Ipsy - December 2014

My Ipsy bag arrived this week, and December's Theme is Thinking of You.  Unlike the recent cards with the Ipsy stylists on the front this months card had several variations of messages on them, mine was "Creative Genius".

Bumble and Bumble Repair Blow Dry -  This was one of several Bumble and Bumble products sent out this month and I'm glad I received the Repair Blow Dry because I blow dry my hair daily and this is similar to other products I've purchased myself.  The website lists it as being for dry, damaged hair that needs heat protection.  The 0.5 oz sample size I received should be enough for me to decide if I like it enough to repurchase, and has a value of $3.

Cailyn Just Mineral Eye Polish  -  I received this in the shade Orchid, which is a shimmery champagne beige color.  It includes a sponge applicator in the packaging and is closed up except for the applicator opening.  This feature is nice because it prevents the mineral shadow from spilling everywhere like others I've tried (I'm looking at you BareMinerals), but might also make it difficult to get the last of the product out.  The eye polish is full size and worth $15.

Nourish Organic Renewing Eye Cream -  Ipsy has sent out Nourish Organic products before but this is the first one I've received.  I enjoy trying all-natural beauty products so I am interested to try this out.  It is a 0.5 oz tube which is a generous size for an eye cream and I like that it is in a squeeze tube rather than the little containers you have to dip a finger into to use.  I couldn't find this when I searched online, and read on the Makeup Talk boards that this is a new product Nourish Organics is releasing in January.  While it is nice to get to try something new, it unfortunately made it impossible for me to accurately value the eye cream or be able to tell if it's a sample or full size product.  I'm going to assign it a value of $5 which is in keeping cost/volume wise with their face cream but I'm guessing that may end up being on the low end of what it sells for if the 0.5 oz ends up being the full size.

NYX Butter Lip Balm -  I received this in the color Parfait, a light pink, which was one of 4 colors Ipsy sent out.  I really enjoy the NYX Butter Glosses and am looking forward to trying this balm out.  Like most tinted balms this isn't highly pigmented but I like that for times when you just want a light wash of color or for when you need to apply a lip product without a mirror as balms are easy to do that with. This is a full sized lip balm with a value of $4.

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara -  I have the full size of this mascara that I received back in May in the Allure Summer Beauty Box.  It does add quite a but of length and volume so I like it as a night out mascara but find too heavy for me during the day.  It also dries a little hard and doesn't leave my lashes soft.  Overall though I do like it in my mascara rotation and will use this sample size when my full size is dried up. The 3mL sample is worth $8.33.

The bag this month is a satiny black bag with a pink zipper and detachable pink heart Ipsy charm.  It's not my favorite bag so far but I don't dislike it either and I'm sure I will get some use out of it.

Overall I'm happy with my Ipsy bag for December.  I will use all of the products I received and my bag had a total estimated value of $35.33, though as mentioned the eye cream value was just a guess on my part.  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 that also includes a review of my November products is below.

Allure Sample Society - September 2014

September is my second month receiving Allure Sample Society, which is a monthly beauty box subscription that costs $15.  Each box contains 5 deluxe sized samples, or sometimes full sized products.  It also comes with an Allure "mini magazine" that describes all the products.  Allure does release a few spoilers and this month I managed to just read one of them and the rest of the contents were a surprise.  As usual I unboxed this subscription on my Makeup Miscellaneous YouTube Channel and I've also embedded the video at the end of this post.

The first product I received was the one spoiler item I knew about, and that was the Restorsea Revitalizing Eye cream.  This eye cream is a full sized 0.5 oz product worth a whopping $85.  Given the price tag, it will have to work miracles on my fine lines and dark circles for me to actually repurchase it, however I am happy to have received it in my box.  It is a fairly thick cream but absorbed quickly when I tested it on my hand and didn't feel greasy.  It also came with a little plastic spoon to use, which I like vs using my finger.

Next I received a sample sized Lorac Porefection Mattifying Face Primer.  I've tried a sample of Lorac's eye primer before but haven't tried out their face primer so I'm curious to give it a shot.  It is a clear primer that's free from oils, parabens, and fragrance.  When I tested it on my hand it absorbed quickly and felt very smooth, and reminded me some of the Maybelline Baby Skin that I use and like.  The 50 mL full size of this Lorac primer is $32, making this 12 mL sample worth $7.68.

The third item in my box was the Alterna Caviar Repairx Re-texturizing Protein Cream.  This is a leave in conditioner with caviar extract, vitamin C, and Seasilk.  The conditioner is a thick cream and smells slightly lemony.  I use a leave in product regularly (typically It's a 10 Leave in with Keratin) so I'm interested to try this and see how it compares to others I've tried.  The sample size is a generous 1.35 oz, which has a value of $9.26.

I also received three Tarte Brazilliance Maracuja Self Tanning Face Towelettes.  I'm not a self tanner so I don't know if I'll use these, but may try them out at some point.  I doubt I'll start with my face first though and will probably try them on my legs.  I haven't opened any of the packets up but the Allure mini magazine says they don't have a self tanner smell, which is nice.  These three towelettes have a value of $9.

The final product in my box was a Givenchy Dahlia Divin Eau de Parfum sample.  I'm not much of a perfume person since I tend to be very sensitive to scents and unfortunately this one doesn't seem like one that I'll be able to use.  The mini magazine lists it as having notes of jasmine, patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, and Mirabelle plum.  To me it has a strong musky floral scent and is just a bit too much for my nose.  The full sizes of this perfume range from $65 for 30 mL to $110 for $75 mL.  The sample I received doesn't have a volume measurement so I'm going to give it a value of $2, mainly since this is the type of sample you can get for free at perfume counters.

Overall I'm pretty pleased with September's Sample Society Box.  I may not use everything but I will enjoy trying the eye cream, primer, and conditioner.  This box had an overall value of $112.94, which is amazing considering the $15 I paid.  I'm already looking forward to Octobers sample society box.  In addition to unboxing this months box on YouTube I also did a brief review of August's box when I was done opening the September box.  The video is embedded below.