets, and for dinner parties, etc. To be honest, I wouldn’t spend the retail cost to buy them new, but they are a nice addition to the box. Retail: $39.

Overall, between the SdJ stuff, the primer, the setting spray, and the bowls alone, I feel like I got my money’s worth from the box. Quality-wise, everything seemed quite good with the possible exception of the necklace. It seems to be a trend that there is an item that disappoints in every box; I will definitely be more cautious with jewelry options in the future (same as with bags, based on my last box).

Sugar & Spice

I feel like this outfit requires some weather-related explanation, but otherwise its genesis should be pretty obvious: what better juxtaposition than black leather and white eyelet? My BFF called this my “White Wedding” look, a nod to Billy Idol perhaps. As for the weather, it’s been all over the place lately – alternating warm and cool, sun and rain, usually all within the same hour. This outfit hedged all my bets. It is a rare largely non-thrifted look, courtesy of Nordstrom Rack. That rarely happens, but I am a sucker for BlankNYC jackets and this Ulla Johnson dress was a crazy good deal. Justifications, I gots them.

Notes: Ulla Johnson dress (retail, $12); BlankNYC jacket (retail, $35); Napoleoni shoes (thrifted, $6).

Chainmail Chic

This is the Clover Canyon top I purchased secondhand in Calgary recently, and I couldn’t wait to wear it. Up close, part of the print resembles chain mail which, from a psychological perspective, is perfect for a Monday morning. Talk about strapping on your (metaphorical) armor and tackling a new week’s challenges. Because the top is a cropped length, I paired it with my trusty Aritzia high-waisted midi skirt to avoid flashing my pale midriff at unsuspecting co-workers. (I also wore a tank top underneath as an extra layer because, not gonna like, the scuba-like material of the Clover Canyon top is not my favourite right up against the skin.) I decided to add an extra pop of colour with the red shoes because … why not.

Notes: Clover Canyon top (secondhand, $24); Aritzia skirt (thrifted, $13); J. Crew shoes (retail, $80).

Artsy

I want to say this is very “art professor” look but, honestly, I have nothing to base that on except my own imagination. Is this how art professors dress? This asymmetrical Zara skirt is super fun, but the proportions called for balance, so I wore a lightweight turtleneck. I added the chunky stone necklace because it’s such a fun piece, and it works well with the skirt vibe (those big buttons!). I tend to avoid wearing necklaces with turtlenecks, but I think this worked; the top is almost more of a mock-neck, maybe that’s why it didn’t seem too clashy in my eyes.

Notes: Zara skirt (thrifted, $6.5); Oak & Fort top (retail, $40); necklace (thrifted, $4).

Brutalist Friday

I am mostly posting this outfit because I am obsessed with this necklace and will take every opportunity to show it off. I was originally going to wear this outfit with a purple necklace – monochrome for the win! – but after thrifting this one, I had to switch it up. This kind of muted plum (mauve?) colour is one of my favourites, and the pop of yellow works so well with it. Have I mentioned how much I love this necklace? Separate post coming up …

Notes: Moth sweather (thrifted, $7); Cartonnier pants (thrifted, $8); Rafael Canada necklace (thrifted, $8).

After the underwhelming finale of Game of Thrones, I didn’t have any new shows lined up for watching. I had already blasted through the seasons of Schitt’s Creek available on Netflix – which had been my only other must-watch show – and didn’t feel inspired to look for new options. I couldn’t even motivate myself to watch the new John Wick movie … and I love John Wick. So I’m not sure how or why I ended up binge-watching 5 episodes of Chernobyl in 2 nights. Maybe it was curiosity to see how Soviet-era life (which I experienced first-hand) would be portrayed. Whatever the reason, my decision to watch more than paid off. It’s weird to say this about a show that pulls no punches in portraying a terrible event, but I … well, I loved every minute of it.

Don’t get me wrong, it was hard as hell to watch. It kicked my anxiety into over-drive – the sustained tension is on par with any good horror movie – and yet I couldn’t tear myself away from it. After I finished watching it, I began devouring all the information about Chernobyl I could get my hands on. What fascinates me the most is the human psychology of disaster events, both before and after; how people react, and how those reactions drive the chain of events. I know that the show has been criticized for factual inaccuracies and for Hollywoodizing the real story, but I think it nailed the atmosphere and the spirit of what happened. It’s not so much a cautionary tale about nuclear power; it’s a cautionary tale about the deadly consequences of lies, misinformation and carelessness … and that has not ceased to be relevant in the decades since Chernobyl.

The acting, writing, cinematography, set design, music are all fantastic. I was tempted to reference the insta-classic meme “not great, not terrible” from the show itself, but decided it wouldn’t be fair (or accurate). But that does bring me to something else I wanted to touch on. In the wake of the show, there has been a whole internet cottage industry of Chernobyl (show) related memes. You wouldn’t think so, perhaps, but this show has proven to be just as meme-able as Game of Thrones. My husband, who hasn’t seen the show, thinks that’s weird and disrespectful. I get where he’s coming from, but I must admit that I have chuckled at some of them nonetheless. It’s dark humour, for sure. I think it’s human instinct to use humour when reality is brutal and wholly outside one’s control; I experienced some of that first-hand when I was growing up in the Soviet Block. That being said, I would guess that most of the people who are making/sharing/enjoying these Chernobyl memes (myself included) were not directly involved in the events portrayed by the show. Does it make it better or worse that the memes are inspired by a TV show rather than (direct) reality? It is, after all, a show based on real life events and people. I don’t have any definitive take on this, by the way, but it’s something that’s been on my mind lately and I would love to hear your thoughts.

After I finished watching the show, I ordered and quickly tore through Chernobyl: The History of a Nuclear Catastrophe by Serhii Plokhy. I cannot recommend this book enough. It wasn’t originally my first pick for Chernobyl-related source material, but it was the only book that was available through Amazon Prime; I’m impatient, what can I say. I’m so glad I got this, however, because it is very well written, informative, and captivating. Along with the details of the disaster and its aftermath, it provides insight into the socio-political climate of the time, along with the history of the Chernobyl nuclear plant and the town of Pripyat. Reading it provided a ton of relevant and fascinating context to the show, and allowed me to consider it with a more critical eye. For example, the book was far more sympathetic to the men who ran the nuclear plant than the show – yes, even Diatlov (the “villain” of the series) – without being wholly exculpatory, which I found interesting. Ditto for its commentary on Legasov. I still maintain my earlier comments on the show – yes, the story/facts were Hollywoodized for narrative impact, but the overall spirit was bang on. Anyway, if you enjoyed the show and want to learn more, this book is a good place to start.

Have you watched Chernobyl and if so, what did you think?