NewBeauty TestTube Review: January 2015

NewBeauty TestTube is a bimonthly subscription box of various beauty products (at $30 a tube), as well as a subscription to NewBeauty magazine. This is a program heavily based on feedback and you're encouraged to offer your thoughts on the samples inside your tube. All of the samples are full or deluxe sized. We received this box for review.

They aren't kidding - it really does come in a tube! There were eight items in the tube and they truly cover all their bases. The first item was lip balm from EraClea, which is meant to keep your lips moist longer. I love lip balm, so this is a definite yes for me (and it's a cruelty-free product, so double yes).

The next item was a No Frizz oil from Balanced Guru. All of Balanced Guru's products are organic, cruelty-free, and sustainable. This oil is designed to minimize frizz, as well as to add shine to your hair. It is made from essential oils (and smells great). 

There was a bottle of Dermalogica microfoliant, which is a powder that activates in water to exfoliate your skin. It is designed to be used daily (a full size bottle runs more than $50). Inside the packaging was also a gift card for a free skin treatment at a retail store (I don't know if there are any around me, but it's worth checking!). 

Color Club provided Dry Ice drops, a fast-drying formula to speed up drying of your nail polish. I don't use enough nail polish to worry much about how fast it dries, but I know that it can take a while. I also know several people who would love this product and I think it's wonderful that it's available. 

One of the last items was a bottle of Klorane dry shampoo with oat milk. I've never tried a dry

shampoo, but this is a natural and cruelty-free product so I am definitely going to try it! My hair tends to grow fairly dull and limp and this sounds like it may be a nice change.

The last item featured in the booklet (although there were two additional bonus items in the tube as well) was CHI (from Farouk) Argan and Moringa Oil. This is another product designed to rejuvenate hair. I couldn't get any info on whether this is cruelty-free or not, so if anyone knows, that would be great. I can't find the label or note on the site saying it is, which always makes me think it isn't.

There were two items not listed in the booklet that were included. These were Vichy LiftActiv Serum drops and Bye Bye Under Eye Waterproof Concealer. Since these are both anti-aging products (I am beginning to think people are just messing with me now), I won't be using them. I feel like one of these days I am just going to wake up as one giant wrinkle given my opposition to all this anti-aging stuff, but it's really extra work that I just don't need because my skin is in decent shape. In ten years, maybe I will regret not using this more!

Most of the products in the tube were labeled as cruelty-free (I couldn't find anything on Vichy and Farouk), but there is nothing from NewBeauty TestTube saying all items will be. I do prefer a subscription that promises it (another mark against Birchbox right now), but it's nice to see more up and coming brands making a point of it. Hopefully we will reach a point where it's the norm rather than the exception. (If NewBeauty TestTube only uses cruelty-free products, please correct me and I will update this post.)