Sample Society July 2014

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I loved my box this month. First, I loved the red glossy outer box and the white shreddy paper rather than the black, because it didn't leave black dust on anything and still managed to absorb leaks (my hair mask leaked a bit, but it didn't get on anything else) and provide padding. I liked that the mini magazine actually referenced the items in the box. I love the Laura Mercier highlighter. The texture is great and I see no glitter. I think this may de-throne Mary Lou-Manizer. The fragrance reminds me of a more sophisticated and soapy version of Bvlgari Au The Vert, which I love, but like most fragrances in this category, it doesn't stick around for long, unfortunately. I haven't tried the hair mask, but it's a nice size. Do you put on hair masks before you shampoo or after you condition? I received the L'Oreal in the coral color, and honestly, I'm not a huge fan. The color is a little off on me. I received the Butter polish in Champers. It's a color I will definitely use, but I also have some dupes of. The box seemed very well balanced, with a mix of hair/nails/makeup/fragrance.

While the Sample Society revamp seems positive in my book, I hope that they continue to carry mostly (or all) high-end brands and niche fragrances. The reason I subbed to Sample Society was to get the high end samples (Sisely, Orlane, Diptyque) that never seem to appear in any of the other beauty subs. I'm also super glad to see some new brands and a box without Murad/Alterna/Borghese/etc. 

 
Don't be scared of Ruby Opera, girls, rock that lippie with pride! I have very fair skin and I tried it anyway, and I think it looks pretty nice. I'm like... see-through pale, probably paler than most of you. People who consider themselves pale look tan next to me :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Now THAT'S pale :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

whiiiiiiiiiiiiiite.jpg
I totally agree......... that color looks AMAZING on you!!!

 
I don't think it was answered, but for those wondering: everyone's powder should be 01 Highlight. The LM powder comes in other colors, but they are all different shades of bronze. :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 
I totally agree......... that color looks AMAZING on you!!!
Sorry for the confusion, I'm not actually wearing it in these photos, I just posted them for the reference of my paleness. My Mom called dibs on the lippie right after I swatched it, so she has it now [she's staying with hubs and I for a few weeks so she's basically raiding my stash every day, haha. Not that I mind, I have way too much stuff!]. Anyhow, after seeing some comments earlier in this thread, I just wanted to mention that it looks great even with really pale skin, so that shouldn't be an issue.

 
 This is the best SS box I have ever received, it was what I wanted from them way back when I first signed up last year . I ended up cancelling that after 5 months of mostly moisturizers. So glad they have revamped, and hoping future boxes will be as good as this month.

 
Sorry for the confusion, I'm not actually wearing it in these photos, I just posted them for the reference of my paleness. My Mom called dibs on the lippie right after I swatched it, so she has it now [she's staying with hubs and I for a few weeks so she's basically raiding my stash every day, haha. Not that I mind, I have way too much stuff!]. Anyhow, after seeing some comments earlier in this thread, I just wanted to mention that it looks great even with really pale skin, so that shouldn't be an issue.
ROFL!!! I think I understand, soooooooo what is that lip product and color in the first picture? Love it!

 
can someone comment on the texture of the lip product? i prefer matte lipsticks, or staining type lip products just because everything wears off on me so easily.. i generally don't like lipgloss because it's sticky and I always manage to get my hair stuck in it lol. I did like this bare minerals lip gloss that i got from sephora i think because it was more like an opaque stain

 
Don't be scared of Ruby Opera, girls, rock that lippie with pride! I have very fair skin and I tried it anyway, and I think it looks pretty nice. I'm like... see-through pale, probably paler than most of you. People who consider themselves pale look tan next to me :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Now THAT'S pale :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

whiiiiiiiiiiiiiite.jpg
Gorgeous!! I love it! 

Pale skin and red lips are such a classic combination that I just can't accept that there's any such thing as "too pale for red lips"!  I *can* get behind "*so* overdosed on red that I need something else."  That's where I am right now. 
Agreed, I have WAY too much bright red now, although I'd totally try that dark red. Don't have anything like that!

 
Yay, we got out of work early today (we did a volunteer project and then were free to go home after that), *and* my box was waiting for me when I got home!  I'm strangely disappointed by the fact that the polish (Bobby Dazzler) and gloss (Rose Melody) are in fact full-sized simply because deluxe samples are ADORABLE!  Which is why I'm a bit in love with the highlighter.

EXCEPT DO NOT BLOW ON YOUR BRUSH TO GET RID OF THE EXCESS POWDER AS SUGGESTED IN THE MAGAZINE.  I cannot believe they specifically recommended that people do so.  That's a surefire way to smear germs all over your face -- and back on your makeup (aka cooties breeding ground after you follow their "tip") when you touch the brush to the shimmer to pick more powder up.  Just tap it on the edge of the counter/sink.

 
girlygirl....my profile is blond with fair skin... Old Bill and Ruby Opera show on my dashboard.  I hope you have some luck with updating but it almost seems like the boxes are totally random.
Oh no,well," oh no"  for me, anyway. I'm calling their CS on Monday AM. I totally have thrown away all the dark shades of lip and nail products they have sent me over the years- I got BROWN lip gloss. Pure brown. Ellis Faas brand. I won't ever forget. I have nothing against the color brown, as my hair is brown and brown is a classic staple for things like eyeliner but on me, it's like a Zombie just entered the room from the funeral home. I look totally dead and without life in dark reds and browns.

I can do brights just fine. I love zany playful bright makeup. I hope I can convince them that our profiles DO matter. I don't want to throw away more products.

I adore the chance to try new premiere brands, or boutique brands which I wouldn't otherwise buy, but dang, there are so many shades other than dark colors which are also " Alluring

 
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I just did a swatch of my BL and it seemed thin and watery to me.  Is this typical of BLs?  I have never owned one (just swatched them).  I know other polishes can be thin but it probably did not help the BL I swatched it with one of the Ruffians from BB this month which seem really thick!

 
I just did a swatch of my BL and it seemed thin and watery to me.  Is this typical of BLs?  I have never owned one (just swatched them).  I know other polishes can be thin but it probably did not help the BL I swatched it with one of the Ruffians from BB this month which seem really thick!
I don't know about BL in particular, but IMO metallics like these always seem a bit thin. I have some from Nailtini, OPI, and I swatched one from Essie, and they do seem thinner than a creme polish.

 
I hope I can convince them that our profiles DO matter. I don't want to throw away more products.
You should start a swap/trade list instead of throwing out the items you won't use. I think I've seen you over on the Memebox forums so I'm sure you'll receive a thing or two in one of those boxes that doesn't appeal...for example something for oily skin or dry/sensitive skin. I use my extras in gifts baskets for family and friends but some items are just plain odd and not giftable. I've heard that others sell on eBay. Just a few ideas. :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />
 
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You should start a swap/trade list instead of throwing out the items you won't use. I think I've seen you over on the Memebox forums so I'm sure you'll receive a thing or two in one of those boxes that doesn't appeal...for example something for oily skin or dry/sensitive skin. I use my extras in gifts baskets for family and friends but some items are just plain odd and not giftable. I've heard that others sell on eBay. Just a few ideas. :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />
Swapping or saving for a gift is definitely the way to go!  MUT is in the middle of the first summer gift exchange (for Reasons, we ended up doing two rounds, and one is wrapping up while the other is still a little over a week from ship date!  Next year, there's just going to be one big Midsummer exchange), and Secret Santa is right around the corner.  I've found my swapping for some things has ground to a halt because now I look at some of this stuff and think, "Hmm, maybe I should save this for my fairy godchild/kiddo!"

ANYWAY.  Swaps!  We have a a few dedicated spaced to choose from for this. 

Sample Society-focused thread where you post within the thread:  https://www.makeuptalk.com/f/topic/132884-sample-society-swaps-trades-2014

General subscription/sample-oriented swap subforum where you create a thread dedicated to your swap list:  https://www.makeuptalk.com/f/forum/320-subscription-box-swaps/

There are other swap subforums, but since we're talking about subs and samples here, those are probably your best bet.

The up sides to posting in the thread:  It's very easy.  Post a brief list of what you have out of the current box and what you want, and that's that.  There's quite a bit of traffic in the box swap threads, especially when boxes are loaded onto accounts and/or received, so quite a few people probably see your post since they're all going directly to that thread looking for a particular item!  The down sides:  There's *so much* traffic, that it's easy as a reader to skim past something or see something, think you'll go back to the post to PM the member, and then forget about it as soon as you read the next post.  As a poster, it's easy to have your post end up buried in twenty other have/ISO posts as everyone else receives their boxes.  And you can't edit your posts in those threads after 24 hours. 

The down sides to creating a thread:  Uh...  It can be annoying to have to remember to maintain a long list?  The up sides are so numerous that they far outweigh the down side.  You have *one* post to maintain.  You can put a link to your swap list in your signature.  You can edit it as many times as you want.  Members can "like" a post there, and they will be notified whenever you edit it, so if you regularly swap with a particular person, you will get notified when they add stuff from their new boxes.  If you know how to create a thread in the general discussion area, you know how to create a swap post!

Uh...  Yeah.  There was something else I was going to say, but then I got distracted in the swap section with tracking down tutorial stuff, plus the turbo-boost-level strong coffee just kicked in (and kicked my headache in the teeth!  Yay!)!  If you have any questions, just let me know.  I know I'm forgetting something major and obvious, but I'm drawing a blank.

 
It's LAQA&Co fat lip pencil in Pinkman :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />
well shoot, I actually have that one and it sure did NOT look that good on me, lol!!! Thank you for the info and for inspiring me to dig thru my overwhelming number of plastic containers in order to find the forgotten lip pencil (I came across several other products which I had totally forgotten about that happened to be on my "wish" list - hubby was very delighted to see me shopping from my very own stash).... 

 
To answer the question above on the hair mask, It works like a deep conditioner. So, its best to use once a week instead of your regular conditioner.

 
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I LOVE the revamped Sample Society Box! I was just about to cancel. Seriously, they managed to find the absolute tiniest samples in existence. I am very happy to see that all the items were deluxe and full size. I loved my L'Oreal lip color, I got Ruby Opera, and it's perfect for me. The Butter London I got was The Old Bill, I don't own this one yet, and it's very pretty. I am very hopeful that future boxes will be great.

 
I just sent a long opposite-of-what-I-sent-to-Julep email to Beauty Bar!  I never do this, but I really, *really* want to encourage them to continue this kind of curation (except DO NOT BLOW ON YOUR MAKEUP BRUSHES EVER!):

Hi there --

I just wanted to give a little feedback on the revamped Sample Society.  In two words:  LOVE IT!  I used to subscribe to Sample Society intermittently, but it was *so* skincare-heavy that I kept canceling after a few months.  The *occasional* skincare item is nice, but at one point, I think I received four skincare items -- all some sort of lotion/cream/moisturizer/sunscreen, and typically anti-aging, which I can't use because it seems to always have something that sets off a round of allergic eczema (which I never have unless I use an anti-aging product!), and never for sensitive skin even though I believe that's what I have marked off on my profile -- and a lipgloss in one box.  (And I *still* remember the first time I subscribed:  I believe I started with the second-ever Sample Society box, and I received *acne* products in two out of three boxes!  One thing I do not have a problem with is acne.  This was back when boxes were not being personalized, so everyone received the same thing.  I just don't understand the logic in sending acne care to *all* subscribers like that.) 

In contrast, I've been a Birchbox subscriber since April 2011, and I haven't skipped or unsubscribed one single time -- I've actually added multiple subscriptions a couple of times -- since because they send a variety of products.  Give me one product from each of four or five different categories -- makeup, hair, skin, body, hands -- and I'm happy.   I'm not big on fragrance since I'm allergic to alcohol-based fragrance, but if the rest of the box is solid, that's not a big deal.

And this month's box hit it out of the park!  The fragrance was a miss for me, but that's typical.  The lipgloss was fantastic (especially since it's a color I don't tend to get!  I have a *ton* of reds and corals, but I think Rose Melody is now the *only* color in the baby rose family that I own), I love a good nail polish (I actually already own Bobby Dazzler, but that just goes to show that I received the right shade for me), hair masks are one of my weaknesses, and I am on a hardcore highlighter kick.  Just about perfect. 

I feel like this is the first time that a Sample Society box reflected what I expected from a subscription associated with _Allure_ magazine.  The beauty pages are my favorite out of every magazine ever, and they're the first thing I flip to every month when I receive my issue of _Allure_ (now that I think about it, this is the only magazine I subscribe to nowadays.  All of my other subscriptions are beauty boxes/bags!) in the mail each month, and, honestly, this is the kind of assortment I was *sure* was going to be in the boxes under the old program, but I was sorely disappointed and frustrated when that turned out to not be the case.  Please keep up this variety every month, and I *will* be figuring out a way to wedge this box into my budget every month!  It's nice to get fancy skincare once in a while, but when a box is mostly or all skincare, I can't cancel quickly enough, especially if it's not specifically for sensitive skin.

But I do have a huge problem with one little thing:  In the magazine, on the page for the highlighter, there is a direction to remove excess highlighter from your brush by BLOWING ON IT.  That made me cringe!  Never *ever* blow on your makeup brushes!  That is a surefire way to smear germs all over your skin, brush, and makeup!  My skin wants to break out just *thinking* about that.  Please oh please never, *ever* make that suggestion again!

But also please oh please keep up this nicely varied box curation!  I really missed getting a Sample Society box every month, but I just couldn't justify getting a box of creams I couldn't use month after month.  I look forward to seeing what August brings!
 
Thank you,
-- meagan

ETA:  I already received a personalized response!  They actually read my entire long-ass email!  It definitely sounds like _Allure_ is in charge of things now -- both in terms of product selection and magazine insert creation -- and that this is a brand new thing, so I think this could be the start of something great if they keep this up.  Here's the most relevant part of the email:

We have received a lot of positive feedback regarding the new Sample Society kits since Allure magazine took them over. They are providing more than just skincare (I completely understand the frustration of receiving 2-3 moisturizers a month!) and have included beauty products for all areas. As for the instructions regarding the Laura Mercier highlighter, unfortunately, Allure magazine will be writing these instructions directly, so we will have little say in what goes in the packets. However, every cosmetic user finds tips and tricks that work for their skin or that don't work for their skin. It sounds like you know your skin and how it reacts, so please trust yourself if you ever feel like the suggestions you received are incorrect!
 
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