FabFitFun: Winter 2016

---

This will be my last FabFitFun box for a little while because I've decided to swap my subscription box addiction for a happy budget! Even though I've decided to give it up, I still couldn't help but be happy when I saw this season's little box on my doorstep. FabFitFun is a quarterly subscription box that sends full-size versions of the seasons top fitness, fashion, beauty, and wellness products. Each box is about $50 if you subscribe month-to-month and slightly less if you select an annual subscription. While the FabFitFun box is not tailored specifically to each subscriber based on their preferences, I've found that subscription boxes that send the same products to all subscribers tend to select better products that they know everyone will enjoy. 

Moleskin 2017 Weekly Planner (Purple) - $20.95

This was the item I was most excited to receive! I have an unhealthy love of all things stationary and am already envisioning how I'll be using this next year - probably to keep track of my blog posts and ideas! When you're stationary-obsessed like I am, you can never have enough planners.

Butter London Iconoclast Mega Volume Lacquer Mascara - $20

I am not a big user of mascara (my eyelashes don't stay curled, then mascara gets on my contacts, then my eyes freak out - long story - I'm still trying to figure mascara out) so this one will likely be going in someone's gift this year. Even though I won't be using it, I can still appreciate the beautiful packaging of this mascara!

D.L. & Co Candle: Bergamot Woods in Silver - $45

I have a love hate relationship with this candle because while I love the beautiful packaging on it, I'm not the biggest fan of its scent! I tend to love sweet and fruity scents and this bergamot woods scent was a little too out there for me! 

O.R.G. Skincare Mineral Peel Face - $44

With how much dry skin I've had going on, I definitely needed this peel! I wasn't quite sure what to expect out of this product - an exfoliating peel in spray bottle form? It's weird…but I kind of love it! After spritzing and letting it sit for a couple of seconds, your skin starts to peel even with just a gentle circular rubbing motion. It makes exfoliating quick and simple - something I definitely need for those busy weeknights. 

Anderson Lilley Beach Butter Body Cream: Sicilian Tangerine - $24

Guys, this lotion smells incredible. I am a huge fan of all fruity scents and this one is heavy on the sweet tangerine smell. I put some on before a workout class last week and kept getting heavenly whiffs of it amidst downward dogs and warrior 2s.

Marie Mae Company: Thank You Card Set - $24

I will definitely be using these cards to thank people after the holidays! I love when I receive useful things in my boxes that I might not have thought to buy otherwise! 

Gorjana Necklace: Taner Toggle in Gold - $75

I am so excited about this necklace because it's so dainty and cute! I can already tell that I'm going to get a ton of use out of it because it's beautiful, simple, and would complement just about anything. 

This month's box was just middle of the line for me. While I still enjoyed the box, not everything in it was something I could see myself using. This will be my last FabFitFun for a while since I've decided to ditch subscription boxes for the upcoming year (More on this here: Ditching Subscription Boxes) and though I've enjoyed FabFitFun over the past year, when I challenged myself to really think about how much personal value I'm getting out of each box I am subscribed to, this one didn't make the cut. In comparison to other boxes, I don't think FabFitFun gave me as much value for each box, their customer service is extremely slow, and they make cancelling their subscription box a lot more complicated than it needs to be. 

Instead of box reviews, I'll be posting updates on the "happy" budget (The Happy Budget, November Finds) I've created using the money I previously spent on subscriptions. What did you think of your Winter FabFitFun box? And do you think subscription boxes are worth the money? Let me know in the comments! 

Colour Pop Holiday Lip Kit Review ♥

---

Liquid lipsticks have become such a favorite of mine over the past year that I absolutely could not wait to get my hands on some of the new holiday kits from Colour Pop! It seems like Colour Pop is most known for their matte lipsticks and since it's talked about so much in the blogosphere, I wanted to give them a go to see for myself! I ended up choosing two of their new holiday lipkits - Forever or Never and On a Whim. 

Forever or Never

This is one of the full size lip kits from Colour Pop's holiday collection this year. I've tried Colour Pop's lippie stix in the past and have enjoyed the matte finish lippie stix the most, so I was looking forward to trying this ultra matte kit.

My favorite of these shades has to be Bumble! I think it's a great everyday shade that's not too bright but gives my face the wake-up it needs on those cold winter mornings! While I loved the bright shades of this kit, I was actually a little bit disappointed by the formulas of the matte lipsticks. I'm not sure if all of Colour Pop's matte lipsticks have this same formula, but these lipsticks were so incredibly drying on the lips that it made them difficult to wear. Normally, I want a matte lipstick to be a little bit drying so that the color stays in place, but these lipsticks take it to an extreme level. I felt like I could see every little line in my lips and if I put more than one layer on, the lipstick would start to cake off in a matter of minutes. For the lighter shades, this didn't matter too much, but for the darker shades, it was a a little too obvious when the color started to flake off! 

On top of that, the darker shades left a bright pink stain on my lips even after I rubbed at them with make-up remover - so if you thought your lipstick was going to slowly fade into a natural lip color, you were wrong! As much as I love Colour Pop's other products, this was definitely a dud for me. I'll try my best to get some use out of these lipsticks and let you know if I find any better methods for cancelling out the dryness of the formula! After all, I do still very much love the beautiful colors of this kit. 

On a Whim

This little ultra satin set drew me in with its neutral shades since I've been looking for a neutral set of lipsticks to wear to work! Plus, they come in a sweet little travel size that is great for bringing on the go and for testing out different shades. 

I loved the formula of these lipsticks so much that I'm a little disappointed that this kit was a mini, not a full size! While they are labeled as a satin formula and do feel very satin-y on the lips, I actually think they look quite matte and could definitely pass for a matte lipstick. I am a huge fan of this little kit and will definitely be perusing this formula for future lip purchases! 

Final Verdict: I think these holiday kits would make perfect holiday gifts for any make-up lover out there because it allows you to try a handful of different shades! Instead of the matte formula, however, I'd definitely suggest going for the satin formula for a more wearable lipstick! For both kits, I also felt that the shade in the tube was significantly darker than it appeared through the packaging. So, if you are shopping on Colour Pop's website, be mindful of the fact that the shade in the tube may actually be darker than it appears. What did you think of the Colour Pop holiday kits? What was your experience like? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Ditching Subscription Boxes (For Now!)

I still have one more box coming up, but after that, I'll be ditching subscription boxes…at least for now! This is a bittersweet decision for me because I absolutely love subscription boxes. They have been such a fun experience for me over the past couple of years. What's not to love about getting a surprise present in the mail every month?!

I've decided to change things up, however, because I'm not sure that the value of the subscription boxes I've been receiving are truly worth the prices I pay for them. Value is very much subjective and just because a hat is listed as $58, doesn't mean that it's worth $58 to me!  When I really challenged myself to take a good look at the value I was getting out of subscription boxes, it didn't seem worth it given my current financial goals. While the retail value of the items I am receiving is always quite high, they weren't necessarily products I would have picked out for myself.

Now, receiving products I wouldn't have picked for myself could be considered a good or a bad thing! It allows me to try new products I wouldn’t have otherwise known about which has helped me discover tons of new brands and interests! At the same time, however, it also lands me with a ton of products that I don't necessarily need nor use. I know that it's impossible to curate a box that everyone is going to like, so this is in no way a reflection of the quality of the subscription boxes themselves, but more so a reflection of the personal value I place on subscription boxes.

In order to get the best of both worlds, I'm going to try to be more open minded about trying new products in different categories that I might not normally try but using the $$$ I used to spend on subscription boxes on purchases that I can select on my own. Although I might not get as much retail value out of the items, I know I'll get more personal value out of the items because they'll be items I'll be much more likely to use!Instead of doing subscription box reviews, I'll start doing monthly budget posts to show you what I've purchased instead!

There's definitely a lot I will miss about subscription boxes. The fun surprise of not knowing what's in each box, What I'll miss most about subscription boxes is the "gift to myself" feeling! It always feels like Christmas morning when I receive a colorful subscription box in the mail. Self-care is something that is a high priority in my life and I've always found that subscription boxes are a great way to feel like I'm caring for myself!  For now, however, I'm trying to be more proactive about managing my money and setting budget limits for myself by re-budgeting that money into a "happy" budget where I hope to get more value out of that money while also getting the same types of products that I would have received in a subscription box.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the topic of subscription boxes! Did you find subscription boxes to be worth the price tag? What are your favorite subscriptions? Who knows - maybe in a couple of months, I'll be back on here blogging about how much I missed my subscription boxes after I decided to cut them out of my life! :P