Six Mini Reviews #5: The Body Shop, Vichy, REN & more

I've been making more progress in my quest to clear my stash of samples, so here are another six I've finished up and cleared out! I'm sharing my thoughts on each product, along with whether I'll be buying the full size. I suppose this is technically seven samples, but the shampoo & conditioner came attached together so I'm only counting them as one!
Vichy Idealia Pro Deep Corrector It does annoy me when a sample sachet gives you no indication of how you're supposed to use a product, and this was one of those; no suggestion whatsoever of whether this is a moisturiser, a serum, a primer... I had to guess. I used it as a serum, before my moisturiser, in the mornings, and found that it helped to smooth my skin and even my skintone slightly, though not enough that I'd consider skipping a proper base. Looking into it, this is actually designed for dark spots, which isn't something I suffer from at the moment, so I don't think I'll be investing in the full size anytime soon; currently on offer at Boots online, £21.75 for 30ml (25% off full-price £29).
The Nail Junkie Cutie Balm This was the first cuticle balm I ever used and this tiny pot has lasted me literally about a year of using it every evening I remember. It feels quite greasy on the skin, taking a few minutes to soak in, which is why I've preferred to use it of an evening rather than during the daytime. That said, it did do a lovely job of hydrating my cuticle area, along with smelling beautiful! It's also actually really good value at around £2.42 for a 10g jar, but it's probably not something I'd order due to it having to be shipped from the US.
REN Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream This was a magazine sample which I've really enjoyed using; it smells gorgeous, soaks into the skin quickly leaving it feeling soft, hydrated and slightly matte, and didn't cause me any break-outs or other skin concerns. A little also went a really long way with this moisturiser, so the full-size 50ml would last ages - despite being a little beyond my current budget at £27.
The Body Shop Almond Hand & Nail Cream A sample I picked up at the #TBSXmasBonanza, this smelt gorgeous (just like marzipan - yum!) and hydrated my hands beautifully without leaving them feeling sticky or greasy in the slightest. It's basically everything I look for in a hand cream and I do see myself purchasing the full-size of this, or at least one of the Body Shop Hand & Nail Creams, once I've used up a few more of my existing hand cream stockpile! This is £5 for 30ml, or £10 for the huge 100ml tube.
Neal & Wolf Ritual Daily Cleansing Shampoo & Daily Conditioner Another product I could sit and sniff all day, both the shampoo and conditioner smell absolutely beautiful! I found the shampoo cleaned my hair well, whilst the conditioner left it feeling soft and manageable without being greasy or weighed-down. I wouldn't buy these again but that's purely due to the SLS in the shampoo, which is okay as a one-off but for me it's a no-no in everyday products as it triggers my eczema really badly. These are pretty pricey, at £38 for the duo, although you do get a huge 950ml of both the shampoo and the conditioner for your pennies, there.
The Body Shop Vanilla Bliss Body Butter Another gorgeous-smelling product, this body butter smells exactly as you'd expect; a deep, almost musky vanilla fragrance. The body butter spread easily over my legs and soaked in relatively quickly to give a decent amount of hydration to my dry skin. I'm not sure that I'd choose this particular scent again as I seem to favour the fruity scents more at the moment, but it might be one I'd pick up as we head into winter again; this is actually a Limited Edition festive scent which isn't currently available.
Have you tried any of these products? Have you used any samples up lately? How do you decide whether to buy the full-sized version of a sample you've tried?

xo