My Allure Sample Society box for November arrived Monday afternoon. This month shipping happened on the 7th instead of the 5th which is their usual shipping date. I received five sample sized products.
Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Omega+ Nourishing Oil - This is an oil that is supposed to moisturize and strength hair with Omega-3 and caviar extract among the ingredients. I've had mixed results with hair oils, some being too greasy and others not doing much for my hair but I will give this one a try. The dropper on my bottle was bent but it doesn't seem to interfere with dispensing the product so shouldn't be an issue. The 0.2 oz sample size I received has a value of $4.47.
Malin + Goetz Bergamont Body Wash - This is my first Malin + Goetz product so I'm interested to try it out since I've heard good things about the brand. This was also the early spoiler that sample society released before the end of October. The Bergamont body wash has a strong citrus scent and since bergamont is used in Earl Grey tea it has a pretty similar aroma. I'm hoping this body wash is nicely moisturizing since my skin gets really dry as the weather gets colder. The 1 oz sample size has a value of $2.25.
MD Solar Sciences MD Creme Mineral Beauty Balm - I've seen MD Solar Sciences products in Ipsy before but have never received one of their products before this box. This tinted BB cream has a matte finish and SPF 50. It seems like more of a summer appropriate item, but I wear SPF year round so I'll still use it this time of year as long as it isn't drying. The color I received is light/medium which is too dark for my skin when concentrated, but since BB creams have such light coverage it blends out light enough that I"ll still be able to use it. The sample I received is 4.81 grams with a value of $5.35, however tube feels almost empty and has to be squeezed at the bottom to get out any BB cream. Even if the amount in the tube is the full amount listed, the size of the container is pretty deceiving and I don't think I'll be able to get more than a couple of uses out of this.
Lorac Cobra Mascara - This is the third black mascara I've received in the four months I've been getting Sample Society so I can't say I was really excited to get this in my box. It does have a unique shaped bristle head that mimics the shape of a cobra head (hence the name). The Allure mini mag describes this as a very wet formula which isn't typically my favorite but I'll give it a try. The full size has a value of $20, making my 0.14 oz sample worth $11.20.
Calvin Klein Reveal Perfume - As with the mascara this is the third perfume sample I've received in 4 months, and since I rarely use perfume it's even less exciting to me than all the black mascaras. Reveal is described as having notes of raw salt, pink pepper, black pepper, white pepper, orris, ambergris, sandalwood, cashmeran, and vetiver. I could definitely smell the peppery spiciness to it which made it unique compared to the floweriness of a lot of perfumes, so if you are a perfume person looking for a warmer winter scent this might be a good one to check out. It is a really strong one though and I smelled it in the room for hours after I sprayed it so it's way to strong for me. The prices very depending on the size bottle but using the price of $50 for a 1 oz bottle the 0.04 oz sample is worth $2.
Overall November's box was a bit of a disappointment for me. As I mentioned above this is my fourth box with Sample Society and I've gotten a lot of very similar products already. The value of this months box is $25.27 which is more than the $15 subscription cost, but also the lowest value box so far by almost half. I will be looking out for December's box spoiler but unless it's a really exciting product I think I may cancel before the December box charge. There is currently no box customization options so there is not a way to reduce the number of perfume samples I receive and I'm overloaded with mascaras and hair products for the time being. I know everyone's needs & wants vary though, so if you think Allure Sample Society is a subscription that you'd enjoy receiving you can sign up at the beautybar.com link here. In addition to the box, subscribers also receive a monthly coupon code for $10 off a $50 purchase at beautybar.com. I did unbox this on my YouTube Channel and the video is below if you'd like to see first impressions and some more product close-ups, as well as a quick review of what I thought of October's box.
