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The Gratis Thread ๐Ÿ›๐ŸŽ‰

A place to say thank you, provide reviews and first impressions, or follow up on gratis received after more use!

 

Many of us have been very lucky to receive gratis (thanks Sephora!), and Iโ€™ve been finding that while itโ€™s easy to initially post about receiving it and initial reviews, itโ€™s not as easy to follow up! 

 

I thought maybe we could have a dedicated thread to follow-ups and reviews with products weโ€™ve received after weโ€™ve been using them for a while, especially because itโ€™s sometimes hard to find the original thank you and first impressions threads.

Re: congrats!! @Shosh85 ๐Ÿ’ž๐Ÿ™Œ

Thank you thank you ๐Ÿ’‹โ™ฅ๏ธ @Shosh85 

Re: The Gratis Thread ๐Ÿ›๐ŸŽ‰

GRATIS UPDATE - SMASHBOX - Mindful 5 Nourishing Primer SerumE8752D9A-9871-43CD-B214-9EABA06F4F75.jpeg

PROS ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿผ

Itโ€™s lightweight; a little runny (I included a photo in the spoiler bell) absorbs quickly - my skin sluuuurps it up; not sticky or tacky; and the redness around my nose seems to be less pronounced the next morning when I use this overnight.

 

CONS ๐Ÿ‘Ž๐Ÿผ

As others have noted, the smell. ๐Ÿ˜ณ I mean, when I use it in the morning it does help me to wake up. ๐Ÿ˜‚ The scent thankfully fades away but it does get ya when you first pick up the scent. Initially Iโ€™d describe the scent on it as a mix of something earthy, medicinal, herbaceous with a slight bit of a chemical scent to it but after a couple of uses, Iโ€™ve felt that after the initial earthy scent I smell, I pick up another scent from it that reminds me of the smell from some cold pressed green juices.

 

OVERALL THOUGHTS ๐Ÿ˜ƒ

Iโ€™m not sure about this product as a primer, primarily due to the consistency. Itโ€™s lighter than my moisturizer and some sunblocks I use so Iโ€™m not sure how well it penetrates into my skin when I layer it over the rest of my skincare. As a serum, on the other hand, itโ€™s been wonderful and thatโ€™s my preferred way to use it - as a serum. ๐Ÿ˜ƒ

 

PURCHASE / REPURCHASE? ๐Ÿค” 
Maybe. Iโ€™ve used this serum day and night for the last five days and have liked it so far. I have quite a few serums so itโ€™s a bit too early for me to know where this one falls among the ones I currently have in my rotation. Iโ€™ll follow up with my thoughts on this after a couple more weeks of use, but it does lean towards being something I would purchase after I get through the bottle.93517EB7-AF80-4C67-9EE2-00B17CA88CB7.jpeg

 

 

Re: The Gratis Thread ๐Ÿ›๐ŸŽ‰

@itsfi yes thank goodness the scent is short-lived! It reminds me of Sharpie.  

Re: The Gratis Thread ๐Ÿ›๐ŸŽ‰

If the scent on this one lingered, my trial period for it would be very short @eshoe. Iโ€™m very happy it fades away. 

Re: The Gratis Thread ๐Ÿ›๐ŸŽ‰

Ha you and me both @itsfi. I am very curious which ingredient/reaction of ingredients is causing it๐Ÿค”

Re: The Gratis Thread ๐Ÿ›๐ŸŽ‰

@itsfi  If the scent was any stronger, it might've made me gag! I'm glad it dissipates a bit after applying. I did feel a little tackiness with it, but that might be because I waited a while after putting on a light moisturizer to apply it and I don't use sunblock, since my foundation has SPF in it already. Definitely worth playing around with a little more!

P.S. I love your nail color! ๐Ÿ’…

Re: The Gratis Thread ๐Ÿ›๐ŸŽ‰

The scent definitely makes itself known @Shosh85! Lol. 

Thank you. Iโ€™ve been slacking on keeping up with my nails the last few months so I decided to give them some color. Itโ€™s OPI Infinite Shine - Linger Over Coffee. ๐Ÿ’…๐Ÿผ Hopefully Iโ€™ll be better and taking care of them.l going forward. 

Re: The Gratis Thread ๐Ÿ›๐ŸŽ‰

@itsfi Oh man, I don't think I've done my nails since my oldest was born, and that was almost 6 years ago! Haha! ๐Ÿ˜‚ 

Re: The Gratis Thread ๐Ÿ›๐ŸŽ‰

@Shosh85 Iโ€™m fanatical about my toes but my fingernails are generally bare. I wash my hands so many times in a day, itโ€™s just not worth the time!

Re: The Gratis Thread ๐Ÿ›๐ŸŽ‰

@eshoe  Washing hands is part of it for me too, 'cause I definitely do a lot of that, especially as a Dental Assistant, but I'm also CONSTANTLY hands-on with the boys and there's never really a time I'm not doing something with my hands. Plus, I just never have time. I barely find the time to eat something during the day. Haha!

Toes would be pointless for me too, since my feet are always super cold, I'm almost always wearing socks. ๐Ÿฅถ๐Ÿฆถ๐Ÿงฆ

Re: The Gratis Thread ๐Ÿ›๐ŸŽ‰

The scent is so strong @itsfi! I do think it is a good product though.

Re: The Gratis Thread ๐Ÿ›๐ŸŽ‰

Even though I know the scent will be there when I drop the product into my hands, it somehow still catches me off guard @faeriegirl. ๐Ÿ˜ณ

Re: The Gratis Thread ๐Ÿ›๐ŸŽ‰

@itsfi the scent is a con, I'm using it today for the first time, I'll say even with the scent, I'm really liking this texture, and how it's easily absorbed

Re: The Gratis Thread ๐Ÿ›๐ŸŽ‰

It absorbs soooo quickly @lmaster. I love that it doesnโ€™t leave my skin tacky or sticky either. 

Re: The Gratis Thread ๐Ÿ›๐ŸŽ‰

First impressions on amika Reset Scalp Clarifying Gel Shampoo 6.7 oz/ 200 mLand AMIKA - Reset Cooling Gel Conditionerthe shampoo has more of the gel texture, and the conditioner is a foam texture, the scent on both were not overpowering, and quite nice. These are products I would only use once every 3-4 weeks to clarify my scalp of build up. With that said, they both did a great job at removing the products that were built up, they didn't dry out my hair at all ๐Ÿ‘ then I followed up with the Virtue Strengthening Split End Hair Repair Serum Treatment 1.7 oz/ 50 mL i had a heck of a time getting this product out of the bottle, so I took the pump off and ran it under hot water to clean it out, then it worked properly! Initially it looks like a cream, but seems to work at an oil does, so a little goes a long way. First use I applied on damp hair, woke up the next morning and my curls looked nice and defined. The next day, I applied it on dry hair, and I feel like,  I prefer this way better, that way you can tell if you have applied too little. It brought my curls back to life and smoothed out the frizz I had from sleeping. Overall after two uses, it does a great job! 

Re: The Gratis Thread ๐Ÿ›๐ŸŽ‰

@lmaster  Same here with the pump on the Virtue bottle - I could not get anything out for the life of me! It's so great to hear it worked so well with your curls! ๐Ÿ™Œ 

Re: The Gratis Thread ๐Ÿ›๐ŸŽ‰

@Shosh85 yep! I took it and ran it under hot water and cleared the pump out, then it started working properly,, thanks so much

Re: The Gratis Thread ๐Ÿ›๐ŸŽ‰

@lmaster I thought mine was broken because I kept trying the pump the product out and nothing came out. I must have pump at least 15 times for it to finally dispense. 

Re: The Gratis Thread ๐Ÿ›๐ŸŽ‰

Shoot @SportyGirly125 I probably pumped mine at least 50 times, over and over, nothing was coming out ๐Ÿคฆ

Re: The Gratis Thread ๐Ÿ›๐ŸŽ‰

A little update on the gratis I received Friday:

 

I used the amika Reset Scalp Clarifying Gel Shampoo 6.7 oz/ 200 mL& AMIKA - Reset Cooling Gel Conditioner set on back-to-back days. The dispenser reminds me of shaving gel, I love how easy it is to use! The shampoo has the familiar Amika scent I've noticed in their hair masks. The conditioner reminds me more of tea tree than menthol - maybe even the Aveda Rosemary Mint conditioner. Normally I wash every other day, and it proved a little too clarifying as my hair felt somewhat dry. I am thinking this would be best as a weekly deep clean for me. Will share more thoughts after I've readjusted how I use it.

amika.jpg

The SMASHBOX - Mindful 5 Nourishing Primer Serum has been interesting to use. The scent is VERY strong (like Sharpie) but thankfully dissipates almost immediately. I have only used a couple of products with cannibis sativa, maybe that is what I'm getting. It is fairly thin, and glides on easily, leaving only the tiniest bit of 'stick' which has proven to be fantastic for keeping my makeup in place. I do struggle with where to fit it in - as a serum, I top it with moisturizer, right? But as a primer, it would go on after - would love to hear others thoughts on this.

 

Still working with the Virtue Strengthening Split End Hair Repair Serum Treatment 1.7 oz/ 50 mL but wanted to show the texture/consistency in case anyone is interested. This has a very light, pleasant scent and reminds me of Kiehlโ€™s Creme with Silk Groom. I am overdue for a cut so this is an ideal time for me to be testing it. 

smashvirtue.jpg  

Like @SportyGirly125, I find the GLOW RECIPE - Banana Soufflรฉ Moisture Cream to be more of a gel-cream. The banana pudding scent is so yummy! I have been using it daily, and am very pleased to report that my makeup does not pill on top of it. The only other moisturizer that works like that for me is the Youth To The People Superfood Air-Whip Lightweight Face Moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid 2 oz / 59 mL, so it is very nice to have an alternative option. I have worn it at night at found it doesn't hydrate my skin as much as it needs, so I top it with a second moisturizer or sleeping mask. Like their Watermelon moisturizer (which I use mainly as a serum), I think those with normal or normal-oily skin would benefit most from this. My skin is more normal now than usual, so it is working great for daytime, especially with a hydrating primer on top (I alternate with a couple of oil-based ones).

 

The Dior Lip Glow Oil Rosewood was such a pleasant surprise. I expected an oilier formula, similar to other lip oils I've used. It is much more a gloss, and it has pretty good staying power. I LOVE this shade too, gives my lips a very pretty flushed look. The applicator is so plush - the only other I've seen close to this is Fenty's.Gloss Bomb.

 

The IT Cosmetics Pillow Lips is a rather thick lipstick - it feels smooth going on and one layer deposits a good amount of color. I've only used it once but am pleased with its longevity as well. The Gucci I just want to put on display - it's so pretty and has just the right amount of weight. I rarely wear red save for the holidays, so I should have the opportunity to try it out in the coming weeks. I am very happy it is a satin and one swipe is slightly sheer. I feel this will make it more wearable for me. 

 

Finally, I've been wearing the YVES SAINT LAURENT - Black Opium Neonand love its warmth. I have been wearing Maison Margiela's Coffee Break, and although I am not picking up the coffee, it does feel cozy, too. Slightly reminiscent of Dior's Poison, which I wore years ago. I need to pay more attention to the wear time with it, will update as time passes.

 

Thank you @TeamBIC and @BrendaBT for this incredible gratis, and for the opportunity to share my thoughts here ๐Ÿ™‚ 

Re: The Gratis Thread ๐Ÿ›๐ŸŽ‰

@eshoe ,

Thank you for your thoughtful and well-written reviews!

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