I am still reeling over the fact that we are literally in 2020. At this point we're midway through January. WTF. I feel like I just started joined this community and started this blog and it's already been two years 🤯. Anyway, I finished a few new products in December. I did a little bit of traveling so I was able to empty a few samples that I've been hoarding, finally! Keep reading to hear my thoughts on them!
Skincare
Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm Sample ($34 for 3.4 oz at Sephora)
This is a cleansing balm formulated for all skin types, and the description on Sephora says it "melts virtually all makeup, leaving skin hydrated and silky smooth." It's formulated with sunflower and ginger root oils to melt makeup, turmeric and moringa extract that helps remove impurities, sunscreen residue, and fight the effects of pollution, and papaya enzymes that naturally exfoliates pores. I was shocked with how much I loved this product. I'm not really a Farmacy stan, their sheet masks are my absolute favorite, but everything else that I've sampled by them has just been meh in my very humble opinion. I didn't want to travel with my BFD or my other cleansing balm that I had open at the time (I think it was the All Clean Balm) and I had just received this sample with a recent Sephora purchase, so it was perfect timing. You just need a teeny tiny amount that truly melts the makeup off of your face (even the most stubborn of makeup) and it emulsifies like a dream. And my skin felt softer than any other first cleanse I've tried in the past. I am truly blown away by this product. This tiny sample also lasted me a weekend trip in NYC and then the first few days of my trip to North Carolina. I have BFD Cleansing Oil and the Good Molecules Cleansing Balm open at the moment, but I will definitely repurchase this in the future.
OleHenriksen Sheer Transformation Perfecting Moisturizer Sample ($40 for 1.7 oz at Sephora)
I don't really hear much about this moisturizer; it must be an old one that dropped before I ever knew anything about OleHenriksen. It's described as an oil-free moisturizer, rich in antioxidants, to weightlessly hydrate, even tone, and smooth skin for a healthy-looking complexion. It's a thicker cream that has a whipped texture, and it looks like it almost has a shimmery appearance, but it doesn't add any shimmer to your skin. I used this as my nighttime moisturizer while I was traveling, and it definitely made my skin look more luminous. I didn't have any adverse reaction to using it (it was super bold of me to use a new moisturizer while traveling), but it also didn't wow me in any way. Don't know that I would ever spend $40 on this moisturizer is just okay. Won't repurchase.
Neutrogena Hydroboost Water Gel ($16 for 1.7 oz found basically everywhere)
This is one of my favorite daytime moisturizers, I've probably emptied 5 jars by now. It really does provide the intense hydration of a thicker moisturizer, without all the extra BS. It does include fragrance if that's a no-go for you, but it's not overpowering and my skin has never had an adverse reaction to it. I could see how those with sensitive skin might stay away. It absorbs almost immediately, keeps my skin properly moisturized during the day, and doesn't pill when I add my sunscreen on top. They now have the brightening gel moisturizer with vitamin C that I'm eager to try. I will forever repurchase this one!
Grace & Stella Hyaluronic Acid Serum* ($25 for 1.7 fl oz at Amazon, Grace & Stella)
The brand reached out to me to try a few of their products because they were celebrating the fact that they were newly available on Amazon. All of their products that I tried were incredibly subpar to me, this HA being no exception. This serum basically felt like putting like a thick water on my face, and I didn't notice any increased hydration when I used it. When I went to check the ingredients online, hyaluronic acid is the second to last ingredient listed 🤦🏾♀. This whole product was a waste of time, and I'm glad that it's out of my life. Needless to say, will not be repurchasing.
Fourth Ray Beauty BFD Cleansing Oil Mini ($14 for 4.15 fl oz at Fourth Ray Beauty)
I've talked about this product a lot--it's my absolute favorite cleansing oil to use. I've gotten my boyfriend his own bottle because he's greedy and I'm greedy and I don't want to share. This little mini came in their (looks like it's now discontinued) Take Me With You set which also included a mini size of the the AM to PM Cleanser and the Keep Clear Tonic. I really hope they make another mini size of the BFD because it's not TSA friendly and I hate having to put it in a smaller container. Anyway, I'll always repurchase this one based on the affordability and effectiveness alone.
Acure Seriously Soothing Solid Serum* ($16 for 1.7 fl oz at Acure, Target, Whole Foods)
This serum was kindly gifted to me by the brand. I've posted in the past about how much I love Acure's Seriously Soothing line. I think it's affordable, and the line is formulated with ingredients that are effective at soothing any sort of irritation you might have. This serum was a little bit different in that it's a solid. I used a spatula to take a pea sized amount each time I used it and it basically dissolves onto your face as an oil. It is thick, and it does sit on your face as an oil, so I used this mainly before bed. I was today years old when I realized that it's marketed as a 3-in-1 product (just looked it up on the Acure website). You can use it as a cleansing balm, a spot treatment, and a facial treatment. Wish I knew I could use it as a cleansing balm before I emptied it... I might have finished it a little bit quicker. It did take me a minute to get through this jar, but I really enjoyed it. I have their Seriously Soothing Serum Stick that I'm using right now, so I won't repurchase.
La Roche-Posay Purifying Foaming Cleanser ($15 for 13.52 fl oz on Amazon)
I bought this on a whim on Amazon, I think it was a beauty lightening deal one day, and I definitely didn't need to buy it because I have 347 other unopened cleansers that are sitting around waiting for me to try, but it had a stellar customer rating. And I think I got it for half off. It's a gel formula that lathers up to a foamy consistency to remove makeup, impurities, for a fresh clean feel. It's ingredients are ceramide-3, niacinamide, thermal water, and glycerine. I really enjoyed this cleanser. It didn't make my skin feel tight or stripped, but instead left it feeling soft, which is really all I'm looking for in a cleanser. I never used it to remove makeup because that's a beauty no-no, but for those of you that don't double cleanse, I think this would be a good option. But please double cleanse 😬. It's a massive bottle that should last you a long time, but once again, my boyfriend also uses all my skincare, so supply decreases a lot quicker. Like I said, I have a million other cleansers that I need to get through at the moment so I won't be repurchasing.
Makeup
Milk Makeup Hydrogrip Primer Mini ($15 for 0.33 oz at Sephora)
Y'all. Milk created some magic with this primer. I didn't even get through half the mini size before I ran and repurchased the full size. And when Sephora put these in their 100-pt rewards bazaar, I picked up 4 of the reward sizes. I don't know what it is about this primer, but it works with every. single. foundation I've tried with it. Whether it be matte, or luminous, or satin, whatever. It adds this sticky base that really does adhere to your foundation, and it just doesn't move for the rest of the day. Both Jackie and Alissa love this primer, and I can see why. It seems like it works best for us girls with oily skin. The best base that I've tried with the primer to date though, is Milk's Flex Foundation stick. They are clearly meant to be used together. I have never seen a more flawless base in my life. You're welcome, if you decide to try. I WILL REPURCHASE THIS PRIMER 🗣.
Mac Prep + Prime Fix+ Goldlite ($28 for 3.4 fl oz at MAC and Ulta)
I love Fix+, I used to use it so religiously whenever I would do my makeup, but I've since turned to UD's All Nighter & De-Slick for my prep & prime needs. HOWEVER, your girl loves shimmer. I love a good highlight. So when MAC launched this version, I picked it up immediately. I've had it about a year (honestly, maybe longer) and I'm just finishing it. It adds the most glorious shimmer, but be wary, you will see the shimmer. Make sure you keep the nozzle far from your face and really shake well before spraying or else it'll look like Tinkerbell sprinkled some magic on you. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, right? Towards the bottom of the bottle, there was more shimmer than liquid so it was honestly dispensing just glitter. That's when I decided to call it a day on this bottle. I would repurchase, but not at the moment because I'm trying to get through Fourth Ray's Glisten Up spray which is a pretty good dupe for this product.
Haircare
Pattern Beauty Heavy Conditioner for Coilies ($9 for 3 fl oz at Pattern & Ulta)
I love everything about TER. When she announced Pattern, I was already positively biased without even trying any of the products. When it finally dropped, I picked up the mini sizes of this conditioner, the intensive conditioner, the leave in conditioner, the microfiber towel, the detangling brush, and the jojoba hair serum, FOR THE CULTURE. This was the conditioner that I tried first, and I liked it! I didn't love it, but it was okay. But then I used the intensive conditioner on my next wash day and sis, I was blown away. My hair felt soft and moisturized, and it was so much easier to style the following week. I immediately bought the bigger size of the intensive conditioner after that (13 fl oz for $25). Basically I made myself get through this tube just to empty it, but after using half a tube of the bigger size of the intensive, I won't repurchase this specific conditioner. I love what Pattern stands for, and being on my natural hair journey for around a year now, it has not been easy. So following and seeing so many beautiful women of color embrace their natural hair and seeing it become more normalized makes me feel so empowered. Can't wait to empty the other Pattern products that I've tried and blog about those!
If you've gotten this far I have so much love for you. Thank you for your consistent support with my blog! Let me know in the comments of my instagram post what you emptied in December!
*PR gifted