Boss Jour Pour Femme eau de parfum

Experience the break of dawn in a whole new way with Boss Jour Pour Femme, inspired by the first light of day.



This fragrance was initially released in Spring 2013, being exclusively available at Heathrow Airport. Now, this fragrance is available in Boots, and to celebrate its new launch free samples were available.



It is currently available in 30ml, 50ml, and 75ml bottles, and is also available as a body lotion and a shower gel, both of which are available in 200ml.




The sample is in a glass vial with an applicator wand, in a size of 2ml (0.06 fl oz).

When first applied, it is instantly obvious that this is a very light and crisp fragrance, echoing morning scents. The main top note here is lime, helping to emphasize the freshness of the perfume. Beneath this, freesia adds further freshness, perfect for a summery scent, while honeysuckle adds an element of sweetness. For the base note, white birch prevents the fragrance from being overly floral.

Throughout the day, the fragrance fades quicker than I would have liked, and the sourness of the lime can become very slightly overbearing.

Overall, I give this 4.5 out of 5 kisses - a very refreshing scent, though the lime note can become too sour over time.

Balance Me face wash

This was a freebie that I got with InStyle magazine. It is an organic face wash for normal to combination skin, and this sample size is 50ml (1.7 fl. oz).






At first glance, I thought that since the packaging appeared professional, it would be a quality product which was both kind to my face and the environment.








Opening the tube, the first thing that hit me was the smell of the face wash - it was horrendous. However, I put this down to the fact that it was organic, and that the product wasn't meant to be focused on its scent.

The instructions seemed a little strange, as it said to mix the face wash with warm water in the palm of your hand. Typically, when a facial product and water are mixed, disaster shortly follows.




Once I applied it to my face, I found that I was unable to bear the stench of it, and so washed it off only a few seconds of application. However, that was still long enough for it to react badly with my face - any area it had touched turned red.





Overall, I give this 0 out of 5 kisses - the product smelt horrible, and it didn't seem to do anything while it was on my face.

Aura by Swarovski

This is a freebie that I have had for a while, given to me by a friend's mum as she got some samples when she purchased the full-sized product just over a year ago.





The fragrance was released in 2011, and is available in 30ml and 75ml bottles. Each bottle is topped with a Swarovski crystal, and the perfume inside the bottle is pink, though once applied it turns clear.







The sample I have is 1.2ml (0.04 fl oz), and this is the only perfume sample I have where it comes in an atomiser, a definite plus as it is a lot easier to control the amount you apply at once compared to normal vials.

 

As soon as I applied this perfume, my initial thought was feminine - this is a very light and floral fragrance, but the floral notes are more elegant than typically found in other perfumes. The top note here is clearly rose, with a slight fruit scent echoing alongside it. Beneath this, the freshness of the floral aspect comes into its own, ensuring that the perfume does not become overwhelming. For the base notes, pink pepper helps to carry the floral theme throughout the scent, while hints of amber offer a touch of sweetness.

During its wear throughout the day, the perfume does eventually fade, but it lasts for a long time before this happens. Since the fragrance is light, the lingering scent of it doesn't become off-putting during the course of the day.

Overall I give this 5 kisses out of 5 - very refreshing and elegantly floral, perfect for daytime use.

Born Lippy pink berry lip balm

Today, I went and picked up this free lip balm from The Body Shop using a voucher from VoucherCodes.co.uk (with an original retail price of £3). They had a selection of pink berry, toffee, and pomegranate to choose from, though it seemed like most of the ones that were still available were pink berry (I only saw one toffee lip balm that wasn't a tester).


As I began to remove the cellophane from the lip balm, the scent of it became apparent - fruity and sugary, just like berries. However, removing the lid and smelling the actual product hits you with a wave of strawberry bubblegum, which could become off-putting during the course of the day.

Now, since I constantly have dry, chapped lips, I tend to avoid lip balms as they tend to dry my lips out quicker than usual. At first I thought that it would add a tint to my lips as the product is pink, but it does in fact apply clear. I only used a very small amount on my lips, and the lip balm coated my lips evenly. For about five minutes after applying the lip balm, my lips did feel slightly sticky, but this then faded. I didn't feel like it dried my lips out, so I would definitely consider this product a success.

This freebie is available here - but be quick, it ends Sunday 30th June!

Overall I give this 4 kisses out of 5 - a typically good lip balm, though the scent is a little overpowering.

Orly Nite Owl nail polish

I picked up this little freebie from ULTA using a voucher in Seventeen magazine. Originally there were several colours that you were able to choose from, but by the time I managed to get to the store they only had two colours left - both were more neutral shades which disappointed me a little as I prefer bolder polishes. However, a freebie is a freebie, and so I went with the Nite Owl shade.



On first appearance in the bottle, the colour looks like a mixture between a light brown and grey, with a hint of shimmer echoing throughout. This is only a small bottle, containing 5.3 ml (0.18 fl oz) of nail polish, but it would definitely last you for more than several applications.



Applying this nail polish is like a dream - it easily coats your nail in a few swipes, and the colour looks exactly as it does in the bottle. If you have longer nails like me, applying at least two coats is recommended as it is tricky to precisely cover one nail with a single dip in the bottle.

While the shimmer does help to hide any imperfections, I found that applying a light coat first can leave the tips of the nails looking a little streaky, even if you use more nail polish on subsequent coats.

Overall I give this 4.5 kisses out of 5 - nice colour and easy to apply, but can be difficult to hide any streaks from bottom coats.

Wonderstruck by Taylor Swift

Wonderstruck is the first perfume by Taylor Swift, launched in 2011, with the name inspired by lyrics from her song Enchanted.

This night is sparkling, don't you let it go 
I'm wonder-struck, blushing all the way home 
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew 
I was enchanted to meet you



The full size product is available in 30ml, 50ml and 100ml bottles, and there is also a body lotion availaible.




The sample comes in a glass vial, in a size of 1.2 ml (0.04 fl oz).

  

On the initial application of the perfume, you get the typically overpowering scent of most perfumes, but this quickly fades into a more floral and sweet scent - blackberry is the most noticeable of the top notes, with hints of blossom and apple hidden beneath this. In the lower notes is a more earthy scent to help neutralise the potentially over-sweet overtones, with woods and musk to provide a solid base for the fragrance.

Throughout the day, the fragrance can begin to smell a little plastic, and the scent does seem to fade rather quickly, but with a sweet fragrance like this I think it's better to have an essence of it instead of a full-on scent.

Overall I give this 3.5 kisses out of 5 - a nice fragrance for everyday use, but a little synthetic.

My favourite freebie sites

Hello all!
I haven't got enough time available at the moment to post any product reviews, so I thought I would share with you the freebie websites that I visit the most.

NOTE - All websites mentioned here are UK only unless otherwise stated.

1. Magic Freebies UK - The front page is updated daily (excluding Sundays) with new freebies. A mixture of free samples and competitions ensures a vast amount of products for you to get stuck into. Also included on the site are vouchers for money off and ways to make a little extra money.
2. Latest Free Stuff - Also updated daily (excluding Sundays), the front page is teeming with freebies and samples to keep your mouse busily clicking! Competitions and discount vouchers are found elsewhere on the site.
3. Free Stuff Finder (UK) - Regularly updated throughout the day, this website has the most selection of free samples. Definitely worth a look! Separate websites for USA and Canada freebies too.

Those are my top three freebie websites; I hope they help you grab a freebie or two!