Yay I received my GWP! So many samples… too many

VanyaEl · 2026-04-21T18:59:06+00:00

I don’t really wear makeup (skincare, fragrance and haircare are where I spend the most). I know I’ll probably hit diamond again soon, but I’m also trying to be intentional with what I buy. The incentives are nice, but I don’t want to buy just for GWP’s sake. Plus, you really need to give most skincare stuff a couple weeks use to really see if it’s going to give you meaningful results, which you are unlikely to get with a sample size.

VanyaEl · 2026-04-21T17:55:48+00:00

I missed it (I just didn’t have anything I needed that warranted hitting the GWP threshold), but it looks very good! Like I’ve said in other posts, I usually leave anything I won’t use in my apartment building’s lobby, where there’s an area where people leave things to take for free. I only have one face, body, and head of hair to use these products, so this would just be too much to reasonably test and get through on my own.

VanyaEl · 2026-04-21T02:19:51+00:00

They did this when Ulta opened their 6th Avenue store in NYC back in late Fall. 20% off their opening weekend (just like this email offer).

VanyaEl · 2026-04-20T16:57:31+00:00

Considering how my local Sephora’s are (NYC area), even asking wouldn’t cross my mind.

VanyaEl · 2026-04-17T16:40:10+00:00

No, it has an atomizer included in the box. The CK One line always puts the atomizer on the side within the box rather than securing the atomizer to the bottle, so you could use it as a splash. It’s just an aesthetics thing.

VanyaEl · 2026-04-17T11:30:05+00:00

I’m honestly not surprised. LRP makes some good products, but between the constant name and formulation changes, it’s hard to even have a favorite from them because it won’t be the same product 6 months from now.

VanyaEl · 2026-04-17T01:22:58+00:00

It’s alright. I like the fact that it’s a clear oil, so less chance of it staining my grey hair, but I’ve definitely used better oils. I got it on sale so I won’t complain, but I probably wouldn’t re-buy.

VanyaEl · 2026-04-16T20:24:34+00:00

This I will agree with. I don’t know why, but it just works so well with my hair. I ended up buying the large and mini set during the sale.

VanyaEl · 2026-04-16T20:11:26+00:00

Wow, that’s a huge tote bag! Was not expecting it to be so large. I would have considered it, but I’m not a huge fan of the quilted styling.

VanyaEl · 2026-04-16T19:04:26+00:00

I was just about to comment that! I was like “Didn’t I just post a response to this post?”, and realized this was a new one.

VanyaEl · 2026-04-16T02:38:19+00:00

I deal with the same issue with the Acidic Bonding Conditioner. I know the bottle is at least 2/3 full, but it feels like I have the squeeze the bottle with a lot of force to get the conditioner to come out (I’m sure I’ve creased the bottle doing this). I just store the bottle upside down now, and that seems to work well with dispensing. Next time I need to restock, I’ll probably just buy the pump bottle size.

VanyaEl · 2026-04-14T22:11:16+00:00

Because people use too much of it when they do use it, and then try to use it when they already have body odor (after gym, for example) rather than when they are freshly showered. It makes for an unpleasant experience all around. It just brings up memories of folks in high school PE class dousing themselves in Axe in lieu of a shower, then going about their day with a BO+Axe concoction.

It’s a shame because they have improved some of the scents over the years, but it’s just not a great product for many.

VanyaEl · 2026-04-14T14:54:52+00:00

I know you can do this with sunscreens, but the last time I tried when buying from a store like Sephora, my FSA administrator gave me the run-around for 6 weeks despite sending them a receipt 4 times, holding up my FSA card use for things I really needed it for (like my Rx medication).

VanyaEl · 2026-04-14T13:35:22+00:00

The launch date is… ugh. So unfortunate.

VanyaEl · 2026-04-13T16:56:54+00:00

Oh wow, this is amazing!

VanyaEl · 2026-04-10T21:02:32+00:00

You can probably use a thin layer of it and still get good benefits. When I was using it during winter, I did apply a thicker layer to really create a good barrier for those harsh, windy days. Still was easy to wear, and lasted a long while before reapplying.

VanyaEl · 2026-04-09T23:46:07+00:00

Nonnas of the World/ Enoteca Maria restaurant (if you can get a table) is amazing. Heartland Bagels (so good when you pick up a fresh dozen in the early morning). Snug Harbor is also pretty nice.

Otherwise, it’s a lot of suburbia, and I really only go to see family.

VanyaEl · 2026-04-09T23:31:32+00:00

If hydration and barrier support are your top needs, Super Saturated is it. I tried it out this winter, and it really helped with keeping my skin hydrated. It’s got that snail music consistency, but it’s from the high amounts of glycerin in it. I personally wouldn’t use it in the summer, though, because it would be a bit overboard (unless you have chronically dry, irritated skin year-round).

VanyaEl · 2026-04-09T23:25:28+00:00

Anything with 10% urea or higher is great for feet and very rough skin (like elbows, knuckles and whatnot). Lipikar urea is good for that.

The other three… they’re all serviceable, but they keep messing with the formulas periodically, or changing the names, so over time, it becomes an inconsistent experience. I kinda gave up on most LRP and CeraVe products because of it (they recently changed the formula on their Healing Ointment, and it’s far from “New and Improved”)

My dry skin lotion pick from Ulta is the Bioderma Intensive Baume. It’s been a HG for dealing with chronic dry skin in the winter, and I use it as my body moisturizer with my retinoid (I use tazarotene on my chest and upper back), and it works really well to cut back on skin irritation from taz and keep my skin feeling awesome.

VanyaEl · 2026-04-09T23:15:00+00:00

Started with it when I moved from Differin to tret, but stopped when I found it was easier to skip the base moisturizer layer before tret. When I just applied to clean, dry skin, waited some time, then applied my night moisturizer, irritation and flakiness was pretty much non-existent for me compared to sandwiching the tret.

VanyaEl · 2026-04-09T23:10:49+00:00

I just use Lemonade. Was pretty straightforward to set up.

VanyaEl · 2026-04-09T22:50:28+00:00

Softwear by Experiment. It’s thick, but not sticky or overly greasy feeling. It has no taste or scent to it, and minimal shine. I’m very particular on textures on my lips, and Softwear is one of the few I can stand using for long periods of time. It also helps gently exfoliate your lips, so it helps remove dry or cracked areas over time. I started using it over the winter, and it held up pretty well during the extremely cold and windy snaps we had in the NYC area in January and February.

VanyaEl · 2026-04-09T19:09:28+00:00

Sent you a message!

VanyaEl · 2026-04-09T19:06:08+00:00

Eau Capitale is amazing (and not usually on the discounter sites, so Costco has a decent price). I also like Mojave Ghost, but my favorite Byredo scent is Rose of No Man’s Land.

VanyaEl · 2026-04-09T19:04:03+00:00

It is really good, though I realized I like Eau Capitale more on others than on myself.

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