Feb is a bad bill month for me and as luck would have it I
ran out of a lot of my staples (plus I still haven’t replaced my night cream)
so I dug into my samples box to get me through making it a big one for empties
last month which I've divided into hair and body, skin care and makeup.
* Tresemme Volumising Dry Shampoo – nice scent, this worked quite well but left a grittiness to my hair that was way past texture for me. It made my hair so grippy I could hear it squeak when I combed it and it made me feel as though I was damaging it. Yet another great texturising spray if used with a light hand but then it doesn’t perform as well as a dry shampoo. I’m on the fence about repurchasing it but most likely won’t.
* Batiste Medium & Brunette Dry Shampoo – another Batiste staple with a little colour. I tend to use this when I’m due for a colour and my greys show through. I always have one on hand and it’s a def repurchase.
* Batiste Medium & Brunette Dry Shampoo – another Batiste staple with a little colour. I tend to use this when I’m due for a colour and my greys show through. I always have one on hand and it’s a def repurchase.
* Batiste Mamba Dry Shampoo – this scent is lovely. I
consider this along with many of the other Batiste scents like having a perfume
wardrobe for my hair with the added benefit of being a great dry shampoo too -
this one is a citrus-y floral scent and works just as well as the rest of the
Batiste line. I’ve bought this many times and will continue to do so.
* CoLab Sheer + Invisible Dry Shampoo, New York Fruity
Fragrance – just as great as the Rio Tropical scented version tho I liked that
scent better as this reminded me of alcoholic fruit punch. Not sure if I would
repurchase this scent.
* OGX Cherry Blossom Ginseng Shampoo – I loved the subtle
fresh cherry scent of this and tho it didn’t really do much to add volume to my
hair, it left it feeling clean and soft and is great as an everyday shampoo. Have
already repurchased.
* Nivea Stress Protect Anti-Perspirant – A lovely light
scent and works well as an anti-perspirant, I just wish it was anti-white marks
too. My favourite of the Nivea line so will most likely repurchase.
* Beauty Essentials Round Cotton Pads, Priceline Brand, 100 pack
– these are thankfully back in stock at Priceline. My favourite budget cotton
pads and I always keep a backup handy – a definite repurchase.
Skincare:
* Garnier UltraLift Day Cream with SPF 15 – my everyday moisturiser. I don’t think it does much but it has SPF, provides a nice base for makeup and smells good. Have already repurchased.
* L’oreal Revitalift Laser x3 Day Anti-Aging Power Moisturiser, sample sachets – finally all gone and will not be buying the full size.
* L’oreal Revitalift Laser x3 Day Anti-Aging Power Moisturiser, sample sachets – finally all gone and will not be buying the full size.
* Kate Somerville Nourish Daily Moisturiser for Sensitive Skin, sample sachet – a light moisturiser with lavender, this little sample didn’t do much for me other than smell nice and absorb well tho it does have retinol fairly high on the ingredient list so might be worth a second look.
* Perricone MD Firming Eye Cream, sample – this was a nice eye cream. The generous sample (as always from the Mecca staff) lasted over 3 weeks and in that time I didn’t really see any dramatic improvement but the texture was a nice medium density (you feel like you’re applying a cream but not wearing a cream) and it wore well under makeup. I’m on the fence whether to buy it or not – I’ll need to research it more before committing.
* Model Co Daily Face Mattifying Sunscreen SPF 50+ – I’m not a big fan of Model Co but I got this as a freebie. While this is a sunscreen it has such a heavy tint that it could double as a greasy light coverage foundation so I would technically classify it as makeup. I didn’t like it as a sunscreen as it was really shiny and didn’t seem to absorb that well and the ‘light tint’ is way too dark so when sweating it would bead up and noticeably move so was pointless. I would not buy the full size and am chucking this as I find it unusable.
* Avene Cleanance Gel, sample – another Avene product I’ve tried in the past which I used to simply get rid of it. It’s a very rich thick gel texture and feels like it needs a lot of water to remove properly. It’s not really suited to my skin type and I won’t buy the full size.
* Avene Cleanance Emulsion Anti-Shine Regulating Lotion, sample – my sister got this from a beauty box and passed it onto me. I’ve tried this in the past but as my skin isn’t oily anymore I don’t have a use for it so I chucked it.
* Apotcare Creme Iridoradiante Riche, sample – I can’t remember where I got this sample from (Mecca Beauty Loop Box??) but it tried it without researching it first. It’s supposedly a rich formula but it didn’t do much more than provide basic moisturisation and it’s really expensive so not worth it for me. I won’t purchase the full size.
* L’oreal Skin Perfection Correcting Daily Moisturiser, sample sachet – a pretty pale pink colour with subtle floral citrus fragrance but it’s just a basic moisturiser. If it had SPF I might have tried a full size jar but since it doesn’t do anything more for me than my Garnier moisturiser does and is more expensive, I’ll pass.
* Kate Somerville Multi-Active Repair Cream, sample sachet – this has quite a heavy botanical fragrance thanks to all the plant extracts and a lovely rich texture but at $290 for a 50ml jar this is way over-priced no matter how nice it feels.
* Dr Brandt Glow Revitalising Retinol Eye Cream, sample – got this in a Mecca Beauty Loop Box. I’m not usually impressed by products that have mica for that ‘glow’ effect but that was the least of my issues with this product – out of the 30 ingredients Retinol is the 26th on the list! There is such a miniscule amount, why bother even putting it in the title? Hyaluronic acid is the 19th, vitamin E is the 25th. The rest is silicones, thickeners, preservatives and smoothing agents, and it’s an overpriced waste of money which I will not be buying full size.
* Perricone MD Firming Eye Cream, sample – this was a nice eye cream. The generous sample (as always from the Mecca staff) lasted over 3 weeks and in that time I didn’t really see any dramatic improvement but the texture was a nice medium density (you feel like you’re applying a cream but not wearing a cream) and it wore well under makeup. I’m on the fence whether to buy it or not – I’ll need to research it more before committing.
* Model Co Daily Face Mattifying Sunscreen SPF 50+ – I’m not a big fan of Model Co but I got this as a freebie. While this is a sunscreen it has such a heavy tint that it could double as a greasy light coverage foundation so I would technically classify it as makeup. I didn’t like it as a sunscreen as it was really shiny and didn’t seem to absorb that well and the ‘light tint’ is way too dark so when sweating it would bead up and noticeably move so was pointless. I would not buy the full size and am chucking this as I find it unusable.
* Avene Cleanance Gel, sample – another Avene product I’ve tried in the past which I used to simply get rid of it. It’s a very rich thick gel texture and feels like it needs a lot of water to remove properly. It’s not really suited to my skin type and I won’t buy the full size.
* Avene Cleanance Emulsion Anti-Shine Regulating Lotion, sample – my sister got this from a beauty box and passed it onto me. I’ve tried this in the past but as my skin isn’t oily anymore I don’t have a use for it so I chucked it.
* Apotcare Creme Iridoradiante Riche, sample – I can’t remember where I got this sample from (Mecca Beauty Loop Box??) but it tried it without researching it first. It’s supposedly a rich formula but it didn’t do much more than provide basic moisturisation and it’s really expensive so not worth it for me. I won’t purchase the full size.
* L’oreal Skin Perfection Correcting Daily Moisturiser, sample sachet – a pretty pale pink colour with subtle floral citrus fragrance but it’s just a basic moisturiser. If it had SPF I might have tried a full size jar but since it doesn’t do anything more for me than my Garnier moisturiser does and is more expensive, I’ll pass.
* Kate Somerville Multi-Active Repair Cream, sample sachet – this has quite a heavy botanical fragrance thanks to all the plant extracts and a lovely rich texture but at $290 for a 50ml jar this is way over-priced no matter how nice it feels.
* Dr Brandt Glow Revitalising Retinol Eye Cream, sample – got this in a Mecca Beauty Loop Box. I’m not usually impressed by products that have mica for that ‘glow’ effect but that was the least of my issues with this product – out of the 30 ingredients Retinol is the 26th on the list! There is such a miniscule amount, why bother even putting it in the title? Hyaluronic acid is the 19th, vitamin E is the 25th. The rest is silicones, thickeners, preservatives and smoothing agents, and it’s an overpriced waste of money which I will not be buying full size.
* Peter Thomas Roth Un-Wrinkle Eye – I loved this eye cream,
it hydrated with hyaluronic acid, reduced my fine lines around my eyes and even
when dragged down onto my marionette lines, and was rich enough to feel
moisturising yet light enough for daytime wear under my concealer. It’s bloody
expensive but as soon as I can afford it I’ll be repurchasing for sure.
Makeup:
* Avon Color Trend Dew Kiss Lip Balm in Sheer Blush – I’ve actually cut part of the packaging away to use it all as I loved the colour, its MAC Patisserie without the micro glitter/shimmer. Such a shame you can’t buy this anymore.
* NARS Radiance Enhancing Pro-Prime Light Optimising Primer, sample sachet – another goodie from a Mecca Beauty Loop Box, this is going on my to buy list. I’m not so fussed about the radiance part since I’m covering it with foundation but as a primer it did brilliantly to give my skin grip to keep my makeup in place without causing any streaking or over-grabbing of pigment. I think it might actually be better than the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer and I will definitely buy full size.
* NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Fiji, deluxe sample – I picked this as a sample from Mecca online as I’d always been curious about it and I love this foundation. I actually bought and started using the full size then remembered I still had the rest of this to use. In winter Fiji might be too dark but I have a sample of Ceylon and Deauville ready to try so I can custom mix my own colour. Definitely worth the purchase of more than one shade as it sits so nicely on my skin and the coverage is not too heavy and not too light.
* Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Brow Mascara in Medium Brown – I really liked this and have already bought a replacement. The brush is bigger than I’d like but the formula works well to thicken my brow hairs to make them look fuller tho I do wish it would hold them in place better.
* Benefit They’re Real Mascara, deluxe sample – I don’t mind the formula but I hate the plastic wand, the bristles are too short and spaced too far apart so my lashes actually pick up excess product from the barrel which contributes to the mascara clumping , especially as it dries out over time. I won’t be buying the full size.
* Maybelline The Colossal Volum’ Express Mascara – my favourite mascara as its super black, nice and wet so it coats my lashes evenly, and makes them look fuller and longer. A definite repurchase.
* NARS Radiance Enhancing Pro-Prime Light Optimising Primer, sample sachet – another goodie from a Mecca Beauty Loop Box, this is going on my to buy list. I’m not so fussed about the radiance part since I’m covering it with foundation but as a primer it did brilliantly to give my skin grip to keep my makeup in place without causing any streaking or over-grabbing of pigment. I think it might actually be better than the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer and I will definitely buy full size.
* NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Fiji, deluxe sample – I picked this as a sample from Mecca online as I’d always been curious about it and I love this foundation. I actually bought and started using the full size then remembered I still had the rest of this to use. In winter Fiji might be too dark but I have a sample of Ceylon and Deauville ready to try so I can custom mix my own colour. Definitely worth the purchase of more than one shade as it sits so nicely on my skin and the coverage is not too heavy and not too light.
* Lancome Teint Visionnaire Skin Perfecting Makeup Duo in 03, deluxe sample – I got this in a gift with purchase. This colour is way too dark for me so I used it to mix with lighter foundations and the concealer in the lid basically hasn’t been touched because it’s too dark. I already know there isn’t a colour match for me in this line and I’m not interested enough in it to bother with mixing 2 shades. Its old so I‘m chucking the remainder and won’t buy the full size.
* Shiseido Sun Protection Liquid Foundation SPF 42++ in SP50 – I’ve had this for over 4 years and as it was too light I always had to mix it with darker foundations. Towards the end it started oxidising and as this was my lighter foundation I couldn’t lighten it. Apart from the colour miss-match the finish was more powdery matte than I prefer now and it was a bitch to get off both my face and my makeup brushes so I’m not going to repurchase it and am throwing out the remainder of this.
* Wet n Wild Single Eyeshadow in Brule – I love this just as much as MAC Brule for sweeping all over my eyelid after primer to even out my skin tone and provide a base for colour. I have a backup but I’m working through some others before starting on that and I would buy it if I could but it’s not sold in Aus.* Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Brow Mascara in Medium Brown – I really liked this and have already bought a replacement. The brush is bigger than I’d like but the formula works well to thicken my brow hairs to make them look fuller tho I do wish it would hold them in place better.
* Benefit They’re Real Mascara, deluxe sample – I don’t mind the formula but I hate the plastic wand, the bristles are too short and spaced too far apart so my lashes actually pick up excess product from the barrel which contributes to the mascara clumping , especially as it dries out over time. I won’t be buying the full size.
* Maybelline The Colossal Volum’ Express Mascara – my favourite mascara as its super black, nice and wet so it coats my lashes evenly, and makes them look fuller and longer. A definite repurchase.
29 products in one month is a record for me. I can already see that March is much quieter but I'm diligently working my way through my Use It Or Lose It baskets so I'm hoping to add one or two items from them to next months empties.
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