Sample Society Makeup Box - July 2013 Review

Hello again!

We're back with some very exciting reviews on the Sample Society Makeup Box for July 2013. Sorry kiddos- but this was probably one of my least favorite boxes of theirs to date. 

First up- this little eye shadow trio which was a big letdown in terms of color.  Vincent Longo Eyeshadow Trios-Sweet Melody- the colors look pretty much as they appear here- a green pistachio like color, a horrible peachy pink that reminded me of big chew bubblegum and lastly, this darker purplish tone, that no matter what I tried to mix it with, was just not working.  I wish they had sent out the autumn set, which had colors that I think would have worked with just about everyone. 

Next-  Jane Iredale Just Kissed Lip Plumper Deluxe Sample- the color was more of a light mauve (called Tokyok) , and was not the best shade that I could have used on my lips- also it tingles, which at first felt cool like chap stick  but after awhile, once it really didn't go away- felt just plain ole' weird. I am guessing that is the plumping part of the whole song and dance- but again, not that great of a product for me. 

The third product- Lavanila Pure Vanilla Deluxe Sample-SS- gross- vanilla- my least favorite scent for any sort of lotion, soap, or perfume. But I know this will find a good home, and will find plenty of people to pass this along to when I'm home next month. 

Fourth product- Tres Pure Face Tonic_SS- according to the bottle you are supposed to apply this to your face day and night after cleansing, It doesn't have much of a scent, and pretty much felt like I was throwing fancy water on my face, who knows- maybe in a week, my face will look off the charts fantastic. Ps- I loved the person's review who felt that it was like salad dressing in smell. 

Lastly- Dr. T's Supergoop! Advanced SPF 37 Eye Cream SS- ugh- another loser for this box. The smell is just horrible- very strong smelling of sunscreen lotion and since there are a billion eye creams out there that DON'T smell badly, this is just one that will be passed along to someone else or end up in the bottle of my sample drawer for our guests when they come to visit (my guests get some hoity toity samples - we are just that kind of place). Also- it did not blend in easily at all- and was pretty flaky. It just sat there on my face. 


So that's it folks, the July box from Sample Society- a total disappointment overall, Hopefully August will be killer. 

Ipsy Sample Bag Review- July 2013

As my pasty white skin can attest- I've never really been a beach person. Once I'm there- I love it, but you don't often find me saying, "oh let's go to the beach." That is- until we moved to a place that has no ocean in sight and suddenly this summer in the midst of this incredibly ridiculous heat wave, I find myself wishing I could feel that ocean air on my skin.

We are in fact, going home next month and if time will have it, I'd like to find myself a little spot in the sand and that's where this month's Ipsy bag comes into play. It was beach theme! It probably was also, one of my favorite bags to date- I loved EVERYTHING in it. 

So let's get started.

First up- the bag! Amazingly cute and pink! It's the perfect little plastic bag to just throw in your adorably cute beach tote (note to self- buy incredibly cute beach tote for the trip).

The first item in this month's Ipsy bag was Derma E Microdermabrasion Scrub which I am now obsessed with for my face. I used it this week and just loved how my face looked afterwards, but would definitely suggest you only use this once a week. A huge plus- it smells incredible! I usually find most scrubs for the face don't have the best scent but this one rocked a great lemony, citrus scent.

The second item in this month's Ipsy bag was mineral sunscreen moisturizer by Coola which I had never heard of before. It was unscented which is always a big plus when I find that light sunscreen scent is always there in sunscreen moisturizers. It also dried very quickly and didn't leave a greasy feel to my face.  I used it this week under my makeup and did like it quite a bit, but am saving this for my little beach day.

The third item in this month's Ipsy bag was by big sexy hair yet again. They really love sending out the big sexy hair products and with the exception of that dry shampoo volumizing crap I have loved everything they have sent my way with this brand. They can just keep sending them, because I have bought the products after trying them, and love to save the travel size ones for my trips. The product this month was weather proof resistant spray to combat the frizz. My hair can become a hot mess in the summer with the curl to it, and frizz is just a matter of life, but this may just be the answer. I loved it when I wore it out this week, and plan on buying a bigger bottle.

The fourth item in this month's Ipsy bag was an eye shadow trio by BH Cosmetics. It was their California Collection sampler, and it's perfect. There are three shades a dark purple (just darling for night), a bronze, and a gold. The bronze which was named San Francisco had me a little weary at first, but loved it on my eyes. The purple (named Hollywood) is SO pretty, and the gold (named Malibu) when mixed with something to just tone it down a bit, was another hit. I love this little eye shadow sampler which I think would look good on any skin tone. 

The last item in this month's Ipsy bag was by Pop Beauty Cosmetics. This was my second item from them in an ispsy bag, and I really do have to check out their products more. The first was a great little mascara, and this month's item was a pouty pop crayon in coral crush. At first, I thought this was going to be a disaster, and it is BRIGHT on me, but I toned it down with another shade of lipstick and it lasted forever! 

So what did everyone else think of their July Ipsy bag????

Sample Society May 2013 Box Review

So my May box from Sample Society arrived on Friday. Friday! I think that is the fastest the box has ever made it to my front door. This is why I love Sample society, they get their boxes out the door right at the start of the month, none of this waiting and guessing, and boxes going missing like other companies.

So let's get to it.

Alterna Bamboo Shine Luminous Shine Mist-Deluxe Sample - okay the other month they sent another product by them, their oil mist, which is pretty great. I passed it along to my coworker (since it was my second bottle after getting one in a sample thing from Sephora) and she loved it. This product was pretty fabulous too, I used it on my hair last night when we went to see Iron Man 3 (side note- loved it- go see it) and I definitely loved how my hair looked, nice and shiny.

Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream Deluxe Sample- Very excited to get this in this month's box. I have really interested in trying the Yu-Be brand, but haven't gotten around to ordering any of it yet. I'm really trying to work my way through all my samples and lotions before ordering new stuff since I don't think my husband loves the drawers of samples that have taken over our house. I did use on this on my skin before going to bed, and my skin felt so soft.  However, it is also very greasy, and does not blend in easily. I thought I was putting on sunscreen with how thick and white it was. So its definitely for night use and I would most likely not use it during the day. 

Dr. Brandt Flexitone BB Cream SPF 30 SS- Another BB cream. Very happy with this, tried the other day with my makeup and loved it just like last month's. I know, it was a little disappointing to get another BB cream in this month's box, BUT I like trying the different varities especially since companies are pushing BB creams like crazy right now, so its hard to navigate through all of them to find the one right for you, especially since it gets pricey to try them only to have it be a disaster. So bring on the BB creams Sample Society, I am all for trying different ones. 

Kate Somerville 360 Tanning Towelette Deluxe Sample-SS- So this is a very interesting product, wipes that give you a self glowing tan. Unfortunately I have completely embraced the pale-vampire like state of my skin, so this was of no use to me. I passed it on to a coworker who I am sure will love it.

Jane Iredale Forever Pink Just Kissed Lip & Cheek Stain-SS- I tried this on Saturday as a lipstick but it was a bit too orange for me, had to mix it with a pink and some red to get a shade that was closer to a pale magenta. So on its own for a lipstick, it wasn't for me. I will have to experiment with it as a blush, but not sure how that will work, since I have little experience with cheek stains. Fingers crossed that it works, since a peach shade should work with my skin. 

cute little container

very peachy pink. 

So what did everyone else think of the May 2013 Sample Society Box? Were you pleased?

Birchbox Sample Box February 2013

Birchbox

I joined Birchbox this month after a four week wait; they are so popular right now that they have a crazy waiting list. Four weeks, and apparently that is one of the shorter waits.  The box costs ten dollars a month which also includes shipping. They boast that they send out deluxe and full size samples. Each box should have four or five samples per month. They are one of the original sample box subscription services, allegedly the one that started it all.   With such hype, I was sure that I would be blown away by this subscription, since it was something that everyone wanted to get in on.  I’m not kidding, there was so much hype. Surely, I wouldn't be disappointed in it.

The FAMOUS Birchbox has arrived......

My February Birchbox was a Red Carpet theme (real original). 

My box included the following five products:

Juicy Perfume Sample- I don’t even care about the value, because I hated this scent. It reminded me of something a tween would wear, and felt it was a rip off to be in the box. It certainly wasn't a deluxe sample size of a perfume. I could have gotten this for FREE from pretty much any beauty place.

perfume 

Color Club Professional Nail Lacquer Mini in Wild Cactus - .25 oz Value $4- This is a really cute color that’s more of an emerald shade. Very fun. 

So adorable! I just wish it was bigger......

Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle - estimated 1.25 oz. - The value of this sample was $4.12. I really liked this product, and have been using it on my hair, the scent makes me feel like I just came from the salon.  It reminds me of coconut.

Perfume for the hair

Ghiradelli Caramel Chocolate Square- Um, Seriously???? No. Sure I love chocolate as much as the next person, but I don’t want chocolate in my sample box, this is not a sample, this is just a random piece of chocolate and a brand I could find anywhere.   Just No.  (okay so my snark could be coming from the fact that I can’t have chocolate right now and had to relinquish this to my husband). But even so- no. 

Dr. Jart+ Black Label Detox Beauty Balm-0.1 oz -The value of this is around $2.00.  Well, I would imagine it was the value if it actually had much of anything in it. Mostly air in this one, and the little that I got out didn’t work on my skin tone. I was excited to get this at first because of all the hype about BB creams. 

Mostly air

Value: The total value of this box is maybe $12 or $13. Not impressed. Not impressed at all.  

PROS

I will be nice and say that one pro that I have heard about Birchbox is that they send out a variety of boxes each month. I think it’s almost forty (or maybe even more) different varieties, which I think is pretty cool. It makes it a bit of a surprise.  My box was not overwhelming by any means, but some of the boxes that I saw other people received looked really great.  The big thing was that Lancôme had finally signed on with them as a brand this month, so everything on their site was all about the arrival of Lancôme. That’s wonderful-if I had ACTUALLY received a Lancôme product in my bag.

CONS

Birchbox was a big letdown for me- I had a hard time even coming up with a single pro since I was just so disappointed with this box.  Everyone claims that this is THE sample box to have, and I wanted to cancel my subscription as soon as it arrived. They claim that they send out deluxe and full size samples, but their version of deluxe is no different than the tiny samples that you can get at any Sephora or cosmetics counter. I’d rather just go to those places and possibly pick out what I want, and not  get these tiny RANDOM things in my box. I feel it’s ridiculous to pay ten dollars a month to get samples that come FREE with any purchase elsewhere.  The value just wasn't there for me.  I paid ten dollars to get $10.00 worth of products, no thanks.  This was not a bargain, not when you compare them to the value of the other boxes.

Second, I've heard some horrible things about delivering. This was the last of my sample boxes to arrive, all of which are supposed to mail out around the same time. I will mark this up to Nemo being a huge issue that week, BUT I have read that other people have had many incidences where their box didn't arrive until the last day of the month. 

Next, Birchbox offers a variety in boxes, this I think is great- however don’t bother sending out varieties if you aren't going to take into consideration the beauty profile. Many people complained that they received products that were the opposite of what they had for hair type or skin color.  Variety is wonderful, but not if it’s a useless variety to the person.

Also, the amount of samples was a letdown. They claim they send four or five samples.  Mine had four with the chocolate.  Okay so it is four samples BUT you’re not fooling anyone with that chocolate and honestly- what does that even have to do with red carpet? Everyone knows you don’t eat for weeks before going on the red carpet.

Lastly, Birchbox like Sample Society loves to repeat items. Many people complained that they received hair bands in this month’s box, last month’s box, and in DECEMBER’s box. Ugh. No.  Do NOT send the same thing three months in a row.  Birchbox also has a fondness for sending out their Birchbox pillow boxes in their bags and love putting Juicy perfume samples in them as well.  I’m not a fan of juicy perfume, and have no use for those little boxes.  This doesn’t just apply to the women’s boxes- one of my friends did the male box for almost a year, and cancelled because he felt there were only so many shaving cream samples you could get.  He thought they lacked in variety of product.

If you can’t guess by now, this is not a subscription that I will be continuing. 

Ipsy Sample Box February 2013 Review

Ipsy

Ipsy is a sample box subscription that costs only ten dollars a month (this includes shipping). You are billed monthly the first of every month, and the boxes are shipped out by the 15^th. Thus far, I have never had an issue with either shipping or billing, in fact most months by the time they send me an email notifying me of the shipment of my bag- the box has already arrived or will arrive the next day.  The sample bag comes each month in a bright pink (really bright pink) envelope and inside you get a cosmetic makeup bag (each month it’s a different one and often a different size, for example in December the bag was the perfect size for carrying makeup brushes because it was longer in length).  Included in the subscription are four or five deluxe size samples of hair, makeup, face, or nail products.

My Sample box this month was the theme of Red Carpet Ready. The makeup was black patent leather. 

February 2013's cosmetic bag

Inside were the following products:

The Goodies.....

Pop Beauty Smoky Lash Kapow- This was a full size sample that was valued at $18.50. I had never heard of this brand before, the packaging is cute, but I haven’t tried it yet.  I feel like I am swimming in mascara samples recently. I'm sure its fabulous- Ipsy has yet to steer me wrong with their mascara selections.

Pop Beauty Smoky Lash Mascara

MICA Beauty Cosmetics Mineral Makeup Gel Eyeliner- This wasn't labeled for the size, but a full size is valued at over $35.00 and this was a very substantial size- so who knows,  it might actually be full size.  I was very excited that this was in this month’s bag because in January’s bag one of the products had been an eyeliner brush.  I love this product! Easy to apply and really creates an impact.

MICA Beauty Cosmetics Gel Eyeliner

 Lash Cards- This was valued at $3.50. They are supposed to prevent mascara from clumping. I love them! Others have complained about this being a product this month because they often just use business cards for the same effect.  They felt they were worthless, I don’t think they are, and when I am done, I can use business cards like them.  Sometimes, I just like getting things in the bags, because I hadn't heard that this was a trick to use, and now I know.

Lash Card Packaging 

Coastal Scents Mini Eyeshadow Quad- I couldn't find a value on these, and I hated them. I hated the colors that came in my bag. None of them looked good on me, they had sent out two varieties of this, and neither variety looked like it would work on me.  Mine had a weird gold color and from the other colors that I saw- can’t imagine that they would look good on many people at all. However, I think this the first ever product that I have received from them that I didn't like.

Worst colors ever for me.....

Pixi Flawless and Poreless- 0.5 oz- This was valued at $15.00. Primers are my thing right now; I’m obsessed with trying them since I lost the lottery when it came to the size of my pores.  I've only used this once since like mascaras, I also have quite a few primers right now from either previous subscription bags or samples from Sephora.  I liked the consistency of this primer and helped to fill in my pores for a smoother look. I will continue to use this after my Mirabella primer (so amazing) from the December Ipsy bag is finally gone.

Value- The total value of this bag was hard to gauge since sizes weren't included on some of the products, or values couldn't be found.  From the values I could find, and by guessing that the eyeliner was a full size product, this bag would be valued at over $70.00!!!

PROS

Fast shipping- as I said there has never been an issue with the bag going out late or not arriving before the 15^th

Sample sizes- Many sample boxes out there give out only deluxe size samples, but Ipsy gives out both deluxe and full size products. They also claim to send out four or five samples each month, but since my subscription started last October I've never had anything less than five products in each bag.

Variety- So far I've not had any repeat products from Ipsy except for getting mascara in two bags but considering that you are supposed to throw those out pretty fast- this is not a complaint at all- you get lots of variety of brands and products- some months it’s all makeup while January focused on hair, nails and face. I love that it has introduced me to new brands and while in the past I may not have splurged on a lipstick not being sure if I would like it, but getting a sample size of it to try without guilt, would win me over as a consumer.

Value- Since I joined in October my bags have been valued at no less than 30 dollars each month, this is much higher than the ten dollar price tag. I've had in some bags, one product alone being worth thirty dollars in its size.  I’m a sucker for a good bargain, and to me this often feels like a steal.

CONS

I only have one complaint about my Ipsy subscription and that is some variety for different makeup profiles. They have you fill out a makeup profile, and yet everyone pretty much gets the same shade of lipstick (and it’s always a super bright orange red).  Orange red lipstick on a pale person just made me look like a clown.  Why bother with the profile if you are going to send everyone the same shade???

I really love my Ipsy subscription- I just find it to be a great value and worth the little splurge each month.  I really can’t say enough good things about it. Who doesn’t love getting a makeup kit each month??!