#SampleSaturday --- Well, Make it Sunday

Hi Guys,

So I am currently dealing with a cold, so I wasn't feeling like trying new samples yesterday, but today I was bored so I figured I'd give some a shot.

Today I tried Maybelline's 24HR SuperStay Makeup, Elon Foot Cream, and Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Anti-Sun-Damage Daily Eye Cream

I used the Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Anti-Sun-Damage Daily Eye Cream after showering. I have looked into eye-creams because I am 21 and have very dark under-eye circles. I feel that it's never too early to start using an anti-wrinkle eye cream, and if it will help to lighten my dark circles it will be a plus. Also, I have very dry skin, so adding any moisturizing formula is a good idea for me.

I don't have too much sun damage (that I know of), so I wasn't really sure what this product would do, but since it was free I decided I'd give it a shot. Now, I'm sure that this is a product you have to use more than once for the anti-sun damage to work, so I was looking more at texture, ease, and scent.

This product smells like sunscreen (which makes sense because it is SPF 15). However, I'm not the biggest fan of that scent, especially if it's not summer. This product is creamy and easy to spread over the delicate skin under my eyes. It was not greasy and felt very smooth after drying. I feel that this product works very well under makeup.

I probably will not be purchasing this product in particular, because I am looking for something that will brighten my under-eye circles, but if you do have sun damage I do recommend this product. It has a very nice texture, and the additional SPF is great! Overall I'd give this product seven stars out of ten.


Next, I used the Elon Foot Cream because my feet are a sore sight after summer wear and tear. Walking on the beach and wearing all different shoes have made it so that my heels are rough and not pretty. I received this sample from a small boutique, and I have no idea why they even have this product. After reading the packaging I found that it is a medicated foot cream that is supposed to help skin from not breaking and cracking. My feet are not great, but they're not that bad either. I figured it would be helpful though, so after buffing my feet with a lemon scrub I used this product.

This product was weird. I guess that's the best way of describing it. It definitely smelled like medicine, and it was a weird tan color with specks in it. It was not very thick, which surprised me, and I did not feel like it was making a difference. This was by far the oddest sample I have ever tried, and I will not be purchasing this product. To be honest, I have no idea why I even have this sample. I would give this product three stars out of ten.


The last sample I tried was the Maybelline 24HR SuperStay Makeup in Natural Beige. This color was a perfect match for my skin tone! I was very pleased with the texture and color payoff of this product. For a small amount of product I could cover all of my problem areas, leaving my face looking smooth and flawless. I would definitely recommend this product, especially since they have a wide array of colors to match your skin tone. I really liked this product, and I would give it nine stars out of ten.

Sample Saturday - Too Faced

I recently purchased items from the Too Faced vintage Sale and with my purchase I received sample sizes of the Primed and Poreless face primer and Shadow Insurance eye primer. I have not tried very many brands of primers and so I can't honestly compare either of these with much else, but I do think that they were both great products.

I began with the Primed and Poreless Skin Smoothing Face Primer. I have never purchased a face primer before because I have pretty smooth skin and have never felt it necessary to spend the extra money, so I was curious to see what this product would be like. I have used one other primer before (In my last Sample Saturday blog post), but because that was a one-use sample I did not get much from it.

I wasn't really sure how much to use at first so I squeezed out a small drop to see how far that would go because I didn't want to waste any product from this small sample. I was very happy to find that a little tiny bit of product went a long way!

The product comes out in a tan color and didn't have much of a scent which was good in my opinion. It made my face feel very silky and smooth, but for $30 a bottle I will pass on purchasing this product in the future. I loved the sample and will definitely use the rest of the product, but I feel that my skin is fine without this product and I feel that the less I use the better.

Overall, I would give this product seven stars out of ten because it did what it said it would and left my skin silky smooth, but is a little pricey for a primer.

After finishing my face regimen I used the Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer on my eyelids to help keep the eyeshadow I purchased from Too Faced (Glamour To Go II Palette) on my eyelids without creasing. I have never experienced creasing with powder shadow before so I was not too worried about this, but I did want my eyeshadow to last longer in the day.

The only other eye shadow primer I have used it New York Color's primer which came in a palette I purchased, and that one is very creamy and covers almost like a concealer. However, Shadow Insurance comes out clear and does not cover any redness or veins. This is not too big of a deal for me, but it is definitely something that I would want if I bought an entire bottle of eye primer. Unlike the Primed and Poreless, Shadow Insurance didn't really feel silky.

After wearing this product all day I don't really feel that it kept my eye-shadow well enough to want to purchase the full sized bottle. Again, I will probably use up the rest of my sample, but I don't feel that the benefits outweigh the cost of $18, even though this price is not particularly bad. I love Too Faced products, but I think I'll stick to the products with color :)

I rate this item six stars out of ten.

New York Color Individual Eyes Palette for Brown Eyes

I purchased the NYC (New York Color) Individual Eyes palette for brown eyes at Rite Aid for $2.49 at half price, but I believe it is typically $4.99. This palette is in the color Union Square.

 I wanted to post a tutorial and review of this product because I am always looking for inexpensive palettes that work well. The reason I chose this palette in particular is because I have had a good experience with NYC in the past, and I liked that this palette also included a primer and cream highlighter as well. 

 This is the inside of the packaging, which is great especially for beginners because it gives a pretty clear description of what the colors can be used for. 

I began by using the primer/base. I have never used an eye primer before so I don't have very much to compare this primer with, but I was very happy with the texture and application. The primer is much thicker than I was expecting, and could even be used as a concealer if it matched your skin tone. It did a very good job of covering any veins or spots on my eyelids.

 I put the primer on just with my fingertips, and it spread on very easily and comfortably. 

Next, using the suggestion of the packaging I put the second darkest color all over my lid and found that the primer did not crease or come off. The second color is very pigmented and I did see a noticeable difference in the look of my eyelid. It looked a lot more polished and clean.

After creating a good base I took the third darkest eyeshadow and using the provided applicator, blended the color into my creases and outer corners of my eye creating a winged effect.

To add some color, I repeated the same step with the purple eyeshadow as well.

Below includes both colors.

Now, using the lightest eye-shadow and an eyeshadow brush I blended the light color in on my eyebrow bone, underneath the lower water line and in the inside corners of my eye to give a more awake effect.

Because I was using this palette for school, I decided not to use the actual cream illuminator because I did not want a shiny effect, but if you want to use this it would work on the eyebrow bone and inner corners of the eye.

The next steps include products that do not come with the palette, but are inexpensive drug store items as well!

To add a more dramatic and clean look, I wanted to use a thin liquid eyeliner that would just add some volume to my lash line. I use Prestige Cosmetics Liquid Eyeliner and create a thin line beginning at the center of my lid, and then sweeping out.

Make sure that once you reach the corner of the eyelid you sweep the wing of eyeliner towards the tip of your eyebrow.

The last step for the eyes is to add mascara on your lashes! One of my favorite mascaras is Maybelline's XXL Pro 24 Hour Bold mascara which includes two steps.

I swiped the first mascara into my lashes making sure to focus mainly on the base of the lashes. I repeat this step with the second wand, but focusing on the length of the lashes.

Now, your eye look is complete! 

To add a pop of color you can ad your favorite lipstick or lip balm. I am wearing Maybelline's Baby Lips in Pink Punch!

Below are all of the products I used to create this look. Comment below if you have questions or requests to see a tutorial or review on any of the other products!!

Thank You!!!

#SampleSaturday

Everyone has that pile of samples sitting around their house. Most samples probably consist of hotel shampoos and conditioners, but you can't underestimate your sample collection. The whole point of companies giving out samples is so that you will try them and hopefully like them. I make sure to keep and use all of the samples I can get, and have found some of my favorite products in this way!

I like to try out samples on Saturdays so that if I do have a bad reaction to one of them (which I never have), I'll have a couple days to recover before the week starts. I recommend to anyone with sensitive skin to only try products meant for sensitive skin!

Today I wanted to go all out and try a bunch of new products to switch up my routine a little bit. I decided I'd go with a new shampoo and conditioner, a hair softening spray, a face primer, two different liquid foundations (I originally thought one was a liquid blush... oops), and a mineral body lotion.

I'll begin with the shampoo and conditioner, Pureology Serious Color Care antifade complex shampoo and conditioner.

I was quickly drawn to the shampoo when I began pouring it out and it was a pretty lilac color, but then the smell hit me and I could not get over how manly and musty it smelled. I decided to slather it on anyways, and loved the texture. It felt very light and sudsy and with a small amount of product I could easily cover all of my hair. I don't like to switch up my shampoo very often, and I definitely will not be switching to this shampoo. I hated the smell and was not wowed by anything. Overall, I would give this sample 6 stars out of ten.

I was a little leery of moving onto the conditioner, but wanted to give a full review so went ahead and did it anyways. The conditioner was not the pretty lilac color of the shampoo, (it was white), and had a COMPLETELY different scent... Imagine your foot scrub and lotion, a peppermint kind of smell. IT WAS WORSE THAN THE SHAMPOO?!? I am not a fan of strong scents, but it got even weirder when I put the conditioner on my hair. Like lip plumpers and foot lotion, it gave a chilling tingling sensation on my back where my hair hit, and on my scalp. The packaging does not describe why this is, and I'm still not sure it wasn't a factory mistake because it was the weirdest conditioner I have ever used and my head now smells like a foot. I hate it. So, I guess I would give this product 1 star out of ten.

After letting my hair dry a little, I used the Matrix Biolage Hydratherapie Hydra Seal Softening Mist. Finally! a scent I can live with! Unfortunately, as I am writing this my hair is still damp so I can't give a full review, so make sure the follow my Twitter for a finishing review. As far as I know, it left a nice texture on my hair and had a great scent. Can't wait to see the results! A tentative 8 stars out of ten.

Next I used the L'Oreal Paris Magic Perfecting Base Face Primer after my usual post-shower routine. I loved this product! It was very thick, but still manageable and swiped onto my face smoothly and effortlessly! One of the claims on the packaging was, "Your skin will feel like pure silk" (Luana), and it truly did. I will definitely look into this product when buying a face primer! At $12.99 it is very affordable, and based on the thickness I would assume that it would last a while! I give this product 9 stars out of ten!

After using the primer, I started using the Clinique Even Better Makeup with SPF 15 because I have never used liquid foundations before and I was curious about what they would look like on my face. I don't really think that the color sample I had fit my face, so I did not like it, but as far as texture went it felt smooth and did not leave a "cakey" look. I am a huge fan of Clinique products, the face lotion that Clinique puts out is probably my favorite product of all time. I was not as happy about the foundation, but that's ok because I don't really want to use it anyways. However, for people who may want to use liquid foundation I would give it 8 stars out of ten for its smoothness.

Next I opened the Chanel Perfection Lumiere because I had thought it was a liquid blush for some reason, and when I realized it was another liquid foundation I washed off the Clinique foundation and put the Chanel foundation on. I was thinking that I would like the Chanel foundation better because it fit my skin tone perfectly, but ended up hating it once it dried because I have dry skin and it looked VERY powdery. At $55 a pop, I would never purchase this product after trying it. I would give it 3 stars out of ten for people with dry skin. Maybe someone with oily skin might have better luck. 

The last product I tried was the Seacret Minerals from the Dead Sea Cucumber & Melon Body Lotion for all skin types. Cucumber is my favorite scent because it's usually not too overbearing, but this scent was definitely more melon than it was cucumber. It was a good smell, and if you're a scent addict I would definitely recommend it, but it just wasn't for me. The lotion didn't look special in any sort of way and was very thin. The sample was very small so I decided to put it on my hands, forearms, and elbows. It spread on nicely, but it is not very moisturizing at all. It made no difference on my elbows, and after an hour my hands do not feel smooth. According to the website a bottle is $19.99, which isn't bad, so if you're looking for a lotion with a lot of scent I would recommend it. If you're looking for something that really moisturizes, I would not recommend it. For me, I would rate this product at 3 stars out of ten.

So after trying a wide variety of products, I discovered that the only products I really liked were the L'Oreal face primer and Matrix Biolage softening spray. 

Have you tried any of these products? I would love to know what you think in the comments below!

Organix Brand Moroccan Argan Oil and Brazilian Keratin Therapy

Let me just say, Organix products definitely deserve a blog post! I have been looking at the Organix Beauty Pure and Simple shampoos and conditioners for some time, but have been hesitant to buy considering the price. A normal sized bottle is around $7-10 at retailers in my area for a smaller bottle of product. However, when I saw sample sizes at Ulta for $2.99 each I decided I'd give them a try.

I decided to buy the Brazilian Keratin Therapy in the shampoo because I have Keratin therapy in the Suave brand for a conditioner, and I have heard great things about Moroccan Argan Oil, so I decided to buy that in the conditioner. The two bottles I purchased are pictured to the side.

I'll begin with my least favorite of the two (even though they're both fabulous); the Brazilian Keratin Therapy Shampoo. The shampoo is in a tan bottle that boasts,

"An exclusive blend of antioxidant rich coconut oil along with lush keratin proteins to strengthen and soften the hair, while avocado oil and cocoa butter smooth the cuticle for straight, strong tresses, adding a brilliant glow and luminescent shine" (organix).

I have wavy, frizzy hair that is a long length, and for the most part I either straighten my hair or let it air dry and use a Suave anti-frizz cream. I wanted to see if the shampoo would make any difference by itself, so I let my hair air dry without using any other product. I was happy to find that my hair was noticeably smoother, but definitely not any straighter. I would never rely on a shampoo to help straighten my hair, but I knew this going in, so I was not disappointed.

The smell of the shampoo was amazing, but not overbearing. The smell is probably my favorite part of the shampoo because I love the scent of coconut! I'd have to say that what I did not like about the shampoo is that it did not lather like a typical shampoo. I like feeling suds in my hair because it makes me feel like I'm actually cleaning my hair. This shampoo creates little to no suds, and I just felt weird lathering my hair.

So to summarize, I love the smell and effects of this shampoo, but my only negatives are that it does not produce suds and it is a little on the expensive side (for me at least, a poor college student). I rate this shampoo a 6 out of 10.

On to the Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil conditioner, which I absolutely LOVED! First off, it's a much more fruity scent than the keratin therapy, and even though I love the coconut smell of the keratin therapy, I much prefer the fruity/florally scent of the argan oil. The conditioner is a creamy peachy white and it's very thick (which is always a good sign for a conditioner). The bottle claims,

"A unique, precious blend of Moroccan argan oil which instantly penetrates the hair shaft restoring shine and softness while strengthening and creating soft, seductive silk perfection" (Organix).

I JUST LOVE IT. The creamy conditioner glided onto my hair effortlessly, and I could feel the knots being removed from my hair instantly. Also, I liked that it washed out pretty quickly, but not so quickly like it felt like it was not working.

After I got out of the shower, brushing my long tangly hair was a breeze. Also, my hair smelled fabulous and instantly made me feel ten times happier! (scent is a great mood booster). MY HAIR IS SO SOFT. Even when damp I could feel my tresses were much softer than they had been using Pantene Pro-V conditioner and once dry, my hair felt like silk! (This is not usually the case due to frizz). I am completely in love with this product and will definitely be buying the normal size once I have tried and used my Suave Keratin conditioner. (Will make a post for that once I try it).

To summarize, the Moroccan Argan Oil conditioner was fantastic smelling, thick and creamy, and had great results! I would rate this product a 9.8 out of 10 only because of the price!



Comment below and tell me if you've tried these products and what you think!
I love to hear your opinions!

Victoria's Secret... Marketing

Every mall in America has a staple store that every girl loves. This store, of course, is Victoria's Secret; a store that has a wide range of products that appeal to all different types of girls and women. Whether you're a pastel flower frills kind of girl or a punk rock princess, you'll be able to find something to fit your style. Not to mention the wide range of body products, makeup, and perfumes you will find there as well.

With sales over $5 billion, Victoria's Secret is a power player in the retail industry. However, it is interesting how Victoria's Secret got to that point with highly overpriced products. Each product is marked up by more than double its cost, and are not always made with the highest quality materials. However, like a cult following, customers repeatedly purchase $10 pieces of fabric and elastic bands.

I love walking into a Victoria's Secret store, no matter where I am. Being a girly girl, I'm immediately drawn in by the expanse of pink stripes and lace. I always know that when I step into a Victoria's Secret that I will quickly be greeted by someone and reminded that if I need any help that there is someone there for me. I always feel that sense of luxury and grandeur, even if I'm just in my local mall.

This is the bread and butter of Victoria's Secret's business strategy. The company relies on this prestige and has gathered a huge customer base that buys into it. Unlike many other huge retailers, Victoria's Secret lets the customer know that it is a designer brand. Each year the Victoria's Secret fashion show is broadcast on television and is a highly anticipated event. Both women and men gather to watch the hour long show featuring the Victoria's Secret Angels strutting their stuff down the runway. The outfits are outrageous and fun, sexy and gorgeous and appeal to both sexes. The funny part is, people are really just watching an hour long commercial. I think it's amazing that a marketing ploy is something that people all over the U.S. will watch while drinking wine and having a good time.



Both the stores and products appeal to women and men due to the atmosphere and attitude that they convey. Victoria's Secret is a brand that everyone can identify from the pink-striped shopping bags to the semi-annual sale. This yearly event is nothing crazy or new in the marketing world, but Victoria's Secret has almost branded the phrase "semi-annual sale" with their onslaught of commercials and social media strategies. I follow Victoria's Secret on Twitter, and was surprised to see that people were sending in photo's of their "haul" from shopping the semi-annual sale to the company. I would really like to meet the marketing genius to came up with
this idea because it helps the company in so many ways. Not only are they getting the customers to interact with the brand, but they're also sending these posts that their friends can see. I know that I get jealous of every post that I see and wish I had a better income so I could buy all of it (man am I materialistic).

I would be honored to work for the marketing department of Victoria's Secret because they are really masterminds when it comes to selling. I have yet to see a marketing tactic that Victoria's Secret has used that I haven't thought was brilliant!!

Taylor Swift is gorgeous!!