Last week I purchased some drawer organisers in a variety of sizes to help me tackle the dumping ground that is my dressing table drawers and I now finally have an organised sample drawer! These samples from R+Co instantly caught my attention, just look at the design, it's magical!

Moon Shine shampoo and conditioner is aimed at dull hair, giving it more sheen, contrast and dimension. The products contain Hibiscus extract which protects hair whilst conditioning and softening, Morninga-seed to protect against free radicals, Rhubarb to moisturise, Damson Plum to protect from discolouration plus rice extract which smoothes hair and retains moisture. Both the shampoo and conditioner smell amazing and I could still smell it in my hair a couple of days later, which is something you don't often get from hair products.

I love the squeaky clean feeling these products gave my hair and as promised it was left smooth and shiny, I don't quite know if I could stump up £22 for the shampoo and a further £22 for the conditioner, maybe a payday treat next month...

Garnier Ultralift 14 Day Challenge

An anti-aging cream that guarantees to give visible results within 14 days is a bold statement to make, right? When Garnier offered a free 14 day free trial pack of their Ultralift Day cream I set aside my *ahem skincare snobbery and thought I'd give it a shot. With 23% of women seeing an improvement in skins firms within two weeks and 24% seeing fewer wrinkles in 4 weeks it had to be worth a try.

Now I don't have any major wrinkles but I am all for preventative measures when it comes to anti-ageing, anything has got to be worth a try, who wants to age gracefully?

Check back next week where I'll fill you in on my first week of using the cream!

Trial-Sized Tuesday's | Smashbox Pore Minimizing Primer Review

Another week, another delve into the sample drawer and another primer review. I'd wanted to try Smashbox Photo Finish Pore Minimizing Primer ever since it was released but at £28 I didn't want to purchase it and not like it (like I did with their Photo Finish Primer) and low and behold with a recent ASOS order there was a sample. So how did it fare?

The texture of this primer is quite like Benefit's Porefessional, in that it's quite like a balm. I was amazed at how well it smoothed pores and mattified my skin, initially it was love at first use. My foundation sat perfectly over the top and the primer managed to keep oil at bay from my t-zone practically all day. My skin looked flawless, that was until I checked my face after around 8 hours of wear, my foundation had gone all patchy and separated on my chin and around my nose. Huge disappointment! I've never used a primer that had actually separated and gone blotchy, I hear others talking about that issue all the time but this is the first primer I have actually experienced that with.

So initial finish is amazing but it just didn't stand the test of time with me, I tried the primer for a further 2 days and unfortunately found the same problem again. I'm just glad I didn't part with my cash for the full-size product.

Trial-Sized Tuesday's | Pixi Flawless & Poreless Primer

It's that time of the week again, where I have a did around in my ever growing stash of samples for something new that will hopefully blow me a way. So my MAC primer ran out a few weeks ago and I've been trying to work my way through some others before I repurchase it, unfortunately none of them compare so I figured I'd give this one a shot.

Pixi's Flawless and Poreless Primer claims to be 'a miracle in a tube' which is a bold claim to make and I had high expectations after reading this. So before I give you my verdict on the product after using it for a few days lets delve further in to what's in it. So, the primer claims to smooth lines and create a no-shine silky canvas for foundation. As well as smoothing pores and prepping skin the primer has active ingredients beneficial to skin which over time will improve skin texture and clarity - Willow Bark to control shine, Salicylic Acid to clear and unblock pores, Shea Butter to nourish skin and something I've never heard of before - Enantia Chlorantha which is medicinal and anti-viral.

So how did it perform? Well, there was enough in the sample for 3 uses so I can't comment on the long term benefits of using this primer but I can tell you that for me it didn't control shine very well nor did it make my pores appear smaller. If i had applied this primer blind I would have said the intended result was for a dewy finish as this is how it left my skin. This primer certainly isn't the worst I've tried how ever it is a way away from being the best I've tried. I'm interested in trying more Pixi products as I have been enjoying their infamous Glow Tonic for the last few weeks.

Do you have any Pixi favourites? 

Trial-Sized Tuesday's | Bumble & Bumble Invisible Oil Shampoo & Conditioner Review

Whilst rooting around in my drawer literally bursting with samples on the weekend I came across this little duo, I often just give away hair products as I'm pretty strict with my hair routine but as I've been seeing more and more of their legendary salt spray everywhere lately I thought I'd give the samples a shot and see what all the fuss was about.

So before I let you know my thoughts on the product let me give you a little background into the condition of my hair and my regular routine. So, my hair is quite thick and naturally curly but 90% of the time I wear it straight which means I use quite a few products to tame the frizz and keep it straight. My routine begins with a moisturising shampoo and conditioner (usually Aussie Moist shampoo & conditioner) and then prior to styling I use a couple of drops of Argan oil and a heat protection spray (usually Toni & Guy). The majority of the time this does it for me, once a week I throw a deep conditioning treatment and a leave-in conditioner into the mix for extra moisture but after all this my hair is feeling a little lank by the end of the week from the build up of product. Queue Bumble & Bumble Hairdressers Invisible Oil Sulphate Free Shampoo & Conditioner. 

Aimed at dry, coarse and brittle hair this sulphate free shampoo is infused with 6 oils to help soften, tame frizz, detangle and protect. One thing I noticed, even with my hair still being damp in the shower, was how squeaky clean my hair felt after using it. I did use the whole sample but I could have easily used a lot less as it lathered incredibly well and was easy to work in to my hair. I followed with the conditioner, which again I could have used only half of what I did and left for 10 minutes whilst I did my thang in the shower. Drying and styling my hair was a lot easier after using this shampoo and conditioner and I didn't require as many finishing products. The two days after washing my hair it was so smooth and silky and despite having a windy afternoon on Sunday my hair kept tangle free. 

I loved these samples, so much so I took straight to the web to see how much this duo would set me back, at £23 for 250ml of the shampoo and £25 for 200ml of the conditioner I don't think I'll purchase it for my everyday hair routine but I shall definitely be purchasing for my Sunday hair detox.

Do you have any Bumble & Bumble recommendations?

Trial-Sized Tuesday's | Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion+ £5 15ml

This sample came in the latest British Beauty Blogger and Latest In Beauty collaboration box and was top of my list to try as I have tried and loved many of Clinique's products but this moisturiser was one that I had always forgotten about when searching for a new moisturiser. Although dubbed as a moisturiser for normal/dry skin I find this light lotion works very well with my oily skin when applied sparingly, it's sets into my skin very well and leaves it with a subtle glow.

So what is Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion + (apart from a bit of a mouthful)? It's a lotion type moisturiser that helps form a barrier on the skin sealing the moisture in leaving it soft and healthy looking. One thing I have noticed is that they weren't lying when they said a little goes a long way, seriously a pea sized amount is more than enough for my face and neck! First thing I noticed when reading some reviews on Clinique's website was a lot of people saying 'bring back the old version', never using this moisturiser I wasn't to know this was a reformulated product and I can't make a comparison to the old one, I can however say that after a few days of use I'm really enjoying it. I have been using Benefit's Triple Performing Moisturising Lotion for the last couple of months and I'd say the texture of Clinique's DDML (lets just shorten the name as it's a little long!) is similar to that only I find Clinique's DDML leaves me looking less oily later in the day.

Have you tried this moisturiser or the old formula, what are your thoughts?

*update - now we have got into the 30's heat wise and my oily skin is working overtime this moisturiser was causing my skin to become more oily than usual so this one has been put away until Autumn/Winter.