As I mentioned in my Beauty Samples Hoarder post, I've made a commitment to use up more of my items. I like to save things for rainy days or for travel but they end up going bad before I get any use out of it. Stockpiling items has made my collection grow out of control and like I mentioned before, I've lugged all of these items through 3 houses and since I'm about to move again, I really need to clear things out.
Each week, I'll pull out at least 5 samples from 3 categories: hair & body, skincare and makeup, to use throughout the week. Every Sunday, I'll report back and give mini-reviews. I'll try to include swatches but since these aren't official reviews, I apologize ahead of time if there aren't any!
So with the introductions made, let's get into the juicy bits!
HAIR & BODY
- MATRIX BIOLAGE BLUE AGAVE BLOW-IN CONTROL SHAPE MEMORY CREAM -- I actually haven't gotten a chance to use this yet. This past week has been very busy at work so I didn't have time to play around with my hair. I've been trying to style my hair more often because I get bored with how it looks. Will update by next week!
- L'OREAL ADVANCED HAIRCARE VOLUME FILLER THICKENING SHAMPOO + CONDITIONER + TREATMENT -- I have very fine hair so it usually lies flat and limp on my head. I've tried volumizing things in the past without luck. I didn't notice any more volume than my usual mousse; it's very subtle. But what I really love is that it gets rid of product build-up and oils. If I wash my hair in the morning, it's oily again by nighttime. When I woke up, My hair was still smooth and oil-free! Volumizing shampoos are notorious for drying hair out but I love it for my particularly oily hair. Keep in mind that I don't use any dyes, perms, and rarely use heat on my hair so mileage will vary depending on the condition of your hair. The conditioner doesn't make my scalp oily even though I focused it on my roots. It definitely made my hair easier to comb through. You're supposed to blow dry your damp hair once you evenly apply the treatment but as I never blow dry my hair, I let it air dry. I didn't notice any additional volume so I will put up with blow drying my hair and see if it makes a difference.
- Bottom Line: Love it but won't buy because it's not cruelty-free.
- YES TO CARROTS NOURISHING BODY BUTTER -- I'm a fiend for body butters due to my dry skin. The Body Shop makes my all-time favorite but I'm not adverse to trying new ones #productjunkie. This one is more of a cream than butter but I appreciate the lighter texture for summer. It spread well and didn't make me feel sticky. I applied it on one side of my body and used my usual lotion on the other side. It is as moisturizing as my usual stuff but I have this area on my thigh that itches constantly and this doesn't do anything to relieve it. The smell is non-offensive and is the same as their other Carrots line.
- Bottom Line: Like it but would only purchase if on sale. Bonus points for being cruelty-free!
- BAUME D'AMOUR POUR LE CORPS LOVING CARE BODY BALM -- Never heard of this line before but the French words made me feel so fancy, haha. This is a thinner lotion that has a lot of slip. I used this on my Saharan feet and lo and behold no dryness or flakes! For the rest of my legs, it did moisturize wonderfully without being sticky. I know products don't get absorbed into the skin but for a lack of a better word, it sunk in quickly. Within 2 minutes, I could walk across the marble floor without leaving sticky footprints or slipping around. It's marketed for dry skin and it is a great lightweight option for summertime or for those who dislike heavy body butters. There is a medicinal scent due to the added fragrance and calendula extracts but it dissipates quickly, thank goodness.
- Bottom Line: Like it but quite expensive ($36usd for 13.5oz/ $2.67usd per oz) as I'd see myself going through this very quickly due to the watery texture.
- STRIVECTIN-SD INTENSIVE CONCENTRATE FOR STRETCH MARKS & WRINKLES -- I don't have wrinkles so this was used on my stretch marks. Now it says to used twice a day for 2-8 weeks to see results. I used it twice so of course, I didn't see any difference. But, it's a lightweight texture that feels moisturizing and non-greasy. It can be used on face and body so bonus points for multi-tasking. I have a larger sample that I gave to my mom since she does have a few wrinkles to test on. Will report back once I hear her thoughts!
- Bottom Line: Wouldn't buy because it's not marketed for me and I don't really care about stretch marks.
SKINCARE
MAKEUP
- OLAY FRESH EFFECTS BB CREAM IN LIGHT TO MEDIUM -- Nothing more than a glorified moisturizer. There was no coverage and the worst part, it seemed to bunch in certain areas on my face so that I had orange spots dotted all over. At least it smelled nice?
- Bottom Line: Pass and avoid!
- BENEFIT POREFESSIONAL -- I loved this back in the days, using it every single day. Since I was going through my sample size at a rapid pace, I decided to stop and save it, moving onto other things. I eventually bought a full size and tucked it away for special occasions. Flash forward to the year 2016 and this de-stashing project, I pulled it out and am starting to use it. This just works so well at filling in pores and mattifying my face. Not sure if it extends the longevity of my foundation but it makes makeup glide so easily. The slight tint doesn't offer coverage but does make it blend into my skintone better.
- Bottom Line: Definitely HG-status for me so I'm gutted that Benefit isn't cruelty-free. If you have A CF version to recommend me, please let me know in the comments below!
- AMAZING COSMETICS VELVET MINERAL LIQUID IN MEDIUM BEIGE -- I tried a concealer and foundation from Amazing Cosmetics and found it less than amazing. The products tend to be pinky peach toned so it clashes with my yellow undertone. This foundation is darker and pinker than my current skin tone so I had to mix it with other stuff to get a suitable color. I've mixed it with Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick and the Missha Flawless Stick Foundation and have had great results! In the photos below, I had the best skin day of my life and I was soooo in love with the finish. It looked a bit dry at first, but as my natural oils came through, it looked flawless. The foundation doesn't have much coverage on its own so it definitely benefited from the foundation sticks. Even after 8 hours, it was still intact and literally perfect, albeit oily to the the look and touch.
- Bottom Line: This one is great for mixing with other foundations for a flawless finish, especially paired with the MUFE powder but it's not cruelty-free :(
- MUFE HD MICROFINISH POWDER -- MUFE make my HG foundation so it's no surprise that I love this powder. It sets everything in place while maintaining the finish of the foundation. Pores are smoothed away; I couldn't see them at all and they did not make an appearance throughout the night! Since it's white, it didn't add any color or coverage, making it perfect for a variety of skintones. It is silica-based so it's not ideal for flash photos.
- Bottom Line: Seriously love but I have another CF favorite so not so sad about passing on this one.
- SEPHORA COLORFUL BLUSH IN SWEET ON YOU -- I buy tons of makeup from Sephora but have not tried much of their in-brand items. This blush is gorgeous! The finish is very luminous without obvious glitters or shimmers. I can still wear highlighter without having the two compete for shine. Pigmentation is intense; the lightest touch will be more than enough for both cheeks. It does blend out well so if you do go overboard, it is fixable. The texture is very soft but I don't get powdery fallout.
- Bottom Line: Really liked it but Sephora isn't cruelty-free >_<
- ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS BROW POWDER DUO (buy) -- This is the first time I've tried anything from ABH and I can see why everyone goes gaga for their brow products. I have a slight love-hate with my brows and this makes me hate them a little less. The powder gives me a soft, blurred out brow that is still defined yet natural looking. It has just the right amount of ashiness that matches my dark brown hair. I can tell that I filled in my brows but I can't see actual brush strokes or product. I stupidly threw out the card with the shade name but looking at swatches, it must be Medium Brown, a taupe-based brown.
- Bottom Line: While I like the effect, I prefer pencils just because they're easier to use day-to-day.
- TOO FACED SHADOW INSURANCE (buy)-- I'm not sure how I feel about this product. First of all, I don't like the thinner and oilier texture compared to my beloved UDPP. It takes longer to set on my lids and I usually have to use a base shadow to completely set it in place. The light tint doesn't so much to cover veining but doesn't brighten my darker lids. What makes me hesitant to say it's a complete dud is that it works so well at keeping my shadows from creasing or losing vibrancy. My eyeliner, which is the first thing to fade and transfer, stayed put and looked as fresh as it did when I applied it. I used it with the MUFE shadows and it helps them achieve their full potential. Once I exposed it to some air, it thickened to a consistency I prefer but it didn't affect the efficacy, even when using drugstore shadows. I have two deluxe size samples that I'm sorely tempted to hold onto but I know that I won't reach for them much due to their texture. I experimented with using less or more and it didn't make a difference.
- Bottom Line: I'm 50-50 about it and since it seems to only work with MUFE and Rimmel shadows, I won't be buying more.
- MUFE ARTIST EYESHADOW IN I-414, M-536, D-826 -- After hearing rave after rave about these shadows, I was so glad to get a sample to try. These aren't the colors I would pick on my own but they go so well together! I'm falling in love with red-toned shadows and D-826 is such a unique one. Upon first glance, it looks similar to Lorac's Garnet but there's magenta sparkles that pick up on the light just so. Even better is that the sparkles do not fall out onto my face! I-414 is best described as a white gold iridescent shadow. It brightens the inner corners of my eyes so naturally and again--no fallout! M-536 is the perfect matte crease/transition shade for my yellow undertone skin! The shadows pretty much blend themselves and even though the thinner texture gave me pause, I can build up to the pigment I desire. I don't feel them on my eyes and they look like a part of my eye. That probably doesn't make sense but they adhere so well to my skin, blend out seamlessly and aren't chunky or textured. I can see why they're such a hit!
- Bottom Line: MUFE sells in China and so aren't CF. If they are CF one day, I'd buy all three in a heartbeat!
This is the look I created with all the products mentioned above! Seriously, this is probably one of my favorite looks of all time, if not the best. So sad to have finished up the shadows but I can just look at this haha. Additional products are L'Oreal Collection Privee Lipstick in Julianna's Nude, Tarte Amazonian Clay Liner in Bronze, Bobbi Brown Smokey Mascara and Physicians Formula Murumuru Butter Bronzer in Bronzer all over the perimeter of my face.
And that's it for this week! Really bad of me to forget to use the skincare but I am really happy to say goodbye to these samples. Will be pulling more out and see you next week for another segment :)
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