So I finally pulled the trigger on a beauty subscription box!!! I have read hundreds of posts about Ipsy and Birchbox but about 50% of the stuff people were getting, I cared nothing about. And really, who needs a new make up bag every single month?? I would rather that bag be another product instead, you know? One day I was flipping through Allure and saw that they had a Sample Society Box. I had never seen this before!!!
Before I go on, I want to say that I am writing this post on my own. I found this box in my magazine that I have a subscription to, I paid for the box on my own and am not getting compensated for this post. I just wanted to share about another subscription box that is out there because I love to talk about all things beauty!
What’s the Deal: For $15 a month, Allure sends you 5 deluxe size beauty samples, a mini magazine about the samples and a $10 off your $50 purchase on beautybar.com. I figured that was a decent deal for 5 deluxe samples!
My Initial Thoughts: I was excited to see the brands and items I got. Bumble and Bumble Invisible Hairdresser Oil has been on my list to try forever now. As was Marc Jacobs perfume and I love Benefits stuff! But then I looked at the sizes of everything. I thought these were supposed to be deluxe sized samples??? These are tiny!!! I can see pictures of previous boxes and this one looks sparse compared to others. Though, there are 6 samples instead of 5, so maybe that is how they made up for the smaller samples?
Also, I want to note that they did not include the mini magazine in my box. I am assuming this is an over site on their end. I better get one next month though, damnit! So what I am telling you about these products is from my experience, as I didn’t have much to go by other than what is written on the packages. Get your shit together, Allure.
What I Got
Bumble and Bumble Invisible Hairdresser Oil
I have had several people recommend this product to me, it has been on my list to try forever. I have the finest of fine hair. Normally I stay away from most styling products, especially if it has the word oil in it because hello….my hair doesn’t take much to get oily on its own because of how thin it is! I am here to tell you that I have used this twice and it does not make my hair oily in the least bit!! I was shocked!
Should you get it: Very impressed and I would purchase the full size. I also have confidence to go ahead and try other products from this company.
Benefits Porefessional
I love Benefit’s products, and I have received several samples of things like their mascaras, highlighters, stay put concealer, etc that I have enjoyed. This one has that silicone feeling that a lot of make up primers have. It goes on smooth, and you can use it under make up as a primer….or you can use it over your make up. I haven’t tried it over yet, but I have tried it under twice. I feel like it makes a decent primer, but I am not 100% convinced yet. My face has been acting a little crazy lately, so I dont blame the product.
Should you get it: Sephora sales a $10 sample size of this, and I would probably get that first before buying the larger one.
Marc Jacob’s Daisy Dream
This Marc Jacob scent reminds me of a sunflower perfume I used to wear in high school, only more sophisticated. I rather enjoyed it, though I don’t think I would want a big bottle of it. Chris was highly allergic to this one though, so I am going to be giving away the remainder of my sample to my mom or my sister.
Should you get it: If you like floral scented perfumes and aren’t sensitive to scents, I think this is a decent option.
Mt Sapola Lavender Chamomile Body Lotion
This lotion smells exactly like you would think, Lavender and Chamomile. It goes on smooth, absorbs quickly, and didn’t leave any weird or oily residue behind like some lotions do. The scent is just so calming, I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, it is such a tiny sample that I didn’t want to put it all over my body and use it all up in one use. I have just been using it on my hands in the evenings and really do like it.
Should you get it: While I do like it, there are plenty of other lotions out there. If I saw this in the store, I would consider it for purchase but I wont be going out of my way to look for it.
Jane Iredale Rio Just Kissed Lip Plumper
Rio is a rosy brownish color, which isn’t usually my first choice but I did like it. The formula is supposed to be both moisturizing and plumping. I have a suspicion that the plumping is supposed to be subtle because I didn’t feel a tingle like I do with some lip products that claim to plump. My lips don’t really need plumping so I didn’t notice any added benefit for me there. I did like the formula though. It went on smooth and was a little hydrating, it didn’t dry me out like some.
Should you get it: I think this is a great color if you are looking for a rosy brown. Past that? There are plenty of drugstore brands that I liked better. For me it is a pass.
Illume Tonka Noir Luxury Scented Candle Tin
This candle has a really pleasant scent. I like that it is in a tin and the size would make a great travel candle. You can smell hints of vanilla, sandalwood, mandarin, rose and jasmine. For this little tin….it really works well. I lit it on our fireplace in our living room and the whole open area of my house smelled wonderful after about 10 minutes of burning. We let it burn for about 2 hours and there is still plenty left. I liked that this was a soy candle, and I googled the brand and they seem to be a decent price point.
Should you get it: I would most definitely get this scent again and try others from this brand.
Have you heard of the Allure Sample Society box? Have you tried any of the above mentioned products? Would you consider getting a subscription to this?
17 Comments
They are not deluxe sized! I’d be pissed off at that.
$15 for tiny little samples? That’s worse than Birchbox (in my opinion). I like that they supplied higher end brands for you to try–but these subscription boxes with SAMPLE SIZES kind of annoy me. I can walk into any mall and just simply ask for samples and they’ll give them to you…for free. I’m on the “wait list” for Ipsy, but the more time that passes, the more I’m thinking I’m just going to cancel the whole request. I will say, I’ve tried a few things from bumble and bumble and they are worth their sauce!! Love them!
I just subscribed to the GlobeIn box from my Mom for Mother’s Day and it’s my first foray into subscription boxes. I don’t use enough make up to spend that much money on new stuff every month, plus a lot of the companies just don’t ship to Canada. I’m pretty excited to see what Mom gets in the GlobeIn Box. I read a lot of really positive reviews about it and I think she’s going to enjoy it!
I am dying to try that Bumble & Bumble oil! I am glad you liked it. It makes me feel better about buying it.
$15 for TINY stuff – grrr arrrrggg – it’s like baby sizes.
But – I love the reviews you gave, and I may give the porfessional a try
This looks like a fun box! I have to admit, I would be disappointed in the sample sizes too! I like the candle a lot though! I think that’s an original item.
I don’t normally find the boxes that appealing – I’d rather pick what I want than get random stuff. But… reading through your descriptions, I realized that a huge benefit is learning about things you never would have thought to look for. Like the hair oil! But then I looked at the sample sizes and now I’m dubious again. It just seems hard to tell if a product is good if you only get a teeny bit, especially for a body lotion or something. I do like little lipsticks, though! Because I use them so rarely, that the full size ones just last forever.
ugh this is why i don’t want to sign up for subscription stuff.. those sizes are super small. i will definitely check out the pore stuff sample from sephora.. one day lol
if i’m going to pay legit money for something, i want full-size shit, not samples that i can get for free! that’s the cheap bitch in me talking.
that said, i would never sign up for a subscription box because i’m very specific with what i buy/use for my skin and i bet more than half the box would just go to waste.
Amazing box! Love porefessional, and I’ve been wanting to try out the invisible oil 😀
I actually didn’t know that Allure had a sample box but it totally makes sense!! I’m interested to see what you get in the next few months and then I think I might try it as well! xo, Biana –BlovedBoston
I’m probably the last woman on earth (or at least, the last one left in blogland!) who hasn’t ever tried any subscription boxes. This looks a lot better than some I’ve seen though, with brands and products I and people I know actually already have on their to-try list!
So funny that as I was beginning to read your description- it said “deluxe samples” and I am thinking to myself ‘what the hell is a deluxe sample? is that a *larger* sample?’ Then I think ‘I don’t want to pay $15.00 for a sample of anything because then it’s not a sample, it is a purchase’.
I continue reading and I am glad you mentioned it is small but that it was worth it. It really is a good way to try higher end things without buying the entire product. I also have thin, oily hair so I would be skeptical about oil in my hair too!
Hmm, yeah I would have been disappointed in the sample sizes too! When I hear deluxe size I am thinking bigger than that! But it looks like a pretty good box otherwise! I’ve heard great things about that Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser’s oil, and that candle sounds really nice!
I have small samples because you can’t really tell if you like something with a sample that small. I have been meaning to try the porefessional.
I didn’t know Allure had a beauty box either! Bummer on the small sizes and the magazine not being included. 🙁 I love The Porefessional! I’ve tried MANY different primers, some even more expensive… and this one – it does the trick for me! I like how smooth it makes my skin feel, rather than how some primers are more like lotions and feel greasy.
[…] What’s the Deal: For $15 a month, Allure sends you 5 deluxe size beauty samples, a mini magazine about the samples and a $10 off your $50 purchase on beautybar.com. I figured that was a decent deal for 5 deluxe samples! I pay for this on my own, and all opinions are my own. This is not a sponsored post, a girl just likes to talk beauty sometimes, ok?! You can see my first box from last month here. […]