Repurchased: Benefit Dandelion

Benefit Dandelion

I first tried Benefit Dandelion when I received it as a deluxe sample along with Benefit Watt's Up. After using it for the first time, I immediately loved it. It's described as a "pressed highlighting powder in ballerina-pink." Basically, it's a light pink blush. The deluxe sample that I tried and loved was actually lighter than the full sized product when applied on the face. Sometimes the color is too strong on my cheeks so I like to blot to create a more natural looking flush.

Another downside is that Dandelion was pretty expensive, at $28.00. I felt that the brush was unnecessary as most of us have extra brushes lying around that we could have used. Personally, I would have rather paid less and not have gotten the brush. Overall, I loved the sample enough to purchase a full sized version but after this blush I think I'm going to try either one by Tarte or Nars.

Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask

Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask

I impulse bought this a month or two ago because I needed something under $10 to push the total in my shopping cart to $50 to quality for free shipping. The packaging was a lot cuter than I expected. I love how Clinique has the silver caps on all of its packaging.

I don't use the moisture surge overnight mask often. I usually only apply it after I use an exfoliator at night like any GlamGlow products. I've said this before but I still don't understand the difference between an overnight mask and a heavy night cream. To be honest, this seems to be more of a night cream than a mask to me. Regardless, it is a great travel size and good addition to my beauty shelf.

Beauty Empties: Tube Edition

1. Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream
Already on my second full sized tube on this cream! It's a miracle worker on eczema. Full review here.

2. Bliss Blood Orange and White Pepper Hand Cream
Received this deluxe sample as a present while waiting in line for a Mindy Kaling meet and greet at the Bliss Spa in New York.

3. Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer
This tube has lasted me FOREVER. A little really goes a long way. Even though its title says creaseless, it actually creases a lot for me. I mainly only use this to cover the bags under my eyes and some acne scars.

4. Burt's Bees Natural Acne Solutions
I've gone through I think around three tubes of this! Full post here.

5. L'occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream
So glad to be finished with this hand cream, to be honest. I hated the smell. So happy I discovered the rose heart and vanilla bouquet scents which have the same texture and consistency but better scent.

6. bareMinerals Prime Time Foundation Primer
This was the first primer I've ever tried. It gives my face a super smooth base for the rest of my makeup. The only downside is that it's a little greasy and I have oily skin. Overall, it's still one of my favorite primers that I've used so far.

Repurchased: Dr. Jart+ Premium BB Cream

Dr. Jart+ Premium BB Cream

When I saw that Sephora was offering this as a deluxe sample, I placed an order ASAP. I loved this BB cream after using the sample in this post here.

BB creams are one of my favorite beauty products. I previously wrote about the Tarte BB Cream. While I love both, I feel like the Tarte one is better for winter because it has a weaker SPF of 30 and is slightly lighter than the Dr. Jart one, which has a SFP of 45 and is more of my natural skin color.

I have seen the full sized product in person and I'm not a huge fan of the packaging. It's pretty heavy so it's not travel friendly and also hard to see how much of the product you have left. I like this tube version better so I will probably purchase the Dr. Jart+ Dynamic Duo in the future, which has a 0.5 oz Premium BB and 1.7 oz Dermaclear Micro Water.

Fresh Blue Box Adventures

Last month, my friend Arlina and I went to the Fresh Blue Box event in Flatiron. It was so much fun! We got to sample some sugar lip treatments and take silly pictures in the photo booth. When we left the event, we received a deluxe sample of their best selling soy face cleanser, which I've done a post on in the past. We also received a card that we could exchange for a special gift in the store.

This led us on our beauty store adventure. We first stopped by an Origins because it was on our way to the Fresh store. I received two cute sample containers of the Night-a-Mins renewal cream and the Plantscription serum. Then, we quickly visited the L'occitane that was next door and got a range of samples from their various lines. Then, we went to the Sephora where I picked up a Glam Glow YouthMud sample and Jurlique skin balancing face oil. Finally, we went to the Fresh store near Union Square to pick up our gift. We got to choose from a variety of deluxe samples and I chose the sugar lip treatment as a back-up for when I run out of the one I use now. We also got a sample for their new rose mask. All in all, super successful day. Beauty samples are my favorite things ever!

My Travel Makeup Bag

For spring break, my friends and I went to New Orleans. Since we traveled there by flight, I had to pack all of my travel sizes. Deluxe sample sizes and minis are my favorite things ever. I wish cosmetic companies would let us buy products in these sizes.

1. Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist
This mist is the perfect skin refresher after a long day of travel in the airport. I also use it after applying my powder foundation to set my makeup and give my skin a more dewy complexion.

2. BareMinerals PrimeTime Foundation Primer
This is one of my favorite primers that I've tried. It evens my skin complexion and makes applying my bb cream and concealer super easy.

3.  Ole Henrikson Truth Serum
Obsessed with this serum, especially in this deluxe sample size that I got as a Sephora 100 Point Perk. I wrote a full post about this product here.

4. Make Up For Ever Lipstick
I love this lipstick so much that I actually plan on doing a full post on it soon. Received it in Sephora's birthday present last year. This mini version is the perfect size for my lips.

5. Marc Jacobs Daisy
Got this adorable rollerball at the Marc Jacobs Daisy pop up event in SoHo last year. It's great for travel because it's tiny enough to fit easily in my makeup bag and not spill all over the place.

6. L'occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream
My hands get really dry whenever I use the hand soap from public bathrooms so I like to keep this on hand to keep my skin moisturized. Full post here.

7. Benefit Watt's Up
Just recently made a full post about this product here. I've gotten really into highlights lately. It's such a great and subtle way to make your skin glow.

8. Tarte BB Cream
Full post here. Even on days when I don't wear makeup, I still like to wear BB cream for the SPF protection. It's super quick to apply and evens the skin tone.

L'occitane Roses et Reines Hand Cream

L'occitane Roses et Reines Hand Cream

I love travel sized products and deluxe samples so I went into the L'occitane store in West Village to see if they had any mini hand creams for sale. The manager was so helpful and found this mini roses et reines hand cream in a drawer. 

The formula of this hand cream is lighter and less thick than the shea butter hand creams L'occitane has. It's a different formula but still non greasy and super moisturizing, which I love.

According to the website, L'occitane uses extracts of roses from Grasse, Bulgaria, Morocco and Turkey for the rose scent. However, I found this hand cream scent to be a little too strong. Personally, I prefer the rose heart shea butter hand cream that I reviewed right before this.

L'occitane Vanilla Bouquet and Rose Heart Shea Butter Hand Cream Set

L'occitane Vanilla Bouquet Shea Butter Hand Cream | L'occitane Rose Heart Shea Butter Hand Cream

I recently picked up this cute mini hand cream set from L'occitane for free at the store in Meatpacking with a deal they were having at the time. I'm so glad I did because these are my two new favorite hand creams!! Perfect size to just throw in my purse.

I previously reviewed the Shea Butter Hand Cream before on this blog and complained about how I loved the texture but absolutely hated the smell. These two hand creams have the same texture that I love but they smell AMAZING. I usually hate the scent of vanilla but this scent is called vanilla bouquet and has some delicate floral notes. I also like this rose heart scent better than the roses et reines scent that L'occitane also has, which I will be reviewing soon as well. 

I loved these two hand creams so much that I actually went to the store in West Village and bought five more tins to stock up for the future. They might be sold out of these tins but L'occitane is still selling full sized hand creams on its website. I highly recommend.

Benefit Watt's Up

Benefit Watt's Up

I received this sample in a Sephora order a while back and never really used it until recently. Not going to lie, I was inspired by Kim Kardashian's cheekbone highlight and amazing makeup by Ania Milczarczyk to finally try out highlights.

Benefit Watt's Up has a delicate champagne shimmer. It's super easy to blend and I just use my fingers to lightly smudge it into the rest of my makeup for a light glow. I love this deluxe sample size. It's the perfect size to apply as an eyebrow, inner eye, nose and cheekbone highlight. 

Beauty Empties: Mask Sample Edition

1. Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment
When I first applied this, my skin was BURNING but after I washed it off, my skin was bright and refreshed. It made my skin smoother and glow from within. The good thing is that there is a small travel size that's only 0.5 ounces which I love and will definitely be purchasing in the future.

2. Fresh Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask
I've previously made a review on this already in this post here. All in all, I wouldn't purchase this in a full size.

3. Aesop Parsley Seed Cleansing Mask
I've previously made a review on this already in this post here. All in all, I like the GlamGlow mud masks better.

4. GlamGlow Supermud Clearing Treatment
This was my first time trying a GlamGlow product after hearing so many good things about the brand. The sales associate at Sephora warned that it's very strong and she was right. I only applied a very thin layer and it still stung my skin like crazy. This is definitely not something I would use more than once a week but it was pretty effective.

Tarte BB Tinted Treatment 12-Hour Primer

Tarte BB Tinted Treatment

This Tarte BB cream was my first experience with bb creams and I finally understand the hype! BB creams are amazing. They make your skin look so clear and healthy. On days when I'm rushed in the morning this is the only thing I'll put on.  It's a little lighter than my actual complexion but using a lighter shade makes my skin brighter. And it has SPF 30 so it's a huge plus - everything I need to clear my complexion and protect my skin.

Perfume Samples Collection

When I was younger, I was obsessed with perfume samples. I absolutely loved them. I kept them all in a Vera Bradley ornament box and I still have them to this day. I think perfume bottles are so beautiful. I'm in the works of starting a perfume bottle collection.

The only perfume that I bought through a perfume sample was Dior J'adore. I'm almost done with the full sized bottle and definitely plan on buying another afterwards. It's a light but sweet and subtle scent. I love it.

Essie St. Lucia Lilac

Essie St. Lucia Lilac

I picked up this pretty nail polish color at Ricky's when my friend Sophia was visiting. It was only $4.00 plus a NYU student discount! I've recently been super obsessed with Essie polishes. It must be their clean packaging and design.

St. Lucia Lilac was pretty difficult to apply. It was sheer and kind of streaky but evens out for the most part by the third coat. It's a beautiful color and was over half the price of MSRP so I can't really complain much. I've already worn this color twice since I bought it.

Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Luxury Face Oil

Virgin Marula Luxury Face Oil

This is definitely my favorite out of Drunk Elephant's entire collection! I add a few drops to my lotion at night before I sleep and rub it into my skin. I've always been scared of oils but after the good experience with the Ole Henrikson oil I'm more willing to try out others. I also use it for my cuticles when they feel dry. Very versatile! And even though it's $72.00, this will last a long time, especially because I don't feel the need to use it every single day. 

Drunk Elephant Umbra Sheer Physical Defense SPF 30

Drunk Elephant Umbra Sheer Physical Defense SPF 30

It's getting warmer here in NYC! The sun is finally shining after the months of snow and cold that we've had, which means it's time to break out the sunscreen.

I don't use sunscreen on my face because my foundation and BB cream both have SPF coverage. I do, however, use sunscreen on my neck, shoulders and arms. I had high hopes for this product but I was disappointed. I put the sunscreen on my arms and it pilled into little white balls. Plus, there's glitter or shimmer in the product so my arms were sparkling all over the place. I like most of Drunk Elephant's products for the most part but this is definitely one to skip.

Drunk Elephant Day and Night Serums

C-Firma Day Serum | T.L.C Framboos Glycolic Night Serum

I just started getting into serums right before I received these two products so I was super excited to test them out. 

The first thing I noticed about the day serum was that it smells kind of like orange juice. It's also really watery and kind of just squirts out of the bottle so you have to be careful when applying it. I put it on right after I wash my face before lotion. It is sticky at first but that disappears after a couple minutes.

The glycolic night serum sometimes stings my face when I use it. I recently went to Sephora and the guy I talked to told me that it's actually not supposed to be used every day. It's a product that should be used one week but then stopped for a week because it thins your skin out, which is already a problem for me. Sometimes use this, sometimes I use my Ole Henrikson serum which I like better or sometimes I just only put on lotion.

Overall, the packaging is a huge turn off. I hate that I can't see how much of the product I've used and how much is left. I feel like the packaging is actually much larger than how much product there really is. In short, I like the Ole Henrikson serum better, which I have also reviewed before here.

The Drunk Elephant Skincare Collection

Drunk Elephant KZ Beauty Kit

Drunk Elephant is a non-toxic skincare line. I've been hearing a lot about it on various blogs and magazine websites so I'm really glad I got to try it out.

The name Drunk Elephant comes from the myth that elephants love to eat the fruit that has fallen from the Marula trees. The fruit then becomes fermented inside the elephants' stomachs and they become drunk!

In general, this line is pricey but has large sizes. Actually, I wish they offered smaller sizes. Also, I wish that the packaging was clear so I could see how much of the product was left. All of Drunk Elephant's products have gotten really good reviews though so I'm excited to use these. Individual product reviews are coming soon!

Burt's Bees Natural Acne Solutions

Burt's Bees Spot Treatment Cream | Burt's Bees Targeted Spot Treatment

I was running low on the Burt's Bees Spot Treatment Cream so when I went home for spring break, I picked up some more from my local Target. I've probably gone through over three tubes of this stuff! It's gentle on my skin but still useful for targeting pimples and acne.

On the same shelf for the spot treatment was another product from their line, a liquid version of their spot treatment. I picked it up as well just to try out. Let me just say that this BURNS when you put it on your skin. It does make a difference though in reducing acne so I've continued using it.

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Inner Rim Liner

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Inner Rim Liner

This liner is almost like a repurchase because I previously used a similar product from Tarte. It to be version 2.0 and is greatly improved from the one I used to use, improving in both application and durability.

I use the liner on the inner corners of my eye and from the inner corner of my eye to the middle of my bottom water line. It surprisingly lasts the entire day and really makes my eyes look brighter and more awake. I love that it's a twist up liner that doesn't require sharpening because sharpening eyeliner is one of my pet peeves. I actually only exclusively use twist up eyeliners. Anyways, if you're looking for a way to brighten up your eyes, I recommend this inner rim liner!

L'occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream

L'occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream

I have the biggest love hate relationship with this hand cream. I received this cute little sample in my Sephora order when they had a promotion for a nail sample kit. Also included in the sample kit were various nail polish removers, cuticle oil and cuticle remover, which for the most part, I also liked.

I love everything about this product besides the smell. The formula is amazing. It's super moisturizing without being greasy, which is amazing. I just can't get over the smell. It smells like a mix of baby powder and old perfume. I absolutely hate it every time I use it. I would definitely repurchase this as my go to hand cream to throw in my purse but I HATE THE SMELL SO MUCH. I'm going to try the other scents they have and pray I like them more than this one. If not, Aesop hand lotion it is.

Repurchased: Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster

I know I previously wrote about this in my Sample Empties post but I wanted to do a full post about this product! First off, I love the smell - it's slightly citrusy but not too strong. I got it for 100 points using my Sephora Beauty Insider rewards points, which was definitely worth it considering 0.25 ounces is $12 worth of product.

After using the serum, I noticed that my dark spots from acne scars were fading quicker than usual. I used to put it on after my lotion but to get full potency, I put it on right after I wash my face and put on lotion afterwards. This little deluxe sample will last me quite a while, at least two or three months so even though the full price is $48, it'll last forever. If you're just starting to get into serums like me, I recommend this one!

Repurchased: Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream

Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream

I originally received the Yu-Be skin cream in a sample bag from Sephora. I'm so glad I did because I finally found an over the counter cream that helps my eczema! A little bit of backstory - I used to use a topical steroid on my face for over five years until I learned how bad it was for you last December. That was the beginning of the three months I endured known as steroid withdrawal. (If you are really curious, you can Google pictures...it's terrible). My skin was red and peeling all over the place. The eczema that I had as a kid came back. Because I couldn't use the steroid cream anymore I was suffering and only using Cetaphil, which wasn't doing anything.

Once I tried the sample of this, I immediately ordered the full sized version. I got the smaller size, which was $16, because I wasn't sure how long I would need this product for. Just a word of warning, this does have a strong camphor smell but it goes away quickly. I'm actually already halfway done with the tube and my eczema is almost gone.