FabFitFun Summer 2020 UK // Beauty Box Review

Ahhhhhh! It's not free real estate,

I took a break for the Spring 2020 box...and by break I mean the box was delivered to work a day after the country went into lockdown and I'm counting down the days until the office re-opens and I can be united with my box.

But, I changed the address and now I am the proud owner of the Summer box. I will say it's not quite as good as last year but I'm glad I made some last minute changes to my items to make it feel more Summer-ry. I've had it for over a month now so I've had a chance to use most of the items but once I get through them full reviews will be posted!

So a quick recap of FabFitFun: It's an american quarterly subscription box. It features 7-9 full sized products each box and if you are an annual subscriber (select) you can customise 5 options and if you pay per box (seasonal) you can customise 3 options (with the other 2 randomly picked for you). They use to then include 3 items for "everyone" however they're close to 2 million members now so they have 'FFF Picks' and you can receive 3 randoms items from a selection. Some people really hate this; it's not great, especially because there is usually 3 items you really want. I lucked out this box.

Let's get into the items!

Round One

For customisation 1 this was a no brainer for me. I wanted that towel from the moment I saw it in the spoilers. I originally had the Lashes conditioner added but I read that it contains a chemical that can cause green eyes to turn dark so I quickly dropped it.

L*Space // Tie Dye Towel (chosen)

RRP $58 (£47.24 with current conversion rates)

This towel is quite thin but beautiful. I've not had a chance to use it yet and to be honest I almost don't want to unroll it because it makes a wonderful decoration just the way it is. I'm hoping the warm weather returns soon so I can walk to the beach and do some sunbathing with it.

Round Two

This was a difficult round. I originally had the Face Oil and the Shampoo & Conditioner but after some research I discovered that the face oil is mainly lavender and rose (which break me out in horrendous spots) and the R+Co set have mixed to bad reviews for hair that is not typically Caucasian so I dropped them. I added the cooler bag to make the box feel more like a summer box and I'm also having major fomo over the kimono even though it doesn't have sleeves...it's more like a shawl.

Business and Pleasure Co // Cooler Bag

RRP $59 (£48.05 with current conversion rates)

I think this is a special version of the bag made exclusively for FFF. Many people on the forum were a bit angry about this as it does look cheaper than the pro version which has beautiful brown handles. 

I originally didn't want this at all and thought it was an awful item but now I've had it for over a month and I think it's my favourite item from the box. I've used it so many times and it keeps food and drinks cool for around 3 hours (depending on how cold the items are). We had a day where it was 30 degrees and I packed 4 250ml bottles, 2 packs of fruit and 2 chocolate bars into it and there was still room to spare. The chocolate hadn't melted at all when I reached for it after 2 hours. It's sturdy, lightweight and I would seriously consider buying other items from this brand now.

Round Three

This was the hardest round; I wanted everything. I got the drybar spray in the Winter box and it has become my favourite hair spray so I was super happy to be able to add it on here; same with the Kate Somerville cream. I mentioned on the Winter box post that I wouldn't pay full price for it but I would buy it on offer; $10 is one hell of an offer.

Toms // Sydney Sunglasses (ADD-ON)
RRP £60

They only have the blue ones available in the UK but I can't believe I managed to snag these for $10. I was a bit unsure at first but I can't believe how well they suit my face. I think they're the best sunglasses I've ever bought; I can't do without them now.

Kate Somerville // Goat Milk Moisturising Cream (ADD-ON)
RRP £55

I have initial thoughts on my winter post here, and then a full review once I'd finished the pot over here. This is a great moisturiser and I'm more than happy paying $10 for it. I have a feeling this will suit the summer months a lot more than the winter months due to its light texture.

Drybar // Prep Rally Prime & Prep Detangler
RRP $24 (£19.55 with current conversion rates)

This is difficult and expensive to get hold of in the UK so it was my first choice here. I thought the scent was weird at first but it really grew on me and now I love it; it's become my favourite hair spray. It really helps keep my hair soft and protected from heat damage. I spray my hair with it before I go out in the sun as well. I have about a quarter left of my first bottle so there should be a full review up soon.

Round Four

This was a sad round as quite a few things were restricted (they only had the pillow case when customisation opened). I wanted the pillow sleeve anyway though so I wasn't bothered.

Silked // Satin Pillow Sleeve
RRP $29.50 (£24.02 with current conversion rates)

I'm not a big Silk fan (mainly for how the moths are killed and I don't like the texture) so I think I'm the only person receiving the summer FFF box who is happy that this is satin. I've always found that Silk stays too warm and makes me sweat. 

I've been sleeping on some satin pillow cases that I made myself out of some bright orange satin fabric I had left over from a Sailor Venus cosplay I made and they've made a huge difference to my hair and skin in the morning. This one is an open ended sleeve type case which doesn't bother me but it does slip most morning but it only takes a couple seconds to correct it. I don't think I would pay £24 for one though; especially since I bought a pair of satin cases off Amazon for £8 and they're practically the same in colour and feel.

Round Five

I kind of wish I'd chosen the vase now because I've seen photos off it in other box reveal and it's so cute. Other than that, this was my "eh" round. I didn't really want anything from it.

Amika // Brooklyn Bombshell Blowout Spray
RRP £20

Now that I've finally learned how to properly diffuse my hair, my hairdryer sees a lot more action. I don't do blow outs anymore so I suppose I'll have to start again to see what this is like. I actually have 2 mini versions to get through still that I got from a Birchbox. My mum seemed to really this product though and her hair did look super shiny and smooth after using it.

Box Boost

This season they introduced the Box Boost! More ways to spend money! I detest Grown Alchemist now after using the night cream I got in the Autumn box and I succumbed to buying the Too Faced bundle as I think it's impossible to get a better price in the UK. I'm still using up a serum so the good in bed serum hasn't been used yet but I did spray my face a couple times with the setting sprat/mist/cooler whatever it is. It does smell very coconutty but I feel it left my face kind of sticky and not very refreshed. 

// Items That *Almost* Everyone Receives //

Up next are the three items that I received out of a possible 7 choices. The other 4 items were the Riddle Oil roll on perfume, a Murad Cleanser, Wander Beauty Eye Masks and the Makeup Drop hybrid blender. The last 3 were the ones I didn't want the most so I was very happy to not get them.

Winky Lux // Universal Eyebrow Pencil
RRP £15

This is a fantastic eyebrow pencil! It's a light grey/brown shade that goes darker with more pressure. The majority of brown eyebrow pencils are warm and I can't use them as my brows are cool toned so I kind of look ridiculous. I use this sparingly just to fill in gaps and give a little more shape.

Cali Cosmetics // Tarocco Foot Cream with Menthol
RRP $24 (£19.55 with current conversion rates)

This seems a bit sketchy as the brand website looks like something from 2002 and one of those companies that mass produces products to sell directly to TK Maxx. I actually desperately needed a new foot cream though so this saved me from having to go out and buy one. I've been using it for a month now and I actually don't care how sketchy the brand might seem anymore because holy hell this is a great foot cream. I really hope I can pick up some more in the next add-on/edit sale. It has a strong orange smell that turns into menthol as you rub it in that I find nice but I know others don't like the combo.

Spongellé // Coconut Verbana Hand Cream
RRP £13.50

You can never, ever, have too much hand cream. I was very happy to get this. At first I liked the smell but then after a while it began to grate on me; it's just too much. I do love the packaging though and I'm cooking up some nail art designs inspired by it.

// Box Price £50 + £38.11 (for the Add-Ons & Boost)

// 12 Full Size Items

// £337.38 Estimated Box Worth

What an amazing summer box. I'm so glad I added on the cooler bag and sunglasses as I've already had so much use out of them; especially with living by the sea. At first I was a bit underwhelmed when they revealed the choices but once I got them I did a complete 180.

FabFitFun
// Seasonal // 
$49.99 per box + $10 Shipping* + $10 Tax
// Annual //
$179.99 (4 Boxes) + $40 Shipping* + $40 Tax

*UK Subs do not get charged any import tax, only VAT. 

And last is the shipping time. FFF give themselves 30 days from successful billing to ship your box. I was billed on the 7th May, received a shipping notification on the 21st and it was delivered on the 1st June. This was the longest I've had to wait so far for a box but I can't really be too angry as it's still fast for delivery from America. Once it leaves the US it's normally delivered by Hermes or Yodel within 24 hours of entering the UK.