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Samples of The Week

November 2, 2018 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hey Friends. It’s been a while since I featured some samples to test here in the blog. I do have several minis I’ve been dying to try and I’ll review them in batches for the weeks to come. For this post, I tested some Bobbi Brown lipsticks, some winter-ready scents, as well as a skincare from Dior and glow-enhancing products from Charlotte Tilbury and Cover Fx.

Here are my first impressions.

Bobbi Brown

Crushed Lip Color in Babe (0.17 oz: $29) – This is a hybrid lipstick and balm type and the Babe shade is a beautiful mid-tone salmon pink. I love how hydrating this is and the pigment is long-wearing. The finish of this looks pretty much like a balm yet it feels and applies like a lipstick. I think this is quite similar to the Dior Lip Glow (reviewed HERE), but the Dior ones feel even more like a true balm.

Art Stick Liquid Lip in English Rose (0.17 oz: $21.75) – This is a nude terracotta-ish rose. I love this a lot right from the moment I applied this on my lips. Apart from falling in love with the English Rose shade, I love how this liquid lip color wears and looks on my lips. It has a satiny sort of semi-matte finish with a creamy moisturizing feel and the pigment is totally long-wearing and staining, even if this feels a bit heavy. Sadly, this seems to be phasing out soon, I guess because the packaging is just not practical. You can still find the English Rose shade in mini size at Sephora, and there are still some other shades in full-sizes at bobbibrown.com

Lip Color in Sandwash Pink (0.12 oz: $29) – This is a nude beige pink with a full coverage semi-matte finish that feels creamy, comfy, and light. The pigment is very rich and it doesn’t dry the lips. I find this lipstick to be long-wearing and it’s a true Bobbi Brown classic.

Luxe Lipstick in Neutral Rose (0.13 oz: $37) – Mid-tone rose pink. A full coverage and highly pigmented moisturizing lipstick with a creamy finish. I love how vivid and beautiful this Neutral Rose shade is and this does last for several hours. I do feel like this is so close to the Bobbi Brown Lip Color above in terms of the finish and feel, but only with a slightly more pigmented formulation.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss in St. Tropez (0.16 oz: $16) – This is probably one of the best lip glosses I’ve ever tried, and I love the scent of this, which is kinda vanilla fruity. The St. Tropez shade is shimmery and metallic but it’s not over the top and it actually feels light. This looks pretty on the lips especially as a topper, and I find the formula to be long-lasting.

Hermès Twilly d’Hermès Eau de Parfum (1 oz: $79, 1.6 oz: $100, 2.8 oz: $130) – A powdery floral scent that will remind you of cashmere and cozy fireplaces. This is a sexy irresistible feminine scent but it’s the kind that needs to work with some body chemistries, or it could take some getting used to. Take it from me, I didn’t like this scent much before, but I find this to be alluring and irresistible now.

Kilian Good Girl Gone Bad Eau de Parfum (mini 4 x 0.25 oz: $195, 1.7 oz: $295) – This is supposed to be a floral scent, but it smells kinda fruity floral on me especially at first spritz. I find this fragrance to be classic and somewhat musky. It’s a little too strong for my taste, but I can see the appeal.

BVLGARI Omnia Pink Sapphire Eau de Toilette (1.35 oz: $68, 2.2 oz: $84) – If you’re familiar with most Bvlgari Omnia scents, then this particular fragrance is really not that different, except that this has a more fruity hint. I especially love the Omnia Coral and Crystalline scents, and if you have those already, you could either skip this one or you’d probably like this fragrance even more. I do notice that this doesn’t last as much as the other Bvlgari Omnia fragrances.

Berdoues Somei Yoshino Eau de Parfum (0.34 oz/travel size: $25, 3.4 oz: $88) – This is a delightful fruity floral fragrance that is feminine and light with a hint of cherry blossom, reminiscent of a stroll in the Japanese Garden during the early Spring. As much as I find the scent to be captivating, I feel like I’ve smelled this scent before, I just couldn’t pinpoint what it is. So I think this is kinda dupeable somehow.

Cover Fx Custom Enhancer Drops in Moonlight (0.5 oz: $42) – This illuminating drop is just epic. It imparts a customizable glow that is versatile for any use, be it as a highlighter or as an add-on to the foundation for soft or blinding glow. The Moonlight shade may look golden on the outside, but it’s actually silvery. You can get lots of glow with this, so try not to put a lot. A little bit goes a long way.

Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow Face Primer (1.35 oz: $55) – This primer has a subtle glow for those who want to achieve that lit from within look. Also, if you want a bit more glow, you can add a drop of this on the cheeks as a highlight. On my skin, I could barely see the effect when used as a primer, since my foundation seems to overpower it. I prefer to use this mixed with my foundation.

Dior Hydra Life Fresh Hydration Sorbet Crème (1.7 oz: $69) – Love the fresh fruity scent of this light-green cream and it’s super hydrating with a lightweight gel feel. It’s great for normal to oily skin and perfect for any dry or rough patches on the face that needs moisturization.

Korres Pomegranate AHA & Enzymes Resurfacing Mask (2.54 oz: $34) – This is a gentle exfoliant that goes deep into the pores. I love its resurfacing ingredients and its fruity bubblegum scent which is really good, though it can be too strong for some. I like how my skin looks after using this a couple of times, it just looks glowy, smooth, and my pores look less pronounced and thoroughly cleaned. Will be purchasing this in its regular size.

Top favorites: Bobbi Brown Art Stick Liquid Lip, Luxe Lipstick, Crushed Lip Color, ABH Lip Gloss in St. Tropez, BVLGARI Omnia Pink Sapphire, Hermès Twilly d’Hermès Eau de Parfum, Cover Fx Custom Enhancer Drops, Dior Hydra Life Fresh Hydration Sorbet Crème, Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow Face Primer, and the Korres Pomegranate AHA & Enzymes Resurfacing Mask.

Stay tuned for more sample tests in a few weeks.

Samples of The Week

July 12, 2018 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Hi There! I have another set of randomly accumulated samples which I’m gonna feature in today’s post. I don’t exactly have a criterion as to which type of samples I plan to review, I just sorta pick and choose which ones made me curious or I felt like trying, and from then on I’d pay close attention to which products might seem promising and are worth buying in the regular size. So, let’s start this review, shall we?

The first thing that caught my eye is a sample set of the Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Deliciously Shiny Lipstick (0.09 oz: $32) that I found in my stash. It’s got two colors in it which you can see below. This lipstick truly smells delicious and has a bit of a floral scent as well. I love how the colors have that balmy oily feel, which also is kinda similar to the YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Lipsticks (swatched HERE) or the Tint-in-Balms, reviewed below. It has a shiny effect on the lips and the coverage is medium sheer. It’s also very comforting and has a good lasting power for about 3 to 4 hours.

002 Pink Tie – barbie-pink

003 Red Heels – bright red

This Yves Saint Laurent Volupté Tint-in-Balm in No. 3 Call Me Rose (0.12 oz: $34) is one the latest releases in YSL lip products and it has that signature YSL lipstick fruity scent. It’s so hydrating and really comfortable on the lips even though the No.3 shade is way too light for me. I’m thinking of getting some slightly darker shades of this lipstick soon since I really love the formula but the color on the sample is just not the right fit for my skintone.

Then let’s talk a bit about haircare for a moment. The Alterna Haircare Caviar Anti-Aging Anti-Frizz Blowout Butter (5 oz: $34) is my favorite styling cream at the moment. I’ve been testing this and I really love how I only put a pea-size on my hand and it melts easily giving my hair complete coverage and protection against heat styling, and it works great to tame my frizzies and flyaways even without blow drying or without using a flat iron. For the complete review of the Alterna Caviar Anti-Frizz line (Shampoo & Conditioner), please read it HERE.

I have some Bite Beauty minis that I received as a birthday freebie from Sephora. The packaging looks really cute and though the products are small, they’re still worth trying.

Agave Lip Balm (0.15 oz: $18) – This is so hydrating and it feels a lot thicker compared to most lip balms and because of that, it’s kinda hard to apply and spread it on the lips, so for practicality reasons, I feel like I could skip on this one. I’ve also heard some issues about its packaging as well.

Agave Sugar Lip Scrub (0.26 oz: $18) – This has a vanilla scent with sugar bits on it for exfoliating the lips. I like this product a lot but I feel like the sugar particles are too large to scrub it on my lips and it can hurt. Also, you need to know how to use this product, which basically requires you to add water while you scrub this on the lips. Using this alone without water is just impossible.

Matte Crème Lip Crayon in Glace (0.05 oz: $24) – Further swatched and reviewed HERE. This is my most favorite shade of the Matte Creme Lip Crayon line simply because it’s the most wearable shade for me.

Amuse Bouche Lipstick in Chai (0.15 oz: $26) – The Amuse Bouche Lipstick by Bite Beauty has one of the best range of wearable colors for a lipstick in my opinion, and I would love to have them all. I own some already, but I feel like now my favorite shade among them is this mauve-brown Chai color. A subtle reminiscent of the 90’s lipstick color trend.

Boscia – There are two very promising Boscia skincare products lately that’s certified Clean by Sephora.

Cactus Water Moisturizer (1.61 oz: $38) – This moisturizer has a mild green scent and it feels like a light cooling gel on the skin. But don’t underestimate its lightness because it packs a punch in hydration. Truly, this is so moisturizing without feeling heavy on the face but you need to be careful not to put a lot because it has a tendency to peel. It’ll also take a bit of time for it to be absorbed by the skin, so you’re gonna have to wait a little bit more before you put on your makeup. Other than that, this moisturizer is almost perfect and it’s even more perfect for oily skin.

Matcha Magic Super-Antioxidant Mask (2.6 oz:$38) – If you don’t mind looking like “Shrek” whenever you use this mask, then this is the face mask for you. It’s rich in antioxidants because of the matcha green tea component. I love how this mask hydrates my face even though it’s quite a challenge to rinse it off since this is really creamy and thick. It reminds me a bit of the Tatcha Violet-C Radiance Mask (reviewed HERE) in terms of its scent and consistency.

I’ve always wanted to purchase this Sunday Riley C.E.O. C + E antiOXIDANT Protect + Repair Moisturizer (0.5 – 1.7 oz: $22-65) in its regular size, but for some reason, I just needed that “push” so I can really make up my mind. With this mini, I feel like I can now pull the trigger and really add this cream as one of my skincare staples. What I like about this cream are the vitamins and antioxidants that it contains which is really a necessity for skin nourishment. Also, the scent of this cream is TDF.

I had mixed emotions when I first tried this It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Eye Cream Smooths, Brightens, Depuffs (0.5 oz: $48). I wasn’t used to its cushiony texture at first and I thought that it’s kinda hard to apply, but as I keep trying it, I really enjoyed it. It keeps my undereye looking hydrated and it seemed to depuff it as well. My dark circles are still there but there’s never gonna be a perfect cream for it, however, I’m glad that this eye cream made some difference on my undereye issues.

Overall, I love this batch of samples. They’re so useful and they gave me an idea as to which product I should look out for especially when I’ll have some specific skincare and beauty needs.

Have you tried these products yet?

x.x

Samples of The Week: Coola, Lancer, Tarte, By Terry, Charlotte Tilbury, Burberry, Boscia, Ren, Laura Geller, & Ciate

September 4, 2017 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Happy Labor Day guys! I hope you’re all having a great time. I have some samples to review today which are quite interesting and somewhat new. So, without further ado, let’s get this Labor Day review started.

Burberry, My Burberry Blush Eau de Parfum (0.25 oz/rollerball: $29, 1 oz: $68, 1.6 oz: $90, 3 oz: $120) – I surprising LOVE THIS SCENT the moment I sprayed it on my wrist. It’s a breathtaking fruity floral scent that is irresistible, yummy, sweet, feminine, and pretty at the same time. I haven’t been a fan of floral scents lately (except YSL Mon Paris) because a lot of them tend to be sickly sweet, but this one is different. It has the right kind of sweetness that is not overbearing because there’s a bit of freshness to it. The pomegranate tone is refreshing to the senses. I’m a fan of Burberry scents like the “My Burberry Eau de Toilette“, “Brit Sheer“, and even the “Mr. Burberry Eau de Parfum” for men, and this My Burberry Blush definitely does not disappoint.

Boscia Charcoal Deep-Pore Exfoliating Peel Gel with Volcanic Sand (5 oz: $34) – This is a mild facial peel gel in which the scent reminds me a lot of Boscia Detoxifying Black Cleanser (reviewed HERE). This one has a very similar consistency with that cleanser as well, and at first, it has a gritty/exfoliating texture, but once applied on the face, you’ll realize that there’s some kind of tiny leaf residue that sorta balls up or clumps the moment you scrub this black gel on your face. The nice thing is it’s not gonna be a rough scrub, but more like a mild one, but the problem is that the whole process can be messy since the clumpy residues tend to fall off the face easily, making a mess on the floor or on the sink. It does clean and soften the face though.

By Terry Hyaluronic Face Glow in #2 Nude Glow (1.43 oz: $66) – I was so surprised by the amazing powdery jasmine scent of this one. It’s a strong scent, but it’s also a nice one. The type that’s kinda hard to resist. The coverage of this is very sheer, so it’s almost better to layer or mix this with your favorite BB or CC Cream, or any foundation as well. I love the very subtle glow that it gives on the face even if it’s quite sheer.

Coola Mineral Face Spf 30 Matte Tint Unscented (1.7 oz: $36)– A light coverage sunscreen/BB cream that has a whipped texture and it feels cushiony like the Coola Dawn Patrol Primer (reviewed HERE). It is creamy and it slightly blurs some redness on the face. I still use some foundation after using this because the coverage of this is not enough to cover my blemishes or some post acne marks. I love that this feels really lightweight and didn’t break out my skin.

Lancer Dani Glowing Skin Perfector (1 oz: $95) – This luminizing cream has a floral scent, but it’s not extremely strong. Its shimmers are also very fine, thus giving a natural subtle glow on the face. I wish there’s a bit more coverage to it because this one’s really sheer, but it’s great to mix with BB creams or with some other foundations. It really does make the face look luminous and less flat.

Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte’s Magic Cream Treat & Transform Moisturizer (1.7 oz: $100, 5 oz: $255) – This cream has a similar scent to Fresh Rose Face Mask or Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Cream, Serum & Eye Gel. It also reminds me of Sisley Paris Black Rose Cream Mask, both with scent and consistency, although the Sisley one has a more whipped formulation. This one from Charlotte Tilbury is quite balanced in texture and in consistency that is also very hydrating and my skin absorbs this easily. It even kept my face hydrated when I applied this on my face overnight.

Tarte Tarteist PRO Glow Liquid Highlighter in Stunner (0.56 oz: $29) – This liquid highlighter’s glow is blinding and out of this world, but a huge challenge to work around. You don’t need to apply a lot of this because a little bit goes a long way, and it’s also easy to blend, but it sets pretty fast which can make the application patchy. The effect can be blinding like you have too much glitter on because the shimmers are not finely-milled. It’s super glowy and ultra-luminous which makes the glow on the face quite unnatural.

REN Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream (1.7 oz: $45) – This cream is really moisturizing and it’s great for sensitive skin, but I just couldn’t quite like it, no matter how hard I tried it several times. It’s that after-application scent that’s kinda acidic like a strong lemon and rose mix with some citronella (anti-mosquito). It’s a weird scent and I can’t seem to get used to it. Other than that, this cream really moisturizes any dry skin very well.

Laura Geller Color Luster Lip Gloss in Cookie Dough (0.21 oz: $21) – This is a very lightweight long lasting lip gloss that has a medium coverage. It doesn’t feel sticky at all and has no discernible scent. I’m not usually a fan of shiny pouts but this one gives a natural shine that doesn’t look over the top, and it keeps the lips hydrated all day.

Ciate London Liquid Velvet Moisturizing Matte Liquid Lipstick in Bitter Sweet (0.22 oz: $19) – A brownish gray shade that is simply pretty and quite like in the 90’s. It complements any skin tone, and it’s even more complementing for medium to dark complexions. It has a strong soapy jasmine scent with a true matte finish that’s long lasting and not so drying. It’s pretty much one of the best matte liquid lipsticks out there. More shades reviewed HERE.

These are really interesting set of samples that I’ve played lately, and a lot of them are really nice to have in full sizes, but if I have to narrow them down to my top 3, I’d say, the Burberry Blush Eau de Parfum is really at the top of my list, followed by By Terry Hyaluronic Face Glow and Lancer Dani Glowing Skin Perfector.

Have you tried any of these?

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