I loved the sample so much, I bought the full size featuring Hourglass, Charlotte Tilbury and Alpha-H

We've all been there - bought products that disappointed and then wondered why we had wasted our money and what we would do with them because, unlike in the U.S. we can't return opened products here in Ireland. This is why I love deluxe samples of products - I can make an informed decision/purchase or just disregard a product that didn't live up to the hype. The three products featured here today were purchases made as a result of loving a deluxe sample and I am delighted to now have the full size in my life.

Alpha-H Essential Hydration Cream: My beautiful friend, Dorota (check out her fab blog here) gave me an Alpha-H gift set for Christmas, and one of the products in it was a deluxe 30ml sample of their Essential Hydration Cream. This cream very much reminds of Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream, which I love. It is a no-fuss cream that could be mistaken for being quite basic but it is anything but. This moisturiser is perfect for all skin types - particularly, sensitive or inflamed skin. This cream combines essential oils, bio-active sea minerals and essential fatty acids to deliver hydration in a non-greasy way, plump the skin and reduce inflammation and redness. I sometimes add a drop or two of oil to it if my skin is feeling extra dry but for daily use, it is nourishing enough on its own. It has recently been repackaged and is now housed in a tub with a lid that you push and a small amount is delivered in the centre. I would prefer the original tube/pump version but that's just personal preference. At £35 or €39.95, it isn't the least or most expensive moisturiser I have tried but it is certainly one of the best. Alpha-H is Cult Beauty's brand of the month for March, which means there is free shipping on all products from that brand but there is currently a waitlist for it. Cloud10Beauty also sell it with free worldwide delivery on orders over €40 and 3 free samples.

Charlotte Tilbury The Retoucher: I love that Charlotte Tilbury offer free samples with orders because it is an expensive brand and it means I can try some products from my wishlist before deciding whether to buy. This is particularly helpful when it comes to foundations and concealers as it is difficult to guess your shade. I used two samples of The Retoucher before purchasing a full size. The samples were generous enough to get around 3 uses out of each one so after 6 uses, I knew I needed the full size in my life. It has a light texture, which means that it can be used in both the undereye area but also on blemishes or areas of redness. The lightweight texture also means that it can be applied for touch-ups during the day without any caking. It is a clicky-pen type of product, just like YSL Touche Eclat, and the only problem with this type of packaging is that I can't tell that I'm running low until it's finished but I'm hoping that won't be for quite a while. Cult Beauty currently have a promotion whereby you can receive a deluxe sample of Magic Cream and Goddess Clay Mask if you spend over £75 but if you buy direct from Charlotte Tilbury, you can choose free samples or if you are living in Ireland, you can order from Brown Thomas and receive 3 lipstick samples.

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer: You will have seen in my latest empties post, that I finished a 10ml tube of this primer recently and although I have a few other primers, I had to purchase the full size of this one because I love it so much. So many people rave about this primer but I held off trying it because I believed that their No28 Primer Serum would be more suited to my dry skin. I do love the No28 primer serum but curiosity got the better of me and I had to try the Veil Mineral primer and I am so glad I did. This product really softens the look of fine lines and blurs the appearance of visible pores to create a satin base for foundation. All foundations glide on effortlessly over this primer and the added bonus of SPF 15 is a welcome addition. I am really delighted to have a full size of this in my life and will use it sparingly as it is quite expensive.

I think companies should be more generous with their samples because it is difficult to decide from a one use sachet if a product will work for you but if you have the opportunity for a few uses, you can make an informed decision. Do you often buy full sizes as a result of using a sample? I would love to hear in the comments below!

Thanks for reading! 

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All products are bought by me, unless otherwise stated. Opinion is always my own.