Allure Sample Society: April 2015

Allure Sample Society is normally one of my very favorite boxes. It’s the one I tell everyone to get over Birchbox and Ipsy.  For $15/month, Allure Sample Society will send a variety of hair/makeup/body deluxe samples from high end brands I’ve heard of before. It’s the box I most look forward to every month because in addition to the samples, the Allure editors include a mini-mag detailing their opinions of the products they included.

However, the April box doesn’t have the value I’m used to. Let’s take a look at the products they included!

Check out that pretty mini-mag!

Here’s what they put in the box this month:

Let’s take a closer look:

• Mt. Sapola Lavender-Chamomile Body Lotion: I’ve been getting into a few essential oils thanks to my buddy Katie Hanson and while this product didn’t come from her, it very much smells like the lavender essential oil it contains. The lavender and chamomile are such relaxing scents. I put it on in the evening and it immediately made me feel a little more sleepy. The mini mag says the scent is strong, which is accurate. I think it’s better to wear at night so it doesn’t compete with your daytime scent.
• Jane Iredale Just Kissed Lip Plumper in Rio: The mini mag says that this luminous brown sheen reminds them of Brazilian supergoddess Adriana Lima. But on me, this brown lipstick looks downright terrible. This is a plumping lipstick and at first I thought it had cinnamon in it but the card said it was peppermint. WHAT ARE SPICES ANYWAY.
• Tonka Noir Luxury Scented Candle: This was my absolute favorite item in in the box. I’ve never been a candle girl but I sort of WANT to be a candle girl. I had some old candles I threw away in my move so I’m on the lookout for Nice Grown Up Candles I can use around my house. I put this one in our guest bathroom and even though it’s not lit yet, it has the most wonderful smell. The card says the notes are: mandarin, plum, rose, jasmine, tonka bean (which I have never heard of before) musk, sandalwood and Madagascar vanilla. I’m terrible at distinguishing scents but I could definitely smell the rose/vanilla/sandalwood. I’m excited to light this when we have company.

• Benefit the Porefessional: I love this stuff but I feel like I keep getting it over and over and over again in different subscription boxes. I guess this means I never have to buy a full size but I would also love to try something new. This wasn’t originally marketed as a primer but that’s what it’s great for. It feels like velvet on your skin and helps pores appear smaller and it’s a beige-y/peachy tint that helps skin looks great prior to foundation. So that’s neat. But I want to try something else now.
• Bumble and bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil: Here’s a story… I decided to try this earlier today and I put a little bit in my hair and immediately dropped the rest on the floor. It’s suppose to smooth your hair to prevent frizzy-ness but I’m not sure I used enough because my hair was still sort of frizzy but also was a bit too slick. It didn’t look greasy but it felt *too* smooth? I don’t know. It’s possible I’m terrible at doing my hair and I shouldn’t drop my products on the floor.
• Daisy Dream by Marc Jacobs: I’m don’t really like receiving fragrance samples in boxes. It just seems like a cop out because you can get these free at Sephora by just asking! You don’t even have to make a purchase. As for the fragrance itself, I actually like it. I haven’t been crazy about Marc Jacobs’ scents in the past several years but this one doesn’t smell as cloying as the previous ones. I loved his original woman’s fragrance. The other ones have felt like teenager perfumes to me but Daisy Dream smells more mature despite its name.

Final Grade: D

While I liked several of the products in this box, I think the value was pretty dismal this month. Half the products you could get for free if you just asked for them and the lipstick was an awful shade. I don’t think the box was worth the $15 I paid for it. However, the last several Allure Sample Society boxes have been great so I think my standards for them are just a bit higher. They set the bar too high! However, every box has its off month so hopefully next month we will be back to bigger and better samples next month.

Maybe I’ll go light my candle.

If you are interested in Allure Sample Society click here. They have a referral program that I don’t understand at all. If someone could explain it to me, that would be great. 

I pay for this subscription and all opinions are my honest opinions.