Burts Bees Intense Hydration Cream Cleanser - I've been rocking this cleanser for awhile. It's a thick, cream-based product with JUST a hint of sage and it's absolutely gentle on the skin. It's also a STEAL because the bottle lasts forever. I tend to use this as my night cleanser to take off makeup in the winter when my skin is very dry and needs a bit of TLC.
Totally recommended
Philosophy Purity - Believe it or not but I've had this bottle for over a year, which just goes to show how a little goes a long way. I like this as a day cleanser as it's very gentle over freshly-slept-on face, but it also does a good job gently removing makeup at night. This is one of Philosophy's signature products for a reason.
Totally recommended
Glowing Mama Walnut Face Scrub - You may remember this product from my 10 Favourite Beauty Box Products of 2014. This exfoliating scrub has an envigorating and nutty smell and is a delight to use a few times a week to brighten up your face. It's a grittier exfoliator, but the particles are nowhere near as big as St Ives Apricot Scrub for example.
Get it!
Soap & Glory Butter Yourself - I'm in love with BASICALLY every scent I've tried from S&G and this is no exception. The grapefruit aroma combined with the rich and creamy body butter makes you just want to cover your entire body with this stuff and then just eat desserts. Constantly. Om nom.
Get it and try it for yourself!
Worth a Try
Bath & Body Works Pumpkin Lattle and Marshmallow Lotion - I don't GENERALLY buy B&B products for myself as I find that their perfume is a bit too strong for me, but I can't resist a good vanilla scent! I lathered myself up with this all fall and was sad when I finally said goodbye to this bottle. But there are more lotions in the sea.
Get it if it's on sale.
Benefit Stay Don't Stray - This eyelid primer isn't BAD but I find that Urban Decay's Potion Primer works a lot better for oily lids. This was in my makeup bag at work and it DID last quite a long time with such a teensy sample.
Don't get this if you have really oily lids, but otherwise it's fine.
Herbal Essences Naked Shampoo - I received this in the spring as part of an Influenster campaign and I was pretty impressed with the offering. I'd written Herbal Essences off as overly-scented products for teens, but this was a decent shampoo that didn't over-grease my locks. It's not amazing but it's not bad.
Worth it if you're on a budget.
Pantene Aqua Light Shampoo - This stuff used to be my hair-care stalwart. It doesn't use silicone and is fairly residue-free for a shampoo. Also not bad if you're on a budget.
Garnier Fructis Damage Eraser - This stuff smells WONDERFUL and made my hair oh-so-soft. I absolutely loved lathering up with it and my hair felt wonderful each time I used it.
Skip It
Origins A Perfect World SPF 25 Moisturizer with White Tea - I've been on a huge Origins kick lately but I was a bit disappointed in this deluxe sample. I like moisturizers with SPF for the daytime, but this one was a bit overbearing and sour so it took me some time to finish it. It didn't IRRITATE per se, but I wasn't too impressed. Then I read this Paula's Choice review and it allllll became clear.
Skip It
L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream - I finally found an L'Occitane product I don't like! Except it's not the product, it's just the scent. It smells like Dove. Blech. But it does the job on my poor, winter-damaged hands.
Cerave Moisturizing Lotion - This is one of of the most ridiculously smallest samples of lotion that I've ever received. The photo doesn't do it justice. It's tiny and I barely had three uses out of it on my hands alone.
Eyeko Skinny Mini - At first I was intrigued by this sample as the wand comes out of what looks like a lip gloss tube, but I find that it actually lead the wand to get gunked fairly quickly which lead to a lot of clumping.
Skip it.
Clinique Repairware Laser Focus- I have absolutely no idea if this did anything other than make my face moist. Ohhhhh ambiguous anti-aging products!
I also finished a bunch of stuff on our trip to New Orleans, such as Vitabath Body washes (total win!) Garnier Grapefruit Exfoliant (nice, but strong) and some other stuff too. UNFORTUNATELY I didn't back-up my photos and they all VANISHED. But the memories remain. Of food, lots of food.