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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist

Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist

I'm not going to lie, I always thought that face mists were a waste of money. Honestly I still don't understand why the Evian face spray is $14...it's literally just water in a spray bottle. When I was doing research about face mists, however, I read about how face mists are good at making your skin look dewy and setting your makeup so when this face mist was available as a deluxe sample on Sephora, I picked it up.

The packaging of this face mist is way better than what you see in pictures. The bottle is made of glass and has a nice weight to it and the spray gives you a dispersed thin mist. I LOVE the smell of this mist, no seriously, it's like perfume for your face. Using it actually does make my skin look more dewy even with powder on. I use it after I finish putting on my bareMinerals powder foundation to prevent it from looking powdery or cakey and to set my makeup. I'm glad I got this as a sample because I really like it but the $35 price tag for the full product is killing me. Definitely adding this to my wish list!!!

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.

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.