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]

September 2024 Foils - a couple of trips last month upped my monthly foil count, and with it, put me past the 100-foil mark. I have to say I wasn't expecting that to happen as I thought (hoped) I had less than 100 foils to work through. It's all good though, they are getting used. I plan to do inventory before the year is over and donate foils I don't plan to use. @ather 

👍  Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Matte Powder Bronzer is an oldie-but-goodie. I have a healthy collection of powder bronzers to work my way through so it's not something I'd pick up anytime soon.

👍  SEPHORA COLLECTION Booster Face Mask Soothe + Hydrating 1 mask / pack has promise - quick and easy 2-piece that leaves skin lightly hydrated. A nice one to prep the skin before applying makeup.

❤️  Farmacy Honey Halo Ultra-Hydrating Ceramide Moisturizer 1.7 oz/ 50 mL is one of those tried-and-true winter moisturizers. 

🐐  Kao Megrhythm Gentle Steam Eye Masks are fantastic for unwinding and are great for when I am dealing with allergies, insomnia or sinuses. Shout out to @missjeanie and her recent haul for reminding me to put these to use. 

👍  I like to pack some supplements like these individual packets of the Bloom Greens & Superfoods Powder (Mango). I try to get in my greens with food but I feel like I fall short of my intake when I'm home, so something like this comes in handy. They're on the sweeter side so I usually mix this with tea, either a black or green tea to sip on while doing my skincare and makeup routine or a chamomile tea while taking off my makeup at the end of the day. 

🐐  Sephora Collection Caffeine Eye Mask are a staple in my mask collection - I loooove these and am sad they've been discontinued. I've stocked up so I'm good for probably a year, so I have time to look for a suitable replacement (or to give the Sephora Collection team time to bring it back ... 😉)

😕  BodyRestore Shower Steamers Aromatherapy are fine enough. I brought thes with me on my recent trip, testing them to see if they'd be a cheaper alternative to the anihana Shower Steamers at Target. These are not bad, and I wouldn't toss them, but I prefer the ones from anihana more - the scents come through more and last longer. I purchased a variety pack fo these BodyRestore ones and have given the other scents away.

Foils Dashboard:

Month-To-Date = 14
Year-To-Date = 109  

Emoji Key: products with a love or above rating are ones I would repurchase (or have already repurchased); "like" items vary depending on what is currently in my stash

🐐= GOAT = Greatest Of All Time (have gone through at least two of the particular product and other comparable items)
😘= Chef’s Kiss = Outstanding - think of this as GOAT status in the making 😉
❤️= Love
👍= Like
😕 = Okay; “It’s fine.”; “meh”
🔬= Undecided = “Still looking into it”
🙊= Not for me / my skin type
🙅🏻‍♀️ = ❌ = “No, non, nein, nyet, …”

[ather]

@itsfi  Awesome job!  Omg so many of the SC Caffeine eye masks! Hmmm too bad those steamers didn’t live up to the other brand. How often do you use steamers? They feel like such a treat!! 

[ather]

Here are my foils for September! 14 total. I’m doing good. But I tend to keep finding more hiding around my house!

 

 I enjoyed all but didn't find any loves. I was hoping more for the Fenty Skin Watch Ya Tone 5% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum with Vitamin C even with multiple foils didn’t notice any difference in my skin. I have a bunch of the SR good genes but I need to ration it because it makes my skin sensitive! 

[itsfi]

We twinned it with our foil usage last month @ather! 😀 I've heard good things about the Fenty serum; do you think you needed more time with it? I laughed when I read your comment about finding more foils around your house - tell me about it! I now have two bins - one for the foils I plan to use / try, and another for the ones that will be donated. 

[ather]

@itsfi  I don’t know. 🤷🏼‍♀️ maybe I didn’t use it long enough to get a clear picture but I also didn’t feel wowed either. The Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum 0.5 oz / 15 ml is in my cart for the fall sale. After hearing your praise it’s been on my radar and when I saw it was finally at Sephora Canada I was so happy! 😀 

I love that you have 2 bins! So smart! I have bags. I have skincare, makeup, hair, masks and scents.  I need to get better at adding the hair ones. Scents are hard for me since my work is scent free. I don’t often go out so I don’t use them as much. The small samples last forever for me. I was giving them away to a friend who loves using scents but she’s declined the last few times. So now they have been sitting. I’ve also been more careful which foils I choose when possible and not choosing scents. But I need a better approach. Maybe another bag for samples I want to donate. 

[itsfi]

@ather, my hope is that with these 2 bins going is that it'll help me be more mindful of how many foils I actually have; in theory, the bin with the foils I'm keeping and working on using should have more in there (though not too much 😂) and that the donation bin either gets emptied with some frequency or stays on the small / minimal side as far as pieces go. Don't get me wrong, I love sampling things but I seem to accumulate so much and don't realize it as early as I should. 

Oh, do you mean the EADEM Milk Marvel Dark Spot Serum with Niacinamide and Vitamin C 1 oz/ 30 mL? I really do love that stuff. I'm getting more into the brand as well. 

[ather]

@itsfi  Oooo good to know. I’ll have to check if that is on the Canadian site too. I just vitamin c and dark spot and got super excited!! 😆 ok just checked and I am very sad. It is not on the site. Maybe it will come soon! The resurfacing one s

is the only one on the site right now. 

[ather]

These are the foils from July/August. 

 

I’ve been adding more acids to my skincare and so far my skin is responding well. I only use like once or twice a week to be safe! 

I enjoyed all of these. And found a new love in the Benifit brow. 

[CorgiMommy]

@ather great use of your foils, I do love the Peel Pads

[ather]

@CorgiMommy  I know they are so good! 😊 

[itsfi]

Wow, those are some great products you sampled @ather! Ahhh, the DDG pads - they're marvelous. Ohhhh, does the Benefit brow beat out all other brow products for you?

[ather]

@itsfi  Thank you! I found a pack of the DDG and I finally decided to use them up! 

I think the Benefit is better. But I also wonder if it is the mini brush that made it work so well. I need to use up what I have before I buy one but it’s on my list! 

[itsfi]

Now I'm intrigued even more @ather - what brow products do you have in use and in the queue to be used?

[ather]

@itsfi  Right now I have REFY Brow Sculpt Shape and Hold Gel with Lamination Effect 0.28 oz/ 8.5 mL  which I love and I have a back up. I also have MERIT Brow 1980 Volumizing Tinted Eyebrow Gel-Pomade  which is good but the Benefit is better. I have the LAWLESS Hold Up Soft Set Creamy Eyebrow Wax  and a NYX one open. Too many right!!!! Also I find that samples don’t always preform like a full size. So I wonder if it will preform as well. 

[itsfi]

Ooouh, you have a back up of it, @ather? A sign of a well liked / loved product. I think 3 or 4 seems like a lot for the both of us when it comes to brow products. If you’re rotating through them though and they’re working for you, go for it. 

[ather]

@itsfi  I forgot the PATRICK TA Major Brow Lamination Gel 0.17 oz/ 5 mL  too. I think I need to get minis to try first! 

[itsfi]

August 2024 Foils - I know we have a full week left before August is officially behind us, but I'm going to post this month's foil early. In part because I don't foresee myself reaching for any foils next week and partly because it'll be a full week for me and I can see myself forgetting to post these in a timely fashion. So, I'm getting ahead of my forgetfulness. Hahaha! Without further adieu, 

Spoiler

🐐  Yes, once again we have a few Sephora Collection Caffeine Eye Masks (discontinued) in my foils roundup. What can I say? I love these beauties. These make my peepers (and in turn, my general visage) look alert, awake, fresh faced and refreshed! What's not to love about that?! 😍

👍  Pleasantly surprised that the mix of argan, marula, coconut and cupuacu oils in the Moist, Diane Extra Shine Shampoo and Moist, Diane Extra Shine Treatment was not heavy on my hair (the strands are fine, I have a lot of them, though less as I've gotten older). I was able to get about 2-1/2 uses from each packet. I reached for these foils when I was a couple of weeks from my then-next hair appointment, when my hair can be (as it was) a little worse for the wear a they say. This pairing helped to add some luster to my tresses, and was nourishing as well, which makes sense given the oils contained in these items. This Japanese brand is one that I've been interested in trying and this intro to the brand went well, better than I expected. I have a couple of shampoo and conditioners to make my way through first but this brand is on my list for my next shampoo and conditioner purchase. @CookieGirl1, I have a recollection you've used / are using some hair care from this brand; wondering your thoughts on the items you've used so far.

👍  Drybar Liquid Glass Smoothing Shampoo 8.5 oz/ 250 mL and Drybar Liquid Glass Smoothing Conditioner 8.5 oz/ 250 mL is another hair care pairing I was also pleasantly surprised by. Which is a good thing as I have somehow accumulated 3 or 4 other sample packets of this duo. Like the Moist, Diane set, this one also left my hair soft, shiny and smooth, without weighing it down or making my hair look greasy

Both of the fragrances were nice enough, but if I'm not sure a full size of either will be in the works.

🫤  KAYALI EDEN JUICY APPLE | 01 Eau De Parfum has a very sweet, fruity, floral sillage - I pick up apple, berries, some vanilla and a little musk. The longevity is alright, though it starts fading earlier than many perfumes. It's too sweet for me, even with the musk and vanilla tempering down the slightly candy-like notes, but I know it has quite the fan base. I prefer Ellis Brooklyn Apple Love, which has similar (but definitely not the same) notes but is less sugary-sweet.

This group of empty foils are from last week's Capsule Makeup Collection Challenge, and what a week it was! Not everything was a win (which is to be expected) but there were definitely some good products used; a few, in fact, that may very well become a staple in my collection, in which case, I will post those beauties to the Love At First Sample!!! 🥰 when I pick up a full size of the product.

Spoiler

🔬  Hourglass Veil™ Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation gies a very, very light coverage with a soft radiance. It has a tack to it that takes a bit of time to set; I find I need a powder to set it. This one is a like, but also one I'd like to try in a couple of different seasons to see how it performs on my skin then.

👍  Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion is a throwback for me - this worked very well as an eyeshadow primer. I'd happily use it again but the NARS pro primer and Valentino eyeshadow primer are still my go-to's in this category

🔬  Hermes Plein Air Natural Complexion balm SPF 30 has a cream / lotion consistency that gives a light-medium coverage (buildable to medium), natural finish. It is heavily fragranced - very heavily fragranced. I'm not sure about this one; even if I had a sample of the right or best shade match for me (I think I'm probably 20 in the peak of winter and then, maybe 40 at the height of summer, with a blend of those two at other times). I find this best applied with brush. It's the undertones in this balm that really will be key. 

👍  A little of the Valentino Very Valentino 24 Hour Long Wear Liquid Foundation goes a looooongg way in this true-medium coverage foundation; it sets down to skin-like finish. The shade LN 3 was just a bit light for me right now but I have a little more color at the moment. I have the shade LN 4 in the concealer and may pull that out to compare with the LN 3 - I have two more foil samples as well as a deluxe sample of the that shade. It is a pretty foundation but the "medium coverage" foundation category is the one that I already have more than I need / want in my my stash. I have a lot of skin tints as well but I'm more open to having more of those types of foundations. lol

🙊  MILK MAKEUP Jumbo Hydro Grip Primer 5.28 oz/ 150 mL has a lot of fans but it never seemed to work for me when I was on the oily side or the dry side. Now that my skin is more normal, I has pleased to have the opportunity to try it again. Not sure whether there are just other primers that perform better on my skin or what, but this wasn't one that I liked. It worked fine, but the tack to it (and the fact that it lingered even after I had applied my foundation) is not for me. 

👍  I have a full size of the Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place 24-Hour Longwear Foundation - it's medium-to-full coverage, in my mind (though I can sheer it out, which I do almost every time I wear this foundation). Medium-to-full is not a coverage level I wear often, but this one doesn't feel heavy on my face, which is a plush. Slightly perfumed - there was a time when I would have considered this heavily fragranced, but that was before I tried the Hermes balm. I haven't been focusing on the beyond medium coverage foundations but this one is one I would consider including in an ultimate collection; that's a good thing since I do have a full size of it already.

👍  This is not the first time I've used LAWLESS Forget The Filler Lip Plumper Line Smoothing Gloss Rosy Outlook. I received a full size a few years ago as gratis - I liked it then and I like the foils now. This is one of those plumpers that has just the slightest tingle; it does not sting and that is why I like it so much. I feel like a throwdown of the lip plumping glosses in my collection will be in the works at some point.

👍  It was the first time I've tried the LAWLESS Forget The Filler Overnight Lip Plumping Mask Sweet Dreams. Like with the gloss, there's a slight tingle and while noticeable, it is a slight tingle. This is the Sweet Dreams version; it has a candy-like scent that was fine. I would be interested in trying this lip mask again, possibly a full size even, but in a different scent - the cherry vanilla scent @ather mentioned sounds like it would be excellent.

❤️  I'm a fan of Cle de Peau in general, and in particular, their foundations. Over the years, I've tried every foundation within its collection except the Cle de Peau Radiant Cream Foundation. I'm usually O20 or B20. (B is peachier undertone and O is more warm/yellow undertones). Coming out of the tube, it feels like it'll be a heavier coverage foundation but when blended / applied, it's a medium coverage, that you can sheer out or build up. It's a beautiful, lightly radiant coverage. Conceals and covers without making it look like I have on foundation, a slight blurring effect. I have a feeling my wallet will be very displeased with me at some point, as this CdP foundation looks like one I'll pick up eventually.

Foils Dashboard:

• Month-To-Date = 25 
• Year-To-Date = 95 

Emoji Key: 

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

😘 = Chef’s Kiss = Outstanding - think of this as GOAT status in the making 😉

❤️ = Love

👍🏼 = Like

🫤 = Okay; “It’s fine.”; “meh”

🔬 = Undecided = “Still looking into it”

🙊 = Not for me / my skin type

🙅🏻‍♀️ = ❌ = “No, non, nein, nyet, …”

[ather]

@itsfi  Wow! You’ve done amazing! The Capsule Makeup Collection Challenge  definitely helped out! And wow look at all those Caffeine masks! Are you running low? Or do you still have a big stash? 25 is an amazing number!!! Congrats 

[itsfi]

@ather, thank you! I feel like I'm all over the place with my foils the last few months. Much of that is due to finding more samples and receiving more samples to use. Going ot have to be strategic about which I keep and which I let go. I know that with skincare, I do better when I stick to a particular set of products, whatever they may be. Introducing a sample of a serum here and then a moisturizer there in the same week or even the next week, can be a recipe for disaster for me and my skin. 

I still have a large stash of the Sephora Collection eye masks. There are a few folks that send me a notice whenever they see them become available at Sephora at Kohl's so my stock never really dwindles. 😁 I feel like I'm good for a year still, at least.

[CookieGirl1]

@itsfi I've used the Moist Diane Extra Damage Repair shampoo and conditioner and I actually really like the shampoo because it's lightly hydrating without weighing my hair down and the lather is glorious (it's on of the shampoos in my shower now) but the conditioner oddly dried my hair out.  Ironically I placed another Asian haircare order and in it is the Moist Diane Fresh & Hydrate shampoo, which I have not tried before.  That order should be in on Wednesday so I'll try to remember to tag you after I've given it a fair shot.