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]

@heartsmyface, I feel like there are so many products with niacinamide in it these days. I know my skin can only tolerate so much of it, but I am completely intrigued by the FAB serum. I will be interested in what your curiosity has to say about it. 😃 

[heartsmyface]

@itsfi   Yes, it seems to be having a moment in the spotlight, I suppose as a result of all the friction from mask wearing?  meh, the same has happened with hyaluronic acid, face oils… they all get over marketed as the new best ingredient.  I enjoy the education we get from having an ingredient of the season but it does become difficult to find products that don’t overlap when everyone is releasing the same trending ingredient at the same time. 
Ha I’m looking for somewhere that needs dark spot fading😂. My back still has some freckles.

[CookieGirl1]

@heartsmyface I remember liking the Laneige Hydrogel too although since it was lighter I think I'd get the most use out of it during the summer.

[heartsmyface]

@CookieGirl1  Belif vitamin c aqua bomb is excellent if you like the lightweight gel consistency but need extra moisture retention. I love the gel to oil formula.  It’s got to be the most pleasant moisturizer I’ve tried in so long.  belif Aqua Bomb Brightening Vitamin C Cream with Hyaluronic Acid 1.69 oz/ 50 mL 

[CookieGirl1]

@heartsmyface I had a mini of that one that I used last summer and I remember thinking that I liked it relatively well.

[heartsmyface]

@CookieGirl1   Oh yay you’ve tried it!  It’s a really under-hyped product.  

[ather]

@heartsmyface  Oooo great samples. 

[heartsmyface]

@ather I’ve been having really good luck with the samples.  Good for the brands and bad for the decluttering efforts. 

[missjeanie]

Finished off a few more samples which brings my total to 30 for the month.  I've probably got another half dozen open and in use, so I'm feeling accomplished!

Spoiler

-Laura Mercier Powder - The translucent was ... fine... nothing to rave or rant over.  The medium deep was too deep.  I tried to use it as a bronzer just to say I used it, but it was... a lot!  I've used full size in the past of the translucent when it was 'the' powder to use.  Even then I found the brightening under eye one better.  
-Rare Beauty Concealer - The lightest shade was a good match, and it had decent coverage, but it could look cakey and stuck in my fine lines.  It was't bad, but it wasn't great.  I even tried the next shade up as a sheered out concealer after finishing the palest one... it wasn't great used this way either.  It was fine for zoom meetings, but in person its a no. I have a few other sample cards that I'll pass on to friends.
- MJ Daisy - I haven't tried this in years.  It was actually really nice right now when it's still cold out, but the sun is starting to shine and I'm wanting spring.  This is a very light/bright scent.  I likely wouldn't purchase but I wasn't mad at it!
- Kerastase Hair Mask - I had high expectations here.  Its time to stock up on hair masks and I almost blind bought this.  Glad I didn't.  It was nice enough, but it was just not quite enough.  No real scent which would be a plus for some, but I enjoy pretty smelling stuffs in the shower.  Glad I tried it, but it's a no buy.
- CT Magic Cream Light - I had zero expectations here.  I have very dry skin right now and anything labeled light is usually a big pass.  Colour me wrong.  This was a delight under my make up and the MUFE Watertone foundation.  I'm using the non light version today to test and ... well it's good too!  I may need to keep an eye out for this one.  
- DE B-Hydra - I've used this many times before.  It's a good hydrator, but I tend to only use one maybe two serums under my moisturizer and this one just doesn't do enough for me anymore to warrant a purchase.  I'll still use it if I happen upon it, but I do't think it's a purchase.
- MAC Prep and Prime- I'm not a big primer user.  Mind you... I thought this was fine. Just not a step I'm looking to add back in to my routine when I've seen that it doesn't make or break my base.
- Murad Day Moisturiser SPF30 - This was nice.  But I prefer a higher SPF.  Not a purchase based on that.
- Clarins Double Serum - This was nice enough, but not enough to make me want to buy it.
-EL Advanced night repair - I pulled this sample after seeing @heartsmyface use a deluxe earlier.  I have used this as a deluxe in the past and actually quite liked it.  I feel like I associate EL with older women... but ... I may be the older woman now?  I might put this in a loves list and see what happens.

[itsfi]

“It’s time to stock up on hair masks…” 😍 

I shall be living vicariously through you @missjeanie and your hair mask hauls! 🛍 I’m on a “hair mask no-buy” for … well, indefinitely. 😝 

[missjeanie]

@itsfi LOL!! It's been a good two years of no hair masks for me.  I finally feel free to purchase again!  You'll get there too!

[CookieGirl1]

@missjeanie I don't know why but I have this incredible desire to try a lot from Kerastase but I can't afford to do it for the price tag so I'm honestly happy when I hear that some of their products don't live up to the hype; it makes me have a little less FOMO, lol.

[missjeanie]

@CookieGirl1 Don't get me wrong... it was a nice mask.... it just was't "the" mask.  I'd try more from the brand in the future, but I'm thinking you don't need to feel like you're missing out at all. 

[ather]

@missjeanie  Great job!!! I’ve been focusing on my foils too. 

[missjeanie]

It feels like I've accomplished some downsizing @ather ! lol

[heartsmyface]

@missjeanie  Hahaha, I keep saying I’m an older woman now too!  We’re certainly not but I think it’s going to help with the inevitable transition!  The EL serum is on my spring sale list cause it’s so comfortable so no doubt it’s what my skin needs now. 
You didn’t like the hair mask?  Good to know.  I tend to prefer the resistence line (the teal blue packaging) but can’t say I’ve tried anything from Kerastase I didnt love. 

[missjeanie]

@heartsmyface It's not that I didn't like the hair mask... I think I'm just hoping to find "THE" hair mask.  And this wasn't it.  I may also need to bite the bullet and just cut my hair.  It might be time. 

[Titian06]

Yesterday I used a foil sample of Dior Diorskin Forever Undercover Concealer 021 LINEN .  Although the color was too dark, I tried it under my eyes and on my chin (broken capillaries).  I had applied my daily eye cream earlier, but the concealer went on and remained patchy and creasy.  On my chin, it covered the broken capillaries nicely and left a smooth finish.

I also used Givenchy Prisme Libre Skin-Caring Glow Foundation 2-N120 from a foil sample set.  It was the lightest color in the set.  I used it without a primer, concealer, or color corrector--so on a bare face--and no setting or finishing powder on top.  I have to admit to being impressed with this foundation!  First, this was the type of sample where you pull up the foil cover and there's a little bit of foundation in between the bottom and top layers.  That little bit covered my entire face, including redness, broken capillaries on both cheeks, and pitted cystic acne scars on both cheeks.  There was enough left over for my chin if I hadn't been trying out the concealer above.  So I added the extra to other areas, and it built up coverage nicely.

The description says "glow," but it looked matte to me.  I wore the foundation for around six hours, and it felt great!  I forgot I had it on--I've hardly worn foundation/makeup in the past two years.  It covered all my facial issues nicely on its own.  After six hours it looked as good as it did when I put it on.  With my combo/oily skin, I usually start getting shiny and need to blot around the four-hour mark.  That didn't happen even at six hours.  I'd like to get another sample, maybe in a lighter shade (this one may have been a smidge too dark); I like this foundation!

[ather]

@Titian06  Ooo that foundation sounds great. 

[itsfi]

@Titian06, you are selling me on that Givenchy foundation! It sounds fantastic! 😍 

[missjeanie]

@Titian06 I've got a couple foundation samples that are in that same foil on the paper type packaging and I'm amazed you got enough out of one for a full face.  Big Win!