My May Sample Society box arrived early as usual, which is one of the things I like about this subscription. This time it contained a mix of really nice brands, however, there were a couple products I wasn’t too excited about.
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| Beauty Bar Sample Society May 2014 – contents |
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 Borghese and a $15 off $50 monthly discount code. As a bonus all new members receive a complimentary one-year subscription to Allure magazine (a $12.00 value). Click here to join Sample Society. You can also buy some of the past boxes here.
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| Juice Beauty Stem Cellular CC Cream |
Juice Beauty Stem Cellular CC Cream – I tried this CC cream before, and my skin just didn’t like it. The application was streaky to begin with, and then it started curdling and flaking off! Paired with strong neroli fragrance that most people dislike, I decided that this was not the right product for me.
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| Borghese Gel Delicato Makeup Remover |
Borghese Gel Delicato Makeup Remover – I actually have a travel-sized tube of this makeup remover, but I only used it once so far. I only needed a small amount to thoroughly cleanse the face, but I still needed to follow up with a cleansing oil to fully remove waterproof eye makeup. It’s a decent cleanser, but not my favorite.
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| dermalogica Age Smart Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 30 |
dermalogica Age Smart Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 30 – Always happy to try a new sunscreen, and dermalogica happens to be one of my favorite brands. Unfortunately, they use oxybenzone in the formula, and that’s one of the ingredients I avoid in my skincare. As always, there are some MDs that say it’s not harmful, while others preach about the hidden dangers. As for me, I think I’d rather be safe now than sorry later, considering there are plenty of options available that don’t contain this ingredient.
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| Murad Pore Reform T-Zone Pore Refining Serum |
Murad Pore Reform T-Zone Pore Refining Serum – I’m kind of curious about this serum, because the weather has been in the 80s lately, so my pores were pretty stuffed with excess oil. This serum contains both AHA and BHA to help normalize sebum production and keep the skin clean. So far I used it 3 times, and even though it stung a little, I liked how smooth it made my skin look afterward.
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| Sonya Dakar NutraSphere Flash Facial |
Sonya Dakar NutraSphere Flash Facial – This 100% natural exfoliant is apparently a celebrity favorite. It’s also super expensive! I read some horror stories about Sonya’s salon and some customers even mention that her products are basically made by a PLM with her name slapped on them and an outrageous price tag attached. No idea if any of it is true or not, but this exfoliant is amazing and made my skin feel and look cleaner than anything ever has.
THE VERDICT
This month’s box had a mix of samples that I both hated and loved. It was very skincare heavy, unless you count the CC cream as makeup, but as a skincare lover, I didn’t mind. I was happy to have the opportunity to try Sonya Dakar NutraSphere Flash Facial, and that sample alone made the whole box worth it for me.
| Product | Retail value |
|---|---|
| Juice Beauty Stem Cellular CC Cream | $3.90 |
| Borghese Gel Delicato Makeup Remover | $1.87 |
| dermalogica Age Smart Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 30 | $13.00 |
| Murad Pore Reform T-Zone Pore Refining Serum | $2.62 |
| Sonya Dakar NutraSphere Flash Facial | $39.60 |
| Box Retail Value | $60.99 |
Wow, what a nice array of samples. Def a must try!
$15.00 a month is well worth getting into for sure! I love everything in your box!
This was a good box with great sizes!
Murad is one of my faves!
obsessed with Sample Society. hands down worth every penny. Great post and great pics!!!
I wish we had this box here in Estonia 😛
Very nice sampling of items 🙂
Looked like a good box this month. Although I do like deluxe size samples to try things out, I am spoiled by at least one or two full size offerings
Looks like a good box! I didn’t know Juice Beauty had a CC cream!
I’ve been eyeing that makeup cleanser. Bummer you need to do clean up after!
I went looking for info on Sonya Dakar because I didn’t know what PLM was. Wow, people really hate her – but they seem to like her products. I could never afford one of her facials, but trying her sample for under $15 seems like a steal!
Wow, great selection and product sizes!
Oh, this is a great box. So many amazing products!
I’d definitely try out the CC cream!
This looks like an awesome box!
I want to try that CC cream!
What a sweet box!
This box has some great goodies
the dermalogica product sounds nice!
Nice box of samples. That Juice Beauty CC Cream oxidized on me pretty bad.
I’d be keen to try the Juice Beauty CC cream but they all look like nice products
That’s definitely a nice value for the products you received.
Not a fan of skin care heavy beauty boxes but I am glad you had some items you were happy to receive.
Some fun picks here! But yes, skincare heavy.