This is a sponsored feature. All opinions are 100% from Her Campus.
I came home the other day to a pleasant surprise – a giant package from HerCampus, containing the “Collegiette Survival Pack” with goodies ranging from beauty teas to cute underwear and everything in between. As somebody who loves opening any kind of package (yes, even the “Alumni Success Stories” magazine U of T insists on sending me every month – I’m only in second year, give me some time!) I was especially excited to dig through this package and try out some new products. The package contained:
*Tanda Zap Acne Spot Treatment Coupons
· Zit zapper which combines LED light technology with sonic vibration and warming to destroy acne-causing bacteria on skin and in pores, proven to clear or fade mild to moderate zits
*Clue Free App Download
· Convenient app to track your period, the days you are most fertile, and how your mood correlates to your cycle
*Affinitas Cupcake Panties in size small, medium, and large
· Comfortable cotton hipster panties with unique cupcake packaging
*Garnier Blackhead Eliminating Scrub
· Facial scrub using activated charcoal and microbeads to extract blackheads, oil, and impurities as well as exfoliate dead skin
*Garnier Nourishing Cleansing Oil
· Part one of the innovate two-step cleansing process, replaces makeup remover in the cleansing process and dissolves impurities and long-wear makeup
*My Beauty Tea in Sugar Chai, Mermaid Blend and Pink Blossom
· Naturally sugar and carbohydrate free, these delicious teas are a blend of fruits and flowers proudly packaged in Canada
Naturally, (after taking pictures from every angle – of course) I couldn’t wait to try the products out. I decided it’s only fair to review the items that I have actually tried so far, so the following will be a review of the Garnier samples, teas, as well as the panties. My writers have already called dibs on the tea samples so hopefully we’ll be getting even more feedback on those later this week. Though the items in this post are sponsored, the opinions are completely my own (with the exception of the Garnier Nourishing Oil that my friend reviewed), because I see no point or advantage in compromising journalistic integrity for beauty/tea/underwear samples. Hopefully you guys agree with me!
Garnier Blackhead Eliminating Scrub:
This scrub takes advantage of the absorbent properties of charcoal, a buzz-ingredient in facial products at the moment for its ability to absorb impurities and detoxify the skin. This particular scrub has a combination of charcoal, microbeads, and salicylic acid in order to draw out blackhead inducing oils and sebum while exfoliating the skin.
I am on the fence about this scrub. Upon initial use, it was great and I noticed immediately after washing the scrub off, my skin was squeaky clean and actually shining. However, the next day my skin broke out with red pimples that were definitely not there the night before. I have included images of my skin immediately before and after the scrub, as well as a photo of my skin the next day – compared to the original state of my skin.
Top left to right: Original state of my skin sans makeup, how the scrub looks
Bottom left to right: Immediately after washing scrub off, how my skin looked after (still sans makeup)
Left to right: Original state of my skin, my skin after sleeping (wearing makeup on brows and under eye concealer, but no skin makeup)
I have heard some people say that initial pimples are not uncommon for scrubs or masks that draw out impurities because the debris has to get out somehow. The logic is, the dirt and oil are buried deep within the pores and once they are brought to the surface by the charcoal, they have to find a way to exit the skin – hence, a breakout.
I don’t know if I’m entirely convinced by this logic, and this is why I am still on the fence about this product. Perhaps it is because my skin is more sensitive and used to my regular skin regimen, but I found that this scrub broke me out. However, it does deliver a deep clean and the exfoliating effect could be seen immediately. If you do not have sensitive skin, perhaps this scrub will work for you.
Final verdict: 6/10
Garnier Nourishing Oil
I had my best friend try this product out (what are friends for – if not guinea pigs? Considering all the “interesting cooking fusion nights” I put them though, this is tame!) and she had a better experience than I did with the scrub. This oil is meant to be a makeup remover and cleanser in one, dissolving long-wear makeup such as foundation and mascara with no harsh rubbing or long wait times that one would regularly experience with a traditional makeup remover. This cleanser is also infused with Jojoba and Macadamia oil to replenish the skin after a long day of makeup. Below is a photo of before and after the cleanser.
My friend’s complexion is slightly oiler than average (her words, not mine) and she found that the nourishing oil did not leave behind greasy residue or make her skin oiler than usual. She commented that it had a pleasant smell, and got the job done.
Final verdict: 8/10
Affinitas Cupcake Panties (already pictured above)
These were one of my favorite parts of the survival kit – my best friend and I got super excited when we saw the box, mainly because it was sleek and expensive looking and had the word “Cupcake” all over it. This product is all about the packaging – classy black box, with adorable cupcake panties inside. The panties are comparable to the Aerie hipster panty, they are cotton with lace trimming and come in solid colors as well as patterned.
These are comfortable for everyday, and would probably make a good stocking stuffer.
Final verdict: 9/10
My Beauty Tea (already pictured above)
These are fantastic – when I first opened the cardboard box of survival goodies, my nose was immediately accosted with the smell of dried fruit and a vague hint of flowers. Honestly if I weren’t a tea drinker, I would just keep these around as potpourri to absorb the vaguely greasy/pizza/stale/dirty laundry smell that never seems to air out of my room (heh.. maybe a little too much information there).
The actual teas themselves are delicious, definitely fruitier than your typical tea, which is something I like in my teas. I only drank them steeped in hot water, but I imagine these would make good iced teas as well. My writers were the most enthusiastic about these, and have basically called dibs on the rest of my stock!
These are also good for stocking stuffers because they’re individually packed. You could just get one big box and then cover everybody on your list – HAHA. #brokecollegelife
Final verdict: 9/10
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Now for the best part, HerCampus and our sponsors were nice enough to send me multiples of everything, as in way more samples than my team or myself could use. We will be giving away everything mentioned above in our fabulous “Survival Tips Giveaway,” each gift bag will contain:
*1 Tanda Zap Acne Spot Treatment Coupon
*1 Clue Free App Download
*1 Affinitas Cupcake Panties in size small, medium, or large (be sure to let us know what size you are!)
*2 Garnier Blackhead Eliminating Scrub packets
*2 Garnier Nourishing Cleansing Oil
*2 My Beauty Tea in Sugar Chai, Mermaid Blend and Pink Blossom
All you have to do is “like” our page on Facebook or “follow” us on Twitter and let us know your favorite tip for college survival via Facebook page comment or Tweet. We will randomly choose 10 winners in total from the comments and tweets to receive a fabulous mini-survival pack. The contest opens October 4th, 2014 and will close October 10th, 2014.
Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Her-Campus-University-of-Toronto/24603955…
Twitter page here: https://twitter.com/HCToronto