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?

[alexasteph]

I tried a sample of Kosas Revealer Super Creamy + Brightening Concealer with Caffeine and Hyaluronic Acid from my last order, and I really enjoyed it! It was a concealer I considered just never had a chance to sample it in store - I don’t like risking complexion products as an online blind buy. There is a concealer I have been using an enjoying, but it will be tough not to pick up a tube of this when the sale starts. 

[ather]

@alexasteph  I’ve been dying to try this one. Glad you liked it. 

[alexasteph]

@ather After using it a couple of days, definitely recommend! I’m lucky one if the shades that came in the blister pack worked because there were only four - usually I find the included shades are way too light or just too dark. 

[missjeanie]

@alexasteph This has been one of my go-to concealers for my under eye area.  I'm looking forward to trying their foundation as well.

[alexasteph]

@missjeanie Yes I have really enjoyed it! I don’t have a problem having a couple different tubes of concealer anyway, so I still may add this to my routine even though I’m already using one I like just fine. 

[itsfi]

@alexasteph, I agree about sampling complexion products. Blind buys on those can easily go wrong. This Kosas one looks good. I’m interested in their new foundation as well so I’ll have to see about getting a sample of both. 

[alexasteph]

@itsfi The foundation is interesting to me too…. But I do still really like what I’m already using so we’ll see! 

[itsfi]

I first started really working through my foils on a foil samples challenge thread in 2019 (gosh, that feels so long ago!) hosted by @angel7594, with the last 4 months focused on getting through at least 100 foils. Since then, I've (thankfully) become a lot more aware of how many foils and deluxe / travel size samples I pick up, and I've tried not to keep more than 40-50 foils in the house at any one time but slipped a little on keeping to that number over the last few months, so this challenge could not have been better timed @missjeanie! 😁

My goal will be to try to use up a total of 31 foils this month (which includes the 8 items I've already used up so far). If I can work my way through 31 foils that would mean I have a smidge over my target of no more than 50 unopened foils at any given time. I've placed all the foils I'm aiming to work on this month in the jar and will try to remember to pull a few samples out every night for use that evening and the next morning. 

March Mini Madness Challenge

These 31 foil samples consist of 16 tried-and-true items and 15 new-to-me products, and fall into the following categories:

• makeup - 1 (new)
• skincare - 20 (5 new)
• haircare - 6 (5 new)
• bath & body - 4 (all new)

I'll check back in at or near the end of the month with my progress. 🤞 

[ather]

@itsfi  I love your way to display your foils it such a beautiful way to have them displayed. I’m happy you enjoyed the SF. I love that you only hang on to 40-50 samples at a time. That’s so smart. I find I get so many and I become more overwhelmed by all my foils. 

[itsfi]

@ather, I learned the hard way that I just do a better job of using what I have when I keep what I have to a much more manageable number and place items where I can see them. If the set up is easy on the eyes, even better for keeping them in my line of sight.it’s be nice to not learn these things the hard way but I suppose it might not stick with me as much. 😊 

[CookieGirl1]

@itsfi Your pic looks so esthetically pleasing!  I want MY bathroom to look like that 🙂

[itsfi]

@CookieGirl1, thank you; that’s nice of you to say. 🙂 It’s really the lighting though; it helps a ton. Makes the samples stand out which is a good reminder to use them! 😆 

[CookieGirl1]

@itsfi Regardless, it looks so nice 🙂

[itsfi]

@CookieGirl1, thank you. 🤗 

[alexasteph]

@itsfi I love collecting samples of tried and true products! They are perfect for weekend travel. 

[itsfi]

Oooohhh, weekend travel!!! 😍😍 With your move, you must have new places to explore over the weekend, yes @alexasteph? How fun! 💞 My stash of samples looks so much different these days than it used to - a lot of more samples of well-loved products and I try to pick up multiples of certain samples so that I can get more time to test them out and see how they perform. 

[alexasteph]

@itsfi It’s certainly been a lot easier to take small trips from where I live now, it’s just closer access to stuff. Part of why I moved!

I totally get that about stocking up on new products to get a longer test run - that’s a big reason I’m not super excited about foil samples for something I’ve never used before and try to get things I have. That’s a really good idea. 

[missjeanie]

@itsfi I actually keep my foils separated into make up bags by category -- Lips, Other Make Up, Skincare, Haircare and Other, My skincare ones are in the same make up bag you have in your photo!  I like the idea of keeping them down to a smaller number.  If I could do two makeup bags in lieu of 5 I think I'll be happy.  I've been doing the same thing and pulling a few out at a time from a box on my washroom counter.  I think having them so easily seen is a big help!  

I spy a few samples in there that I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on!

[itsfi]

@missjeanie, which of the foils were you interested in? Let me know and I can tag you when I get to them. Seeing the foils is a good reminder to use them. Otherwise, it's very much out-of-sight, out-of-mind for me when it comes to samples. 😏

That's a great idea to put your foils in your makeup bags! It's a good way to keep them organized and to put your bags to use. I've been getting up early, but not feeling like doing my makeup before heading out the door, so my makeup is in the bag. I take it with me to work and put it on at my desk before folks start rolling in. It surprisingly holds a lot more than I thought it would. Or, maybe I'm getting better at stacking / packing things in there. 😆

[missjeanie]

@itsfi I'm curious to see how you like the Summer Fridays Balm.  I had one of those samples and fell in love!  Also curious on the Tatcha rice wash.  I have one that I've been holding off on... I'm unsure if it'll work out ok on my dry skin.

[itsfi]

And now, to the Tatcha enzyme powder - excellent timing, @missjeanie! I actually used the Tatcha this morning.

I like Tatcha The Rice Polish Foaming Enzyme Powder Gentle. 😊 TheAMOREPACIFIC Treatment Enzyme Peel Cleansing Powder 1.94 oz/ 55 g variety seems to emulsify more smoothly (but not in a dealbreaker sort of way, if that makes sense). The Tatcha initially turns into a paste consistency and I needed to add more water to get it to the texture that the AP gets to more quickly.

One other thing to note is that the AP version has a very noticeable scent - it's the signature AP scent but it is strong, so if you're sensitive to fragrance or just don't care for the scent on AP's products, then the Tatcha enzyme powder (gentle version) will make for a better choice for you, as I didn't pick up any scent from it.

Here are some swatches.

I typically use enzyme powders like these in the warmer seasons, when my skin is more combo (oily T-zone, dry cheeks), as a morning cleanser or, sometimes as a mask of sorts. I do occasionally use them in the fall and winter when my skin is a lot more dry. I didn't find either to be drying. I wouldn't describe them as being heavily hydrating, but they did not make my face feel dry or tight, not even in the areas that are already prone to dryness. That said, as someone with dry (and dehydrated) skin, I wouldn't use this as a regular second cleanser. I do use it more often at the peak of summer, but that for me, is maybe a week or two out of the entire year.

If you're concerned about these types of powders drying your skin but like the gentle exfoliation they provide, you might want to try mixing the powder with your cleansing balm/oil or a cream cleanser. @keana1 shared that fab tip a couple of years ago on the mask thread and it’s one I’ve kept top of mind. 👍🏼