THANK YOU BIC, Drunk Elephant, IT Cosmetics, and Tatcha

[skcfan]

In addition to receiving the Origins masks today, this was also waiting for me when I got home. It felt like Christmas! This is my first time getting any gratis, and Sephora really went all out. Thank you @KatieBT!

The letter says my box is personalized for oily combination, or acne-prone skin. The box included Drunk Elephant C-Tango Eye Cream, Tatcha Silk Canvas Primer, and two shades of IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Breakout Concealer, Light and Fair. I am excited to try everything out and let you guys know! 

[Susubee]

Update on the ByeBye Breakout! 

I’ve been using this a lot more now that I’ve reached the time of month where I tend to have some spots popping up, and I have to say that I’m really, really liking this now! I’m still not able to get complete coverage, but it does give some coverage. I feel like the treatment part of it has been truly useful, though. It’s kept any potential face volcanoes at bay without drying out the patches where it’s applied. A++ IT Cosmetics!

I’m amending my original thoughts to say this will likely be on my repurchase list at some point. ❤️

(Still wouldn’t advise for “regular” concealer duties - ie, undereyes - though. But as a tinted spot treatment 👍🏻👍🏻.)

[curlychiquita]

Thanks for the update, @Susubee!  I'm glad to hear that it works!

[b3autygrl]

I received this package as well and have been testing out the products but not quite yet to provide a review on all of them.  That said, I definitely have enough info to give my review on the Drunk Elephant Vitamin C Eye Cream, so here goes:

I was very excited as I've heard great things about Drunk Elephant and I've been on the search for a great eye cream.  I have very dry skin in my under eye area and have some micro fine lines.  I've used other eye creams/serums in the past that have Vitamin C and had bad experiences so I was a bit apprehensive as well.  After using this only at night for 4-5 nights I noticed that my micro fine lines were becoming more noticeable!  I was very disappointed.  So, I stopped using it for about a week and my skin returned back to normal with my fine lines not as noticeable.  I tried it again for another 3-4 days and noticed again that the lines became more noticeable.  So, unfortunately for me, it seems that my skin in my under eye area just doesn't react well to Vitamin C.  So for now, I'm now repurposing this product and using it all over my face.  I've only used it for 1 night and didn't see any adverse effects but it's too soon to see any results.  If you're not sensitive to Vitamin C this may be a good eye cream for you, I'd suggest getting a sample.

On the Tatcha Primer, it's definitely a very luxurious package and the feel of the product is velvety.  I have combo/oily skin and large pores.  Since I use SPF, I use the primer on top of that so it may not be fair to comment on the performance since the SPF is a physical/mineral based one which means my skin is a bit shiny.  In any case, the primer does seem to mattiffy a bit instantly and it does seem to provide a bit of a smoothing to the skin.  Unfortunately, I don't notice it keeping my oils at bay completely but it does seem to make my makeup look good for longer.  The recommended amount to use is very small so I think this will last me for a long time.  I don't think I'd purchase once it's done, but I will definitely use it because it feels luxurious and it does seem to make my makeup look good for a bit longer.  This may work best for normal/dry skin.

Thank you @KatieBT for letting me try out these products!

[curlychiquita]

Thanks for reviewing your the DE C-Tango eye cream and Tatcha primer for us, @b3autygrl!  Vitamin C in my eye area usually doesn't work for me, either.  I think using up the rest of the product on your face is a great idea. 

[b3autygrl]

@curlychiquita I just realized yesterday that it's not all vitamin c eye creams. I think it's mainly the ones with strong Vitamin C formulations.  I've successfully used the Caudalie VinActive Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream with no problems.  That said, I don't find it to do anything out of this world although I do enjoy using it.

[Susubee]

Okay. Finally making some time to review these...

First, let me say thank you again to BIC, Sephora, Tatch, It, and Drunk Elephant. I was over the moon to try these products, and even those that I don't think were perfect for me, I really enjoyed experiencing, both to dip my toes into some different brands and product styles and to add to what I've learned about what my skin does and does not like.

So, I've been using everything for about two weeks now (some more consistently than others), so I think I can give some first impressions at this point. (Pre-emptive disclaimer: this gratis was labeled as being for oily/combo/acne-prone skin. My skin tends more toward normal/dehydrated, with oiliness and acne more coming from sensitivities and dryness. So, I found all three products weren't as moisturizing as what I would normally prefer.)

Tatcha Silk Canvas Primer: I really really like this. Note: I don't normally wear foundation, and thus am not really a connoisseur of primers, but this really does feel lovely. I actually think I like it best as a substitute for makeup rather than a base for it. It blurs everything out, mattifies, and feels very silky (as the name and ingredients would imply). I also really like that it's silicone/dimethecone-free; I like to cut 'cones out where possibly (esp skincare), but it's hard to find mattifying/pore-filling primers that aren't dimethicone-based. The only problem I have had is that I have to adjust my skincare on days that I will be wearing it - it doesn't seem to play well with the gel consistency of the Ole Truth Serum, and my usual daytime moisturizer isn't nearly hydrating enough when combined with the mattifying effect in this primer. If I wear my night moisturizer, it seems to be fine, but my "regular" spf moisturizer - my skin gets super weird and looks really oily by the end of the day. Take-away: I would definitely buy this again, but I with it came in a smaller size, since even though I like it, I still can't see myself wearing primer for everyday. Tl;dr: HG primer for people who avoid using primer. (Bonus Review: I shared some aliquots of this with a co-worker who also raved about it - and let me know she would be willing to take it off my hands if it didn't work for me, lol.)

It Cosmetics Bye-Bye Breakout Conceler: Good, but pretty basic. I preferred wearing it as a sheared-out foundation, which the directions said you could do. I could never really get it to blend and still have coverage as a spot concealer, but that could just be user error, and I may keep working at it to see if it was a technique issue. I don't feel like it irritated my skin at all, which can be a problem for me with acne-targeting cosmetics, as they can swing my skin back toward the dry side and cause a lot of redness (and, frustratingly, usually more pimples). One thing I would not use it for, however, is undereye - this is way drier than anything I want under my eyes. Overall, I think it's servicable, but the coverage and application I think would be better marketed as a foundation. Or it might also be nice if you have more widespread acne, and can use this more as a tinted treatment on a larger area than just one angry pimple. One last thing is the shade - I'm solidly in the lighter side of the spectrum, but I'm not the palest of pale princesses, so I was surprised at how dark the "light" shade was on me, and the "fair" shade was darker than I would have liked, so porcelain peeps will need to be wary of shades. Final: I like it but I don't love it, and I don't think I would be in a rush to urgently re-purchase.

DE C-Tango Eye Cream: Oh how excited I was to get this! Oh how much I wanted to like this! Alas and alack, my very first Drunk Elephant experience was not what I wanted it to be. Pros: comes in a pump, cooling. Cons: comes in a pump that dispenses way too much product, making it tricky to control "dosage"; not hydrating; noticed no difference in firmness, shadows, or lines, and I've started noticing some milia popping back up near the inner corners (that had cleared up while I was using a sample of the sheseido benefiance). I'm still plugging away, hoping that maybe I just haven't given it enough time, but so far, I don't think this one is the holy grail I was hoping it would be. 😞

[MissPuff]

A quickie update on my experience with the gratis!

Dr. Jart+ Cicapair ™ Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment SPF 30 - Already familiar with, own, and love this product but receiving it again has revived my interest in it. I've been using it on days when I'm makeup free or just powder and it's doing a great job neutralizing my red cheeks, with no visible tint at my current shade. It somehow even keeps my skin from getting red when I workout (yes I am too lazy to remove my makeup before I workout). There's been ZERO sun in the northeast, but I know I'll be reaching for this on the weekends when I'm out and about and too lazy to do my face. There's a slight fragrance that reminds me faintly of tiger balm (oddly enough, I like this because it's nostalgic for me) but that scent disappears once you apply it on your face.

FAB Ultra Repair® Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 - Light & Medium Shades - The light is a great match for me currently (I MISS YOU SUN!) and I'm certain the medium, with possibly a little light mixed in, will be a great summer match. The consistency is my favorite part, not too thick and creamy, or thin and watery, aaaalmost mousse like, but a touch denser. Spreads and blends in beautifully, the Light shade does not oxidize on my skin (I know this has been a problem for others) and provides just enough coverage to even everything out while letting my natural texture show through. I wore this combined with some Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder for an outdoor day-to-night wedding and everything stayed put, shine free, and lovely. For reference, my skin is combo/dry (esp in the mountains!), and I'm not a fan of the full coverage foundation, so this tint was right up my alley. I'll be reaching for this over my LM tinted moisturizer because the color match is better and it doesn't have the heavy sunscreen smell. Adding it to my cadre of idiot-proof makeup 🙂 

Drunk Elephant C-Tango™ Multivitamin Eye Cream - I didn't have high hopes for this since my skin is quite sensitive to most vitamin C formulations and I suspected the DE eye cream would have a fairly high concentration (5 forms?!?!) of vitamin C. Verdict? Definitely not winner, winner, chicken dinner. Lovely texture, but this did not work for me at all (hello eyelid pimple!) but my sister will be sure to love this, she's already a fan of the DE C-Firma Day serum.

Thank you again to Sephora, Dr. Jart, @firstaidbeauty, @DrunkElephant, and @KatieBT for the lovely gratis 🙂

[mrsbaine]

Oh a second type of box! Congrats guys! I'd bought this primer when it came out and I've been enjoying it. You really only need. Avery little bit of it. The silk finish is real. 

I also got the c tango in gratis recently. I thought that it was giving me an eye wrinkle but it turns out that was something else. So far, I'm liking it. I lik to test eye creams for at least a month before having a "real" opinion. I'll report back! 

[mezzotown88]

@skcfan Congratulations on receiving gratis!! 

[RecklessWendy]

How did u get this gratis? contest or something?

[skcfan]

@RecklessWendy By participating in the Beauty Insider Community (which you are doing right now) 😊

[opheliaL]

To be honest, I see these products always recommended by Sephora, but when I read the more negative comments I’m hesitant to believe if they’re worth the hype. I want to try new things but I don’t want them to make me break out either...

[heartsmyface]

I think going in and asking for samples is the way to go then.   You can try products you’re interested in on small patches of skin and look for a reaction before committing to spending money on something that may not be for you :). @opheliaL

[jozkid]

Hey @heartsmyface, did you receive a notification that I sent you a PM? I have a feeling something is wrong as my last three PM's (not all to you) don't look like they've gone through. Let me know?

[heartsmyface]

Well, i thought the Tatcha silk canvas primer seemed similar to the ysl blur perfector so i did one side of my face with the ysl and one with the tatcha this morning.  I just looked in the mirror and the ysl is perfectly in tact but the side with the tatcha is all smeared.  I touched it and it NEVER dried down so everytime anything touched my face today it either took the makeup off or smeared it into a smudge:/. There is some pilling happening in areas as well:/. I’ve never had a primer make my makeup worse before. 

I used ysl bb cream overtop and set it with a light dusting of translucent powder incase anyone’s interested.  

I’ll try again tomorrow with a different foundation.  Maybe it’ll play better with something more full coverage.  

Edit- although I can’t give a proper results review about the Drunk Elephant eye cream after so little time, my first impression:

it has no scent which I like.  It goes on nice and smooth (similar in thickness to the clinique moisture surge)and provides a nice barrier for overnight moisture.  At first I feel a slight tingling sensation which I believe is the vitamin c, but it’s gone within 30 seconds.  I can still feel a slight oiliness in my undereye area in the morning which makes me feel it’s sealing in moisture all night so that’s good. 

I’m not comfortable wearing this throughout the day especially wearing mascara however because it doesn’t dry or absorb completely after eight hours and because of its oiliness I feel like I would have guaranteed panda eyes.  

I do like this eye cream so far and am looking forward to seeing if it delivers on its firming and brightening promise.  

[KrishAtl]

Thanks for the reviews. Really excited to hear your take on The Drunk Elephant eye cream. It’s on my wants list, but i am not sure whether to pull the trigger on purchasing or not...

[curlychiquita]

Thanks for your review on the Tatcha primer, @heartsmyface!  I would dislike it if it never dried down.  That usually indicates that it will break me out.  I'm glad you got to try it for free before buying it.

[heartsmyface]

I actually feel a bit guilty that it didn’t work cause it was a gift cause under normal circumstances I would stay mum about a gift that wasn’t working for me.  I assume the intent behind gratis is to get reviews and for product exposure though.  I truly do appreciate every opportunity I’m offered to try out new products and to give my honest opinion. 😆normally I’m pretty easy to please.  I also wish the primer was in more sanitary packaging so I could pass it along to someone else to play with. I didn’t stick my hands in it or anything but it’s a cream that’s got a lot of surface exposure.  @curlychiquita 

[curlychiquita]

I understand,  @heartsmyface!

[PrettyPaint]

@heartsmyface How much of the tatcha did you apply? I have found it works better when you use much less than recommended (about half of the recommended mark on the applicator thing).