Sachet Sample Sunday - John Frieda Sheer Blonde Everlasting Blonde Shampoo & Conditioner

I don't know about you but I do get a teensy bit excited when I find sachet samples in magazines. I love the idea of trying before I buy. This generous sachet duo of Shampoo and Conditioner from the John Frieda Sheer Blonde range (Everlasting Blonde) was enough for two hair washes at 8ml each.

John Frieda says 

Keep your blonde colour fresh for the look and feel of newly coloured hair. With safflower oil and bergamot extract, this colour preserving helps keep your blonder from fading while leaving hair soft.

Safe for colour treated and chemically treated hair.

My thoughts 

I have highlighted hair so although I wouldn't be able to see whether it stopped my colour from fading with just 2 washes I was still keen to try it.

The shampoo and conditioner smell really lovely and fresh, the shampoo foamed up nicely (SLS in the shampoo), the conditioner was creamy and rinsed out well leaving my hair feeling really clean. My hair was manageable to style and felt soft and silky to touch. I felt that the shampoo and conditioner brightened and brought out my highlights.

If it didn't contain SLS ( it aggravates my psoriasis) I would consider purchasing the duo.

Tip - These sachet samples are great to save up and take away with you if you are on a short break.

John Frieda Sheer Blonde Everlasting Blonde Colour Preserving Shampoo is available in 50ml and 250ml (£5.89)
John Frieda Sheer Blonde Everlasting Blonde Colour Preserving Conditioner is available in 50ml and 250ml (£5.89

Perfume Sample Saturday - Orla Kiely Eau de Parfum

This little sample bottle appeared in one of my press bags and made the bag smell very nice indeed!

Orla Kiely's first fragrance is described as a charming fragrance of light floral notes, with natural extracts of rose, geranium and bergamot, subtly balanced with fresh fig and a hint of chocolate.

Top notes: Green Tea, peach and fig
Heart notes: Rose, osmanthus, white flowers, chocolate
Base notes: Cedarwood, sandalwood, musk and tonka bean.

My thoughts 

The light and freshness of this scent really appealed to me as unusually the fruit doesn't make it all that sweet. The blend of floral, fruit and musk combined with chocolate makes this a quite unusual scent but infinitely wearable. It contains many separate notes that are already some of my favourites and to smell them altogether results in something really quite very pleasant. I don't seem to pick up the peach or the fig in this perfume so perhaps that it why I don't find it as fruity as I possibly should. The inclusion of Green Tea is much appreciated.

Orla Kiely Eau de Parfum is available in 60 and 100ml and costs £42 or £55.

Perfume Sample Saturday - Dior J'adore Eau de Toilette

Dior J'adore EDT was launched in 2011 and is described as a delicate floral.

The delicate and luminous facets of the bouquet revealed by floral essences.

Italian Mandarin Essence

Damascus Rose Essence

Neroli Essence

Yellow Mandarin essence from Italy, Damask Rose essence and Neroli essence converge in precise harmony. Pride of place is reserved for orange blossom, the white flower that provides Neroli essence. This luminous flower is hand picked in sunny Tunisian orchards, adding a note of subtlety, sophistication and elegance to the fragrance.Woody with a hint of vanilla, the base note adds character to the scent of J'Adore Eau de Toilette.

My thoughts 

A sweet and glamourous scent with a hint of fruit, this makes me feel feminine and undeniably sophisticated. I like this a lot. On me this is a gorgeous and elegant blend that fades evenly throughout the day. Light enough to wear by day I would equally wear this for an evening out.

A pretty scent, worth considering.

Dior J'adore EDT 50ml costs around £50

Sample Sachet Sunday - Origins Ginzing

Origins GinZing

Refreshing Eye Cream to brighten and depuff

Origins say 

Nature's clinically-proven morning-after eye cream helps to reduce the look of dark circles. Unsightly bags and puffiness seem less visible. And Origins proprietary complex of Caffeine from Coffee bean, Panax Ginseng, Magnolia Extract and natural optic brighteners rapidly wakes up, refreshes and restores radiance to tired eyes.

My thoughts 

This eye cream is reasonably thick in texture and pearlised in colour which means that when the light hits it, it reflects to give the brightening effect. As a brightener there is no doubt that it does this. However I did find that it just sat on the top of my skin and dried like this appearing  like an unblended highlighter and it didn't feel in the least bit moisturising which I would have liked to have seen. I applied it as I would a normal eye cream, a rice sized amount under the eye using my ring finger.

My eye issues are more the lines underneath them (as well as dark circles) so I would probably not purchase this full size as it doesn't address my concerns fully.

Origins GinZing costs £21 for 15ml

Sample Sachet Sunday - Dermalogica Sheer Tint, Cover Tint, Skin Perfect Primer

Three sample sachets today from skincare brand Dermalogica.

Sheer Tint, Skin Perfect Primer and Cover Tint swatched

Sheer Tint Medium SPF20

Dermalogica say

Lightly-tinted moisturizer provides an all-day sheer wash of color.
Natural, light-diffusing Iron Oxides provide translucent color for radiant skin, while Broad Spectrum sunscreens shield against damaging UV rays. Hydrolyzed Pearl amino acids, hydrating Hyaluronic Acid and antioxidant Walnut Seed extracts help improve 
skin texture and reduce the appearance of fine dehydration lines. Formulated without artificial fragrances and colors.

My thoughts

This tinted moisturizer is available in 3 shade, the medium was perfect for my skin tone. Reading on the Dermalogica website I saw that this is a replacement product for a previous one that was well regarded. Having no experience of the previous Sheet Tint I can only tell you of my experience.

I wore this in place of a moisturiser after cleasning and toning as per the instructions. It was hydrating and my skin felt soft and comfortable all day.

I was expecting this to be runny but actually it was quite a thick cream which surprised me. I wore this over the Skin Perfect Primer and loved the result. I had really clear, perfectly natural looking skin that was bright. It didn't quite cover any blemishes but a concealer would be able to do this. Perfect for a light make up look with no hint of shine even after wearing it all day, I liked this a lot.

Skin Perfect Primer SPF30 £37.50 for 22ml

Dermalogica say 

Smooth away fine lines, brighten and prime for flawless skin and to prep for make-up application. Velvety silicones create an instantly smooth surface. Neutral tint helps balance tone and enhance luminosity and radiance. Peptides and AGE Smart® actives help firm and shield against MMP and free radical damage, as sunscreens shield against sun damage. Wear alone over your moisturizer for visible smoothness and luminosity, or after moisturizer application and before foundation to help fill fine lines for a lasting make-up finish. Formulated without artificial fragrances and colors.

My thoughts 

I was blown away by the Skin Perfect Primer, it has a slightly herbal scent which is pleasant,  it is soft and easy to apply. Texture wise this reminds me of Benefit's Porefessional Primer. As you can see from the switch this has a slight colour to it but this was just ideal for my skin. It left my skin silky soft to the touch, evened out my skin tone, hid the pores and just made my skin look so nice and bright that I would have been happy to have left the house without anything else. It makes an excellent base for makeup, Ooh and I didn't suffer any shine ALL day! 

Amazing primer that does exactly what it promises to do and I love the fact that it contains SPF30. I have a few more applications of this in the sachet but I am sorely tempted now to purchase a tube.

Cover Tint Medium SPF20

Dermalogica say

Creamy foundation delivers full coverage that lasts.
 Natural, light-diffusing agents and Iron Oxides balance skin tone and soften fine lines while Broad Spectrum sunscreens help protect against damaging UV rays. Hydrolyzed Pearl and extracts of Ginseng, Purslane and Centella help firm and smooth the skin while marine extracts hydrate skin to minimize fine lines and provide an even finish. Formulated without artificial fragrances and colors.

My thoughts

I wore Cover Tint after moisturising and with no primer. As you can see from the swatch, the medium in the Cover Tint is really dark and not my shade at all. Used sparingly I did manage to make it work for me (just!), the warmer shade providing a healthy sun-kissed glow. On application it has a slighty dewy finish but this soon settles down to a smooth, velvet finish. I wasn't entirely convinced by the coverage as I felt my pores were still visible. However, it could be that I just hadn't used enough product because the shade was so wrong. On the plus side it was long lasting and once again not a hint of shine.

The swatches smoothed out a bit 

Have you tried these products?

Perfume Sample Saturday - pureDKNY A Drop Of Rose Eau de Parfum

pureDKNY A drop Of Rose

The pureDKNY sustainability story unfolds with the classic Turkish rose. The rich soil, rain and sunshine of the Isparta valley give way to the perfect rose. As with its predecessors, A Drop of Vanilla and A Drop of Verbena, A Drop of Rose evolved in a non-traditional way: the ingredient comes first.  It begins in Turkey`s Isparta valley in the Anatolian flower fields, where the delicate pink blossoms of rose damascene variety are harvested early each summer. It follows a generations-old process that`s virtually unaffected by modern technology: Each flower is hand-picked, one by one in the cool, pre-dawn hours. By season`s end, 2500 tons of petals have been bagged, weighed, and transported by truck to the distillery where they are gently rolled and processed through 26 stills. The end product is rose essential oil.

The resulting fragrance is rose in its simplest incarnation.

With notes of Turkish rose, blackcurrant, magnolia, cedar, verbena and vanilla.

 My thoughts 

pureDKNY A Drop Of Vanilla is one of my all time favourite scents, so wearable and perfect for every day. When I heard that the new addition to the pureDKNY was going to be A Drop Of Rose I could hardly contain my excitement, I HAD to try this new scent. Regular readers will know that I am a HUGE fan of rose scented products so I was pretty certain I was going to love this new fragrance.

Needless to say A Drop Of Rose does not disappoint, rose scented, fresh, light and natural. Once again an ideal daytime scent. This to me is like the scent of rose water (the liquid left over from distilling rose oil) captured in a perfume. Rose water is one of the ingredients in my favourite Persian ice-cream (bastani) and this smells just like the dessert tastes. Utterly delightful, fragrant and in its purest form. Quite simply the perfect rose.

I liked Stella and Paul Smith Rose but this is by far the best rose fragrance yet.

I would definitely purchase this perfume.

pureDKNY A Drop Of Rose Eau de Parfum costs £37 for 30ml

Perfume Sample Saturday - Miss Dior Eau De Parfum

Miss Dior Eau De Parfum 

Created for an "elegant and spirited young woman in love".

Romantic by nature, Miss Dior inspires an intense and playful love, for which she is also searching. She personifies the spontaneous joie de vivre of today's young women, representing a particular type of freedom and seduction. The fragrance is characterised by an instant and captivating charm.

Miss Dior is a chypre that develops step by step. It glides from the sharp charm of a fresh, fruity, citrus prelude into blossoming floral notes, then on to the noble elegance of patchouli, before finally concluding with musk, the last trace of memory

With veritable riches concealed in her heart, Miss Dior develops in the most intense and astonishing way."

Miss Dior Eau de Parfum is a fruity floral chypre. A modern take on the Dior spirit with a dash of impertinence.

Top Note - Italian Mandarin Essence
Heart Note - Egyptian Jasmine Absolute
Base Note - Indonesian Patchouli Essence

My thoughts 

Such a sweet bow bottle design containing a gorgeously refined and elegant scent. Feminine and chic. I love that the scent develops from the fresh burst of citrus to the sweeter, floral notes. This fragrance is pretty, delicate and infinitely wearable.

I remember the original Miss Dior scent finding it rather heavy and unappealing, so when I received this mini sample I have to admit to not even opening the box until now... Somehow the memo telling me that the fragrance had been updated failed to reach me. This is actually however a replacement for Miss Dior Cherie which I found too fruity, too sweet and girlie but the balance in this scent is just right.

I am looking forward now to trying Miss Dior Le Parfum which is described as being more intense, still with Mandarin but with more floral notes of Rose and the addition of Vanilla. Sounds interesting.

Dior Miss Dior Eau De Parfum retails for £46 for 30ml

Guest Post - Feel Unique Beauty Box 2012 - Reviewed

Today's guest post of the Feel Unique Beauty Box has been written by the very talented Kerri Miller from Starstruck Designs. Starstruck Designs specialises in Bridal Tiaras and Jewellery.

I’m a Mum first and foremost. Second and third place are fiercely fought between being a wife and being the crazy woman that stays up until the small hours making bridal tiaras. Me as an identity rarely gets a look in these days. Between Christmas and New Year (2011) I managed to convince my husband that the Beauty Box, from www.feelunique.com was a good, economical way for me to try new beauty products, whilst helping me to stick to my New Year’s resolution of spending a bit more time on ME. The fact that it appealed to my utter obsession with miniatures is another matter entirely…

On Monday, 9^th January my first gorgeous black and hotpink box arrived.  Cue a lovely hot cuppa and a rare peaceful 5 mins to “oooh” and “ahhh” over the contents:

Dead Sea Spa Magik Salt Brushing

Lierac Creme Mesolift Anti-Aging Radiance

Caudalie Vinotherapie Nourishing Body Lotion

Phyto PhytoBaume Color Protect Express Conditioner

This Works Clean Skin for the Face

Dead Sea Spa Magik Salt Brushing

This is billed as a best selling body hero. Coconut oil and vitamin E are combined and the aim is to reduce cellulite, increase circulation, improve tired skin, and to nourish and hydrate. I liked this product, apart from one thing – the smell. It was really citrusy, and we’re not talking “just pierced lemon skin”, but more of a “just opened the bathroom cleaner” kind of way. The product itself is easy to apply, feels lovely going on, rinses off beautifully and left my skin feeling super soft for the entire day (I didn’t moisturise afterwards just to be sure). With only 2 packets in the box I can’t vouch for long term benefits, but unless the synthetic fragrance is changed, I’m unlikely to be buying it to find out!

Lierac Creme Mesolift Anti-Aging Radiance

Ah this is more like it!  I’m pretty fussy when it comes to moisturisers.  I like them to be deeply hydrating, but to feel lightweight and absorb quickly.  I cannot bear creams that sit on the skin and do nothing!  This ticked all the boxes for me.  Beautifully lightweight, and quickly absorbed.  I could apply my makeup within 5 minutes or so. I tried it overnight as well and was really impressed to find my skin still felt really soft first thing in the morning. This one gets a big thumbs up from me, and I will probably buy it again.

Caudalie Vinotherapie Nourishing Body Lotion

Mmm…a super soft moisturiser, smelt very nice, fresh but not in a “ZING” wake you up, kind of way.  However, at this time of year my skin is ultra dry and I’m afraid that this body lotion wasn’t intense enough for my papery legs!  Perhaps in the spring when the weather is less cruel (and the central heating is turned off), it would fare better, but at this time of year, it was only an hour or so before my skin started to feel tight and dry again.

Phyto PhytoBaume Color Protect Express Conditioner

This is supposed to be suited to colour treated hair, which is ideal for me, as I need to colour mine on an obscenely regular basis to cover up the child induced greys.  The sample that I had lasted 6 washes (I have very short hair) and it was indeed lovely.  Not sure it was any more lovely that the conditioner I normally use though. The smell was really nice, the first word that sprang to mind was “buttery”, I guess it was quite subtle and creamy, felt lovely going on and rinsed off very easily.

This Works Clean Skin for the Face

I’ve used Soap and Glory Hot Pore Cleanser for about a year now, and This Works, Clean Skin for the Face seems like a pretty similar product to me.  You use it as a cleanser, massaging it all over the face and neck, and then rinse off with water. It smells divine (very similar to its S&G counterpart), and leaves my skin feeling utterly pampered.  I also tested it on bare skin, and on skin that was caked (after a rare night out!) with all my favourite make-up brands.  It came up trumps even when tested with black liquid eyeliner and a pillar box red lippy.  I would definitely buy this again.

I also got a teeny sample of another Lierac product: Lierac Hydra-Chrono+ Intense Re-Hydrating Balm, Emergency Hydration. This wasn’t listed on any of the paperwork that came with the box or in the email that told me what to expect. When I tried to look it up online, I hit a brick wall, I couldn’t find it anywhere, which made me suspect that I’d been given an old sample that was no longer available.  However, to my absolute pleasure, I found out this was not the case!  I contacted BeautyBox at Feel Unique, and their communication was excellent.  They asked me exactly what the product sample was, and when I explained, they informed me that it was a brand new product that hadn’t been added to their site yet. They then emailed me again with a link to the new page, where I could buy the product. Talk about customer service. I cannot wait for my next box to arrive!

Kerri 

Thanks so much Kerri for the review. A great insight into another beauty box service that is available.

Unfortunately since this was posted Feel Unique have closed their Beauty Box Service, but they are apparently working on something to replace it. Watch this space!

Boudoir Prive - Beauty Box Luxury Makeup Samples Delivered To Your Door

Hot on the heels of GlossyBox comes a rival in Boudoir Prive.

Named Boudoir Prive it takes its inspiration from the 18th Century when women would retreat to their boudoir to experiment with hair and beauty in the comfort and privacy of their own home. The modern woman is now able to do the same with the launch of Boudoir Prive which promises to deliver six expertly selected beauty samples for £10 a month. The samples will be from established brands and new emerging brands and across skin care, body care, hair care, make-up, fragrance and lifestyle.

I haven't seen a sample of this month's box so cannot comment on its contents and only time will tell if this concept maintains its popularity.

Boudoir Prive launches July 2011 - There is limited membership available, to sign up for an exclusive invitation visit their site http://signup.boudoirprive.co.uk/