I used up a lot of sample sizes and packets on my recent travels, so I’ve got a lot of reviews this time! As always, add your own hits and misses.

Simple cleansing facial wipes (Ulta)
I’d usually never bother to review something so innocuous as facial wipes, but these broke me out like nobody’s business. I don’t use wipes at home, just while traveling and at the gym, etc. Grabbed these before my recent trip and as soon as I started using them my skin broke out. Rinsing after cleansing helped somewhat, but the whole point of wipes is that you can use them when you don’t have water, so… I won’t be repurchasing this brand; I’ve had good luck with the Yes to Cucumbers wipes in the past.

Supergoop setting mist (Sephora)
This is a combination setting mist / sunscreen (SPF 50!) which I thought was a nice idea; you can use it during the day and get some additional sun protection without having to redo your makeup. It’s hard for me to say definitively how it’s working as sun protection since I’m wearing other sunscreen underneath, but as a setting spray it does seem to work well, and helps makeup from sliding around or fading. My only quibble is that it contains peppermint, which makes it smell like you’re spraying mouthwash on your face, which is kinda weird. The scent doesn’t linger, though, and it dries nicely matte.

Urban Decay naked 2 basics palette (Ulta)
This is the only eyeshadow I took with me on my recent trip and I was really happy with this palette. I find that a lot of palettes, even ones focused on nudes, have a ton of darker colors which I never use because they look so overwhelming on my pale skin. I hadn’t used UD eyeshadows before and found them really nice, quite pigmented, and these shades in particular have no shimmer, which is nice for day and hard to find sometimes.

Benefit porefessional primer
I only got a small sample card of this so I could only try it a couple times. I used it around my nose, sides of cheeks, and middle of forehead over moisturizer and under foundation. It seemed to work OK but I didn’t notice significant difference one way or another. If pore size and shininess is a particular concern of yours it might be worth a try.

Paula’s Choice Resist Super-Light Wrinkle Defense SPF 30
I got several free sample packets when I ordered from PC a couple months ago. I was a bit surprised when I opened this one because it’s called a moisturizer/sunscreen but is actually quite tinted, like a BB cream. This only uses a physical sunblock (zinc oxide) so that’s probably why they chose to tint it, to get rid of the usual white cast zinc gives. It has a bit of a silicone-y feel when applied but dries down to a nice texture. However, it doesn’t seem to last all day on me; by the end of the day it’s mostly gone which is less than ideal. Given that and the fact that the color is a bit too dark on me (works somewhat OK at the moment as I’ve got my summer ‘tan’ but would be too dark in winter) I probably won’t order a big container. However, if you’re a typical medium skin tone and looking for a quick BB cream / tinted moisturizer with no chemical sunscreens, I’d recommend you give this a try.

Benefit they’re real mascara
(Let’s take a moment to think about the linguistic stylings of this name: it’s mascara that’s supposed to be so good it makes it look like you’re wearing false lashes, so you can declaim that you’re not wearing false lashes. Who says cosmetics are simple?)
I got a mini size of this in the June Sephora Play box and am neither terribly impressed nor disappointed with it. It does give lashes a nice curl and works particularly well on the lower lashes, but it’s a bit too prominent for my everyday style.

Nars Orgasm blush
I’m the last makeup-user on the planet to try this, because I always thought it was too orange/coral for my skin tone. I got a little free sample card and gave it a go, and I can see why so many people love it. It looks natural and flattering, and is much longer lasting than I remember powder blushes being (I’ve used only cream blushes for the last few years). It’s OK on my skin right now but I suspect it would be too dark and orange on me in the winter when I’m paler. I’ll definitely try more Nars blushes now that I know the formulation is so nice.

Pacifica Sea Foam Complete Face Wash (Ulta)
I picked up a Pacifica travel-size kit before my trips and so far I’ve really liked the items I tried. Apparently Pacifica is a natural line, vegan and cruelty-free, and paraben and sulfate free. This face wash is foaming but not drying and I like the smell of it. If I were in the market for a new face wash this would be a contender.

Pacifica Enzymatic Exfoliating Wipes (Ulta)
Nice smell, seems to improve skin texture without being too strong. I like these better than the similar First Aid Beauty ones, which stripped my skin and made it red. I think getting this kind of treatment in a wipe is probably pricier than in a serum/lotion, so I wouldn’t prefer it except for trips and the gym.

Pacifica Dreamy Youth Day & Night Cream (Ulta)
Unlike the other Pacifica products I tried, the smell of this was really unpleasant to me. Otherwise it seemed like a perfectly average face cream.

Living Proof Perfect Hair Day (Sephora)
I’d tried this before and was unimpressed, but used some again on a very humid day for an event and was pleased at how it kept my hair from poofing out into a giant frizz ball. It’s a bit too heavy for everyday in my normal environs, though.

Alterna Caviar Cream Leave-in Hair Perfector (Sephora)
I love this stuff, to be honest. I am rationing the rest of the small container I have because the full-size is a bit pricey. I tend to put it in wet hair after showering and air dry, and for that it really helps cut down on frizz and adds shine.

Tatcha Camellia cleansing oil (Sephora)
Tatcha is a hot new high-end line whose marketing gimmick makes me laugh - you too can have the skin of a geisha, yeah sure. It’s generally too rich for my blood, but I got a foil packet sample of the cleansing oil with another order. Unfortunately (for my budget) I really like it. It’s just the right weight of oil - some cleansing oils are too light (rinses away easily but doesn’t get off all makeup) and some are too heavy (good for heavy makeup but leaves a film). This stuff gets off all my makeup, smells good, and rinses off nicely without leaving a heavy film. I don’t know if I’m quite ready to plunk down 50 bucks for a cleansing oil, but once I use up all my current stock of cleansers I might consider it.

Bareminerals bareskin bronzer
This was another one that was in the June Sephora Play box, kind of the opposite of the Becca highlighting cream, I guess. I’m not much of a bronzer person so I tried mixing a bit of this with foundation. It adds a bit of darkness and some shimmer; I’d be more likely to use this in the winter when I’m pale unto death. I think, although I’m not positive, that it started to break me out when I tried it, but it might have been something else.