Sample Summary #6

1) Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Make-up

Full size: £27.50 for 30ml

Estee Lauder Double Wear used to be many a blogger’s holy grail foundation (I noticed it made a bit of a disappearance as of late) and I came close to buying it several times, so it was nice to get a little sachet to try it, even if it was only enough for one application and the colour didn’t match my skin at all.

Turns out I hate it. Thick, gloopy and pasty it looked like a mask on my face and felt very heavy while I was wearing it. I think I’ll stick to my light to medium coverage foundations for the time being. Glad I didn’t waste money on a full sized bottle, at least!

2) Dior The New Nude Foundation

Full size: £31.00 for 30ml

As opposed to 95% of foundation samples you get in magazines, this one was actually a fairly good match for my skin tone. I’m not entirely sure why, but I was hesitant to use this sample, expecting not to like it before I’d even given it a go. So upon application I was actually very surprised to find it’s a lovely product. It smoothed on perfectly, melted into my skin and gave a lovely matte, but natural look. Staying power was also quite impressive.

The only thing I’d say is that the name is a bit misleading. You’d expect light coverage from a foundation called “The New Nude”, but it was more of a medium coverage, bordering on heavy. Still, I think there might be a purchase looming!

3) Boss Nuit Pour Femme Body Lotion

Full size: £22.00 for 200ml

Now, I’ve got to be very frank here. I have absolutely nothing against sponsored posts, but when this fragrance launched, pretty much every blog on my reader had a sponsored post up about it and rather than entice me to buy the perfume, it actually put me off trying it. There’s a thing or two to be learnt about over-saturation in my humble opinion.

Now, that aside, I liked the fragrance when I smelled the body lotion, but there was nothing exciting about it, so even after having a whiff I won’t be running out to buy it. Moisturising properties of this sample were pretty much non-existant and it only served as a way to lightly fragrance my body.

4) Aveeno Skin Relief Moisturising Lotion

Full size: £5.40 for 200ml

This one, along with the Palmer’s cocoa butter, seems to pop up in magazines on a regular basis, yet I’ve never actually purchased a full size of either body lotions.

It doesn’t have the typical fruity scent I usually go for in body lotions and butters, but moisturised my skin well and despite being quite rich, sank in quickly and was easily spreadable. Again, I prefer scented body butters, but that’s just personal preference and I found nothing wrong with this lotion at all.

5) Jil Sander Everose Body Lotion

Full size: 17,95€ for 200ml (currently unavailable in the UK)

Another perfumed body lotion. I honestly don’t know, why cosmetics companies bring them out, because they’re frequently just plain awful. Just like the Boss one, this was runny, sticky, didn’t sink into the skin at all and for moisturisation I would have been better off rubbing myself with a carrot.

The scent was nice, quite summery, but again nothing I’d go wild about. I do find that a lot of Jil Sander fragrances are very samey and hey, if they’re your thing then that’s great, but personally, I think I’ll pass.

6) Annemarie Boerlind Naturoyale Biolifting Day Active

Full size: $229.99 for 50ml (currently unavailable in the UK)

This is a sample I picked up from a German magazine a while ago. The cream was way too rich and greasy for me and turned my face into a sticky, oily mess. To be honest, that’s something I’ve noticed with many German brands - their skincare is just so ridiculously rich that loads of brands I’ve tried have given me instant breakouts and/or a really shiny face.

This one was just horrible, so I’m not overly bothered that I can’t get hold of any of these products over here in England. Not to mention that the astronomical price tag gave me a little heart attack as soon as I found out how much people are expected to pay for this little tub of lard.

Sample Summary #1

I like the idea of discussing samples I've been trying in a summary style post, as it's not really worth making a separate post for every sample, but there are quite a few good and even amazing products I've been able to try that I'd like to tell you about anyway! Now I just need to make sure I remember to take pictures of all my samples before I slather them all over me, so bear with me on that one...

Mir gefällt die Idee, Pröbchen die ich benutzt habe in einer Art Zusammenfassung zu besprechen, da sie es nicht wert sind, einzelne Posts zu bekommen. Jedoch habe ich ein paar gute und sogar umwerfende Produkte ausprobieren können, von denen ich euch gerne erzählen würde! Jetzt muss ich mich nur noch daran erinnern, Fotos von meinen Pröbchen zu schießen bevor ich sie überall hinschmiere, aber das kommt schon noch....

1) Diorshow New Look Mascara

Let's get straight to the point: I'm completely in love with this mascara. Unfortunately the sample size was so tiny that I managed to use it all up before I remembered to take some pictures of it on, so my apologies for not showing you what it looks like on.
The tiny wand gets into every corner without clumping and the formula is long-lasting and flake free. It's not overly volumising, but if you're a fan of length, separation and mascaras that make you look like you have a million lashes (which I am), then this is for you.
Unfortunately I currently have more important things to spend my money on than mascara (yes, I really just said that), so at £23.00 for a tube which I'll only have to replace in three months, I won't be buying the full size any time soon.

Kommen wir direkt zum Punkt: Ich bin verliebt in diese Mascara. Leider war die Probegröße so klein, dass ich alles aufgebraucht hatte ehe ich mich daran erinnerte, ein Foto zu schießen. Entschuldigt also bitte das fehlende Tragebild.
Das winzige Bürstchen kommt in jede Ecke ohne Klumpen zu bilden und die Formel ist langanhaltend und krümelt nicht. Sie schenkt nicht allzu viel Volumen, aber wenn ihr wie ich ein Fan seid von Länge, Separation und Wimperntuschen, die den Anschein geben, dass man Millionen von Wimpern hat, dann solltet ihr diese hier ausprobieren.
Leider gibt es momentan wichtigere Dinge, für die ich mein Geld ausgeben muss als Mascaras (ja, ich habe das wirklich gerade gesagt). Bei €31.95 für eine Tube, die ich nach drei Monaten wieder ersetzen muss, wird die große Größe wohl etwas warten müssen.


2) Lancôme Rénergie Éclat Multi Lift

Getting foundation or tinted skincare samples always disappoints me a bit, as it's pretty much guaranteed that they'll be too dark for me. In this case I received shade 02 - Doré and, surprise, surprise, it's too dark. Shade 01 - Sable would have probably matched me just fine.

Proben von Foundations oder getönter Hautpflege finde ich immer etwas enttäuschend, da es sozusagen garantiert ist, dass sie zu dunkel für mich sind. In diesem Fall habe ich Farbe 02-Doré erhalten und - was für eine Überraschung - sie ist zu dunkel. Farbe 01 - Sable wäre wahrscheinlich recht gut für mich gewesen.

Nevertheless, I was determined to try this out, so I wore this at home when no one was looking and made sure to only use a small amount, blend it out really well and also apply some on to my chest and neck. The result wasn't too bad, but not something I'd want to go out in.
The finish is kind of dewy and it might even have added a bit of shine to my skin, so if you prefer your face matte you'd definitely have to powder over it. It evens out skin tone a little bit but doesn't give anywhere near as much coverage as even a light foundation. As for the skincare benefits it did clog my pores unfortunately, though at least I didn't get any breakouts from it. Drier and more mature skin (which this is aimed at after all) would probably be able to handle the ingredients much better.
At £39 it certainly ain't cheap and as it doesn't suit my skin I won't be buying the full size.

Trotzdem wollte ich die Creme unbedingt ausprobieren, also habe ich sie zu Hause wenn niemand guckte getragen und trug nur eine kleine Menge auf, die ich gut verwischte und auch im Hals- und Dekolletébereich auftrug. Das Ergebnis war nicht schlecht, aber ich würde es trotzdem nicht gerne außer Haus tragen.
Das Finish ist frisch und etwas glänzend; wer also lieber ein mattes Gesicht hat, müsste unbedingt drüberpudern. Der Hautton wirkt ausgeglichener, doch die Deckkraft ist viel geringer als selbst bei einer leichten Foundation. Was die Hautpflege angeht, verstopfte die Creme leider meine Poren, doch zum Glück bekam ich von ihr zumindest keine Pickel. Anspruchsvollere, reifere Haut (für die dieses Produkt schließlich gemacht wurde) würde mit den Inhaltsstoffen wahrscheinflich viel besser auskommen.
€68,90 für eine ganze Tube ist schon ziemlich heftig und da sie nicht zu meiner Haut passt, werde ich sie mir mit Sicherheit nicht nachkaufen.


3) SK-II Skin Signature

Ahh, had to save the best till last. I got this in my March Glossybox and secretly hoped I'd hate it as soon as I saw the price tag. It's not often you'll hear me rave about a skincare product, as I'm one of those stuck-up annoying people who regulate their skin with lifestyle choices. You know, 2-3 litres of water a day, 8 hours of sleep every night, a healthy diet, lots of outdoor excercise.... Well, let me tell you that when I tested this cream my life was so stressful I didn't do any of that. It was no sleep, no water, just coffee and alcohol, no exercise, hardly any food, lots of stress and on top of that I couldn't be bothered with a skincare routine, so this was the ONLY thing I used.
Normally, I'd be looking like crap with a lifestyle like that - hell, most people would. And here I was, looking in the mirror, expecting to find a scene out of Night of the Living Dead and yet I kind of stared at my reflection realising that my skin looked... really good!! And I know for a fact that it was this, as it was the only product I used and normally I'd be looking dreadful.
Well, you may be relieved to hear that my lifestyle is back to normal and this is still doing absolute miracles for my skin, though there's not much left in my little pot of magic. If there's such a thing as a Beauty God then He'll make sure I never run out of this sample, but somehow that seems a bit doubtful.
I know, I know, it's a somewhat ridiculous suggestion, but this is so good I'm thinking it might actually be worth an investment, despite the staggering price tag of £127.

 Ahh, das beste zum Schluss. Ich habe diese Probe in meiner englischen Glossybox vom März erhalten und sobald ich sah, wie viel die Creme kostet, hoffte ich, dass ich sie hassen würde. Ich schwärme nicht oft von Hautpflegeprodukten, denn ich bin einer jener nervigen Menschen, die ihre Haut mit Lifestyleänderungen im Griff behalten. Ihr wisst schon, 2-3 Liter Wasser am Tag, 8 Stunden Schlaf jede Nacht, gesundes Essen, viel Bewegung an der frischen Luft.... Nun muss ich euch verraten, dass mein Leben zu dem Zeitpunkt, als ich die Creme ausprobiert habe so stressig war, dass ich gar nichts davon tat. Kein Schlaf, kein Wasser, nur Kaffee und Alkohol, kein Sport, kaum Essen, jede Menge Stress und als krönender Abschluss hatte ich keine Lust, mich um meine Haut zu kümmern, also war das das EINZIGE was ich benutzte.
Normalerweise würde ich mit so einem Lifestyle ziemlich beschissen aussehen - die meisten würden das. Da schaue ich plötzlich in den Spiegel und erwarte eine Szene aus Night of the Living Dead, doch stattdessen starre ich mein Spiegelbild an und merke dass meine Haut verdammt gut aussieht!! Und ich weiß garantiert, dass es an dieser Creme liegt, weil ich nichts anderes benutzt habe und normalerweise furchtbar aussehen würde.
Meine Gewohnheiten haben sich mittlerweile wieder normalisiert, doch die Creme bewirkt immer noch Wunder für meine Haut, auch wenn von meinem kleinen Tiegel voller Zauberkraft und Magie nicht mehr viel übrig ist. Wenn es so etwas wie einen Beautygott gibt, dann wird er dafür sorgen, dass mir diese Probe nie ausgeht, aber das scheint mir doch etwas zweifelhaft.
Ich weiß, ich weiß, es hört sich albern an, aber dieses Produkt ist so gut, dass ich glaube, es ist die Anschaffung wert, auch bei einem schwindelerregenden Preis von £127. 

Favourite products in 2011

I've never done a favourites post before, but seeing as the year is nearing its end I thought I may as well do a round up of products I've either discovered or carried on loving this whole year. Rather than a regular post with lots of pictures I've made a video about this.
It's only my second ever Youtube video and there are still a lot of things that annoy me about it, but hopefully I'll learn and they'll keep getting better. In the meantime, enjoy and let me know about any thoughts or questions on any of the products mentioned:

Haul Alert! Westfield Stratford Shopping City

This is a bit of a belated haul post - I wanted to do it for ages, but just couldn't get around to it, so apologies for the delay. My boyfriend had to go to an exhibition for work and asked if I wanted to come down to London with him for a couple of days and as I had a bit of time off I said yes. It turned out that our hotel was a Premier Inn right on top of the new Westfield shopping centre in Stratford, so I made the most of my day alone and went on a bit of a spending spree.

First up is this dress I picked up from New Look. It's not actually by New Look but by a label called Mela Loves London, which had its own little section upstairs in the stores. I desperately need some more "smart" clothes that I can wear to the office and I totally fell in love with the cute polka dot print and the soft wool material. The cowl neck is also incredibly flattering. At £25 it was also a bargain!

I also picked up this ring while I was there, which was on sale for £1! I don't really know why it was in the sale section, as they also had loads of these rings for the full price and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it.

Next I popped into Forever21 where I just couldn't resist this sweater. It's got Beagle puppies on it (*excited squeal*)! They had these with all sorts of animals, but the Beagles have got to be by far the cutest. It's one of those things that's so cheesy it's great again and will make a lovely cover up for cosy, lazy weekends. I think this was about £15, but I don't really remember anymore.

I also went into a shop called Beauty Base which mainly sold cheap perfumes - not as in awful crappy perfumes, but normal perfumes for less money - and cheap makeup - as in awful crappy makeup. I picked up a pack of five mini nail varnishes by L.A. Colors, as I loved the shades in the pack. I haven't tried any of these yet, so I can't comment on their colour density or staying power, but seeing as it cost me a pound or so for five nail polishes I won't be overly sad if they turn out to be rubbish.

I also got this bath and shower gel as I was running out and this smells absolutely gorgeous. It's a very strong fruity and refreshing scent, which might not be for everybody, but it's something I really love under the shower as it always manages to wake me up, even on the bleakest of mornings. Again, at round about two pounds for a 500ml bottle this is a complete bargain.

I also had to keep myself entertained, so I popped down to WHSmith and bought two books which were on a "buy-one-get-one-for-£1" offer. I already finished reading "The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake" and it has already become one of my favourite books ever, I really can't recommend it enough.

I bought this blusher from Topshop after I read loads and loads of positive reviews about their blushes. As you can see I've already been using it quite a bit. This is a cream formula in "Pinch", a gorgeous deep pink / fuchsia colour. The colour payoff of this product is absolutely amazing (see swatches below), it looks exactly like it does in the pot which is so rare. It's a creamy formula that dries into a powder on your skin, so you've got to blend it quickly before it dries. It's easy to overdo it with this blusher as it's just so colour intense, so it's better to just carefully dab it on rather than swirling your fingers around the pan and then to build it up on your cheeks as you go along.
It makes my face look really fresh and glowing, as if I'd just come back from a winter walk in the snow, which was exactly what I was looking for, so I'm extremely pleased with this product.

As I went through my lipsticks the other day I noticed that I always buy pretty much the same shade: a slightly greyish nude pink. In all seriousness, all my lipsticks are pretty much the same and only differ in finishes - some are glittery, some are sheer and some are matte. So I decided it's about time I got something a bit more brave, especially as there tends to be a recurring trend for strong lips every winter.
I went for this super intense fire engine red by Dior. It's actually called "Rouge Dolce Vita" from the Diorific line. How amazing is the packaging? It's a long lasting formula, so it's a good idea to apply lip balm beforehand, though it's still relatively creamy compared to other long lasting lipsticks I've tried. Oh, and when I say long lasting I mean long lasting. This stayed on my lips for hours, despite several drinks and a two course meal. You'd still need to touch it up from time to time, as it lost its sheen after a while, but I sure won't mind to pull this beauty out of my handbag any time soon.

Top: Diorific lipstick in Rouge Dolce Vita
Bottom: Topshop blush in Pinch