My last three months of the So Choix makeup sample subscription (plus: step right up for another stunning duochrome!)

Affiliate/Referral Links

October's (upside down) box (contents reviewed below)

I like doing these So Choix review posts, even though they're time consuming, because I get to write mini reviews of a bunch of fancy products that I would probably never buy. I hope they're interesting to you too. (If you want to read more about how this subscription works, read my first post about it.) I won't write a detailed review with photos of everything here, because there are few things that I just don't have many feelings about.

One thing that changed about the So Choix boxes this fall is that they started sending them in bubble mailers, instead of packing a small box inside a larger box. I don't know if that's less wasteful, but I like it better, because the bubble mailer fits in my mailbox and I don't have to trek down to my apartment office to pick it up (and the small box inside still protects things).

I think the theme of the last three months (or at least the last two) is Weird Shit I Wanted to Try Because What Even is It? That, combined with Is This Product Really Like This or Did This Happen When They Depotted It?

September

Nars Dual Intensity eyeshadow in Tarvos

This is a stunning, shimmery mint. I wonder if there is a NYX single similar to this (Mermaid?). On its own, Tarvos is sheer and glittery and lovely. It's also gorgeous over a darker shadow. The swatches below are over regular eyeshadow primer on the left (because it desperately needs a primer to adhere) and on the right over NYX's glitter primer (awesome stuff, btw), which makes it look amazing. It's a little chunky/flaky, and here's the first place where I wonder if the actual product is like that or if it's something that happened when it was repressed. I haven't read anything like that in reviews, so I'm guessing it's the latter. It doesn't really cause problems, anyway.

Nars Audacious lipstick in Liv

When I first tried this on, I thought, "That's weird, I didn't think any of the Audacious lipsticks were sheer." It turns out that the lipstick was slightly separated in the pan with a sheer layer on top. Once I got through that, there was a more accurate (I assume) layer underneath. But see, weird things can happen when lipstick is melted down and repotted, so keep that in mind, though it's the first time I've seen it in this subscription. Liv is a nice vampy purple but nothing really special. You have the typical settling into lip lines that dark purples tend to do.

A messy application in need of some lip liner.

Estée Lauder matte lipstick in Shameless Violet

This lipstick, on the other hand, is amazing. It's a little patchy on the first layer, but you can quickly build it up to be opaque. It's comfortable and a true purple shade that actually looks good on me. You can see it on my face in this Instagram shot (sort of). It's very comfortable and wears well.

Good enough close up, but from a normal distance it looks totally even.

Comparison swatch (taken from this post).

Left to right: Revlon Berry Haute, Urban Decay Revolution Rapture, and Estée Lauder Matte Shameless Violet.

Nars Sheer Glow foundation in Gobi

This is a decent foundation, though I would argue that it's neither really glowy nor sheer. More like semi-matte and medium coverage. It's a little too yellow to me, which is good news for pale folks on the warmer side. The main problem I had with it was that it highlighted flaky skin really badly, and that it settled into lines and creases. So it's not the one for me. Here is a swatch (second from the right) with comparisons (from this post).

Left to right: UD One & Done in Light, UD One & Done in Medium Light, TheBalm Balm Shelter in Lighter than Light (reviewed here), Maybelline Dream Pure BB in Light (reviewed here), Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Gobi, and Sephora Bright Future Gel Serum Concealer in Buttercream (reviewed here).

Benefit Porefessional

Um it's a primer? I think I'd tried a sample of it before, but I didn't remember how well it worked. I guess that's probably because for me it's neither better nor worse than most other primers I've tried.

October (box pictured above)

Laura Mercier powder foundation in 1-Shell

I've been looking for a powder foundation to replace my mini Pür 4-in-1 powder when it runs out, because, although I like the finish, it doesn't last very long on my oily-combination skin. I'd heard that the Laura Mercier was a good option. I wasn't very impressed. It's pretty crumbly and doesn't provide much coverage at all (and this shade also happens to be too yellow for me--I probably should have chosen 4).

Dior Addict Lip Glow

This is one of the products that I chose with extreme skepticism, because I hate these "your perfect shade" color-adjusting lip products, in principle. (Here's how they actually work.) It did nothing at all on my lips. Looked completely clear. There was a light pink tint on the end of the finger that I used to apply it, but that's it. I actually took a photo, but since it shows nothing, I won't bother including it. Again, I don't know if melting it down and repotting it affected it, or if it just "intuited" that my perfect lip color is nothing at all. Also, it was drying, but my lips are pretty picky.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light

I'm working on completing the set, since I've tried three others. Ethereal Light does have something of a blurring/light reflecting effect, but it's also very white. It makes me look paler, so I can imagine that it could show up as chalky on certain skin tones. I was wearing it in the photo above of Nars Liv, if that shows you anything.

Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes in Burnished Copper

Neither burnished nor copper! Maybe they were thinking of tarnished/patinated bronze? These eye shadows are interesting, because they're very slick and they don't dry down. They're tricky to apply. They go on a bit patchy with a finger, but if you stick a small brush in the pot, it slides out without any product on it! You have to sort of scoop it. Despite the slickness, it didn't crease excessively over primer, and the color is stunning.

Here's a thick swatch, though it sheers out somewhat when blended. Gorgeous color.

Left to right: Tom Ford Burnished Copper and L'Oreal Infallible Gilded Envy (reviewed here).

Note the packaging for this on in the photo at the top of the page. A big improvement from how the Nars cream eyeshadow was sent during the summer (discussed here), which dried up immediately! This little pot is actually air tight. Well done, So Choix. I appreciate that they regularly reevaluate how they package their samples.

I also want to take this opportunity to show you another of the Tom Ford Cream Colors for Eyes in Sphinx, a sample of which Sarah very generously sent me. Thank you! I posted a shitty video of the shiftiness on Instagram, in which you can't really see all the pink and green. It's also a tricky product, because it's a sheer but very complex multichrome. I am determined to make it work. The best luck I have had so far is in patting it on over a grey powder eyeshadow like so:

Please ignore my rushed eyebrow and bloodshot eye.

That's the same product over the entire lid. And this is about the level of creasing you can expect from these creams.

Benefit Shy Beam highlighter

Yet another sample I ordered because I didn't understand what it was. I still don't get it. It looks like a sheer, matte, pink concealer, or something. It's supposed to be a matte highlighter, but it just added a little pink to my skin. It works ok as a color corrector for under the eyes if you're fair, but highlighter? Maybe if you have cool-toned skin just a couple of shades darker than this, it would work, but otherwise, I assume not. And why not just buy a concealer or foundation a couple of shades too light for the intended effect? Bah. Humbug.

Top to bottom: Benefit Shy Beam, Benefit High Beam (reviewed here), Sephora Gel Serum Concealer in Buttercream (reviewed here).

November

Kevyn Aucoin The Exotique Eye Gloss in Moonlight

Another WTF sample. There weren't many reviews out there when I requested this and, still, the ones that exist are pretty vague. I was curious if this brand had somehow come up with a miraculous gloss that can be worn in some realistic way on the eyelids of normal people. But no, editorial only. There's no real difference between smearing this on your eyelids and use a clear, glittery lip gloss. They say you can/should apply it over eyeshadow, but that just makes a mess of the eyeshadow. The sparkle is sparse, so even if you want drama, there's not much to recommend it.

Notice that they took one of those airtight tubs like the Tom Ford came in, cut off the lid, and stuck in inside a screw-cap jar. But why???

Laura Mercier matte eyeshadow in Plum Smoke

Love, love, love, love, love! Remember when I was looking for a powder alternative to the abysmal Maybelline Color Tattoo in Vintage Plum? I'd ruled Plum Smoke out because it looked too warm in swatches and tried Makeup Geek in Fairytale instead, which was a bit of a fail. Well, THIS IS IT. I love it. It's works as an interesting neutral on me. Now I'm considering getting the Laura Mercier Eye Art Artist's Palette, which includes Plum Smoke and a bunch of other gorgeous shades. The palette is $55 and the Plum Smoke single is $25, so it seems like maybe a better choice. Maybe.

It looks pretty brown next to Fairytale (right), especially in this photo, but it really is purple.

Benefit Fake-up concealer in 01

This concealer claims to be non-creasing, which I think is always, always a lie. At least for me. But this one is actually worse than most. It comes as a stick with a translucent outer ring and a pigmented core, but the sample I got is the two components mixed together. I think probably the two-colored stick is just a gimmick, but it's possible that mixing them in the pan affected the performance in some way. As it was, this was very slick, almost greasy, with sheer coverage. Probably best for someone with dry skin and not too much to hide.

Nars Blush in Dolce Vita

A pretty rosy-plum blush that somehow isn't very flattering on me. It's also extremely pigmented, and since I'm pale I find hard to apply it lightly enough that it will blend smoothly. It tends to end up a little blotchy, and that combined with the wrongness of the color kind of makes me look feverish. But on the plus side it does not fade at all during the day. Well, the plus side for someone else--if you want a very pigmented, long-lasting blush, this would be a good one to try.

Smashbox matte liquid lipstick in Stepping Out

I have no idea how I came to choose this shade, since browny-nudes never look good on me, and this is no exception. I swatched it next to Maybelline Touch of Spice (right) just to make the color obvious.

I'd heard that Smashbox's formula for liquid lipsticks was better than most others, but it seems about the same to me. It's on the thicker side, more like Stila than Colourpop, but it's no more comfortable, less drying, or more attractive than any other brand I've tried. I'm just not really a liquid lipstick person (with the exception of Stila Fiery, which you can see here and here).

So those are my fall So Choix samples. Out of everything, while several things have been fun to play with, there's only one product I would want to buy: Laura Mercier Plum Smoke. I guess Nars Tarvos is tempting. Ok, and Estée Lauder Shameless Violet. But really, this is what I like best about the subscription--it eliminates products that I might be tempted to buy based on hype alone or that I might pick up on a whim. And it provides variety in my life at minimal expense. That said, I'm kind of running out of things I really want to try. Maybe I should just get five more pans if Hourglass Dim Light.

Right now you can get an annual subscription for $120 ($10 a month, obviously), which is what I paid. Use the code SAVINGS at checkout. (Ordinarily it's $16/month.) You can cancel at any time during the year and get a pro-rated refund of what's remaining.

Do you have any of the products I tested here? What do you think?

Sample of Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask + 7 other samples with $25 purchase from Sephora

Disclosure: Affiliate links.
This isn't a huge deal, but I thought I'd post it since when I posted on Instagram about the Bite Agave Lip Mask sample I had, some people were wondering how to get it. If you're planning to place a Sephora order anyway, you can now get that sample along with 7 others (foil packets, full list here) with a $25 purchase. Use code FOLLOW. You can also get 4% cash back on Sephora orders from Ebates.

For the record, I didn't like the stuff and threw it out after a few uses (even though the samples were very generously sized and I could have got a few weeks out of them). I was surprised since I've heard people rave about it. Better to have found out with a sample than to have spent $26 and regretted it! Have you tried it? Did it work for you?

h/t Nouveau Cheap

New Target Beauty Boxes $7 each

Disclosure: Affiliate links.
The Target Beauty Boxes are back. There are two options: Refresh and Renewal. Both are $7 (for a supposed $30 value) with free shipping. They are pretty heavy on the hair and skin care this time, with very little makeup, so I think I'll pass. How about you?

Travel size

I took a photo of all the mini products I took home with me to my parents' place for the holidays when I was there. I've now been home for well over a week, so I guess I should post about them already, before I completely lose interest/memory.

My family lives in part of North America that is extremely fucking cold and dry during the winter. The dryness is amped up by the cold, of course, because it means furnaces running around the clock. Every time I go back there, my face freaks out, apparently from trying to adjust to the difference in climate. This time, I finally remembered to bring a shitload of moisturizers to prevent that reaction. And so, naturally, the weather this year was warm enough to be rainy - i.e. not fucking dry. Sigh. But I still moisturized the hell out of my face and my skin was quite happy for the whole visit.

Here are all the little tubes and tubs and bottles and packets I brought with me, with the goal of emptying out as much as possible and leaving the packages in my parents' garbage can. I also brought mostly things that I hadn't tried before to force myself to branch out.

Hard to take good photos in the low winter sun.

Things I finished:

Pacifica Purify face wipes: These worked fine. They are quite small, but maybe that's because this is a travel pack? They smell just like the Pacifica Sea Foam face wash (mini review here): coconuty, fine. I wouldn't buy them, because I found them a little too drying and kind of burny. I am mostly loyal to my Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes. Nothing else I've tried compares. I buy them in multiple packs on Amazon.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream: I'd read many a rave review for this stuff, but I wasn't impressed. I didn't like the medicinal eucalyptus scent; it wasn't particularly hydrating; and it also felt slightly burny. I don't like burny sensations on my face. I have no idea what is supposed to be "ultra" about this shit.

Paula's Choice 2% BHA Lotion: This was fine, though I didn't use it long enough to judge its long-term effects. Though it's supposed to be for drier skin, it dries to a matte finish, unlike the slicker-feeling 2% BHA liquid (reviewed here). I prefer the liquid, but if you don't like how that stuff feels on your face, you might consider giving this a try. It's also slightly moisturizing.

Kate Somerville Quench Oil Free Hydrating Serum: My memory of this is already pretty damned foggy. I think it was lightly moisturizing and had a thin consistency, but it obviously didn't make much of an impact on me.

Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Day Lotion: I used this at night, because it's very greasy. I wouldn't recommend it during the day, unless you have extremely dry skin. When I'd wake up in the morning after a full night's sleep, I could still feel the greasiness on my face. That said, it does moisturize well. This was the last packet I had left from the stuff I was sent by BzzAgent in 2012 (reviewed here). I actually liked the scent quite a lot when I used it this time around.

Burt's Bees Radiance Eye Cream: This smells gross and it's greasy. I used it on my feet. It worked well for that.

Nourish Organics Lightweight Moisturizing Face Lotion: This is a mediocre product. First of all, it smells like artificial oranges. Second, it wasn't particularly moisturizing, which is one of the main qualities I look for in a moisturizer. I'm just super weird like that.

Things I gave away:

Pur-lisse Pur-protect Moisturizer SPF 30: I gave this to my mother. One of the things I'm pickiest about when it comes to sunscreen is if they don't soak in/dry quickly enough and smear into my eyes. Have I mentioned I don't like burniness? Sunscreen in the eyes is burny. I have to be able to use sunscreens around my eyes, or they're useless. This one got in my eyes repeatedly, so it's useless. The end.

Coola Matte Tint SPF 30: On the plus side, the tint is pretty much invisible, so almost anyone could use this. On the minus, it made my skin feel tight and dry. Gave this one to my mother too.

Things I did not finish:

Smith's Rosebud Salve: Not sure why I included this in the photo, since it's not a mini, and I really had no realistic hope of finishing it while I was away. I have been using it for well over a year and still have a at least quarter left, if not a third. I previously reviewed it here and said I didn't love it. Since then, I've become really fond of it - but I still only use it for a single purpose. I smear it around my nostrils before bed. I am a particularly sniffly person for reasons that medical science has not been able to explain to me. I am constantly using kleenexes - in a very discreet and polite way in public, of course, but at home there are piles of them everywhere, so give me some warning if you want to come over, please. This means that ordinarily my nose is pretty red and dry and irritated and flaky - unless I use this salve on it every night. With the exception of times when I have an actual cold or something, using this stuff at night keeps my flaky nostrils under control. Sexy. Also, I think I now associate the rose scent with going to sleep, so some psychological benefits have become attached to it.

Peter Thomas Roth Oiless Oil: It's oil. It's pure squalane. I had some hopes of finishing this, and I might have used it more often if the weather had been drier. But I still have at least half of this tiny bottle left, because you really only need 1-2 drops for your whole face. I've been trying to use this up for many, many months. I'm not sure if I've seen any special results, but if you want to try it out, and you can get your hands on a mini bottle, you will definitely have enough to really test it thoroughly.

Paula's Choice Clear Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution (2% BHA, Regular Strength): This doesn't work as well for me as the Clear Extra Strength or the Skin Perfecting 2% BHA liquid, but it's better than nothing, I guess, and I had a convenient travel size.

Coppertone Clearly Sheer SPF 30 lotion: You can see my full review here. Of the three sunscreens I brought, this was the least annoying. Nothing matches my Kinesys sunscreen for convenience and comfort and general awesomeness.

So that's what I used to keep my face moisturized and protected while visiting the not-quite arctic tundra. Mainly I was able to test and rule out a bunch of different products, which is an entertaining process, if nothing else. Like I said, my skin stayed happy the whole trip, so even though I wasn't particularly impressed by anything here, nothing was terrible, burniness aside. (I promise to never write "burny" on this blog again after today. Probably.)

HauteLook Fall Beauty Bag for $20 (ends Thursday at 8 am PT)

Disclosure: This post contains a referral link.
The HauteLook Fall Beauty Bag is available now, and it's not looking too shabby. You get a full-size NYX lipstick, a full-size Laura Geller cream eyeshadow/primer thing (that usually costs over $20 on its own), a mini China Glaze polish, a mini Fusion mascara, a kabuki brush, some stuff from Clarins and Dr. Brandt, a headband and a useless perfume sample, and hairspray.

Look good to anyone?

Oh, and the LORAC Little Lace Palettes for $12 are back too.

ipsy Glam Bag review ($10 beauty subscription)

ETA: For an update, check out this recent post comparing Ipsy and Birchbox.

I've been getting the Glam Bag from ipsy for 9 months now, so I feel pretty confident about making some sort of general judgements about its quality. (I pay for my subscription myself, just to be clear.) In the past, I tried Birchbox (which I subscribed to for about a year) and I tried BeautyBox5 for one month, and Glam Bag is by far my favorite. I haven't been disappointed. It's only $10, and you always get fun stuff.

It includes an average of five products per bag, and there is always makeup and/or nail polish, plus a few other things including skin and haircare products. Added up, what you get is definitely worth more than $10. There has been the occasional wtf-provoking product, but they are rare, and never anything silly like cardboard coasters or protein bars, which I got in Birchbox. I also appreciate that there are very few anti-aging creams - in fact, I don't think I've ever got one. I never use those. And perfume samples are rare.

This month's bag just out of the envelope.

We Try It: Glam Bag Vs. Birchbox (Persephone Magazine)

My Birchboxes have been getting progressively more disappointing, so I got myself on the waiting list for Glam Bag. I’m hoping they sign me up for next month. It sounds great. Follow the link for a really useful comparison of the two services. 

I will add that the one thing I like about Birchbox that Glam Bag lacks is the possibility to collect points for referrals, reviews, and purchases, which can be redeemed for products. I got $20 worth of free stuff that way.

We Try It: Glam Bag Vs. Birchbox (Persephone Magazine)

Fix Your Face: Everyday Minerals (Free Shit)

If you’ve never tried mineral makeup (or even if you have), check this out. Everyday Minerals lets you order 7 free samples and just pay for shipping, which is usually less than $3. The samples are decently sized (at least they were last time I got some) and last me for months! This is some good shit right here. Right now they are offering base (i.e. foundation), blush, and finishing powder samples. 

If you want to be really nice, you can pay a little extra and all of the money you put in will go to the Everyday Minerals Wilderness Preservation Plan.

UPDATE: I just got some samples in the mail. They no longer send you the little jars that they used to send, so I think the sample size is smaller now, fyi. Still pretty good, though.