Spotted: Celestial Seasonings Tea Lip Balms

Celestial Seasonings Tea is currently giving away free lip balms in specially marked boxes of tea exclusively at Walmart! I'm so excited to go looking for these because it combines two of my favorite products and I always love a good freebie. :) 

Here is a photo of the different flavors.

You can also purchase them on the Celestial Seasonings website for $2.99 each or $18.99 for all 7.

http://shop.celestialseasonings.com/Lip-Balm-Variety-7Pack/p/CEL-VPLBALM7&c=CelestialSeasonings@Gifts

Customer Service Review: L'occitane

This was my first experience with L'occitane. A friend kindly let me know that they were advertising a $3 Shea Butter Collector's Hand Cream tin. It includes 2 0.3 oz hand creams in Vanilla and Rose scents. They also had a free shipping promotion going on. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to try a product I had always found interesting but pricy.

I also like that they allow you to choose 2 free samples with your order. I chose samples of Almond Milk Concentrate and Divine Eye Cream. When I proceeded to checkout, it would not let me use the free shipping code for the hand cream, saying that I had to add at least one item to bag. Tried again on computer (had been attempting to order on phone) in a different browser; still the same thing.

I sent an email to their customer service and received an automated response that my question would be answered in 24-48 hrs. This morning I received an email that my question could only be resolved over the phone... Okayyy.

I call them and wait over 15 minutes on hold.

I explained to the service rep what I was trying to order and how the code wouldn't work. She said it should have taken the shipping off automatically, but to go ahead and place the order and she would adjust the cost of shipping aftwards.

So I place the order and she begins to ask for my order information to do the adjustment. Then she goes "oh... the reason it wouldn't work is because the hand cream tin doesn't qualify for the free shipping. There's nothing I can do." Really?! I told you what I was trying to order BEFORE I placed the order! 

I feel rather mislead. I'm sure it wasn't intentional, but I feel like she wasn't paying close enough attention to what I was saying to advise me of the problem before I placed the order. I ended up ordering on false pretenses and paying $8 for a $3 item and 2 free samples. I could have canceled the order but I really want the damn handcreams, lol.

I went back on the website to investigate if it said anything about shipping restrictions and on the mobile site it's pretty hidden; when you click on the product you can see all the important info, but you have to click on the tiny "read more" for it to tell you that the tin is excluded from free shipping.

I guess I should have read more carefully, but this ordering experience has been overall negative. I wish their site had live chat or some other instant customer support so I wouldn't have had to waste so much time responding to emails and making calls. I'll have to think long and hard about ordering from them again.

I will review the products when they arrive. Hopefully they are worth the additional cost.

Product Review: Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo

I received a free bottle of this shampoo in exchange for my honest review.

I would give Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo 3/5 stars.

It lathers and cleans hair just fine, but there is nothing special about it whatsoever. I did not notice 

my hair feeling cleaner, softer, or improved in any way after using this shampoo as compared to any other shampoo. I found the smell very unpleasant; strong and medicinal. 

I would not repurchase this product because it didn't wow me, didn't improve my hair type, and smelled terrible, making my shower experience more unpleasant. The cost is also a consideration as it retails for $4.97 at Walmart and other shampoos that I have used and loved there sell for around the same prices for 13-19 oz. Why would I pay the same for significantly less of a product I don't even care for? Even the $1.50 off coupons they provided can't sway my decision.

This may not be the right product for me as I have not felt that my hair builds up tons of residue. I do notice a buildup of styling products in between washes, but it's nothing any of my usual shampoos can't take care of.

With that said, I really like Neutrogena as a brand overall. I enjoy many of their facial cleansing and skincare products. If I could give one note to Neutrogena it would be to improve the scent of this product and either increase the size or decrease the cost. 6 oz is pretty small for a shampoo size.

Product Review: Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation

I got a sample of this product from a magazine along with a $1 off coupon. I had used Maybelline Dream Matte Foundation for years before recently switching to an Avon foundation simply because my mom was a representative and there was a good sale. I had been satisfied with my previous Maybelline  foundation.

This foundation sample was in 220 Natural Beige. It was probably a shade too dark for me, but I was more tan than usual and was able to blend and make it work. 

Overall it's a good product for an everyday foundation. It goes on smoothly and provides moderate, even coverage. It doesn't seperate like some formulas can. Other than the shade, this product seems identical to the foundation I used to wear. If I hadn't just purchased a different foundation, I would buy this one.  4/5 stars.

Product Review: Biorè Deep Pore Cleanser

I got a one use sample of this product out of a magazine and I was very excited to try it because I'm looking for a new facial cleanser. I have to say; this product is a winner! 

I have normal (non-sensitive) combination  skin. This cleanser has a pleasant gel texture, applies easily, and has a cooling but not uncomfortable sensation. It also has a lovely fresh, slightly sweet scent. It left my skin feeling refreshed and clean. My skin was slightly dry afterwards, but not as much as with some other cleansers, and I just applied my usual moisturizer afterwards.

I hope it will help with my moderate acne, but since only prolonged use will tell, I will definitely be purchasing this product! It retails for $4.54 for 6.7 oz at Walmart, and the sample included a $3 off coupon, so for $1.54 I'm looking forward to using it!

OOTD: White + Bright

Dress, belt, sandals: Walmart 

Bag: Family Clothes

Necklace: flea market 

Bangles: toadorn.com

Product Review: Schick Hydro Silk Trimstyle

This product is a combination razor and electric bikini trimmer. I received this product for free in exchange for my honest review.

I really liked this razor. I used it for shaving my legs and it gave the same close shave as the Venus Gillette razor I had been using for years. I didn't try the bikini trimming feature, as I don't currently have use for it, but it's nice to have for the future. I would definitely repurchase the blade refills for this product, especially since they included $4 off coupons and these items are generally quite expensive. Also included was a coupon for Skintimate shave gel, which I love to use. Very pleased with this product and coupons.