Mini Reviews: A Sisterly Guest Post


A while back, I gave my sister Victoria a small bag of skincare goodies and in return, she promised to write a guest post once she'd had a chance to try everything.  We even planned ahead and snapped some photos in anticipation!  I'll let Victoria take it away...

A few weeks ago, I was visiting my sister and she started shoving beauty product samples at me. This isn't exactly unusual. Caitie is the makeup maven in our family, whereas I'm pretty much helpless when it comes to anything beyond basic skin care, so when she gives me samples, I say thank you and take them home. Then I put them on the corner of my desk and stare at the packages for a while in confusion and--you guessed it--mostly never use them.

Recently, though, she's getting better at convincing me to try her outlandish "samples". It might have something to do with the amazing Acure shampoo and skin lotion she set me up with a while back. Also she's pretty much my favourite sister (not to mention, my only sister) and we're adults these days, so I should probably listen to her, right?

On this particular day, the sun was shining, spring was in the air, and Caitie was determined to trick me into taking product samples... by turning them into a goody bag and tweeting them.

Then she asked me if I'd write a guest post for her, and I said I'd be happy to.

The loot!
Of course, that means I had to actually try all* the products. There were green goops, and whites ones, and other ones that smelled like plants and flowers and things. The horror!

Actually, it turns out most of them were pretty awesome. Here's the rundown:
I love the luscious green colour, but be forewarned: this scrub felt scratchy and rough on my face the first time I tried it. I liked it better the second time, and since then it's really grown on me. Almost no odor and it leaves my face feeling really clean and flawless.

This one was a challenge to even get out of the sample pack, since it was fairly dry and seemed to have hardened. Once I got it out, it felt even scratchier than the Acure scrub and the foaming effect disappeared after just a few seconds, when I had barely scrubbed half of my face. Not a win for me.

I wish I'd had a larger sample of this one! The smell was light and pleasant, and though it was more watery and less creamy in texture than the lotions I normally use, it worked just as well. I might not go out of my way to buy this instead of my usual lotion but if some found its way into my possession, I would definitely use it again.

Yum! Caitie passed this sample along to me because the combination of floral and musky scents wasn't her cup of tea, but anything with rose in it makes me happy. This serum doubles as moisturizer and scent, and I'd say it's very gently good for both. I understand it's pricey and it didn't rock my world, but I certainly like it.

I'm a fan of Green Beaver products. Green tea aside, this didn't seem significantly different to me from their Boreal lotion, which I've relied on in the past. Nice creamy texture, mild scent. It's not especially exciting but it's a good lotion that can be counted on in a pinch.

I'm not sure I've ever used a clay mask before, so this was a novel experience for me! The smell was a bit strong for my taste but it felt cool and silky going on, and cleaned up like a dream. My skin felt soft and clean, but less dry than it does after most cleansers.

I haven't gotten around to trying this one yet, because every time I look at the name, I feel like the lotion is judging me. See, I'm 30 years old. I know well enough to moisturize just about everywhere, but "Firming Night Cream" makes me feel like the lotion thinks I'm drooping and desiccating before its very judgmental lack of eyes. So I haven't tried this one yet. Maybe someday. When I'm old.

And that's a wrap! Thanks for inviting me to guest blog, Caitie, and thanks for the fun samples.

"All for me??" (Victoria insisted we use this silly photo - instead of any of the more reasonable ones - I swear!)

*Where "all" really means "most." Fooled ya!


Thanks for guest posting, Victoria!  Now I'm curious - because personally, I don't think I've ever felt this way - do any of you feel judged by so-called firming (or other anti-aging) skincare?




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14 comments

  1. I loved this! You and your sister look so much alike!

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    1. Thanks! We're almost 5 years apart, but we actually get mistaken for twins sometimes!

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  2. Weleda's pomegranate products smell really goog! You should give it a try =)
    And yes, you're very much alike XD

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  3. Nice guest post!
    I almost bought the Suki foaming cleanser but didnt at the end because I was afraid it would be too rough...
    Thanks for the review.x

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    1. I really like the Suki scrub, but I guess it's not for everyone!

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  4. Great post and you really are very much alike :) x

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  5. What a great post, so fun!

    Mayah x

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    1. Thanks Mayah! It was fun having a blogging partner for a change...which you of all people would know about, no doubt! :)

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  6. Great post and love the pics :p I love Weleda products, especially their Sea Buckthron range :) x

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    1. Thanks! Sea Buckthorn is my favorite from Weleda too :)

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  7. Loved reading this! It's a breath of fresh air to hear the opinions of someone who isn't really involved in the green beauty community (or any beauty community in fact!) and I love her open and honest opinions :) x

    http://fernandmoss.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. Thanks! I agree, it's nice to see what people not invested in this community have to say sometimes :)

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