Thursday, October 30, 2014

Ipsy - October 2014

As with my October Allure Sample Society box, I opened my Ipsy bag on my YouTube Channel right after it came, but procrastinated on this post so I'm coming in just under the wire to actually get it posted while it's still October.  This month's Ipsy theme was Beauty Candy.



The first item in my bag was a Noyah Lipstick sample in the shade Deeply in Mauve.  Noyah lipsticks are all natural and the company also makes lip balms and glosses.  When I first opened the lipstick I was worried the shade would be too dark for me but I've tried it on since and really enjoy it.  It has a semi-matte finish but isn't drying.  My one complaint would be that the packaging on the sample is really cheap and I'm worried it's going to break apart.  The full sized lipsticks retail for $18 making this 1.4 gram sample worth $5.60.



Second was a Skone Cosmetics Tattooed Waterproof Eyeliner.  This is a black liquid liner with a felt tip applicator.  I'm not a huge black eyeliner person but I will say when I swatched this on my hand and then let it dry during the filming of my unbagging. it did not budge when I wiped it with a tissue after a few minutes.  So if you're looking for a stay put waterproof liner and like the felt tip liquid kind this seems like a decent one.  I received a full sized liner worth $15.



Next up was a Figs & Rouge Hand Cream in the scent Rose Berry.  I really like the cute packaging and great for the purse size of this cream.  I am finding I really like products with shea butter in them and this cream seemed to absorb quickly and was nicely moisturizing.  When I first tried it out I was getting over a cold so the scent seemed pretty mild to me, but once my nose was back to normal I realized it actually has quite a strong sugary berry scent.  I don't love the smell but it's one that fades quickly rather than sticking around all day so I will end up using this lotion.  The 20 ml size I received in my bag retails for $6.60.


The fourth product in my bag was a sample of the Indie Lee Brightening Cleanser.  Like the hand cream this cleanser also has a berry scent, which the website lists as coming from strawberries.  I have used this cleanser once so far and the scent was stronger than I would like in a face wash and also smelled a little plasticy to me.  However my skin didn't seem sensitive to the ingredients so I will finish the sample, but at $32 for the full size I can't see myself repurchasing this.  The 0.5 oz sample I received is worth $4.


Finally in my bag was a Nicole by OPI Nail Polish in the Ipsy Exclusive shade Gilt Trip.  I love getting nail polish in my beauty subscriptions and this shimmery gold color will be great for the holidays.  The retail price of Nicole by OPI polishes varies depending on the retailer so for a value I'm going to go with an average price of $6.99.


The bag itself this month is a cute quilted teal bag that feels like one of the best quality ones I've received from Ipsy so far.  This will definitely get some use as my purse makeup bag.


Overall this was a pretty good Ipsy bag and I'll get use out of all the products.  I received 3 full size products and 2 decent sized samples, and the bag had an overall value of $38.15.  If you'd like to try Ipsy it is a monthly subscription service that costs $10/month including shipping.  I also have a referral link you can use here.  My video unboxing of this bag along with a review of September's products is below.

Allure Sample Society - October 2014

I unboxed my October Allure Sample Society Box on my YouTube Channel the day after it arrived, but I'm really late getting up this post.  It's also been really overcast and rainy here so I've started using an inexpensive light box for my photos versus natural light; I'm hoping as I get more used to this method my photos improve some.  October's box technically had 6 items since I received both a shampoo and conditioner sample from Loreal.


First up was an Estee Lauder Enlighten Dark Spot Correcting Serum.  This is a 7 ml sample worth $14.46.  The Allure mini magazine included in the box says that this is a redness and sun spot fading serum, both of which are problems I have so I'm excited to try this out.  I was also happy to find that the serum isn't heavily scented or perfumey, because I've had a bad reaction to serums that contain a heavy fragrance.



The second item in my box was the Bond No. 9 perfume sample in the scent Highline.  The mini magazine lists this scent as a mix of bergamot, purple love grass, rhubarb, red-leaf rose, tulip, grape hyacinth, sea moss, bur oak, and musk.  That's a whole lot of scents in one perfume and unfortunately I don't love the scent.  I'm not a perfume person in general though, so it's very rare for me to find one I like.  This sample did come in a cute little package wrapped up like a piece of candy.  Bond No. 9 sells this size in an 18 pack sampler "Bon-Bon Box" for $260, which gives this single sample a crazy high value of $14.44. 




Third and fourth in my box were the Loreal Paris Advanced Haircare Total Repair 5 Restoring Shampoo & Conditioner samples.  I was a little surprised to see Loreal in a Sample Society box since they usually stick to high end products.  However I'm happy they sent both the shampoo and conditioner so I can test out how well they work in conjunction with each other. These are supposed to counteract weakness, roughness, dullness, and dehydration, so I'm hoping they help with my thick and somewhat frizzy hair.  Since the full size varies in price and you can buy these travel sized bottles in stores for around a dollar, I'm going to give these a value of $1 each or $2 total for the set.




Next up was the Emi Jay Hair Tie 3 Pack.  I love fabric hair ties but have never tried the Emi Jay brand so I was very happy to get these in my box.  They feel like good quality ties and I will get plenty of use out of them.  This three pack is sold for $6.60.



Finally I received the Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara in Black.  I definitely groaned a little at another black mascara sample, but I've also never tried any Bobbi Brown products before so one positive is that I get to try a new-to-me brand.  This has a good sized fiber bristle wand and Allure calls this a "safely dramatic" mascara that is good for everyday. The mascara is a 3ml sample worth $16.80.




Overall this was a decent box and for my $15 subscription price I calculated a value of $54.27.  This is a great value, but I do think it's inflated by the high price of the perfume sample.  If you'd like to give Allure Sample Society a try visit the Beautybar.com link here.  As I mentioned above I unboxed this on my YouTube Channel and also reviewed the products from the September box after the October unboxing.