Showing posts with label Samples. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Samples. Show all posts

Monday, July 22, 2019

Bellabox 'Beauty Snap' July Box!




Hi guys! Recently I was sent a Bellabox, which is very exciting! Despite my interest in YouTube 'unboxing' videos and reading blog posts about beauty boxes, I've never subscribed to any of these services myself. I think the last time I received a Bellabox was many years ago, so I was keen to get this baby open and see what it contained!





This is the July 2019 Box, called 'Beauty Snap'. Inside the blue spotty Bellabox, there's a product card detailing the contents, plus an ingredients card which is helpful for those with allergies, a preference for natural products or just those of us who are curious! You can also visit the Bellabox website for more information on the products included in your box. Let's have a look inside!

Contents
~ Luna By Luna Eyeshadow in Miracle (1.5g)
~ Coco & Eve Like A Virgin Coconut & Fig Hair Masque (38ml)
~ Liar Wrinkle Cheater Eye Roller (12ml)
~ Model Co Highlighting Shimmer Whip in Champagne (7ml)
~ Yes To Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Mud Mask (10ml)
~ Plunketts Nutri-Synergy Intensive Working Hands (4g)





I'm loving the range of products in this box. There's makeup and skincare and even a haircare product, so there's enough variety to please most beauty lovers. Apart from the single use face mask and the sachet of hand moisturiser (a bonus product in this box), the remaining products are a generous size, and will take quite some time to use up. The Luna By Luna eyeshadow and Liar Wrinkle Cheater eye serum are in fact full sized products!

I'm really impressed with the Luna By Luna eyeshadow, especially since I've never heard of the brand! It's soft, smooth and easy to work with, blending out well. It's very pigmented too and can be built up for a more intense look. I'm loving it all over the lid with winged liner for when I don't have time to apply five different shades! {cruelty-free and gluten-free}

The Coco & Eve Like A Virgin Coconut & Fig Hair Masque smells ah-mazing! It's enriched with raw virgin coconut from Bali and fig essence. Having fine, thin hair that goes limp quite easily I was concerned this would smooth my hair into non-existence, but I needn't have worried. It resulted in smooth, soft, nourished, healthy looking hair, but not a lack of volume. I still used my root-lifting spray and volume mousse as well as volume dry shampoo at the roots, because my stupid hair needs all this just to look decent, but I had added shine and extra hydration as a bonus! {cruelty-free, gluten-free, sulphate and paraben-free, vegan}





The Liar Wrinkle Cheater Eye Serum comes in a handy eye roller and is 100% natural, containing Hyoxinol to boost cell renewal, Hyaluronic Acid to deeply hydrate and copper to heal and smooth the skin. I love that the roller ball cools upon application as this is always a lovely feeling. The formula is a thin clear serum which absorbs easily. I haven't noticed that much of a difference in terms of wrinkle reduction yet, but will continue using it and see what happens. {cruelty-free, vegan, safe to use whilst pregnant and breastfeeding}

The Model Co Highlighting Shimmer Whip really surprised me! I'm not usually a fan of cream highlights, normally opting for powder highlighters, but this shimmer whip is really pretty and super flattering! It applies and blends well and can be built up for more of a pop of radiance if that's what you desire. I also applied a tiny bit down the bridge of my nose and on my cupid's bow for that finishing touch to my look. I enjoyed getting my glow on with this Champagne shade!

I'm always eager to try more products from the Yes To range, and I much prefer these types of masks over the increasingly popular sheet masks. The Yes To Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Mud Mask contains 96% natural ingredients including charcoal to draw out impurities, salicylic acid to treat and prevent acne breakouts and a botanical blend of tomato, watermelon and pumpkin to condition the skin. The consistency of this mask is super thick, so much so that it was difficult getting it out of the packet and applying it to the skin! I could also feel it sitting heavily on my face. However it was worth the effort, because I experienced tighter pores, more even skin tone and brighter skin. Overall a vast improvement!

I love the John Plunkett Cosmeceuticals range of skincare! One of my favourite ever eye creams is the John Plunkett Collagen Eye Lift Firming Eye Cream which I've blogged about here so I was keen to try the Plunkett's NS Intensive Working Hands cream from their Nutri-Synergy range. This is an intensive repair treatment that provides relief for dry, cracked skin, rough patches, sensitive skin and frequently washed hands. I found it to be hydrating, nourishing and great to smooth out dry skin on my cuticles. A really lovely hand cream which I also enjoy using on my elbows!




You may be interested in The Limited Edition Christmas Bellabox!

Linking up with Life This Week and Mummy Mondays



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Disclaimer: Bellabox was provided for editorial consideration. Reviews are my honest opinion. There are no affiliate links in this post. Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

Do you subscribe to any beauty boxes?

Monday, October 22, 2018

Special Buy: David Jones Deluxe Beauty Edit Bag!



Hi guys! I got an email from David Jones alerting me to a 'special buy', this Deluxe Beauty Edit Bag, valued at over $250, which you could purchase for just $39.95. This was touted as an Online Exclusive, however there was no option to buy it online, so I was confused, along with other eager beauty lovers complaining on the David Jones Facebook page! Come Monday, I immediately emailed hubby the link and asked if he could check it out for me, thinking he'd go to DJ's in his lunch break. My awesome hubby left his desk immediately on the quest for this bag (isn't he amazing?), and lucky he did! He was first told they had sold out (eeeeek!), then another SA checked and they had received a few more in. YAY! So here I am blogging about it today, and I'm pretty excited to get stuck in and try out these 'deluxe' beauty products!

Here's what I got in my Bag:






~ Oribe Gold Lust Dry Shampoo
~ Sampar So Much To Dew Midnight Mask
~ Weleda Skin Food
~ Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate
~ Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm
~ Shiseido Essential Energy Moisturizing Cream
~ Elizabeth Arden Advanced Ceramide Capsules
~ Lancome Genifique Youth Activating Cream

~ Guerlain Abeille Royale Daily Repair Age-Defying Serum
~ Ella Bache Eternal Beautifying Eye Cream
~ Philosophy Purity Exfoliating Clay Mask
~ Molton Brown Vetiver & Grapefruit Bath & Shower Gel
~ MAC Prep + Prime Skin Base
~ Clarins Lip Comfort Oil in Candy
~ L'Occitane Immortelle Reset Overnight Oil-In Serum
~ Cremorlab T.E.N. Starter Kit (Fresh Water Gel & Mineral Treatment Essence)
~ Narciso Rodriguez Narciso Eau De Parfum
~ Versace Dylan Blue Eau De Parfum
~ Carolina Herrera Good Girl Eau De Parfum





As you can see, this bag is filled with samples of high-end brands. I'm really keen to try the majority of them, and now that I've photographed and blogged about it, I can LOL #beautybloggerlife I need to mention how cute the Good Girl fragrance sample is; look at the mini high heel bottle, you guys! I'm in love! I'm also super happy to get a weeks supply of Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Capsules as I love the effect they have on my skin, but never buy them for myself. Also included is a $10 David Jones Beauty Gift Card which can be redeemed on selected brands included in the bag.

The page on the David Jones website advertising this offer has been removed, but then it was never available to buy online. I know that David Jones Adelaide Central Plaza has sold out and they are unsure if they are getting anymore in, so if you're interested it's best to try your local David Jones beauty counter. This offer was super popular though, as you can imagine!



You may be interested in my Top 5 Beauty Faves

Bonus post of interest! Fabulous And Fun Life's Guide To Buying The Best Hair Straightening Brush

Linking up with Open SlatherLife This Week and Mummy Mondays.



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Did you pick up this Beauty Bag? What are your thoughts on it?

Monday, July 30, 2018

Mecca Beauty Loop Box: Level 1




Hi guys! It's Mecca Beauty Loop box time again, and after thinking I'd endured a fairly long, boring period of joyless unqualification, I was astounded to discover I'd actually received the previous box (and blogged about it), I just had zero memory of it! I have bought a few things from Mecca Maxima recently, and I think my impulsive Urban Decay Born To Run palette purchase must have kept me in the realm of qualification. I performed this sneaky purchase in the school holidays, whilst with my 10 year old son and let's just say, after the initial excitement of swatching every motherloving eyeshadow shade in Mecca onto his body had worn off, he was not a very fun shopping companion. Nor did he provide me with any decent or useful advice re proposed makeup purchases. Honestly I thought he could have tried harder. Hahaahaaaa. So I was forced to rely on my life mantra: 'when in doubt, buy the makeup'. Anyhoo, here's what's in my Beauty Election Edit Level 1 Loop Box!



Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil
Honestly, I just don't have it in me to get excited about a tiny 1ml sachet of argan oil. I feel like they include Josie Maran argan oil in nearly every BL box? I know I've received this product before in Beauty Loop boxes, albeit in slightly bigger sizes. I will probably use this on the ends of my hair or perhaps to moisturise my cuticles.

REN Perfect Canvas Skin Enhancing Priming Serum
Funny story. I opened my BL box in a city food court to check out the contents, lifted this sample out and the glass vial fell to the floor and smashed! So I did what any sensible person would do and rubbed the remaining product into my arm (along with miniature shards of glass probably) to test what I could. It actually felt really nice, but who knows how this actually performs as a priming serum because mine is GONE FOREVER!

Too Faced Hangover 3-In-1 Replenishing Primer & Setting Spray
This is a multitasking mist designed to both prime the skin and set your makeup, and I'm keen to see how I go with it. It contains coconut water so it smells tropical and amazing. This is the one I should have inspected as it's in a plastic tube, not a smashy glass one!

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Let's Go Crazy
The pamphlet tells us this is a cult favourite. So if I ever join the Church of Scientology, I will fit right in with all my fellow NARS Let's Go Crazy wearing cult friends. LOL. But seriously, this is hands down the most exciting box inclusion for me. It's a decent sized sample (1.8g) and the colour is bold, fun and pretty. I don't own much NARS makeup either, so it's a double win for me! Fun Fact: when you put the lid back on this pencil, it 'farts' its way off again when the air gets trapped! Hehe.



You may be interested in my post on the last Beauty Loop Level 1 Box!

Linking up with Open SlatherLife This Week and Mummy Mondays.



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Did you get a box this time? Link up below if you've blogged about your Beauty Loop Box!

Saturday, April 28, 2018

Mecca Beauty Loop Level 1 Box!




Hi guys! Welcome to my super-quick post about the latest round of Mecca Beauty Loop Boxes. I was shocked to receive an email from Mecca recently saying my Level 1 box was ready to be picked up, because I didn't even know I'd qualified. I guess I'd forgotten about this little haul!

The last time I got a Beauty Loop box, I was on Level 2, and here's what was in that box for comparison. The Beauty Loop boxes are rewards based on your spending at Mecca and you can read all about that loyalty program on the Mecca website here.

Let's take a look at what's inside my Level 1 box!



LEVEL 1: Fresh Skin and Big Lashes

Eve Lom Cleanser
This sample consists of a 5ml sachet and an accompanying muslin cloth. You're meant to massage a small amount into dry skin to loosen makeup, dirt and excess oil. Then you dampen the muslin cloth and use a circular motion to remove traces of makeup residue and cleanser.

Grown Alchemist Age Repair Moisturiser
This is a 1.5ml sachet of Age Repair Moisturiser that contains phyto-peptide and white tea extract. It's supposed to noticeably restore cellular structure, boost radiance and visibly reduce the depth and appearance of wrinkles.

Mecca Max Pout Pop Lipstick
This is a mini-sized bullet of high pigment, creamy 'super-glam' lipstick from Mecca's own brand, Mecca Max. I got the pink shade Party Police, but I'm not sure if this colour is in every L1 box, or the shades are varied. Unlike the full-size version, these minis have a screw-top design instead of the pop-up packaging.

Urban Decay Troublemaker Mascara
This is a 2.5g mini-tube of TroubleMaker mascara from Urban Decay that promises 13.7 (lol, specific) times the lash volume and lashes that are super fat, super long and sex proof. Apparently it's meant to hold up in hot and heavy situations, which they 'tested themselves.' Many thanks for that visual, Urban Decay.


Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY on Instagram, where you can WIN 1 of 3 Natura Siberica Mother's Day prize packs! Enter here!

You may be interested in What's In The March Good Green Box?

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Did you get a Beauty Loop Box? What level are you on? What did you get in your box and are you happy with the contents? I have all the questions!


Friday, March 16, 2018

Completed: February Sample Challenge!




Hi guys! You may remember my epic Sample Challenge from last month, in which I tried to use as many beauty samples as I could. If not, you can read that here. Well now I'm back with the much-anticipated (lol) update. Spoiler Alert: I think I did really well! I didn't count the total number of samples in my collection, but I reckon I've finished a shitload of them. Go me! Below I'll list every sample I've finished and any special notes (mainly if I loved it, hated it or there was something interesting about it - if it was meh, I won't bother commenting). I'll put my absolute favourites of the bunch in bold type because the stand-outs should stand out!




Samples Used
1   Esse Cocoa Exfoliator*- was brown and smelled like chocolate!
2   Skinjex Phyto-C Polypeptide Creme
3   2 x Cocobetty Coconut Oil Wipes* - smell like a tropical island!
4   Amazing Oils Magnesium Wipe*
5   Kate Somerville Wrinkle Warrior Plumping Moisturiser + Serum
6   2 x Bobbi Brown Soothing Cleansing Oil - quite liked this
 3 x Elizabeth Arden Advanced Ceramide Capsules Eye Serum - Loved! Would definitely buy
8   Schwarzkopf 6 Miracles Oils Essence
9   Paula's Choice Resist Weekly Resurfacing Treatment 10% AHA Exfoliant - quite liked this
10 Paula's Choice Resist Daily Smoothing Treatment 5% AHA Exfoliant - as above
11 2 x Dermalogica Daily Resurfacer - really enjoyed using this
12 Bondi Wash Sydney Peppermint & Rosemary Body Lotion* - lovely, smells great.
13 Bondi Wash Tasmanian Pepper & Lavender Hand Cream*
14 Nuxe Gentle Exfoliating Gel
15 Skinjex Vital Daily Eye Creme
16 Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Lift & Firm Sculpting Gel - too sticky, not really a fan
17 Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula - smells amazing
18 Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Smoothing Lotion
19 Natura Siberica Rhodiola Rosea Day Cream
20 Dermalogica Essential Cleansing Solution
21 Wotnot Facial Wipes for Normal/Sensitive Skin*
22 Dr Hauschka Daily Hydrating Eye Cream
23 P:Rem Relief Moisture Cream 12
24 Dr Hauschka Regenerating Neck & Decollete Cream -  loved the earthy smell of it
25 Clinique Sculptwear Lift & Contour Serum For Face & Neck
26 Bobbi Brown Extra Repair Moisture Cream
27 Green People Intensive Repair Shampoo*
28 The Original Vegesorb Moisturiser*- don't like. Smells like I'm covered in vegetable fat
29 Esse Rich Moisturiser* - enjoyable
30 Esse Deep Moisturiser*
31 Esse Gel Cleanser*
32 La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra Light
33 Dermalogica Active Moist
34 Urban Decay Anti-Aging Eyeshadow Primer Potion
35 Paula's Choice Resist 10% Niacinamide Booster
36 Bio-Oil
37 Natura Siberica Extra-Firming Hand Cream
38 Palmers Cocoa Butter Moisturizing Day Cream - really disliked this, it stank. May have gone off.
39 Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm
40 By Terry Liftessence Global Serum - liked this pink gels serum.
41 Nuxe Multi-Purpose Dry Oil
42 2 x pkts Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Capsules Serum - Amazing, would buy for sure!
43 Formula 10.0.6 Skin Clearing Mud Mask
44 4 x Urban Decay Eyeshadows (Mildew, Foxy, Flash, Solsctice Moondust) - blended well
45 Urban Decay Original Eyeshadow Primer Potion - Love it, works really well, would buy!
46 Bobbi Brown Skin Serum Corrector in Light Bisque 2 - love this stuff, would purchase.
47 Dr Hauschka Regenerating Eye Cream

Half Finished
1   Urban Decay Sin Eyeshadow Primer Potion
2   Urban Decay Eden Eyeshadow Primer Potion
3   Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Desperation
4   Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Zodiac Moondust



Linking up with the Lovin' Life Linky!

You may be interested in Max My Movies: March Movie Challenge



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Disclaimer: Products marked * were provided for editorial consideration. Reviews are my honest opinion. There are no affiliate links in this post. Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

Are you a fan of samples? 

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

February Sample Challenge!




Hi guys! I have decided to do another 'sample challenge' where the goal is to use up as many samples as I can in a month. Basically, I have a lot, and I want to downsize my ridiculous collection and not have them go to waste. Also, it's kind of fun to see how many I can get through, and it allows me to sift through my stash and really see what I have. The ones I've picked for this challenge are samples that I've had for a while or something high end that I'd be bummed if I didn't use. I've also tried to include mainly sachets as their small size means I'll be able to get through more than if I were to focus on travel-size or mini samples.



Now that I've selected the samples for this challenge, I've got to say, there's no way I will use all these in a month, and I may have to continue the task in a Part 2! Some of the samples I'm most excited to use are...

~ Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Capsules
~ NARS Laguna Liquid Bronzer
~ Natura Siberica Siberian Ginseng Eye Cream-Gel
~ Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer
~ Nuxe Gentle Exfoliating Gel
~ Kate Somerville Wrinkle Warrior
~ Smashbox Insta-Matte Lipstick Transformer
~ Urban Decay set of 4 Eyeshadow Primer Potions
~ Dragon's Blood Collagen Eye Zone Mask
~ La Prairie Platinum Rare Cellular Serum

~ By Terry Cellularose Liftessence Global Serum
~ Urban Decay Seven Days of Shadow Deluxe Sampler



I'll report back next month with how many samples I got through and if there were any stand-out products, or any products I really didn't like! Wish me luck!



You may be interested in Update: May Sample Challenge

Linking up with the Lovin' Life Linky at Deep Fried Fruit!

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Are you a fan of samples?

Saturday, December 3, 2016

David Jones Beauty Tribe: Free Samples!




Hi guys! This post is all about the David Jones Beauty Tribe, which if you're a beauty lover, I hope you've joined! I'm pretty sure all I did was opt-in for the David Jones 'Beauty' emails, and now I receive ongoing offers in my inbox, and for a sample-loving beauty addict, um, I won't say no.

From Monday 14 November to Sunday 4 December, David Jones held their Beauty Tribe Event across Australia. Now if you're lucky enough to reside in the popular states (lol, *cries*), you would have been able to book in for complimentary makeup services, Masterclasses and treatments at the Elizabeth Street and Bourke Street Mall stores. There were also a whole heap of purchase offers, but let's not get crazy. This is all about getting stuff for free and getting colour-matched for expensive foundations so you can try them before buying.

At the Adelaide Central Plaza David Jones, I was able to redeem five of the offers I'd highlighted on my printout, so keep reading to see what I got! Sidenote - it's always a good idea to print out your Beauty Tribe offer email, and even click the links and bring up as much information about each offer as you can, print it out and bring that in-store, because as well-informed as some DJ's staff members are, others will have NFI what you're on about.





Chanel
Offer: Receive a complimentary Dimension de Chanel prestige sample

It's a mascara! (Yes, I obviously didn't know what the product would be, given the ambiguous title). It's in the shade 10 Noir and the Sales Assistant told me I'd love it; it's beautiful and has moisturising properties.

Elizabeth Arden
Offer: Receive a complimentary sample of Flawless Start Instant Perfecting Primer and a sample of your perfect shade of foundation.

The Elizabeth Arden lady was amazing! We tried numerous creams on my hand (including the aforementioned primer) and spoke in length about my love for Prevage. She colour-matched me for the two foundations and we discussed the benefits of each. One was a better colour match but the other one was more suited to my skin. In the end she gave me two Flawless Start Primer sachets, a packet of 7 Ceramide Daily Youth Restoring Serum Capsules, 3 sachets of Prevage Anti-Aging Intensive Repair Daily Serum, a sample pot of Prevage Anti-Aging Foundation in 01 and a sample pot of Flawless Finish Perfectly Nude Makeup in Alabaster. She was so lovely and I loved talking beauty with her!

La Prairie
Offer: Receive a complimentary colour match and personalised skincare consultation with samples to suit your needs

Unfortunately they didn't have any foundation samples available but the lady took my details to call me when they came in. La Prairie don't pump product into the sample pots like on the other counters, their samples come in the sachets. We did discuss my skin though and she gave me two sample tubes of Skin Caviar Eye Lift Cream, which I've used before and happens to be my Holy Grail eye cream. It used to be $380, then went up to $400, and now it's $415 for 20ml so it's a tad on the pricey side. LOL.

Laura Mercier
Offer: Be fitted with your correct foundation shade and you will receive a complimentary sample pot.

Had a lovely chat with the Laura Mercier lady about Typo and Mecca Maxima (and the LM makeup) and she gave me a sample pot of Silk Creme Foundation in Rose Ivory. She was totes chill and didn't really colour match me, more-so guessing what my shade would be. I also mentioned I'm usually the lightest shade!

Lancome
Offer: Receive a complimentary foundation colour match of Teint Idole Ultra Foundation and a 10 day trial.

The Lancome lady was so helpful with regard to skintones and skincare concerns and blended like a pro whilst colour matching along my jaw and chin. We tried out a few different shades and she ended up giving me a Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate sachet, a sample pot of Tient Idole Ultra Foundation in O10 Beige Porcelaine and a sample pot of the same foundation in 02 Lys Rose.

I ran out of time after this and had to run off to meet hubby for lunch! But I'm super-impressed with the service, knowledge and friendliness of the staff and am so grateful for all the samples I received. Can't wait to try everything!




You can register for Beauty Tribe emails down the bottom of this page.

You may be interested in Free Samples: You Beauty!



Linking up with Monday Makeup Madness at Fabulous And Fun Life!

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Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with David Jones and don't gain anything by anyone joining. I just wanted to point out the Beauty Tribe to beauty lovers. There are no affiliate links in this post. Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

How do you feel about free samples?


Sunday, June 5, 2016

Update: May Sample Challenge!


My sample stash!

Hello! You may remember my self-appointed challenge for the month of May, to use up as many of my beauty samples as I possibly could. You can read about it in this May: Month Of Samples post. Well, I took on the challenge, and I'm here to report the results!

This was a fun venture and I did manage to find some great products within the huge box of samples. There was no way I was ever going to get through all of them, but I made a nice dent in my collection. I'm going to continue working my way through the samples, just not as intensely as I did during this challenge. I'll list all the beauty samples I finished and give my thoughts on the ones that were noteworthy!

All the samples I got through in May!

  1. Tigi Bedhead Recharge Shampoo
  2. Bobbi Brown EXTRA Eye Repair Cream ~ I liked it and will keep the little container for de-potting sample sachets into.
  3. Chanel Le Volume Ultra-Noir Mascara ~ this made for clumpy lashes, but I'm not sure if it was due to the brush within the mini-sized sample, or the formula.
  4. Clinique Foaming Sonic Facial Soap
  5. Banila Co Mineral Salt Clay Pack
  6. Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair ~ I've tried this before and really enjoy it.
  7. L'Oreal Revitalift Laser X3 ~ I'm not a fan. It seems like a primer and didn't sit right on my skin.
  8. John Frieda Full Body Shampoo
  9. La Roche-Posay Lipid-Replenishing Body Balm ~ didn't love it.
  10. Kora Organics Hydrating Day And Night Cream ~ smells earthy, is OK.
  11. VDL Naked Cleansing Oil Cream ~ felt nice rubbing it around my face, but was a hassle removing it. Also, it didn't entirely remove my makeup.
  12. Clinique Sculptwear Lift And Contour Serum For Face And Neck ~ I went through 7 sachets of this (received a week's supply). This has a lightweight, almost gel-like consistency. I love how it feels and the results. Would consider buying.
  13. Dermalogica Dermal Clay Cleanser ~ strong smell and not my cup of tea.
  14. Too Faced Shadow Insurance ~ really good. Eyeshadow colour was intensified and didn't budge all day. I would consider buying.
  15. Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment ~ this is green and smells quite strongly! It says you may experience tingling, but my skin actually hurt. However, my skin was so smooth afterwards and wasn't red or irritated.
  16. ASAP Anti-Ageing Night Cream ~ this is more like a gel and smells lovely, but didn't absorb properly and just 'sat' on my skin. I ended up using it as a hand cream to get rid of it.
  17. Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisture Boosting Serum
  18. L'Oreal Revitalift Day Cream ~ did the job.
  19. Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream ~ I like it. I've liked every Bobbi Brown cream I've tried.
  20. Estee Lauder Advanced Night Micro Cleansing Foam
  21. Dermalogica Clear Start Emergency Spot Fix ~ not a bad treatment, didn't blow my socks off.
  22. La Prairie Anti-Aging Rapid Response Booster ~ absolutely love it as I do all La Prairie products. If only it wasn't so expensive!
  23. Sephora Lagoon Creamy Body Wash ~ kind of fun but difficult to get out of the little round thing!
  24. Sunday Riley Start Over ~ really good, liked the results.
  25. Ren Keep Young And Beautiful Firming And Smoothing Serum ~ weird earthy smell, lovely and gentle but hard to tell if effective due to the amount given.
  26. SK-II Facial Treatment Essence ~ OMG, I love this! It really improved the look of my skin. I'm definitely considering buying this.
  27. Philosophy Renewed Hope In A Jar Eye ~ I liked this and was happy with its performance.
  28. Chanel La Solution IO Sensitive Skin Cream ~ this was OK, nothing to write home about. It was gentle and non-irritating.
  29. Kate Somerville Cytocell Dark Circle Corrective Eye Cream ~ my dark circles were reduced but it didn't have enough moisturising properties for my liking.
  30. Malin + Goetz Facial Cleansing Oil ~ these oils aren't for me. It did remove my makeup but I'm just not into this method.
  31. Estee Lauder Flawless Start Instant Perfecting Primer ~ I really like it. It improves the staying power of makeup and provides a great base for foundation.
  32. Perricone MD Advanced Eye Area Therapy ~ I love love love this. I got amazing results and will probably buy it.
The best of my samples in my opinion!

So there were five products that were outright winners for me, that I'd consider buying:
Perricone MD Advanced Eye Area Therapy, SK-II Facial Treatment Essence, La Prairie Anti-Aging Rapid Response Booster, Too Faced Shadow Insurance and Clinique Sculptwear Lift And Contour Serum for Face And Neck.

I still have all these samples to go!


I'm linking to the Fabulous And Fun Life Monday Makeup Madness Linky Party!

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Disclaimer: Reviews and thoughts are my honest unbiased opinion. Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

Have you tried any of these products?



Saturday, April 30, 2016

April Goals Summary + May: A Month of Samples!


It's May already! A pinch and a punch for the first day of the month, no returns. Let's see how I did with my April Goals ......

Neighbourhood cat 'Panda' :)


Write A Media Kit ~ NO
I feel, at this point, I will never get this done. Every spare minute I get to spend on my blog is used writing posts or taking and editing photos. Not to mention advertising posts, otherwise what's the point of writing them? I'm losing hope, but I want this done and out of the way. 

Clean Out MakeUp Organiser ~ YES!
So proud! My makeup organiser looks so much better and I can find products toot sweet. Thank you, self!

Join Affiliate Programs ~ NO
See above explanation for why I didn't get my Media Kit done. Sad face!

Get Quotes For Bathroom Renovation ~ YES!
This was an arduous yet necessary process that sucked from start to finish, but it's done. On to the next step. Yay! (That was a sarcastic yay).

SUMMARY - I accomplished two out of four set goals, so either the glass is half full or half empty, depending on the way you look at it!

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I have something exciting planned for May! I'm easily excited, so keep that in mind as I introduce...

MAY: A MONTH OF SAMPLES!

You know how I'm always collecting free samples? Check out past posts A Spot Of Shopping and Free Samples? You Beauty! for proof. Well, guess what? They build up!



I've set myself a challenge! In May, I'll be working my way through this massive lot of sample sachets and mini-sized products, trying to use up as many as I can. Fingers crossed my skin doesn't break out from the influx of different brands I'll be slapping on it. I'll be making notes along the way to keep track of which samples may be worth picking up in the full size, and will report back in a future blog post on those products that blew my mind with their sheer awesomeness!

Wish me luck!

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Does your sample stash look like this?

Friday, April 22, 2016

Mecca Beauty Loop Level 1 Box!




Hi guys! I'm pretty excited, because today I'm blogging about the Mecca Beauty Loop Level 1 Box! This is my first ever box as part of Mecca's Beauty Loop program, because I only just reached the qualifying spend ($300 in a one year period) last month! I am officially a 'Beauty Discoverer'. LOL! I went in-store and picked this up yesterday, although you can order online and add it to your order, if you're eligible to receive one.

Now that I've reached Level 1 status, I'm eligible for four complimentary Beauty Loop sample boxes per year (this being the first) and complimentary makeup application for my Birthday. Let's take a look inside the box.....




Contents:
~ Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil mini bottle
~ Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Cleanser sachet
~ Too Faced Shadow Insurance Eyeshadow Primer sachet
~ Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer sachet

Also included is a card explaining each product, why Mecca love it and how to use it. Handy!

I have no complaints about this box! I love my Hourglass lipstick and Ambient Lighting Powder so I'm keen to try the much-hyped Veil Mineral Primer. The Too Faced Shadow Insurance will be the perfect prep before I use my new Chocolate Bar palette (so far I've been applying it without primer). I've tried a few other Kate Somerville samples in the past and loved them, so I'm also keen to give the cleanser a go, and I haven't tried anything from Josie Maran before, so will be excited to trial a new-to-me brand!



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I'm linking up to the Midweek BeYOUty Bonanza Linky Party!

Disclaimer: I earned this Box by spending my own (and hubby's!) money at Mecca. Links are for information purposes only and are not affiliate links. Please see the Disclosure page for further information.

Have you picked up your Beauty Loop Box yet? Are you happy with it?

Saturday, February 6, 2016

WINNER ANNOUNCED: Huge Deluxe Beauty Samples Giveaway!


Thanks so much to everyone who entered my Huge Deluxe Beauty Samples Pack Giveaway! I want you all to know I really appreciate the support, and I'm very grateful for the likes, shares and comments on the Max The Unicorn Facebook page, and here on the blog.

Here's a reminder of the prize:

I won't list every single sample again, suffice to say it was over 50!









And the winner is.....

MARY PRESTON!!


Congrats Mary, I hope you enjoy your prize! The lucky winner has been contacted by email.

Don't worry if you didn't win, because I have some brand collaboration Giveaways organised, so make sure you keep reading Max The Unicorn. You'll have more chances to win soon!

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