The New Beauty Test Tube
One of our favorite things to do is head to Sephora to sample their latest and greatest, and maybe sneak in a little touch up (Don’t act like you’ve never done it yourself!). But with a new slew of services popping up, the only trip you’ll need to take now is to your mailbox. Whether you go for the once-a-month subscription to Birchbox, opt for the seasonal New Beauty Test Tube or Dermstore.com’s BeautyFix, these little delights will make seeing the mailman that much more titillating!Coinciding with their Magazine, New Beauty’s Test Tube gives you the chance to sample the latest in beauty, hair care and skincare. Their service costs $29.95 (plus $8.95 shipping), and you’ll get a tube four times a year – you can even opt for the special edition they’ve released with QVC, which rings in at a better deal. What sets them apart from some of the other services is that they offer a few full-sized products. Past tubes have been filled with samples from Tarte, Pacifica, Wen and philosophy. And every tube comes with an issue of the magazine, so you can read up on what their editors think of each product as you try them.
Birchbox's monthly samples include big names like Benefit, Kiehl's and more.
For more frequent satisfaction, a subscription to Birchbox ($10 per month) gives you a delivery every month. While they’re not offering full-sized goods, they often include a special surprise – from a baby makeup brush or a sweet tin of cocoa nibs alongside their Benefit and NARS to Deborah Lippman goodies – and they’ll give you bonus Birchbox points for feedback on your shipment. Unlike Test Tube, the Birchbox team hand-selects (and hand-wraps) your shipment based on a profile you fill out when you subscribe, so everyone gets a different selection of samples. When you accrue points, you can trade them in for full-sized products and they’ll offer free shipping on any full-sized products you choose to buy from that month’s box. One of the best parts? The community that the site has fostered is fantastic! They’ve got videos, blogs and more set up so devotees can swap stories and make recommendations.
Like New Beauty’s Test Tube, the BeautyFix by Dermstrore program ships every season (it’s $49.99 four times a year), and like Birchbox, you fill out a profile so you get personalized picks. But what sets it apart is your ability to choose which samples you get sent: The BeautyFix panel will give you a selection to choose from, and you get eight altogether. Brands like Jane Iredale, Ole Henricksen and Philip B. are all part of the program, so no matter which service you opt for, or if you go for all three, there’s only a slim chance of getting a repeat product. LOVE!
So while we do love the flattering lighting of the Sephora mirror and the one-on-one service at the Chanel counter, we got such a thrill opening our first Birchbox that we were sure Santa’s beauty elves had come early! And the samples? Trust us when we say we’ve definitely found a few new favorites to integrate into our regime. We are still too addicted to our in-store visits to skip them altogether, but we can absolutely make room for another addiction!
