The Samples: Clarins Toning Lotion with Iris and Gentle Exfoliating Toner with Tamarind

                                  

 

I love sample size products because they just look so cute and it gives you a cheap chance to try out products. I went in to try out the Clinique Brow Pencil as there were no MAC counters near to me. You all know I love my MAC Brow Pencil in Stud. The Clinique Sales Lady was not in but the Clarins Sales Lady was there and she helped me with my Clinique purchase and we started chatting and she was really helpful and friendly. Although, I did not buy anything from Clarins, she gave me these samples to try out. What a jolly lady she was!!! She gave me the Clarins Toning Lotion with Iris (for combination to oily skin) and the Clarins Gentle Exfoliating Brightening Toner. I really like Clarins because most of the ingredients used in their formulation are derived from plant products and natural derivatives. Can we just take a moment to appreciate how dainty these samples look? I think they look so cute! Now this is not a full review because I believe a full review should be with a full size product so I would say this is more of a first impression and thoughts kind of post....let's dive in

Clarins Toning Lotion with Iris

Now, this has a slight fragrance which I really don't mind at all; in fact I actually find it pleasant. I use a cotton pad with this and I find that it has a slight hydrating effect on my skin. It refreshes my skin and you can tell that something different is happening after you apply it. It does not contain alcohol so there is no fear of drying out the skin. It might be my imagination but it does feel really cooling when it hits my skin but not in a "minty" way just in a really nice refreshing way (I am aware I have mentioned that it's refreshing already). I think this may be down to the Iris content; just maybe. When I run out of my current toning lotions, I may buy the full size of this because it's really lovely.

Clarins Gentle Exfoliating Brigthening Toner

This was the sample I was originally after and I am glad the Clarins lady had one left in her stash. I had heard about this toner from quite a few blogs so I was naturally interested. Anything that says exfoliating gets me excited because as you may know by now, I am looking to clear my hyperpigmentation left from some evil acne I once had. I am glad at least my breakouts are now under control (hallelujah). I like the fact that it says gentle which means even people with sensitive skin can use this. It contains Tamarind and White Nettle which have exfoliating and brightening abilities. It also says on the tiny packaging that it contains AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid) which are known for its exfoliating, brightening and cell renewal properties. This also means you have to use a sunscreen to protect your skin as the AHAs make it more sensitive to sunlight. I really like this toner because I feel it has helped my skin despite the tiny amount and short time I have used it. It has a distinct smell of citrus which I really like as well and you can tell I like fragrances in skin care and I am lucky my skin does not mind. This toner is definitely one on my wish list having tried it now. That's it folks and see you in my next post...x

FashStyleLiv Tips: How to Get Beauty Freebies

Hi Lovelies,

I hope everyone is well. I just find it hard to dive into the post without my usual preamble of asking how you guys are doing. I'm sure you don't mind. Anyway, a couple of people have asked how it seems like I always have new products and how I get free products. Firstly, many of the beauty products I review have actually been purchased a little while ago to give me enough time to give an honest in-depth review of the product. I actually don't buy new products often except at the end of the month when I get paid; most good quality beauty products last a good while such that I replace them about every 3-5 months depending on the beauty item.

House of Fraser Beauty Diary

Another way to increase my stash of beauty product is through freebies. I love love love getting free beauty products samples because I am a beauty product junkie. That's my vice. There are so many ways to get free beauty products but most of my knowledge is limited to the UK. However, I am pretty sure they work the same way in many other countries.

House of Fraser Offers for 2013

Getting free samples of beauty products offers you a chance to test if a product is suitable for you or not without spending unnecessary money or wasting precious time because if you don't like a freebie all you need to do is chuck it or give it to some one else who may appreciate it. No sweat, no money lost and no time wasted going back to the store to return the item with all the hassle that follows. I am going to share a few ways/tips for getting FREE beauty samples and products.

                                                 Through Purchasing Beauty Items

Collection of Lancome Free Samples

Aha! I know this method is the most obvious way and may be the least appreciated way because you still end up spending money. In a way, it is true. On the other hand, I would say it depends on what brand you are dealing with. It's no hidden secret that I love Lancome Brand simply because they are very generous with their freebies. They usually have offers where you get a whole stash of goodies which are usually worth more than £70 pounds for any two purchases.

Lancome's most recent offer from John Lewis

Of course, it is arguable that many of their products especially skin care and make up are not exactly cheap.However,  as my teacher used to say, " the trick is to understand the question" (or statement in this case). Since it is "any" two purchases of "any" products. You might as well buy the cheapest. I always go for their nail polishes(when they have these offers) which retails for £12.50 each (Check out my Lancome Vernis in Love Collection Review). At the end, I only spend £25 pounds for nail polishes which are excellent quality and also getting free goodies worth £70 pounds and more. Win-Win!  Some other high end brands e.g. Clinique or Clarins usually offer some goodies with any two skin care purchases. I don't even bother with those because they are pretty expensive :-).

YSL samples (don't ask me why there are so many; I could not find a good match) no purchase necessary for this though

 Other brands like Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) usually offer you some samples which you may choose from occasionally with purchases depending on the mood of the sales ladies.I have only purchased the Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Foundation which I have a blog post on it.  Yves Rocher which is a French Brand is pretty generous with their samples and goodies. 

Yves Rocher Free Samples for any purchase

They usually offer some sort of complimentary gift with purchases over £25 pounds which is not bad at all. Other times, some of these high end brands may insert flyers/vouchers in newspapers which you will need to take into a store in exchange for a free sample of a beauty product or make over. I know Lancome and YSL have done that in the past with the launch of the Lancome Visionaire Foundation and YSL Touche Eclat Foundation respectively.

                                                      Through Beauty/Make up Products Websites and Facebook

Garnier Moisture Match Free sample through the post (it's still on their website)

This is one of the easiest ways to get free samples of beauty products. Many beauty websites constantly have offers and promos on their website offering people a chance to try out new products. They offer this usually to people who have purchased from them online previously but it is not just limited to those people only; anyone who signs up on their websites with or without purchasing products can get samples when they are on offer. I know a lot of people hate receiving junk mail which is fine; I do too but I also love beauty items as much as I hate junk emails. The best way around this is simply have a junk email which I use for these kind of things which I regularly check  for relevant freebies and delete spam mails easily.  Some beauty websites are so nice that they only require a few details from you and they will send you samples to your house address free of charge. No need to pay for postage.

Free L'Oreal Sample through the post via L'Oreal Insider

 Some sites may request for a little sum to cover postage but many of them send it free of charge. I have got a few through their websites such as Maybelline Fit Me foundation, Garnier Moisture Match, Clarins Beauty Serum and L'Oreal Extraordinary Oil. Other times, you may need to like their Facebook pages for more information on these freebies that they offer. 

Free Maybelline Fit Me foundation sample through the post

I joined L'Oreal's Insider website which gives you access to many discounts and vouchers which is pretty neat and of course free samples sent to your door step without much ado.  I think these brands need to realise that one of the strongest forms of advertising is through sampling. It may be expensive for them initially but it always pays off.

I was very impressed with the sample and I went to buy the full size and concealer earlier this year

 I was so impressed with the Maybelline Fit Me foundation I was sent that I eventually bought the full size foundation and concealer; The power of Sampling/Freebies.

                                                       Through Magazines

Some of my favourite Magazines with Freebies

This is my favourite way of getting free samples of beauty products because they are usually very good quality.I love reading magazines and I had a huge stash of magazines for a few years before I sadly let go of them because they were to heavy to carry around when I was moving houses. Many magazines often offer free good quality beauty items from time to time especially during Spring/Summer.

Free samples from different magazines

 I have got a good number of products through magazines such as Elle, Glamour, Marie-Claire, In-Style, etc. Of course, I only buy them if I think I am interested in the freebie offered. Not all freebies are worth buying the magazine if you are not an avid magazine reader. 

Favourite Benefit Freebie Mascaras via magazines 

I love any Benefit freebies because their products are very good quality and expensive of course which is why I always leap for joy when I see any free products from their brand in magazines. I have got two amazing mascaras from them which are the Bad Gal mascara and the Oh!They are Real mascaras which are definitely my favourite but I cannot justify spending that much on a mascara so i guess I will stick to the samples for now.

Amazing Jemma Kidd Lip Gloss (free via Magazine a long time ago)

Another brand which I have absolutely enjoyed is the Jemma Kidd Range. I have got their High Shine Lip Gloss and Mascara in different magazines which are amazing. I have had the lipgloss for about a year and half and I am yet to find any lip gloss with such good packaging and formula. The colour is perfect for Spring because it is a very pigmented coral lip gloss which can be worn on its own or accompanying a Coral Lipstick.

This is my second freebie from Percy and Reed (I'm lucky like that :-))

 I have also received the Percy and Reed Finishing Polish, in fact, this is my second bottle and I got both of them free in different magazines. I got one last year and one this year. This finishing polish is amazing for slicking down any fly away hairs and it stays put all day, trust me on that. 

My first Free Nail Inc nail polish

I have also received my first Nail Inc nail polish which is a pretty pastel colour for Spring. I have never tried Nail Inc polishes but I know many people rave about how good quality they are. I can see why now.

                                                        Through Competitions

Honestly, the odds of winning are very slim but it is always worth trying out because you don't lose anything by trying anyway. I have only won one set of freebies through this method and it was the L'Oreal and W magazine Because You're Worth it Competition where I won an amazing make up bag with some L'Oreal goodies.

 If you are interested in seeing what I won, you can check it out here, I dedicated a whole blog post to it to show you how surprised and glad I was to have won :-)

These are the ways I use to get free beauty products and samples. I hope this has been helpful to you one way or the other. If so, let me know in the comment box below. I understand that some people want to leave comments under the posts but it always requires them to have a blogger profile which may be problematic. You can either sign in to blogger through your yahoo or gmail. Alternatively, you can join Fashstyleliv Facebook Page and leave your comments under the blog links there; I always place new blog posts on there and I will be posting about give-aways/contests on there :-)

P.S. I have finally fixed the comments box below, so you can comment below without having to register with blogger. Try it and let me know if it works now..x

I am thinking of doing a Giveaway soon to say thank you to everyone for reading my posts and leaving nice comments. It has been barely 2 months since I started this blog and I have been getting amazing support which motivates me to write more. Thank you everyone for your support.  I  would need suggestions for a good give away gift/item. Let me know either through the comments box or facebook or drop me a line on Liv@fashstyleliv.com.

Free Lancome  Make up Brushes (which is why I love them !!!)

I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed writing it up. xxx