Sample Society Subscription Box Review – October 2014

Decided to test out this box for a few months but I’m confused on the $10 off for Beauty Bar. Am I supposed to receive a card in the box or is there another way to apply the discount?

November box on MUT and Facebook. Not so good 🙁 more mascaras, perfume sample and Alterna. BB cream and shower gel…

This is my second SS box and compared to last month, I was very disappointed.

The shampoo/conditioner are basically throw-away items. I have very thin hair and I color, so I’m picky about the products I use. I am not opposed to trying new things occasionally, but I don’t need samples of drug store brands.

I like the EL serum, but there isn’t enough in there to be worth it.

I actually am not impressed with the BB mascara. I’ve tried cheaper mascaras that have much better lengthening powers. The full size Avon mascara I got in my ipsy bag last month actually works better for me. Which brings me to the other point about getting so many mascaras in subscription boxes…

I actually LOVE the perfume sample I got (I got Chinatown) and I want it in full size, but honestly, I am not happy that they gave me a sample of a perfume I could not possibly afford from their site (almost $300 since they only carry the Swarovski version; $138 from Amazon without the Swarovski crystals on the bottle, which might be doable if I have any extra cash soon).

The hair ties were the one thing I can’t complain about, but they sure as heck don’t make up the value of the box for me.

So far, Sample Society is 50/50 for me. If next month’s isn’t much better, I may cancel.

I received three october boxes this month. did this happen to anyone else? I checked my bank statement and was only charged for one but I received 3 boxes all with my name and address on them? hmm.. but I’m not compaining. Not super impressed with the box but I guess the fact that i got three of them makes it better! lol

This is my first Sample Society box and even though I won’t be receiving it until Friday, I’m already disappointed. Mostly because the shampoo and conditioner I’ve actually already bought full sizes of and it’s not my favorite. I’ve only used it a handful of times and it just weighs my hair down. The saving grace is the mascara, but the last time I tried a Bobbi Brown mascara it burned my eyes and made them water. I’ve become really sensitive to mascaras.
I’ll give it a couple more months before making a decision about unsubbing.

I am so disappointed! The only reason I resubbed to SS this month was for the full size serum. When I opened my box and saw the mini version PLUS the drugstore shampoo and conditioner, I knew I was cancelling for good.

Boo to this box!! Such a letdown. The only things worth anything to me are the serum and mascara and the last BB mascara I tried was awful, so we’ll see if this one is worth anything. The hair stuff is useless to me. I have short, non-damaged hair (non-damaged *because* it’s short and any damage gets chopped off every 5 weeks). In general almost all the hair stuff in sub boxes is repairing/restorative and I just have no use for it. I’d much prefer styling products like pomade, gel, wax etc. Would be great if you could specify.

I have short hair!
I have enough mascara, there’s virtually one in every sub-box!
I have enough shampoo, ditto!
I have my own perfume, ditto!
That leaves the serum, wonder if there’s enough to work at all?
Clearly all these samples come from the same places, major cosmetic manufacturers, and get jumbled to a dozen sub-boxes, a bit arbitrarily, with the pretense of different styles or products. That’s OK, and I know it’s a traditionally low-tech industry, but hello? Algorithms, anyone? We have profiles, and they have tons of samples, plus market data from our purchases. This could be so finely tailored. Either do that, or if it’s going to stay almost identical every month, upgrade with more items. Look at Ipsy, for example, that double-brush is a fabulous item!

This was my first SS box and I have to say that I was very underwhelmed. After seeing the previous boxes I was so excited to see what products I would get this month and then I get drugstore shampoo and conditioner samples, a perfume sample, and hair ties. Don’t get me wrong, I use hair ties, shampoo, and perfume regularly, but I was expecting more high end products. Plus, the value of the box seemed quite low compared to other months. I will definitely use everything except for the perfume which I thought smelled horrible. Hopefully next month’s box will be better because this box was a bad first impression.

I’ve been subscribed to SS since the relaunch and have liked all of the boxes except for this month’s box. I was very disappointed when I opened the box to find shampoo and conditioner that I could purchase at Target for a dollar. I tried the shampoo and conditioner and the quality is no where near that of the Fekkai and Alterna hair products they’ve included in previous boxes. I also was disappointed to see ANOTHER perfume sample…this makes 3 perfume samples in the past 4 boxes! I love perfume and would be okay with receiving a few samples a year, but become disappointed when the same products appear in every box. I like the rest of the products, but still feel disappointed because of the L’Oreal and perfume samples (I like the perfume, but enough already!). I have a three strikes your out policy when it comes to sub boxes so this is strike one. Hoping they’ll not make this mistake again!

I received an email today about mystery sample society boxes. 5 samples for $10. 10 samples for $18. Or 15 samples for $25. It says samples will be from previous boxes. Has anyone done this type of mystery box before? I would love it if I could receive the too faced melted lipstick or some of the other awesome samples I have seen Liz review. Another part of me feels like it may be similar to a Julep box where you only get horrible colors and almost out of date items. Any feedback would be appreciated! Thanks 🙂

Yes, I had the same “WTH?” reaction when I opened this. After a full-sized Restorsea eye cream (one of the best items ever in a sub box, I think), trial sizes of drugstore hair products? Maybe our expectations were just too high after that box last month. I will admit that the EL serum felt really, really nice last night, not greasy at all. That was a pleasant surprise for me, and one of the main reasons I am doing the sub box thing these days — to get to try new brands and products. And it’s not a foil packet type sample, even if they did handle their mistake badly. As for me, one more month to see if they will do better, then I’m out. There’s too many other boxes I’d like to try for me to get boxes like this.

On a side note, am I the only sub-girl buried in a mountain of mascaras? I think I could change them out every week for a year at this point…

It’s OK. The only thing I’ll use is the mascara, but I have a lot of good will for them, thanks to the Restorsea in the September box (I love that stuff!) and the very nice quality of the items in the mystery boxes I got a few weeks ago. (I bought the Bare Minerals mystery box around the same time and was SO disappointed — it made me appreciate Sample Society so much more.)

I wish there were an option to never receive perfume samples at all. I don’t even want a discount or a replacement — I just really hate getting them, especially if they break like my last two Harvey Prince ones. The only perfume I can use without getting a massive headache is Philosophy.

I’m betting November will be nice.

I’m not waiting to be disappointed another month – cancelled!
I told them why too. Drugstore shampoo, perfume sample I can get free in any beauty or department store, and the bait and switch with the Estée Lauder.
They’re having a laugh!

I’m trying to figure out why every time I subscribe to a box that I’ve been watching and liking for months before buying, once I get the first one it goes to crap. The last few months have been great in terms of products, item sizes and value. This box is a huge letdown. The drugstore shampoo-conditioner was a big mistake and looked like pure filler. It hardly makes up for the EL “mistake.” I’m glad I used the coupon and only paid $10 since it essentially got me a travel size mascara. The hair ties are cute, in fact they’re always cute when I get them in sub boxes. Unfortunately my hair is long and very thick and they never fit around for ponytails or buns. As cute/useful as they can be, they usually feel like filler too. And tiny perfume vials, regardless of price point (the Bond collection sent out samples en masse via Sephora and other online beauty sites since I have 9 of them!), are a rip off when counted as a main box item. If I can get it for free elsewhere, no purchase required, then it’s zero value added in a sub box. I hope against hope the revamped SS isn’t slipping back into the old business model after just a couple of great boxes. I’ll hang in one more month but if I see one more cheap cop out product, drugstore brand or otherwise, or free perfume sample, I’m done. Who do they think they’re fooling?

Well got my box today ,and guess what? I got the September box!

I actually really liked this box. It’s not as immediately exciting as some of the others, but I didn’t think it was too bad. I regularly buy little shampoos and conditioners for travel and I ALWAYS need hair ties, so I’ll at least use those for sure (sometimes more unique samples go unused for months in my little shoe box, so I can’t be too upset to receive something I buy regularly). The mascara is awesome, and even though they goofed on the Estee Lauder sample size it’s still a nice sample. Mistakes happen, I don’t think that it was so bad that they should feel they need to really redeem themselves. Like everyone else, I’m not a huge fan of perfume samples, but it is a really nice, really expensive perfume at least. I don’t know – overall, I’m happy!

Huge disappointment. I didn’t get the Estee Lauder sample, I have short hair so the hair ties are no good, the perfume gives me a headache, and I don’t color treat or process my hair. I’m considering canceling. I don’t like that they don’t tailor the box to your hair or skin type and this month was just awful.

I’m going to wait it out to next month before cancelling. Hopefully they can redeem themselves in November’s box. Ugh.

This is not my favorite Sample Society Box, but I still like it! I was totally bummed by the L’oreal samples at first but then I realized they’re for dry/damaged hair which will really work for me. Then the perfume sample is really too small but it is a very nice high end brand. The Bobby Brown Mascara, Estee Lauder cream, and hair ties were all wins for me. My Major complaint is there is no item besides the hair ties that is FULL SIZE! They should put at least one full size beauty item in each box!

This is not my favorite Sample Society Box, but I still like it! I was totally bummed by the L’oreal samples at first but then I realized they’re for dry/damaged hair which will really work for me. Then the perfume sample is really too small but it is a very nice high end brand. The Bobby Brown Mascara, Estee Lauder cream, and hair ties were all wins for me. My Major complaint is there is no item besides the hair ties that is FULL SIZE! They should put at least one full size beauty item in each box!

I was very disappointed when I opened my box. I saw the shampoo/perfume and just cringed. The Bobbi brown was about all I liked in this box. They better redeem themselves next month or I may cancel 🙁

I am not horribly disappointed by this box. But only because I dropped my smash box mascara on the floor. My sample society box saved the day with the BB mascara. I agree with everyone on the EL Serum debacle. I am fairly sure they have to offer us an item of equal value as a replacement. Well, at least that was my hope 🙂
If anyone doesn’t want there Bond 9 perfume samples- please contact me- I have SO Much good stuff to trade. Especially Murad and Dr. Brandt. I can’t use anything for oily or combo skin. It is just sitting on a pretty bowl on a dresser, going to waste.
[email protected]
Cheers,
Chelsea

I was so-so on this box. It’s my first box, so I’m going to stick around for a few more to make a solid judgement.

For me, the hair ties and shampoo will get the most use. I’ve been getting so much mascara lately from subscription boxes. Este Lauder is a nice brand, but serums don’t really thrill me.

I will be contesting this with my credit card. I signed up BECAUSE of the EL products this is shady marketing, a complete bait and switch. I encourage you all to do the same.