March Mini Madness: Sample Showdown to Set up for Spring Savings!

[missjeanie]

With the Spring Savings event just around the corner and samples from the holiday season gift bags overflowing, what better time to do a March Madness showdown: Beauty Edition!  

Foils and deluxe mini's seem to be taking over my stash and I'm hoping there are a few others out there who'd like to do a sample sized showdown to help figure out what they'd like add to their loves list for the spring sale.

Choose to do a bracket style showdown, a mini a day, or see how many foils you can use up in the month of March!

Who's got a stash to test out?  What are the winners and the losers? What will make it into your spring savings basket and April Hauls?

[itsfi]

@missjeanie, it's the Under the Lemon Tree fragrance. I could not pick up a citrusy scent at all. ☹️ 

[missjeanie]

@itsfi @Ah, i wasn’t a big of that one. It smelled fake lemony to me. 

[itsfi]

@missjeanie, okay, now I'm feeling a smidge better about smelling of eau de root beer. 😂

[Kim888]

@missjeanie Wow looks like you used lots! I think I tried a sample of that fresh and well and also remember thinking it was nice and then forgetting about it haha 

[missjeanie]

@Kim888 Im feeling very accomplished using some of these up! The Fresh was a nice surprise! 

[CookieGirl1]

@missjeanie You made it through quite a few!  Thanks for the mini reviews as well :).

[itsfi]

@missjeanie, I just saw this thread this morning. What a great idea! I've pared down my samples significantly during the last couple of years, BUT a quick glance at where I stash most of them definitely shows me that they've crept up on me and I have more than I thought I had. This'll be a good (and fun!) way to make sure I keep them top of mind. I'll aim to post over the weekend the samples I've used up so far this month (not a lot - grrr!) and what samples I'd like to work through by the end of March.

[missjeanie]

@itsfi @I’m actually doing better than I thought I would be this month. Im thinking of grabbing out another bunch of foils to set on my bathroom counter. Join in anytime, im thinking of doing another on in September before holiday sale season too. 

[itsfi]

Woohoo @missjeanie! 🙌🏼 That’s awesome that you’re making good progress! 👍🏼 It’s always great to use up samples. Even better when you use them up when a full size can still be had if you like the product. 🤪 

[missjeanie]

Ha!! @itsfi It's like you know me!  I don't know why, but I always think "oh I'll keep this to try when I'm travelling since it's so small"... then I don't travel for a few years.... or have so many samples I could travel 365 days a year lol.  There may or may not be a few I can't get anymore in those sample bags. 

[CookieGirl1]

@missjeanie somehow i missed this thread when you first posted it but I LOVE this idea!

[missjeanie]

Jump on in @CookieGirl1 !

[heartsmyface]

Here’s my samples for the evening.  I think I may switch it up and throw the Eve Lom cleanser in my cart instead of the Fresh strawberry scrub this round.  Edit- Indidnt realize Sephora no longer carried Eve Lom.  I swear this sample is a new one….🧐I actually love everything here.  This sample challenge is a bad idea before a sale😅 GUERLAIN Abeille Royale Advanced Youth Watery Oil 1.6 oz/ 50 mL Biossance Squalane + Hyaluronic Acid Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping & Hydrating Serum 1.69 oz / 50 mL Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum Synchronized Complex II Clarins Super Restorative Total Eye Concentrate 

 

[ather]

@heartsmyface  Yay I love when you love everything you try!!! It’s the best. 

[itsfi]

@heartsmyface, great group of products. My sample of the Biossance squalane + copper peptide serum is on deck for when I get through a few of the full size serums I have open. How frequently were you using the sample? Every night?

[missjeanie]

@heartsmyface I could have sworn I've gotten an Eve Lom sample in the not so distant past as well.  

[missjeanie]

First grouping of samples I used up. 

Spoiler

-CT Beautiful Skin -- This is one of those samples that does not have enough to cover my face to discover if I like the formula, just enough to determine that I will indeed need the lightest shade possible if I end up buying.  At least it confirmed that shade 2 is too dark, but not too too dark.  I should be able to get away with shade 1.
-SR Ice -- It was... fine.  
-Guerlain L'essentiel - This was way more coverage than I wear and too dark.  I left it on for 6 or 7 hours to see if the formula wore into something nice, but it's just too heavy for me.
-Topicals Hydrating Mask - I had some pretty high hopes for this one.  Alas, it wasn't anything special on the moisturizing/hydrating mask front.  If I saw this on sale for a good deal, I'd give it another shot, but for now it's just good.
- GR Banana Moisture Cream -- Not moisturizing enough for winter, but I suspect it would be okay in the summer.  Dang it smells AMAZING!  A possible 'sample made me buy it' purchase.
-Origins Ginzing Brightening Serum - This smelled nice as well, can't say it brightened anything (nor do I expect a sample to do so), but it wasn't bad.  Just not a need.
- Fresh Kombucha Cleansing Treatment - This just isn't a product I use in my routine.  The sample was okay, but I think I'd just use a micellar water if I was doing a morning cleanse like this.
-PTR Gold Mask - I have tried this in the past.  While it looks cool for a selfie... that's about it for this one in my eyes.
- OH Truth Serum - I used this product probably 5-10 years ago and while this was still nice, I think I'd rather try something different if I were on the hunt for a Vit C serum.  Smelled lovely though.
- Guerlain Youth Watery Oil - I was excited for this.  I was not as impressed as I thought I'd be.  It's more watery than oily and my dry skin needed ... more.  Maybe more of a summer product for me.  
- Philosophy Hope in a Jar - It's been a lot of years since I've used this.  It was maybe okay for me 20 years ago, but it was so meh.  There are better out there.  
-Laneige Water Bank Moisturizer - I have no idea why... but I've been a Laneige fan.  I've got to say however... this was nice.  A summer moisturizer for sure... but a nice one.  I think the GR one edges this out only because I'm a sucker for a fruity scent.... but I won't discount this one so fast again.

[ather]

@missjeanie  Great job. To bad about the PTR I have a sample I need to use up also. 

[heartsmyface]

@missjeanie  I recently did a full on clean out of all my samples but they’re accumulating again so it’s a perfect time to use them up before they get out of control. 

[missjeanie]

This is the mindset I need @heartsmyface Mine are ... ya, lets go with out of control lol.  

[Kim888]

@missjeanie @What a fun idea!!! I definitely have a lot of samples around as well