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! 

 

[itsfi]

November 2025 Foils

Month-to-Date: 1

Year-to-Date: 80

Just the one foil this month @ather. While it's a small foil count, it's not an insignificant one - there was a lot of product in the sample blister for Yves Saint Laurent All Hours Creaseless Precise Angles Concealer. I used it primarily to conceal some breakouts on my chin and a couple of dark spots and sun spots. I liked this concealer a lot, surprisingly because so much that I will likely pick up a full size, but probably not until next year. I've been doing a pretty good job of rotating through and using my foundation and concealers but I've not been needing to use as much of either, and I don't want to have too many products sitting unopen (or sitting open and unused for that matter). That said, I can see myself purchasing this one early next year and it'll make its way to the Love At First Sample!!! 🥰 thread when I do. 

[ather]

@itsfi  Great job! Small but mighty!!! Glad you found a new fav!!! 

[itsfi]

Lol, we’re not thaaaaat happy about it 💸💸💸 @ather 😂 It is nice to find one that works well for blemishes though. 👍🏼 I have other good ones currently open and in use and am currently in a good place with not being bothered by fomo, so I’ll hold for now but I, at least, know what’s on the short list when it’s time to pick up another one. 

Finding a new product that I like enough to pick up a full size did get me thinking about the number of foils I use throughout the year that are tried and true versus ones that I’m trying for the first time. 🤔 I don’t think there’s an ideal ratio as I imagine it would vary person by person, but it just got me thinking about my own foil usage. 

[ather]

@itsfi  hmmm same here. I wonder what’s the ratio of new foils tried that turned into a love?

I think starting next year I will track how many new vs tried foils I have used. And maybe how many new one turned into loves. I just picked up a new notebook that can help me keep track!! I love this idea you started!

[itsfi]

October 2025 Foils

Month-to-Date: 16

Year-to-Date: 79

October was a big month for foils @ather; that has not happened in a while. A mix of skincare, makeup, body care and hair care items. 

❤️  Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Exfoliating Toner for Clear Skin is a go-to exfoliant for me. These days I use it more as a spot treatment than an all over toner. It's particularly helpful when I'm trying to deflate or decimate a bulbous blemish, which sadly, happens more often than I care for these days. 

👍  The lightweight, creamy, whipped formulation on the Kulfi Mehndi Moment Long-Lasting Radiant Cream Blush Pinky Promise is dreamy and you really get a lot of bang for your buck with how much product they pack in this tube. I can see the light pink shade being a crowd pleaser but it's that shade of pink that is just too pink for me - my cheeks flush easily so adding more pink to it can be too much. It’s not the product’s fault; just not a good fit for me color-wise on its own; makes a lovely bespoke shade mixed with Sandalwood Swirls 👇.

👍  Kulfi Mehndi Moment Long-Lasting Radiant Cream Blush Sandalwood Swirls is a pretty, neutral brown that blends beautifully and easily. It's just not a color I would reach for often and there's so much product in a full size tube that I would need to reach for it very often in order to even scratch the surface of it. 

👍  Kulfi Mehndi Moment Long-Lasting Radiant Cream Blush Lucky Lotus is a very vivid purple. The shade is a bit too vibrant for me as a blush, though it does blend out beautifully. I was using this as a lip product, mixing it with brown-toned lipsticks to add more dimension and color to them. I love the look I can create doing that but not enough to justify picking up a full size tube of this product. 

❤️  Sol de Janeiro Beija Flor™ Renewing Body Wash 13 oz / 385 mL is my favorite scent among the SdJ collection. A spring/summertime staple.

😘  I like the smoothness of the formulation of both Pureology Strength Cure Blonde Purple Shampoo and Pureology Strength Cure Blonde Purple Conditioner. Oftentimes I find purple shampoos and conditioners to be lumpy for lack of a better word but both these products were soft and smooth, blended easily. It’s almost time for another color appointment and I feel like my hair is looking less brassy than it did the same time last time. I haven’t done anything different (in fact I’ve used more thermal heat styling products this cycle) except to incorporate this shampoo and conditioner into my routine once a week for the last 3 weeks. I would repurchase both of these items but not right away - I currently have more than enough shampoo and conditioner to get through next year so I don’t need to buy another set but I would consider this for next year’s holiday savings sale. 

❤️  Love, love, love L'Occitane Smoothing and Firming Almond Supple Skin Body Oil 3.3 oz/100 mL; it may even be a GOAT (🐐) product for me. I have a full size and want to see how I feel about it when it’s in my collection for a longer duration. Stay tuned.

🐐  Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin™ Skin Barrier Moisturizing Cream is a winter warrior - currently it’s a staple in my morning skincare routine. Moisturizes without feeling heavy or greasy and I can count on it to restore my skin barrier if/when it becomes compromised, and keep it healthy and happy.

😐  I know this MILK MAKEUP Hydro Grip Hydrating Makeup Primer with Hyaluronic Acid + Niacinamide has a huge following but it doesn’t have the same appeal for me. It is grippy but it’s not a primer I reach for often.

👍  Kjaer Weiss The Beautiful Oil Face Oil is meant for the face but I use it as a body oil. It’s fine enough. I prefer the actual body oil, which is a good thing since I have a full size of that, lol.

🐐  I feel like folks may be tired of hearing me sing the praises of the EADEM Milk Marvel Dark Spot Serum with Niacinamide and Vitamin C 1 oz/ 30 mL - it's definitely one of those products that work well for my skin and that I don't truly realize how great it is until I'm without it in my rotation (which I aim never to be). 

👍  Skinfix barrier+ Triple Lipid-Boost 360° Hydrating Eye Cream 0.5 oz/ 15 mL has a lovely lightweight gel to cream consistency. Absorbs easily and quickly. It makes for a beautiful eye cream in the morning, before makeup application. I'm on the fence about it as a repurchase, not because it's not good, but because I have been blessed to have the opportunity to try several equally good, if not better, eye creams. I'm not sure this stands out enough against my Kbeauty eye creams.

Emoji Key:

Spoiler

🐐= product is a GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) in its category [I have a personal requirement that before a product receive this designation, I have to have finished a minimum of two of the product (with at least one being a full size).]
❤️ = Love
😘 = Like and would repurchase
👍 = Like but would not repurchase (at least not immediately), usually because I like another similar product more or because I have other similar products to work through before making a purchase
😐 = Lackluster = it's okay / meh, includes products that are fine enough but are not suitable for my particular skin / hair type or concerns
✖️ = No [This is usually given to a product that irritates my skin]

[ather]

@itsfi  Wow!! Great job! We all have months we do better than others! You did such a great job!!  I like that you may have even found another 🐐 

[itsfi]

So true @ather, it ebbs and flows. While I was pulling out foils to use I also used it as an opportunity to parse out foils of products to donate and others to set aside to test out before the year is up. So it felt productive on other fronts as well. 

[ather]

@itsfi @Aww you always have the best ideas!!! I love that idea!!! 

[itsfi]

Thank you @ather; it's more motivated by wanting to keep on top of my foil stash and keeping it manageable. 🤣

[itsfi]

September 2025 Foils

Month-to-Date: 4

Year-to-Date: 63

These were all fine. I like the scent on the bath & body products more than the original Moroccanoil scent but not enough to puchase full sizes of either the shower gel or body lotion. I also have plenty of both those types of products that I will not be needing to purchase for at least the rest of the year. The moisturizers just were not the  best suited for my skin, and I usually repurpose them for uses other than as intended.

• Moroccanoil Shower Gel Cleanser Ambre Noir - formula was good; and scent was pleasant - warm, spicy with a slight floral hint to it. 
• Moroccanoil Body Lotion Moisturizer Ambre Noir - same scent as the shower gel ☝️, the lotion has a light-to-medium consistency, applies & absorbs easily and smoothly.
• LANEIGE Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Cream Moisturizer for Moisture Barrier Repair is the medium weight version of the moisturizers in this line. It's nice but for my skin, it falls in that category of slightly too heavy for me in the summer but not rich enough for me in the cooler seasons. Any full and deluxe sizes of this formula that I may have are typically donated to a shelter; foil samples like this one I may use as hand cream when I travel. 
• belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb with Hyaluronic Acid and Niacinamide - the foil is the older (original) formulation. It's a light gel consistency with a refreshing, cooling feel. Ideal for oily, possibly combination skin. It isn't hydrating enough for my summertime combo skin on its own but can be used as a hydrating serum.

I haven't included a goal for number of foils to use for a few years and I didn't do so this year. At the rate I'm going, it looks like I'm averaging 7 foils each month @ather. That number actually feels a little on the high end to me, but that may be due to my having used fewer foils over the past few months. I went through a lot more foil samples when I was on vacation. If we go with an average of 7, it seems like I'll come in around 84, which just elicits a frown and head shake from me. I feel like 75 might be both a realistic and a stretch goal, if that's even possible. 🤣 I guess we'll see where I end up at the end of the year.

[ather]

@itsfi  Great job!! Hmm i cant remember what the original scent is like now. I am curious what they both smell like. I dont think i have seen this different line. 

[itsfi]

@ather, I don't know exactly when they came out with other scents besides the original one. I remember learning about them in summer / fall 2023, it was around the time SEPHORiA 2023 (NYC) took place - I remember because I packed some foils of the new-to-me scents for the trip. 😂 The original is a popular one but it's too strong for my nose. A couple of the other scents I enjoy, like the fresh, citrusy bergamot one but I'm not sure I like any of them enough that I feel like I need a full size - which is good because I have plenty of full size bath and body products to use up as it is. lol

[ather]

 September foils!

Can’t seem to tag the Summer Fridays Gentle Reset pads. But they are my new 🐐 

innisfree Green Tea Seed Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Cream  was good but wouldn’t run out to buy it. 
Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Brightening Serum was ok. Summer Fridays CC Me Vitamin C + Niacinamide Serum 1.0 oz/ 30 mL is a 🐐 

First Aid Beauty KP Smoothing Body Lotion with 10% AHA 6 oz/ 170 g was great. I need to try a little more to have a full picture of if I like it. 

[itsfi]

Love it when you find a new 🐐 product - it feels so good, right @ather?!! Summer Fridays seems like it's such a good fit for your skin; that's awesome!

[ather]

@itsfi  Yes! It’s so funny how their products really work for me. I know almost anything will be amazing!!  I feel like Rhode is the same for me too!!! 

[itsfi]

August 2025 Foils

Month-to-Date: 2

Year-to-Date: 59

I don't have plans to use any foils for the remainder of the month so I'm posting my August foils early. Just these 2, @ather. I already have a full size of the MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Skin Matte Velvet Blurring Powder Foundation and using the sample reminded me that I have an unopen full size. 😲 The ingredients in the Summer Fridays Light Aura Vitamin C + Peptide Eye Cream .5 oz/ 15 mL are good and I appreciated how generous they were with this sample. There's a tacky-to-the-touch drydown that helps grip whatever skincare or makeup follows.

[ather]

@itsfi  Oooo I have never seen that SF foil before! I have a full size! It’s nice you have an unopened full size of the setting powder! It’s nice to just have a little foil to remind you how good it is! 

[itsfi]

@ather, it's probably not a great sign that I don't remember where or when I received the SF sample, is it? I *think* it was through the brand site? It's nice: I just have some other eye creams to work my way through. 

[ather]

June and July Foils!

All loves! Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel Pads I have quite a collection of these. I had been using them often and my skin had gotten unhappy so I stopped. I have been using once to twice a week with no irritation! 

innisfree Green Tea Seed Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Cream bi couldn’t find the serum. I thought it was a serum! 

Summer Fridays CC Me Vitamin C + Niacinamide Serum 1.0 oz/ 30 mL been a long time favourite! 

Origins Mini Clear Improvement™ Active Charcoal Mask to Clear Pore 1 oz/ 30 mL  I have used this one for a long time. Always a good one!

Sephora collection foot mask! So good!

Sephora collection caffeine eye mask. Sad these got discontinued. 

[itsfi]

It's fantastic that these were all loves @ather! Once or twice a week for exfoliation is a good cadence, especially if your skin is on the dry or drier side.