Brazen Friends With Benefits September 2013 Review

After getting Brazen several times in Beauty Box 5 (and that being what I liked most about that sub), I was actually pretty excited when Brazen announced they were starting up their own subscription service, Brazen's Friends With Benefits! They have 3 levels of subscription that vary in what you get:
1. Silver ($10 if you sign up now, $15 once they hit 100 subs) - 3 g pot of limited edition or unreleased shadow, 3 g pot of limited edition or unreleased lipgloss, 2-3 samples of various products, and some ordering rewards, early access to sales and a 10% discount on their site.
2. Gold ($15 if you sign up now, $20 once they hit 100 subs) - Everything in silver plus a full sized lip gloss and 15% off on their site.
3. Platinum ($20 if you sign up now, $25 once they hit 100 subs) - Everything in silver and gold plus a full sized eye shadow and 20% off on their site.

I was somewhat tempted by platinum because of that full size eye shadow, but I don't need or want the full sized lipgloss in addition to the 3 g pot of lipgloss. I think if they'd reversed gold and platinum where gold got the full sized eye shadow and platinum added in the lipgloss as well, I'd have gotten gold for sure. Anyway, since I signed up on the day they opened up subscriptions, I got the $10 silver sub. They're still available at the discounted prices, though!

Brazen's packing - I like the tape and that it has a handwritten thank you!

Opening the bag

I liked that everything was wrapped in tissue paper and the bigger items were tucked into a cute little bag. For my samples, I actually got 4 instead of the 2-3 the description lists, so yay! I got 3 eyeshadow samples - Karma, Tease, and Aphrodisiac. I really loved all 3! Shimmery, pigmented, and lovely! Just what I expected from Brazen. And really, the samples (these are a fairly standard sample size compared to other mineral eye shadow brands I've tried) are a pretty good amount. I usually dump the baggie into a little 3 gram jar and it lasts a good amount of time for me! My last sample is a large sample of their Goodbye to You Undereye Brightening Powder. It's a big bag! I'm just not sure about the color. It seems a bit dark for me, so I'm not sure how brightening it'll be (and I haven't had a chance to test it other than to swatch it on my arm).

Brazen samples

Swatches (top to bottom): Undereye Brightening Powder, Karma, Aphrodisiac, and Tease

For my 3g products, I got much more neutral colors. My lipgloss was a coppery pink called Hush. I initially thought it looked decent on my hand, but as soon as I put it on my lips, I was pretty turned off by it. I looked like the tin man in copper. So shiny. Way too metallic and thick and not at all sheer. Into the lip graveyard (a box I keep for unknown reasons) it went. My eye shadow was much better. It was a light brown with a golden sheen and I think a hint of green, called Impulse. It's definitely a neutral, so not quite as exciting as the sample colors, but I do like it. It's something I could wear all the time.

Brazen Hush lipgloss (top) and Impulse eye shadow (bottom)

Brazen Friends With Benefits September 2013

I'm pretty happy with my first bag from Brazen. I like all the eye colors I got, even if I'm unsure of the undereye brightener and I really don't like the lipgloss. I'm kind of hoping in the future for maybe a more neutral shimmery gloss, but I'm not sure this company does anything so tame.

For what I paid, the discounted price, I think I got a fair value. Having stocked up on LOTS of shadow samples in recent months, I'd say those little baggies average about $1.00 each, 3g jars go for about $3-4 and 5g jars go for $5-6, so this is at least $10-11 worth of product based on the other 7 or 8 indie companies I've ordered from (and may one day get around to reviewing...). Had my subscription been the full $15, I might be a tad upset. I have seen some unhappy people though (I was actually surprised by it), mainly complaining about the sample baggies. As I said, knowing the competition's value, I'm not upset, but I suppose I can see how someone who has never ordered just samples may not know their value. Most indie companies don't just give these away free, unless you're buying something else from them.

The one thing that has concerned me just a bit is that I've read on a forum that one person got a response from Brazen stating "Due to an overwhelming response, we are doing away with the sample baggies this month & instead increasing the other items. We are using 3g pots, which hold almost as much as a full size they just don't come with a sifter/fancy packaging. It gives us a chance to offer more selection at a lower cost to our friends.". Which, to me, initially sounds like all we'll get this coming month are 2 products at the silver level, just in slightly increased amounts. I'm not disappointed in the samples!! I liked the sample colors and I really liked having 4 colors total to play with. I want the samples! If last month had included just the 2 main products, I would've been pretty upset since I don't like the lipgloss at all and, while the shadow is nice, it's very neutral. I liked the variety in this bag. I sincerely hope I misunderstand the plan. I'm just unclear on what "other items" is specifically talking about. Maybe "other items" are the bonus items? I hope. Reading it again now, specifying that they're using 3g pots, which they're already using for the main products at the silver level, may indicate that they'll also use 3g pots for the samples too. That seems like a big jump in amount of product though. I mean, I do usually dump the baggies into my own 3g jars, but they aren't filled (maybe 1/3 to 1/2 filled based on the company). I just dump them for easier use. I don't know. I suppose we'll see! EDIT: Well, strike most of this. I just went on their Facebook page, like I probably should have first, and it turns out the second scenario is what they meant - they're replacing the sample baggies with mini pots. So, I'm still happy! :)

Anyway, if you got Brazen's Friends with Benefits this month, did you like it? Did you get anything different or did you get a different level? If you're interested in signing up, they're still offering the lower prices, so head on over to their site.

(And just a disclaimer: I bought this box myself and was not compensated for this review in any way. All opinions are my own.)