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I have a good mix of empties this month: some staples, some samples, and even some makeup which can take a long time to use up.
Loves
Bath and Body Works Snowflakes and Cashmere Shower Gel – I really enjoyed this both for the fragrance and for the quality of the product inside so I purchased a few more to have on hand throughout the year. The key notes listed are: Cashmere Cream, Shimmering Vanilla, Frosted Clementine, Golden Amber, and Caramel Woods. To me this is a scent that’s good for people that are sensitive to fragrances. It isn’t too strong, there is no sharpness, and it’s just a little bit sweet. I hope they release this again next holiday season.
Alterna Caviar Clinical Daily Root and Scalp Stimulator – I’ve now been using this product for about 3 months. I still have not noticed any difference in hair growth or fallout but I have repurchased it because I like it as a styling product. It’s ultra lightweight, non-sticky, non-greasy, and perfect for very fine, thin hair. It gives the hair a bit of volume and helps it to hold a blowout a bit better than with nothing in it.
Alterna Caviar Clinical Daily Detoxifying Shampoo – Same story as with the root spray above… no real difference in hair growth or fallout. But again, I like this for what it is. It cleans my hair well and somehow manages to keep it clean longer than other shampoos. For the size of the bottle, it lasted much longer than I expected. I am able to use less shampoo because it is more concentrated than the cheaper shampoos I’ve used.
Trader Joe’s Natural Facial Cleansing Pads – A staple in my skincare routine. I have used it a little less often the past month because my skin has been more dry but I plan to keep using this as the weather warms up.
Soo Ae Deep Sea Water and Green Tea Collagen Essence Masks – So far I have tried a total of five of these masks. They all seem to perform about the same, regardless of the claim on the packaging. They do all have different scents though – none of them are all that strong, at least to me. I have a couple more in my bathroom but I plan to repurchase them when I run out.
Burberry My Burberry Black (Sample) – I remember enjoying a sample of the original My Burberry and this smells somewhat like it, but a sweeter, sexier version of it. I only had this one-time-use sampler card and I wasn’t sure I wanted to commit to a full size perfume but I really liked the scent so I picked up the rollerball. So far, I’m still enjoying this.
Physicians Formula ABC Cushion Foundation – I’ve had this compact for about a year now. I got more use out of it than I thought I would (not using it daily, more like a few times a month). I rarely repurchase foundations but I enjoyed this one enough that I thought it was worth picking up a new one. I especially like that it’s SPF 50, but has no sunscreen smell to it and it doesn’t feel any heavier than a normal foundation. It covers well and looks really natural on the skin too.
The Body Shop Vitamin C Microdermabrasion – This is the old packaging but they still make this product. I have a new one and will likely continue to use this as long as they make it. One that is similar and more cost-effective is Billy Jealousy Liquid Sand, though the exfoliant particles are a bit larger in size. After using that one for some time, I came back to The Body Shop one and forgot how much I loved it. For now, I’m back to using this one.
MyChelle Ultra Hyaluronic Hydrating Serum – I’m on my third container of this. It’s one of those products that doesn’t really wow you at first because it’s lightweight and it doesn’t feel like it’s doing anything. But I have noticed that sticking with this for a long period of time and mixing it together with facial oil, helps keep my skin stay moisturized better. It helps reduce the flakiness and texture than comes with dry/dehydrated skin.
Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes – Still my favorite makeup remover. I have yet to find anything better.
Mac Brush Cleanser – I haven’t tried all that many brush cleansers but I really like this one for quick daily cleansing so I plan to keep using it.
Benefit Roller Lash – I went through a full size and a travel size of this. I am on my third tube and I still love it. I’ve been lucky that samples have kept me going but I may need to purchase my next one LOL.
Likes
Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Foundation (Sample) – This sample came in the shade Y245 = 120. I wore the old formulation and the stick foundation in 117 so this shade was a little too dark for me. I only used it once because the shade was noticeably wrong on me and remember feeling like it worked okay but wasn’t the most forgiving on textured skin. I’d like to get a sample of this in the right color to try again.
Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief Gel-Cream (Sample) – I used this when my skin was feeling more dry than usual and remember it really had a thirst-quenching feel on the skin. I had to use a fairly thick layer (the whole sample packet) because it sunk in pretty fast. I was happy with how it felt and how hydrated my skin looked so I would like to try it again.
L’Occitane Milk Concentrate with Almond Milk (Deluxe Sample) – Sephora had a L’Occitane 500 pt perk and this was a part of it. It had more of a lotion texture but felt like it nourished the skin well. I like it but I don’t like it enough to pay $50 for the full size. I’d say this is one of those products that I’d keep in my mind if I felt like I wanted to treat myself to something fancy or get during a sale or with a coupon.
L’Occitane Supple Skin Oil with Almond Oil (Deluxe Sample) – Out of all the L’Occitane products in the 500 pt perk, this was probably the one I liked the most. Again, this is pricey and not something I feel is necessarily worth the expense for everyday use. I have it on my Sephora Loves list in case I feel like getting it during a sale but I’m in no rush to drop $46 on it right now.
L’Occitane Dry Skin Hand Cream (Deluxe Sample) – This was a thick shea butter hand cream with a fairly heavy shea butter scent. It reminded me a lot of The Body Shop Shea Butter Body Butter. It was okay but a little heavy feeling.
Sunday Riley Good Genes All in One Lactic Acid Treatment – This came as part of the SUNDAY RILEY Power Couple Duo: Total Transformation Kit. I repurchased the kit so I have another one already. I like the Luna Oil but I’m still undecided on whether I’d purchase this again. It smells nice and feels nice but I’m not convinced it’s doing much for my skin.
Sephora Algae Face Mask – Like with the Soo Ae Masks, these Sephora masks all seem to perform about the same. They are nice while I use them but don’t leave much lasting hydration behind once I take the mask off.
Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil Deodorant – I had this for the longest time and decided to start using it again only to find there wasn’t much left anyway. It is definitely more effective than not wearing any deodorant at all but it’s nowhere near as long-lasting as traditional deodorants. I have purchased several of these over the years to keep on hand as a natural option on days when I’m not going out anywhere or during the winter. I’d purchase it again but only because I haven’t found anything better.
365 Fragrance Free Shampoo – My fiancé uses this shampoo. I used it for a while when we first purchased it and thought it was okay. I felt like I had to use a lot of it to get my hair clean because it was difficult to spread evenly and didn’t suds very well. They have improved the formula so it works slightly better but it’s still not my favorite. He likes and continues to use it though.
Olay Ultra Moisture Body Wash – I have been using this for years but I am using Dove Deep Moisture Body Wash for now. I am kind of bored with the Olay one and I love the scent and lather of the Dove body wash.
I Love… Raspberry and Blackberry Hand Lotion – This was a really nice hand lotion with a nice scent to match. It was very fruity and sweet. It absorbed well without leaving my hands feeling greasy but it also left them feeling very comfortable. I might consider picking another one up if I see it somewhere convenient to buy but I don’t plan to go out of my way to buy it online where I don’t normally shop.
Eh
Tory Burch Love Relentlessly (Sample) – I might have put this in the likes section if it were’t for the execution of this sample. I’m not sure you could even call this a sample because there wasn’t enough under the plastic film to even apply to my skin. It was more like a magazine sample, where there’s just enough fragrance to smell it on the paper. The fragrance smells very sweet and somewhat floral. I tend to like sweet fragrances but this one is too sweet and strong. I don’t totally dislike it but the sample card was kind of a joke.
Miu Miu L’Eau Bleue (Sample) – This sample card had a different type of film over it so you could actually apply the perfume to the skin and see how it wears with your own chemistry. This was more a “watery”, fresh scent. It was okay but I’m not drawn to it.
L’Occitane Shower Oil (Deluxe Sample) – This was like a cross between a shower gel and a body oil. It feels like an oil initially but as you rub it over the skin it gets foamy. It does cleanse the skin the way a shower gel would, but it’s not stripping at all. It is also not really all that moisturizing. It leaves the skin feeling similar to the way it feels when I use a creamy body wash like Olay or Dove but this product is way more expensive.
Sephora Instant Moisturizer (Sample) – This felt decently moisturizing, a bit “oilier” than the Clinique sample above, but the fragrance was a little strong. I’m not super picky about fragrance in skincare but I prefer it at least be on the more subdued side.