Fab Fit Fun Summer Box Review 2013

This box was supposed to ship by June 20th, and I just got it today. Mine didn't end up shipping until July 6th, with no communication about the late shipment. Not a great way to start out the summer (especially after all the spring fiascos), but I did get the box, so let's take a look!

First look--LOTS of that pink packing material in there. LOTS. I had to dig around for a few minutes to get everything out of it. Nothing arrived broken, though!

Ivory + Mason Sunglasses in Trudel ($135) These are just...terrible. I'm not very picky when it comes to sunglasses, but these are literally child size. My head isn't really bigger than normal, and other people have mentioned the same issue, so I don't think I'm alone. Maybe I can wear these in the car or something. Certainly not a $135 value. You can exchange them for $10 plus return shipping, but I don't think it's really worth the trouble.

Purlisse Pur-Delicate Gentle Soy Milk Cleanser ($36) I would never pay $36 for cleanser. Unless it was maybe a three pack or something. That's what's great about boxes like this, though. I never would have paid for it, but at such a steep discount, I'm lucky enough to get to try it.

Yes to Cucumbers Soothing Facial Towelettes ($2.99) I actually got these in my very first PopSugar box (September 2012), and I wasn't a fan. I love makeup wipes, but every time I used these my face would start burning. I never have had any kind of reaction like that before, but I guess maybe I'm allergic to something in them. I like the idea, just not this specific product.

Infinity Sun Glow on the Go Sunless Tanner ($45) I'm not a fan of subscription boxes sending sunless tanners. Number one, what about people who already have dark skin. It seems a little exclusionary to send out a product people can't use based on the color of their skin. Two, what about people who actually are happy being pale? I wouldn't mind a little bit of a glow in the summer, but I shower so often that these products are usually more trouble than they are worth. That being said, I don't have any tanning products, so I guess I'll give this a shot.

Evian Facial Spray ($12) If you look at the ingredients for this, it's literally water. Yep, just water. $12 for a spray can of water. I did test this out in a Sephora once and it was refreshing, so I'll totally use it...but I would never buy it normally since it just seems like such a scam.

It Hair Care Surf Spray ($6.99) I already have wavy hair, so I didn't really know what kind of an effect a salt spray like this would have. I haven't ever purchased one even though I've been curious, so I was happy to be able to try it out. It really didn't seem to do much to my hair unfortunately, but it does smell really nice and it did define my waves just a bit.

Orly Nail Polish in Harmonious Mess ($8.50) I really like this color, but I already have a lot similar to it, including the one I just got in PopSugar this week. So basically this is a duplicate item that I don't really need a duplicate for. I'm sure a friend will use it though!

I took a photo just to show how similar these two colors are. So unfortunate!

KIND Bar in Maple Glazed Pecan & Sea Salt ($1.99) I have tried KIND bars before, and they were just okay. This flavor looks like it's right up my alley, though!

Catalina Su Lip Gloss ($14) There's no color name on this unfortunately, but it appears to be a nice medium pink shade. I would strongly prefer pretty much any lip product over lip gloss: balm, scrub, stain, balm stain, lipstick...you name it. Gloss dries out my lips and is just so sticky. That's just my personal opinion of glosses though. I wish I had a friend that was a lip gloss fiend, because she would totally get all my extra lip glosses.

So, technically, this box has a $262 value, which is pretty amazing all things considered. I wouldn't count the sunglasses in my calculations unfortunately, but that's still a great deal and most of the items will get used. I'm not sure yet if I'll be sticking around for fall, but I am pretty curious to see what seasonal items they come up with! I think I much prefer fall/winter boxes to spring/summer ones.

If you're also interested in the fall box (or the summer one; I don't think they're sold out quite yet), click here. (Not a referral link.)

New Cravebox: Bikini Ready

From Cravebox: "This box gets you bikini ready starting with a fired up metabolism and ending at your perfectly polished nails. Indulgent body oils, smooth skin, a healthy treat, and a pact worth keeping round out the offerings."

• Cravebox guarantees that a diet book will be included with each box.
• The drawing is on March 27.
• The box costs $13.
• The survey has questions about nutrition bars, natural body oils and lotions, home waxing kits and mani-pedi kits.

I'm not opposed to a home waxing kit or a depilatory, but there are two things keeping me from this box. First, a diet book? No thanks.  Most of those books aren't worth reading. Eat right; exercise; indulge on occasion. There's my diet book. Secondly, natural body oils and lotions? I have way too much lotion and I almost never use it. Plus, Cravebox sent me vitamin e oil a few boxes ago and it was one of the worst products I've ever encountered. I normally wouldn't be worried, but Cravebox recycles products regularly so I would hate to get a duplicate. This is a big pass for me, but I could see it appealing to a lot of people.

PopSugar Must Have Special Edition

PopSugar launched its second special edition box this week: the summer fun edition!

• This box is $100. No discount codes may be used.
• There is no guaranteed retail value of this box, which strikes me as a little odd.
• It ships mid-May. Shipping is included in the $100 price tag.

I'm not a huge fan of summer (I may be the only person on the planet), so this box seems like it would be terrible for me. But just because I don't love summer, that doesn't mean I don't love some summer products! I didn't love the luxury edition box because I didn't appreciate the "luxury" of $50 lotion (and other expensive items), but this isn't billed as luxury, so I couldn't resist. My predictions: sunblock/tanning lotion/tanning wipes, a beach read, sunglasses, maybe a nice towel. Tune in mid-May to see what I get!