Time for the May Samples & Empties Post, a little late sorry. Quick thoughts about each starting above left to right.
Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion Cocoa Butter: Love this stuff. Review here.
The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% + HA: This was OK. I preferred the Buffet Serum. Review here.
Herbivore Botanicals Coco Rose Coconut Oil Body Polish: Hero Product for me. I go through a tub a month at least. Review here.
Fresh Rose Face Mask: I love this product. The texture is a gel mask with rose petals. I talked about it here.
Sunday Riley Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water Cream: I didn’t like this when it first launched as it had a very strong powdery floral scent. They must have reformulated it as it no longer has that scent. Such an improvement, I would actually buy it now. If only it was in a pump…
January Labs Restorative Tonic Mist: This was a nice natural ingredient mist. Review here.
Yuri Pibu CUCU Maronza Serum: This was OK. A very hydrating creamy style serum. It’s just not my style. I’d rather use a lotion or lighter serum.
Wild Ferns Bee Venom Serum: Finally finished this one. It’s a nice light honey serum. I talked about it here.
Rituals Ayurveda Yogi Flow Foaming Shower Gel: I like the foaming shower gel texture. The scent is too strong and powdery floral. Other than that I liked it.
The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2%: This is a good cheap lactic acid serum. Review here.
Pixi Endless Brow Gel Pen Light: I liked this. The color is perfect for me–a light warm blonde. However I kind of like the chunky Sephora Freeze pencil better because it’s thicker.
Fresh Rose Floral Toner: This is a nice light rose scented hydrating toner. Very basic. I do like the new rose petal one better.
Estee Lauder New Dimension Shape + Fill Expert Serum: This was an OK slippery hydrating serum. Has a touch of silicones. The sample is too small to really know if it does what it says.
Armani Maestro UV Skin Defense Primer: This was odd mostly because it wasn’t what I expected. A very fluid liquid texture sunscreen and primer in one. It feels extremely hydrating at first, almost like it’s going to be really oily and greasy. Then it dries down to a light silicone texture more matte finish.
The Chemisty Heel Chemistry: This was OK. It has a mint scent. It’s hydrating but felt kind of average.
Kat Burki PH+ Enzyme Essence: Loved this. It’s a gel liquid style essence. More to come on this one.
Thalgo Silicium Eye Cream: This was nice. Pretty hydrating. It’s creamy enough yet not greasy at all.
Sk-II Facial Treatment Essence: I wanted to like this. The scent is so hard for me to like. It smells like stinky feet. The yeast in it is what smells. I had a hard time using it just because of that.
Juara Coconut Illipe Hand & Nail Balm: This was a nice hydrating hand cream. It heavy enough, slightly greasy so it’s good for night or evening.
Huxley Toner; Extract It: I wanted to love this hydrating toner. The scent is just so strong. It’s too floral.
Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel: I love this light gel cream. No scent so it’s good for all skin types plus it’s cheap.
Tata Harper Illuminating Eye Cream: A nice light eye cream. Slight shimmer. It’s a bit too light for myself moisture wise. I have to layer it over something else. I’m trying the plain Tata Harper Eye Cream next to see if it’s better.
Fresh Creme Ancienne Supreme Face Serum: This is a really hydrating creamy serum. Almost like a light lotion.
Lancome Advanced Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate: This is a light hydrating serum. It’s OK. The sample is too small to really see the full effects for what it says it does. It’s light and not greasy.
Kate Somerville Goat Milk Moisturizing Cream: I so thought this was going to be a cream of some sort. It’s unscented and non irritating in every way. However, it’s got a runny liquid texture. It’s OK, just not what I thought. Almost like a heavy serum or very light lotion.
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Ferulic + Retinol Wrinkle Recovery Peel: These were nice. Easy to use. It’s really hard to tell how well they work with only two pads to try. It felt mild and non-irritating.
Sisley Paris Restorative Body Cream: This was so nice. A hydrating heavier lotion without being too heavy or greasy. The texture was so good. Not strongly scented for Sisley either which is a plus. I loved it, except the $172 price tag.
Sisley Paris Sisleya Le Teint Anti-Aging Foundation 2R Organza: I love this foundation. It’s light, has the perfect satin finish. Review here. Linen is my shade. Organza was a bit too pink and light.
Sk-II Genoptics Spot Essence Serum: This was a nice hydrating essence. I only got one use out of the packet.
Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkleresist24 Pure Retinol Express Smoothing Eye Mask: I like these. They’re a nice hydrating gel eye mask. They definitely boost moisture and reduce wrinkles. I always find the effects from these types of eye masks are very temporary.
Algenist Genius Ultimate Anti-Aging Vitamin C+ Serum: I’ve used this before. Smells like cake. It’s OK. Like a hydrating serum. I just have other Vitamin C serums I like more.
Skyn Iceland Blemish Dots: Love these blemish dots. They’re a staple and Hero Product. Review here.
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Recovery Complex: I’m almost done with using all my samples of this. It’s a light hydrating serum that does give an overall healthy look to the skin.
Clarins Double Serum Complete Age Control Concentrate: I’ve tried this in the past. It’s a nice kind of oil based serum. But not oil in a true sense, like Drunk Elephant’s C-Firma and Skinceuticals CE Ferulic serums. That kind of nice oil texture.
Nars Velvet Matte Skin Tint St Moritz: I had wanted to try this forever. But it was way too matte for me. It has an alcohol liquid gel type feel to it. It was too drying. The color was a touch too yellow and dark for me as well. Very pigmented though.
Kat Burki Marine Collagen Gel: I love this stuff. More coming shortly on this one.
Shiseido Synchro Skin Glow Luminizing Fluid Foundation Neutral 2: This was a nice thin textured foundation. A little more of a matte to satin finish. Felt like Armani Maestro but without the oil, more of a traditional liquid. The color was too light for me. The coverage was light to medium.
111 Skin Biocellulose Mask: This mask is a thin hydrating gel texture sheet mask. You peel away both protective sides and your left with this jelly like thin mask. I liked it. I hate sheet masks because none of the eye holes are ever big enough to be comfortable on me. I can’t see out of them so the only way to wear them is with my eyes closed laying around. I never have time for that, I need to wear a mask while working around the house at night. I have yet to find one sheet mask that allows me to do that. I loved this style and the hydrating feel, I just hate sheet masks in general until they make a different shaped one. Maybe I have a long head, or big head who knows. They’re just not for me.
Farmacy Hydrating Coconut Gel Mask: This was a very hydrating sheet mask. Had some oils in it for sure. Same rant as above on the sheet masks in general. I liked the 111 Skin better, this one was almost like you didn’t need a face cream or anything after it as it was that hydrating.
Patchology Lip Renewal Flashpatch Lip Gels: These are OK. I like that they plump temporarily. Review here.
Oribe Signature Shampoo & Moisture Masque: I love Oribe. This is a good staple shampoo for normal hair. Not too much, not too little in hydration. The mask is a little heavy for me, good for dry hair.