Beauty Bonanza in A Box--Beauty Fix

You don't have to be a celebrity to have a stylist pick and present a quarterly array of beauty items she thinks you should try. It's as easy as ordering online! Beauty Fix is a subscription -based beauty sampling program that selects product (a panel of beauty experts) thinks you would like to try. For $50 each quarter, you receive a box filled with full size and travel-sized samples of a variety of products.

I was asked to try the service. Overall, I was impressed with the variety and the quality. These aren't drug store brands (nothing wrong with those, but it's the more unique, boutique brands that make it into the Beauty Fix kits). My kit included eight items, mostly full-sized:

Bella Bronze Olive Oil & Shea Butter Tan Extender

Kerstin Florian Spa Face Aromatherapy Neroli Water

"M" Cream by 3 Lab

i-Divine Eyecolor by Shalini Vadhera

Exuviance Rejuvenating Treatment Masque

Lisa Hoffman Night & Day Vitamins C & C Serum

Glowelle (beauty beverage) Powder 7-day supply

Jonathan High Shine Hair Spray

Is the $55.00 price tag a bargain, or a sucker's deal? As with most kits, the advantage of having someone else do the leg work is just the first part of the bargain. The second is that kits tend to be less expensive and give you the opportunity to try things you might love, but didn't want to pay full retail for right away. So yes, the kit is definitely worth the cost-- even if you don't love everything in it. In fact, The Advice Sisters have reviewed a few of these items already in my What Works Beauty, Cosmetics & Fashion review column (visit our archives to find the reviews). I know what many of these products cost, retail. For example, I am absolutely wild about Lisa Hoffman's luxe skincare products. The full sized serum that arrived in my Beauty Fix kit costs $55.00, alone!

Also included with the Beauty Fix kit was a nice, zippered makeup travel tote, and there was information about the products, so you know what's in them and how to use them. If you like to be interactive, you can also order products at a discount and take part in reviews and forums on the Beauty Fix website.

All in all, I was very impressed. There were some products I never would have considered if they hadn't been in this kit. The only thing I would like to have had with the kit was the option to choose items based on my age and interests.

If you spend more than $200.00 each year on makeup items you'd like to try, you'll be very enthusiastic about Beauty Fix. That's still a lot of money for the average woman to handle. On the other hand, if you spend that much on non-essential items, anyway, Beauty Fix is a way to look better, feel better, and get a great bargain!