The Gratis Thread 🛍🎉

[cianni]

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 I’ve been finding that while it’s easy to initially post about receiving it and initial reviews, it’s not as easy to follow up! 

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

[cianni]

@HunterKathleen Same! Can’t wait to see what everything is 😍😍

[SpaceLlama]

Great idea, @cianni ! I'll round up the gratis I've been lucky to receive and do a check up soon 😊 

[faeriegirl]

Awesome thread idea @cianni!

Clean Sephora skincare bundle- I still use and love the eye cream and face wash. The glow pads, serum, and all day hydrator did not work out for me but my daughter loves them. She has oily skin that isn’t sensitive like mine and she said they work great for her and is already hinting she would like me to purchase more when she runs out.

Multi brand gratis package- 

Urban Decay reloaded is a great versatile palette I love it.

Farmacy freshen up deodorant is great. It lasts all day and the mint scent is nice and not overwhelming.

Ole Henriksen banana bright primer is another love. The smell is great and it definitely helps my makeup last longer.

Fresh sugar mint rush lip balm is great. It definitely helps keep my lips hydrated and it smells nice.

Viktor and Rolf midnight flowerbomb smells nice. It’s not my favorite but I do still wear it occasionally.

Glamglow super toner was too much for my skin so I gave it to my sister and she loves it. I am just not a fan of toner and don’t ever use it.

[quspork]

I still need to try that Banana Primer from OH. Glad to hear you're enjoying it, @faeriegirl!

[PinkEvergreen]

@quspork  The Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Primer is a keeper in my opinion. It goes on so easily and makes my skin glow. Hope you enjoy it 😊

[ather]

@faeriegirl  Thanks for your review! I have been on the fence about the farmacy deodorant and I think you sold me on it!! 

[faeriegirl]

@ather I had been wanting to switch to a natural deodorant for a long time and this one worked so well. I also really like Kopari. The regular and gardenia scents are great. I usually rotate between the three depending on how I want to smell😊

[ather]

@faeriegirl  that’s so cute!! The smell definitely helps! I tried the tarte one and it didn’t work for me. 

[faeriegirl]

@ather I haven’t tried Tarte, but I did try Lavanila and Schmidt’s and they didn’t work for me.

[cianni]

@faeriegirl so many great products! Good to know about thE serum! I’ve been interested in it, but my skin is so sensitive that I usually need a TON of reviews before I’ll try something out of my comfort zone. I’ve also had my eye on the OLEHENRIKSEN Banana Bright Face Primer 1 oz/ 30 mLas I LOVE the eye creme. Does it have the same smell? Thanks for sharing your experiences!! Especially with the natural deodorant 😂 I know from personal experience (unfortunately) that it takes a while for bodies to adjust and even then... not all are that effective LOL

[faeriegirl]

@cianni The scent of the primer reminds me of juicy fruit gum. It’s been so long since I tried the eye cream I don’t remember what it smells like.

[cianni]

@faeriegirl juicy fruit works for me!! 

[lmaster]

@cianni I love this idea!!

[cianni]

@lmaster thanks!! I love hearing everyone’s reviews and experiences with gratis, BIC recommendations and reviews make up 90% of my purchases 😂😂

[cianni]

A few months ago I was chosen by the incredibly lovely @jozkid to receive a gratis that included some amazing items! I could rave on and on about the NARS - Ignited Eyeshadow Palettebut this post is actually about the FIRST AID BEAUTY - Ultra Repair BarriAIR Cream

i love FAB skincare, and the ultra repair saved my skin in the winter, so I was excited to try. The scent is comparable if you’re familiar with the ultra repair (super light, smells like lotion if that makes sense?). The texture is very light and airy. It actually foams up a bit, so it seems like it’ll evaporate actually if you take too long to use it, or don’t seal it properly. In either case, I was so-so on it initially.

now that the weather is warming up, I’ve ditched my heavier moisturizers (for now) and decided to give the Barriair a fair shot. My first impression was totally wrong! I love this stuff. My skin feels smooth and hydrated, and it absorbs quickly. It plays well under makeup. It seems to give a slight blurring effect on me, which is great for no makeup days. The texture seems like it would have dimethicone in it, but I checked the ingredients and it doesn’t! It contains the same colloidal oatmeal as the ultra repair, which is nice for sensitive, irritated or skin suffering from redness or irritation. I’m really happy with this product, and will repurchase it for the warmer months. Obviously I almost run out AFTER the sale ... luckily it’s very reasonably priced. 

The only thing is that it does contain lecithin, which I don’t have any sensitivies to, but I do know some people who are allergic to it, so be careful!

[GG84]

@cianni Cool idea! 

[RebeccaBT]

Hi @cianni

What a great idea! 

Best,
Rebecca