New Beauty Test Tube

Several years ago when I was still in college (probably circa 2004 or 2005) the New Beauty magazine first launched and in turn their Test Tube program. It was all the rage on the makeup board for awhile and then other companies out there started their own test programs. There's My Pretty Pink Box (next launch Oct 7th - tomorrow!), there's Beauty Fix and even Allure. I'm sure there are even more. Anyway... now that I have a job that pays me reasonably well, I can afford these little boxes (or tubes) of pure bliss.

The Test Tube program is 4x a year. Each tube is (checking credit card statement here) $38.90 including tax and shipping (shipping is pretty hefty but the tube weighs about 2 lbs).

Ok, so I signed up. They charged my card and my Test Tube arrived on my doorstep yesterday.

Here's what came:

• Trish McEvoy Eye Base Essentials in Bare (full size - $24)
• Jane Iredale Dream Tint in Peach Brightener .25floz (deluxe sample)
• Thalgo Delicate Exfoliating Bar .88oz (deluxe sample full size is 4.4oz)
• Peter Thomas Roth Anti-Aging Cleansing Gel 1oz (deluxe sample full size is 8.5oz)
• Befine Exfolating Cleanser 1.5floz (deluxe sample full size is 4oz)
• Supersmile toothpaste (small size - sells for $13)
• Fekkai 3-minute mask 1.7oz (deluxe sample full size is 7oz)
• Bioelements Moisture x10 .25oz (deluxe sample - full size is 1 oz/$39!)
• Glisodin skin nutrient supplement 12 pills (full size is 60 pills/$80)
  
• Vera Wang body lotion .75oz (deluxe sample)
• Dr. Brandt Pores No More .25oz (deluxe sample - full size is 1oz/$45)

And last but not least (actually, it's not thrilling me) is a $20 ""gift card"" to spalook.com. And my excessive use of quotations means there is fine print. This is really just a one use coupon code. It says on the back that it must be used towards a purchase of $100 or more.

Anyway, do I think the tube is worth it? Mostly. The 2 full size items in the tube more or less equal the amount I paid for it, plus I get a whole bunch of samples. Could do without the ""gift card"" or would it really kill them to make the amount just a set $20 off of $20? I mean, it's not as though I'd spend less than $50 anyway because I always try to get free shipping. The samples are pretty generous though and it is super fun to receive a surprise package 4x a year.

Things that I can't use are going to be sent to my mother in law (MIL from now on!). She spoils DH and I like crazy (he's an only child) so we constantly get packages from her so since she recently asked me from skincare advice, I'm returning the favor.