Six Mini Reviews #10: Urban Veda, LUSH, Clarins & more

I've been on a bit of a mission lately to make a bit more of a dent in my stash of samples, meaning I've got another six used up already! I love beauty samples as an opportunity to try new things that I mightn't otherwise, and discover what works well for me and what doesn't, without having to shell out for the full-sized product. There are a couple of products in this selection that I'd happily buy again in the future - read on to find out which!
Urban Veda Neem & Botanics Daily Purifying Facial Wash I'm not 100% certain where this sample came from but it was a generously-sized 30ml tube which lasted me a couple of weeks of daily use. The gorgeous minty fragrance and slight tingly sensation upon application made this perfect for a morning cleanse, doing a great job of waking me up and removing any oil and dirt which had accumulated overnight. At £7.99 for 150ml, this is an affordable product and definitely one I'll consider buying in full-size, once I've used up all my sample-sized face washes.
Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch Primer I can't remember where I came by this mini-sized pot of magic, but I do know it does a bloomin' good job of smoothing out enlarged pores and fine lines, providing a beautifully smooth base for foundation. At £26 for 15g of product, this isn't something I can afford to invest in at the moment but it's definitely one I'd like to buy again in the future!
LUSH New Charity Pot Hand Cream I picked this 10g trial-sized pot up whilst making a purchase in my local LUSH store, at just £1 I couldn't really say no, especially when it's for a good cause! I really enjoyed the scent but somehow my skin didn't; rather than feeling soothing and hydrating on my hands, like a hand cream should, I got a kind of burning sensation, and very little relief from the dryness and itchiness I'm applying hand cream to treat. I wanted to love it but unfortunately this just isn't for me. A full-sized 95g pot will set you back £6.95, whilst 240g is £12.95.
Eau Thermale Avène Extremely Gentle Cleanser I think I received this as part of a giveaway win a few months back, and have to say I've not been hugely impressed with it. Whilst it sounds good in theory, allowing for cleansing and/or make-up removal without the use of water which can dry the skin out, I didn't feel like my skin was left clean after using it. If it sounds like your sort of thing, a 200ml bottle is £8.
Sk:n Vitamin-Rich Cleanser for Oily Skin Another product I unfortunately wasn't impressed by, I found the scent of this cleansing gel really off-putting, and the product itself seemed to leave my skin feeling slightly sticky even after rinsing and rinsing. This is supposed to remove dead skin and clear the pores, but I can't say I really noticed much difference in my skin, although only having got around a week's use from it I wouldn't expect to. Not for me, despite my high hopes given its claims of suiting oily skins well. This is pretty pricey at £16.75 for 200ml.
English Laundry For Her Signature Eau de Parfum A Birchbox sample, this creamy, musky scent was right up my street and one I really enjoyed wearing. I'll admit it's not my usual sort of perfume choice but nonetheless I loved it, although I don't see myself shelling out £60 for a 50ml bottle any time in the near future!
So those are my six samples, definitely a couple to consider for the future with the Urban Veda Cleanser and the Clarins primer, and a couple I'm glad to have tried if only to rule out full-sized products. Have you tried any of these? How do you go about using up your beauty samples?

xo