Hello everyone! This is my last empties post from 2014! I used up a good amount of products in December, so lets see what I have!
The first product that was used up is the Silkience 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner. I bought this at Big Lots for I think around $3 when my husband ran out of his shampoo. I didn't want to spend too much money, so he said to get whatever, he's not picky. After he used it a few times, he said he hated it, so I decided to try it out myself. It really is not a good shampoo. It didn't clean well, and didn't feel good rinsing out of my hair either. It felt like I still had product in my hair after using it. My husband has lots of curly, thick hair so for him it was really bad. We used it up though since we don't like wasting, but we will never repurchase!
It wouldn't be an empties post if I didn't have a can of Batiste dry shampoo! This is the Sassy & Daring Wild version, and I think this is my new favorite scent. I typically love the Tropical scent, but I can never find it in stores, and the last time I tried ordering it online from Drugstore.com, my package was lost in the mail, so I had to call and get my money back. So I'm either going to start buying it in-store at Ulta, or on the Ulta website.
I used up the Nature Made Multi For Her vitamins and this brand of vitamins is definitely my favorite. They're always on sale somewhere, and they're a good price to begin with. Will always repurchase this.
This perfume is so old! It's from the Victoria's Secret Pink line, and this was called Wish Pink. I remember first seeing these in store and thinking how cute the packaging was. This particular one smelled the least offensive to me, it's sweet with just a hint of floral. I honestly rarely used this as actual perfume. I used it mainly as an air freshener! If I felt like maybe the trash was starting to smell funky, or I just wanted the air to smell nice, I'd do a few spritzes of this, and everything smelled good again. They discontinued this line so long ago, I don't even remember when.
I was glad to finish up the Bath & Body Works shower gel in the Vanilla Tini scent. I'm pretty sure I've said before that these shower gels aren't my favorite. The scents are nice, but I don't feel like they clean very well, and they make my skin feel drier than the Sahara. I have a few more of these to use up, but I'll never repurchase any.
This Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream sat in my stash for ages! Once the weather got really cold, I decided to finally use it up. I now know why it sat for so long. The scent is overbearing and it actually made my hands burn and feel more dry. I'm so glad this is finally used up.
I also used up the two lip balms I was rotating through. The first one is the Badger lip balm in the scent Vanilla Madagascar. I love Badger lip balms and typically buy a few when I see them. I have such a large stash of lip balms though so I don't need to repurchase any for a long time. I used this one mainly during the day as it was easy to just take off the lid and swipe it onto my lips. The second one I used up, I used at night and it's the Rosebud Strawberry lip balm. Oh my heavens, does this smell amazing! I love how this applies to the lips, and it gives a nice sheen where it makes your lips look so full and healthy. I usually loaded up on this stuff because my lips dry out alot overnight, but this helps a ton with that.
I have finally used up the Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips that I've had since before my husband and I met. I always heard these were so bad for your skin, but they really cleaned out the pores on my nose and made them look so small. I typically used one after I washed my face, then I would use a deep cleansing mask afterwards, and it was a match made in heaven. I probably won't go out and repurchase right away (spending ban time!), but eventually I will.
I used up the little jar of the Ole Henriksen Walnut Complexion Scrub. I was using this for ages because you only need the tiniest amount to get the job done. I could've sworn I had a review of this, but I actually don't. I do have the larger size jar to use up as well, so I may review it sometime soon! I really am a fan of this scrub. It makes my skin feel so soft and smooth, and the grains are the perfect size and not too irritating.
I had a little sample size tube of the Sephora Instant Moisturizer hiding in my closet and decided to use it up. I have mixed feelings about this. I love how it spreads evenly on the skin and it makes it feel really soft at first. As the day goes on however, my skin turns into a big greaseball. The scent is also a little overwhelming, it's very floral-y. I probably will not repurchase.
I also used up the Valentia Even Glow Serum, which I reviewed here. This serum is amazing! It felt so lovely on my skin, it sinks right in, it smells like oranges, and it helped brighten up my complexion when it was looking really dull and tired. I'm tempted to buy this, but with the massive amount of skincare I have in my stash, and it being $35, I'm going to pass on it for now.
I've been trying to use up alot of the samples I have, and I wanted to try the Lancome Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector. This product is no joke guys! I know the bottle is really tiny, but I noticed a difference in my skin the next morning after using this. This is supposed to help with wrinkles, pores and evenness, and I swear to you, my pores were almost invisible when I used this. I do have another one of these little bottles to use, but I won't buy the the full size. A 1 ounce bottle costs $79, and the 1.7 ounce costs a whopping $115!
The last product I have used up is the Korres Wild Rose moisturizer. I didn't like this really. It felt heavy on my skin, even with it being so cold out, and the rose scent was too strong for my liking. I do think I have another one of these small tubes to use up, so I'll probably use it up soon before it starts to get warm, otherwise I'll be an oily mess after using it.
Well that's everything I used up in December! I have to say, I was curious to see how many products I had used up this past year, so I went through all my empties posts and counted the products. From January through December, I have used up 181 products! I can't believe that! I was in shock when I saw that. But hey, that just leaves room to buy more products to try and use up, after my spending ban of course! ;)
What did you use up in December? Did you count how many products you went through?
Today I'm going to talk about combination skin. Combination skin can sometimes be a little finicky to treat because you can be combination/oily, which means you can lean towards being more oily, combination/dry, which means you lean a little more towards dry skin or just combination,
which is a combo of oily and dry. There might have to be some trial and error in finding the right products to help take care of your skin.
Now, for a cleanser, don't look for something that's strictly for oily skin because it can dry it out real bad, but also stay away from super moisturizing cleansers as well (unless you lean a little towards the drier side). For me, I get combination to combination/oily skin in the later part of the Fall, into Winter, and the very beginning of Spring. A cleanser I absolutely love to use in the winter is Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash. Seriously, this cleanser is so fantastic and it's one of the only cleansers that I can use when it's colder outside. Here is a description of what it says on Sephora, "When it comes to faces with dry and oily places, it takes a clever
cleanser to balance the two. This gentle, frothy face wash carefully
does both jobs without canceling each other out. Skin feels comfortably
refreshed after cleansing, never tight, pulled or parched."
I couldn't agree more with this description. It cleans my skin well, but doesn't leave it parched and dry and also doesn't leave my feeling oily as the day goes on. A little goes a very long way with this cleanser. A little pea-sized drop will do, so it will last you a very long time, and it's only $20, so that's not too bad for a higher end cleanser. A nice drugstore cleanser is Biore Combination Skin Balancing Cleanser. I haven't used this in years, so I don't remember too much how it worked, but I do remember liking it at the time.
With toners, like I said with dry skin, you can skip unless you absolutely feel the need to use one. A toner I really, really love is Bliss Daily Detoxifying Facial Toner. This toner is so amazing. It keeps my skin hydrated enough in the winter but it doesn't create any grease on my skin either. A good drugstore toner is Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner. I really think any skin type could use this, but it's just a simple, basic toner to help prep for moisturizer.
Onto moisturizers. This could be tricky depending on which combination skin you have. If you have combo/oily, try Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. This stuff is like a cult classic in the world of beauty. If this one doesn't seem moisturizing, try the lotion version instead (which is really geared more toward combo/dry, but hey, it doesn't hurt to test it out). For combo/dry skin, try out Ole Henriksen Truth Creme Advanced Hydration. Now I know this sounds like it's for people with totally dry skin, but this one has a lighter texture, so it's not as heavy as a cream. This stuff is pretty expensive too, so for a drugstore moisturizer, try Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture, Combination Skin. I'll admit, in the dead of winter, in like the middle of January, my skin can actually get pretty dry and this is the only moisturizer that hydrates my skin just enough, but doesn't make it an oil slick.
Now for sunblock! Finding a sunblock for combination skin can be a bit tricky as well because it can moisturize the dry areas, but make oilier areas more oily and it can just be really annoying. Unless you wear foundation everyday that's got a high SPF, you're definitely gonna need a sunblock and one I hear good things about is Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 40. This can even replace a regular moisturizer if you don't want to layer too much on. this is also a little pricey so a nice drugstore alternative is Neutrogena Dry Touch Sunblock. I know I recommended this for oily skin, but this can be wonderful for combination skin as well. And there are a ton of SPF levels on this sunblock, so choose which one you like. I prefer the SPF 55.
Alright, now I really hope this helped anyone who has issues finding products for their combination skin. I know it can be such a pain finding something good. Trust me, that's why I hate my skin most in the winter because it changes almost everyday at that time, and like I said before, it can be trial and error in finding what's right. But when you do find something that works, stick with it. In the end, it'll be so worth it.
