It’s time for a new Battle of the Boxes face-off! In one corner, we once again have Allure Sample Society, and in the other we now have Birchbox. In last years series, Allure was the reining champ, beating Ipsy by a landslide. Who will come out on top this time? Stay tuned to find out!
ALLURE SAMPLE SOCIETY by BEAUTYBAR.com
PRICE: $15/month (use code 5FORYOU to receive $5 off your first box!)
DATE OF DELIVERY: January 9th
In case you missed last years series, I’ll quickly explain how Sample Society works. Each month, you’re delivered a box of 5 beauty samples that have been hand picked by Allure editors. Along with your samples, you will also receive a mini magazine explaining each product, and a $10 online credit that can be used on a purchase of $50 or more.
INCLUDED THIS MONTH:
StriVectin Intensive Illuminating Serum – I’m currently making my way through another serum from Radical Skincare, so I haven’t tested this out yet, but I’ve always heard really great things about StriVection so I’m excited to give this a try!
Erno Laszlo Sea Mud Deep Cleansing Bar – I’m not usually a fan of cleansing bars, but this is really awesome. It foams into a gray colored lather, and leaves my skin feeling clean and refreshed. Immediately after rinsing it off, my face appeared brighter and the blackheads on my nose were almost entirely eliminated. A full size bar is $45, which is way too pricey for soap, but I really like it!
Zoya Lacquers in Eden Polish in Leslie – How pretty is this soft pastel purple?! It has a hint of blue, that makes it unlike any other lavender I own. In typical Zoya fashion, the formula is smooth, easy to use, and opaque in just two coats!
Philip B. Light-Weight Deep Conditioning Creme Rinse – This stuff did absolutely nothing for my hair. The texture is really thin and watery, so it doesn’t hydrate nicely, and I needed a ton of it to make it work. Despite the claims that this will make your hair really shiny, I didn’t notice any difference at all.
Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar – I am in love with this cream! It leaves my skin looking hydrated and fresh, but not in a greasy way, and it smells so pretty! The texture is light and creamy, and it contains skin loving anti-agers like Hyaluronic and Glycolic Acids. I can’t wait to purchase a full size!
Revlon PhotoReady Eye Art Lid + Line + Lash in Peach Prism – This eye duo looks more like an arts and crafts project, than a makeup item, but it’s actually really nice. The shadow side is extremely pigmented, creamy and easy to apply. It doesn’t crease, and it looks great on its own or under powder shadows. The glitter side, while pretty, is sadly not as great. It applies patchy and sparse, and a lot is needed just to line my upper lash line. However, it stays in place and doesn’t get everywhere (like in your eyes), so that’s definitely a plus!
L-R: Glitter, Shadow & Glitter on top of shadow
PRICE: $10/month
DATE OF DELIVERY: January 12th
Birchbox works pretty much the same as Sample Society, except without a $10 online credit each month. Inside every box, you’ll get 4-5 deluxe samples, which you can then purchase from the Birchbox store for reward points ($1 spent =1 point). You’ll also get the opportunity to buy themed boxes, like the current one from Tone It Up, and they offer monthly boxes for men as well.
INCLUDED THIS MONTH:
Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream – I ran out of my beloved First Aid Beauty Detox Eye Roller, so I decided to give this a try, and I was pretty underwhelmed. It’s lightweight and it blends nicely, but it’s not hydrating enough for my liking. Although it takes a few weeks to see results from a skincare product, after a few uses I can already tell this isn’t for me.
Curly Hair Solutions Curl Keeper Gel – My hair is slightly wavy, not curly, but I do like to wear gels when I scrunch it so I look forward to giving this a try. The sample is pretty massive, so it should last a while too.
Essential Elements Wake Up Rosemary Body Lotion – I really cannot stand the smell of this lotion. It’s a mix between mint and rosemary (so strange), and it’s really strong. On top of the smell, the texture is thin and watery, so it doesn’t do much for hydration. I think the apothecary packaging is cute, but I just cannot get past the scent.
Miracle Skin Transformer Treat & Conceal Eye & Face (medium)– The texture of this concealer reminds me of the Perfekt Skin Perfection Gels. It’s really airy and lightweight, and it feels like velvet on the skin. However, it’s not quite enough coverage for me, and it can look cakey under the eyes.
theBalm Stainiac Blush – The name of this product does not lie, it truly stains the skin. Although it looks like an intense red in the tube, on the cheeks it blends out into the prettiest natural pink flush. I can definitely see myself buying a full size!
Heavy swatch
The “stain” left behind
Although there is a $5 difference between these two, they both contained great samples, and were delivered in a timely manner. I’ve been reaching for items from both boxes, but there can be only one winner, and that winner is….SAMPLE SOCIETY!
I loved nearly every single item Sample Society sent, with the exception of the dreadful conditioner, and they threw six samples this month. Though Birchbox was also great, the funky lotion and mediocre eye cream failed to impress me. Are you surprised by the winner? Which one would you choose?!
All items mentioned in this post were purchased by me.
I’m so jealous of your Sample Society box! I think if they had a great rewards system like Birchbox, I might consider resubscribing. It’s disappointing that the eye cream isn’t great–I now have three samples to get through!
A rewards program is definitely the only thing lacking from Sample Society! The eye cream isn’t terrible, I just prefer ones that are really thick and hydrating, hopefully you can get through yours!
I agree, Sample Society was awesome this month! I’ve received that eye cream from Birchbox and I wasn’t impressed either. That purple Zoya is gorgeous 🙂
I used the eye cream again today, just to be sure I wasn’t giving it an unfair review, and yeah it’s not for me lol. Sample Society has continued to impress me month after month!
I agree by the looks of the photos you have provided, Sample Society is the winner! Thanks for sharing this amazing post <3
xo Brigette | http://www.brigetteramos.com
Glad you liked it! 🙂
wow! Allure for the win! What an incredible box
Right?! They continue to impress me month after month!
I agree, Sample Society is the clear winner, and for a polish lover like me, that full size Zoya makes the whole box worth it for me 😉 thanks for the comparison!
It’s definitely great to get a full size polish, and Zoya has the prettiest shades too!
Hmm… I’d love to try both the Stainiac & that Revlon eye duo so either box would make me happy! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Stanianc is a great product, I’m definitely going to invest in a full size!
I liked the Allure box better, too. Although I would like to know who actually thinks that a bar of soap is worth $45?
I know, I was floored when I saw the price. I just cannot justify spending that on a bar of soap, no matter how nice it is!
The Allure box looks great. I love hope products. Smells always sell me, so I always have that basket of products from my sub boxes that I would love to use, but just can’t because the smell is atrocious.
I’m big on smells too, and the rosemary/minty lotion was just bad, really really bad. I threw it out after just one use, such a shame!
The Allure box looks way nicer.
Considering it’s only $5/more each month, it definitely blows most other boxes out of the water!
THAT ZOYA!!! OMgosh, is that from the new spring collection? I think I read something about this box containing one… Anyhoo, it’s GORGEOUS. And that Erno Lazslo soap is almost intriguing enough to try… Okay, more than almost. That price tag, though… All in all, the Allure box wins for me, too.
I do believe it’s from their new Spring collection, isn’t is so pretty?! And yeah, the soap is incredibly expensive, it’s nice, but I could never spend that much on a bar of soap! lol
The Allure box wins imo just for the Zoya alone hehehe!
That Revlon eyeshadow, WOW! A gorgeous colour too, can’t beat a good neutral shade! I can;t wait for that to come to the UK 🙂 xx
There are some gorgeous products in both boxes, but I’d love to have a Philosophy sample to see if it’s something I’d be happy with!
Great products in both boxes! I agree…Sample Society looks great!
I was interested to see your BB as I got the Stainiac too and the body lotion. I was the opposite to you, loved the smell and texture of the lotion but the lip stain wasn’t strong enough for my liking. Thanks for giving me some insight into Allure, interested to see what they offer too. http://www.yummomummo.blogspot.com
I’ve never heard of Sample Society! I’ve been toying with Birchbox or Ispy recently, but will probably have to check out Sample Society now as well! Thank you 🙂
iamkelskels.blogspot.com
I think you just convinced me to give SampleSociety a go, I had been on the fence for a while. More and more I’m falling out of love with Birchbox, but their point system is just so temping!