Sample Society: December 2014

My December Allure Sample Society is a lot more successful than my first box I received in November so I actually have some hope here! Similar to other beauty subscription boxes, for $15 a month you receive 5-6 deluxe samples of beauty products. You also receive Allure’s “mini-mag” which is essentially a product card on steroids and the best one I’ve ever seen. After reading the mini-mag, there will be no doubt in your mind how to use the products. In addition, your membership comes with a $10 credit to BeautyBar.com that’s good for any purchase you make within that month of at least $50. Sample Society doesn’t have a traditional referral link but if you are interested in trying it out for yourself, you can use this code: LAUR324430

I can’t tell you how much I love this mini-mag. It very much feels like you are reading Allure and they break things down for you really well. Like, when they were describing the Burberry Luminous Fluid Base (more on this later), they were like, “the first time we used it, we applied it lightly all over our face. Yeah, unless you are going for a Tin Man look, don’t do that.” I appreciate that they editorialize a bit and give me more information than just what the product is.

Included were the following products: RGB Nail Polish in Oxblood, Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye, Burberry Beauty Fresh Glow Luminous Fluid Base in Nude Radiance, Butter London Lippy Tinted Balm, and Crabtree & Evelyn Ultra Moisturizing Hand Therapy in Verbena and Lavender.

RGB Nail Polish in Oxblood: I am pretty well covered when it comes to nail polish but I have never tried this brand and I have heard good things. I also love that Oxblood color. This is a full size polish that retails for $18 and I am thrilled to receive it in my box. I think I am going to use it this weekend for a holiday party!

Butter London Lippy Tinted Balm: Just today, I went on a rant about how I hate the word “lippy” when used to mean “lipstick” or “lipgloss.” It seriously makes my skin crawl and I don’t know how this trend came about. People need to quit with that. Beauty bloggers are the WORST about it but I stand here, promising you all, that I will NEVER use that term UNLESS it is part of the product name. Today, that is the case. Although I hate the NAME of the product, I actually really like it. I learned today I am a lipstick hoarder when I discovered I am currently carrying around 18 lip products JUST IN MY PURSE. No wonder I have back issues. This is a pretty sheer, satin-y red, which is very much in my wheel house. I am going to put it in my purse and make it 19 lip products. This is a full size product that retails for $20!

Burberry Beauty Fresh Glow Luminous Fluid Base in Nude Radiance: I am going to tell you something that is probably not a secret if you have been reading this blog for any amount of time: I am kind of a brand/label whore. I dream about someday owning a Burberry trench coat. This will likely never happen because I cannot imagine spending that kind of money on a coat but that is just the ultimate to me. In the meantime, I can channel my quest for Burberry by using their beauty products. I have never used any of their products before and I like luminizing products. The great thing about receiving samples of luminizing products in boxes is that you never really need that much so you never have to actually go out and specifically buy it. I’m excited to mix a tiny bit with my foundation for a glow-y fresh look.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye: I have been on a quest to find the best eye cream and I have been stumped for awhile. These days, so many eye creams claim to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and a lot of times, these are gels that make my skin feel really tight. I HATE THAT. All I want is a moisturizing eye cream that may also have some anti-aging properties, but moisturizing is key. I have incredibly dry skin around my eyes so I have been working hard to try to find the best cream and so far, this one seems fantastic. It is almost a cross between a gel and a cream and feels very light on the skin but still very moisturizing. I didn’t get a full size of this but the sample size should last me awhile. The full size is $62 for 1 ounce and $92 for 1.7 ounces.

Crabtree & Evelyn Ultra Moisturizing Hand Therapy in Verbena and Lavender: Like the skin around my eyes, I have very dry hands in the winter. Good ol’ Dry Knuckle here. I’ve always loved Crabtree and Evelyn products. They always seemed so rich and luxurious when I was younger. I really like this hand cream. This is going to replace a cheaper hand cream in my purse pronto. This was a purse size version which retails for about $8 but a 100g tube will run $20.

I am rating this month’s Allure Sample Society a strong A. I am going to use every single item in this box right away, not just someday like some things I get. I especially love the eye cream, nail polish, lipstick, luminizer, and the lipstick. Yes. I just named all the products I got. I love them all. If you would like to sign up for $15/mo, feel free to use my referral code: LAUR324430