Yes, I'm still on a mission to use up some of my vast stash of beauty samples, and share mini reviews of the products I trial in the process. I've got quite a nice mixture this time of skincare, make-up and haircare, so read on to find out what I thought of these little bottles, tubes and sachets!!
![Six Mini Beauty Reviews Clearista Garnier John Frieda Clinique Trilogy Laura Mercier #bbloggers]()
John Frieda Frizz-Ease Smooth Start Shampoo, Conditioner & 6 Effects Serum | This trio came with a Boots order a while back now. I used these knowing I'll never buy the full-sized products because of the ingredients list (SLS and silicons both feature), but wanted to get rid of them from my stash - I've actually a couple more sets to use as well! The shampoo foamed nicely and left my hair feeling well-cleaned; the conditioner sank in well and did leave my hair feeling silky and soft. The serum felt so silicone-y that I was reluctant to put it on my hair but I did in the end and, whilst it did leave my hair nice and smooth, I know silicons are not a great way of achieving that. The shampoo & conditioner are both £5.99 for 250ml, whilst the serum is £6.29 for 50ml.
Clearista Retexturizing Gel | This was a free sample via London Beauty Queen; I just want to take a moment to commend Clearista's customer service, as there was some kind of error in sending out these samples, meaning I got landed with a £20 Customs fee - which they promptly paid for me! That aside, I was a huge fan of the luxe packaging and whilst the 'gel' wasn't what I expected (it's more of a scrub) and the smell was a little strange, it did actually work well to smooth and clear my skin. At $79.99 for 120ml this is far from cheap and I probably won't be buying the full size, but it did live up to its claims, so if you can afford to invest that much in skincare then I'd say go for it!
Trilogy Hydrating Mist Toner | This smells beautiful, and I really like the little spritz bottle it came in, although it did leak everywhere when I took it to Nice with me last year... It's the sort of product that's really refreshing to spritz over your face, but I kind of freak out when things are sprayed on my face so I mostly used this for dampening eye brushes when I wanted to apply eyeshadows damp - for which it works beautifully! A full-sized 100ml bottle retails at £17.50, which I think is quite pricey, and I probably wouldn't shell out that much for it.
Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion | This was a magazine freebie and to be honest, I didn't have particularly high hopes for it - I don't really know why but I just wasn't expecting much. I've been keeping it at my boyfriend's and using it both morning and evening when I've been staying over there, and I've actually been pleasantly surprised. The lotion is light on the skin, absorbs quickly and moisturises nicely, without leaving my skin feeling greasy or sticky. I don't think it's anything special but it does do what it's supposed to really quite well. This starts at £17.50 for 50ml.
Laura Mercier Foundation Primer | I got this sample tube from What's In My Handbag? quite a while ago and had really high hopes for it; it's the first Laura Mercier product I've tried and I've always heard such positive things about the brand! This felt lovely and light, and sank in quickly to leave a matte finish to my skin. However, in terms of keeping my skin matte and improving the longevity of my make-up, I really didn't notice much of an effect, which was a disappointment to me. I do ask a lot from a primer but this just didn't meet my requirements, unfortunately. This is £29 for the full-sized 50ml tube.
Garnier Moisture Match for Combination to Oily Skin | I think this sample sachet came in a magazine; I found it had quite a weird texture on the skin and didn't do much (read: anything) to control my oily skin. I was left distinctly unimpressed, and more so by the inclusion of Alcohol Denat, which is a very drying form of alcohol, in the ingredients of a product that claims to be a moisturiser. This isn't one I'll be buying again, even at an affordable £3.99 for 50ml - what were you thinking, Garnier?!
And with that, another six of my beauty samples bite the dust! I feel like I should have so much more space without all these samples in my room but it doesn't seem to work like that - I think I acquire more as quickly as I can use them up! Have you tried any of these products? What's the best sample you've tried recently?
xo
John Frieda Frizz-Ease Smooth Start Shampoo, Conditioner & 6 Effects Serum | This trio came with a Boots order a while back now. I used these knowing I'll never buy the full-sized products because of the ingredients list (SLS and silicons both feature), but wanted to get rid of them from my stash - I've actually a couple more sets to use as well! The shampoo foamed nicely and left my hair feeling well-cleaned; the conditioner sank in well and did leave my hair feeling silky and soft. The serum felt so silicone-y that I was reluctant to put it on my hair but I did in the end and, whilst it did leave my hair nice and smooth, I know silicons are not a great way of achieving that. The shampoo & conditioner are both £5.99 for 250ml, whilst the serum is £6.29 for 50ml.
Clearista Retexturizing Gel | This was a free sample via London Beauty Queen; I just want to take a moment to commend Clearista's customer service, as there was some kind of error in sending out these samples, meaning I got landed with a £20 Customs fee - which they promptly paid for me! That aside, I was a huge fan of the luxe packaging and whilst the 'gel' wasn't what I expected (it's more of a scrub) and the smell was a little strange, it did actually work well to smooth and clear my skin. At $79.99 for 120ml this is far from cheap and I probably won't be buying the full size, but it did live up to its claims, so if you can afford to invest that much in skincare then I'd say go for it!
Trilogy Hydrating Mist Toner | This smells beautiful, and I really like the little spritz bottle it came in, although it did leak everywhere when I took it to Nice with me last year... It's the sort of product that's really refreshing to spritz over your face, but I kind of freak out when things are sprayed on my face so I mostly used this for dampening eye brushes when I wanted to apply eyeshadows damp - for which it works beautifully! A full-sized 100ml bottle retails at £17.50, which I think is quite pricey, and I probably wouldn't shell out that much for it.
Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion | This was a magazine freebie and to be honest, I didn't have particularly high hopes for it - I don't really know why but I just wasn't expecting much. I've been keeping it at my boyfriend's and using it both morning and evening when I've been staying over there, and I've actually been pleasantly surprised. The lotion is light on the skin, absorbs quickly and moisturises nicely, without leaving my skin feeling greasy or sticky. I don't think it's anything special but it does do what it's supposed to really quite well. This starts at £17.50 for 50ml.
Laura Mercier Foundation Primer | I got this sample tube from What's In My Handbag? quite a while ago and had really high hopes for it; it's the first Laura Mercier product I've tried and I've always heard such positive things about the brand! This felt lovely and light, and sank in quickly to leave a matte finish to my skin. However, in terms of keeping my skin matte and improving the longevity of my make-up, I really didn't notice much of an effect, which was a disappointment to me. I do ask a lot from a primer but this just didn't meet my requirements, unfortunately. This is £29 for the full-sized 50ml tube.
Garnier Moisture Match for Combination to Oily Skin | I think this sample sachet came in a magazine; I found it had quite a weird texture on the skin and didn't do much (read: anything) to control my oily skin. I was left distinctly unimpressed, and more so by the inclusion of Alcohol Denat, which is a very drying form of alcohol, in the ingredients of a product that claims to be a moisturiser. This isn't one I'll be buying again, even at an affordable £3.99 for 50ml - what were you thinking, Garnier?!
And with that, another six of my beauty samples bite the dust! I feel like I should have so much more space without all these samples in my room but it doesn't seem to work like that - I think I acquire more as quickly as I can use them up! Have you tried any of these products? What's the best sample you've tried recently?
xo