Time for the July Samples & Empties Post. Quick thoughts about each starting above left to right.
Skin Owl eye+: This is a really refreshing cucumber eye gel. Love it. Bought a second jar. Will be reviewing fully soon. For the size it’s a decent price. Very light, so not for really dry eyes unless you layer a heavier cream over.
GlamGlow ThirstyMud: This was OK. It had a slightly cooing effect. That was the part I didn’t like. I liked the creamy honey based formula otherwise. I talked about it here. I wouldn’t rebuy.
Zelens Z Recovery Intensive Repair Balm: I reviewed it here. I didn’t like it and wouldn’t rebuy it. It made my cheeks turn red every time I used it.
L’Oreal Elnett Satin Extra Strong Hold Hair Spray: Love it, staple hairspray. I reviewed it here.
Drunk Elephant TLC Framboos Gycolic Night Serum: I talked about it here and here. This is a staple for me.
Sunday Riley Bionic Anti-aging Cream: I liked this. It was a medium moisture level cream. I tried a sample of this and it was a nice cream, then when I ordered the bottle I got a lighter sticky cream. I’ll review it soon. I loved the old version, but the new reformulated version I wouldn’t rebuy.
eos Shave Cream Vanilla Bliss: Staple, love it. I reviewed it here.
Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color Bronzed Pink: Love the creamy glossy formula. It’s thick and buttery. This is a discontinued shimmery bronze pink. I love the shade, too bad it’s discontinued.
MAC Clear Brow Finisher: This is a clear brow wax. It’s pretty average. I like the slim design. It’s decently priced.
Anastasia Brow Primer: I talked about it here. I like the texture. It’s an average clear wax. It’s a bit softer than MAC’s.
Zelens Z Matrix Energy & Moisture Infusion: Love it. Moisturizing gel cream. This is thicker and more moisturizing than the average gel cream. Review soon. A little expensive. I would totally rebuy.
Pixi Glow Tonic: I like it. 5% glycolic acid. It’s moisturizing and has good ingredients. I would rebuy. Review soon.
Skin Blossom Caring Hand Cream: This is an obscure UK brand I got in a set. It’s not bad. Mild scent. Hydrating yet absorbs fast.
Urban Decay Perversion Mascara: I like this. No flaking or clumping. Volumizing. Dark, pigmented rich black color.
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540: This smells like a musty BO. Not really flattering.
Tata Harper Purifying Mask: Similar idea to the Purifying Cleanser. This mask dries on your face. It’s a little drying not only because of the dry feeling but because of the clay as well. I like it, I prefer Omorovicza’s Deep Cleansing Mask and Charlotte Tilbury’s Goddess Clay Mask. Both of which have oils in them and they don’t dry down and leave your skin feeling tight.
Belif The True Cream-Aqua Bomb: This was OK. Average gel cream.
Paula’s Choice Resist Daily Smoothing Treatment 5% AHA: I liked this. Doesn’t sting or tingle at 5% AHA. Thicker serum style formula. I bought a full size recently. Review one day.
Oribe Cote d’Azure Body Cream: This was an average thicker body cream with a heavy scent. Too expensive.
Murad Hydro-Dynamic Quenching Essence: This was OK. Average moisturizing serum.
Tata Harper Smoothing Body Scrub: This is OK. Large sugar granules, so not as good at exfoliating. Expensive. Lightly moisturizing.
Fresh Rose Face Mask: I like this. Great idea and ingredients. There’s something in it that burns my nose. Some ingredient. I talked about it here.
Su-man Rehydrating Toning Essence: I loved this. A moisturizing liquid gel essence in a glass pump bottle. I would rebuy. I talked about this here.
Bioderma Sensibo H2O: I didn’t want to like this, but I do. It’s gentle and works well without stinging my eyes. I wish it was cheaper. I have yet to find a cheap drugstore version quite as good. I reviewed it here.
Herbivore Coco Rose Body Polish: I love this stuff. It’s a staple. I reviewed it here.
Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel: This is nice. It’s a gel oil cleanser. There’s nothing wrong with it at all. I just happen to prefer a few others right now like Zelens Z Pure and Su-man Purifying Cleansing Gel Oil. I talked about this here and here.
Herbivore Sea Mist Vanille de Tahiti: I like this one. It’s natural and gives light waves without being too oily. No crunchy, dry feel. I talked about this here. I bought another in the new coconut scent.
Aerin Rose Hand & Body Cream: This was OK. Fairly thick and moisturizing, not too greasy. The strong rose scent is too much for me.
Urban Decay Perversion Mascara: See above.
Elemental Herbology Bio-Cellular Matrix Facial Serum: I got this free when I purchased a cleanser, and for $98 retail that was a good free gift. I like the packaging, no air spoils the product. This has a bit of that earthy heavy essential oil type scent. I’m not usually a fan of that. It was OK overall. I’ll do a review coming up.
Drybar Mai Tai Spritzer Sea Salt Spray: I like this. Makes waves, leaves hair soft, not greasy or dry and crunchy. I’ll buy this one day. I have way too many salt sprays currently and need to use a few up first.
Omorovicza Gold Flash Firming Serum: This was one of the better serums I’ve tried from Omorovicza. Still not my favorite from the line. The Gold Night Drops are way better. Review coming soon.
Su-man Velvet Skin Brightening Serum: I’m still working on my last bottle of this. It’s moisturizing. Review to come eventually. I briefly talked about this here.
Alpha-H Liquid Gold Facial Pad: This was OK. I’m not a big Alpha-H Liquid Gold fan. I hate the alcohol in it and it’s drying. This was a disposable pad with that same formula. So I wouldn’t buy it.
Algenist Complete Eye Renewal Balm: This was OK. A hydrating average formula. Nothing bad about it. It was a small sample so there’s no way for me to know if it really does all the anti-aging stuff it claims.
Paula’s Choice Skin Recovery Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum: This was thick, had a slippery texture. It was heavier and with a more silicone feel than I like in a serum.
Tatcha Pore Perfecting Water Gel Moisturizer: This was a nice light gel serum texture. It wasn’t great enough for me to say I have to have it, nor was it bad in any way.
Dior Addict Lip Glow 001 Pink: This was OK. Turns a fushia pink so if you’re not into that this isn’t for you. This isn’t unique, like any balm that changes to fushia.
Dior Addict Lip Maximizer: This was too minty, it burned my lips.
Korres Wild Rose Vitamin C Petal Peel: This was nice. Duo phase peel. It’s medium exfoliation and not drying. If I didn’t have a bunch of Omorovicza’s Copper Peel I would buy this full size.
Skyn Iceland Blemish Dots: Love, love these. Review to come soon.
Paula’s Choice Resist Intensive Wrinkle-Repair Retinol Serum: This was thick, and had a slippery texture. I wasn’t a hug fan.
Oribe Cote d’Azur Replenishing Body Wash: This is average. Expensive and with a strong perfume scent. I’m not into expensive body wash, it feels like a waste of money.
Briogeo Blossom & Bloom Volumizing Shampoo: This was too drying. Felt like it stripped my hair too much.