Allure Sample Society - September 2014: value breakdown, pics, swatches, mini reviews

Hello, Beautiful!

This is my September 2014 Allure Sample Society from BeautyBar.com! Check out below to see what I received, a little about each product and my thoughts, as well as a break-down of the value of this month's bag! I am so excited to get a FULL SIZED eye cream in this box that is valued at $85!

Allure Sample Society is $15 a month (although I get charged $15.80 for whatever reason). Each month you'll received 5 deluxe-sized beauty samples; a curated mix of skin, hair and makeup products - as well as fragrance from time to time. Plus an Allure mini-mag and a $10 off $50 Beauty Bar gift card. Use my code to get 20% off any/all of their sites you have not yet shopped on (beautybar.com, soap.com, diapers.com, wag.com, yoyo.com, and more). CLICK HERE to go to Allure Sample Society.
Code: KISS1299

September 2014 Allure Sample Society

Shipment Quick Stats:

• Value of this month's box: $108.05 (value is approximate)
• Total # of Items Received: 5
• # of makeup items: 2
• # of nail items: 0
• # of hair care items: 1
• # of skin care items: 1
• # of body care items: 0
• # of fragrance items: 1

Now I'll talk about each product...

Restoresea Revitalizing Eye Cream with Vibransea Complex

• MY THOUGHTS: Holy cow - this is a FULL SIZED eye cream that is valued at $85!!! That's a crazy good value to get in this box! I'm excited to give this a try, because I need a new eye cream. I like the texture of this - it has a thicker texture that is really silky smooth. It feels like it would be very hydrating, which is exactly what I need! Really excited about this!!
• FULL SIZE: 0.5 oz @ $85.00
• SIZE I RECEIVED: FULL SIZE
• VALUE: $85.00

Lorac POREfection Mattifying Face Primer

• MY THOUGHTS: This is a clear primer that has a thick silicone texture (similar to the Smashbox primer). Although I've only tested this once, I didn't really like it for my skin. My skin is transitioning to a drier texture and mattifying primers can be too drying on my skin now. It certainly didn't make my skin more dry, but I felt like my foundation didn't go over top as smoothly as it could with a more hydrating primer. I think if you are normal to oily skin this would be a good primer for you. It does a decent job for pores, but only if you really press it into those areas (like you should with any pore minimizing primer). I think I can still use it on hotter days here, but with fall coming up this primer would of been better suited for me back in June. Still, since it is just a smaller sample tube I think I could use this up before the weather gets too cold.
• FULL SIZE: 1.7 oz @ $32.00
• SIZE I RECEIVED: 0.17 oz
• VALUE: $3.20

Alterna Caviar Repair RX Re-Texturizing Protein Cream

• MY THOUGHTS: I really like Alterna products, especially their Caviar line, so I was really excited to see this in my box. It's a really good sample size, certainly enough for me to use for a long while. It has really good reviews on Sephora's website so I'm very excited to give this a full try!
• FULL SIZE: 5.1 oz @ $35.00
• SIZE I RECEIVED: 1.35 fl oz
• VALUE: $9.26

tarte Brazilliance Skin Rejuvenating Maracuja Self Tanning Face Towelettes

• MY THOUGHTS: This sample box had 3 towelettes in it; I already had some from when I purchased the self tanner for the body but I never used them (and actually put them in my recent giveaway). I won't be using these either, so I'll save them for another giveaway or for a friend.
• FULL SIZE: 3 towelettes @ $9.00 - 10 towelettes @ $21.00
• SIZE I RECEIVED: 3 towelettes
• VALUE: $9.00

Givenchy Dahlia Divin Eau De Parfum

• MY THOUGHTS: I'm not a big perfume person, especially for getting sample vials in subscription boxes, but at least this perfume sample has a spray top. The scent is just okay... I'll have to see how it smells and wears on my skin.
• FULL SIZE: 1.7 oz @ $90.00
• SIZE I RECEIVED: 0.03 oz
• VALUE: $1.59

My Thoughts On The Entire Box...

• VALUE: The value was approximately $108.05
• USAGE: I will use the eye cream for sure! I've already tried the Lorac primer and will give it at least 2 more tries before deciding my final thoughts on it. Definitely excited to use the Alterna cream on my hair! Not going to use the tarte face towelettes, and probably won't use the Givenchy perfume sample much at all - it will just go in with my other perfume samples.
• FINAL THOUGHTS: Even though most of these samples were smaller and lower in value, the big bang of the box is the Restorsea eye cream with an $85 value! What an amazing deal! That alone makes this box so beyond worth it. And 3 out of 5 products are getting used, so that's a good thing. Really happy with the way this subscription service has made over themselves; it has improved for the better for sure! Can't wait for my October box already!

Let me know what you think...

What are your thoughts on this month's Allure Sample Society? Did you receive a box this month? If so, what are your thoughts on these items? Discuss in the comments below.