Exploring April's @PinchMe Box

If you're into trying out new products as much as I am, then you probably already know about the site PinchMe. If You don't, it's not quite like other free product sites. This site gives away a variety of free samples once a month to those who show up promptly at noon on the specified day to claim them. After a six month slump with my demographic not fitting the sample offerings, I've been having a lot of luck lately getting some good samples. Here is what I received in my April PinchMe box:

Garnier Clearly Brighter Brightening & Smoothing Daily Moisturizer
Yep, I've already tried this product out through another website's sampling and I know that I love it.  You can read more about my experience in taking the Clearly Brighter Challenge (Post #1 and Post #2).

Garnier Whole Blends Honey Treasures Shampoo and Conditioner

Again, this is a product I'm already familiar with, though this is my first time writing about it on the blog. The Whole Blends line uses natural ingredients (with a very low level of sulfates compared to other shampoo brands) to help quench, smooth and restore your hair. The Honey Treasures variety works specifically to strengthen and heal damaged hair. Plus, it smells awesome. I can also recommend the Coconut Oil and Cocoa Butter and Coconut Water and Vanilla Milk varieties too. Garnier also has three other varieties that I have yet to try, but with cranberry, avocado, apple and green tea in the names, I pretty sure those are going to smell awesome and work hard to restore your hair as well.

ZzzQuil Sleep Aid
I received this sample last month two months ago as well. I haven't used this one yet, but I did use the first one when I thought I would need it. I was worried about using this type of product at first until I realized the active ingredient was the same thing as you get in antihistamine products like Benadryl--and in the same dose. And who hasn't enjoyed a comfortable Benadryl nap before? Works well as long as you have about 20 minutes to wind down first.

Skinny Pop Jalepeno Popcorn

Bagged popcorn can be hit and miss sometimes. Skinny Pop apparently knows how to do it right. It tasted fresh and the jalepeno flavor wasn't super spicy (if you already like spicy flavors). I would definitely look for this in stores--along with the dusted chocolate, which I did not get a sample of, but have her from other Pinchers that it's a good one too.





Sunology Natural Sunscreen

I like the idea of a natural sunscreen, so this seems to be the perfect product for me. I put it on when the last sunny day came around and it protected my skin well (at 50 SPF). I think it would do fine on a bright, sunny day when I'm outside for a few hours.






Eucerin In-Shower Moisturizer

I've heard about these in-shower products for months now, but this is my first time using one. I like how clear the directions were (there are steps to the process) and that it did a good job moisturizing my skin. It did seem to add a few minutes to my morning routine, however, I'm not a person who usually needs to get going in a hurry to get to a 9-to-5. So, I think I would look into using this product again when I need it. 




Shea Moisture Sensitive Skin Mud Mask

I think that this mask is going to be great for my skin. I can't tell you how well though because it's on my face right now. Check my Instagram account in the next day or two for an update!

Staying Safe in the Sun

Do you know that if you are planning on being out in the sun for more than 20 minutes, you should take steps to protect your skin from the sun? Whether you are planning on spending the day by the pool or just out doing errands, sun protection is important all throughout the year, but especially in the summer months. One essential tool for sun protection is sunscreen. However, many users don’t like the greasy feeling or the overpowering scent, so they may skip an application. With COPPERTONE^® CLEARLYSheer products, you don’t have to worry about that at all. 

I received free samples of COPPERTONE CLEARLYSheer products and coupons to try out from BzzAgent. One was for Sunny Days, while the other formula was for Beach and Pool. I tried the 30SPF Broad Spectrum Sunny Days formula first, and I loved the fact that it felt light on my skin and not heavy or greasy. I was also pleased with the scent. I didn’t want to spend the day smelling like I spent the day on vacation. The scent has a citrus note to it, which is much better than the heavy coconut scents in other products. 

When I finally did have a day off and I could go hang out by the pool. I used the Beach and Pool version, which was a 50SPF Broad Spectrum spray. Just like the formula for Sunny Days, it worked well to protect my skin, smelled great and didn’t leave a heavy film on my skin. It's also moisturizing and won't clog your pores--so it has a number of great benefits aside from sun protection.

This product has actually gotten me to use sunscreen more often, just because it feels so much lighter than other sun protection products. As long as I continue to correctly apply whenever I go outside, I know I’ll feel better about my efforts to protect my skin.  I will definitely be keeping a bottle around for those long summer days.