@Samtian Oh sorry I haven’t been checking in a lot! It’s good but not as hydrating as the banana one. I feel like it would be better for finer hair than mine.
Finally getting around to posting my empties. Here they are for the first quarter. My favorite new discovery was Bubble t hibiscus and açaí berry tea body wash. I love the scent and I’m usually sensitive to scents. My worst discovery was the green tea holiday sheet mask. TTD: 25
Lots of great skincare / body care products in your empties @emaisgr8. 🙂 Love the flavor combination in that body wash - it's the first time I've heard of that combination. I just looked the brand up and there's quite a few body washes that sound like they would smell amazing!
Trophy - one of my faves, Thumbs Up - good and will repurchase, Thumbs Croaked - good but probably not a repurchase, Thumb Sideways - fine product but nothing special, Tear Face - disappointing, TGID! - thank goodness I finished this product - it lasted forever!
I had probably 3-4 products I was planning to finish in March that I stopped using consistently cause of the pandemic and slacking on skincare and makeup. At least that will give me some for next month's tally.
This was a gift from the kind @Loretta55. She always has hair insight but apparently knows some body stuff too. This was like having a little luxury. My legs loved this and I would use it on my hands and arms. The one downfall was that I would get some oily residue on my desk at work which is black and shows everything. I'd consider treating myself to something like this in the future. Thanks for sending it to me!
This sample was sent to me by @faeriegirl. Like the Divine one, it was enjoyable. I think the scent on the honey and the feel gave me a more favorable impression though I think I should opt for more unscented products - don't want to cause sensitivities and irritation in the future. Thank you!
Vichy Mineral 89 has been my jam for HA. I wanted to give this a go for the price point. Vichy is thicker and the packaging gives me a more favorable impression. The Inkey List one is thinner but still seems to work well. I have another one to use and after that will compare cost per use, etc. to see if I have a preference for my HA product.
I really appreciate @lmaster's tip to use a makeup eraser to remove wash off masks. I received this as part of Sephora gratis and was able to get 5 uses out of the tube. I've been using pore masks once a week. I used a biore pore strip after my 5 weeks and didn't have much on the strip. I don't know why but the Kiehl's Since 1851 Rare Earth Deep Pore Minimizing Cleansing Clay Mask 4.2 oz/ 125 mL seemed to be better though both I think help with keeping pores clear. I have another tube of this I can't wait to try after I test some other pore masks.
FIRST AID BEAUTY - Ultra Repair® Cream Intense Hydration
I know this is a product people rave about so thank you @keana1 for sending me a sample. But I'm a price-conscious consumer and if I can get a similar performing product for the same price, I'd prefer it. So I compare lotions to my experience with CeraVe. This had a very interesting texture, not quite whipped but kinda along that line. I only had a few uses (which I did on my face) but it made me curious to try more. I do wonder if it would be right for using on my face consistently because it can also go on the body. I know they tend to have deals on it during the holidays so I might take the plunge and get a "fancier" lotion. Any insight about using it on the face vs. body and your experience is appreciated.
I'm a huge fan of ceramides but as mentioned above, if a CeraVe product at a better price has similar ingredients and performs well, then that's what I go with. It had a nice whipped texture and did moisturize. I would say it was good but I wasn't impressed that I need this in my life. I think the Protini is more my style if I was going to splurge on expensive skincare. I still enjoyed trying it thanks to @Shosh85
Another sample goodie thanks to @Shosh85. This had a strong smell for me but boy did it make the skin feel very soft like cashmere. I didn't dive too much into the ingredients but if it weren't for the scent I'd be more curious about this one.
Also a sample from @keana1 I got to try this one a couple times. The texture was more serum than moisturizer though it has moisturizing ingredients. The scent was too fragrant and gave me peel/citrus type vibes. Just not for me.
This is a thicker cream than the Luminature Glow Cream and also had a stronger scent. Because of the scent, just not for me.
TreSemme ConditionerI used only DevaCurl from October 2018 through about the end of the year. I wasn't sure how my hair would handle "normal" conditioner. The One Condition Delight is not enough moisture even though I have wavy hair so I stuck with the original One Condition. The bottle only had maybe 1/6 left but I didn't notice any difference when finishing it up. I'm trying other Curly formulated conditioners but for the price point and performance, I'd consider it again if I don't find a real winner. Schmidt's DeodorantIf you asked me in January this would not have been a thumbs up. I was getting irritation under my arms. I paused and then reused it and it worked wonderfully since then. I am not sure if this or another deodorant I had been using caused some stains on my shirt though. In general the Schmidt's formula has worked the best of the natural deodorant I've tried. I haven't found my go-to scent yet. All of them start very strong and fade through the day but I don't smell and that's what matters most. Josie Maran Divine Honey Body ButterThis was a gift from the kind . She always has hair insight but apparently knows some body stuff too. This was like having a little luxury. My legs loved this and I would use it on my hands and arms. The one downfall was that I would get some oily residue on my desk at work which is black and shows everything. I'd consider treating myself to something like this in the future. Thanks for sending it to me! JOSIE MARAN - Whipped Argan Oil Body ButterThis sample was sent to me by . Like the Divine one, it was enjoyable. I think the scent on the honey and the feel gave me a more favorable impression though I think I should opt for more unscented products - don't want to cause sensitivities and irritation in the future. Thank you! THE INKEY LIST - Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating SerumVichy Mineral 89 has been my jam for HA. I wanted to give this a go for the price point. Vichy is thicker and the packaging gives me a more favorable impression. The Inkey List one is thinner but still seems to work well. I have another one to use and after that will compare cost per use, etc. to see if I have a preference for my HA product. PETER THOMAS ROTH - Irish Moor Mud Purifying Black MaskI really appreciate 's tip to use a makeup eraser to remove wash off masks. I received this as part of Sephora gratis and was able to get 5 uses out of the tube. I've been using pore masks once a week. I used a biore pore strip after my 5 weeks and didn't have much on the strip. I don't know why but the KIEHL'S SINCE 1851 - Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque seemed to be better though both I think help with keeping pores clear. I have another tube of this I can't wait to try after I test some other pore masks. FIRST AID BEAUTY - Ultra Repair® Cream Intense HydrationI know this is a product people rave about so thank you for sending me a sample. But I'm a price-conscious consumer and if I can get a similar performing product for the same price, I'd prefer it. So I compare lotions to my experience with CeraVe. This had a very interesting texture, not quite whipped but kinda along that line. I only had a few uses (which I did on my face) but it made me curious to try more. I do wonder if it would be right for using on my face consistently because it can also go on the body. I know they tend to have deals on it during the holidays so I might take the plunge and get a "fancier" lotion. Any insight about using it on the face vs. body and your experience is appreciated. DRUNK ELEPHANT - Lala Retro™ Whipped Moisturizer with CeramidesI'm a huge fan of ceramides but as mentioned above, if a CeraVe product at a better price has similar ingredients and performs well, then that's what I go with. It had a nice whipped texture and did moisturize. I would say it was good but I wasn't impressed that I need this in my life. I think the Protini is more my style if I was going to splurge on expensive skincare. I still enjoyed trying it thanks to Caudalie Resveratrol Face Lifting Soft CreamAnother sample goodie thanks to . This had a strong smell for me but boy did it make the skin feel very soft like cashmere. I didn't dive too much into the ingredients but if it weren't for the scent I'd be more curious about this one. KATE SOMERVILLE - Wrinkle Warrior™ 2-in-1 Plumping Moisturizer + SerumAlso a sample from I got to try this one a couple times. The texture was more serum than moisturizer though it has moisturizing ingredients. The scent was too fragrant and gave me peel/citrus type vibes. Just not for me. Sulwhasoo Luminature Glow CreamThis gave a dewy look. I did get a couple pimples the next day but because it was a sample, I'm not sure if it was the cause or just poor timing.SULWHASOO - Bloomstay Vitalizing CreamThis is a thicker cream than the Luminature Glow Cream and also had a stronger scent. Because of the scent, just not for me.
I enjoyed trying so many moisturizer options. Everyone's skin is different so it was fun to experiment. Thanks to all who shared samples with me!
@ShortErica I love trying those little foils and samples! I'm going through a lot of mine right now as well and I'm finding some things that I really like (and a lot that I dislike). Nice job :).
It's so nice to have a dislike sample so you don't have to waste money trying a bigger size @CookieGirl1. Though it is nice to find something good too!
@haleyvvvv It was nice to get through some foils and I should try to set aside so many each month. I think I have a couple eye cream ones I should try. 🙂
I accidentally erased my list of what all is here. 😕 ugh. But here are my empties for Jan/Feb. 17/100. The smoothing foot mask and the sea salt shampoo were my favorites.