Bon Vivant Beauty: #365 Days of Samples: Week 16

I'm a bit behind with my #365 Days of Samples series, but that's okay. Life has been hectic/stressful and I've been focused on other things, but I'm ready to get back into the swing of things! So, let's see what samples I managed to finish in the past two weeks.

The Ole Henriksen Truth is in the Eyes has me feeling a bit ambivalent. On the plus side the foil sample has enough in it that I got a solid two weeks of use from it, which is enough time to form a firm impression. I really couldn't tell it did much of anything, and I did see reviews that said the pH is too high for the AHA ingredients to be effective, so there's that. I'm not sure this is even in the Henriksen collection anymore, but I would not purchase regardless.

A surprise hit for me was the Black Opium perfume sample, even though the hot and muggy weather in Mobile right now doesn't really fit the scent. But, I like black coffee, vanilla and white flowers, which are major notes within the perfume. I didn't realize this was a recent launch (2014), and is a more rock'n roll interpretation of the classic Opium. I'd like to try it during cooler weather, as I'm veering towards lighter fragrances for summer time wear.

It's no surprise that I liked both of the Farmhouse Fresh samples. Rainbow Road Shea Butter for Body features a scent of coconut and bartlett pear that I enjoyed. It's not overpowering at all, more a cozy skin scent that puts you in a good mood. The Three Milk Ageless Moisturizer contains a peptide and botanical milks to both hydrate and help minimize wrinkles. The sample was only enough for 2 uses so I can't speak to it's effectiveness, but my initial impression regarding consistency/formula are that it's nice.

The Waterin Gel Cream by Hera contains pinitol extract from carob, which is capable of regulating moisture levels in the plant structure without being affected by changing environment conditions such as cold, stress, or drought. I like gel moisturizers and this Korean brand is new/intriguing to me, but probably out of my price range at about $56 a jar.

The Hydro Cool Firming Face Gels for Forehead by Skyn Iceland were kind of cool - literally. They felt cool on the skin even though I had not refridgerated them, and I like how well they adhered to my skin. I don't really have any forehead wrinkles (yet), and they are pricey at $35 for a set of four forehead and smile line patches. I won't be purchasing, but I did enjoy using them.