Tags
algenist, beauty products, beauty sub, hair products, josie maran, mally beauty, manicure booster, nail polish, New Beauty Test Tube, peter thomas roth, philosophy, QVC, skincare, Wen
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – QVC’s New Beauty Test Tube is one of the best beauty subs around. As much as I love my monthly subs, like Birchbox, there is something “special” about getting this bright pink tube filled with goodies once a quarter.
My 2013 2nd Quarter tube arrived in mid-April. There is always the option to skip a shipment – and I debated skipping this one – but there were a few items included that won me over. At this point, I’ve been able to try everything in the tube, and while there isn’t a throwaway in the bunch, favorites did emerge.
Tube contents this quarter (full-size cost and size/sample value):
1-fl oz Algenist Triple-Action Micropolish and Peel ($75 for 2 oz/$37.50)
6-fl oz WEN by Chaz Dean Replenishing Treatment Mist (full size sample! $27.00)
0.04-oz tarte Skinny smolderEYES Amazonian Clay Waterproof Eyeliner (full size sample! $19.00)
1-fl oz Peter Thomas Roth Antiaging Cleansing Gel ($35 for 8.5 oz/$4.12)
0.39-fl oz Mally Beauty Volumizing Mascara in Black (full size sample! $20.00)
0.4-fl oz philosophy hope in a jar night ($48 for 2 oz/$9.60)
0.17-fl oz Josie Maran Argan Oil ($48 for 1.7 oz/$4.80)
0.60-fl oz Perfect Formula Manicure Booster (full size sample! $21.00)
NewBeauty magazine (n/a – it sells for $10/issue and it’s a perfectly fine magazine – albeit a bit too focused on plastic surgery – but I don’t count this as an added value to the overall Test Tube)
A few of my faves from this tube…
This is my first time trying Wen – which receives rave review all around the internets – and I like this product quite a bit. I’ve used it primarily on my hair, and it falls somewhere in between a detangler and a “foundation” product to help with the layering of other products. Also sooo happy that I didn’t get the lavender scent! I love fig scents and this one is perfect.
Perfect Formula is not a brand I was previously familiar with at all, but this appears to be some sort of wonder-nail-drug. My manicures have been lasting DAYS longer than they usually do, with NO chipping. I’m thinking this is a HG nail product.
My ongoing love affair with Tarte continues. I received a regular sized smolderEYES pencil in a previous test tube, and the “skinny” version works just as well. You know how people say certain eyeliners glide on like a dream? Well, that cliche was created for products like this. The color is gorgeous, too – a bronze shade with golden undertones. A little more versatile than the navy smolderEYES I already own.
The total value of this quarter’s Test Tube is $143.02 and it contained 4 full-size products – that makes it the best value AND the most full-size products of any Tube I’ve received so far. Even with s/h costs, this beauty sub is far and away the biggest bang for your buck. The biggest complaint I’ve heard/read is that they tend to sample from the same brands over and over (tarte, Mally Beauty, etc). That does seem to be the case, but they are great brands, and not ones I had tried widely before, so that doesn’t bother me at all.
Here’s how past QVC/NBTT’s stack up:
2013 Q1 Tube: Total value of $132.08, 3 full-size products
2012 Q3 Tube: Total value of $102.68, 2 full-size products