It is amazing how many samples we accumulate, they come in beauty boxes, magazines and some shops do great Gift With Purchases and over the months before you know it you have a fair few hidden in drawers and tucked away here and there. So after gathering mine all together I am attempting to use them up before making any major product purchases. I think I have enough samples to keep me going for a good few weeks.

I’ve had quite a few of these samples for a while, I always have good intentions of using them but what happens is – often whilst I’m out browsing the delights of Boots I seem to forget about my sample stash and buy lets say a moisturiser or a hand cream and get home to realise I didn’t need to buy one as I have lots of cute sample sized goodness in my drawer to use up.

I am looking forward to trying the Melvita Youthful Skin Cream and their Extraordinary Day Cream.  Both the samples I have are 15ml. The only product I’ve tried from Melvita is their Micellar Water and I liked that, it was very gentle but effective at removing my eye makeup. The Elemental Herbology Cell Plumping Facial Hydrator SPF8. I have heard some good things about this range. It smells really botanical and I like the packaging. I am planning on taking this on holiday with me next week and I am going somewhere hot and this sounds like it will keep my skin hydrated and they claim it ‘protects against environmental aggressors and the elements’ so I will let you know how I get on with it. This is also a 15ml sample.

REN Skincare is a firm favourite amongst the blogging world and gets rave reviews. I am yet to try anything from them as I have always loved Origins skincare (and still do). But I think It’s about time I used up a few of these REN samples to see what all the fuss is about. So I have these 4 to try out – Vita Mineral Day Cream, Hydra Calm Global Protection Day Cream, Frankincense Revitalising Night Cream and the Bio Retnoid Anti Ageing Cream. It might take me a while to work my way through all these moisturiser samples but I think I am most excited to try the Anti Ageing Cream as it helps combat the signs of ageging whilst keeping your skin looking radiant. That sounds like a cream I could really use. All the REN samples I have are 15ml

The Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream will be coming on the plane with me next week. I have started using this and love it. I know some people don’t like the smell of it and find it a little greasy but I like using it on my lips before I go to sleep. It really hydrates them and leaves them super soft. This is a perfect size for travel.

Bare Minerals Active Cell Renewal Night Serum this is only a 3ml sample, so It’s not really big enough to form an opinion but I like serums and anything that helps cell renewal is a winner in my book, I am hoping I get a few nights use from this. They say this will help your skin look ‘firmer, healthier and younger’.

No7 Protect and Perfect Hand Cream I have tried this and I don’t like them scent so think I will pass this on to my mum and hope she likes it more than I did.

I’ve now put them in a basket on top of my dresser and plan on making a real effort to work my through them. How do you store your samples so you use them? Have you bought the full size or tried any of these samples? I’d like to know how you got on with them, or if you would recommend any of them.