New Beauty Test Tube Summer 2012: Treat Yourself to 12 Must-have Beauty Indulgences You'll Never Regret

“Would you like a free sample with your purchase?”

When the salesperson at my local department store beauty counter whispers those magical words,

the heavens open and I hear the angels singing the Hallelujah Chorus.

Just like the thrill of discovering new lotions and potions at the beauty counter, the beauty sample box phenomena takes away the stress of wasting money on new beauty products that just don't work.

It's the ultimate, try it, before you buy it, regret-free, glam girl delivery service.

And thanks to the wonderful world of subscription beauty boxes, you too can hear the angels singing loudly in your living room while you score a little beauty booty with red-carpet-worthy, beauty swag.

As a serious beauty sample junkie, I was thrilled when NewBeauty asked me to review their latest 2012 TestTube.

But I had to wonder…

1) As a closeted beauty product hoarder, will this beauty box feed my healthy product-loving addiction? Or is the sample box subscription a beauty don't, instead of a beauty do?
2) Do the products in the TestTube actually work?
3) And as a beauty consumer on a budget, will I waste any of my hard-earned money on this beauty box subscription? Will I have any disappointments or regrets?

JUMP TO:

Here's what I found :

THE PRODUCT PACKAGING: WOW, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PINK BOX!

You only have one chance to make a first impression, and the TestTube's bright fuchsia box screams at me, “Open me, now. I'm pretty.”

After I snatched the beautiful pink box from the UPS guy's hands, I was off to my bathroom to start smelling, slathering, spritzing and sampling the products.

WHAT'S INSIDE THE NEW BEAUTY TEST TUBE SUMMER 2012: A LOT OF BEAUTY GOODIES

Inside the tube you'll find the following:

A New Beauty Product Manual
Lumene Time Freeze Firming Night Cream
It's a 10® Miracle Leave-In Plus Keratin
Neutrogena® Rapid Wrinkle Repair™ Serum (full size)
Jane Iredale Tantasia
Neutrogena® Brightening Eye Perfector (full size)
Mally® High Shine Liquid Lipstick (full size)
Lashfood Eyelash Conditioner
Hydroxatone® InstantEffect™ 90 Second Wrinkle Reducer
Olay® Pro-X Clear Complexion Renewing Lotion
A full-color NewBeauty magazine & digital magazine content for your iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch
Three – $10.00, $25.00 and 50.00 SpaLook promo code cards
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer
Ahava Essential Day Moisturizer

The TestTube has a healthy mix of products you'll find in your drugstore and fine/specialty department stores.

Most of the product samples are enclosed in the long pink TestTube, so you don't have to worry about your precious beauty cargo getting damaged, smashed or spilled while in transit.

PRODUCT REVIEWS: LET'S TEST THE SAMPLES

I've had the box for a little less than a week, but here are my honest reviews of 3 of the 12 glorious products listed above and how I used them.

SKINCARE: Ahava Essential Day Moisturizer -(0.51 fl oz). The full-size moisturizer retails for $39.50.

I applied a pea-sized amount of the lightweight Ahava moisturizer to my face. This creamy and silky product glides on easily, is perfect for sensitive skin and is not greasy.

My dry skin soaked up the product instantly, so this skin-smoother is a winner if you wear liquid foundation and need to paint your face in less than 5 minutes.

Also, if you are an eczema-sufferer like I am, the Ahava essential daily moisturizer did not make me itch or breakout. After a few hours, my skin still felt soft and moisturized. Hello, hydration!

For eco-budget beauties, the Ahava moisturizer is paraben free and is not tested on animals.

The product also touts the effects of skin-nourishing dead sea minerals, aloe vera, and Vitamin E; it made me an Ahava believer after 5 days of use.

HAIRCARE: it's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Plus Keratin: 2 fl. oz sample. Full size: $20 (4 oz.)

I have a mop of shoulder-length curls that I try to tame with a product mixture of smoothers, de-frizzers, detanglers, and curl-enhancers.

I spritzed 3 pumps of the It's a 10 spray into the palm of my hand, and raked the product from the roots to the ends with my fingertips.

Packed with silk amino acids, hydrolyzed keratin, sunflower seed extract, and panthenol, the It's a 10 leave-in product is lightweight and non-greasy.

I didn't care for the fruity scent, but I did like how my hair felt after one application. But don't let my finicky nose persuade you: Check out the reviews on NewBeauty.com; women love this product and the smell!

My hair was easy to comb, my curls formed beautifully, my hair felt soft and the product absorbed quickly and easily.

I didn't blow-dry or flat-iron my hair, so I can't report on the heat-protecting and shine-boosting claims of the product. At $36.00 a bottle, I will have to try a few more of the It's a 10 product line before I add this product to my daily beauty and grooming routine.

MAKEUP: Smashbox Photo Finish Primer. (.25 oz) $17.00 for the (.4 oz)travel size. $36.00 for the full-size primer (1 oz).

Once I turned 40, just like my weight, my skin changed…for the worse. I needed a little extra boost to fight fine lines and smooth my dry skin.

I also live in the South, where your morning makeup application will slide of your face in the heat of a hot summer afternoon.

A great primer, however, keeps your makeup from melting and is a friend to aging and troubled skin.

I've tried the Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch, Nars Pro-Prime Multi-Protect and the MAC Prep + Prime products. But will I love the Smashbox primer?

No wonder lifestyle publications like InStyle, Marie Claire, Allure and Real Simple love this primer. It works.

Its non-oily formula is perfect for all skin types and has anti-oxidants to quench parched skin. This sheer gel features nourishing ingredients like grape seed extract, green tea and Vitamin E. The primer glides easily over my skin, looks natural under my makeup, and provides a full coverage in the Atlanta heat for 8 hours.

Apply a pea-sized amount to your skin after your moisturizer for maximum staying power. Because this primer is pricey, I would try the travel size version sold on the website or use Monistat Anti Chafing Gel as an affordable cheap, gel-based silicone primer alternative.

New Beauty Test Tube: PROS & CONS

PROS: Sign up is simple. Visit the NewBeauty website, input your address and credit card information and you are ready to go. No worries if you want to cancel the subscription; just send an email at [email protected] to stop the service.

PROS: The product manual is a mini magazine. I love a large full-color brochure that reveals product ingredients and instructions. The manual also gives the product company's website address and fun facts about the tube's contents.

PROS: You get a copy of their delicious magazine. Yes, I'm a NewBeauty Magazine fangirl. I'm one of those beauty nerds/ snobs who loves a beautifully designed glossy book that is easy to read, has awesome product shots and features recommendations from top docs and beauty gurus.

PROS: Spa-style pampering delivered directly to your door. Have your best three girlfriends order a few NewBeauty TestTubes, and Voila! You'll have enough samples for a pamper party. Need to de-stress after a long day at the office? Curl up with the New Beauty magazine, light a few candles and play soothing music while you slather yourself with products until you fall asleep.

CONS: The price of the box is $29.99. While other monthly beauty subscription box prices such as, BeautyBox5, Birchbox, CurlBox, Sample Society's BeautyBar, Glossybox and My Shade of Brown range from $10 to 21 dollars, the New Beauty TestTube is one of the priciest boxes on the market.

But with the NewBeauty tube, you are getting quarterly product shipments instead of monthly. As a bonus, you'll receive two full-size samples in every box, a minimum of six to eight sample products and the awesome NewBeauty magazine. If you divide the 30 plus bucks you'll spend each quarter on the tube by 3, then the TestTube is comparable in price to its other beauty box brethren.
CONS: The digital magazine content is for Apple users only. While my hubby and I both own Macs and a Windows-based PCs, we can't view the digital magazine on any of our mobile devices. When the magazine becomes available on other platforms, I'll be the first in line to download it on my phone and tablet.

Filled with products from each beauty category — haircare, skincare and makeup– the New Beauty TestTube is the perfect chance for beauty junkies and product newbies to try the latest and greatest beauty and pampering products for cheap.

Because if you've worshiped at the altar of Kiehl's, La Mer, Clarisonic, SK-II, or any other pricey potion purveyor, you know that a 1 oz. jar of eye cream, a fancy-schmancy 2 oz. serum or a super-awesome rotating brush can cost you a minimum of $ 150 before tax.

What is the total estimated value of the NEWBEAUTY Testtube? $150.00

For just $29.99 plus shipping, you can get the same $150 value of any one of the coveted, expensive and pricey products in the NEWBEAUTY TestTube, for less than the cost of a salon manicure and pedicure.

So, if you are looking to dip your perfectly manicured toes into the pool of subscription beauty boxes, NewBeauty's TestTube is a great place to start swimming and saving.

As a beauty skeptic who hates to waste any money, but loves a super-duper beauty deal, I highly recommend the NewBeauty Test Tube.

Go get the TestTube at the New Beauty website. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Disclosure!: I received the product mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on this blog. Regardless of the free stuff, I only recommend beauty items that I personally use, absolutely love and believe will be good for my readers.