Beauty Bar Sample Society Unboxing and Review: July 2013

This month our Sample Society boxes got shipped a whole week later than normal, probably due to the Holidays. But in the end the wait was well worth it! I received “Kit B” which had some great products in it, some of which I’ve been eyeing for quite a while.

About Beauty Bar Sample Society:
For $15/month Sample Society will send its members 5 deluxe-sized samples from beauty brands like Murad, Sisley, Alterna, and Borghese and a $15 off $50 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.

Vincent Longo Eyeshadow Trio in Stella Untold
The first product in the box that my eyes got drawn to (and I’m sure yours, too) was this gorgeous eyeshadow trio by Vincent Longo. I already sampled this brand in the past, and came to love their lip balm stains, so I know this is a high quality product. The trio comes with three colors and super cute imprints – Sun, Moon and Stars. I’m thinking they are trying to signify which of the colors would be perfect to wear for each time of the day, but that’s just my wild guess. I haven’t decided yet if I want to try it myself or save for my Christmas presents pile, because this will definitely make a very pretty present, and I already have similar eye shadow colors in my collection. So for now, no swatches until I decide 🙂
Overall: n/a
Purchase: n/a

Dr. T’s Supergoop! Advanced SPF 37 Eye Cream
I love Supergoop City Serum that we got in July POPSUGAR MustHave boxes, and use it literally every day, which is why I was really excited to try this eye cream. I currently don’t own any eye creams with safe SPF ingredients, so this is the type of product I had on my wishlist for a long time now. Unfortunately, my sample was almost completely empty, and I got maybe two uses out of it. I emailed Beauty Bar customer service to express my disappointment, and received a very nice apologetic reply. They attached a $25 coupon to my account valid only for this eye cream so I could still try it without having to pay the full price, and after debating for a bit I decided to use it. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it stacks with the monthly $15 off $50 discount, so I ended up placing a $53 order and only paid $13 for it out of pocket. A pretty good deal, if you ask me! By the way, from the two times I got to try this eye cream I can tell you that it feels very comfortable and lightweight on the eyes, and doesn’t cake off under the concealer.
On a related note, check out my post about safe and unsafe sunscreens if you haven’t already, I’m sure you’ll find some useful information there.
Overall: 5/5
Purchase: Yes (already did!)

Tres Pure Face Tonic
I learned to appreciate good packaging after I had products crack open and spill all over my boxes. This sample came in a sturdy glass bottle equipped with a nice spray pump, in fact I even plan to reuse it in the future. The toner smells like freshly cut grass and flowers, which was a lovely pick me up in the morning. Aside from the nice scent, the toner didn’t seem to do much else for my skin. It was nice to try, but not something I would purchase.
Overall: 4/5
Purchase: No

Red Flower Ocean Hair Wash
I’m not happy that this shampoo contains sulfates, well, only one actually, but it’s not on the very top of the ingredient list, which gives me hope that it won’t eat away my natural hair oil and the color along with it. I’ll be honest and say that I didn’t try it yet. I co-wash (conditioner wash), so I only clarify my hair with harsher shampoos about once a week, and I wasn’t going to wait another week to write this review 🙂 I liked other red flower products that I tried in the past, but it’s unlikely that I’ll purchase this shampoo, as there are much cheaper clarifying options for me out there.
Overall: 4/5
Purchase: No

Lollia Wander Petite Treat Handcreme in Midnight Gardens & Wildflower
I adore purse-sized hand creams and always keep one in my cosmetic bag at all times. My current favorite is L’Occitane hand cream minis, but Lollia just might replace them from now on. I have never heard of Lollia before, so this was a great new discovery for me. The hand cream not only looks adorable in its dark blue floral tube, but it also moisturizes the skin well without leaving oily residue. The only thing that would have made this hand cream more perfect is the addition of SPF.
Overall: 4.5/5
Purchase: Yes

The verdict: This was a great Sample Society month for me personally, I made some great beauty discoveries and found two new favorites: hand cream and eye cream. I will pause my subscription for the month of August because I’m a bit sampled out for now, but I will resume it again in September. Looking forward to seeing what they send us during my birthday month!

Are you a Sample Society subscriber? What do you think of this month’s box?