Taco Bout It Tuesday: From Samples to Full Size

Samples tend to populate subscription boxes, so it’s always nice getting a full size product. Especially if it’s something you end up liking. These are a few of my favorites that I’ve gone out and purchased, primarily this past year.

Skincare

  • Simple Micellar Cleansing Water: You know Pnut and I love mice water, and Simple is a brand that I’ve gotten in several subscription boxes. I saw this in Grocery Outlet and could not pass it up even though I’ve got a horde of facial cleansers, face mask, skin creams, etc. I just had to have it because mice water makes it so easy to remove my makeup, especially my Tarte waterproof mascara.
  • Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patch: I got some other brand in a Birchbox several years ago, and one of you Subsistahs recommended Cosrx to me. I like them, and I think this was my third pack.
  • Laneige Water Sleeping Mask: my Holy Grail of night creams. Pnut knows my Laneige obsession, and tries to help me out when she finds sales. After getting it in Target boxes for almost a year, I finally ran out of samples and went to purchase a full size tub… Only to find that Target had stopped carrying Laneige months earlier. I turned to my trusted Amazon and ended up ordering it from there. I had no idea it was a K-beauty product until an adorable little box arrived!
  • Acure Day Cream: this is another item that was really common in subscription boxes, and also really easy to get in swaps. Unfortunately I got tired of trying to swap for it so I finally went to buy from Amazon, but found that it had a completely different smell from the citrusy orange scent that I loved in the samples. The full-size smelled like chemicals, and not so much like citrus. After a few months I’ve finally run out, and fortunately I now have the sample of it. I think I might just stick to samples. I’m wondering if it was just a bad batch, or if the full-size is actually made out of something different.
    • Also, this is one of those weird Amazon products where one bottle is $9.58 but two cost $27. HOW U NO MATH GOOD!? I’ve seen so many items like this. Wtf, Amz?

Haircare

  • Pantene Expert Intense Hydration Conditioner: I sampled this from an Influenster box and a Target box, and really liked how it made my hair feel. Plus, it smells kinda like honey oatmeal.
    • Also, I’m almost out of both, so I’m going to need to go back and purchase some later!
  • Kerastase Cristalliste Conditioner: ugh. So much ugh. A sample of this came in one of my first Birchboxes perhaps four years ago, and my sister owed me $30+ and said she’d get me this. Well, she flew up to Seattle with it, and the TSA agent squeezed out half of it [tear], and when I got it I saw how tiny the bottle was for $36 and I was pissed! Anyway, I loved this product, and it’s kinda been sitting in my shower for the last three years because it was so expensive and I can’t bring myself to finish off the last 2% of it and toss the bottle.
  • UR Curly Soya Shampoo: first tried from a sample that I had swapped for last year and loved. So I found it on Amazon and ended up buying a couple bottles of it. I think it feels really nice and refreshing on my scalp, but I’m hoping it’s not part of the reason why I have such insanely dry scalp. I need to tamp down on that problem, but until I figure that out I’m going to keep using this awesome shampoo.

 

UPDATE!!

Pnut’s Full Size Purchases

  • UpSpring MilkFlow: I received a sample packet from Ecocentric Mom and have since bought a few boxes via Amazon Save and Subscribe with additional supplements also offered by this Brand.

  • Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator: If you have been a Birchbox subscriber you should have received a sample or two of this. I loved it so much that I bought a full size.

  • One Love Organics Gardenia + Tea Antioxidant Body Serum: I remember this being in a Zoe box but was this first featured in PSMH? I may or may not bought a ton of LE Birchbox Natural Boxes to supplement this body serum addiction.

  • Peach Prosecco Bellini Candle: This is an empty rebuy of a candle that I received in a Burke Box. I might have scratched it while scooping out leftover wax. The candle holder itself is substantial and I use it to hold sink/bottle brushes.

Nest Fragrances Ocean Mist and Sea Salt Liquid Hand Soap: First received in a Burke Box; I have repeatedly bought this hand soap in many scents but this is my favorite scent. This is the best hand soap ever if you like huffing whilst washing your hands. I do not feel bad about it not being green since it washes off for the most part. It gives me a little “me” time.

I hide these from my family members under the sink for my use only.

One Love Organics Love Springs Eternal Youth Preservation Serum: I may or may not have bought 3 Love Goodly Boxes for my favorite night serum of all time!

 


So now we want to know which products you’ve loved and purchased full size, and which ones you had full regret for!

For example, have you received a box item or purchased an one full size and disliked it?

 

Click here to see other Taco Tuesday reviews!

Disclosure: These items were purchased by me. There are no referral codes.

  11 comments for “Taco Bout It Tuesday: From Samples to Full Size

  1. Heat7918
    December 5, 2017 at 5:11 pm

    I purchased those Cosrx pimple patches too when I ran out of the ones I got in a 3b box! <3

    Julep: after I got one of their eyeliners, When Pencil Met Gel, I loved it so much that I bought it in 7 colors!

    My first DHC Cleansing oil was from BeautyFix and I’ve bought 1 or 2 more since – though I might now prefer cleansing balm… (from Farmacy & from The Body Shop).

    Living proof Perfrct Hair Day 5-in-1 is another where I bought fulll size after getting a sample (from Birchbox maybe??) but now I rarely straighten my hair anymore… maybe I could try it with my curly/wavy hair?

    Miss Jessie’s Quick Curls – I got a sample packet in a Target box and ended up buying full size but I feel like the sample worked a little better or maybe it just worked better at first (that happens), but I still like it.

    I love Micellar water too but Bioderma is my favorite!

    I’ve also bought products – or tried brands – from seeing reviews of boxes that I didn’t get: Kosmatology, ellovi, Sudsy soap…

    I’m sure there’s more but that’s all I can come up with right now. 🙂

    • December 10, 2017 at 4:07 pm

      Heat, I’ll have to try your mice water. I don’t know if I’ve used Bioderma. I do love Miss Jessie’s though. They know how to work the curly hair!

  2. Dayle
    December 6, 2017 at 2:18 pm

    -Josh Rosebrook Shampoo
    -Ilia Lipstick
    -Bubble and Bee Organic deodorant cream (I love Lemon & Clove)
    – Osmia Organics Night Body Oil
    -David’s Toothpaste
    -Osmia Organics lip doctor and lip therapy
    -Kahina essaouira body serum

    To name a few. I have found some amazing products that I would buy again if I ran out of my stash (oils and serums) and I tried to buy Bottega Organica’s eye cream after my two full size from Beauty Heroes, but I guess they quit making it! 🙁

    • Mailbox Junkie
      December 7, 2017 at 8:57 pm

      Dayle, I did too! I loved their night cream too. I am currently trying their balm and eye serum and loving both. They put magic in them

    • Mailbox Junkie
      December 7, 2017 at 8:57 pm

      To clarify, Bottega Organica!

      • Dayle
        December 8, 2017 at 2:56 am

        Amen on Bottega Organica! The eye serum is good? I may try it after I try the Dafna from Boxwalla December. I know some people had issues with the Bottega Organica spoiling, but I kept mine out of the bathroom and it was fine! It worked miracles like nothing I have ever tried!

        Great to hear from you! I miss Saturday trash!

    • December 10, 2017 at 4:13 pm

      Dayle, that’s a bummer about your eye cream! I meant to put in a picture about my discontinued brown girl sunscreen, but I got two in different swaps and love it. So I went to go buy some and found out the company had been out of business for a year I need it… it’s the only sunscreen that actually blends in with my skin without leaving a white residue or isn’t tinted.

  3. Farmcat
    December 9, 2017 at 4:26 am

    I kind of sis the reverse. I have gotten a full size of Tatcha face rice powder in a box a couple or so years ago in a sub box. And my sis passed on to me whenever she got some in sub boxes. This year I bought the travel size Tatcha face rice powder for sensitive skin as part of one of their starter kits. With getting older and have sensitive skin it is hard to find stuff for my face that works as well as Tatcha. I got a second one the sensitive skin starter kit for my face when they did the 20% off sale.

    • December 10, 2017 at 4:15 pm

      Hey Farmcat! I have a Tatcha Rice powder product from the spring Rachel Zoe box, but I haven’t opened it yet. Have you tried it?

      • Farmcat
        December 11, 2017 at 9:24 am

        I have gotten at least a couple full size of the Tatcha Rice Polish Enyzmes Powder in sub boxes. And I love it! If I could afford their full size products for the face or well any of it really I would buy it. This year is the first year that I actually start purchasing Tatcha. I got the senstive skin starter kit for the face since I ran out and nothing else seemed to help my skin like it did. This past spring/summer may face had gotten pretty bad. Some samples of stuff helped but none was as good as the Tatcha Rice Powder. So I broke down and bought the sensitive skin starter ritual. And when I remember to use the other stuff it made an extreme difference. Sorry for the tangent. The Tatcha Rice Powder you got in your spring Rachel Zoe box I found to be a great cleaser. I have gone through I think at least three full size of that particular Tatcha Rice Powder. And they last a long time.

Leave a Reply