Empties | July

There's something incredibly wonderful about these sample entries. For me, anyway.

It always freaks me out how much I have and have yet to use. It's why I'm always incredibly excited every time I post a Sample Selection Saturday.

With empties, I'm always super excited to see those empty jars pile up. You have no idea how excited I am when I take all those empty bottles to the recycling bin.

Seriously. You have absolutely no idea.

1. Lush Herbalism: Gentle. Natural. Playful. Green. It was nice using a cleanser that was so much fun to use. The ground almonds were fine enough that they didn't tug, pull or nick at my skin and provided a coarse graininess that gently exfoliated my skin.

2. L'Oréal Ombrelle Face SPF 45: The absolute best chemical sunscreen that I've tried yet. It doesn't make me ashy, lasts a long time, doesn't irritate me and doesn't feel heavy on my skin. Best of all, it provides ample moisture. It's amazing.

3. Coconut oil. This is one of the few HGs I can own up to. This jar was pretty full when I first mentioned it, but I use it for so many things including cooking. On the beauty front, I use it for oil pulling when it's in its liquid form (whiter teeth is just one of the benefits), as a daily moisturizer, as a hair treatment and as a makeup remover.

Pro tip: Coconut oil has a multitude of uses, including helping to speed up healing from bites and minor irritations. This has been hit and miss with me and mosquito bites, but when it does work it's amazing!

Sample Selection Saturday empties

4. Weleda Wild Rose Body Lotion: My nose hurt so bad after wearing this. Not only that, but it left me feeling a bit dry. All around, total let down.

5. Lush Mask of Magniminty: Amazing! It kind of looks like mint chocolate ice cream. I love the mint smell and it left my skin a bit calmer when I used it. Strike that, markedly calmer. Don't think those were chocolate bits though, I think those were beans based on Lush's ingredient list.

6. The Face Shop's Intevia Emulsion: Ugh. I don't normally like slamming products, but this was all sorts of bad. Well, not really. But any good that this product was is eclipsed so totally by what's bad.

7. Innisfee Eco-Science Skin (toner): Unlike the previous sample selection, this is part of a line that you can still purchase. It took me forever to realize this sample was toner, as opposed to serum. It's runny, but a little thicker than toner. It smells refreshing and was gentle on my skin.

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.

 

Review | The Face Shop New Zealand Volcanic Clay Blackhead Clay Nose Pack

Phew. That's certainly a mouthful, isn't it?

Blackheads are annoying, aren't they? Since I was 11, I've been plagued by them. Annoying black freckles scattered all over my nose.

I've made it one of my missions to find a way to banish them for good.

Enter The Face Shop's New Zealand Volcanic Clay Blackhead Nose Pack.