What is the best way to find the product that suits you the best without spending a fortune?
Well. SAMPLES. They are free and they are tiny, so it gives you no commitment.
Like our parents said, you should date many people before you get married and have babies.
Well, SAMPLES. I guess I am a sample whore now with that analogy.
I use samples all the time from so many brands because it is a good way to have a brief feel for the product without buying the product. I personally believe that before buying a skincare item, it is necessary to try out the sample for a long time because: one, you might break out, two, (again) you don't want to regret investing in a product that you end up not liking.
So here are the sample products that I have been testing. Some I love, some I hate, some I am iffy about.
SKINCARE
1. Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate: This is a serum that is geared toward people who are primarily dealing with wrinkles and lines. The 10% vitamin C extract is suppose to tighten your skin as well as giving light exfoliation, "revealing healthier looking skin".
Well, this is all great news, but the texture, consistency, and the finish are not my favorite. I do want tighter and more radiant skin, but through giving my skin a deeper level of moisturization (is this a word?). The consistency of this product is very light and slightly mousse-like. When applied to the skin, the product kind of clings to the skin and it dries immediately, not giving the chance to spread the product liberally. Also, it is matte which tightens the skin slightly. So it feels awkward when it is applied. It feels kind of like you applied a lotion with flour in it. It is not a liquid-y or oily kind of product like a typical serum, which might be a plus for many people who need that extra tightness, but personally it is not my favorite
2. Kiehl's Line Reducing Eye Brightening Concentrate: This is another Kiehl's product in the "Line Reducing" line. Again, this is not my favorite. Granted, I am still young so I don't necessarily need an anti-aging eye cream or eye cream in general, but this is not very good. Honestly, Kiehl's eye creams are very highly priced for its quality. I do suffer from slight to moderate amount of dark circles which got a lot better due to my unemployment, but I don't think this does anything for my under eyes. I don't see any change. The only reason why I use this is to give my under eyes little more moisturization.
3. Amore Pacific Rejuvenating Creme: I got this with one of my Sephora purchases. I don't currently own a moisturizer, so it motivated me to try out this cream. The formula of the cream is very average. It does not break me out, but it does not do anything special for my skin. It was rich enough to give me enough moisture, but not too overwhelmingly oily. The only part that bothered me slightly was how perfume-y it was. I would say I would recommend this product if you are looking for a safe and average moisturizer...until I saw the PRICE TAG. This thing costs $150! So, no. I think there are other great moisturizers out there that are below 100 (even 50).
4. Iope Moistgen Emulsion Skin Hydrator: This is another moisturizer that I have been trying. My mom and couple of my friends love this product as their basic skincare items, but it slightly broke me out because how rich and oily it was. I am sure that people with dry skin will love the consistency and the finish that this moisturizer gives.
5. Sulwhasoo Essential Rejuvenating Eye Cream: This is another dud product. I know for sure that this eye cream is very expensive ($109), just by knowing that this is a Sulwhasoo product. The cream is quite liquid-y, giving a cooling gel finish when applied to the skin. It also smells like ginseng which might be a turn off for some people. It doesn't bother me that greatly since I am very tolerant when it comes to fragrances, but I know some really detests any scents that are not in their preference. This is one of those creams that I feel like it dries without really sinking into the skin. So, this eye cream, despite its luxury brand reputation and its high price tag, does not do anything. It doesn't firm, it doesn't brighten, it does nothing.
6. Hanyul Optimizing Serum (The one with Korean labels on the right side): This is another product that smells like ginseng. It is a runny and translucent serum that is suppose to target aging skin. I didn't give this enough tries to fully form an opinion, but this also is very average. This supposedly contains Asian herbal medicines to "recover" the skin to a "healthy status." Whatever that means. I do enjoy putting this on every morning and night because it does make my skin look slightly plumped and hydrated.
MAKEUP
1. Laura Mercier Foundation Primer: This is an interesting primer. From its appearance, it looks like a regular moisturizer but it is actually a primer for your makeup! I only used this once, and I already love it. It makes me look like I have flawless skin, hiding my rough skin texture. There are couple of things that I am little concerned about. When I used this primer I also used 2. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer with it. I don't really know if this is because of the primer or the tinted moisturizer, but it was little hard to blend. I was using my beauty blender and it was still difficult. Also, these two in combination made my skin feel slightly tight at the end of the night. I still need to try these two out little bit more to further develop my opinion on these two products.
3. Lancome Definicils Mascara: This is a very natural mascara for your natural days. I actually used this mascara for my Korean style inspired Makeup look. It does thicken,lengthen and separate but not dramatically for that intense look. I do really like this, but only on my natural days.
Best,
SK
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