Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Sample Society | November 2013

The start of the new month means another round of beauty boxes. Today, I received my second BeautyBar.com Sample Society with Allure box. Last month, I was super impressed by the sizes and selection in the October Sample Society box, so keep reading to see what I think of November's.


Box Breakdown
Illume Balsam & Cedar Soy Candle
Annick Goutal Eau De'Hadrien
Murad Pore & Line Minimizing Hydrator
Jane Iredale LipDrink
Borghese Splendore Brightening Makeup

So I have to say, I am not too impressed this month. The sizes are just too small for a $16 dollar a month subscription service. I would only call a couple of things "deluxe" sample sizes. My favourites are definitely the Illume Balsam & Cedar Soy Candle. I have smelled this before on my many-a-wanderings around Barnes & Noble and absolutely love it. The perfect late Autumn/Winter scent. So, I love this adorable little mini. The next thing I am happy about is the Murad Pore & Line Minimizing Hydrator. I have had a few foil packets of this previously and really love the texture and feel of this product. Make-up sits perfectly on it making it nice as a moisturizing & priming step. This sample is, of course, leagues better than foil packets, but at 10mL is a so-so size for a more expensive beauty box. I am currently on the fence about the Jane Iredale LipDrink. I love the idea of sending a hydrating lip product for the colder months. The sample appears nicely packaged; however, my lid doesn't stay on, so I can't carry it around in my purse, and it will have to be reserved to my nightstand. It is similar in scent to the Fresh Lip Treatment but is much harder. It feels quite waxy. I am currently just testing it out on it's own but am interested to see if it works well under lipsticks. Finally, products I am not too keen about. I literally have an identical vial of Annick Goutal Eau De'Hadrien that has never been used. I received it in my July 2012 Birchbox. So, I am pretty sure I will never use this one either. The vial doesn't have a pump which makes it very inconvenient to use. Unlucky for me, the "big ticket" item was the Borghese Splendore Brightening Makeup. Unfortunately, Borghese tests on animals, so I personally won't be using this. It is a nice size sample and seems to be an interesting multi-use product, so I am sure many people will be happy with this product.

Overall, I decided to cancel my subscription to Sample Society. I really loved my October box but November just fell flat. Of course with subscription services, some months work out better for you than others, but since Sample Society is easy to subscribe to without a waiting list, I decided if I ever do see a spoiler that I am interested in- I can easily resubscribe. The $16 dollar price tag is just too much of a gamble for me. The only thing I really love is the candle, and I could have bought a much bigger size with that money instead. 

What do you think of Sample Society? Are there any beauty boxes you sub & resub to or do you tend to stick with it?

2 comments:

  1. My box isn't scheduled to get here until Monday. This isn't one of my favorite boxes, but I'd really like to try out the candle.

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    1. The candle is definitely my favourite item this month!

      Kim | evladylrebmik.blogspot.com

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