Sample Decision: Full-Size or Skip?

Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Tone Perfecting Eye Gel Creme and Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate serum samples from birchbox

I received both of these samples in my Birchbox subscription boxes and they're both about to run out! Now I'm left to decide whether to buy the full-sized products or try something else.

The Laura Mercier Tone Perfecting Eye Gel Creme came in my August 2014 birchbox and I've been using it every night since. The sample came in a 0.17 oz tub and I still have enough left over to last about a week or two (been using it for almost 3 months!). It is super lightweight and absorbs fairly quickly, so it would totally make a great daytime eye creme, too! It adds the perfect amount of moisture and I really like this gel creme formula. Not sure about the "tone perfecting" part, but I also don't expect too much from eye cremes. My eye bags only go away with enough sleep and relaxation. No amount of heavenly eye creme can get rid of my baggage and dark circles if I have them! I have come to terms with that. Anyway, I think I might need a more heavy duty eye creme now that it's getting colder (yeah, I know that I'm a wimp!) and also since I'm getting "older." So, I'm going to try out the Elizabeth Dehn for One Love Organics Active Moisture Vitamin E Eye Balm. I actually haven't tried any of the Elizabeth Dehn stuff, but I really loved the regular One Love Organics line while I used it a couple years ago. So, we'll see! I can always go back to the Laura Mercier Eye Gel Creme later. :)

The Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate came in my September 2014 birchbox and I have also been using it every night since I got it. The sample came in a 10 mL bottle and I suspect that I only have enough left for maybe a week. This stuff smells GREAT! It smells botanical/natural, fresh, light, and not cloying. The smells dissipates quickly after application. And even though it's a lightweight serum, I did notice that it is pretty good at moisturizing. Or at least my face feels like it holds onto moisture longer when I use it (versus just using the face oil that I use as a moisturizer). I think that's great. I'm not so sure about the antioxidant claims, but I love the way this makes my skin feel. I wanted to hate this, but I ended up really liking it. Full-size is $65 for 30 mL though! If I am gonna spend that much, I think I would rather repurchase the Caudalie VinoPerfect Radiance Serum because I feel like this is the only thing that helps lighten my dark spots (that resulted from breakouts in the past). However, I will definitely look into the Ultimune serum again when I feel like I don't have to focus on lightening my spots anymore!

Have you tried any of these products before? Do you have better suggestions for serums or eye cremes? :)

Btw, my SD card is super corrupted and won't format. I suspect that there is something wrong with the SD card and/or my computer. So, this picture was taken with my iPhone! I guess there will be no actual camera photos until I replace my SD card. And I might have to buy a new computer (I have had this laptop since 2009 though!). BOO!

(all links are for convenience only! and all opinions are my own.)

8 comments

  1. I haven't tried anything you mentioned here although I've been hearing nice things about the Shiseido serum. Some complains about the silicone contents but I personally don't mind cones.
    It is hard to repurchase something when it comes to skincare, too.
    For serum, I really liked Tatcha Radiance serum and California Natural moisturizer for normal/oily skin. I received both as PR samples but honestly they are two best things I've used this year (and I went through several). :)

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    1. Oh, I didn't even know that the Shiseido that it has silicones! But I'm not sensitive to them, so I guess that's good. The Tatcha Radiance Serum sounds nice! I might look into that instead of the Caudalie. And the California Natural moisturizer! I remember reading about both of those on your blog. Hmmm... There is always so much to choose from! :)

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  2. I have never actually found a serum of any kind that made me fall so head over heels I'd buy it over and over again. I'm always on the lookout but high pricetags scare me away! The older I get, though, the more I think an investment might be called for.

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    1. Yeah, why are serums so expensive? The Caudalie serum I mentioned is $80! Plenty expensive enough for me! It did lighten my spots, though not drastically. My mom uses this crazy expensive serum by Estee Lauder and I almost fainted when she told me how much it cost. She swears by it though! O_O

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  3. The Shiseido Bright Lucent spot correcting serum is the best thing ever for me - has totally been reducing my spots. I use it every other night, though, because it's a bit drying on my skin.

    and the Ultimune broke me out! LOL.

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    1. Really??? I will look into that! My skin does not do well when it is dry though! XD

      That's interesting that the Ultimune broke you out! Everyone is different, for sure!

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  4. I havn't tried the products you mentioned in this post either. I think with the Shiseido one it would be hard to tell if its working or not. Cannot believe it's so expensive!

    What worked really well for lightening my dark circles and puffy under eyes was Derma e's eye cream. I apply it at night and also the next day in the morning and I saw the biggest difference for my skin where I didn't look super tired. It's also safe to apply it on you upper eyelid as well to prevent future sagging. I currently have the Vitalizing Pomegranate but it got discontinued. When I run out, I will switch to the Evenly Radiant Dark Circle Eye Crème. I also heard good things for their Hydrating Eye Crème with Hyaluronic Acid. You should check both and see which is better for your skin type.

    PS: I nominated you for the Liebster Award because I really like your blog. Here is a link to
    my post and instructions on what to do: http://intrice.blogspot.com/2014/11/liebster-award-part-3.html

    x Carol
    intrice.blogspot.com

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    1. I'll look into Derma E! Thanks for the suggestion! Sounds great.

      And thanks for the nomination! lol

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