My Sample Society box arrived very early as usual, which is the main reason why I even subscribe to it. I received the Kit A according to my dashboard, and the farthest letter I’ve heard of so far was Kit G. The core items this month were Illume candles and Philosophy Hope In a Jar moisturizer.
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.
B. Kamins Sundefense SPF 30
“SunDefense SPF 30 is a fragrance-free and oil-free sunscreen that provides 30 times your natural UVA/UVB protection against sunburn. The lightweight color-correcting formula is non-greasy and water-resistant, making it easy to wear on make-up free days, as an alternative to foundations during outdoor activities, or as a primer for makeup.”
Many of you might know this already, but I adore sunscreens and never leave the house without a protective layer on! I wanted to try this particular brand for a while now but never had a chance to, so I’m happy to get it in my box this month. This oil-free sunscreen can be used as a primer, and provides some color correcting properties. I also like that the sample came in a pump bottle [the retail product doesn’t] so it’s not exposed to bacteria and oxygen. However, the actual sunscreen ingredients don’t really work well for me, so I will probably never use this sample again. Kind of a waste, because it’s a pretty nice big bottle 🙁
Overall: 2/5
Purchase: No
Stila Cosmetics Lip Glaze in Kitten
“Help your lips get all the attention they deserve. Turn on the shine and then turn heads with Stila Cosmetics Lip Glaze. Choose from an array of delectable shades that add a splash of color and fabulously matching flavors and scents in one easy click of the famous pen.”
Kitten is Stila’s cult shade, kind of like Nars Orgasm, but after googling the swatches I decided that the color is too sheer for me. I already have several products that are very similar, and although I’m kind of curious about the texture, I better put it away into my stash with tiny presents. I must add that this is a very generous sample size, almost 2/3 of the full tube.
Overall: 4/5
Purchase: No
Illume Desert Tulip Tin
“The Desert Tulip Large Boho candle features a lively bouquet of red tulips, lilies and white tea rose that accent a passionate blend of raspberry, Mandarin and musk in an utterly giftable candle with a gorgeous brushed-gold lid. The candle features an all-natural wax blend.”
This tiny travel candle has a burn time of ten hours, which doesn’t even seem right when you look at it. I do enjoy burning candles on a regular basis, even during the summer months, so this cute little tin will be used soon. The fragrance is pretty mild, so I’m thinking that it will not have a strong throw, but we’ll see. The price is higher than what I’m willing to pay for candles, but it’ll be nice to try.
Overall: 4/5
Purchase: No
Murad Age Reform Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Eye Moisture
“This lightweight gel-cream infuses the delicate eye area with the essential nutrients needed to increase cellular hydration. As a result, you enjoy firmer, plumper, more youthful-looking skin.”
I’ve used several Murad products in the past and only remember actually liking one of them, however I’m always happy to give a new cream a try, especially if it’s for the eyes. I take care of my eye area quite seriously, because that’s where the first signs of aging start showing for most people. Judging from the raving reviews online, this eye cream is very lightweight [which is precisely the kind of texture I would like it to be] and very moisturizing.
Overall: 4/5
Purchase: Maybe
Philosophy Hope In A Jar
“Desire a healthy, radiant skin? Check out Philosophy Hope in a Jar, a non-greasy moisturizer, which helps you maintain a healthy skin. Enriched with antioxidants, this moisturizer protects your skin from environmental attacks. It helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. Further, it takes care of the discoloration and helps maintain an evenly toned, soft skin texture.”
And last but not the least [ok, maybe it is the least after all], we have this mini tube of Philosophy’s popular moisturizer. Unfortunately, I have tried it before and its strong fragrance gave me a headache and rash along the jaw line. I will not be trying it again.
Overall: 1/5
Purchase: No
Box retail value: $43.52
The verdict: Although none of the products in this box are something I would purchase in a heartbeat, I still felt good about receiving it. The value was considerably higher than the disappointing May box, and that might have been the reason why I felt like this one is so much better. I was planning on unsubscribing after June, but I decided stick around after all!
Are you a Sample Society subscriber? What do you think of this month’s box?
Disclosure: I bought this.
Aw, I miss your item by item price breakdowns! They gave such a great idea of the value of the box and the prices of each product 🙁 Did you stop doing them because of the new formatting to your blog?
You’re absolutely right, Jocelyn. The current format makes the html code I used for that look all weird. I’m currently trying to figure out why it’s doing that, but it’s taking me a while. So far I can only think about a band-aid solution to that (add a bunch of unnecessry spaces between product names and prices), but I would like to find something permanent.
But I promise, the sample value comparison will be back!
Pretty good size of samples for a $15 beauty box! This is another box I am looking at too so thank you for sharing them!
fivetwocertified.blogspot.com
You’re welcome! There’s another box with nice deluxe-sized samples I’m going to review soon, called One Radiant. It’s $12/month but you must commit to at least 3 months. You can check out their website
http://www.oneradiant.com/, or you can wait for my review 😉
I’ve seen SO many bad reviews for the Hope in a Jar moisturizer (and not really many good ones). You would think Philosophy would reformulate it if it affects everyone so poorly.
Yep, that moisturizer is more like a Disaster in a Jar. It’s easily one of the worst I’ve ever tried in my life.
Looks like you got a lot of things in that box! And I love how you took the photos.
Thank you, this was a fun photoshoot, so the pictures turned out very “happy” 🙂