#365 Days of Samples: Week 2

Time to see how I did using up samples from week 1 of the #365 days of samples series, and draw seven new ones. As a refresher, these are the items I randomly drew last Sunday from my box of samples.

I knew I wouldn't be able to make it through the 4 hair conditioning samples in one week, as I typically wash my hair every other day. I did make it through 4 of the samples though, none of which knocked my socks off.

I've accepted that I'm just not a GlamGlow kind of girl, as I find all of the samples I've tried rather lackluster and overpriced. The Powermud Dual Cleanse Treatment is $69 for the full size, and the 2 uses I got from this foil sample in no way enticed me  to pony over that much money. I will say I liked it better than the other GlamGlow products I've tried, so there's that.

Hands down, the Phytobaume Hydratation Express conditioner was my least favorite of the 4 samples I finished this week. Can a conditioner make your hair feel dryer than when you started using it? Cause that was my experience with this one. It has absolutely no slip to it, my hair did not feel soft and I could not get a comb through my wet hair. I ended up having to use a leave in conditioner after using this one, and who wants to use two hair conditioners? A hard pass on this one.

The L'Occitane Divine Cream is a middle of the road moisturizer that is way overpriced at $110 a jar, IMO. I'm not one who assumes price = quality, although you certainly hope it does when you are forking out the cash.  I'd certainly use other samples if they came my way, but I've found better moisturizers at far more reasonable prices.

Surprisingly, the Petite Cherie Eau de Toilette by Annick Gautel was my favorite item out these 4 samples. The notes of peach, pear, rose musk, vanilla, and freshly cut grass are perfect for spring, and spring has come early to Mobile. This fruity floral is refreshing and light, and I enjoyed pairing it with a my Pear Wasabi body butter by Nest for more impact. Sadly, on it's own I could not smell Petite Cherie after 2 hours, tops, which means I would not purchase. Perhaps the perfume has better staying power. Pretty, but too fleeting.

Now, let's see the seven new items I randomly drew for week 2! They will join the three items I did not finish from week one, making a total of ten samples I'll be using. I'm excited about these!

1. Purity Made Simple 3-in-1 cleanser by Philosphy (foil)
2. BHA Blackhead Power Liquid by CosRX (foil)
3. Eye Bright moisturizer by DHC (foil)
4. Reservatrol Lotion by DHC (foil)
5. Lingerie de Peau foundation in 02N Light by Guerlain (foil)
6. Primed & Poreless face primer by Too Faced (deluxe sample)
7. Fumerie Turque perfume by Serge Lutens (probably only enough for 1-2x wear)

#365 Days of Samples: Week 1

Sorry for the lack of posts the last two weeks!  I've been crazy busy with boring important work stuff. However, I've still been taking pictures and have plenty of stuff to post, beginning with the start of a new series called #365 Days of Samples. I learned about this from watching Elle S on YouTube, who as far as I can tell, started this series. It's a fairly simple premise: use up 365 samples in 365 days. I'm sure the execution will be a bit more difficult :-)

To get ready for this series, I had to put all of my samples in one pot. That was eye opening, to say the least. I've had them scattered around, organized into different categories (skin care, hair care, body care, etc.), but putting them all in one location gives me a much more accurate picture of how OUT OF CONTROL this situation really is.

Clearly, I've accumulated a lot of foil and deluxe sized samples. I don't know how many samples are in the box, but it's well over 365, which is crazy.

So, each week, I'll randomly (eyes closed) select 7 samples I'll use for the week. Each Sunday (or Monday), I'll post a review of the samples used and select 7 new ones. If I don't finish a sample in a given week, it will carry over until I do. Some other ground rules include: I'll use a perfume sample 3 times minimum to give it a fair shot, but if I hate it, I don't have to finish it. I'm not going to force myself to use up products that I hate, but one time usage is rarely enough to form a fair opinion of anything. If a product has already gone bad (some of these have been sitting around for a while), I'll chose another one.

I deliberately chose foil samples for the first week so that I would not be overwhelmed, but blind selection gives that special element of surprise. So, it figures that I chose 4 (four!) hair care samples for week one. I'm guessing I will be carrying some of these over before I can finish them.

1. Petite Cherie by Anouk Goutal perfume vial sample
2. DHC After Bath Hair Treatment 
3. Keratase Resistance Vita Cemont Topseal hair reconstructing milk
4. Living Proof Perfect Hair Day styling treatment
5. Phyto Express Condition
6. GlamGlow Powermud Dual Cleanse Treatment
7. L'Occitane Divine Cream

This is a start, at least. 

Sample Series #12: La Mer Soft Fluid Foundation in Neutral 22

I was curious to try La Mer's Soft Fluid Long Wearing Foundation, so when it was a sample selection from Nordstrom I put it in my basket. At $110 for a 1 oz. bottle, it's definitely pricey but most of the reviews I've seen having been positive.

The selling points for the foundation are that it also includes the skin care goodies that La Mer is known for, called "Miracle Broth". What might that be, you ask? Well, it involves "vital nutrients" that have been fermented and are supposed to hydrate, sooth, and repair skin, including fermented algae sourced from the coast of of Brittany. As you can see, it does have a long list of ingredients, as well as a SPF of 20.

Available in 15 shades, Neutral 22 turned out to be a good match for my skin.  I was able to get a week's worth of wear from the packet, which is not enough to form an opinion on the skin care benefits, but plenty to decide if I like it as a foundation. And I do! Enough to spend $110 on a bottle.....probably not. I've got a favorite foundation I like even more that I'm about to repurchase (more on that below).

La Mer's Soft Fluid foundation is medium coverage with a natural looking finish, and it is easy to work with. I used both an oval brush and a Beauty Blender sponge to apply, and I thought it worked better with the Beauty Blender. Another claim of the Soft Fluid foundation is that it holds up in humid climates, which is high on the list of selling points for me. Mobile, AL is uber humid, although we were in a 41 day drought during the time I wore this, so it wasn't exactly the usual swampy conditions. Regardless, Soft Fluid wore well on my oily skin for a good 7-8 hours before I noticed the inevitable breakdown inherent with my skin type. I experienced no skin irritation or breakouts, which would have shown up after repeated wear for a week if the formula disagreed with me.

The price is definitely the kicker for me. I rely on my skincare items for skincare, and it's not like I'm going to replace that with a foundation. I do want my foundation to have skincare benefits, but I've narrowed done my favorite foundation to....drum roll....Lauren Brooke Cosmetic's Creme Foundation, which contains skin enhancing ingredients with a SPF of 28 and is 100% natural, 97.5 organically based, and $29.50 a jar.

Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques will be having a 30% off sale on Nov. 25-28, which is when I'll be picking up a new jar. I've been wearing Cool 30, although I consider myself more neutral to warm in skin tone. Fortunately, you can order samples ($10 for 3) to try out before committing to a full jar, and I ordered the Cool 30/Neutral 30/Warm 30 samples to see if I really am best suited to Cool 30. I'll be posting another review once those samples arrive, but the Creme Foundation is truly the best foundation formula I've discovered in the almost 4 years I've been blogging, and I've tried a lot!

Sample Series #11: Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer in Neutral by Clinique

Clinique's Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer was a sleeper surprise for me. I had zero expectations before trying it and once I realized less is more due to it's super pigmentation, I've got to admit I was impressed.

I've gotten probably a weeks worth of use from the sample packet, as just a few small dabs is enough to cover my entire face. The first time I used it I went way overboard, not realizing that less really is more. This can be a true full coverage foundation that still manages to not look cakey or mask like.

My preference is to use my Beauty Blender for more sheer coverage that still does a good job of evening out my skin and covering dark spots and other imperfections. Since this is also billed as a concealer, applying a little extra over trouble spots makes my skin look even better.  The finish is a satin-matte that does not look flat, although I'm one that likes to mix foundation with liquid luminizers for a bit of glow. The pigment in the Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer does tend to eat luminizers for dinner, just so you know.

Clinique's Neutral shade is usually a good match for me and I did not have issues with it oxidizing. I do set the foundation with a light dusting of powder due to my oily skin, and at the end of an 8-9 hour day the foundation is just starting to break up a bit. Overall, pretty impressive! I'm also liking the price ($27), as so many mid-level brand's foundation prices seem to be creeping up to the $40 range these days.

YSL Cherry my Cherie #5 Volupté Tint-In-Oil: Sample Series #9

Disclaimer:  Sample received with purchase.

I was pleasantly surprised by YSL's Volupté Tint-In-Oil in the shade Cherry my Cherie.  I say pleasantly, as I'd remembered reviews being on the mixed side for these innovative lip tints.

I say innovative, as this spring is the first time I can remember seeing lip tints arrive in the form of an oil (Clarins has a version as well).  The color of the oil before applying is a bit deceiving, as the color deepens after it's been on the skin a while.  Cherry my Cherie is one of the more vibrant shades with it's strawberry pink hue, although it appears that several of the tints morph into similar colors.

The formula features apricot kernel, coriander fruit, jojoba seed and passiflora edulis seed oils, which did indeed translate to comfortable wear and moisturized lips for a good 3-4 hours.  After the oil and sheen have worn off, my lips still had a nice pink stain to them and applying a good balm took me through the day without feeling the need to reapply color.

The price is a bit steep at $32, although I'd consider buying Cherry My Cherie during a sale or to get a good GWP offer.

Storing Foil Samples: What Works for You?

It's easy to get overrun with skincare samples, especially if you (a) have several subscription services and (b) shop online a lot (yep and yep).  I used to store my foil samples in a recipe box, as it has dividers and made it relatively easy to divide the samples into different categories.

After a while, however, I had to start putting samples in a makeup bag as well, which I kept near my sink so I would remember to fish something out and use it.  However, I would forget more often than not, and the foils sitting in the recipe box were totally neglected, as "out of sight out of mind" totally applies to me.

So, my current system involves another makeup organizer bag that I hang on bathroom door, which makes it both prominent and easy to access.  It has three compartments, which allows me to separate foils into daytime, nighttime, and eye moisturizers. I am finding that I'm using samples more frequently, so this is an improvement.  I've also got a plastic organizer tray on a shelf next to my sink that contains items I'm currently using or want to try out next, so there is a bit of a cue system going on as well.

How do you store your samples?  Any tips that might help me out?  I recently discovered that foil samples can go bad (not sure why I thought they would last forever), when I used a DHC moisturizer that smelled off.  Unfortunately, I didn't realize it til I'd spread it all over my face :-)