Sample Sampling

If there's one thing that beauty bloggers love, it's probably product samples. Even more so when they're freebies. I love a good, old try before you buy and here are a couple of samples that I managed to get my hands on whilst at a Benefit counter in the UK and in my local Finnish department store.

Refined Finish Facial Polish from Benefit - This is the first piece of the Benefit b.right radiant skincare range that I have tried and unfortunately; I'm disappointed. It's a facial exfoliator that claims to, 'gently exfoliate , purify the skin and minimize the appearance of pores.' Let's look at that word gently. To paint a picture, imagine you're on a beach somewhere and sand has breached your sun cream bottle. Now, imagine applying said sandy sun cream to your face. This is as close as a description that I could come up with to describe this exfoliator. It hurts like hell. The instructions say to apply after cleansing, which I did whilst my skin was towel-dried, but still slightly damp. I don't know if it's supposed to be applied to dry/damp/wet/as thick as leather boots skin, but one thing I'm certain on is the fact that I don't want to put this stuff on my face again. I'll be honest, my skin did feel really soft and smooth afterwards; however it also sported a crimson glow that could likely be spotted from the other side of the park, outside my apartment building. This one is not for me at all. 
Max Factor Skin Luminizer Foundation shade 40 Light Ivory - I had good vibes concerning this foundation as I had read several positive reviews online; however I was very much disappointed. The shade was a pretty good match, if not a touch on the light side for my current skin tone but that wasn't the real issue. This foundation just kind of sat on my skin. The formula is pretty thick and even when applied with my Sigma Flat-Top Kabuki brush, it looked patchy and uneven. I like a foundation to fuse with my skin and give it a healthy glow, but this certainly wasn't the case here. My skin is in pretty good condition just now; however this made me look dry and flakey. I had to wash off the cakey mess after around 20 minutes as I couldn't bear to have it on my face any longer. Hate is a strong word, but I have strong feelings for this foundation... Avoid! 
Max Factor Whipped Creme Foundation shade 55 Beige - I've reviewed these in the order that I sampled them so after my experience with the Max Factor Skin Luminizer Foundation, I didn't have high hopes for this. That being said, I've definitely saved the best til last as I actually really, really like this foundation. It reminds me a little of Maybelline's Dream Matte Mousse Foundation. It has a whipped, light-weight, moussey texture that blends flawlessly with the skin and gives a beautiful, natural, (and more importantly, even) coverage. Being a demi-matte foundation, I thought this would cling to any dry patches of skin that I had and not fare well with my slightly drier complexion, but I couldn't have been more wrong. I find it gives me really healthy looking skin. I rarely get along with drugstore foundations but I could definitely see myself going out and purchasing this one... The only downside, the packaging! It comes in a little pot, much like the Dream Matte, and I have horrible flashbacks of it getting stuck underneath my finger nails all over again. I'm a pump girl. Always have been and always will be. If this was a pump product, I'd snap it up in a heart beat. 
It's, 'share your thoughts' time again... I'm dying to know if you've tried any of these products and if you're rating/hating any of them. Leave your comments, thoughts, cuddly toy below.