Beauty Fix Review: Fall 2012

I’ve been anxiously waiting for the time when I can finally make my 8 picks for this season. I had my fingers crossed that they’d still have Nailtiques nail kit and Exuviance favial masque available because I loved them so much I decided to reorder them both again instead of trying something new. Luckily, both were up for grabs and it didn’t take me long to find 6 other items I wanted to test. As always, I didn’t go for the maximum box value and focused on things I was mostly interested in. I’m convinced that I’ll always get my money’s worth no matter what I end up picking. Here are my Fall 2012 selections!

About Beauty Fix:
Beauty Fix is a quarterly beauty subscription service curated by Dermstore.com. Every 3 months you will receive a wide selection of high end beauty products to choose from based on your beauty profile. You can select up to 8 products and a cute make-up bag. They usually offer dozens and dozens of options ranging from deluxe-sized and full-sized items to beauty accessories like hair brushes and callus stones. The subscription costs $49,99/quarter but the box value will always be way above, and the range can be anywhere between $200 and $400 depending on the products you pick. Right now you can get your first box $20 cheaper by using the refer-a-friend program. Click here to join Beauty Fix.

1. Nailtiques Nail Protein & Color Laquer Kit and Exuviance Rejuvenating Treatment Masque (2.5oz)
These two are my reorders from last season. I already gave away the red polish that came in the Nailtiques kit since I only wanted the nail base. Also I’m about to finish the masque tube from my last BeautyFix box so this one came just in time! Both are amazing products that I will most likely keep reordering for as long as they are available in my selection window unless I find some other holy grail items to replace them.

2. 3LAB M Cream (0.38oz)
Holy smokes, It’s hard to believe I get to test a $260 product! This particular sample size alone is worth almost $50. I’ve been using this cream at night instead of my usual nighttime moisturizer, and I have to say that it’s actually really good at restoring skin’s elasticity and radiance. My skin felt extremely soft and seemed like it had that inner glow that you get after a good night’s sleep. So, is this cream worth the hype? Yes. Does it really work that well? Yes it does. Is it worth $260? Now, here I’m not too sure what to say because I bet there are cheaper alternatives that offer the same or similar benefits for my skin, however to anyone who can afford buying this product regularly I’d say yes it’s definitely worth it.

3. Eminence Lip Plumper in Cinnamon Kiss (0.25oz)
I was intrigued to try out this all-natural lip plumper to see if it’s any good. It came in an interesting bamboo tube and smelled like cinnamon. The goopy consistency reminded me of an oil of some sort which I thought was pretty cool, since all of my lip plumpers came in either a gel or a lipstick form. After applying to my lips I felt a tingling/burning sensation which is normal for this type of product, but the effect was quite short. I think my lips looked plump for about 3-4 hours after the initial application, so I have to make sure to keep reapplying it throughout the day to maintain the effect. All in all it’s quite nice, and as an added bonus I would like to add that this product is certified Organic and the company doesn’t test on animals.

4. Cattiva Divino Lash Mascara (13.5ml)
I think I’ve turned into a crazy mascara lady, I love trying and testing various types and brands of mascara and will never go outside without it. Now this particular one didn’t impress me much.

Pros:

• Doesn’t flake
• Defines the lashes well
• Looks natural
• Super cool packaging!

Cons:

• Doesn’t add any volume
• Doesn’t add length
• Lashes look thin

I have nothing against the natural look, but it seriously makes my eyes look almost too natural, to the point where I don’t even remember if I put the mascara on or not when I look in the mirror. So to make sure it actually makes my lashes look amazing I need at least 3 coats while with most mascaras I’d only use one. To each their own, as I’m sure there are ladies that absolutely loved this mascara 🙂

5. Snowberry Smoothing Eye Serum (0.25oz)
I’ve been searching for a good eye serum for a while now, so I decided to try two different ones in this BeautyFix box. First one I sampled was this SMoothing Eye Serum by Snowberry. I tried this nighttime serum first and totally fell in love with it! It made my under-eye area super soft and firm in the morning and for the first time I didn’t have a case of morning puffy eyes! Seriously ladies, this little serum worked like a charm for me. Glad I didn’t pass on it due to it being just a sample size product or I’d probably never get to try it. I will keep using it for now to make sure these results are persistent and it wasn’t just a fluke, and if all goes well I might purchase the full-sized bottle.

6. Glytone Back Acne Spray (2oz)
The science behind this spray is quite simple – this is a plain mix of water and 2% Salicylic Acid. The blemishes on the back are hard to reach if you try to swipe them with a cotton pad soaked in your usual anti-acne solution and this spray eliminates that problem. This is not a miracle product, it’s your normal anti-acne lotion placed in a spray bottle so you can use it for the hard-to-reach areas of your body. A very nice idea, indeed. Bravo, Glytone!

7. Neostrata Skin Active Intensive Eye Therapy (0.5oz)
My mom was visiting when I received my box and she really wanted to try out this serum. I just gave it to her, and she told me it really reduced the puffiness and the fine lines around her eyes are now less noticeable. The very small lines are now gone completely! She’s been using it for about 2 weeks now, and she wants to order more when she’s out. I guess it’s a great product after all 🙂

8. Beautyfix Flat Makeup Bag Duo
This is a pair of cute makeup bags that you get as an extra with your BeautyFix purchase. The bags are nice and sturdy and seem to be pretty good quality.