Natural Goodness Straight from the Beehive, Burt’s Bees from Sample Room

 Burt’s Bees has been known for its lip balms. However, this time around, there are new products to try thanks to Sample Room.

This has got to be one of the best lotions I've tried. For two weeks, I've noticed that my skin has become smoother especially around the elbows where it is usually rough. It is fast absorbing and leaves a subtle, minty scent behind. I've used it at a time that my wrists had rashes and yet it completely soothed and calmed down the reaction. The lotion glides on very well and I'll be sad to see it empty.

For a small, compact size, the hand salve can calm me with its scent. I like that it has a lemon, fresh scent unlike other rubbing balms and it's quite solid. However, I can only pick up limited product and rub it on my hands, but the application is always so smooth and it's a good product to apply on the hands after heavy tasks around the house.

I'm just grateful that I got to try out Burt's Bees products and they are very useful for me. The scents are calming and they make great pre-bed time buddies.  I'm also going to look forward to Burt's Buzz when it's released soon.

Have a great weekend and I'll update you with all that's been happening. I know it's been a while but I do strive to keep things in line.

Would You Want To Guess Which Colour Collection Lip Perfection Shade I Grabbed?

  

Sample Room has introduced quite some interesting products lately, some of which went out of stock immediately just minutes after posting and announcements. I was lucky to have sampled two shades of the latest Colour Collection Lip Perfection lipsticks with Argan Oil by Sample Room.

On the left is a peach and nude shade, Crema, that goes well with formal looks and conservative work environments. I find that it takes at least two coats to give my lips good colour and it has a somewhat sheer finish. As for the shade on the right called Bella, it's a bright pink that packs a punch and will look great in the evenings. It's also for those who want attention-grabbing lips apart from red. It has a generous amount of colour and has a semi-matte finish.

As for lasting power, it can easily come off after having had food. I prefer to use lip balm before swiping lipstick back on because it seems like the consistency is the same as that of the Colour Collection lipsticks I've tried from Sample Room.

I like the white and gold packaging, it gives a fresh appeal to lipstick junkies out there. However, I would like to see how the brand can design a sleek and slim lipstick, after all, space savers are a plus. Something tells me that I'll be reaching out for Crema in the weeks to come until I've abused it enough.

Did you get a chance to experience Colour Collection's Lip Perfection? Which shades did you get? Have a fab weekend!

On Fragrances: Zen Zest Cabinet Deodorizer and Anti-Mosquito Room Fragrances

Whoa it's May! I didn't even notice... May is quite a special month for me. It means new beginnings and I can't wait to do my religious ritual on the 13th. But I'll elaborate on that later. In the meantime, let me introduce you to new spritzes and new lovable scents. 

Whoever thought of this is brilliant! In this case, it's fragrance connoisseur Zen Zest. I’ve been searching for ideas for my monthly On Fragrances feature and Sample Room lays it right on my lap.

Fragrances for your room? Why not? It’s your personal space in your home and it’s one place where you should feel revitalized and refreshed. 

Zen Zest brings forth two rejuvenating scents for one’s personal spaces. For only 20 points each, I got to try the Cabinet Deodorizer and Anti-Mosquito Room Fragrance. It’s just the perfect end-notes to spring clean!

The Cabinet Deodorizer in Iris Peony and Fresia Blossom is just lovely. It's an all-around deodorizer and every time I open my closet, the fragrance is so refreshing. It lasts for at least three days.I'm impressed with the way it neutralizes bad odors, I feel calm too knowing that because of the sweet, light scent from the Iris Peony in this mixture.

 

For the Anti-Mosquito Spray, it's a mixture of Citronella, Lemongrass and Eucalyptus. Unlike the other insect repellants making use of the Citronella and Lemongrass combination that I've tried, the addition of Eucalyptus in this concoction adds just the right minty fragrance. It's just the right balance and the Eucalyptus floats above the other two scents making it more of a minty insect repellant. Looking for added bonus? You don't have to apply it onto the skin. I like that it's safe to spray in most corners of the house as well.

The only downside? I wish the full-sized bottles were made available, because this is such a luxury item at a very affordable price! I think I'm lucky to be able to have availed of the Limited Edition scents. 

For now, I'll be spritzing away until my next post.

What are your discoveries for the month of May? Any resolutions you would want to share with me?

I Want To Be A Part of Sample Room’s Bloggers Circle (2014 Edition)

 

Just typing that title makes me feel like I’m in a reality show for bloggers. But in the blogosphere, things are done a bit unorthodox, and it’s what makes being on the plane a whole lot of fun and the whole blogging experience is rather innovative. 

I’ve been a Roomie since 2012 and have been looking out for new samples to try in Sample Room since started my blog and have been rewarded with the initial 100 points when the platform first launched. Being a Roomie means keeping an eye out for new samples, making sure there are enough points in the account to purchase new samples (especially the full-sized ones), paying the shipping fee and practicing extreme patience while waiting for the order to arrive. Of course, once I’ve had my fill and decided on a yes or no for the products, I write down my review and get rewarded my points back. There are also fun contests being held across social media sites and occasional goodie bags. 

Now let’s tackle why I want to be a part of Sample Room’s Bloggers Circle for this year. Most of those in the beauty blogging world would agree that being a Roomie is pretty convenient and addictive. It gives its members the chance to try out new products for free. I feel that being a Partner Blogger would be quite the privilege, and being a blogger from the south, I can introduce the concept of trying before buying to interested women especially among small town bloggers like myself. 

I keep coming back to Sample Room to find new products that can help me with my skin problems like discoloration, acne, sun care and protection and just about anything else that’s creating waves in the beauty world. The site also introduces useful tools for beauty enthusiasts of various degrees and it’s just about time that more women get to discover for themselves the clever system of Sample Room. 

Sample Room opens doors for women who want to discover what’s out there that deserve the slice of their budget. Women owe it to themselves to decide first if the products that they encounter are worth it, saving time and money in the process.

So do I deserve to be a part of the Bloggers Circle for this year? If it were a reality show, will I make the cut? Only the beautiful people at the SR team get to decide. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Unboxing: Skin Food Exclusive by Saladbox March 2014

Saladbox's March 2014 offering is a Skin Food box

This box was sent to my old shipping address and I had to pick it up from my auntie's house thinking that it was the stationery (I have a weakness for stationery but I'll discuss more of that later.) It's supposed to be my third box, my December slot was moved to March, and even though I have not received my Clou manicure set as promised way back when I was supposed to receive it in the first box, Saladbox's social media representative told me that it will be sent separately. (I'll update this post once I have received it.)

So what's inside the Skin Food box?

March 2014 is all about Beauty Recipes and the Skin Food partnership hints about the selection

Sitting at the bottom of the box is Skin Food's Black Sugar Perfect First Serum. Don't be fooled, the brown paper bag is meant to contain the sampler and the cotton pads on the left, so yep, it's empty and just cushioned the items on top. How does it apply to me, I really am clueless about how to use it. The instructions on the label are all in Korean and the back of the curation card is hardly helpful. Ask everybody's best friend-Google, apparently many beauty bloggers have already written about the Black Sugar Serum and most of them are raving about it. Perhaps this will help me with my problematic forehead?

The Watery Berry gift set is a travel sized pair of toner and emulsion. I still have my regular freshener and moisturizer, this could do for some backup or when traveling. They have a mild fragrance and seem to be gentle. 

I believe the highlight of the whole box is the Black Pomegranate Premium Kit.  Two counts so far for a toner and emulsion-there's also a cream and voluming serum. I have no idea how to use this and the instructions at the back of the box are again in Korean, so I will once again turn to Google.

 

Just a few personal rants and what I think of the whole box in general:

• The contents of the box are repetitious, it would have been helpful if there were a mixture of tools or cosmetics and not just skin care

• Speaking of skin care, I have no idea if these products are for oily, combination, dry or aging skin, the labels are all in Korean, if they curated the contents of this box according to my profile, it should be for oily but I have no way of knowing

• It's supposed to be the March box, I received it on the second week of April  

The idea of teaming up with an award-winning and innovative brand like Skin Food was a good move for me, but not enough to make me into a Saladbox convert. Of the three-month subscription period that I signed up and paid for, I'd have to say only the first and third boxes neutralized my expectations for a bit. The second box which I received for December was just a box of sachets of Paula's Choice skin care that wasn't even worth the subscription fee. That's all that was for December- the season of joy and giving. I didn't feel the Christmas spirit then, it was just meh. I've decided not to post an unboxing too, but I still have the photos.

Something tells me that I should close the chapter on Saladbox for now and just wait for the Clou manicure set to arrive. The brand should amp up their game if they want to play in the field longer. Besides, there are other impressive local brands that they can team up with. All it takes is doing homework.

Looking back, I'll try out the Black Sugar Serum and see how it turns out.

I hope you are having a good weekend. It's time for some pampering and revitalizing. Tell me what your plans are ayt? Enjoy!

Product Spotlight: The Cream Factory in Witch Hazel

I’ve got to be one of the last (if not already the last) persons to discuss The Cream Factory’s brilliant liquid soap that makes use of... (yep, you guessed it) goat’s milk. 

The thing is, I’m a self-confessed bar soap hoarder. I like bar soaps especially if they’re organic. When it comes to liquid soap, I usually just keep mum about them because there was this international brand that I tried but it didn’t quite meet my expectations (it sort of left some residue dye on my bath foam) and I stuck to citrusy bath bars from then on.

 

With the introduction (and rage) that Sample Room introduced with The Cream Factory’s arrival here, I got to test it out for myself. Having tried out the Witch Hazel variant (without having any idea as to what witch hazel actually is,) I have one option but to Google it and find out what makes witch hazel an important ingredient for a bath cream.

According to our good friend Wiki, witch hazel is an astringent and is sometimes called winter bloom. Witch hazel is loaded with antioxidants and is usually used as a skin care ingredient in many beauty washes and skin treatments. It's quite a clever move for witch hazel to be the star of this particular variant of The Cream Factory. I feel nothing short of fresh and rejuvenated after a good time in the shower because of it!

 

 

I'm rather pleased that regulator is small to be able to control the fluid that passes through. I've been using this for over a month and I still have about a quarter left in it. Talk about thrifty. It's just that The Cream Factory's products are not readily available in Zamboanga City just yet and it would take time for me if I wanted to restock, to make a purchase in the online shops and wait for them to arrive. That's not neglecting the fact that if I were to satisfy the shipping fee, I'd be forced to throw in some additional purchases too.

I particularly enjoy the rich, creamy lather and it comes with a mild scent. It's moisturizing on the skin and for this one, there's no need to apply a scented lotion. It's gentle and can be used on kids too. This is one treat that's undeniably refreshing, no wonder they call it Dessert For The Skin.

All Natural, All Minerals: My AHAVA Favorites

All natural, all minerals from two extremes; this is the ambience that I transport myself to every time I apply a load of AHAVA Hand Cream in Mud (which is at least five times a day). I am so fond of my sample that it’s already half empty by the time this post is up. (It’s that good.)

AHAVA is an all natural and all minerals brand that takes pride in being the Dead Sea cosmetic brand, owing many years of research and discoveries in discovering the purity and natural richness of the Dead Sea region. But why the Dead Sea of all places? It is a basin of the greatest concentration of moisturizing minerals and age-delaying algae that helps to soothe the skin-all these grow in the driest of desert conditions. Who would have known that there is life in what we normally overlook?

I received these AHAVA products from the #Inspire bag from Sample Room except for the Dead Sea Osmoter Concentrate which came from my Sampler Buffet from Beauty Selection earlier this year. Even with just samples, I've already made up my mind about this brand.

The Eye Makeup Remover came in full size. It's just perfect timing for me to receive this because my makeup remover is about to go empty. I like that it's sheer and very lightweight and it's very helpful to have during late night events (every woman who's crazy about makeup should have a remover nearby). However, the stopper is just too wide, and it's enough to soak a whole round cotton pad, it could leave the face looking drenched in something so oily. But it effectively cleans eye makeup, there's no traces of makeup whatsoever, it's even safe to use on the whole face and even on the neck (might as well maximize a drenched cotton pad, yeah?)

The only regret I have about the Body Exfoliator is that the sample is only good for a single use. The other sample was Dead Sea Water and it was as good as empty in one of my weekend showers, but I don't regret it at all. Exfoliate, it did and I was wondering, how about if there was a body lotion to go with it, hmm? I felt like having an exfoliating experience in a high-end spa and it was a lightening experience. Perhaps I'd be sad to see this Dead Sea Mud Body Exfoliator go.

 Between these two, I'd have to say that the Hand Cream has got to be my favorite. It sits on my desk and I lather on every time I reach for it. It has a calming, soothing scent and the cream is quick absorbing and moisturizes the back of my hands and palms. I have calloused fingers because I grip pencils and write like there is no tomorrow on my notepad. I even have conditions of skin peeling in between fingers. But the hand cream was able to relieve the uber noticeable peeling skin. If anything, my hands look plumper though.

The comforting cream is a little magical worker. It's a handy partner (because of its size and wonders) in soothing sunburned and slightly tanned faces. One way to find out if the face really was overexposed is when there is an itchy feeling and reddish marks on the skin's surface. But this one helps to cool that burning, itchy feeling. It's not only good for sunburns, it also soothes allergies. Lately, I've had rashes appear on my arms and thighs, this little tube sure saved the day for me. Even if the rashes didn't disappear immediately, at least the itchiness disappeared. 

 

Lastly, I have to admit that I don't come close to knowing what an Osmoter really does. But that's nothing Google can't solve. According to AHAVA's official site, it's an "exclusive concentrated extract of mineral-rich Dead Sea water that helps restore the skin's vitality and enhances its natural ability to retain moisture".-so in short, this is a moisturizer. 

I use this after my cleansing, toning routine in the evening, and it's pretty quick-absorbing. When I get up in the morning, I can feel the concentration of the moisturizer still there even after nine hours of sleep. Just one pump of the osmoter and it covers my hyperpigmented forehead, then a portion goes on my cheeks and all over the face. I'll be sad when this will be empty, which it is nearing because it's just a sample size after all, and it's due because it has a subtle feel-good scent about it that I really like.

My absolute favorites among all of these products has to be the Hand Cream. I put it in my bag and pull it out when I feel like I need some hydration every time I look at my dry hands (which is often) and there I am- ridiculously happy gal.

I'm still dying to try their makeup and body lotion as well as body wash. Have you tried AHAVA? What are your recommendations?

You can still join my giveaway here with Christine's Books and Baubles. Good luck!