Sample Showdown #3

Manuka Doctor ApiNourish Rejuvenating Face Mask

I received some samples from the Manuka Doctor brand in a Priceline gift with purchase last year and just tucked them away with my other samples not to be seen for another twelve months. One night I was feeling brave and decided to try out these samples that contain purified bee venom with Manuka honey to see how it would go down. After reading the big warning label across the back about not using the products if you’re allergic to bees, I had to ask my mum to see if I was. The only thing I know I’m allergic to is daffodils which runs through my family and that’s it. She didn’t know if I was or not since a bee has never stung me, so I had to do a patch test on my arm. Here I am sitting on my bed dabbing bee venom mask onto my arm to see if I have a reaction. I’m hoping that I don’t because I look like Melbourne’s #1 bogan in my uggs, trackies and oversized t-shirt on a weekday night. If an ambulance had to come and get me if I were deathly allergic to bees, it would not be a pretty sight. As soon as I dabbed the mask onto my arm I expected it to break out into a rash and fall straight off. It did not, so hooray! It is official that I am not allergic to bees. So I went to the bathroom and smoothed it all across my face to let it cook. It’s a very thick cream coloured paste and smells very fragrant. Kind of like if the perfume counters at David Jones also made and sold bread. It smelt like perfumed bread. During the process I didn’t feel anything on my skin, it just felt like I had put way too much moisturiser on and didn’t rub it in. Once it was rinsed off my skin felt soft, but that’s about it. I wasn’t too keen on the smell or consistency of this mask and it would be better suited to people who have dry skin and need a soothing mask to help when the winters are harsh. This retails at $85 full size but I wouldn’t purchase it as it is really not for my skin type and there's A LOT of other great masks out there that cost a lot less money. Cruelty Free.

Manuka Doctor ApiClear Skin Treatment Serum

This clear serum aims to balance troubled skin without being too harsh like some acne treatments. It is oil free and feels incredibly light on the skin and trust me, a little goes a very long way. You don’t need much of this at all and it absorbs right into the skin. It felt a lot more soothing than other acne treatments and while it is very fragrant I really enjoyed using this. I had a couple of tiny spots on my face the night before, but when I woke up in the morning they were gone and my skin felt smooth and not at all congested. I only got a small sample sachet of this to try, but I would definitely repurchase this in the future to see how it would work over multiple uses. There has been a lot of research done on the positive effects of bee venom in skincare, as it is full of enzymes, peptides and amino acids. While this does use bee venom as its main ingredient, the bees are not harmed in any way and the company is very ethical. They upload videos showing how they collect the venom in a way that the bees do not lose their stingers and fly right back to doing their business after. Cruelty Free.

Sukin Protein Hair Treatment

This hair treatment is a wonderful hair treat that is paraben free, vegan, and cruelty free and packed full of aloe vera, calendula and chamomile. After shampooing and conditioning your hair you are meant to apply this all over and leave for fifteen minutes before rinsing. Because it is chilly winter I didn’t want to hang around in my shower cold and deep in my thoughts, so I decided to just replace my usual condition with this and let it sit for a short three minutes instead. Holy moly, this stuff is amazing. After rinsing and allowing to dry naturally my hair felt so incredibly soft and healthy. I can’t even imagine how my hair would have felt if I left it on for the recommended time after conditioning. This was the first Sukin product I have tried and I am beyond impressed. I will definitely be using a lot more of their products in the future. Vegan and Cruelty Free.

Avene Eau Thermale Spring Water

While this is essentially water in a spray can, its history is so much more. Avene as a brand started in the commune of the same name located in the south of France. Essentially they claim to have magical spring water that heals skin issues after a horse with a bad coat was found rolling in the water in 1736 and it was suddenly cured of its skin disease. I know right, it sounds like the Scientology of the skin world. But there must be something in the water there because water from the Avene springs has continued to help people since then. There is even a hydrotherapy center set up that helps people with severe skin conditions like eczema and dermatitis. If you Google it, it is a pretty interesting read. Along with the Manuka Doctor products, I also received this in a priceline gift with purchase and didn’t use it for another twelve months. I put it in my fridge and originally started using it as a makeup refresher spray until I got my yearly round of hay fever. When I get hay fever I get it BAD. I had to take a week and a half off work and basically sit in a dark room taking antihistamines, eye drops and laying in bed with a cold face washer on my face. It’s really debilitating. My eyes even start to swell really badly, it is not pretty. My face gets incredibly hot and feverish but my eyes stay dry and itchy, so I needed something to cool it down because I was sick of taking three showers a day. So I whipped the can of Avene thermal spray out of the fridge and started spraying it all over my face. Now it wasn’t an instant cure but it was a big help. My eyes weren’t as swollen so I was able to get up and watch TV and it helped with the swelling and hot skin. I went through one can in about 12 hours so it isn’t a financially viable option, but I did appreciate the help. It meant to be really great for sensitive skin and can also be used to soothe sunburn and nappy rash. While it did help to soothe a lot of uncomfortable symptoms, I will not be repurchasing due to Avene selling their products in China and testing on animals. While my eyes were sore and itchy for a week and a half it eventually went away, these animals are made to continually suffer in cruel ways. So until these disgusting China policies change I will not purchase ANYTHING from Avene, and I hope you don’t either. I also doubt the magical springs theory and feel that I could probably get the same result spraying cold tap water on my face out of a spray bottle. NOT CRUELTY FREE.

Dermalogica Clear Start Breakout Clearing Foaming Wash.

Dermalogica and I do not have a great history. I used their products many moons ago when I first started breaking out and it turned my normal pimples into horrific giant patches of cystic acne that took months to get rid of. I had an absolutely terrible reaction to their products, so this is why I was quite hesitant to give this cleanser a try. I did a quick Google search before putting it on my face and the reviews were good. Like REALLY good. So I started using it and I was IMPRESSED. First of all the smell is wonderful and that is due to its ingredients. It contains orange peel extract to refresh and eight botanicals to soothe and calm irritated skin. There is also some salicylic acid to get into the pores and control any breakouts. The Parcel gave me a deluxe sample and that lasted me nearly two months. It is another one of these magical products that you don’t need a lot of to see results. My skin felt fresh, clean and it didn’t cause any irritation to my skin. It helped create a really clean canvas to let my serums and potions soak into and I can’t believe this is from the same company that products caused my skin to have a complete bitchfit three years ago. This cleanser is A+, so if you’re looking for a decent cleanser for oily breakout prone skin this is in my top 3. Dermalogica were one of the bigger brands to say a big NO to entering the Chinese market and changing their cruelty free status. So it is a great brand to support. Cruelty Free.

Urban Skincare Co. Infuse Body Balm.

So I finally got around to using my two deluxe samples of the Infuse Body Balm and they are divine. It is so light and just soaks into the skin so quickly. You don’t have that heavy greasy feeling after applying and it smells like a wonderful mix of citrus juices. This is a good all-rounder body balm from an Aussie company. This made my legs feel so wonderful after I shaved them and was a nice hit of hydration. Cruelty Free.

Coconut Revolution Coconut Body Butter Original

This sample tube was absolutely teeny tiny and looked like it would only be enough to cover my hands. Super wrong. The tiny tube was enough to cover my arms and legs and you only need a little bit for the most wonderful hit of coconut hydration for your skin. It smells so wonderful and is a great alternative to tThe Body Shop body butters. I’ve used The Body Shop version and honestly preferred this one. It wasn’t as greasy and absorbed straight into my skin, it was incredibly divine. It’s made from 100% organic cold pressed virgin coconut oil, sweet almond oil, sunflower seed oil and cocoa. Coconut Revolution is completely free from animal testing and while The Body Shop is as well, L’Oreal owns them while Coconut Revolution is an independent Aussie company. I will definitely be buying a big tub of this after my body moisturiser is all out. Cruelty Free.