Sample Room Haul #1: Neolia, AHAVA, VM

Hi there! Today's blog will be all about my Sample Room haul! :) This isn't really my first Sample Room haul ever, but it's the first one I'll be writing about. I do have a Sample Room review up, though, if you are interested to know more about it. :) Well, onto the review! Here's what I got from Sample Room this time:

cute packaging! 

here are the actual products that I got

So, let me give you a breakdown and reviews for each. :)

1. Neolia Olive Shampoo & Conditioner (Full Size 400ml / Php 310)

"An organic shampoo and conditioner that is formulated for all hair types, most especially for delicate scalp that helps reduce dandruff. Each variant has a unique ingredient to help moisturize, revitalize and moisturize both hair and scalp. Neolia products were developed without compromising the effectiveness and pureness of each product by giving greater importance to certified natural ingredients."

Here is a picture of the samples.

10 ml sachets

Let me start with the shampoo in this duo.

I actually really love this shampoo! It's very nicely scented, reminiscent of a local shampoo brand I can't quite figure out yet. It also is quite thick for a shampoo. Its consistency is that of a nice jelly conditioner type product. 

What I like most about it is that it lathers quite well. This is something I look for in a shampoo, especially since I do get oily hair at the end of the day. With this, I don't feel the need to re-shampoo for my hair to feel clean. 

Now for the conditioner.

I don't like the conditioner, to be honest. While it smells quite nice like the shampoo, it's really, really runny. It's like watered-down shampoo -- which is a weird consistency for a conditioner. When I tried to dispense some onto my hand, it actually trickled down in between my fingers. Odd.

Because of this, I don't think I was able to get any of it onto my hair. Obviously, I can't vouch for its effectiveness.

2. AHAVA All in One Toning Cleanser (Full Size: 250ml / Php 1,095)

"A light, water-based cleansing milk for face and eyes. The triple formula effectively removes makeup, dirt, and impurities; tightens pores and rebalances the skin's pH; leaving the skin clarified, toned, soft and saturated."

"No need to rinse. Use daily, follow with proper skincare."

Here's a picture. 

30ml sample

What do I think about this product?

Well, I really love it! 

This product is supposed to be able to remove all traces of your makeup, all while toning and moisturizing your skin. It's like your typical bedtime routine all in one. 

I have to say that this product may be able to do just that! 

I used this product when I sported a full-blown smokey eye (dark cream base, dark shadows, blobs of mascara -- the works!), and this was able to remove it with a swipe. Yup, you read that right. With one downwards swipe, my eyeshadow base, eyeshadow, and mascara (top and bottom) was gone. Nada. Zilch. 

Since my eye makeup was so dark, I had to use another cotton ball for my face, but I'm pretty sure a little blob of the product can actually take care of your whole face of makeup easily.

Cleansing -- check!

Now, what about the toning and moisturizing properties, you ask? 

A look at my pores after using this showed that they weren't quite as big as usual. My whole face also felt quite smooth and supple as well. 

Toning -- check! 

Moisturizing -- check!

It also smells quite good, which is always a plus. ;)

I have to say, though, that as an oily-skinned gal, I still wanted to clean my face through my usual routine just to make really sure that it was really clean. Dry to normal skinned gals won't necessarily need to do this, though. :)

All in all, this product is really quite great to have, especially when you travel and you do not want to lug around a whole bottle of makeup remover, a separate eye makeup remover, etc. :)

3. Venus & Mars Mineral Eyeshadow in the color Halo (Full Size: 5g / Php 145)

"It's mineral makeup in its simplest form. NO irritating components such as Bismuth Oxychloride, Boron Nitride, Parabens, Ethylene Gycol, Formaldehyde, Petroleum products, Sodium Laurel Sulfate, Carmine, and other Mineral Makeup fillers. Only what your skin needs. Now fortified with Pearl Powder and SPF 20 and infused with Vitamin E, V&M Minerals is the best that your skin can ever experience. Finally, your skin can truly breathe."

Shade: Halo

I had never actually heard about V&M Minerals before. Apparently, it's an online mineral makeup brand that's been around for quite some time under a different name or something to that effect. 

Anyway, I was super excited to try this out since I do love eyeshadow so much. 

This mineral eyeshadow is in a loose mineral form like this:

with flash

without flash

As you can see from the pictures above, the shadow is an uber pretty turquoise color . I was really excited about this since I have nothing like it in my collection. :) 

Now, as standard with all cosmetics, here are some swatches for you to look at:

swatches

Top swatch: With ELF eye primer

Middle swatch: With LA Splash creamy shadow base

Bottom swatch: no primer or base

As you can see in the swatches, this shadow can really be more pigmented depending on its base. I recommend a good eye primer to really make this color pop on your lids. 

I like that this shade is sheer enough that it doesn't scream turquoise eyeshadow when you wear it, but it is definitely buildable if you want a more intense shade. 

I actually haven't tried this on my own eyes but I'm pretty sure it would work great. ;)

Soo, all in all, I must say that this was quite a wonderful Sample Room haul. The items that I got were mostly great! 3/4 isn't bad, is it? ;)

I totally love love love the whole concept of the site and how it gives everyone a chance to try products before deciding on whether to buy them or not!

Want to get your own samples too? Check out my Sample Room review and find out how. ;)