Before I start, I have to admit that I already didn’t like my June Sample Society box before I even had it in my hands. One look at my account dashboard with revealed products made me realize that I wasn’t really interested in most of them, and that’s a pretty clear sign that I’m overloaded on products right now. But hey, this might be someone’s dream box, so you never know. Alrighty, let’s see what I got!
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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| Borghese Fango Deep Hydration Finishing Treatment |
Borghese Fango Deep Hydration Finishing Treatment – Considering that the description says to avoid face and eyes, this is a dry oil body spray. It’s similar to my favorite almond body mist from c. Booth, but fancier, although I couldn’t really tell much difference. The fragrance is best described as earthy-herbal, and I wasn’t too crazy about it.
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| Juliette Has A Gun Anyway Eau de Parfum |
Juliette Has A Gun Anyway Eau de Parfum – Considering that this is an EDP which is more concentrated than EDT, this is a very generous sample. I heard many great things about Juliette Has A Gun fragrances, but never had the opportunity to try one. Anyway features top notes of neroli and lime, followed by the heart of jasmine, and setting to the base of musk, hedione and ambrox. It’s a little soapy, a little herbal, fresh unisex fragrance that is perfect for daytime wear.
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| H2O Plus Night Oasis Oxygenating Rejuvenator |
H2O Plus Night Oasis Oxygenating Rejuvenator – Every time I see the word “rejuvenator” I’m reminded of one of the first Mad Men episodes, anyone remember that? So funny! I’m not really interested in trying more moisturizers at the moment so I will probably pass it on or swap this sample for something else. According to the description, this cream-gel works overnight to restore and revitalize tired-looking skin with help of sea fennel, brown algae and cucumber extracts.
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| Karin Herzog Vita-A-Kombi 2 |
Karin Herzog Vita-A-Kombi 2 – This brand is actually not new to me – I tried their eye cream before and really liked it, because it provides instant de-puffing effect. This specially formulated anti-aging moisturizer features well-known ingredients like Retinol and Vitamin E, as well as 2% active oxygen. The description on the site says this product is great for people already used to their 1% version, but what about those of us who never tried it before? It’s so potent, the brand actually recommends applying this cream with a brush to make sure the active ingredients aren’t absorbed through the fingertips. That honestly seems a little scary, and I think I’ll just swap this sample, because it sounds too potent for me right now.
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| Pur~lisse Pur~Moist Hydra-Balance Moisturizer |
Pur~lisse Pur~Moist Hydra-Balance Moisturizer – I have never been interested in Pur~lisse brand, although I heard many good things about their products, particularly their petroleum-free lip treatment. According to product description, this moisturizer is a good fit for normal, dry and sensitive skin. My skin is neither of those, which is another reason why I won’t bother opening it and instead pass it on to someone who can actually benefit from it.
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| Supergoop! Dr. T’s Supergoop! City Sunscreen Serum SPF 30 |
Supergoop! Dr. T’s Supergoop! City Sunscreen Serum SPF 30 – A personal favorite of mine! I received a bunch of these samples in the past and I am happy to get more, because it’s pricey. It layers well with my other skincare and makeup and doesn’t irritate my skin. Great stuff!
THE VERDICT
Well, as you see, this box wasn’t a total dud for me, but still I didn’t really enjoy most of the samples, and that’s what matters in the end. If I didn’t have a blog I would have probably unsubscribed by now, but my Sample Society reviews happen to be among my most popular posts month after month so you guys must really like them, and $15/month is a small price to pay for your entertainment 🙂 After all, many beauty bloggers spend hundreds to purchase full makeup collections just for the sake of swatching and never touch those products again. I’ll hope that my July box is more enjoyable 🙂
| Product | Retail value |
|---|---|
| Borghese Fango Deep Hydration Finishing Treatment | $2.32 |
| Juliette Has A Gun Anyway Eau de Parfum | $4.36 |
| H2O Plus Night Oasis Oxygenating Rejuvenator | $6.03 |
| Karin Herzog Vita-A-Kombi 2 | $4.70 |
| Pur~lisse Pur~Moist Hydra-Balance Moisturizer | $16.17 |
| Supergoop! Dr. T’s Supergoop! City Sunscreen Serum SPF 30 | $4.20 |
| Box Retail Value | $37.78 |
