Farmhouse Fresh: Trying ALL the Samples

I mentioned recently in my Empty’s post that when I went to the Farmhouse Fresh website to order a new bottle of my favorite face wash, I was intrigued by a bunch of their other projects so I purchased some deluxe samples. I figured I’d give you all an update on the winners and losers I tried out!

First up, is my hero product: Green Tea Milk Wash Cream Cleanser, $29. I bought this face wash from my esthetician in September 2022 and used it for about 18 months before the bottle was empty. I have dry skin and this cream cleanser is so light and gentle that it leaves my skin silky smooth and moisturized. I’ve tried many other face washes, but I really like this one and reordered it.

When I was placing the order, I also decided to try out one of their “Pick Your Own” deluxe sample sets. And then I added a ‘Splendor’ sampler. And then I was super close to free shipping, so I also added a ‘Smooth and Glow’ sampler. Here are all my thoughts on the samples:

For the “Pick Your Own” set – LOVE this and it’s a great value. You get a good trial size amount of each product with a few uses. Some more than others – the face cream is surprisingly dense and you just need a little of it.

Chocolate Fig Vitamin Recovery Serum – full size is $35

Chocolate Fig Vitamin Recovery Serum is full of live fruit cells (for a dewy feel), plus we added a plethora of additional vitamins C, E, and B5 (for a glowy, radiant appearance). If you have normal to dry skin, you will absolutely love this serum!

What I thought: Oh my gosh this serum smells absolutely amazing. In fact, I’d probably buy it as a perfume and I keep opening the bottle to take a sniff when I’m home throughout the day. So, so good. I also really like this one on my face – it’s silky smooth to put on, soaks in pretty quickly and I feel incredibly moisturized afterwards. This one is totally a contender.

Eternal Light Vitamin Enhanced Illuminating Serum – full size is $59

This powerful multipurpose serum works around the clock, releasing 24-hours of brightening peptidal waves® for a more radiant look. This gentle aloe-based formula also includes a host of ingredients that bring a soothed look to skin, including a full alphabet of Hall of Fame vitamins E, A, B and C.

What I thought: I also really like this serum, although I don’t sniff it throughout the day. It goes on nice and smooth, soaks in well and I look soft and glowy in the morning. I didn’t see any overall brightening effects for dark spots, but that may be more of a ‘long term use’ thing. This one is also high up on my list as a contender to purchase a full size bottle.

Full Moon Dip Iridescent Illumination Ageless Mousse – full size is $49

A light-as-air peptide whip is a daily moisturizer that melts into skin, leaving a natural mineral iridescence. The subtle healthy glow makes you look beautiful, catching light & compliments at every turn! Apply a thin layer. Use as an all-over daily moisturizer! Under makeup it brings a beautiful, youthful glow. Tap onto cheekbones and brow bones over your makeup for extra illumination!

I got confused on this one – I thought it was a night cream since it has retinol but apparently, you’re supposed to use it in the daytime for a shimmer glow. With that being said, I hate it! It was SUPER sparkly and I felt like a disco ball. Thankfully, I was just going to bed so my husband was the only one who saw my club kid/angel look. Will not be purchasing this mousse.

Ok, some quick thoughts on the sample sets. Each little pouch basically had enough for one or two tries of each item. I do think it was worth paying $6 because you get a promo code for $10 off a full-sized item.

Splendor Sample set – $6

Quick thoughts:

  • Three Milk Whipfoliant Ageless Cleanser – liked the cleanser, but not as much as the one I already use.
  • Firm-Tastic Eyes Intensive Concentrate – also liked this eye cream, but I recently bought one that I’m happy with and have a full bottle.
  • Three Milk Ageless Moisturizer – this one was a surprise because I really loved it! I usually use a different daily moisturizer, but I liked this one so much that I think I might purchase another “Pick Your Own” set with this so I can try it for a week or so.
  • Golden Moon Dip Illumination Mousse – hated it. Way too sparkly.

Smooth & Glow Sample set – $6

Quick thoughts:

  • Green Tea Milk Wash – Own it. Love it.
  • C of Change Clinical Peel Pads: These cleansing pads weren’t even on my radar, but it came in the sample set. I absolutely LOVED the sample. My skin felt super clean and soft and exfoliated. I’m planning to try these again in a “Pick Your Own” set so I can decide if these will replace my current exfoliator.
  • Three Milk Ageless Moisturizer – as I mentioned, I love this one and want to try it some more before I decide to replace my current moisturizer.
  • Full Moon Dip Illumination Mousse – hated it. Way too sparkly.

Bonus samples: They also sent me a couple random samples in my order, so here are those quick thoughts too.

  • Front Porch Punch Shea Butter: Did not like the scent.
  • Watercress Hydration Cascade Gelee Moisturizer: Went on very thick and sticky. I felt like I covered my face in glue before bedtime. Hated it.

There you have it, I feel like I tried ALL the products, but honestly there are a ton more on the website. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the Three Milk Ageless Moisturizer, the C of Change Clinical Peel Pads and the two serums. I ordered another “Pick Your Own” set to give them each a longer try before I commit to a full-sized purchase. I also received a promo code for a free 3-piece sampler of my choice (but not the Pick Your Own) when I spend $40… so I ordered the Fast Fix Sampler and the Quick Recovery Sampler, which both have some really fun masks to try. Perhaps I need to do another follow up post…

Disclaimer: No referral links and not sponsored.

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Empty’s – April 2024

I’ve had this series called “Empty’s” for a few years now and basically it stemmed from the thought that it’s helpful to revisit an item after it’s been used long term and you decide whether to repurchase it. Or not.

Here are the items in my Empty’s bin today:

Oral-B Glide Floss Picksfind them here on Amazon

I tried to be a floss person for years and years and I HATED it. I tried the regular floss that you wrap around your finger and other brands of floss picks that just hurt. At some point I received a trial pack of these from our dentist and they are LIFE CHANGING. Or at least, gum changing. They don’t hurt! I didn’t realize that you could floss your teeth and not have it hurt?!

These are the only brand of floss picks that work for me and I like them so much that I’ve become a nightly flosser. Yes, I will buy these again and again and again as long as I have teeth in my mouth.

Farmhouse Fresh Green Tea Milk Wash Cream Cleanser find it here on the Farmhouse Fresh website

I bought this face wash from my esthetician in September 2022 and it is just now completely empty. I have dry skin and this cream cleanser is so light and gentle that it leaves my skin silky smooth and moisturized. I’ve tried other face washes, but this one is an absolute yes for me to reorder.

When I went to the Farmhouse Fresh website to order a new bottle, I was intrigued by some of their other products, so I ordered a ‘pick your own’ sampler with a few items I want to try out. I’ll keep you all posted if I find any winners.

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A Review of the Judea Travel Weekender Bag from Bostanten Bags

I’m not really a *winter* person, so after the twinkle lights of Christmas have come down, I’m basically grumpy, miserable and cold until spring. Which is why I tend to plan little trips here and there… to help me get through the grumpy season. Looking at January and February, I had a girl’s weekend away, visited Great Wolf Lodge with the family for an overnight, and also am planning to take Jack to NYC to celebrate his birthday.

So, it was kind of perfect timing when a nice person from Bostanten bags reached out to see if I’d like to review something from their collection!

They have an assortment of women’s travel bags and travel weekender bags, but I was intrigued by the Judea Travel Weekender Bag:

The Judea Travel Weekender bag comes in two colorways and retails for $149.99. I liked the black/brown version because I feel like it would hold up better long term, and they generously sent it to me at no cost in exchange for my honest review.

I picked the Judea bag, because I liked that it had a separate section on the bottom for shoes, which keeps them away from the rest of your clothing. It also seemed to be a good size – perfect for an overnighter – which fills a hole in my travel gear. It looks a little more high-end, which would be nice for work travel when I don’t want to be lugging around a backpack.

Here it is in person:

It’s a really nice size and has both the handles and an over-the-shoulder strap. Oh and it has a trolley sleeve if I wanted to take it as an airline carry-on (the pocket in the back slips over a luggage handle).

As it turns out, a few days after the bag arrived, I packed it up for a girl’s weekend:

I was planning to wear the same boots both days, so I used the bottom compartment for my pajamas so that they were easy to grab when I was ready for bed. On the right is everything else I fit in the top portion – a full outfit (jeans, sweater, underroos), my toiletry bag, and also a gift bag of stuff for my friend.

And here it is all loaded up! Of course, as soon as I prepare a travel bag Ollie gets nervous and tries to make sure I don’t forget to pack him.

The Judea bag was great for a weekend trip and I even had a little extra space to add in a few things I purchased while I was away. I was curious to see what would fit in the shoe compartment though, so here are a couple tries:

I wear a size 8.5/9 in shoes, so it looks like I can fit one pair of boots or up to three smaller shoe options… which works great since I wouldn’t need more than that for an overnight or weekend trip.

I really like the Judea weekender bag and it will be a great overnight bag for me for when a rolling travel bag feels a bit like overkill. I like that it has that separate bottom section to keep the bag organized, as well as interior pockets and an extra zippered section.

My only caveat is that while it is called the “Judea Leather Travel Duffle Bag” on the website, later in the description it clarifies that it is PU leather. If you were expecting a leather bag, you might be disappointed. However, PU leather (aka polyurethane leather) is vegan, water resistant, durable and easy to clean. So, for a travel bag, it is a good way to get a polished look for a lower price.

Disclaimer: Bostanten provided me with an item of my choice in exchange for my honest review. I picked the Judea Travel Weekender Bag and as always, all thoughts and opinions are all my own!

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