tatcha | sampler set

Intrigued by the bit of buzz beauty startup TATCHA’s been receiving, I recently sprung for the $49 sampler set offered online to get a feel for the brand at a reasonable rate.

I used the line for about two weeks straight, though I still have some product left to spare!

tatcha sampler set

{I purchased The TATCHA Sampler Set from the TATCHA website for $49. I also had a few online codes at my disposal to get a few bonus samples. That’s how I roll! Not pictured: Eye cream sample (similar size to the samples on right)}

The TATCHA Sampler Set arrived beautifully packaged and with a handwritten note from the TATCHA team.

While little details like this are common in the beauty blogging swag world, I was taken by the intimacy I felt as a regular, paying customer. Not many brands do this, but it means so much to feel connected to the people to whom you’re entrusting your skin.

I’d been doing some research on the brand and was ready to try everything in the set in which I obsessed about for weeks.

For the most part, the ingredients lists are clean, with individual ingredients not rating higher than “4” on the EWG Skin Deep Database (save for pesky ingredients like phenoxyethanol and fragrance, though TATCHA says its fragrance is “natural.”).

TATCHA products are formulated without min­eral oil, syn­thetic col­ors, fra­grances, sulfates, parabens, PEGs, PPGs, urea, DEA, TEA or phthalates.

If you’re wondering about my individual preferences when it comes to skin care ingredients, I try to stay under a “5” and consider the whole product — is the questionable ingredient near the top or bottom?

Here’s what comes in the sampler set and my thoughts on each:

PURE One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil, 30ml deluxe ($48 for full size 150 ml)

This lightweight, nearly fragrance-free cleansing oil would make a great introduction to oil cleansing for those who are still a bit shy to the idea. Applied with dry hands to a dry face, TATCHA’s One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil breaks down makeup and gently cleans the skin.

When you’re ready to remove everything you’ve just broken down, a splash of warm water emulsifies the blend of rice bran, palm kernal, coconut and camellia oils into a milky, light cream. It’s simple to remove and you really don’t need to go back over your face with a hot compress or second round of splashes to remove traces of oil.

While I enjoy using the One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil, it’s not one I’d likely repurchase only because I’m so in love with my pure, natural plant oils (coconut, jojoba, argan, etc.) and am used to the oil cleansing method. However, I think these little One Step Camellia Cleansing Oils are perfect for travel; I’d buy more of these deluxe sample sizes for the convenience!

Ingredients: Cetyl ethylhexanoate (vegetable origin), rice bran, palm kernel oil, coconut oil, camellia japonica seed oil, glyceryl behenate/eicosadioate (vegetable origin), water, red algae extract, green tea, glycerin (vegetable origin), ethylhexyl glycerin, phenoxyethanol, alcohol, fragrance

TATCHA Polished Exfoliators in Gentle, Classic and Deep

For the sake of brevity, I’m just going to say that I didn’t care for any of these exfoliating scrubs.

Besides the fact that two of them use polyethylene beads, which contribute to water pollution, they just didn’t give me that refreshed feeling that I usually get after treating myself with a gentle exfoliating mask, a light scrub or even a spin on the Clarisonic (yes, I bought one last month, making me the last beauty blogger to finally try the damn thing).

Below are the links and full ingredients lists in case you are interested.

POLISHED Gentle Rice Enzyme Powder, 1g packet ($65 for full size 60g)

Ingredients: Talc, wood pulp, potassium myristate (vegetable origin), rice bran, licorice root, papain, dextrin, red algae extract, green tea leaf extract, glycerin (vegetable origin), alcohol, phenoxyethanol, iron oxide (CI 77492)

POLISHED Classic Rice Enzyme Powder, 1g packet ($65 for full size 60g

Ingredients: Talc, wood pulp, potassium myristate (vegetable origin), polyethylene, rice bran, licorice root, papain, dextrin, red algae extract, green tea leaf extract, glycerin (vegetable origin), alcohol, phenoxyethanol, hydrolyzed conchiolin protein (pearl)

POLISHED Deep Rice Enzyme Powder, 1g packet ($65 for full size 60g)

Ingredients: Talc, wood pulp, potassium myristate (vegetable origin), polyethylene, rice bran, papain, dextrin, red algae extract, green tea leaf extract, glycerin (vegetable origin), dokudami, alcohol, phenoxyethanol, ultramarines, iron oxides

RADIANT Deep Brightening Serum, 8ml deluxe ($150 for full size 30 ml)

TATCHA’s Radiant Deep Brightening Serum was one of my favorite products in the sampler kit.

I read some reviews that said this serum felt too sticky; I completely disagree! This is one of the only non-oil serums I’ve ever tried that didn’t have that tacky, sticky feeling upon application. Even as heavy-handed as I am, I never experienced the odd frothing and gumminess indicative of most traditional serums.

Using this both day and night, my face looked brighter and felt smoother. The serum was perfect under makeup and I didn’t have to wait as long for it to sink in to my skin compared to when I use my lighter daytime oils. I am seriously considering adding this serum to my arsenal, though the phenoxyethanol so close to the top of the ingredients gives me pause.

Ingredients: Water, glycerin (vegetable origin), propanediol, alcohol, cyclopentasiloxane, squalene, isocetyl stearate (vegetable origin), inositol (rice bran), phenoxyethanol, oryza saliva germ oil (rice bran), polyglyceryl-2 triisostearate, polyglyceryl-10 isostearate, ethylhexylglycerin, glyceryl stearate (vegetable origin), behenyl alcohol (vegetable origin), silk, arginine, carbomer, xanthan gum, biosaccharide gum-1, sodium hyaluronate, jujuba fruit extract, licorice root extract, baical skullcap extract, cetearyl alcohol (vegetable origin), sodium lauoyl lactylate (vegetable origin), sorbitan stearate (vegetable origin), caprylic/capric triglyceride, hydrogenated lecithin, red algae extract, green tea leaf extract, fragrance

SUPPLE Moisture Rich Silk Cream, 12ml deluxe ($150 for full size 50 ml)

TATCHA’s Moisture Rich Silk Cream was my other favorite in the sampler kit. Layered on the skin immediately after the serum, this lightweight cream (with a sort of gel consistency) delivered moisture without feeling heavy like most thick emollients.

If you know me, you know I am definitely not a face cream kind of girl. TATCHA’s Moisture Rich Silk Cream, though, has made me reconsider my relationship with creams. I tested this during the dog days of summer and it never felt too thick on my very oily skin.

However, phenoxyethanol as ingredient number two makes me squirm. It’s typically one of those ingredients that I just ignore, because it really has popped up everywhere as a preservative, but when it’s so high on the list and the product is quite the price, I must pause. I’ll re-evaluate whether I really need to add a cream to my life or if I can keep on with my facial oil-loving ways for the rest of the summer and into fall and winter.

Ingredients: Water, phenoxyethanol, biosaccharide gum-1, propanediol, hydrogenated lecithin, panax ginseng root extract, cyclopentasiloxane, batyl alcohol, thymus, thyme extract, squalane, arginine, green tea leaf extract, caprylic/capric triglyceride, behenyl alcohol, silk extract, glycerin, oryza sativa (rice) germ oil, sodium hyaluronate, alcohol, polyglyceryl-2 triisostearate, royal jelly extract, isocetyl stearate, ethylhexylglycerin, algae extract, inositol (rice derivative), bis-sehenyl/isostearyl/phytosteryl dimer dilinoleyl dimer dilinoleate, fragrance

AGELESS Revitalizing Eye Cream, 5ml deluxe ($135 for full size 15 ml)

Made for all skin types, TATCHA’s Revitalizing Eye Cream is thick and requires just a smidge to completely plump up the undereye area before bed.

I only used this eye cream at night because it was extremely thick; while I liked it, it wasn’t the perfect fit for my undereye skin, which is prone to milia (those pesky little white bumps on your skin). Because of this, I prefer to find very lightweight eye creams that sink in quickly and hydrate well.

If you have drier skin than mine (aka normal skin!), give this rich eye cream a whirl!

Ingredients: Water, glycerin, propanediol, xylitol, squalene, diisotearyl malate, cyclopentasiloxane, myristyl myristate, behenyl alcohol, microcrystalline wax, dipentaerythrityl hexahydroxystearate, behenth-20, sorbitan tristearate, chondrus cripsus (carrageenan) extract, dimethicone, ethylhexylglycerin, phenoxyethanol, dimethicone/vinyle dimethicone, cross polymer, fragrance, iron oxides, alcohol, camellia japonica seed oil, inositol, disodium EDTA, silica, sodium hyaluronate, camellia sinensis leaf extract, paeonia albiflora root extract, gardenia jasminoides fruit extract, artemisia princeps leaf extract, malva sylvestris (mallow) flower extract, sodium, acrylate/acryloyldimethyltaurate/dimethylacrylamide crosspolymer

PETAL FRESH Original Japanese Beauty Papers, 30 sheets ($12 for full size 30 sheets)

These blotting papers are a win! I’ll definitely be repurchasing them. We’ve come a long way from our teenage years of using alien-blue blotting sheets from Clean & Clear. TATCHA’s Japanese Beauty Papers make sopping up excess oil feel … well … a little bit glamorous!

The gorgeous, thin papers, made from abaca leaf and speckled with gold flakes, are big enough to cover my entire face (I use the front and the back of the papers) and are packaged beautifully and efficiently; they barely take up any space! I keep a pack on my desk at work for my midday touch-up and in my purse for when I’m on the go. They are fit into my clutch, which is a bonus for nights out!

Ingredients: 100% Abaca Leaf, Gold Flake

If you want to read more in-depth TATCHA reviews, check out these lovely posts from some of my favorite beauty bloggers: Neimans Idealist, Epic Beauty Guide and the Notice.

Have you tried anything from TATCHA? What are your thoughts on this cleaner luxury beauty brand? Tell me in the comments section!

 


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