FabFitFun Fall 2020 Box Review

Today, let’s take a look at the Fall 2020 FabFitFun box. This one shipped out unexpectedly early for me, which was a nice surprise. Here’s what was inside.

This time around, I decided to get a few Add On items – more on that later. They were included in the same shipment, but not in the FFF box itself; rather, the FFF box was placed inside a larger box with the Add Ons. Extra cardboard aside, it seems like FFF is making an effort to be more environmentally conscious. Instead of packing popcorn or plastic, they used paper to pad out the boxes. The FFF box itself, along with the magazine (which I don’t read), appear to be made from a different material than before which I expect would be recycled cardboard/paper (probably should have read the magazine, lol!).

Here were the customizations that I selected:

My choices in this tier were an infinity scarf, a hair removal device, a pore refining serum, and this scarfigan. I chose the latter because I didn’t see myself using any of the other options. I think this is a very “safe” item, if that makes sense: it’s a pale blush and cream, very neutral, very tasteful. I can see it being appealing to a lot of people; I like it as well, although I’m not sure if I’m going to end up keeping it or gifting it come Christmas. It’s made from acrylic, not wool so not as nice as other Soia & Kyo pieces I’ve seen, but it has a nice feel and weight to it.
Retail value: $85.

This was a “meh” tier for me; the options were one of 2 Botkier bags (both faux leather), a curling wand, an eyeliner, a set of copper canisters, a styling cream, or this collapsible basket. Again, I didn’t see myself using any of the other options so I chose this by default. I haven’t quite decided what to do with it, but it’s the sort of item I can see using for various purposes. It could be a fancy wastepaper basket for my office; or a “coozy” for a potted plant; or simply a basket to hold some of my craft supplies. It’s a minimalist, simple design so it would like nice anywhere in the house.
Retail value: $60 (LOL, def not)

What I found weird about this tier was the wide range of items. Like, a bag or an eyeliner? Usually, options are more evenly matched in terms of price in each tier. I know they gave a retail value of $45 of the eyeliner, but still.
Moving on.

This was an item I was very excited to get. The other options were a pendant necklace from the same brand (Jenny Bird), a mask set, blue-light blocking glasses, or an eyeshadow palette. This was a no-brainer choice for me, and I like the bracelet IRL a lot. It’s not super high quality, but it’s similar to what you’d get from Banana Republic or Stella & Dot; I actually like that it’s not too heavy because I don’t like my wrists to feel weighed down. The metal mixing is perfect – I can layer a bunch of my other bracelets in both silver and gold, and it all works.
Retail value: $135

This was my other top pick for the box. Other options in this tier were a water bottle, a cleansing cream, a facial cleanser, and a body scrub. I have wanted to try Anastasia eyebrow products before, but they’re the kind of thing I don’t normally splurge on. Honestly, having tried it, I’m not sure if it does much but I feel fancy putting it on – and my eyebrows are one part of my make-up routine that I never skip.
Retail value: $22.

I chose this hair oil right before my daughter decided to cut off 18 inches of hair. Sigh. This would have been more useful before – because her long hair required a lot of extra moisturizing – but I guess I’ll be using it now more for scalp massages maybe. Anyway, the other options weren’t better: a cutlery set; cuticle oil; 3 pack of hair clips; and some sugar scrub cubes I received in a previous box and didn’t end up loving.
Retail value: $75 (fancy!)

And here is what FFF picked for me (the last 3 items in the box cannot be customized, and you get whatever they send you from a selection of items).

I have no idea what this is or whether I will use it. The other options weren’t much more enticing: a shower gel, or a faux leather pouch.
Retail value: $19.50

So I would like to think I will use this pedicure set, but on the other hand, I’m lazy and this looks like it involves several steps. Maybe I will gift it. One of the other options was a Laundress Crease release product, which I think would have been more useful. Oh well.
Retail value: $20

Again, not a product I will have as much use for now that my daughter has shorter hair. For my hair, I don’t bother with masks and special treatments, especially as my hair is not chemically treated in any way. I would have preferred one of the other options, a room spray in “Santal Noir” – I love sandalwood smells.
Retail value: $16.

Overall, the FFF picks were a bust for me in this box. It’s one of my least favourite parts of the subscription. Sometimes they send me things I would have picked for myself, but just as often not. I enjoy the surprise element, but I have reached the point where I would rather be able to customize the entire box (all 8 products).

Moving on, let’s talk about my Add Ons.

In the past, I haven’t purchased a lot of Add-Ons because I try to limit how much extra I spend on FFF as the subscription itself is pricey enough. This time, I had to make an exception because the Add On sale had a number of Sunday Riley products on significant discount. I have wanted to try their products for a long time, but they are very expensive and I tend to stick to cheap alternatives like The Ordinary. Well, this was my time to cave. I got the Juno Oil and the CEO vitamin C serum, which together came to under $70CAD. Regularly, these products would be $200CAD. Umm, I hope I don’t like them too much? I’ll keep you posted on that.

Overall, I am fairly satisfied with this box between the items I am going to keep for myself and the stuff I am likely to gift to family and friends. If you got the Fall 2020 box, what did you think of it?