FabFitFun Summer 2018 Box | I'm Easily Influenced: Part 2

I was going to hold off on writing about FabFitFun again, but I thought to myself "Self, if I was someone who was thinking about getting this box, I would want to know NOW!". So, I'm going to take my own advice and just post it and hopefully my thoughts on the stuff I got for Summer 2018 will help someone. Here we go!

Foreo LUNA fofo (retails $89 USD)

Let’s start with what everybody is interested in. The Foreo LUNA fofo was this season's big draw for everyone to buy this box. Hell, I know it was mine! I've had a different version of the Foreo on my Amazon Wishlist for a year and when I saw this version was going to be in this Summer's box - well, it's the reason I pulled the trigger. Supposedly the LUNA has censors that, when used with their app, measures skin moisture levels and gives you cleansing recommendations that are personalized to you. I have yet to get the app to work for me, so I can’t comment on it, BUT I have seen less than favourable reviews of the app on the Play Store so take that however you want. My biggest reason for wanting the Foreo was to use it in addition to my Clarisonic. I use my Clarisonic exclusively in the shower, and I wanted something to use by the sink which wouldn’t be as messy – and for that purpose, the Foreo is a good solution. But I’ll be honest, I don’t reach for this as much as I thought I would. I would also never use this as a replacement for my Clarisonic, the power just isn’t there. With that said - Does it cleanse your skin nicely? Yes, absolutely. Is it fun to use? Hell yeah!

Vasanti Brighten Up! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator with Microderm Exfoliating Crystals (retails $34 CAD)

This is essentially just an exfoliator but the "exfoliating crystals" are no joke. They’re so fine and they work well without being too abrasive. What I like most about it is the consistency of the cleanser portion, it's thick and doesn't immediately dilute into some gloopy mess making all its little scrubbies slide around. Its also made in Canada, not tested on animals, vegan, gluten-free, 99% natural, paraben-free, and sulfate-free – pretty good!

Marianella - Hawaiian Black Lava Body Caviar with Charcoal (retails $48 USD)

I have a lot of feelings about this one. I really wanted to love this, in fact, I specifically chose this item instead of another option (FabFitFun lets you choose between a couple of different options for some items in the box). I'm constantly stocking up on body exfoliators because I epilate my legs and it helps a ton, so I thought this would be perfect. It has a lot of nice ingredients for a body scrub such as (according to their website): Hawaiian Black Lava Sea Salt, Charcoal, Dead Sea Salt, Epsom Salt, European Fine Sea Salt, Vitamin E, Coconut Oil, Honey, Green Tea Extract, Aloe Vera Extract, Olive Oil, Coffee, Brown Sugar, and Soy Bean Oil.

From reviews I've read, it seems that people either love or hate the smell – unfortunately for me, I fall into the later category. To me, this body scrub is so incredibly oily and the oil just sits on top of the scrub in the jar, meaning you've gotta stick your finger in the little tub and mix it all together every time you use it. It’s also fairly messy to use and leaves a ton of oil on the bottom of my shower making it a slippery accident just waiting to happen. It also leaves a residue on my skin that I have to wash off with soap immediately. /Rant

Pier 1 Marble Dish (retails $15 USD) 

Not much to say about this one. It’s a little trinket dish with gold trim. I’ve seen some pictures that others have posted where the gold trim was pretty scratched up around the edges, thankfully I don’t have that issue with mine. All in all, it’s just OK.

Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel (retails $45 USD)

Lately I’ve been getting into using “peels” in place of your conventional physical exfoliators once or twice a week and I’m quite enjoying them. I’ve tried a couple others recently (such as the Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Extra Strength Daily Peel and another from Riversol) but this one from Elemis is a nice middle ground for someone like me who just wants to dip a toe into the world of face peelies. Elemis describes some of the ingredients as: “Natural fruit enzymes of exfoliating Papaya and calming Pineapple smooth and clarify the complexion”. I think that’s a fair assessment. It has a smooth lotion consistency, it smells sweet but not overpowering and my skin feels soft after waiting 10-15 minutes and rinsing it off. I like this!

Summer & Rose Rocky Palm print towel (retails $55 USD)

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy that nothing in this box cost me full price, but it’s items like this one that make me stop and think – Are people actually paying full price for some of these things? First of all, $55.00 for this?! Get the hell outta here! Sure, the print is cute and summery (*see the top image), but let’s get real, it’s a microfiber towel. For the price Summer & Rose is charging for this on its own, I would expect the colourful print to be visible on both sides instead of just one. It’s cute and I’ll use it, but let’s not forget: IT’S A TOWEL THAT COSTS $55.00.

Tarte Tarteist PRO Glow Highlight & Contour Palette (retails $59 CND)

I’m a makeup hoarder so this was the item I wanted the most other than the Foreo. There was a chance FFF could have sent the Tarte Pro To Go Eyeshadow Palette and Sex Kitten Eyeliner (combined amount to $54 CAD), which was the other option, but I was really happy to get the highlight and contour palette. Some of the highlights aren’t good matches for me but I’ve used them as eye shadows instead and they’re still pretty. There’s a cream contour called ‘Shade’ (bottom left) which is interesting but unfortunately the colour doesn’t work for me.  ‘Strobe’ (top right) and ‘Stunner’ (middle right) are great highlighters and mixing them together have given some serious glowy results. Sculpt (bottom right) is a great contour/bronzer for me too, so this palette is a complete win for me!

Coola White Tea SPF 50 Moisturizer (retails $44 CAD)

This sunscreen/moisturizer has a lot of claims next to its name, such as having 70%+ certified organic ingredients, being water resistant (up to 80 minutes), cruelty free, gluten-free and vegan, just to name a few. I’ve worn this a couple times by the pool and it did a good job of protecting me from the sun, it has a nice fresh scent, and the texture is nice - it leans more towards a ‘moisturizer’ than a ‘sunscreen’. However, as someone with oily/combination skin, this was a bit too oily for me. If you’re someone with normal/dry skin, this may be a great option for you.

That's it, that's everything I got in my FabFitFun Summer 2018 box! Overall, I've been more than happy with the things that I got (for the most part...looking at you, Marianella...) and I would definitely consider getting the next box for Fall. BUT! These boxes are seasonal (4/year) and for Americans they're $49.99 USD/season. For Canadians, with shipping and the Canadian exchange, it's closer to $80 CAD. If the price was also $50.00 for Canadians - it's completely worth it. For $80.00? Well, at least for me, it's a tough call. 

FabFitFun Starter Box Summer 2018 | I'm Easily Influenced

Like most people, I’m easily influenced into buying what people on the Internet tell me to buy. So, it should be no surprise that I was already done for as soon as I discovered the r/BeautyBoxes subreddit.

Unlike some people online, who each seem to be subscribed to multiple boxes all at once, I’ve only ever been subscribed to one service in the past, TopBox. When I subscribed to TopBox many years ago, it was one of the first (and only) Canadian subscription services available at that time and while I haven’t been subscribed to them in years, I still appreciate that they’re looking out for us Canucks. I wasn’t subscribed to TopBox for long because I quickly grew tired of getting teeny tiny samples, not to mention most months seemed to contain one black eyeliner or red lipstick after another…I mean, that’s fine if you’re Marilyn Monroe or Marilyn Manson, but it got pretty damn boring after a while.

Anyways, the folks over at r/BeautyBoxes were constantly raving about the Mother of all subscription services, FabFitFun. All full-size products, but also a mixture of items from accessories to housewares to makeup and bath and body products – basically anything cute that will fit in a box! Best of all, FabFitFun offers a one-time deal to those who aren’t subscribed to them, called a “Starter Box”. For 8 bucks ($10-ish after the CAN conversion) FFF will send you a box of 4 items to give you an idea of what their regular boxes would contain.

My reaction was something like this:

I ordered the Starter Box on May 28^th and received it on July 3^rd. FFF says that Canadians can expect their boxes within 14 business days. I think most Canadians are used to having to wait a little longer for packages to arrive at our doorsteps anyways, but for some reason Canada Post decided to skip over me in Ontario and send my box all the way to Nova Scotia, only to send it back to Ontario.

So, now that I’ve rambled long enough, here’s what I think of the stuff I got. I also want to mention, I’d seen a lot of spoilers from others on r/BeautyBoxes and not all Starter Boxes come with the same items. I really wanted one particular box and somehow against all odds, it’s the one I got! So here goes…

Summer & Rose ‘Brittany’ Tote in Cobalt (retails $54)

I really like this tote! It’s nicer than I was expecting and the nautical rope handles are really cute. The inside is lined with some kind of material that seems like it would be easy to wipe down (would be useful should you need to carry a damp beach towel or something) and it has two little pockets inside.

Free People Understated Vegan Leather Eye mask (retails $40)

I wouldn’t quite use the word “understated” to describe this mask with its metallic stars all over it as but, whatever. I will say this is a cute looking eye mask and does what it’s supposed to do. It has a removable gel-like pouch that you can put in the freezer and then put back inside the mask for a nice cooling effect; I actually did do this and it was nice. For my own lifestyle, however, I can’t see myself using this very much.

AHAVA Dead Sea Water Mineral Hand Cream 150ml (retails $33)

This hand cream seems to be included in every Starter Box and I can see why. First off, the tube is massive! The smell is nice, I like it, but I can definitely see why some people say the scent is too intense. The cream itself is moisturizing, non-greasy and fast absorbing, what more could you want?

Spongellé Body Wash Infused Buffer in Freesia Pear (retails $16)

I was most excited for the cheapest thing in the box, what does that say about me? It’s a sponge that’s infused with body wash, you get it wet and give it a squeeze and a ton of suds appear! I feel sort of dumb because I’ve used it three times now and I still can’t figure out how it keeps lathering so well. When will it run out of its glorious bubbles? The sponge itself is somewhat rough in texture because it’s a “buffer” but it isn’t scratchy and it works really well. I’m obsessed with the Freesia Pear scent - I already want another one!

So, those are my thoughts on the FabFitFun Starter Box I got. I miiiight have also bought their Summer 2018 box…OK, I did buy it. I might do another one of these with all the stuff I got in that box but it’s going to be long as hell and I don’t know how to edit myself. Oh well.