What’s In My Sample Room #Inspire Bag?

My dad handed me the package that arrived here and he was also curious to find out what could be inside, so he stood there while I pushed all the contents of the bag on my bed and he was pretty impressed. How’s that for a supportive father? He even suggested getting me a side table for all my cosmetics to be situated in my room. He likes the fact that I’m spending time bonding with him here at home because I’m taking a break from work. 

Fun fact about my Dad: he is an avid user of the Physiogel moisturizer also from #sampleroom.

This is Sample Room’s second goodie bag with the theme Inspire. Do the contents inspire? You will find out. 

The tools included in this bag are the ReveN Natural Cleansing Sponge for the face which I’m really pleased with. It should be great for cleansing in the evenings. There’s also the Charm Pro Flat Liner Brush, I was hoping to get something similar to an eyeshadow blending brush but this will do. I’ve felt the bristles and they’re really soft. The only downside is that the ferrules were disattached from the wand when I tried to realign it, but that’s something a little super glue can just handle.

Sample Room has been all about discovering new beauty products and I like that it’s all natural. Could you believe that I haven’t heard of AHAVA and probably would not have paid attention to it? But because of Sample Room including this set in my goodie bag, I’m learning to love this brand. It looks all so high-end, and I like that the Comforting Cream is really intense with its moisturizing properties. The Hand Cream has a subtle scent which I am fond of. Just the other day I was worried that I would be running out of Eye Makeup Remover, having shared the rest with my Mom and I’m really glad I got another from my loot. There are a couple of Gentle Body Exfoliators in sample sizes so I’m going to test it out against my local body scrub brand. 

I’ve reviewed the Pevonia Enzymo-Spherides Peeling Cream some time ago, and now I have a travel size bottle with me! Hurray! I’m not so fond of brightening masks but this one from Shisheido just says “try me”. And so I will.

As for cosmetics, I have a ZA Perfect Action Mascara; the tube is a little too bulky but it’s still manageable. There’s also a lipstick from Collection Cosmetics in Sweet Tarte that has a sweet scent and comes in an intense pink color. The NYX Butter Gloss is very convenient and comes in a Cherry Cheesecake label though it looks like an orange-coral shade that’s just perfect for the summer. 

Lastly, here’s another one for an On: Fragrances post for Raisie Speaks.This has got to be a sweet treat. I was meaning to keep my eye on United Colors of Benetton's Let's Love Woman when it hit availability on Sample Room but it required so many points. I'm just happy that it's included here in the bag. 

 

I didn't take photos of the printed brochures included in the bag. 

I would say that the contents are pretty inspiring, not to mention, the loot bag has a good selection and mixture of skin care products, cosmetics, tools and fragrances. It's a good to start to inspiring someone who needs some much needed boost. 

Diolch Yn Fawr Sample Room!

That's thank you in Welsh. =)

Raisie Speaks: 5 Tips to Scoring Affordable Reads And Saving Money Along The Way

You work hard for your money. Can you recall how many hours you put your effort into just to get the latest payslip? So even if you love books, you can still save money with these tips and still be a happy bibliophile who knows how to have good old fashioned entertainment at home or in any quiet corner-reading.

To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee
The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
The Book Depository

1 Buy Used Books or Swap!

Brand new books cost anywhere from Php 300-500 for Paperback and Php 400-800 for Hardbound copies, and you can always hear me complaining about new releases and their respective prices. If you could control yourself and look around your home for other books you have not read, you can wait for a month after and check out eBay or some friends who have finished reading the title you have been pining after and offer to buy the book for a lesser cost. Some bazaars will have secondhand books on sale that are also in great condition so you should set aside a budget for the next one in town. 

Swapping is also a good choice, all you have to do is ask a friend whom you know has the genre that you like or a specific title or author that you have not read yet, then you can arrange for a swap to take place without having to worry about your monthly budget for books. 

Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho

2 Borrow From A Friend Or The Library

All it takes is a phone call, text, Facebook message, Tweet or even your library card and a list of titles you have not read. Take the first step and you can have a couple of new books that you can start reading. Hey, if you "borrowed" that from ADZU library, return it at the end of the semester! Other students would want to read it too, okay?

The Darwin Myth by Dr Benjamin Wiker
God's Gold by Sean Kingsley

3 Invest In An Ebook Reader

Most e-book readers these days range anywhere from Php 6,000 -12,000. Even if it is tight for you right now, you can save a chunk of your bonus and stow away a little every month until you have saved enough. This way, you can easily download e-books and save them in your reader's storage. Most of the time, e-books are free. Be sure to select one that won't strain your eyes. 

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin

 4 Collect Only Authors That You Really Like

What's the use of having a huge collection of books and only read and just appreciate a few authors? You just might as well be throwing away your money. Yes, you can't avoid those times when you bought a book and thought that the author was promising only to realize that the writing style was childish and the story plot was off-but you can resell it, and learn to look keep away from that book altogether. Keeping only authors that you really like showcases your true bookworm's preferences and the collection can be called truly yours. No matter what genre it is, it's your time and money spent, isn't it?

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

5 Or Join A Giveaway

It still saves you money, doesn't it? Alright, no more questions asked . Head on here. 

How about you? How do you save money while looking for books? Is there anything that you do uniquely? Let me know in the comments below!