Sampler Platter: StriVectin Instant Moisture Repair

Photo by Sephora

I started cleaning out some drawers and cabinets at home, and quickly realized that I am, literally, drowning in samples.  I have a drawer full of little packets, a tupperware container I cannot fit a lid to, a few little doo-dads on the kitchen counter, and probably a dozen little swatches in my makeup case.  Samples out the ears, and many of them, I'd wager, for products that no longer exist. 

It all started a couple of years ago, when the Today show did a segment on finding freebies.  Honestly, it just sounded like fun, so I found a few sites and started signing up for stuff.  For Halloween, we had tons of granola to hand out (oh, that went over well...).  Somehow, I ended up with several magazine subsciptions (yay!), a whole lot of Kotex (yay?), and a kitchen table full of creams, lotions, and potions I had no use for.  I admitted I had a problem, apologized to those I love, and quit cold turkey.  

Enter Sephora, with their "3 Samples With Every Order" policy.  Oh, good Lord, here we go again!  I know you can opt not to add any samples to your order, but when you're already paying for shipping, it's not really like you're getting them for free.  Right?  I mean, how else are you supposed to know what new stuff works for you unless you try it?  Right?

Yeah.  Um...I never tried any of them.  Well, maybe one out of every ten or so.  Of course, I'm not counting the deluxe (bigger) samples.  Those were tried out immediately, probably because they were big enough that I could use the sample longer and really decide if I liked it.  The little packets are one shot deals, and sometimes it takes longer to make an informed decision.  Yeah, that's probably the reason.

Well, no more!  Upon seeing my enormous beauty sample stash, I decided it was time I made good on my intentions and actually used them.  They're doing no one any good sitting around, untouched.

So, with that, here is the first of a series of sample reviews.  Mind you, these are off only one or two applications of each product.  Who knows how well they'd work given more time.

Now, today's victim:  StriVectin Instant Moisture Repair.  Retails at $59 for 2oz.  Sephora.com.

According to StriVectin: 

Instant Moisture Repair is not a traditional moisturizer; it is a clinically proven reparative formula that targets the sources of dehydration, working above and below the surface, to reverse a dry, deflated complexion. Results are immediate and long term; within the first hour, moisture increases up to 30 percent, to levels found in healthy, young skin. With continued use, oligopeptides and tetrapeptides stimulate the production of new derm-elastic fibers to rebuild skin's natural moisture cushion. Skin is left soft, smooth, supple, and youthful

We'll see about that.  (heh, heh, heh)

I just turned (*gasp!*) thirty, so now is the time for me to really amp up my skin-care routine, and add in some anti-aging products.  God, it galls me to even write that!  Luckily, my family tends to have really good genes when it comes to aging.  My mom still gets carded on occasion, and my grandmother had the most impossibly soft skin ever, so my chances are pretty good.  Still, a girl can't be too careful, and I'll take all the precautions I can.

When I first opened the package, I noticed the strong fragrance.  It's a little medicinal and floral, all at once.  Thankfully, it lessened quickly, and eventually disappeared.  The lotion went on smoothly (I used the entire package) and absorbed well.  It left my skin feeling smooth and moisturized, and my primer, Benefit's That Gal, worked well with it, though I noticed in a user review that Smashbox's primer does not. 

Honestly, it's lotion.  That's it.  It left my skin more moisturized than it would have been without the lotion, but I didn't notice any plumping, or any other "immediate" results, other than my skin being less dry than it was before.  Perhaps it's because my skin wasn't dry or deflated to begin with, or maybe it takes time to really make a difference (though that negates the whole "results are immediate" part of their claim), but I just didn't see anything miraculous enough to make me want to pay $59 for 2oz. of lotion.

For my money, I'll stick with my Garnier Nutritioniste Ultra-Lift Anti-Wrinkle Firming Moisture Cream (yes, they fit that all on the label).  $11.99, Buy.com.  It's 1.6oz instead of 2oz, but considering you can buy 5 of the Garnier for what one StriVectin costs, I'd call it a fair trade.  It leaves my skin moisturized and ready for makeup, smells a little like apples (to me, anyway), and I haven't shown any signs of wrinkles, yet.  I've used it for a couple of years, and have never once considered using anything else, except for this experiment, and I'd recommend it to anyone. 

I have no idea what I'll pull out of my magic bag o' samples tomorrow.  Oh, here I go being adventurous again.  Lord, help us all.