I got a whole bunch of mail after returning from my trip, and Sample Society March 2015 box was one of the packages in the pile. I thought I wouldn’t get to it until April, but looks like I made it somehow! This month Allure curators chose products that will help us to “Lighten Up” for Spring, with help of these five beauty must-haves.
HOW IT WORKS: For $15/month Sample Society will send its members 5 deluxe-sized samples from beauty brands like stila, Murad, Sisley, Alterna, Butter London, and Too Faced, and a $10 off $50 monthly discount code to BeautyBar.com. Click here to join Sample Society. You can also buy some of the past boxes here.
Juice Beauty Green Apple Age Defy Moisturizer – Like all Juice Beauty products, this one has a very earthy fragrance to it, because it’s made with all-natural ingredients and without using bad chemicals and artificial fragrances. The cream contains Vitamin C, peptides, AHA, CoQ10, and Vitamin A that brighten and gently exfoliate the skin. Since Vitamin C is an unstable antioxidant, Allure recommends storing this sample in the fridge to preserve the efficacy.
Benefit Roller Lash Mascara – Remember that campaign a few months ago where bloggers got a mystery sample of a mascara sold at Sephora and had to guess what brand it was? This is it! I wasn’t a fan of it back then, I thought it was too goopy and thick, and deposited too much at once. Over time the formula grew on me as I played with it a little more, and now it’s one of my favorite mascaras, because it makes my lashes waxy and flexible, but doesn’t give raccoon eyes.
Oscar Blandi Pronto Texture & Volume Spray – This spray promises to boost waves, add volume, and also make oily roots appear clean, kind of like a dry shampoo would. I tried other Oscar Blandi products and liked most of them, so my expectations are high for this one. I only tried it once at home so far, so I can’t really say anything about dramatic results or whatnot, but it sure does have a pleasant fragrance. It’s almost smells like fruit punch? Anyway, it’s a very nice lingering scent that pretty much eliminates the need for any additional perfume, which is nice for those casual days when you just want to take it easy.
Cargo Essential Lip Gloss in Gobi – There was an assortment of colors sent out and I feel like I got the least flattering one 🙁 The formula is very nice, and the wand shape is great for applying the product, but jeez, there’s like no pigmentation to it at all. It’s like a clear gloss with a hint of shimmer; it’s supposed to be peachy nude, but it’s just way too sheer to show up on me – the swatch confirms that. I guess I will resort to wearing it over lipsticks, but on its own it does absolutely nothing for me.
Malin + Goetz Mojito Lip Balm – I probably have at least three of these lip balms already, and even though it seems like a nice product, I’m not sure I need another one. I think it will make a nice little gift for my sis when she comes to visit me in April, because she loooves Malin + Goetz.
THE VERDICT: I’m sort of undecided on this box, as there were a few things I liked and others I wasn’t too keen on, but there’s no denying that the brands are high quality. I’m thinking of pausing my subscription for a few months, because I have way too much stuff to go through already [I already paused my POPSUGAR Must Have subscription], so I’ll get my April box and then decide how long of a break I need to sort things out.
What beauty products help you to “lighten up”?
| Product | Retail value |
|---|---|
| Juice Beauty Green Apple Age Defy Moisturizer | $11.25 |
| Benefit Roller Lash Mascara | $8.00 |
| Oscar Blandi Pronto Texture & Volume Spray | $11.00 |
| Cargo Essential Lip Gloss | $16.00 |
| Malin + Goetz Mojito Lip Balm | $12.00 |
| Box Retail Value | $58.25 |
Disclosure: This post features products purchased by Glamorable and may contain affiliate or referral links. For more details about my product review policy, copyright, and information about affiliate links, please refer to Disclosures & Content Use page.
Roller Lash is my every thing. It’s perfection!
It took me some time to get used to the waxy formula, but now I’m in love!
I’m dying to try Roller Lash since I’m such a fan of They’re Real!
I’m a huuuge fan of They’re Real, too! I think it’s the only non-fiber mascara that really amplifies volume and length that dramatically.
Thanks for the tip about storing it in the fridge! I had no idea
I didn’t know either, but it makes perfect sense if I think about it. And it helps depuff the face in the morning 😉
This looks like a box I’d love! I just got a Klout perk for Roller Lash and can’t wait to try it, because They’re Real is my all time fave mascara! Also, I’m obsessed with the Malin + Goetz balms. I have two on my desk in front of me, it’s on my lips pretty much 24/7, and I have a couple in my car too haha. LOVE.
Looking forward to reading about your experience! I haven’t gotten that perk, but I got my fingers crossed that the invites are coming in waves 🙂
This was an excellent month! I did feel a bit womp womp about the gloss too, but I’m sure it’s pretty layered lol!
Yeah, the color is kind of a bummer, but you’re right, it looks really nice layered over lippies, especially those YLBB shades.
Juice beauty has some great products. Even though the gloss is too sheer for you, I still like it.
Glad you like it, Kim! I think I figured out how to make it work, because the formula is quite nice and feels good on the lips.
I seriously need to sign up for this! I am loving everything you got
Not going to lie, Sample Society sure has their dud months, but for the most part it’s totally worth it. This is actually one of their weaker months, if that’s any indication! I think my favorite so far was the box where we got a full-sized $85 eye cream.
This sounds like a great set of products! <3 I want this box
Allure curators sure know what products to pick for their subscribers, everything’s always on-trend and on-point with things featured in the magazine.
That roller lash is EVERYWHERE lately! Looks like a good box!
I know, right? I didn’t quite get it at first, because it has very thick and greasy formula, but it actually doesn’t smudge. Good stuff!
I must get that mascara and try it and I was drooling over the gloss. I like those pale, nothing shades. Us blondes kinda rock ’em. That Oscar Blondi hair stuffs looks interesting, too. Nice box.
I bet you could totally rock this color, Erika! You always look so fresh with just a hint of pink on your lips 🙂
Not loving this box, though I’ve heard good things about the mojito balm and would like to try that.
I think this was one of their weaker months, too, but I’m mostly bummed because of the lip gloss color. Were it a more vibrant shade I think my reaction would’ve been different.
I think this box came with a lot of on trend products!!
That’s for sure! Allure curators seem to take seasonal trends into account, and we often see products from the magazine show up in our boxes.
They’ve improved the quality and value of the box at least. I’d love to try the Benefit Mascara so I’d enjoy that.
It’s a pretty nice mascara if you can get past that waxy finish it leaves on the lashes.
Great to see familiar brands w/ this box!
I think Allure Sample Society is one box that pretty much features nothing but familiar brands. It’s not so much a brand discovery service like Birchbox, but a product discovery.
I would have been happy with Roller Lash!
I am a happy camper! I got another one of these in my March POPSUGAR box, too 🙂
I love Juice Beauty so I’d definitely use up that moisturizer! I also liked the mascara sample after a few uses so that’s pretty cool. I wouldn’t be too interested in anything else but I’m tempted to try this service out.
Yeah, it took me a few tries to get used to that waxy feel, but now I really like it.
I’m holding out for a sample of that mascara! Very interested!
Fingers crossed you get to try it some day! It was an acquired taste for me, because the formula is quite waxy, but surprisingly it doesn’t smudge.
I have heard great things about the Oscar Blondi product!
Their hair products are pretty nice, I would say they’re in the same plane as my other favorites Oribe and Amika,