Empties: June 2019.

During June I managed to finish twenty-three samples and thirteen full-sized products.

Skincare.

I used up nine full-sized skincare items.

La Roche Posay Eau Thermal is great for refreshing and rinsing skin and to use as an extra hydrating layer between products. Reasonably priced, packaged in an aerosol can this French pharmacy staple is a welcome addition to any routine and a must have in warm weather.

Emma Hardie Midas Touch Revitalising Eye Cream has a creamy gel texture and absorbs instantly offering immediate hydration and a temporary smoothing of the eye area. It was very nice but didn't stand out for me in any way and there are plenty of other (similarly priced) eye creams that I prefer.

I used two full-sized serum and one oil.

Vichy V Liftactiv Vitamin C Brightening Skin Corrector is a water weight serum that feels slightly tacky on application. I used this mainly for protection as I don't have any hyperpigmentation right now. Once absorbed it layered well with other products but I didn't see any noticeable difference in my skin. It comes in a tiny 10ml bottle and ml for ml works out to be more expensive than Drunk Elephant CFirma which surprised me. I was a bit disappointed in this one, to be honest, and wouldn't repurchase it.

 Kat Burki Retin-C Treatment Complex is an absolutely beautiful night time serum. It is a very lightweight 'wet' serum that has a wonderful white flower scent. I'm always on the lookout for a  retinol product that is effective, feels moisturising and doesn't cause redness or flaking - this is it! Worth saving up for.

Beauty Kitchen High Definition Facial Oil is a thick viscous oil scented with Anjelica that absorbs really well despite its thick consistency. I really liked this, it was plumping and moisturising and didn't feel at all greasy.

 I used two full-sized moisturisers up.

Tata Harper Repairative Moisturiser is a lightweight liquid moisturiser with a  fresh clean grassy scent. It is very nice but it's expensive - more than I would usually pay for a moisturiser so I don't see myself getting this again.

Beauty Kitchen Everlasting Radiance Moisturiser is nice and creamy. It feels very comfortable on my skin and absorbs well. This is a good inexpensive moisturiser with a clean formula that I would recommend and one that I would definitely repurchase if it was freely available in the US

Unanai Dermo Defence Mask is a basic Aloe mask that is very cooling and soothing. I found it great to use after a treatment or as a final mask in a three mask masking session. I have had this a while and ended using it up with my NuFace face firming device which needs an oil-free Aloe gel to conduct its ultrasonic waves.  Overall this is a very good basic aloe product that I liked because it wasn't at all sticky or tacky.

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I always carry a spray-on sunscreen for top ups throughout the day as needed in the summer. This one, Hampton Sun Continuous Mist Sunscreen SPF 35 was effective but I didn't enjoy its strong chemical fragrance and it stung my eyes if I got it in them or too close. I wouldn't repurchase this for those reasons - even though it worked well.

I also finished eleven skincare samples.

I used Biore Charcoal Cleansing Micellar Water to remove my eye makeup and it worked well.

Dove Gentle Cleansing Face Wash was a creamy cleanser that felt gentle. It was surprisingly good for a drugstore cleanser!

Fresh Soy Cleanser is a cucumber scented gel cleanser that I love to use as a morning face wash as it is very gentle and doesn't strip my skin. I've done well with samples of this one over the years!

Chantecaille Anti-Pollution Mattifying Cream is a mattifying daytime moisturiser/protector. It was a light gel that didn't feel stripping and prepped my face nicely for makeup.

I used two samples of very expensive face creams. 

Revive Moisturising Renewal Cream is an overnight exfoliating moisturiser and an old favourite of mine. Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream is an extremely thick cream that I used at night. I found it was far too heavy for my skin. I also don't think that it warrants its rather astronomical price tag.

3Lab Super Eye Treatment is a lightweight gel that I actually really like but it is another super pricy product. There is no way I would (or even could!) buy this but I will be delighted to use any more samples that come my way.

Sunday Riley Good Genes is always a joy to use. It is one of my favourite ever serums and one that really makes a visible difference to my skin.

I finished three samples of facemasks.

Goldfaden MD facial Detox Mask is a deep cleansing mask that I love. It has zinc and camphor but is gentle, effective and not at all drying.

Biologique Recherche Masque Vivant looks, smells, and feels like Marmite! It's very odd but it is amazing. As soon as I washed this off I could see that my skin looked evenly toned, clearer and brighter and smooth.

Chantecaille Bio Lifting Mask is a nice hydrating mask that feels soothing. I like this but it is again something that I wouldn't buy as it is so expensive.

Bodycare.

I used up two full-sized body lotions.

Andalou Naturals Citrus Sunflower Body Lotion is so gorgeous. Fragrance wise it reminds me a lot of Fresh Sugar Lemon (perhaps a little bit less zingy?) It is very refreshing and did a great job of moisturising my skin - there was no stickiness whatsoever with this product which literally melted into my skin. This one is a definite repurchase!

Nip+ Fab Viper Venom Body Serum is more of a firming product and it wasn't quite moisturising enough for me. It was a thick waxy gel with a very faint fresh scent. It did absorb well and surprisingly given its consistency it wasn't sticky bit overall it was a bit of a miss for me.

Olay Whip Body Wash is a body wash that dispenses as a foam. It has a slightly fruity fragrance. This didn't feel all that cleansing to me and it left my skin feeling a little tight and itchy. I  also ran through this pretty quickly too so overall it is not something that I would purchase

I repurposed three face washes as body washes as they were all too drying for my face.
Biore Baking Soda Pore Cleanser worked well for me as a body wash and it smelled kind of spa-like which was nice. Bliss Rose Gold Rescue Gentle Foaming Cleanser smelled like face cream and also worked well as a body wash. Both of these produced abundant amounts of bubbles! Lancôme Creme Radiance was a thick creamy cleanser that was very frothy, it left even the skin on my hands and body feeling very tight and stripped. A reviewer on the Lancome website says it leaves their face 'squeaky clean' which I think says everything we need to know about this one!

I also finished 2 months worth of Goop High School Genes supplements. There are 5 pills to take each day and I like how these come packaged in daily doses. This version has a multivitamin, an Omega 3 capsule, an Alpha Lipoic Acid pill for enhanced antioxidant activity, a gut balance pill made with herbal extracts, and a natural metabolism booster. I can't honestly say that I noticed a difference when I took these to when I didn't but I'm pleased to have had a chance to try these somewhat pricy supplements and didn't suffer any ill effects from taking them.

Haircare.

I used up two full-sized and five minis/samples of haircare.

Windle & Moodie Nourishing Conditioner had a thick slightly oily consistency, contained green tea and cocoa butter and smelled lovely. The packaging was stylish and the pump worked well.
This did a good job of detangling wet hair but I found it wasn't moisturising enough for the ends which got a bit frizzy still. I wouldn't repurchase this one even though I love the brand as there are other luxury conditioners I prefer.

I used up a handbag sized Tressame Fresh Start Volumising Dry Shampoo. I'm not sure why I used this up when I have so many luxury dry conditioners but it was actually pretty good! There's a little bit of a chemical edge to its scent, and while it did add a good amount of texture and volume to my hair without leaving any white residue it, my hair did feel very matted after using this and I needed to use a clarifying shampoo the next day.

I finished three travel-sized conditioners.
 I love Beauty and Planet Argan Oil and Lavender Conditioner. It smells gorgeous, has a 'clean' formulation and performs like a much more expensive product.

I also liked Nature Box Coconut Oil Conditioner which was another drugstore offering. The coconut scent is slightly too sweet and synthetic but it left my hair extremely soft and manageable.

Sachajuan Colour Protect Conditioner is really lightweight - it is very runny and so you have to use quite a lot of it as it is difficult to work through your hair. I love the results, my hair is left hydrated and very soft and sleek but I dislike its strong chemical fragrance and it stung my eyes quite badly.

Davines Oi All in One Milk is a spray on leave in conditioner. It smells great and it works well but the formula always separates into a cream and a liquid no matter how hard I shake the bottle so I never use it as a spray but rather tip a dab into my palm and smooth it on that way.

I also used a tiny vial of Wella Cr Oil Reflections. I liked it well enough and it didn't weigh my hair down or make it look greasy but I probably wouldn't buy it, simply because it's not that easy for me to find.

Makeup and Perfume.
I didn't use up any makeup this month but I did finish three fragrance vials:

Loewe 001 Woman EDP is a warm, spicy, sexy, amber. It's really more of a winter scent but I like it a lot and am happy to wear it year round

Tory Burch EDP is a bright tangerine scent that's a little soapy. It is a refreshing summer scent albeit a little generic.
I didn't realise Paco Rabanne 1 Million EDT was an aftershave! It is a big amber fragrance that is strong and has a lot of projection and longevity. It is a very warm scent with leather and rose notes, I liked this on myself but wouldn't like it on a man.

And that's all my empties for June. It's a bit of a mixed bunch but I'm pleased with the skincare samples I finished - let us see how many I can use up in July!

Month of Foil 2017 is Imminent.

It's been quite a while, October 2015 in fact, since I have had a proper 'Month of Foil'. (When I did this last year I only used haircare products.)

What's a Month of Foil? It's when I gather together all of my sample sachets of skincare, body care and haircare and aim to use up as many of them as possible. 

I have accumulated quite a few sachets in the last 18 months or so, it's time to make a concentrated effort to use them up, and June is going to be the month I do so.

I'm away from home right now but I have a fistful of samples in my toiletries bag to make a start on. 

Wish me luck and I'll check back in at the end of the month and let you know how many samples I used up!

CVS Beauty Day Giveaway #3.

I popped into a CVS store to grab a tube of toothpaste last week and there was a Beauty Day Giveaway going on. These spontaneous events aren't an event as such anymore it seems, it's just a random day when CVS have some free samples and coupons packaged up for you to grab either with or without purchase.

It's always worn while to pick up one of these bags - after all they are free, you don't even have to buy anything to get one for Pete's sake!

The latest one had $14.00 worth of coupons, a bunch of samples and a travel sized item.

Coupons.

$2.00 off any Maybelline face product.

$2.00 off any MUA product.

$4.00 off Centrum Vitamints.

$4.00 off Amlactin Body Lotion.

Samples.

Two samples of Vitamints in the flavours 'Cool' and 'Wintergreen'. I have sampled these before and although I'm not one for mints they are a great idea - a daily multivitamin that comes as a mint!

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Maybelline Dream Velvet Gel Whipped Foundation in the shade 'Classic Ivory #20'. I'm not a fan of a matte skin finish as I think they can look rather flat in daylight but I am generally impressed by Maybelline products so am interested to try this out. It promises to be hydrating and the fact that it is whipped makes me think that it will be lightly textured...

From Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula there are two face and one body samples.

For the face there is a sample of their Cleansing Oil and a sample of their Facial Oil. Both are rose hip scented ( they don't contain rose hip oil however) and the facial oil contains retinal and Vitamin C.There is also a sample of Palmer's Cocoa Butter Body Lotion, an old classic that I have never tried!

Another lotion I haven't tried is Amlactin Body Lotion.  I have to confess I haven't even heard of this, but it says it is for very dry skin and contains Alpha Hydroxy Acid.

I recently tried to make a dent in my stash of haircare samples and I did a pretty good job so I'm happy to get more shampoo and conditioner samples.

From Carol's Daughter there is Black Vanilla Sulphate Free Shampoo and Hydrating Conditioner. I have used hair masks by Carols Daughter before and they are highly fragranced and smell wonderful so I am keen use these and see if they smell delicious also.

There is also shampoo and conditioner from Shea Moisture, Fruit Fusion Coconut Water Weightless Shampoo and Creme Rinse that I recently received in a Target box. These also smell lovely - fresh, fruity and summery. I also very much like the fact that Shea Moisture samples always offer twice as much conditioner as shampoo, as I always use more conditioner than shampoo. 

Travel Sized.

I'm not a huge fan of in shower moisturisers but will give them another chance with this 2oz travel sized Jergen's Wet Skin Moisturiser. This is another beachy smelling product scented with Monoi Oil.

I'm always pleased to get some new brands and products to try out especially if they are free, aren't you?

A New Eye Cream and a Fistful of Samples.

I've yet to find an eye cream that is the one, I have bought many, many different ones and plowed my way through a ton of samples and so far there has not been one that has given me a real 'aha!' moment. I'm currently using Sarah Chapman Skinesis Eye Recovery and whilst it's pretty good the pump packaging is far from ideal for traveling with and I'm on the move a lot in the Summer.

Currently, any new eye cream purchase has to be easily portable but I also want something that I can use in the morning as well as at night - I don't want to lug around two creams when one will do. I therefore need something that can be worn under make up that will absorb quickly but it also has to be rich enough for night time use. As my eyes are pretty sensitive it can't be too strong or too oily and although I like the cool feel of gel creams I have used quite a few of them recently and feel the need for a more nourishing cream. Lastly, eye creams can be pricey and I don't want to pay an arm and a leg. 

First Aid Beauty 5 in 1 Eye Cream (sephora.com $32.00 /.5fl oz) appears to tick all of the above boxes. It's packaged in a tube, so is perfect for travel, isn't too expensive, is allergy tested and fragrance free, and promises to smooth, brighten, even out tone, nourish and moisturise. 

I haven't played with this all that much so far but can tell you that while it does feel a little silicon like on application it has ticked all of my requirement boxes - time will tell if it is a keeper - but for the moment I am happy to have a non greasy, non stinging, cheap(ish) eye cream that comes in basic non breakable packaging.  

 I added the Scouted pack of skincare samples to my Sephora order (as the weekly special with any order over $25.00 option) and it is a lovely selection indeed, comprising eight samples, some that I have previously tried, others that I wanted to try...

From Tata Harper, a cleansing and exfoliating duo. 

Regenerating Cleanser cleans and brightens with clay, grapefruit and pomegranate, and exfoliates with apricot seed powder (which is much finer and spherical than a certain well known drugstore apricot scrub).

Resurfacing Mask is a gentle, pink, slightly gritty gel that leaves skin feeling clean and gives a little glow.

There is another cleansing and exfoliating duo from Tatcha. 

One Step Camelia Cleansing Oil which I have used this before is very good at dissolving make up and has a fresh, almost citrus, scent but I do prefer balms as I find them easier to use and generally more effective than oils. 

Rice Enzyme Powder is a very gentle powder exfoliator that you apply to a wet face with wet hands and massage until it becomes creamy. I'm not fond of the scent of this but it is extremely gentle and leaves skin feeling super soft.

From Drunk Elephant there is a vitamin based day time treatment duo. 

C Firma Day Serum, contains Ferulic acid and Vitamin C to protect skin and brighten it over time. 

B Hydra Intensive Hydration Gel moisturises and gives a boost of B vitamins to skin.

Finally there is a pair of night treatments from Sunday Riley both of which I have been longing to try.  Luna Oil is an oil based retinoic acid complex. There are five single use ampoules of Luna along with a sachet of Tidal, a gel moisturiser with hyaluronic acid which also contains brightening papaya enzymes.

Three standard samples also came with my order. 

I chose Kate Somerville Goat Milk Moisturiser which is an old favourite. It is very mild and gentle with softening lactic acids.

 I also chose two perfume samples. 

Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet EDT is a peony based scent which is floral and a little zesty. I'm not too keen on this, it's very feminine scent and a little generic for my taste.. 

Derek Lam 10 Crosby Something Wild EDP is exactly my kind of thing though. At first it smells very floral and intense but when the top notes mellow it develops an incense base that is quite creamy and soft. 

That's a whole lot of good samples and hopefully a new favourite eye cream!