NewBeauty is one of the first (possibly THE first) beauty subscription boxes available, and they are still going strong to this day! I subscribed to NewBeauty Test Tube quite a few years ago, and while I was impressed by everything they offered, I thought that the price tag was a bit much for me at the time. Luckily, this past month, NewBeauty sent me an e-mail with a 30% off coupon code and asked me to consider resubscribing. Of course my equal love for subscription boxes and coupons got the best of me and I re-subscribed. I tell myself it's all for my readers! (ha-ha!)
NewBeauty Test Tube is $29.95 (plus $8.95 S+H for a total of $38.95 per box) and is shipped out 6 times a year, so you would be getting it every other month. Each box includes the Test Tube, which is filled with beauty samples and full-size products, and a bag of bonus samples. You also get a subscription to New Beauty magazine when you subscribe to the Test Tube. The magazine is delivered separately, 4 times a year.
Of course for some people that is quite a lot of money for a box of beauty samples. The good news is, it only comes every other month, so it's a price equivalent of having a $20 a month subscription. On top of that, they usually include higher-end items and full size products that other subscriptions do not.
I think the test tube is perfect for beauty junkies, but especially for women who don't have time to shop for beauty product or read pages and pages of reviews on a product. Getting the tube sent right to their door removes the hassle when shopping/discovering new beauty products!
I will say that while New Beauty provides makeup in their tubes (many times it's full size!) they are a skincare-heavy subscription. If you're looking for solely cosmetics, this might not be a good choice for you.
Another great thing about NewBeauty Test Tube, is that they provide a large booklet filled with tons of details about each product included that month. Not only do you get information about the brand, but you can get detailed info on the product as well as tips and tricks to using it properly! It's a really helpful little handbook that I wish more subscriptions took the time to do!
Now let's get on with this month's tube!
Beauty To-Go Bonus Bag
Something that NewBeauty did not do years ago when I subscribed, is include this fun bonus bag of samples. This is not part of your tube, but includes random samples ranging from foil packets, to decent sized samples, as well as things that may have been featured in past tubes. I think my little "to-go" bag was filled with some impressive stuff!
Suki Facial Scrub ($8)
This is a smaller jar of this scrub, but still a very generous size! I've heard great things about this stuff so I am thrilled to get it as a bonus sample!
Pevonia Botanica Marine Cream ($25)
This is a smaller sample, but this stuff is really expensive! After doing a bit of research, it seems to work well for "pre-aging" skin, which just so happens to be what I have! I'm in my late 20's, so it's time I start doing more anti-aging steps in my routine!
Philosophy "Full of Promise" Restoring Cream ($13.50)
This is one of the more expensive Philosophy products, and is a cream used to make skin more youthful and give a lifted appearance to the face.
Rodial Facial Oil ($2.50)
Just an ounce of this oil costs $80, so this is a valuable little foil packet! This stuff is supposed to nourish and hydrate the skin while protecting against environmental stress.
The Test Tube
1. Bioxidea Miracle 48 Excellence Gold Mask ($25)
This is a really different mask than I've ever seen before! It's supposedly a gentle, yet exfoliating and brightening mask that combats aging and makes skin feel polished and soft. It's a paper mask, so if you've used them before, you know that you simply place it on clean skin and use your fingers to smooth out any folds or wrinkles. This one is supposed to be left on for 15-30 minutes. One you remove it, it's suggested that you massage remaining product into the skin.
It has 100% natural ingredients (yay!) and apparently when you're done using it on your face, you can place it into a warm bath, where it will dissolve into the water. You then take a bath as usual to allow the ingredients in the mask to help the skin on your body as well. How cool is that? I can't wait to try this!
2. Simple Facial Wipes ($1.50)
I'm sure most people have seen or tried the Simple brand by now, as it's a drugstore line. The good thing about the Simple wipes is that they are free of alcohol, oils, perfumes and dyes.
I don't think that these wipes are anything extraordinary or anything, although I always remove my makeup with a wipe before cleansing, and go through a LOT of cleansing wipes, so I am more than happy to have these on hand.
3. It's a 10: Miracle Leave-in Lite ($9)
I've heard great things about this brand, so I'm glad they were included in the test tube this month! This is a leave-in conditioner that helps repair, restore and revive hair while detangling. The best part? It's made with fine hair in mind, so it won't make hair greasy or weigh it down.
This stuff smells amazing, too, so I can't wait to use it more and see what I think!
4. Philosophy: Hope in a Jar Moisturizer ($8)
Hope in a Jar is a pretty popular moisturizer from Philosophy. It's lightweight, and feels super moisturizing on my skin. It claims to protect against environmental elements and also gently exfoliates to reveal a more radiant complexion. Honestly, I've used this product in the past, and while I think it does a good job of moisturizing my skin, I don't think it's a game-changer product. I'll definitely use it up though! I go through facial moisturizers like crazy!
5. GLAMGLOW Youthmud Tinglexfoliate Treatment ($20)
GLAMGLOW is getting a lot of buzz lately. They've popped up a few times in different subscription boxes, and their full size products are super expensive (this small tube is valued at $20). Not only are the products pricey, they apparently work! According to GLAMGLOW, this particular product was created as a quick "facial in a jar" for actors in Hollywood who needed camera-ready skin in an instant.
It claims to absorb impurities while keeping the natural oils essential to the face intact. It activates the skin's collagen synthesis which is a natural way to moisturize your skin. GLAMGLOW says this mud mask leaves skin tighter, softer and more radiant after just 10 minutes.
6. GrandeLash-MD Mascara ($10)
I'm not going to beat around the bush: I wasn't that excited when I pulled this mascara out of the tube. This could be the greatest mascara of all time, but to me, it looks like something from the discount bin at my local dollar tree. I'm not ashamed to admit packaging is incredibly important to me. If a product has boring/cheap packaging, it's not a good first impression for me, and I most likely won't use it.
My pickiness aside, this mascara is apparently loaded with natural peptides that help promote longer, thicker lashes. The brush has hard and soft fibers which allows it to lift lashes and create a buildable volume. I will absolutely try this for the sake of reviewing, but unless it knocks my socks off, it'll probably end up in the giveaway pile.
7. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in "Frisky" ($25)
I was the MOST excited to see this awesome full size Tarte blush in my tube! Not only do I love Tarte, but I LOVE their amazonian clay blushes! These babies last all day and are beautifully pigmented and formulated. I got a really bright, intense coral color called "Frisky." It even looks red when really heavily swatched, however used lightly, it's a beautiful deep coral with a golden shimmer. Probably my favorite product in the entire tube, and since it retails for $25, that's almost covering the price of the tube on it's own!
8. Professional Solutions: Triple Action Vitamin C Antioxidant ($40)
Yet another full size product! This one is a vitamin C serum that is formulated with lots of antioxidants to help defend against the signs of aging and leaves skin refreshed and radiant. It includes a free-radical fighter that brightens skin, and a collagen boosted to promote younger-looking skin by improving its texture and tone.
My skin absolutely loves vitamin C serums, so I'm pretty stocked up on them right now, although I'm happy to have another one as a backup. This is a really generous 1 ounce bottle, which for an oil is a very generous size.
9. YBF: Perfect Prep Face Primer ($10)
I've seen YBF (Your Best Friend) products on the HSN website, as well as Hautelook. I've always been interested in trying them to see how the quality was, so to find one of their primers in my tube this month was a pleasant surprise! This one is loaded up with vitamins A, C and E to help nourish the skin, and has a yellow base which helps conceal discoloration and minimizes redness for an overall even skin tone. I did a quick swatch on the back of my hand, and it has a nice, smooth consistency and seems like it's going to feel really nice on my skin. I'm curious to see how it performs in regards to keeping my makeup in place all day!
Overall Thoughts
The NewBeauty Test Tube costs $38.95. I received a total of 13 items, 2 of which were full size. The total value for the test tube this month, including the extra samples, was $198!!
I am absolutely over-the-moon over what an amazing value this tube is! I think there was a nice variety of hair products, skincare and makeup, although as I mentioned earlier, there is a heavier lean toward skincare.
I highly recommend this subscription to anyone who is looking for more substantial samples, and/or anyone who wants a wide variety of beauty products delivered to them without having to subscribe to multiple lower-cost subscriptions. I am very happy with this tube, and I am thrilled that NewBeauty has really stepped up their game over the past couple years and they've officially gained me back as a subscriber.
If you want to sign up for a Test Tube, please consider joining through my referral and save $5 on your first tube! Shoot me an e-mail at haloedeyes@gmail.com and I'll send you an invite/$5 off to the e-mail you provide.