Mary Kay at Play Jelly Lip Gloss

RATING (out of 5 stars): 4.5 stars

COST: $10

THE SKINNY: This lip gloss really surprised me, in a good way.

Ipsy sent a sample in "Teddy Bear," a nude with just a little sparkle, in a recent bag. The gloss went onto my lips looking very eggshell, but blended into a nice nude with a hint of shine and shimmer.

And boy is is thick, creamy and rich. It makes my lips feel fabulous and lasts a good few hours, too. (That's where they get the "jelly" in the name.)

I'd say this is one of the better lip glosses I've tried in quite a while. It's not a bad outcome for a product I cringed at (color) when I took it out of the box.

KEEP OR TOSS: Keep. This is a great color for summer.

CHECK IT OUT: Mary Kay at Play Jelly Lip Gloss only comes in four colors, but they are good basics.

-- Tested by Shay

Elizabeth Mott Pop! Goes the Shadow

RATING (out of 5 stars): 2.5 stars

COST: $12.99

THE SKINNY: Pop! Goes the Shadow is billed as a crease-proof, buildable, blendable eye shadow.

It goes on like a lot of other eye shadows and lasted, for me with primer, most of the work day.

The color I got in a recent Ipsy bag is "Champagne," which is pretty close to the actual skin color on my eyelid. Translation: I really couldn't see it except for a shimmer.

Was it as super wonderful as promised? Not really.

KEEP OR TOSS: Toss. I have a lot of shadows in this shade already.

CHECK IT OUT: Pop! Goes the Shadow only comes in three colors. Really.

-- Tested by Shay

Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser

RATING (out of 5 stars): 3.5 stars

COST: $6.49

THE SKINNY: At first it bothered me that Biore's new Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser smelled like Icy Hot.

It has a super medicinal aroma. But then it felt great on my skin. A little cooling and definitely clean.

I was surprised at the texture.The cleanser came out in a clear gel with small black specks (the charcoal?) in it. I expected more of a gritty cleanser, but it was smooth to apply. (Much like what you would expect from a gel. It did not really foam as advertised.)

I am not sure that it cleaned any better than other cleansers through and I am worried that it might burn my eyes with prolonged use.

KEEP OR TOSS: Keep.

CHECK IT OUT: You can find Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser at drugstores and Ulta.

-- Tested by Carrie

Lancome Advanced Genifique

RATING (out of 5 stars): 2 stars

COST: $84

THE SKINNY: I really thought I would love this. Lancome makes some pretty awesome stuff.

But there was just not enough of the product to sample. Lancome Advanced Genifique is supposed to create "radiant and smoother skin that you can see and feel."

But it takes 7 days to see results. There was only one application in the sample pack. (Frustrating!)

The serum did apply with ease and did not make my skin feel "off" in any way. But I can't vouch for the effectiveness of this product either. Maybe I should have tried to round up seven of the little packets.

KEEP OR TOSS: There was not even enough left to keep.

CHECK IT OUT: You can find Lancome Advanced Genifique at department stores and online.

-- Tested by Carrie

Etre Belle Anti-Aging Liplift Peel

RATING (out of 5 stars): 1 star

COST: $18

THE SKINNY: I'm not sure why I need a special product to exfoliate my lips.

And this product did nothing special. You apply it like a really runny lip balm. Wait a minute and rinse.

By the time you rinse it away, it does fell a little gritty. But I could not see any difference in the way my lips looked. Honestly, they just felt really dry. Not a winner in my book.

It also looks like you can only find this product in the UK. (Why does Glossybox keep sending products that you can't actually buy?)

KEEP OR TOSS: Toss.

CHECK IT OUT: Learn more and buy here.

-- Tested by Carrie

Chella Eyeliner Pen

RATING (out of 5 stars): 3 stars

COST: $24

THE SKINNY: Chella's Eyeliner Pen delivers a precise, thin line, like a precision point marker. It's fairly easy to use, even for my wobbly hand. (Just don't poke yourself in the eye with the tip. That hurts.)

This eyeliner dries quickly and is waterproof, so it stays in place all day without fading. Unfortunately, this eyeliner dries quickly, so if you want to smudge the line so it looks more natural, you have to be ready to act.

After a few weeks of use, the pen is still going strong and the tip, which really does look like a felt-tip marker, hasn't dried out or gotten icky.

It's a pretty color of blue, too, especially as spring rolls in.

KEEP OR TOSS: Keep

CHECK IT OUT: Chella's Eyeliner Pen only comes in two colors, black and indigo blue.

-- Tested by Shay

Guerlain Maxi Lash

RATING (out of 5 stars): 3.5 stars

COST: $30

THE SKINNY: Guerlain is a new brand for me, compliments of Sephora's online ordering samples, even though the high-end brand has been around since 1828.

This mascara may be really expensive, but it delivers a classic look that has the best staying power I've ever seen in mascara. I would have given it a higher rating if the price wasn't $30.

Maxi Lash is designed to create volume and curl. It coats the lashes easily and you can layer coats without the product clumping. It gives my lashes a polished, lengthened look.

And that looks lasts all day, no lie.

KEEP OR TOSS: Keep. I will miss this sample when it's gone.

CHECK IT OUT: Maxi Lash comes in two colors, black and brown.

-- Tested by Shay

Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo and Conditioner

RATING (out of 5 stars): 2.5 stars

COST: $5.79 each

THE SKINNY: I love the idea of most of Organix hair care products, but they rarely deliver what I expect. That holds true for the Coconut Milk Shampoo and Conditioner, bought on a whim at the drugstore.

They do smell fabulous and beachy. But they don't do fabulous things for my fine hair.

The shampoo and conditioner contain coconut products and egg white proteins that are supposed to hydrate and nourish.

By itself, the shampoo leaves my hair clean and shiny but feeling a little dry. I need to add the conditioner to get that hydrated and nourished feeling. And after continual use of using the conditioner, my head starts to itch because it's too much hydration for my scalp to take.

KEEP OR TOSS: Keep, because I do love the smell, but use sparingly. It's currently parked in the guest bathroom.

CHECK IT OUT: Organix has a whole line of products made with coconut milk.

-- Tested by Shay

Alex and Ani Scent 7 Bar Soap

RATING (out of 5 stars): 1 star

COST: $14 for 7 ounces (1 bar)

THE SKINNY: I am not sure why this product was in a recent Glossybox. It has to be a men's product.

Alex and Ani Scent 7 Bar Soap has one of the most masculine smells around -- a lot like Old Spice actually. And I knew it the second I opened the package.

I immediately gave it to my boyfriend to use. He seemed to like it OK, but at $14 per bar ... really?

KEEP OR TOSS: Toss ... or give it to your boyfriend.

CHECK IT OUT: Supposedly this is a women's product. Learn more from Alex and Ani.

-- Tested by Carrie

Toni & Guy Volumizing Whip

RATING (out of 5 stars): 4.5 stars

COST: $16.99

THE SKINNY: This stuff is amazing.

Toni & Guy Volumizing Whip is a texturizing paste that you put on damp hair. Dry and style your hair as normal to create volume. It's impressive compared with other things I’ve tried, and it adds real volume and bounce to my short hair. That volume lasts all day without looking dirty.

Overall, I don't know what I've done without this product. It makes my short crop a lot easier to style.

The product helps fight static and flyaways (what little I have with my short hair).

KEEP OR TOSS: Keep

CHECK IT OUT: Toni & Guy Volumizing Whip is available where higher-end salon products are sold, including Target, Walgreens and Ulta.

-- Tested by Shay

DDF Wrinkle Resist Plus Pore Minimizer

RATING (out of 5 stars): 2 stars

COST: $85

THE SKINNY: If you were to combine a moisturizer and a pore minimizer, you would get a product that's lightweight and creamy but thicker than your average lotion. The texture in mind was exactly what DDF Wrinkle Resist Plus Pore Minimizer delivered.

Except DDF Wrinkle Resist is orange.

I didn't see that coming.

DDF Wrinkle Resist is meant to minimize your pores, exfoliate your skin and deliver a lot of hydration to help improve the appearance of your skin over time. I really liked the way this product felt on my skin, and it blended in easily without feeling heavy or sticky. It uses amino peptides, which build proteins in the skin, to shrink pores.

The only problem? It made my face break out within a day.

KEEP OR TOSS: I had to toss this one.

CHECK IT OUT: DDF Wrinkle Resist Plus Pore Minimizer is expensive, but you don't need a lot of product per use.

-- Tested by Shay

Win the Your Mom's a Total Beauty Box

Beauty Test Dummies is teaming up with Total Beauty Shops again to help you win a beauty box filled with awesome products.

And this giveaway is just in time for Mother's Day, so you could keep the box for yourself or give it to your mom.

We got an advance box in the mail and this one is packed with awesome products ... several full size items!

The sugar scrub and pur~lisse moisturizer are some of my new favorites. And there is a $50 gift card for NakedWines.com. (What's better than a nice day of pampering and glass of wine?)

See the items for yourself in this video. Here's what I found inside my box:

• pur~lisse pur~moist Hydra-Balance Moisturizer – Full Size ($55 value)
• Advanced Body Care by ME! Tri-Functional Sugar Scrub – Full Size ($40 value)
• Advanced Body Care by ME! Bath-Bath Soak Mini – Mini ($4 value)
• Tata Harper Rose Floral Essence – Deluxe Sample ($5 value)
• Montagne Jeunesse Dead Sea Face Spa – Full Size ($2.49 value)
• ALFAPARF Cristalli Liquid Serum – Deluxe Sample ($4.42 value)
• Neutrogena Naturals Lip Balm – Full Size ($3 value)
• NakedWines.com $50 Gift Card
• MailPix.com 8"x10" Canvas Lite ($30 value)

We will be giving away one box (see the Rafflecopter below) but if you want to get your hands on this box now you can order direct from Total Beauty Shops. This box is a real steal and might sell out fast! Use code TBMOM and get $10 off a single box or use TBMOM2 and get two boxes for $55 (one for you and one for mom).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Marvelous Moxie Lipstick

RATING (out of 5 stars): 4.5 stars

COST: $18

THE SKINNY: Ipsy sent a sample of the new Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in Get Ready, a nice warm pink, in the March 2014 bags. I, for one, was really excited to get this because I'm such a fan of all of the Bare Minerals/Buxom lip products.

Marvelous Moxie didn't disappoint. It's creamy and thick and delivered rich color that lasted a few hours. It feels amazing on my lips and keeps them nice and hydrated. It actually feels like a lip balm (think Carmex) and a lipstick in one tube.

This is everything I expected it to be and more.

KEEP OR TOSS: Keep

CHECK IT OUT: Marvelous Moxie Lipstick comes in 16 colors.

-- Tested by Shay

NYX Love in Rio Eye Shadow

RATING (out of 5 stars): 2.5 stars

COST: $6

THE SKINNY: This NYX eyeshadow trio is about what you would expect for the price. The shadow went on easy and blended well. It's a little dusty and not very deeply pigmented.

But you can't expect too much when you pay $6 for three colors, and the browns in the Love In Rio collection have a nice range for neutrals.

A lot of my eye shadows — from brands such as EM Cosmetics, Urban Decay, POP Beauty — are thicker and more saturated than NYX. This is a nice option when you want something light, but it's not going to wow you.

The color lasted until lunchtime with primer.

KEEP OR TOSS: Keep for a while. Eventually, I'll wonder why I kept it and move on. (Ipsy has been sending a lot of NXY products lately, so I have a small collection that will suffer the same fate.)

CHECK IT OUT: NYX Love in Rio Eye Shadow comes in 18 color combinations.

-- Tested by Shay

Burberry Brit Rhythm for Her

RATING (out of 5 stars): 4 stars

COST: $53 for 1 oz.

THE SKINNY: This was the first time I’ve ever gotten a perfume sample that came as temporary tattoos, which makes me think this fragrance’s demographic is a lot younger than my 40+ years.

Note to Burberry: No one wants a temporary tattoo shaped like a bottle. (The tattoo is the black rectangle thing in the picture.)

But I love the smell of this perfume, made with jasmine and orange blossom. It's light and powdery with just a hint of spice.


KEEP OR TOSS: Keep. I ordered a bottle.

CHECK IT OUT: Burberry Brit Rhythm is available as both a women's and a men's perfume (although I haven't smelled the men's version).

-- Tested by Shay

Boots No7 Lift & Luminate Foundation

RATING (out of 5 stars): 4 stars

COST: $14.99

THE SKINNY: Foundation isn't my favorite beauty product, but during the cold days of winter I find I need it to even out my skin tone and add a little brightness to my face. Plus, it gives me a professional polish for work that's hard to beat.

My new go-to product is Boots No7 Lift & Luminate, which is lightweight, perfects my complexion and gives me that dewy look to help hide fine lines and wrinkles. The coverage lasts all day, and the foundation is SPF 15 to add a little extra protection.

The dewy (translation: appears slightly damp) look does brighten my face and help mask my age. Who doesn't want that?

KEEP OR TOSS: Keep.

CHECK IT OUT: I found Boots No7 Lift & Luminate Foundation at Target (and paid cash).

-- Tested by Shay

Pureology Color Fanatic Spray

RATING (out of 5 stars): 2.5 stars

COST: $24

THE SKINNY: While a lot of people really seem to like Pureology Color Fanatic Spray, I am just not that big of a fan. The spray treatment goes on damp hair before styling and boasts 21 benefits.

It works fine, I suppose, but my hair texture just felt a little off while using it. And I did not see enough of any other benefit to really justify continued use.

I'll stick with It's a 10.

KEEP OR TOSS: Toss.

CHECK IT OUT: You can find Pureology Color Fanatic Spray at Ulta.

-- Tested by Carrie

fresh Soy Face Cleanser

RATING (out of 5 stars): 3.5 stars

COST: $38 for 150 ml

THE SKINNY: I really can't seem to find anything from fresh that I don't like. And the Soy Face Cleanser is just as good as I had hoped.

The cucumbery cleanser goes on smooth and silk-like and removes all of the day's grime and nastiness. The scent is so light and fresh that you just want to breath it in. 

 

The formula is designed to help clean and nourish skin with some natural ingredients.

 

I really do love this stuff ... but it is pricey. A little goes a long way, but I am still not sure I want to drop $38 on a small tube of cleanser.

KEEP OR TOSS: Keep. I am looking for more samples.

CHECK IT OUT: Learn more about fresh Soy Face Cleanser and buy online.

-- Tested by Carrie

Anatomicals Puffy the Eye Bag Slayer Wake Up Under Eye Patches

RATING (out of 5 stars): 1 star

COST: $11 for 3 patches

THE SKINNY: Trying this product from a recent Glossybox was nothing short of a waste of time. Anatomicals Puffy the Eye Bag Slayer Wake Up Under Eye Patches were messy to remove from the package -- they are floating a liquid which spilled everywhere -- and don't really do anything.

You peel these patches from a backing -- or fish them out of the goo as I did -- and place them under the eyes. But they don't stick and just want to roll up and fall off, repeatedly.

Then you have to leave them on for 30 minutes. The only way to make them stick is to lay down and be still. At this point I was swearing at the eye patches. They better work, right?

Wrong.

After 30 minutes of struggle, I saw no change at all. Really? What a waste? Come on Glossybox, you need to vet some of this stuff before you send it to paying customers.

KEEP OR TOSS: Toss.

CHECK IT OUT: This product was from a recent Glossybox and looks like it is only available in the United Kingdom.

-- Tested by Carrie

Balance Me Super Toning Body Wash

RATING (out of 5 stars): 1 star

COST: $14 for 3.4 ounces

THE SKINNY: This oil-based natural body wash is supposed to cleanse and tone.

I wouldn't know because it smelled so bad that I squeezed it on a washcloth and then let it go down the drain. I did not want to risk smelling like medicine and herbs all day long.

It really was that bad. This was a Glossybox product dud for sure.

KEEP OR TOSS: Toss.

CHECK IT OUT: You can buy this product direct from Balance Me, a UK-based company.

-- Tested by Carrie

Look Better Naked The Righteous Butter

RATING (out of 5 stars): 2.5 stars

COST: $20 for 10 ounces

THE SKINNY: You have to love a product with a fun tagline and packaging, but Look Better Naked The Righteous Butter was not really anything special.

It worked OK. It moisturized OK. It smelled OK. But in all honesty, it was just an average product.

It is an award-winning product, so you might still want to give it a try, but don't get your hopes too high.

KEEP OR TOSS: Keep.

CHECK IT OUT: Other online reviewers liked this a lot more.

-- Tested by Carrie