After the bewildering number of empties in December and January, February seems so tame by comparison. There are only 12 in today's post and 2 are duplicates. Most of them are affordable drugstore and naturals-heavy brands, with a couple of purchases from last year's trip to Paris thrown in. I realized as I was compiling this post that many of these products have never been featured on the blog before, and only a few are gifted PR samples, so going forward I'm going to be a lot clearer about labeling everything in the mix. Now, let's get to it, shall we?
Pixi Glow Glycolic Boost Sheet Masks ($14 on sale for $11.90 at Shoppers Drug Mart, PR samples)
Quick notes: I used 2 of these masks when I needed a gentle brightening boost without irritating my skin. They were an absolute pleasure to use. The mask fit well and there was a lot of excess lightweight essence, which I rubbed onto my neck and chest. Unlike other sheet masks, I resisted the urge to rinse off the extra essence at the end and just let it absorb overnight. (The sticky texture usually bothers me.) My skin really did look brighter the next morning.
Would I repurchase? Yes.
The Face Shop Real Nature Olive Sheet Mask ($3.50, purchased by me)
Quick notes: Slightly more viscous essence, clean olive scent. Olive extract was pretty high on the ingredients list. Great as far as an affordable sheet mask goes.
Would I repurchase? Yes.
The Face Shop Real Nature Lemon Sheet Mask ($3.50, purchased by me)
Quick notes: As with the olive sheet mask, the hero ingredient/natural extract was pretty high on the ingredients list!
Would I repurchase? Yes.
Tata Harper Moisturizing Mask (previously featured here, PR sample)
Quick notes: Sadly, Tata Harper does not make this intensive moisturizing mask anymore. My PR sample lasted a surprisingly long time without going off. I suspect the packaging had a lot to do with it. The product was inside a plastic bag, which was inside the green glass bottle. As more product was used up, the plastic liner would collapse down and shrink so no excess air would be inside the container.
Would I repurchase? Can't.
Saeve Purifying Cleansing Gel (previously featured here, purchased by me)
Quick notes: Loved how thoroughly this cleaned my face after a sweaty barre class! It foamed up a lot. A little product definitely went a long way. I also loved the fact that it was one of my Parisian beauty buys and it was from a natural beauty brand that isn't widely available in North America yet. That made the cleanser feel a bit more special.
Would I repurchase? Maybe, if I can find Saeve the next time I'm in Europe.
Garnier Whole Blends Legendary Olive Conditioner ($6.99 on sale for $4.99 at London Drugs, purchased by me)
Quick notes: Silicone- and paraben-free, intensely creamy and emollient conditioner with a clean olive scent.
Would I repurchase? Yes.
Pixi Glow Tonic (previously featured here, $10-38 at Shoppers Drug Mart, PR sample)
Quick notes: Still one of my all-time favourites because of how affordable it is and how well it works. During weeks when I get very busy and self-care and exfoliation fall by the wayside, I swipe this exfoliating toner on at night before applying serum and moisturizer.
Would I repurchase? I still have other PR samples of this in my stash, but if I didn't I would repurchase in a heartbeat.
BV Spa Grapefruit Salt Scrub (previously featured here, purchased by me)
Quick notes: I've lost count of how many tubes I have gone through since first trying this as a PR sample in 2016.
Would I repurchase? Yes.
Pixi Rose Cream Cleanser ($24 at Shoppers Drug Mart, previously featured here, PR sample)
Quick notes: Truly lives up to its claims of being a soothing, creamy, rose-scented and infused cleanser. I reached for this whenever I needed something gentle.
Would I repurchase? Yes.
EOS Lip Balm (PR sample)
Quick notes: This was a limited edition EOS lip balm, part of a shimmery two-pack. Maybe my lips are getting more dry as I age or because of the extra cold weather this winter, but I didn't find this very emollient or long-lasting at all. I kept this at the office and kept having to reapply every hour or so.
Would I repurchase? No.
Dr. Jart Ceramidin Liquid ($52 for the full size, previously featured here, PR sample)
Quick notes: This stuff is AMAZING. Although I only had a teeny tiny sample size dropper bottle, it lasted a couple of years because a little went a long way. I'd whip out this stuff when we had dry skin emergencies, like the time Lawrence's ears got so chapped they started bleeding or when extreme weather would dry out my forehead and cheeks and bring on redness, stinging and sensitivity. The ceramidin fluid soothed and smoothed and helped skin heal. It also makes a great booster whenever regular moisturizer just doesn't cut it.
Would I repurchase? Yes.
Marius Fabre Olivia Lip Balm (purchased by me)
Quick notes: I picked up this organic, all-natural olive oil lip balm in Paris last spring because I'd forgotten to pack mine. Not only did it keep my lips feeling soft and smooth, it was great on my fingers and cuticles. Hard water can be so drying.
Would I repurchase? Yes, the next time I'm in Paris.
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