It’s a bizarre contradiction. As much as I hate clutter, I love the surprise and delight of subscription boxes. There’s always a new array of unexpected items to try and check out; things I may not splurge for on their own but realized I’d love to try. But those things can quickly pile up (and so can the cost of these boxes!), so I’ve committed to (1) getting choosy about which subscription sets I actually spring for, and (2) giving away the items I won’t routinely use.

After picking up Fab Fit Fun’s Summer 2018 box, I was hooked. I quickly gave away the beach towel (I have too many filling my linen closet as-is), and admittedly, I’ve barely used the contour palette — though then again, I’ve hardly been wearing makeup at all lately. Pregnancy has put me in a do-the-bare-minimum mood, it seems. Despite that, I’ve been hooked with Fab Fit Fun’s selection — it seemed so worth the $40 quarterly price tag, even with my giveaways — that I had to check out the FabFitFun Fall 2018 box.

Let’s get to it, shall we? Here’s what’s inside:

• Vince Camuto Luck Tote in “Red Desert” — Let me start with my fave part of this box. This ultra soft vegan leather tote is the perfect size for my massive work laptop to fit in, as well as a magazine and my other essentials. It looks a lot sleeker than a tote, but it’s just as easy to clean — just wipe with a damp cloth. (retail price: $128!)
• Beautyblender sponge — I’ve bought the $3 knockoffs, so I’m curious to see whether this truly makes a difference in diminishing my hardcore undereye circles ($20)
• Two gray and white tea towels — Simple geometric design = they go with any style ($15)
• Skin&Co Roma Blue In Capri shower gel — The light lather and lemony scent is delicate, not overwhelming (or dishwashing soap-y), which is really nice ($22)
• Glamglow Bubble Sheet Deep Cleanse Masks — These microbubbles freaked me out at first, because in photos, it looks like people’s faces are growing mold, but they leave your skin feeling clean, tight, and refreshed. So they won me over in the end. ($18)
• Luna Rica Bar — Dates, nuts, salted caramel drizzle? I’m not much of a granola bar person, but this tasted like a (filling) treat. ($2)
• Alfred Teapot — I don’t even drink tea, but now I want to, thanks to this pale blue, cherry blossom-fringed pot. When I come to my senses, maybe I’ll give this to an Earl Grey-sipping friend. ($26)
• Catherine Malandrino “Red Floral” Umbrella — I was about to groan about having enough umbrellas to last me a while, but all it takes is a rainy day — and a couple coworkers who continually forget theirs — to make you realize how nice it is to have a spare. Or two. ($40)
• Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cleanser — As much as I love intense scrubs that feel like they practically peel off a layer of skin, this gentler formula seems like a nice change of pace for my pores. ($49)
• Touch In Sol Metallist Liquid Foil Lipstick Duo — This is the item I’ll be giving to a friend for sure. For anyone with olive or dark skin, this coppery color would look amazing. On someone as porcelain-pale as me, it’s just jarring. ($25)

Total value: $345

Want your own? Order a FabFitFun box here. You can score $10 off the price by using one of these three codes: FALLINLOVE, HARVEST or PUMPKINSPICE. (All three work with the link above.)

Now, that value only means something if you actually use — and enjoy — the products. For me, the value’s probably closer to $236, just because I don’t know how much I’ll use and enjoy the teapot, lipstick, and umbrella. But still, that’s a huge savings, considering the box costs $50 (or $40 with a promo code). In my case, it was free, since I’d sold a few boxes with my original review.

Two Weeks Later: Okay, this box was totally worth it, just for the Vince Camuto tote. I’ve been looking for a sturdy tote to haul my laptop in to and from work (that still looks sleek enough to rock at work), and this is it. The cleansing masks, tea towels and Beautyblender have been great, but for me, this box is all about the tote.

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