New Beauty Test Tube Subscription Review – January 2014

ByLiz CadmanDec 31, 2014 | 6 comments

New Beauty Test Tube Subscription Review - January 2014 Box

New Beauty Test Tube is - I believe - the original beauty sampling subscription program. They first started out with quarterly subscriptions, but in late 2013 they switched to sending out their boxes every other month. If you're looking for more full size and deluxe size products, New Beauty Test Tube is a great fit. (However sometimes they repeat product brands).

New Beauty Test Tube Subscription Review - January 2014 First Look

The Subscription Box: New Beauty Test Tube

The Cost: $29.95 a box plus $8.95 shipping (ships every other month)

The Products: Deluxe and full size beauty products. (This subscription is also supposed to include a subscription to New Beauty Magazine, but I haven't gotten it yet).

Ships to: US only

Check out all my New Beauty Test Tube reviews, and add New Beauty Test Tube to your subscription box list or wishlist!

New Beauty Test Tube Subscription Review - January 2014 Booklet

Each New Beauty Test Tube comes with a booklet thoroughly detailing each product included.

New Beauty Test Tube Subscription Review - January 2014 Info

They give you information about the brand, the product, and include tips for using each item.

New Beauty Test Tube Subscription Review - January 2014 Bonus samples

First up - the Beauty To-Go Sample Pack!

(This is the one part of the box that varies for subscribers - the main samples in the tube are consistent for everyone).

My bonus samples included:

DDF Ultra-Lite Oil-Free Moisturizing Dew (Foil Packet)
YBF Lipgloss Mini in Beachberry - 3.5 ml Value $5
Lumene Firming Day Cream - .5 oz Value $4
Hydroxatone 90 Second Wrinkle Reducer - FULL SIZE! Value $49

I'm used to getting tiny samples in these Beauty To-Go packs, so I was thrilled to find a full size Hydroxatone item! I haven't even gotten to the main beauty samples and this box is already worth more than what I paid!

Now on to the featured items:

New Beauty Test Tube Subscription Review - January 2014 Candle

Votivo Red Currant No. 96 Travel Tin Candle - Value $12

I'm super picky when it comes to candle scents, so I'm not sure yet if I like this one or not!

New Beauty Test Tube Subscription Review - January 2014 Beauty Products

This is what was in the actual tube.

New Beauty Test Tube Subscription Review - January 2014 Pantene

Pantene Expert Collection Advanced Keratin Repair Shampoo (3.9 oz) and Conditioner (2.5 oz) - Value $6 Total

I avoid sulfates in hair products since my hair is highlighted, and that means these products are out for me - they go to the gift pile!

New Beauty Test Tube Subscription Review - January 2014 Mally

Mally Eyecolor Starlight Waterproof Eyeliner in Sailor - FULL SIZE! Value $15

Revlon Age Defying Wrinkle Remedy Line Filler - FULL SIZE! Value $13

They included the exact same eyeliner in the September New Beauty Test Tube - but they changed up the colors. (September was silver, this month its Navy). It seems like Mally products are pretty much a constant in New Beauty Test Tubes (fine by me), but I'd like to see them include completely new products from the Mally line.

New Beauty Test Tube Subscription Review - January 2014 Biosilk

Biosilk Volumizing Therapy Texturizing Powder - FULL SIZE! Value $12.50

Moroccan Oil Body Butter - 1.7 oz Value $13.80

This Biosilk dry shampoo was new to me, and I like it a lot - the scent is great, and it's super easy to apply. And I'll never complain about getting more Moroccan Oil Body Butter!

Verdict: I paid $29.95 for this box plus $8.95 shipping and received about $72 worth of products in Test Tube. (If you count my bonus To-Go pack samples, the value jumps to $130!) I wasn't too excited about the drugstore brands in this box, but it's definitely still worth the cost for me, even if this isn't my favorite New Beauty Test Tube box.

What did you think of the January 2014 New Beauty Test Tube?

Posted in Beauty Subscription Boxes, Subscription Box Reviews, Subscription Boxes for Women

Liz Cadman

Liz is the founder of My Subscription Addiction. She's been hooked on subscription boxes since 2011 thanks to Birchbox, and she now subscribes to over 100 boxes. Her favorites include POPSUGAR Must Have, FabFitFun, and any box that features natural beauty products!

Read More By Liz Cadman >

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6 comments

trinity

This was my first test tube. Although I have seen better, I actually like it. I love candles & body butter. I was even more excited to see that the eye creams are worth so much. Score! The only thing I was unhappy with is the drugstore shampoo & conditioner, I hope this is not a re-occurring theme since I saw dove shampoo last month & I almost didn’t sign up because of it. I would much rather see an organic shampoo than something that contains sulfates. What are they thinking? Are they just trying to fill up the tube?

Amanda

I was actually pretty disappointed in the latest Test Tube! I felt like they hadn’t put too much thought into it — especially for the first Test Tube of the New Year. There were a LOT less products than there usually are and I found that some of the products were almost exact duplicates of past products that were sent out. It’s almost like they had no time to put together a spectacular Test Tube this shipment and relied on products they hadn’t used up yet plus a few new ones. Maybe they were super busy for the holidays like everyone else.

I really can’t complain much because the Test Tubes are usually packed with products … I do love New Beauty Test Tube and I do think it is one of the greatest subscription services as far as item size goes and there is usually a great mix of products — hair, skincare and makeup — and I loved the Votivo candle so much last shipment that I was happy to see another candle in a different scent in this shipment !

andrea

I agree, I was a bit annoyed when I saw duplicates. How about including some of the stuff they have in the QVC tubes that they don’t include in the “regular” subscription.

And that “go packet” I feel like I am always getting less than everyone else, all I got was the Lumene and the uber tiny lip gloss.

I hope they start adding new products otherwise I am going to cancel this subscription. As there is no point of having a subscription that sends you the same thing over and over [although you might save a bundle].

Amanda

Totally agree. .. It SOUNDS totally worth it when they say it’s $29.99 every other month … but then you add shipping and taxes (which most of these subscription companies don’t do … albeit most of the other companies don’t ship half as much as far as pure weight goes), which brings my order total (with shipping to New York) to about $38 and change. So $40.

Most hair (shampoo/conditioner) samples I pass along to my mother because I use Wen, and this is the second time I got a set of the Pantene Expert shampoo and conditioner. Test Tube did include a mini Wen bottle with one shipment months ago which I enjoyed (I know a lot of people don’t like Wen but it really works for my damaged hair).

There were so little products and the products that they did send out were almost all duplicates. The Moroccan Oil Body Butter, the Pantene shampoo/conditioner, the Mally eyeliner (I received a different color thankfully, and I’m on a colored eyeliner kick so I wasn’t unhappy about this), and more Hydroxatone wrinkle products that I pass along to mom but she is now all stocked up from all my subscription boxes as well.

I really rarely complain about subscription boxes, I know you’re not guaranteed anything and the surprise is usually part of the reason I subscribe, and I actually never had any complaints about Test Tube specifically, but I can’t imagine the company getting rave reviews for this shipment. I bet a lot of people e-mailed/used social media to complain and if the next Test Tube is similar, and this is a hint about Test Tube going in a different (smaller, less enthusiastic, duplicate products) direction, then I definitely can’t justify the $40, even if it is only every other month.

Sneaky Burrito

Think I’ll put this one on my “maybe” list. Like if I cancel a few boxes, I’ll swap in with this one. You do really get a lot of stuff. I’m capricious when it comes to brands so I love trying lots of new things. (I don’t mind sulfates in shampoo even though my hair is dyed. I seem to have found the right combination of deep conditioning treatment and anti-frizz products for texture purposes, and my color doesn’t fade for months even though I’m putting black dye in light brown hair.)

Thanks for doing this blog, by the way. A month ago, I barely even knew subscription boxes existed. Now I get a whole bunch of them. It’s got to take effort to photograph everything, look up prices, and think of something to say about the products. I’m not that dedicated!

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New Beauty Test Tube Subscription Review – January 2014

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