March 2012 Sample Box Showdown!

Hello, Beautiful!

This is the March 2012 Sample Box Showdown! In this post I'll show you every box/kit/bag that I received this month from beauty subscription sampling programs. I'll show you what I received in each one, the value, and what I think is best and worst of the month. Enjoy!

March 2012 Sample Box Showdown!


Here are the sample boxes I received this month:
 
 
 




Larger pics of each box:

















Value Breakdown:
You can click on each box name to view that blog post.

• Birchbox #1 (Teen Vogue Box): $38.28 ($10 a month; I received 5 items)
• Birchbox #2: $35.15 ($10 a month; I received 6 items)
• Beauty Army: $77.07 ($12 a month; I received 6 items)
• MyGlam: $31.19 ($10 a month; I received 7 items)
• Beauty Bar's Sample Society: $58.71 ($15 a month; I received 5 items)
• The Look Bag: $33.74 ($10 a month; I received 7 items) 
• My Platinum Box For Him: $15.26  ($10 a month; I received 9 items)  

How I'd rate each one:

BIRCHBOX #1 (TEEN VOGUE BOX):

• I was really excited to get a Teen Vogue box this month in place of my regular Birchbox shipment. Even though I'm in my late 20's, I still was really excited at the prospect of bright, bolder choices. That's exactly what I received in my Teen Vogue box and I loved it!
• Best Product: Tarte LipSurgence in Amused - this was a full sized item with a $24 value; the color was fantastic and has been on my wish list!
• Worst Product: Annick Goutal Petite Cherie perfume sample - I'm just not a perfume sample kind of gal, so this was a let down in the box but the scent was surprisingly not bad.
• Net Value: Products worth $38.28, minus the monthly fee ($10) = $28.28

BIRCHBOX #2:

• This box was okay, nothing super amazing to write about but still nice products to try.
• Best Product: Color Club polish -- but then again, I'm a polish addict so of course this was my favorite from this box!
• Worst Product: The tea packets - I don't drink tea and I'm really tired of Birchbox including an edible item in my boxes; I want makeup not food & drink - even if this time around the tea is supposed to do good things for your skin. 
• Net Value: Products worth $35.15, minus the monthly fee ($10) = $25.15

BEAUTY ARMY:

• I was incredibly frustrated with the lack of makeup choices once again. I changed my beauty profile over and over and over - making my age and choices different each time, but still not a single makeup item. The closest I could get was the Sun FX Body Shimmer and the Cover FX Eye Prep, so I took them.
• Best Product: Barbor Argan Cream -- even though I haven't really used this a whole lot, it's so far my favorite of the entire kit.
• Worst Product: Weleda Iris Hydrating Facial Lotion -- just not something I'm really into, but there wasn't anything else to choose from.
• Net Value: Products worth $77.07, minus the monthly fee ($12) = $65.07

MYGLAM:

• Really disappointed with this shipment - the brush case, the brush itself, and the bag all smelled really strongly, and everything else was just blah. For some reason everyone got the Pur-Lisse Pur-Lip Comfort Daily Lip Nourisher in full sized, while mine was almost full sized. Not sure what happened there.
• Best Product: Pur-Lisse Pur-Lip Comfort Daily Lip Nourisher -- only because everything else this month really wasn't exciting; and I already have this product (in full size).
• Worst Product: The brush case, brush and bag -- the smell was strong of that cheap smell, you know it when you smell it, and it's bad.
• Net Value: Products worth $31.19, minus the monthly fee ($10) = $21.19

BEAUTY BAR'S SAMPLE SOCIETY:

• This was their first shipment and I'm impressed so far, but disappointed there wasn't a single makeup item. Makes me wonder what future shipments will be like.
• Best Product: REN Glycolactic Skin Renewal Peel Mask -- I have a major obsession with face masks and peels, and this one smelled great (like orange juice) and works.
• Worst Product: Oscar De La Renta Esprit d'Oscar Deluxe Mini-Rollerball -- I can appreciate the fact they included a rollerball style mini instead of the usual sample vial, but I still don't like perfume samples and the fragrance wasn't something I'd be into.
• Net Value: Products worth $58.71, minus the monthly fee ($15) = $43.71

THE LOOK BAG:

• So far, I'm not impressed with this service. I never received my February bag and my March bag wasn't that impressive. Still on the fence with this one.
• Best Product: Shea Terra Organics Rose Hip Black Soap -- I have two of these size samples now, and I do like this cleanser, so that's why I picked this as the best product out of this months bag.
• Worst Product: Franche Lip Luscious gloss -- I have to say that I really loved the way this gloss looked in the mini tube and even when swatched on my hand, but all that pretty-ness went completely away when applied to my lips. It just looked like a clear shiny gloss. Maybe if I apply it over a darker color lipstick it will come to life, but it was just a big disappointment.
• Net Value: Products worth $33.74, minus the monthly fee ($10) = $23.74

MY PLATINUM BOX:

• This box was for my husband, so it's hard to compare it to the rest of the shipments, but I'll still include it in this review. I wasn't too impressed with this month's shipment; it was a lot of repeats and not a lot of variety as far as different brands.
• Best Product: Anthony Logistics Algae Facial Cleanser -- I received 3 packets of this, and my husband likes this cleanser so that's why it's the best out of the box.
• Worst Product: Kyoku for Men Body Wash samples -- just not something my husband was into.
• Net Value: Products worth $15.26, minus the monthly fee ($10) = $5.26

And the winners & losers are...

• Best Value: Beauty Army
• My Favorite Pick: Birchbox Teen Vogue Box
• Worst Value: My Platinum Box For Him
• My Lease Favorite Pick: MyGlam 

 let me know what you think...

What shipment was your favorite this month? Which was your least favorite? Did you sign up for any new subscription services or did you cancel any this month? Discuss in the comments below.