DHC samples reviews + NOTD

I tried out a few of the samples I received from DHC, wanted to give a little feedback on some of them . . .

DHC Eye Bright

Price: $21.50 for 0.52 oz.

What they say: Eye enlightenment. Promote healthy-looking skin around the eyes by reducing puffiness and brightening dark circles. Stimulate weary-looking eyes with depuffing caffeine, revitalizing Isodonis japonicus (a Japanese botanical), and brightening, calming licorice extract. You’ll notice a reviving, cooling, soothing sensation the moment you apply this quickly absorbed, lightweight gel. The delicate skin around your eyes has fewer oil glands and is therefore especially susceptible to dryness, so it is vital that your revitalizing treatment also hydrates. Knowing this, DHC formulated Eye Bright with rich moisturizing ingredients, including sodium hyaluronate—a superior moisture magnet—and soothing, refreshing cucumber.

What to do: After cleansing, apply a small amount evenly to eyelid and under-eye area. Press gently into skin with fingers.

Ingredients: water, cucumis sativus (cucumber) juice, butylene glycol, sodium hyaluronate, isodonis japonicus extract, placental protein, carbomer, potassium hydroxide, methylparaben, saccharide isomerate, caffeine, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, allantoin

The good stuff:

• Easy to apply
• Cooling gel, smooth liquidy texture
• Moisturizing
• Seems to help with puffiness

The low-down:

• Expensive
• Didn't seem to absorb too quickly
• Haven't tried it long enough to say anything about dark circles

My take: If this wasn't so expensive, I'd want to try it longer. I like that it's refreshing and cooling when you apply it and it and it goes on smoothly because of it's watery texture. I think it did seem to help with my puffiness a bit but not with dark circles so far. I've had more success with it in one day than I've had with LaRocca's 24K Gold eye cream for a week (will review soon).

Would I repurchase: Maybe, but not right now.

DHC Matte Cream

Price: $28.00 for 1.4 oz

What they say: Degreaser.If unwanted oil is inducing regular beauty meltdowns, Matte Cream can help you maintain some dignity. This “mattifying” formula minimizes sliding makeup and unprofessional-looking glare by absorbing oil before it surfaces on your face. Use it alone, under makeup, and as a spot treatment to keep you looking cool and composed day in and day out.

What to do: Before applying makeup or as a daytime shine-control cream, smooth over shine-prone areas until completely absorbed. For oily complexions, apply over entire face.

Ingredients: water, stearic acid, pentylene glycol, glycerin, cucurbita pepo (pumpkin) seed extract, kaolin, chlorella vulgaris extract, behenyl alcohol, glyceryl stearate SE, potassium hydroxide, phenoxyethanol, allantoin, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, tricalcium phosphate, paeonia suffruticosa root extract, allium sativum (garlic) bulb extract, silica, zinc oxide, silver, disodium adenosine triphosphate

The good stuff:

• Cute packaging
• Smooth texture, applies easily
• A little goes a long way
• Did a decent job at controlling shine/oil

The low-down:

• Expensive
• Dries to a tacky finish
• Oxidized my foundation
• Was no match for shine/oil by the end of the day
• W/ foundation applied over, feels even worse

My take: This pretty much ruined my first expereince with DHC's Cream Foundation (will explain in next post). First off, it's a regular light cream that goes on smoothly. It did not absorb quickly for me and when it did "dry," it still had a tacky feel to it. I applied the foundation over it and for a few hours, my face was so light! Then a few hours after that, my face turned orangey. I will say that it did do an okay job at toning down shine & oilyness for most of the day but I've found that the Cream foundation works even better at holding back shine/oil without using this cream first, AND it doesn't become too dark/light. Also, with the foundation over the cream, you can really feel it all sitting on your face. Every time I touched my face, it was tacky/sticky.

Would I repurchase: Not anytime soon. Maybe if my skin ever goes back to being dry, I'll give it another shot.

DHC Mineral Mask

Price: $35 for 3.5 oz

What they say: Natural wonder. Minerals, clays, and ash do the dirty work for skin that’s stressed out or harboring impurities and oily shine. This mask will provide interim shine control, leaving skin feeling detoxified and looking brighter.

What to do: After cleansing and toning, smooth over face, avoiding eye and mouth areas. Leave on for 5 minutes, then rinse with lukewarm water. Follow with your favorite DHC toner and moisturizer.

Ingredients: water/eau, glycerin, bentonite, butylene glycol, titanium dioxide, kaolin, sucrose stearate, sodium hyaluronate, pentylene glycol, iron oxides, xanthan gum, phenoxyethanol, citric acid, glycine soja (soybean) seed extract, chlorella vulgaris extract, aloe barbadensis leaf extract, allantoin, sodium dehydroacetate, morus alba root extract, royal jelly extract, panax ginseng root extract, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, hinokitiol, blue 1, pueraria lobata root extract

The good stuff:

• Thick, sticky texture
• Easy to apply
• Dries quickly
• Don't have to leave it on for long
• Instantly softens and smooths skin
• Gives a healthy glow

The low-down:

• Expensive
• Made my nose itchy :(
• Does not smell good

My take: Overall, I really liked this mask, since it's so quick to use. The results are nice however, I think it's basically a glorified version of my Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque, except it doesn't smell good. It's even the same color. It gives the same results. It's just 10x the price.

Would I repurchase: No, it's just too expensive and I can get the same results for a fraction of the price.

My skin after:

And here's the NYX polish in "South Sea" Looveee the color ! ! It's a bright, metallic blue. The only thing is that this polish is super sheer (are all NYX polishes like that?) and I had to apply like 3 coats for the color to show up.

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