Sample Society Product Reviews - Murad, Alterna, Jane Iredale, Oscar De La Renta, Caudalie

Doesn't this just LOOK luxurious! This might be my favorite box that I ever got from them. Each one is a spa day in a box. Click here to sign up! 





Something that they're doing now is letting you purchase past boxes, which I think is awesome! 


Murad Clarifying Cleanser - 6.75 FL. OZ.

Well, pretty much what they said! It's a very concentrated gel and after using it, my skin actually felt like it was absorbing my serum and moisturizer better. After use, your pores are tighter and you can see a difference in the amount of blackheads that you get after just one use. I wouldn't recommend this for dry skin, but if you're acne prone, check this one out. Murad is serious skincare, I have yet to use a Murad product that wasn't amazeballs.

Murad Clarifying Cleanser - 6.75 FL. OZ. This powerful gel cleanser combats acne and skin breakouts. The rich lather strips away pore-clogging grime, oil and irritants as it helps treat and prevent acne breakouts with time-released medication that remains active for hours, even after rinsing.

Alterna Bamboo Style Boho Waves

Alterna is another company that has yet to do me wrong. I LOVE this spray, I bought a full sized bottle after I used up my sample bottle (which says a lot considering I probably got 3 different bottles in different beauty samplers). Another product that does exactly what it says. Full, loose, sexy waves that give you a controlled tousled look. Since my hair is super fine, I really like the texture that it adds.

Alterna Bamboo Style Boho Waves Tousled TextureMist What is it: A weightless texturizing mist that instantly gives you natural, tousled, "just-back-from-the-beach" waves.Who is it for: Perfect for anyone who wants to add volume, texture, and a healthy shine to their hair.Why is it different: It combines bamboo extract and blue yucca root to help create long-lasting styling effects.How do I use it: Spray on damp or dry hair from roots to ends and shape with fingers for loose, tousled style.From Alterna.

Jane Iredale Just Kissed

An absolutely GORGEOUS, universally flattering lippie. This line really does plump your pout painlessly and beautifully. No feathering, long wearing and non drying.

Jane Iredale Just Kissed Sugar&Butter Jane Iredale new lip exfoliator and plumper, has gone to the top of the popularity list, so jane Iredale decided to bring out three new plumpers that we’ve named Just Kissed because that’s what they feel like! Plump up your attitude with Just Kissed, a rich, shea butter based tinted lip plumper. Just Kissed uses a peptide that has been shown to increase hydration and collagen synthesis, helping to reduce feathering. The gentle formula won’t sting or leave lips sticky. Plus, it comes in three wearable shades. Milan is a soft, matte pink, Sydney is a subtle, warm coral, NYC is a flattering neutral – a makeup bag staple!, Madrid (fueled by purple and blue tones) and Tokyo (a fierce but universally flattering red). Formula Benefits: Spearmint and peppermint oils, in combination with ginger root extract, stimulate blood circulation making lips fuller faster and without pain Shea butter, sunflower oil and aloe vera soften and hydrate Essential oils of lemon and tangerine help to exfoliate dead skin cells Unique time released peptides ensure lips stay plump Jane Iredale Just Kissed Lip Butter is available in Milan (fashion's newest pink), Sydney (a subtle, warm coral), NYC (a rockin' neutral), Madrid (fueled by purple and blue tones) and Tokyo (a fierce but universally flattering red). Net Weight: 2.3 g / 0.08 oz. Ingredients: Triisostearyl Citrate, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Beeswax, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Flavor, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Tribehenin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Vaccinium Macrocarpon (Cranberry) Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate. May Contain: Mica (CI 77019), Iron Oxides (CI 77489, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Carmine (CI 75470).

Live In Love by Oscar de la Renta for Women Eau de Parfum Spray 3.4 oz

AND another product that I had to buy the full size of. It's a green floral, so not so sweet and cloying as many florals are. It starts out with a strong lily-of-the-valley floral blast, but it unfolds really quickly into a lovely soft green scent. It will last forevah on your clothing but not be overpowering on your skin. When I wear this, my mister likes to nuzzle me which to me is a top endorsement since I normally have to harangue him for his opinion on perfumes. (and the man even used to work the men's fragrance department at Dillards for pete's sake!)

Live In Love by Oscar de la Renta for Women Eau de Parfum Spray 3.4 oz Live In Love by Oscar de la Renta for Women Eau de Parfum Spray 3.4 oz

There is simply nothing I can say that they haven't already. Luxurious, refreshing, hydrating, plumping. Expensive and worth every single penny. I've been a Caudalie devotee for over a decade for a reason. This feels amazing on tired eyes and is like a full night's sleep in a bottle.

Caudalie Premier Cru The Eye Cream 0.5 oz
An antiaging cream to refresh the eye area. This luxurious cream offers ultimate antiaging action for instantly transformed eyes. Perfectly hydrated, the skin is smoother and firmer. Dark circles and puffiness fade away and the eye area is brightened with renewed youth. Caudalie's three signature patents are blended at their highest concentration for unparalleled age-fighting power: Resveratrol-Oleyl for lifting and firming, Viniferine for brightening, and antioxidant-rich grape-seed Polyphenes. 


And some beautiful handcrafted earrings by

Beauty Bar Sample Society Product Reviews (Borghese, Vbeaute, Jouer, Sisley, Vincent Longo) and spots now open!

Sample Society is a joint effort between beauty site Beauty Bar and Allure magazine. Bonus- when you join, you get a free one year sub to Allure- no strings attached! I've taken to leaving my copy on the front porch swing because the little girls in the neighborhood like to come over and hang out on the swing and look at the pictures when they get home from school. I'm recruiting tiny little beauty mavens! They eagerly await my coming home from work so they can beg a swipe of a perfume sample or what have you. Their moms are okay with me dabbing on the tiniest lil' swipes of lip gloss and such :-)

They haven't been taking new members for a while, but spots are now open, so here's a link to sign up. With each $15 box you also get a coupon code to get $15 off the full size of any of the items in the box, another great deal. 

But wait there's more! With every person who signs up through a referral link, they donate money to a number of different awesome charities! Just use the code JKEE4979 when signing up at BeautyBar.com they'll donate up to $30. 



It's been about a year since I first opened up this box, and I wanted to give you my opinions on the products once I'd actually given them all a full go round, so this is actually product reviews that just happen to have all shown up on my doorstep together :-)  I reviewed them in the video but never did a written review, so here ya go!

BORGHESE Tono Body Creme An extra-rich treatment crème, BORGHESE Tono Body Crème, that locks in hydration with moisture intensifying molecules. The body is veiled in invisible moisture, which becomes obvious in both the appearance and texture of the skin. Firms and smoothes skin tone. Fennel, Witch Hazel, Matricaria, Horse Chestnut and Ivy Extracts - Hydrate skin and improve tone and texture. Acqua di Vita® Complex - Restores all-over moisture balance. Peppermint, Rosemary, Lavender and Geranium Oils - Treat the senses to aromatherapy. It’s recommended to use with BORGHESE Fango Active Mud for Face and Body BORGHESE Bagno di Vita Gentle Foaming Gel for Bath and Shower Directions: Smooth BORGHESE Tono Body Crème over entire body daily after bath or shower or whenever skin feels dry. Concentrate on driest areas, like the elbows, knees and feet. Net Weight: 7 oz.

Well, aromatherapy it aint- I don't care WHAT they say. Intensely moisturizing and nourishing? YOU BETCHA. The smell is a weird plasticy smell that I can't put my finger on, but it disappears within like 60 seconds. I use this stuff all the time, I think I'm on like my third jar. Trivia for ya- Borghese is the brand that's on all the vanity counters of the housewives on Desperate Housewives. Susan pulled a jar of this out of her backpack when she went to look for Mike in the woods! (not that I would watch that sort of thing. Ahem....Nothing to see here, folks, keep moving!) 

I use this when I don't want any scent interfering with my perfume (see, I told you the weird smell disappears!) and it makes your skin feel like silk. It's a heavy duty creme as opposed to the Tono lotion- this is for when your skin is really dry. It feels like HEAVEN after a long day swimming. Super concentrated so a jar lasts forever. Particularly awesome on rough patches like knees or elbows, a friend of mine is african american and swears by this for his (yep, you heard me!) ashy spots. I love it for my ankle bones. For some freaky reason the bony part of my ankles always gets dry. I guess it's my foot knee. 

Sisley Hydra-Global Intense Anti-Aging Hydration 40ml/1.4oz (Tester) Buy Sisley Face Moisturizers - Sisley Hydra-Global Intense Anti-Aging Hydration 40ml/1.4oz (Tester)

Party Line: A skincare formula which helps restore optimum hydration normally found in young skin.

Product Profile
Specially developed to provide an all-round solution to the problem of skin dehydration — whether occasional or chronic - Hydra-Global helps reactivate the hydration mechanisms deep-down in the skin, by encouraging the circulation of water as well as its retention.

Thanks to an unprecedented combination of botanical (extracts of Padina Pavonica, Wild Pansy, Chestnut), minerals (Malachite extract) and aromatic (essential oils of Marjoram, Lavender and Sage) active ingredients, Hydra-Global work on skin hydration at 3 levels :

• In the dermis, to plump up the skin's moisture cushion
• In the epidermis, to facilitate water circulation between the cells by helping stimulate the synthesis of aquaporins 3, which are genuine irrigation channels whose numbers decline with age.
• In the stratum corneum, to bind moisture: by helping regulate the natural desquamation process, which weakens with age, the skin's natural barrier is restored.

Malachite extract helps reduce oxidative stress that contributes to skin dehydration. Essential oils work to boost surface micro-circulation

1.4 ounces.

Results
Intensely and continuously moisturized and revitalized, skin appears plumped up from within, fuller and more luminous.

My line? Are you wealthy? Do you aspire to be? Do you not mind spending a week's pay on one of the most amazing moisturizers ever? Well then snatch this up, honeychile. The price has gone up SIGNIFICANTLY since I did the above price breakdown. A bottle is now $240. I put the link above because NewEgg has it for $160 unboxed. This stuff is UHmazing. Seriously. I don't think my skin felt this incredible when I was an infant. I may never buy $1000 shoes, but I can see myself totally living by this stuff. Wowee zowee. my skin glowed and had plumpness. My pores were closed and my fine lines disappeared temporarily. My redness was greatly reduced for the entire time I used this and for about 2 weeks afterwards and even my undereye bags were gone. Miraculous. Expensive. Miraculous. Argh! Why do those two always have to go hand in hand?

Their line: Eye Never Nourishing Repair Eye Crème brightens dark circles, repairs damage, protects against free radical damage and works to relax muscle contractions that would otherwise lead to crow’s feet and wrinkles.

Formulated with a mix of Caffeine, Nylon-12, and Botox-like Sensytens, this lightweight crème goes on silky smooth as it works to fill in lines and minimize the appearance of puffiness and wrinkles, leaving skin looking younger and more refreshed. vbeauté's exclusive Alpine Rose Botanical Technology (ARBT) and BioCellular Peptide (BCP) act as antioxidant guardians and work to repair DNA damage caused by environmental stresses.

vBenefits

• Antioxidant
• Anti-Inflammation
• Hydration
• Correction
• Prevention

Key Ingredients

• Alpine Rose Botanical Technology (ARBT)
• BioCellular Peptide (BCP)
• Caffeine
• Nylon-12
• Multi-Vitamin Complex

My opinion? I noticed an IMMEDIATE improvement in fine lines and the skin definitely plumped up and filled in any saggy skin. I don't know about long term, since in general you can't turn back the clock, you can merely address current issues and prevent future ones, but it most definitely works as a quick fix. It oddly really does work like a surface botox- I noticed that when making my normal over the top, exaggerated facial expression in the mirror, my skin wasn't crinkling up as much as normal. Awesome! I should use this on this one big wrinkle on my forehead..... Caveat emptor- follow the instructions To THE LETTER. They tell you to not apply it closer to your eye than the orbital bone FOR A REASON. If you get this in your eyes you will be in for some massive angry elves with switchblades running across your eyeballs. 

Vincent Longo Duo Lip Pencil Achieve fuller, more defined lips. Vincent Longo Duo Lip Pencil Spring Rose/Soft Pink combines two creamy shades for a perfectly customized look. The pencil is smudge resistant, nonchapping, and super long wearing. The soft texture gives precise definition without being harsh or breaking. Spring Rose/Soft Pink is a medium rose and a mauve shade.

First off, I LOVE Vincent Longo pencils. Creamy but still able to define well. Non drying but not so moist that you can't put your lipcolor over it. I love the dual shades so you can blend and customize. They have a ton of choices, but the one I have  is Sangria and White Glimmer. I use the white glimmer on my cupids bow to make my lips look fuller and a tiny swab at the base of my lower lip for the same reason. It makes your lips look ridiculously full! Plus side- also sharpens really well and doesn't smoosh off or break off leading to waste. 

Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint SPF 20 What is it: Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint evens out imperfections and enhances skin tone with its light-diffusing multimineral formula. SPF 20 protects from UVA and UVB rays while vitamin E, ginseng, and gingko biloba leaf extract deliver antioxidants to skin, promoting a healthy, natural-looking glow. Oil-free and fragrance-free.Who is it for: All ages and skin types.Why is it different: Jouer Luminizing Moisture Tint is a lightweight formula that offers good, buildable coverage. Vitamins and botanicals deliver antioxidants to skin, while light-diffusing multimineral pigments even out skin tone, promoting a healthy, natural-looking, hydrated complexion.How do I use it: Apply to clean skin with fingertips. Layer for additional coverage.From Jouer Cosmetics.

This stuff is also UHmazing. (All in all, this was a really awesome bunch of items this go round!) I have raved about it previously, and I still rave about it. It's not your typical tinted moisturizer. It gives your skin this pearly sheen that looks like you're lit from within by a dozen candles. It truly does luminize your skin. The first time I used it, I just stared at my skin from numerous angles in the mirror, somewhat mesmerized. Your skin looks clean and fresh, you but perfected. I only need a tiny dab of concealer on some of the scarred places on my face, but it really evened out my general skin tone. Plus it has a good SPF rating! HIGHLY recommended. (I have it in Pearl)