Have I Told You Lately That I Love ... Almonds??

WOW! WOW! WOW! What a GREAT day for the daily sample!!!! Read on to see the fun …

Move over Jergens!!! Those of you who know me know that I am a total sucker for all things almond. I love marzipan. I adore almond paste. My favorite See’s candy is marzipan chocolate. I bake almond cakes all the time. I buy madelines like they are going out of style. I drink almond milk. I need almond scones or bear claws! I’d take an almond croissant over a regular croissant or any other croissant any day. Well … until today, I was a total fan of Jergens lotion because the original scent is cherry almond. Not any more. I rushed right to the Internet and added a full 33 ounces of CND Almond Hydrating Lotion to my shopping cart. The only reason I haven’t checked out yet is because it is actually Step 4 in a 4-step almond process. J It smells like totally and complete PURE ALMOND! Like when you bake the most marvelous cake and open up a brand new bottle of pure almond extract. AND … it was a super moisturizer. Very, very silky and definitely no yucky after-film. The other product in the process are: Almond Milk Bath; Almond Moisture Scrub and Almond Illuminating Mask. They also sell an Almond Soothing Crème, but I didn’t get a sample of that as it is for extremely dry skin. As soon as I have tried them all together, I’m going to get the whole line, I’m sure.

Next is the fabulous free Beauty Insider Philosophy Miracle Worker Kit. Oh … my … god! Move over Mary Kay Timewise Dermabrasion Exfoliator. Remember how I said nothing could top this? Well – I admit that I still love the Mary Kay product but, let’s face it, I’m a diva and divas do not use Mary Kay. J The bottle just isn’t that cute, even though the samples totally are. Well … I followed all of the instructions and the Philosophy blew me away. I started with Purity Made Simple Face Wash, but not the foam, which you know I am already a total fan of. This time, because it wasn’t as light as the foam, I could smell it and it was phenomenal. It totally smelled like peeled lemon zest. Very fresh and refreshing. Next I used the Philosophy Microdelivery Exfoliating Wash. This was AMAZING!!! The microbeads were super fine and gentle and just made my skin tingle all over. It wasn’t too harsh for after the first wash and a little went a long way. I was totally hooked just at that step. Then, I did the Microdelivery Peel Step I and II. It was crazy how great it made my skin feel. It was like no product I have ever tried and definitely better than last night’s green apple peel. I love that it is two steps too. You put a teaspoon of Step 1 on your face like a crystallized mask. Then, you massage in Step 2, which makes your face foam a little and get warm. Wait 2-3 minutes and rinse with lukewarm water. My face looked FABULOUS afterward. It felt super and I was the happiest I’ve been after any wash, exfoliant, peel, etc. Then I finished off with Hope In a Jar, which you know I’m not a fan off because it is too thick, but I liked it for nighttime and Hope In a Tube for Lips and Eyes for extra softness in the right parts. The samples for everything but the peel will last another 4 – 6 times. The peel another 2 times. I am definitely adding this to my “must have” regimen once a week, so I’ll be buying more. J It’s $85 for the full size products instead of the $156 value. It’s worth every penny.

Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey: Well this was totally fun! It looks super black but comes out soft and pinky. I think it looked better on Melissa than me, but it felt phenomenal and every review on Sephora was fabulous. That’s the reason I bought it. It’s the only color it comes in and I’m really into “barely there feel good tinted lipstick/gloss” right now. So this was perfect for me. It lives up to the tagline – sleek and moist! A must have for $14 in your makeup bag.

Fresh Sugar Lip Gloss In Sugar Baby: First off, I love that this promo code (XOXO) gave me a full size sample of this product, currently at Sephora for $18! Second, it’s an awesome color – goes great with the new fair nude Smashbox liner. Also, it’s definitely not too glossy, but with the right amount of shine. Perfect with light makeup and a dash of bronzer. A must have for the Summer for sure. Also, I thought I would be reapplying it over and over throughout the day, but it lasted quite awhile.

I recently ordered the new Fekkai Home Coloring System for Blondes. A sample of Fekkai Technician Shampoo and Conditioner was sent along with it. It smelled good and, while I wasn’t super happy with it while in the shower, once I added the Fekkai Glossing Cream and Pureology Antifade Spray, it made my hair feel wonderful and, again, stripped some of that orangey-yellow. However, KMS is still the product for me. Sorry Frederick!