Do you need a monthly subscription beauty box?

Today, let’s talk about subscription beauty boxes.  Have you heard of these things?  It’s almost like Netflix but with beauty goodies:  you sign up for a monthly delivery service of a box filled with sample sized products.  (Sometimes you get a full size, but that is the exception, not the rule.)

Photo taken from Birchbox's website

The products range depending on the service you sign up with, obviously.  Boxes cost $10 - $21 a month and come with 4-7 samples, again, depending on the service you pick.  Here’s a breakdown of some of the more popular subscription services:

• Birchbox
• $10/month
• 5 samples (I think.  I can’t find it on Birchbox’s website.)
• http://www.birchbox.com/
• Goodebox
• $16/month
• 6-7 samples
• http://goodebox.com/
• GlossyBox
• $21/month
• 5 samples
• http://www.glossybox.com/
• Beauty Box 5
• $12/month
• 4-5 samples
• http://www.beautybox5.com/
• Beauty Bar – Sample Society
• $15/month
• 5 samples
• http://www.beautybar.com/SampleSociety/About.qs

Now, don’t get me wrong:  I’m a sample addict.  I love samples and think they’re lots of fun.  However, I also love getting a full-sized lipstick that I adore.  Of  course, the boxes do introduce you to brands you might never have even heard of before!  

Photo taken from Beauty Box Five's website

With box services, you can sometimes customize by inputting your skin-tone and skin-type (oily, aging, sensitive, etc.).  Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean that your box is totally customized to fit you perfectly.  I’d rather spend $10 - $21 a month on a product I adore than to get five products that I’m meh about.  Plus, if a product were “anti-aging” or for a skin-tone darker than mine, it’d immediately have to go in the give-away pile.  Bummer.  

Photo taken from Glossybox's website

For me, these boxes aren’t a good deal.  I don’t just have an extra wad of cash each month to put toward samples that might not do me any good.  I think a better strategy would be to put aside $10 - $21 each month for six months to a year and buy yourself something really nice!  

Photo taken from Sample Society's website

These boxes are an issue of quality vs. quantity.  I’m not saying that the products in the box are always poor quality.  (I know for a fact that they aren’t.)  However, I’d rather have one truly stellar product that works great for me than a bunch of samples.

Do you need a subscription beauty box?  Well, if you have the extra money, go for it!  If you’re like me and try to pinch pennies here and there, then go without.  

XOXO

-K

Email me at orangelipstickblog@gmail.com

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None of the links in this blog post are affiliate links.  I will only ever use affiliate links to direct you to products I really like.

Neutrogena Shine Control Samples

Whoa - talk about drugstore samples!  First L'Oréal and now Neutrogena samples!

Neutrogena is releasing a new set of products for shine control and a foundation with SPF 20 is one of the new products.  This sample contained 10 Classic Ivory, 30 Buff, and 60 Natural.  I did a quick once-over of the display and it looks like they only have about two or three more colors, but maybe they haven't all been released yet. 

 Top to bottom:  10 Classic Ivory, 30 Buff, and 60 Natural

 10 Classic Ivory

 30 Buff

 60 Natural

Top to bottom:  10 Classic Ivory, 30 Buff, and 60 Natural

I thought I'd definitely match 10 Classic Ivory, but I think it's too yellow.  30 Buff looks better but it's still pretty dark for me.  I wouldn't say that any of these three colors would be a good fit.

But here's the doozy….this makeup has what I consider to be a fairly high price point.  The display said $13.99 for 1 fl oz. 

Some people will be happy paying that amount for this and, if it really does control shine for eight hours, I'd pay that for it, too.  However, I am SO oily that I highly doubt ANYTHING is going to combat that for eight hours.

I have the new Neutrogena Shine Control Primer that is shown in the promo image on this sample.  I'll save that review for a different time but I will say that I haven't seen any shine-controlling miracles to date.

So will you giving these a glance?  Plan on nabbing a sample card?  Are you ever able to properly color match at the drugstore?

XOXO

-K

P.S.

Feel free to email me at orangelipstickblog@gmail.com or tweet me at OrangeLipstickK

Will you find a match with L'Oréal Lumi?

One of my biggest hesitations with drugstore foundations is the risk of missing your color match.  There is nothing more frustrating than picking up a bottle of foundation only to get it home and realize it is SO WRONG for your skin.  This is made worse by the fact that you can't return it.  Bummer.

So how much am I loving this sample-stuffed display of the new L'Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous Makeup?!

(Sorry the pictures are sub-par - I had to use my phone's camera.  You can click on each picture to make it larger.)

The new makeup comes in 15 shades:  five warm, five neutral, and five cool shades.  Walgreens has these for $12.99 for 1 fl oz.  There should be something for most people to love here.  Darker-skinned ladies may have some problems, unfortunately.

Check out the swatches:

Top row (Warms):  W1-2 Porcelain/Light Ivory, W3 Nude Beige, W4 Natural Beige, W5 Sand Beige, W6 Sun Beige

Middle row (Neutrals):  N1-2 Soft Ivory/Classic Ivory, N3 Natural Buff, N4 Buff Beige, N5 True Beige, N7-8 Classic Tan/Cappuccino 

Bottom row (Cools):  C3 Creamy Natural, C4 Shell Beige, C5 Classic Beige, C6 Soft Sable, C7-8 Nut Brown/Cocoa

To the right of the 15 swatches is a swatch of the new L'Oréal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream in Light ($10.99 for 1 fl oz).  It's crazy!  It starts out white with gray grit in it.  Then, as you rub it into your skin it starts to release the color.  This swatch is quite heavy and I'd say it looks a little pinker in person.  I'm afraid it would be too dark on my face.

Plus, let us all remember that American BB creams are muuuuuch more like tinted moisturizers than actual Korean BB creams.  If you are a newbie to BB creams, please spend some time researching the ah-mahzing blog Musings of a Muse.  She has fabulous reviews of ALL KINDS of BB creams HERE.

I promise that I'll review two Skin 79 BB creams ASAP but for now, rely on the Muse! 

Will you be trying out the new L'Oréal samples?  Do you see a color that could work for you?  Have any experience with BB creams?  

XOXO

-K

P.S.

Feel free to email me at orangelipstickblog@gmail.com or tweet me at OrangeLipstickK

All items were purchased by Orange Lipstick for personal use and review purposes.