Foil Challenge

[ather]

I know we all talked about this but I need it in writing to hold myself more accountable! I have picked out around 28 foils that I am hoping to get through by the end of Feb. that’s 1 foil a day unless I decide to stack more than one! Here’s what I’ve picked randomly! 

 

[Mellmars1185]

February Foils = 20

Spoiler

Kerastase Genesis Shampoo - I used this single with the K18 Biomimetic Hairscience Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask 1.7 oz/ 50 mL . My hair looks and felt clean after. This is my first use so I can't give much feedback.

Dr. Dennis Gross Daily Universal Peel - I can't notice any visible changes. Although, my skin is 'behaving' atm. I received these as GWP's. I have been trying to include Liquid exfoliants into my routine, but something less expensive.

Kora Tumeric Brightening Exfoliating Mask 2 in 1 - Has a refreshing scent, brown in colour. It has some textures and bits that feel exfoliating on the face, but are hard to wash off. I got 2 uses out of this packet. I probably won't repurchase just because of the difficulty I had getting the exfoliating pieces off of my face.

Rare Beauty Find Comfort Hand Cream - Smells like lavendat and Cinnamon. It has a calming and spa like scent. Feels good on the hands. Didn't 'wow' me enough to consider repurchasing.

Paula's Choice  2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant - Had a strong chemical scent. I got 3 uses out of packet. Used once per day and it did not irritate my skin. I am interested in trying full size to see long term results.

Moroccanoil Oil Body Lotion - I found this pilled on my skin when applying after shower.

Dae Signature Shampoo & Conditioner - Smelled amazing like melon and cotton candy. Washed and let hair air dry. Hair looked curly and not frizzy. I would consider purchasing full size once I am done my current products. I have one sample left and I want to see what my hair looks like blow dried when using it.

Moroccanoil Moisture Repair Shampoo and Conditioner - classic Moroccanoil scent that I love. Too many samples to get through before I would consider purchasing.

Amika The Kure Bond Repair Shampoo and Conditioner - The scent was so comforting to me. I got two uses out of this sample. Great Shampoo lather. Didn't notice any instant repair. I did notice hair lasted longer between washes and looked smooth.

K18 Peptide Prep Detox Shampoo - Repurchased full size. Leaves my scalp feeling very clean but not dry. Have been using detox shampoo on the days I oil my scalp (about oncer per week).

 

[ather]

@Mellmars1185  Great job!! 

[Mellmars1185]

@ather Thank you 🙏🥰

[itsfi]

Ahhhh, look at all these skincare, body care, and hair care foils! 😍 Excellent work @Mellmars1185! Your description of the scent on the Rare Beauty hand cream sounds nice. Was the formula not thick enough for your liking? Or are there just other products out there you like more?

[Mellmars1185]

@itsfi Thank you! The Rare Formula scent ans Formula were lovely. I guess there are other hand creams in my collection I need to get through and it takes me a long time. Long enough to not have it on my radar any time soon 🤭

[CorgiMommy]

@Mellmars1185 now that's a lot of foils in one month

[CorgiMommy]

@Mellmars1185 those are the ones I need, I have so many face cleanser but too few haircare ones 

[Mellmars1185]

I hear you, @CorgiMommy . I was in the same boat. Anytime I saw a hair sample I chose it. They are great for travel. The thing is, I have no where to go right now 😊

[Mellmars1185]

@CorgiMommy Thanks! I have been trying to get through some hair care samples. 

[itsfi]

February 2024

Month-To-Date: 15

Year-To-Date: 26

I don't have any plans to use more foils this week, so this is what February foils looked like for me:

Spoiler

🙅🏻‍♀️ Again, as with the last time, I don’t know if these foils were part of a bad batch … but my hair isn’t a fan of Dr. Barbara Sturm Super Anti-Aging Shampoo or Dr. Barbara Sturm Hydrating Conditioner. The shampoo made my hair feel dry and stringy, and the conditioner (every pack I’ve used including these two) have been lumpy, and didn’t bring moisture back to my hair like I expect of conditioner. I ended mixing these with a shampoo and conditioner from another brand and that helped.

🐐 Love the scent of this Sol de Janeiro Mini Beija Flor™ Renewing Body Wash 3 oz / 90 mL. It’s my favorite scent from the SdJ collection - fresh, light, fruity, floral with a hint of creaminess to it. Some have said this is a dupe for Maison Francis Kurkdijian Baccarat Rouge 540, but I don't pick up the similarity.

👍🏼 I like the formulation on the Givenchy Prisme Libre Skin-Caring Glow Foundation but the shade here is too light for me. Will pick up a full size (in my color match) at some point. Err, because I don’t have enough foundations??!! 😝

👍🏼 I know there are mixed feelings on it, but I do like the Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Fenty Eau de Parfum 2.5 oz / 75 mL eau de parfum spray. It starts off strong and intense, earthy, woodsier than I would like but it tempers down as the floral (white florals and roses) notes kick in.

Spoiler

👍🏼I was able to get 2.5 uses out of the dae Monsoon Moisture Milk Hydrating Shampoo 10 oz / 300 mL   and dae Monsoon Moisture Hydrating Conditioner 10 oz / 300 mL and … I like, I like a lot. Shampoo and conditioner were not on the list for the spring sale, until these two made the list. 😆 I also saw a set with a hair mask so maybe I'll grab the set instead, depending on how many of my hair masks I make my way through by the time the sale event rolls around.

👍🏼 Augustinus Bader The Ultimate Soothing Cream Refillable Moisturizer is a lovely moisturizer, but I'm not sure it's so nice that I have to have it, as there are comparable products out there I like just as well, if not more. Also, there are other products in the Augustinus Bader line that I'd pick up first before this moisturizer.

👍🏼 I've used sevearl hyaluronic acid serums over the years and this Eminence Organic Skin Care Strawberry Rhubarb Hyaluronic Serum is a beauty. If I didn't have a number of hyaluronic acid serums to work my way through, I'd pick up this strawberry red hued slightly viscous, quick absorbing and hydrating serum. 

Spoiler

👍🏼 I was out and about one day and noticed a lovely rose (but not too rosy) scent in the air. It seemed to be coming from one of the women walking ahead of me. So, I sped up to ask them what they were wearing. It was Tiffany & Co. Rose Gold EdP. I somehow got my hands on a foil sample and … don’t be surprised if you see a full size in a future hauls post. 

👍🏼 The original Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Visibly Firming Refillable Body Cream is my second favorite scent from the SdJ brand; it's truly a tropical vacation in a jar. I don't tend to purchase this particular scent anymore, unless it's part of variety pack, but I have a handful of mini's and foils of it and will have no problem working through them.

👍🏼 Ahhh, the LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask Intense Hydration with Vitamin C Original. There are other flavors I like more, but this one works just fine - a tried and true balm for moisturizing lips overnight.

👍🏼 The granules / scrub in the First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub with 10% AHA  are very finely milled and do a wonderful job of sloughing away old skin without being rough on it. I have several body scrubs to work my way through so I won’t be purchasing a full size any time soon, but I’d be happy to use this again or gift it to someone.

Overall a good month for foil usage; I hit my goal of 15 per month @ather, but I'm realizing that's probably going to be a loftier goal this year than I anticipated, since I've recently been leaning towards using up my deluxe/trave/mini size products at home and for travel. That being said, I discovered a lot, and I mean, a lot of foils that I had forgotten about as I've been packing and unpacking. Eek! So I will have plenty of foils to choose from. 

Emojii Key:

🐐 = GOAT = Greatest Of All Time (have gone through at least two of the particular product and other comparable items)

😘 = Chef’s Kiss = Outstanding 

❤️ = Love 

👍🏼 = Like 

🫤 = Okay; “It’s fine.”; “meh”

🔬 = Undecided = “Still looking into it”

🙊 = Not for me / my skin type

🙅🏻‍♀️ = ❌ = “No, non, nein, nyet, …” 

[CorgiMommy]

@itsfi great use of your foils.   They do add up fast

[itsfi]

@CorgiMommy, thank you. I wasn’t expecting to get through all these so it was definitely a surprise. A nice surprise. 

[ather]

Wow you were on fire @itsfi  this month!! I am impressed! Weird that batch of shampoo and conditioners aren’t working. But it’s either a bad batch or maybe just not for you! I’ve had a few that ended up that way! 

Oh no!! You found a stash!!!! I’m sure you will get through it all! I have a basket full of DS I need to work through! 

[itsfi]

@ather, very strange about that shampoo and conditioner, but now I’ve gone through all the packets I have, so that’s good - I didn’t feel I could pass them along to anyone knowing how they worked (and yet, I couldn’t toss them either 😆).

Sigh, I really wasn’t expecting to have or find THAT many more foils. I was trying to think where they came from and I have a feeling it was from a sales associate I work with who from time to time sends me a bunch of foils and deluxe sized samples - it’s very kind and generous; I just thought I accounted for all of them. I was working my way though the DS and just assumed (incorrectly) that those were all I had; completely forgot I had those foils. Just when I was in a good spot with (what I though was) my remaining foils to use up. Oh well, I’ll have to sort through them and figure out which to use or keep for travel, and which to donate to a women’s shelter or other charity / nonprofit. 

[ather]

January 2024

I feel like the beginning of January I was amazing and the second half I may have fallen off the wagon and got run over! I’m happy with my progress I finished 13. I think when I counted at the end of December I had 66 left. So I think 13 is a great number. I do have more now since I got a gwp that had quite a few more foils in it so I will try and add it all up for a fresh start in February!! 

 
I really loved Drunk Elephant F-Balm™ Electrolyte Waterfacial Mask 1.69 oz/ 50 mL 

Shani Darden Skin Care Retinol Reform® Treatment Serum Duo  it’s just so gentle on my skin! 

everything else was ok. Nothing stood out to me. I think I will try and have a few of each foil to get a better test. 

[itsfi]

Excellent work @ather and that’s awesome that you found products you loved. Do you think you’ll pick up full sizes of either or both the Drunk Elephant and Shani Darden? 

[itsfi]

January 2024 Foils 

This month's foil samples, 11 in total, consisted of skincare and hair care beauties. 

Product Details: 

Spoiler

🐐= GOAT = Greatest Of All Time (to earn this designation, I must have worked through at least two of the particular product and other comparable items)

😘= Chef’s Kiss = Outstanding 

💖= Love 

👍🏼= Like 

🫤 = Okay; “It’s fine.”; “meh”

🔬= Undecided = “Still looking into it”

🙊= Not for me / my skin type

🙅🏻‍♀️ = ❌ = “No, non, nein, nyet, …” 

🫤 I wonder if my hair type is just not the right fit for the Fable & Mane HoliRoots™ Hydrating Shampoo 8.5 oz/ 250 mL and Fable & Mane HoliRoots™ Hydrating Conditioner 8.5 oz/ 250 mL, but both were just okay for me. I wanted to like them, but both left my hair wanting for more. I would be up to try both again but based on these foils, it's highly unlikely I'll be picking up full sizes.

👍🏼 The K18 Biomimetic Hairscience Mini Molecular Repair Hair Oil 0.34 oz / 10 mL, on other hand, makes the list for the spring sale. My hair was particular dry, frizzy and in need of some moisture when I first reached for this packet, and the oil worked wonderfully to make my hair soft and smooth.

👍🏼 Also performing well under pressure was the Charlotte Tilbury Mini Collagen Superfusion Firming & Plumping Facial Oil .27 oz / 8 mL. Other than her masks, I've not really delved deeply into her skincare line. My skin was more dry than usual and I had noticed a couple areas of dry patches on my face when I first reached for one of the foil samples. I wasn't expecting much, just hoping to infuse my skin with some added moisture overnight. I was very pleasantly surprised to find the next morning that my skin looked and felt more hydrated, supple and no more dry patches. So much so that I've been reaching for a packet as a weekend treatment every week this month.

👍🏼 This is the second foil I've used of the Dermalogica Mini Daily Milkfoliant Exfoliator .45 oz / 13 g. The original was one of the first exfoliating powder polishes I ever used and I've been intrigued with the introduction of this more gentle but still effective powder to their line. It contains coconut milk and oat bran extract, along with AHAs and BHAs. While it's not my first choice for this type of product, it is one I enjoy using and I would be happy to pick up more foil samples in the future.

🐐I consider Farmacy Honey Halo Ultra-Hydrating Ceramide Moisturizer one of the must have moisturizers for dry skin in the cooler, brisker winter months. Also great for some TLC when traveling. Makes my skin soft, smooth, plumpy and hydrated overnight.

💖I wasn't expecting too much from the Unlabel Lab Hydro Collagen Moist Shampoo or Unlabel Lab Hydro Collagen Treatment and that was a mistake. Both these hair care products worked beautifully to cleanse, detangle and moisturize my hair. They also smell really good - a slightly sweet floral blend. 

All in all, I'm off to a fairly good start with continuing to use my foil samples @ather. Some I have set aside for travel, and others I'm holding onto until I can get my hands on one or two more foils, with the idea that I'm better able to gauge how well a new-to-me product works if I have more than just one foil to use.

[ather]

@itsfi  Great job! I agree with you that you need more than one foil to really develop an opinion. I’ve often tried a foil and dove into a full size and it wasn’t exactly what I expected. But I think if there’s multiple it gives a better gauge of the product! I have the K18 oil and I used it the other day but I don’t know if I can really give an opinion after one use. I am getting my hair done Thursday so I’m not using product this week so it doesn’t interfere with the highlights I’m getting. I’m excited to try it out more! 

[itsfi]

Oooh, fun @ather. It'll be nice to get your hair done. 

Yeah, I'm going to try to get a minimum of 2 or 3 foil packets for new-to-me products for testing purposes. It may mean it takes longer for me to try out a particular product because I'm aiming to not buy things as frequently or as much as in previous years but it's okay. I'd rather have a good test sample so I can be sure (or as sure as I can be) that a product is a good one for me before I pick up a full size. 

[CorgiMommy]

A weekend visiting friends and playing with our dogs was a great opportunity to use up some foils.  

LANEIGE Mini Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Cream Moisturizer for Moisture Barrier Repair 0.67 oz / 20 m...  is a repeat for me.  Nice standby.

bareMinerals Skinlongevity Long Life Herb Anti-Aging Face Serum 1.7 oz/ 50 mL  and eye creamwere a first time product for me.  Need to try again 

Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream Plumping & Hydrating Refillable Moisturizer  is a favorite my mine.

Oribe Hair Alchemy Strengthening Mask 5 oz / 150 mL  is a repeat.  Nice product

Oribe Gold Lust Liter Shampoo & Conditioner Set  are new.  Very nice standby products.  If I have a foil I will bring it while traveling..  I will stick to the foils as this is out of my price range.

GUERLAIN Abeille Royale Double R Renew & Repair Advanced Serum 1.7 oz / 50 mL new  one to me.  Need to try again.

Youth To The People Mini Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Night Cream + Mask with Vitamin C 0.5 oz/ 1...  was in the YTTP birthday gift.  I really liked it.  My skin was soft and refreshed when I woke up.

[itsfi]

That Tatcha Dewy Skin is a beauty @CorgiMommy; that entire line is great for dry skin.