Total Beauty for HSN Collection

 TotalBeauty offered to send me their TotalBeauty Collection for HSN to review before it was even available for purchase, so of course I giddily accepted. (I totally felt like one of the cool kids on the block...)The regular TotalBeauty collections retail for $15 for five deluxe sized samples, and shipping is free. No subscription is required/ You can sign up for emails to see when the next collection is coming out, and you can preview which products are included before buying (unlike many/most sample subscription services out there).

This new TotalBeauty for HSN Collection is special. It retails for $19.99 with free shipping, and includes eight samples. Here's what you can get:

• CAROL'S DAUGHTER MONOI REPAIRING SULFATE-FREE SHAMPOO and MONOI REPAIRING CONDITIONER
  Full Sizes: $18.00 and $20.00 each, 8.5 oz. each 
  Total Beauty for HSN Collection value: 0.48 total oz., $1.07 for both
  These didn't seem to repair my color-treated and damaged hair at all. If anything, it seemed to make my hair feel worse. Also, I'm a little disappointed to see shampoo/conditioner packets in a sample kit. Mini travel sized bottles would have been preferable. 
  
  
• BOSCIA LUMINIZING BLACK MASK
  Full Size: $34.00 2.8 oz. 
  Total Beauty for HSN Collection value: 0.35 oz., $4.25
  This was awful. It has the texture of black glue, and basically works the same way--you apply a THICK layer so that the mask is opaque, let it dry, and then peel it off. There's a bit of an ouch factor in removing it, and removing the wet product from your hands is pretty annoying too. It's quite messy. You could probably get two treatments out of the tube, but I threw it away after the first attempt. There wasn't really a noticeable effect, and it was a huge hassle.
  
  
• AMIKA OIL TREATMENT
  Full Size: $34.00 for 3.38 oz.
  Total Beauty for HSN Collection value: 0.34 oz., $3.42
  I really liked this. I was worried that an oil treatment would weigh down my hair, but this made my hair look healthy and I didn't have any issues with applying too much. There's enough product for many applications, which was nice too.
  
  
• PRAI AGELESS THROAT AND DECOLLETAGE CREAM
  Full Size: $29.95 for 1 oz.
  Total Beauty for HSN Collection value:  0.5 oz., $14.97 
  I don't know the throat and decolletage really need a separate moisturizer. It didn't seem to do anything. The formula is thin and absorbs easily, but I'll probably never use this again.
  
  
• SIGNATURE CLUB A PRECIOUS MOROCCAN ARGAN OIL OASIS DAY CREAM BROAD SPECTRUM SPF 25
  Full Size: $28.50 for 1.2 oz. 
  Total Beauty for HSN Collection value: 0.35oz, $8.31
  Initially, it feels and smells like regular sunscreen. However it does absorb better, and doesn't look or feel greasy--even after a long day, and a sweaty workout. Impressive. 
   
  
• LORAC LIPS WITH BENEFITS LIP GLOSS IN CHUCK
  Full Size: $18.00 for 0.19 oz. 
  Total Beauty for HSN Collection value: 0.05oz, $4.73
  It's a really small sample of lipgloss...but it's adorable. The color is a nice neutral nude/MLBB shade that I'd think is pretty universally flattering.
   
  
• LANCOME HYPNOSE DRAMA MASCARA
  Full Size: $26.00 for 0.22 oz. 
  Total Beauty for HSN Collection value: 0.135 oz., $15.95 
  It's an alright mascara. It adds volume and length but can be a little clumpy if you don't wipe off some of the excess mascara. 
   
  
• INTELLIWHITE PRO WHITE PROFESSIONAL TOOTHPASTE WITH FLUORIDE AND XYLITOL
  Full Size: $16.95 for 4 oz. 
  Total Beauty for HSN Collection value: 1 oz., $4.23 
  Not as minty as I'd like my toothpaste to be, and it doesn't seem to get my teeth as clean or as white as my regular Aquafresh. 
  

"Value" of all samples in the TotalBeauty Collection for HSN: $56.93 


Would I ever pay fifty bucks for a bunch of samples? Heck no. What all of these sample services come down to is--how much value does a sample have to you? I personally like samples to be free, since I end up accumulating so many of them anyway and not using them. Would I actually pay $8 for a little sample of sunscreen? Would I ever pay $16 for a deluxe sized sample of mascara?  Not likely. But, I am occasionally willing to shell out money for a sample sized product so I can test it out without investing in the full sized product, especially for products that I rarely use up before it expires (like mascara). Especially since you're only paying about $2.50 per sample.


Pros for Total Beauty for HSN Collection:

• You know exactly which products you'll get
• You don't have to subscribe
• There's a variety of products (color, hair, skin, etc).
• $20 won't break the bank

Cons for Total Beauty for HSN Collection:

• $2.50 per sample seems expensive to me, even given the "value" (price per oz). I'm just kind of opposed to paying for samples when Sephora and Ulta and every other place online gives out a couple with every order. And while these are supposedly "deluxe" samples in the TotalBeauty collection, they're a little on the smaller side (a packet of shampoo and conditioner? REALLY?)

Overall, I think the concept for TotalBeauty's collections (regular, and for HSN) are a lot more appealing than some other sample services because you can see what's available ahead of time.Although I was a little underwhelmed with the current offerings, I'm going to subscribe to the mailing list to see if anything particularly intriguing comes out in the future. I'd consider buying one if there were some really good samples.

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