Sample Selection Saturday | Tarte Smooth Operator finishing powder

Sample Selection Saturday | Malin + Goetz lip moisturizer

Malin+Goetz is one of those brands that I would love to try but would never bring myself to purchase. For the most part, anyway. Obviously there are some products within the brand that I wouldn't mind purchasing.

This lip moisturizer is one of those!

what is it:

A heavy-duty lip moisturizer.

In brief: the good and the ugly

The good:

The cost. This is one of the cheapest products Malin+Goetz offers. The full-size, 10 ml, is double my sample and costs around $12/$14 CDN plus tax, depending on where you get it.

The fragrance and colour, or lack thereof, is amazing. My lip balm should be colourless and odourless. If I wanted something exciting, I would be wearing lipstick or gloss.

This moisturizer doesn't play around! Just a little dab will do in the driest and coldest part of winter (I live on the west coast, so in comparison to some parts of North America and Europe/Asia it isn't that cold or dry). Even less than that for other parts of the year. Amazing for dry, dehydrated lips.

I put them on this week to some really chapped lips overnight. When I woke up, they were completely healed. No joke.

The ugly:

The texture is really thick, then again it's pretty much all emollients. So there you are. Has the same type of consistency as Vaseline, only more sticky and heavy.

Malin+Goetz products in generally are pretty difficult to purchase in Canada. There are no Malin+Goetz stores in Canada. Luckily there's a retailer in town that sells them. Otherwise, you are at the mercy of whatever stock the spas and stores that pick up the brand have available.

** If there are any readers who do know where I can get some Malin+Goetz I am all ears!

Would I purchase?

Yes!

Malin+Goetz lip moisturizer can be found online.

Sample Selection Saturday | Etude House Skin Malgem Deep Moist

 

Etude House, I have found, is the shop that gives me the most confusion. A large part of this confusion could be the shop's special lingo for things.

What is a freshener?! What is a smoother?!

Toners, apparently.

This week, I try Etude House's Skin Malgem Deep Moist.

what is it

Part of the Skin Malgem line. If the name sounds familiar, I sampled Etude House's Skin Malgem smoother during a Sample Selection Saturday two weeks ago.

Despite the name, it is also a toner. Unlike the smoother, which was for troubled skin, the deep moist is for those with dry skin.

in brief: the good and the ugly

The Good:

I liked it when I thought it was an essence or light emulsion/moisturizer. It is none of those things.

At least, it's not marketed as one. It's marketed in a line of five toners for five distinct skin types. This deep moist, is clearly for those with dry skin. Very dry skin.

I suppose it would be a good toner for people with that skin type. It's really thick and almost has a creamy consistency. Not liquid and fluid at all.

Anyway! Whatever, Etude House. I'll use it how I want to use it. I choose to use it as a moisturizer.

This provided me enough moisture that I could skip my night cream. Of course, it's muggy, hot and August. So this probably wouldn't work for me in a month or two.

In conjunction with the smoother, it provided enough moisture to keep my skin hydrated throughout the night/day without giving me a shiny face or leaving greasy residue.

I'm really happy that under sunscreen and under makeup, this didn't break me out or irritate my face.

The Ugly:

I was so confused when I tried this. I had originally thought this was an essence or very light moisturizer. It has that type of consistency. It works well in that capacity for me.

It was only when I looked at the back that I noticed clues. Freshener, a product in their Wonder Pore line, is a toner. To confirm my suspicions I checked GMarket and it is a toner. One of five in the line.

FYI: I have combination skin and the smoother is a better choice for my skin type, toner-wise. Definitely a better choice now, at the height of summer. This particular toner isn't targeted to me, but aimed towards someone who has very dry skin. As a moisturizer, though, I could get away with using this. Of course this isn't a moisturizer, but a toner.

I didn't appreciate the alcohol smell. It's super strong and really put me off this product.

As far as the sample goes, I hated the packaging. This small tube always makes it hard to get product out, especially if it's thicker than a normal toner. A lot thicker. The packaging, of course, is a lot different than the sample packaging. I'm sure if you do purchase it, it won't be such a struggle for you to get to use it; you did pay for it, after all.

would i purchase?

No.

Etude House Skin Malgem Deep Moist can be found online. 

Sample Selection Saturday | Etude House Skin Malgem Deep Moist

Etude House, I have found, is the shop that gives me the most confusion. A large part of this confusion could be the shop's special lingo for things.

What is a freshener?! What is a smoother?!

Toners, apparently.

This week, I try Etude House's Skin Malgem Deep Moist.

WHAT IS IT:

Part of the Skin Malgem line. If the name sounds familiar, I sampled Etude House's Skin Malgem smoother during a Sample Selection Saturday two weeks ago.

Despite the name, it is also a toner. Unlike the smoother, which was for troubled skin, the deep moist is for those with dry skin.

IN BRIEF: THE GOOD AND THE UGLY:

The Good:

I liked it when I thought it was an essence or light emulsion/moisturizer. It is none of those things.

At least, it's not marketed as one. It's marketed in a line of five toners for five distinct skin types. This deep moist, is clearly for those with dry skin. Very dry skin.

I suppose it would be a good toner for people with that skin type. It's really thick and almost has a creamy consistency. Not liquid and fluid at all.

Anyway! Whatever, Etude House. I'll use it how I want to use it. I choose to use it as a moisturizer.

This provided me enough moisture that I could skip my night cream. Of course, it's muggy, hot and August. So this probably wouldn't work for me in a month or two.

In conjunction with the smoother, it provided enough moisture to keep my skin hydrated throughout the night/day without giving me a shiny face or leaving greasy residue.

I'm really happy that under sunscreen and under makeup, this didn't break me out or irritate my face.

The Ugly:

I was so confused when I tried this. I had originally thought this was an essence or very light moisturizer. It has that type of consistency. It works well in that capacity for me.

It was only when I looked at the back that I noticed clues. Freshener, a product in their Wonder Pore line, is a toner. To confirm my suspicions I checked GMarket and it is a toner. One of five in the line.

FYI: I have combination skin and the smoother is a better choice for my skin type, toner-wise. Definitely a better choice now, at the height of summer. This particular toner isn't targeted to me, but aimed towards someone who has very dry skin. As a moisturizer, though, I could get away with using this. Of course this isn't a moisturizer, but a toner.

I didn't appreciate the alcohol smell. It's super strong and really put me off this product.

As far as the sample goes, I hated the packaging. This small tube always makes it hard to get product out, especially if it's thicker than a normal toner. A lot thicker. The packaging, of course, is a lot different than the sample packaging. I'm sure if you do purchase it, it won't be such a struggle for you to get to use it; you did pay for it, after all.

WOULD I PURCHASE?

No.

Etude House Skin Malgem Deep Moist can be found online. 

Sample Selection Saturday | Tarte ReCreate primer

When I buy – or use – primer, it has to pass two tests: keeping my makeup on my face and keeping my face on the dewy side of shiny.

That's all I ask of it.

I don't expect it to keep my face matte-free, especially in the middle of summer. I'm not asking it to create miracles.

Sample Selection Saturday | Etude House Skin Malgem Smoother

I've been outside lately and it's made my skin so raggedy and lacklustre.

I've also been pretty dry, when my skin isn't all shiny, but I've been short on time so I haven't had the chance to tackle these issues. Two issues = two different products = two more things I need to add to my nightly regime: an exfoliator and a toner.

When I thought of this sample, I thought I had stumbled upon the perfect product by pure coincidence.

Sadly, this product was far from perfect. Far from advertised, even.

Sample Selection Saturday | Innisfree Eco Science Skin

The last of the July Sample Selections! Up this week is Innisfree's Eco Science Skin. Unlike last week, Innisfree still sells this line (see?!). Score!

This is pretty amazing, so it would have been a major shame if the line was discontinued.

what is it:

A toner, which took me forever to figure out and which I had to research before I was completely certain that's what it was. This line is an anti-aging line derived from ocean plants found near and in Jeju, a big island off the Korean mainland.

In brief: the Good and the Ugly

The good: 

Strictly talking about the sample, it has a couple days' worth of applications. Twice daily applications. You don't need a lot of product for the face and neck – about five or six drops.

Based on that, the full-sized bottle will go a long way. (As a full-sized product, this is pretty decently priced at 23,000W, which is roughly $23CDN.) I found the toner to be runny, but a little thicker like a serum.

Definitely a toner, though. I found it to be non-irritating, moisturizing and didn't leave a weird finish on my skin. Its scent is awesome, but a bit strong at first. It's fresh and perfect for summer since it smells like a beach day. It has a subtle sea smell.

A personal preference, I really like that this product is EcoCert certified. This "skin" is an "organic cosmetic" and has at least 95 per cent of its plant-based ingredients that come from organic farming. Doubly awesome for my skin!

The ugly: 

The scent is a little strong for my tastes, but it isn't unpleasant. It leaves a subtle scent, but it takes a while before it diffuses.

Would I purchase?

Yes.

Sample Selection Saturday | The Face Shop Intevia Active Original Emulsion

The Face Shop is amazing. I get samples just by going there sometimes. Well, not just by going there, I think you have to hit some sort of quota. Although those baskets they hand out sometimes have a sample just there.

Anyway, this week's sample selection is care of The Face Shop.

What is it?

Apologies, I've scratched most of the writing off the tiny bottle. This is from The Face Shop's Intevia line. Placenta proteins, apparently, were part of the ingredient list.

Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on your view, The Face Shop has since discontinued this line.

FYI: The emulsion is a light moisturizer, that typically follows toner and essence/serum.

In brief: The good and the ugly

The good:

It's an okay moisturizer. Light and perfect for the summer, providing enough moisture to the skin without weighing it down.

The ugly:

The smell is a bit off-putting. I don't know how to describe it. Like a foul-smelling flower would be the closest thing comparable.

The texture it left on my face felt a bit weird. After a while, once it dried, I touched my face and it felt as if I had put mattifying primer on top. (I did not). My skin felt moisturized, it was just accompanied by a weird texture. I'm not a fan.

I'm sure the placenta proteins that were in this emulsion was minimal. But that idea of putting something like that on my skin sort of grosses me out. This coming from the girl who slathers on snail cream daily.

Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

Would I purchase?

No.

 

Sample Selection Saturday | Lush Mask of Magnaminty

Another week, another sample selection!

What is it?:

This week's selection is a two-in-one product. Lush's Mask of Magniminty is a pretty generous product. It can be used as a mask and a cleanser.

In brief: the good and the ugly

The good:

It's a two-in-one product (cleanser and a mask).

I like the minty and slightly earthy smell.

As a cleanser – YOU CAN USE THIS ANYWHERE. This is kind of too strong to use as daily face wash. I'd suggest using this as a treatment mask. Definitely once or twice weekly, tops.

As a mask – YOU CAN USE THIS ANYWHERE. It left my face soft and minimized some swelling and some redness from my spots.

The ugly:

For the occasional user, it costs a lot ($12.95CDN for 125g; $24.95CDN for 315g).

It can be far too much product if you're going to use this primarily as a (face) mask, even if you're going to be using this as a face cleanser. Most of the Lush products I own can be used on the face and body, so this isn't really a problem.

It has a shelf-life of only four months.

The perils of buying products with ingredients I can pronounce. /sarcasm

Would I purchase?

Yes

Sample Selection Saturday | Weleda Wild Rose Pampering Body Lotion

Sample Selection Saturday is a new column where, every week, I will review a sample that has somehow landed on my lap.

Wild Rose body lotion was a bonus that I got when I purchased Weleda's Skinfood.

My body was definitely not pampered by this lotion. I applied it after my shower first thing in the morning and I used it all up in one go. Several hours later and my nose is still recovering from the fake rose smell.

In brief: The good and The ugly

The good:

It's a pretty good-sized sample (20ml).

It comes in a pretty tube, easy to tote around in a purse and use as hand lotion.

The ingredient list. With the exception of fragrance, because I never know exactly what that entails, I only had to look up one ingredient. Glyceryl Stearate SE is an emulsifier (stabilizer) derived from vegetables. It can be found in cleansers, shampoos, conditioners, creams and lotions.

The ugly:

The smell. I'm not one who loves scented products as it is, but I think this might even offend people who do like scents. You'd think with "wild rose" in the name it would smell like roses, but it does not. The scent is so unbelievably artificial and its a poor imitation of a floral. It is way too overpowering.

Makes sense, though. Fragrance is the seventh ingredient on the list.

I don't normally like lotions. I find them to be a bit watery in consistency and don't moisturize my skin as well as a cream or an oil. This Wild Rose body lotion was not an exception.

This is a very light moisturizer, probably better suited for summertime use.

(For reference, it's summer now and it still doesn't make the cut with me.)

Would I purchase?

No.