Fresh Samples: Lotus Youth Preserve Eye Cream, Rose Hydrating Eye Gel Cream and Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask

1. Lotus Youth Preserve Eye Cream
When I went into the store, this is the sample that the employee let me take home and try. I love that they put a substantial amount of product into the cute little container. The sample she provided will last me at least three weeks, if not longer. Once I finish the lotus eye cream sample, I plan on decanting some of my other samples into the container to make application easier.

2. Rose Hydrating Eye Gel Cream
I found this eye cream really refreshing but I don't think it did much for my eyes. I'm only nineteen so I really don't think eye cream is necessary yet.

3. Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask
I'm curious what the difference between an overnight mask and lotion/cream is. I feel like there isn't much difference to be honest. I put it on like a lotion but in the morning when it washes off it washes off like a mask. Overall, I think it has done a good job really hydrating my face but personally, it's a little too messy for me to use overnight especially because I'm always fearful that I'm going to get the mask all over my pillow.

None of these samples really stood out to me. One thing that I find super weird is that Fresh's products are fragrance free but they all smell the same, kind of like cucumbers. Although I didn't find these products exceptionally amazing, I still love Fresh's lip treatments and perfumes.

Fresh Soy Face Cleanser

Fresh Soy Face Cleanser

I ended up buying this when I visited the Fresh store in person because of all the hype I heard about the product. The salesperson I spoke to let me sample it and told me how it was one of their bestsellers.

I bought the smaller size just to test it out.  I plan on using it as my face cleanser of choice when I travel since its smaller and has more travel friendly packaging. My Aveeno face wash that I usually use spills all over the place when I put it in my luggage.

When I first used this fresh face cleanser, it didn't live up to my expectations. I've since used it a couple more times and it's growing on me.  I'm not a huge fan of cream cleansers but my face does feel nice and clean after using it and it doesn't irritate my skin. It's really gentle but still thorough at removing oil and makeup.

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments

Sugar Lip Treatment | Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Treatment

This is the free birthday gift that Fresh gives out! It's actually also available online to purchase on Sephora here.

I finally understand the hype over Fresh sugar lip treatments! They are now my favorite lip balm product. They smell amazing and leave my lips super soft. I was hesitant about the tinted lip treatments since I hate lip gloss and sheer color. Sugar Rose, however, was the most flattering color. It adds just the right amount of color to your lips for a casual natural look. Another plus is that the lip treatments have almost no taste. I hate when I'm drinking water and I can taste the lip stick that I'm using.

I do plan on repurchasing and when I do I'll be getting the Sugar Sweeties Mini Lip Duo because personally, I like these smaller sizes. The diameter of the mini treatments perfectly fit the size of my lips.

Trip to the Fresh Store

When my friend Sophia came down to visit from Carnegie Mellon, we visited Fresh to pick up free birthday presents (two mini sugar lip products). The store was SO CUTE. The perfume display that they had set up was unlike anything I've ever seen. Two of my favorite scents were Sake and Honeysuckle and once I run out of my Dior J'adore perfume, I'm definitely considering getting a Fresh perfume.

They also had this cute wall filled with heart tags and people's names. These tags were so cute that we actually took two to save and bring home.

Although I only came into the store to pick up the free gift, I ended up buying the smaller version of the Soy Face Cleanser and walking away with a sample of the Lotus Youth Preserve Eye Cream. I'll make a more detailed post about the products next!

Repurchased: Clinique Take the Day Off

Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover | Clinique Take The Day Off To Go

I finally found my go to makeup remover! I used to use lotion to remove my makeup because makeup remover wipes made my face sting. In January, I was browsing Sephora and impulsively decided to buy the Clinique makeup remover based on other customer reviews.

I'm so glad I bought it because this remover is amazing! It takes off all of my makeup really easily without stinging. I use q-tips to remove my eye makeup and then a cotton pad to take off the makeup on the rest of my face. It works so well that I just bought the mini travel sized version to take with me when I go on my spring break trip to New Orleans!

Aesop Parsley Seed Cleansing Masque

Aesop Parsley Seed Cleansing Masque

I live three blocks away from an Aesop store and always pass it on my way to and from class. I finally got the chance to step into the store when my friend Sophia came to visit NYC. I've heard a lot about the parsley seed mask from other blogger's posts so I thought I would try it out. The employee at the store was super friendly and gave me two samples to try out at home.

Personally, I don't really think masks do anything to improve my skin. This mask, unfortunately, was no exception. As it was drying it made my skin feel extremely tight. It said to leave for up to fifteen minutes but I think I ended up leaving it for only ten. My skin didn't feel any different except for less oily. I love love love Aesop packaging but I don't think it's worth paying $39.00.

Beauty Empties: Sample Edition

1. Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief
I somehow had two samples of this so I used it twice in a row. It was super lightweight to the point where I was applying Cetaphil AND this moisturizing gel because my skin still felt dry. I have combination skin so parts of my skin require more moisture and this wasn't enough.

2. Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Vitamin C Collagen Booster
This was my first time using a serum. In the past, I always wrote serums off because I never really thought there was a need for them but after reading a blog post, I learned that they're actually one of the most important products in skincare. I love the smell of this and liked the product enough to use 100 of my Sephora Beauty Insider points to get the deluxe sample of this.

3. Ole Henriksen Pure Truth Vitamin C Youth Activating Oil
Like the serum, this was my first time using face oil and I loved it! It has a really citrusy smell and I felt that it actually did improve the quality of my skin. I always thought that oils would make me break out but they make my skin smoother and softer.

4. L'occitane Immortelle Divine Cream
I'm only 19 so eye creams don't really do much for me. I've used a bunch of eye cream samples but they're so expensive and I feel like there's never any noticeable difference.

5. Soap and Glory Smoothie Star Lightly Whipped Body Butter
I absolutely loved the texture of this and how soft it made my skin. The formula is lightweight and "whipped" and not greasy. The only downside was that I wasn't a huge fan of the smell. The smell is a big enough turn off that even though I loved the product, I wouldn't buy it again.

6. Shiseido Future Solution LX Eye and Lip Contour Regenerating Cream
Like with the L'occitane eye cream, I really don't think these do much. If anything, it made my lips more moisturized but other than that, no difference.

7. Dr. Jart+ Premium BB Cream
I've heard so many good things about Dr. Jart+ so I was really excited to try this sample. This BB cream is amazing! It actually perfectly matches my skin color and goes on super smoothly and evenly. The only downside is that the full product is $39.00 and that's what's keeping me from buying it as of right now.

Overall, none of the samples were super outstanding but I definitely liked the two Ole Henriksen products best and the Dr. Jart+ BB cream. The Soap and Glory body butter would have been amazing but I just can't get over the smell.

Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo

Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo

Before I started using this dry shampoo from Oscar Blandi, I never thought dry shampoo worked. This was mainly because 1. I used a terrible one from Tresemme and 2. I wasn't using it at the right time. After reading magazine articles, I realized that the best time to use dry shampoo is before you sleep so you wake up with hair that isn't greasy or oily.

Using this product is pretty simple. I like to dump out a little bit on my hands, rub my hands together and then rub it into my scalp. The key is to use dry shampoo before your hair starts getting really greasy. The dry shampoo acts as a preventative measure.

Out of the two sizes, I chose the smaller size. It is $11.00 for one ounce but it will last me quite a while. I definitely recommend this if you have thin hair like mine which gets oily really fast.

Miniature Aesop Bottles

When I stayed at the Park Hyatt Tokyo in Japan this winter, the hotel amenities provided were from Aesop! I've heard a lot of this brand but it was my first time trying it. These products are available online in their travel pack.

1. Classic Shampoo
I wasn't a huge fan of the scent but it did leave my hair clean. To be honest, I felt that the shampoo was only average. I enjoyed using it but not enough to purchase in the future.

2. Geranium Leaf Body Cleanser
Again, I wasn't a huge fan of the scent but it did leave my skin feeling clean and refreshed. It is pricey though so I'll stick to the soap I've been using.

3. Rind Concentrate Body Balm
This was my favorite out of the three! I'm obsessed with how good it smells and how it doesn't make the skin greasy. Plus, the store sized balm is packaged in a foil tube, which is my weakness. I LOVE how gold and silver foil tubes look.

Overall, I'm really happy I got to try Aesop products but they're almost too expensive for me to justify buying. As for the travel pack, I felt that the packaging wasn't convenient. It was hard to pour out the products and get the amount that I wanted. If I were going to splurge, I would definitely get the Rind Concentrate Body Balm.

Yves Saint Laurent Le Rouge

Ever since I started working at Bloglovin', I began to read more beauty blogs. This led to an increased awareness in skincare + makeup. Long story short, I am now addicted to beauty blogs + Sephora, which led me to create this blog as a way to document the products I've tried and loved (or hated).

I finally splurged on a Yves Saint Laurent lipstick last week after always adding it to my shopping cart and taking it out last minute. Beautiful packaging is my weakness. More posts to come in the future!