Beauty Bar Sample Society Box September 2012

Hello Everyone,

It's time to show you my Beauty Bar Sample Society Box for September.  I've been a subscriber to this box for seven months now and I have really enjoyed every box.  If you are thinking about a monthly subscription to try, I suggest this one.  

So....on with the show.  Here are my products for September.  

Beauty Bar Sample Society Box - September 2012

Stila Cosmetics Smudge Crayon in Smoke– Full size, $22.00

A three-in-one gel-based eye primer, shadow, and liner that glides on with ease and stays in place until you say when.

Stila Cosmetics Smudge Crayon in Smoke

What it does:  This advanced, creamy, multi-pearl formula is infused with emollients for smooth, comfortable application. It provides rich, bold color and more than six hours of continuous wear that won't fade or crease over time.

I did a swatch of this on my arm.  It went only smoothly and has a very intense, rich color.  I’m looking forward to using it.  I haven't used it yet so I can't attest to the six hours of continuous wear.

Diptyque Eau de Toilette Fragrance – Full size, $120

Diptyque Eau de Toilette Fragrance

This is a spicy scent with notes of vanilla and cinnamon.  I read that this scent is good for both men and women.  I would say that’s true…when I first put it on, I thought it was a men’s cologne.  It softened on my skin after a few minutes and then completely disappeared after a few hours. 

Borghese B Gloss in Fiore – Full size $18.50

This gloss contains vitamins A and E with aloe vera and oils of avocado and jojoba to heal damage and protect lips for optimal lusciousness.  

Borghese B Gloss in Fiore

 It glides on smoothly and is a shimmering shade of purple-mauve.  Nice color for autumn.  It says it has all day staying power. I haven’t used it yet, so I can say if it does or not.  I just know that I’ve never found a gloss that lasts all day.

AHAVA Purifying Mud Mask – Full Size $30

AHAVA Purifying Mud Mask

I received a sample of this mask in a previous Birchbox, so this is my second sample. I've used is several times.  It’s a nice, deep cleanser that left my skin soft and smooth.  It has “soothing, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties with the benefits of Horsetail Extract”.  Yikes…what the heck is that???

Cellceuticals Extremely Gentle Skin Cleanser – Full size $35

This cleanser is a mild cleansing agent without Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).  It has Wheat Amino Acids that provides skin moisture and soothing properties. 

Cellceuticals Extremely Gentle Skin Cleanser

This is, in fact, a gentle skin cleanser.  When I wash my face with my regular face wash, the water in my sink turns very cloudy from all the makeup.  When I washed my face with the Cellceuticals my water remained almost clear.  I didn’t think it took much of my makeup off at all but when I used my toner there was no makeup on the cotton pad.  So, it worked much better than I thought it did.  It didn’t remove the eye makeup as easily.  It did not irritate my skin and didn’t leave it feeling extremely dry.  The scent of it is horrible!  It smells too medicinal.  The consistency of it is clear and very runny so it’s easy for more product to come out then necessary.

Overall, I'm really happy with all the products I received.  Please let me know if you've tried any of these products and what you think about them.  

Hope you are having a fabulous day!

Take care,

Kat

Glossybox USA – May 2012 Products & Reviews

Hello Everyone,

I am so sorry I’ve been away from my blog for so long.  Spring and summer is a very busy time for me, but I promise to be more dedicated to my blog from now on. 

GLOSSYBOX finally launched in the USA and I received the May GLOSSYBOX (USA).  It is the largest of the subscription services that I know of, serving 15 countries worldwide.  I was impressed immediately after removing the mailing box.  It comes beautifully packaged and I can reuse this box for many different things, including storage or even as a gift box.

Beautiful pink box

I opened the pink box and found five large (some full) sized samples and one makeup brush.

1. Amore Pacific – Moisture Bound Refreshing Hydra-Gel
Amore Pacific Moisture Bound Refreshing Hydra-Gel is a hydrating gel moisturizer that leaves your skin feeling bright and refreshed.  Notice your complexion visibly improve, giving you confidence and a natural glow.

2.  Burberry Beauty – Lip Mist Natural Lip Sheer Lipstick in Copper No. 202

A creamy lipstick that offers a hint of natural, sheer color leaving your lips moist and dewy.

3.  Marvis Whitening toothpaste. (full size)
Make the most of your splendid smile with a whitening toothpaste dripping in cool mint freshness, all while protecting against decay, tartar, and plaque.

4.  Phyto – Phytojoba Intense Hydrating Mask for Dry Hair
Indulge in luxury and aroma with a conditioning treatment that moisturizes and detangles strands without weighing hair down.  Nourish, revive and delight.

5.  Zoya – Summer 2012 Beach and Surf Collection in Zuza (full size)
Dive into the creamy shades and shimmering sea foils of the Zoya Beach & Surf Collection.  Allow your nails to go on vacation every day.

Extra:  GLOSSYBOX Blush Brush crafted from the finest goat’s hair – an essential for any world beauty jetsetter.

I was really excited about all the products that were in the box and impressed with the sizes.

The first thing I tried was the Zoya polish.  As you know, I love Zoya nail polish.  The color is not my favorite and didn’t look good on my skin tone, but that doesn’t take away from the quality, wear, and durability of the polish.  I did buy other colors in the Beach and Surf Collection and I highly recommend Zoya polish.

Zoya in Zuza

The Amore Pacific Moisture Bound Refreshing Hydra-Gel is not really a gel, or what I think of as a gel product.  It has a light, creamy consistency and is a seafoam green color.  It blends into the skin nicely and makes the skin feel soft and smooth.  I used it in the morning under my makeup (before primer) and my skin got very oily early in the morning, so I started using it at night.  Some people think the scent is too strong, but I didn’t mind the scent.  It smells a bit like menthol.  It’s nice, but I would not purchase it – especially since it costs $100 for 1.7 oz.  It is from Korea.

The next thing I tried was the Phyto Phytojoba Intense Hydrating Mask for Dry Hair.  This is a wonderful product and I love it.  My hair didn’t have any tangles as I was combing it out and after drying my hair was soft, smooth and without any frizzy ends.  The scent is very nice.  The directions say to use a quarter size amount but since I have thick hair I used more.  I will be buying this product when I have used up the sample.  Full size is 6.7oz and costs $38.00.

I was thrilled with the Burberry Beauty Lip Mist Natural Lip Sheer Lipstick.  I thought the sample size was a nice amount of product.  It was in the most gorgeous packaging with the Burberry print on the exterior packing and imprinted on the lipstick itself.  It is adorable.  I think it’s a really nice lipstick, very smooth and creamy on the lips.  I used it with a Estee Lauder lip pencil and thought it looked beautiful.  This is another product I was purchase when the sample size is gone.  It’s a bit expensive, but I will ask for it as a birthday gift.  Full size is $30 for .12oz.

Burberry Beauty – Lip Mist Natural Lip Sheer Lipstick in Copper No. 202

The Marvis Whitening toothpaste was…..toothpaste.  Not much to get excited over but the mint flavor was nice.  I won’t buy this – a full size is $7.50 for 1.230z.  That’s a bit expensive for toothpaste.

Finally, the GLOSSYBOX Blush Brush was nothing really special.  I don’t think it works well as a blush brush but I guess it could be used to dust powder over your face.  It isn’t very soft either. 

All in all, I was very happy with the May GLOSSYBOX and can’t wait for my June box.  I have high expectations for the June box so I hope I am not disappointed.

I did cancel my subscription to MyGlam.  It just wasn’t worth it for me.  The first two months were great, but I have been disappointed ever since.  I’m going to look for something else to subscribe to in it’s place.

If you received a May GLOSSYBOX, let me know what you thought.

Stay tuned, I have a lot of product reviews coming soon!!

Take care,
Kat

BeautyBar Sample Society with Allure Box - March 2012

Hello, Everyone,

I subscribed to a new cosmetic/skin care monthly subscription service and I just received my first box. This is the very first box from Beauty Bar's Sample Society with Allure.  BeautyBar Sample Society is similar to Birchbox or GlamBag except it costs $15.00 (includes shipping) a month instead of $10.00 like Birchbox or GlamBag.

Membership to the BeautyBar Sample Society includes:

• 5 deluxe-sized samples from "luxury" beauty brands.
• $15 gift code to redeem on a $50 purchase - when any product from the brands you've sampled is included in your order.
• Expert beauty advice to accompany your samples from the editors of Allure (Mini Mag).
• A bonus one-year subscription to Allure magazine ($12 value).

Sample Society is not customized at this time and members do not have the ability to choose their samples. However, customization is something they hope to provide in the future according to their website.  Also, my credit card was charged the day my box shipped and I received it within 7 days, just like it promises on their website. I like that they charge my credit card on the actual ship date, rather than a month in advance like the GlamBag.

Contents included:

• Fekkai Advanced Glossing Cream - 1.6 oz
• Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant Deluxe Sample - 0.45 oz
• SKYN Iceland Icelandic Eye Relief Pen - 0.14 oz (which is a full size product worth $20.00)
• REN Glycolactic Radience Renewal Peel Mask Deluxe Sample - 0.5 fl oz
• Oscar De La Renta Expirit d'Oscar Deluxe Mini-Rollerball - .1 fl oz
• Mini Mag

 Mini Mag

Cover

Page 1 & 2

Page 3 & 4

Page 5 & 6

Back

Unfortunately, due to high demand Sample Society is unable to accept new subscriptions at this time. However, you can sign up to be notified when they start accepting new members.

I think the value of this box is fantastic. The full size SKYN Iceland Icelandic Eye Relief Pen is worth $20 alone!! I haven't used any of my products yet since I just received the box yesterday, so stay tuned for a proper review of all the products.

Did you subscribe to the Sample Society?  If you did, what are your thoughts about it?

Take care,

Kat