Makeup, Skincare & Samples…OH MY!

It’s been way too long since I did a beauty update around these parts. The truth is that I honestly haven’t found anything that I’ve LOVED in quite awhile. If we’re being even more honest, I’m finally getting over a skin rash I’ve had since late November which prohibited me from using anything except a medically prescribed ointment on my face and neck area when it came to my skincare regimen. YIKES!
(For curious minds, my skin had a reaction when I went from using Hawaii water to Pennsylvania water to wash my face. I’m a little wary to see what happens when I switch back to Hawaii water.)

Anyhow, now that I’m back in the swing of makeup hoarding and skincare sampling, I’m ready to share my thoughts with some of my latest finds.

 When I was FINALLY able to order from Sephora again, the sample Gods rained down upon me, as witnessed by the photo above.

First up? Boscia Detoxifying Black Cleanser (far right in photo)
I’ve blogged before about Boscia products and my love for them–specifically their Black Mask & White Mask–so I was anxious to see how I liked one of their facial cleansers. This detoxifying cleanser is supposed to declog pores and refine skin texture, all while gently cleansing your entire face.
I like this cleanser a lot. It heats up on contact with your face and does provide the gentle cleansing–as advertised. My favorite part was the “warming up on contact”, because I felt like the active ingredients were being called to action and doing their job. With gentle cleansing, comes minimal lather, which I’m not a huge fan of–I want to see bubbles cleaning my skin! That’s just a weird personal preference of mine, though.
The one thing this cleanser does not do is remove eye makeup, so this is one you would need to use in tandem with an eye makeup remover–sometimes people don’t like that. I fully admit I wear a lot of eye makeup, so this could also be a result of my own process. In just one week of using this cleanser, my face feels tighter and brighter–something I think any woman can appreciate.
I would DEFINITELY buy the full size version of this product.

Next, I tried the First Aid Beauty-Ultra Repair Cream.
No real shock to anyone in the Northeast (or anyone experiencing this crazy winter weather), my skin is incredibly dry. Dry to the point where it’s been flaking off–GROSS! So some ultra-repairing was just what I thought I needed. I made sure to double check that this cream was safe for face and it is touted to be A-OK, including that it was safe for even the most sensitive skin. I was disappointed to learn that this moisturizer burned the heck out of my skin immediately upon application. In fact, I only used it on one cheek, because it burned so terribly.
The plus side in this, is that I still had the majority of a packet and used the rest on my elbows and feet before I went to bed. I saw the biggest difference in how soft my feet felt the next morning–definitely moisturized.
I would probably not buy the full size version of this product. While I liked the result on my feet, $28 is a bit too pricey for me.

Not pictured above is the Korres Greek Yoghurt Advanced Nourishing Sleeping Facial that I purchased the full size version of.

I was a former user of the Moisturizing Face Cream, but when they changed the formula last fall, I wasn’t as sold on it anymore. BUT! When the formulas changed, the sleeping facial was a new product integrated into the line.
Friends, buy a case of this. I started using it 3 times per week, in a very small amount, and the changes to my skin are abundant. I put it on before bed and rinse it off in the morning with lukewarm water. Admittedly, I think the water temperature makes a difference. I usually like to wash my face with cold water in the morning to wake up, however this left my skin looking red and splotchy–I think the coldness was too harsh. Stick with the lukewarm, trust me. I will continue to use this so long as Korres continues to make it!

That’s all I’ve got until I plow through some of those other samples. Any beauty must-haves I’m missing out on?