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Reorder it from in-store and online purchases
View saved products
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Manage your services, classes and events
Complete your beauty traits for personalized recommendations
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Ask questions, join challenges, and get recommendations from people like you
Discover topics tailored to your beauty interests
Add your photos and get inspired by fellow beauty lovers
From makeovers to personalized skincare consultations
Get inspired, play with products & learn new skills
Exciting launches, parties & more
Explore what's hot in your store
Welcome to the second year of the challenge!
Everyone is welcome to join at anytime. ❤️
Post your used samples daily, weekly, monthly, or whenever you want. Feel free to suggest any sub- challenge ideas.
I've been working through my FS and some DS samples and haven't been going through as many foils. These were from May.
I'm going to join in on the challenge a little late. I have a question though... I've had some of my samples for years..like some are 2 + years old. At what point would you just toss them? Thanks 🙂
Which mineral sunscreens have you found work for you @christyrc?
Thanks for sharing @christyrc. The Australian Gold Tinted Mineral SPF 50 is just a tad dark and yellow for me. But it applies smoothly and has a matte appearance that I like. The other thing to be cautious about is it needs a bit of dry down time or it will rub off on clothes. Not sure if you've tried that one or not but people of light but not porcelain skin tones tend to have good luck with it on its own and under makeup.
Not a lot of empty foils and samples this month. I spent most of March working through open full size products.
ALGENIST - GENIUS Liquid Collagen is lovely; it really is. It’s also expensive; it really is. 🙂 I pick up foil and deluxe samples at practically every opportunity to do so, and I’ll probably continue with that approach for a while. I may pick up a FS at the November sale; we’ll see.
I had a sample of the SUMMER FRIDAYS - R + R Mask made for me in store. It’s a very gentle exfoliant and hydrating mask in one. I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I do. The exfoliating beads are a decent size and they’re extremely gentle. The high point of this mask for me is the hydration it gives. My skin feels so soft, smooth and hydrated after this mask. I plan to purchase a full size during the sale next month.
Burberry Beauty Fresh Glow Luminous Fluid Base gave my complexion a nice, fresh, lit-from-within glow and works quite well under my makeup. I have a couple of products that are similar to this one so it’s not something I’d purchase now, but if and when I run out, this one is definitely one I’d consider picking up.
Origins Mini Clear Improvement™ Active Charcoal Mask to Clear Pore 1 oz/ 30 mL works nicely as spot treatment on pesky blemishes and to keep the oils on my nose, chin and along my jawline under control. There seems to always be foil or deluxe samples of this mask available as a gwp, in the Rewards Bazaar, etc., and I have other masks that perform similarly to this one. It’s a like, not a love – I wouldn’t toss the mask if I received a foil or DS, but it’s also not one that I must stock up on immediately once I’ve finished a tube or sample of it.
Aromatica Organic Aloe Vera Gel – my skin loves aloe. This one if really nice. If I didn’t have other aloe products that I like a lot, I would happily purchase this one, but since I do, this is one for the Like/Maybe category.
Unlike the Summer Fridays R & R Mask, I’m just not a fan of the SUMMER FRIDAYS - Jet Lag Mask. It’s not a bad mask by any means, it just didn’t do anything for me that I couldn’t get from another masks I already have. This one falls into the “it’s not you, it’s me” camp.
Received some samples in the mail (got the Laneige yesterday) and figured I should add these in despite my lackluster start.
I haven't made much progress but hopefully this will motivate me to get moving in the next few months. X means the product is finished, check mark indicates I'm using it. Comments repeated from Empties 2019 thread.
Skincare:
I don’t ever remember using a toner before. I was able to get 3 uses out of the sample. I think it caused my pink/red areas to stand out even more..though this was temporary. I could definitely feel my skin tingling perhaps when I wiped the toner on. Maybe that was the witch hazel? I think the beauty water also claims exfoliation so maybe that’s why those areas became redder. To give you an idea, when I got a facial the therapist mentioned how my skin seemed to be sensitive during the process but them would go back to normal. I received the glamglow toner in gratis and can’t wait to have a longer trial period to see how toners work into my skincare routine.
Makeup:
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer Madeleine
I’m fair skinned so I tried to use the top shade for concealer (skin matching not lighter/highlighting) but think it was still a bit dark. Then I used the other shades to try to contour or bronze. It was fine. After my no buy ends I think I would like a good everyday concealer to better target some of my red spots. I don’t know that this will be my choice but a sample doesn’t always give enough uses to determine the value of a product so we’ll see. Any suggestions appreciated – I’ll jot them down so I can start my search in November.
@christyrc Awesome job getting through so many! I hope you had a great time on your vacation!
Best,
Rebecca
My February foils / deluxe samples - mostly loves/likes, no flat out no's this month
LOVES
Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream – what can I say about this wonderfully scented cream that has not been said before?! Samples like this size are great for work trips with a quick turnaround.
Ole Henriksen Power Bright 3-Step Treatment – this is professional strength, 3-step brightening system and one of my favorite peels. It contains a high concentration of Vitamin C, does a great job of hydrating my skin and imparting a soft glow to it, and it smells amazing – a lovely blend of honey and citrus. Each set of these pods lasts me about a couple of uses and a box of the Power Bright comes with 6 set of pods. I’ve picked up a couple of boxes from TJ Maxx (each box has 6 of these sets of 3) so I should be set on peels for a while.
AmorePacific Enzyme Treatment Peel – this is the last of my skincare items from the Deluxe December Challenge – yep, it took me a little more than 2-1/2 months to get through this bottle – a little goes a long way. I notice a difference in my skin when I use it, but even more so when I have not used it for a while. I’ve already pulled out my other DS of this beauty.
Mamonde Plum Blossom Lip Sleeping Mask – texture-wise, it’s a hybrid of the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask that I love and the BITE Beauty Agave Lip Mask. I have a full size already and it will definitely be incorporated into the rotation.
LIKES
Mahalo The PETAL Hydrating Mask – this I liked a lot; I think it could be Love, but I want to try it again just to make sure it wasn’t just a fluke. It’s hard to describe what exactly this is good at doing other than to say, my skin just looks better after I use it – it’s soft, clear, refreshed and hydrated.
Heimish All Clean Balm – this is a gentle, but effective sherbet cleanser. These pods are great for traveling and the balm itself is quite nice.
MAYBE
Whamisa Organic Flowers Deep Rich Essence Toner – it’s a more viscous than most toners but still light and it is quite hydrating. I can see myself repurchasing this one, possibly a full size, but much later in the year – I have a drawer full of essence and toners that I want to get through first, but this one will be worth considering once I’ve made a dent in what I have.
SexyHair Love Oil Moisturizing Oil – I like the subtle citrusy scent to this oil and that it makes my hair silky and smooth. It’s a ‘maybe’ because I just need to get through some of the other hair products I have.
MEH – It’s not you, it’s me
Fresh Sugar Nourishing Lip Balm Advance Therapy – this isn’t a bad lip balm, there are just other Fresh lip balms I’d reach for before this one – the peach one, the caramel one, the new mint balm, just to name a few. 😉
Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Rescue Mask – there’s a spa-like cucumber scent to this mask that I like very much; I also like that this mask, like many Fresh masks, can be worn for as little as 5 minutes – that’s helpful for those mornings when I’m in a hurry to get out the door (probably more days than not). What I could do without though with this mask are the lotus seeds in the mask that are there to aid in exfoliation.
Oh my sounds like another lip product in the cart (Mamonde Plum) @itsfi @Thank you😄 You went through the AP amazingly fast good for you! Can’t blame you, the scent is so lovely 🌿
@eshoe, the Mamonde Plum Blossom is a nice one! 🙂 I was bummed when I finished the sample pod. For the most part, I used the AP peel every morning for about 10 or 11 weeks.