March 2015 Empties!

Hi everyone! Today I'm showing you my trash. I used up a pretty decent amount of products in March, so grab a snack or a drink, because this may be a long one!

I'll start with skincare since that's what I have the most of. The first product is the Korres White Tea Fluid Gel Cleanser. I used this in the mornings, and I really did like it. It cleaned my skin well and got rid of any oil I may have had from the night before. 

This wouldn't be an empties without an Aloe Calming Toner from The Body Shop. I've talked about this a ton before, so I won't beat a dead horse. This is my favorite toner ever, and I use it primarily at night, unless it's Winter, then I use it morning and night. 

I used up a sample of the Pangea Organics Facial Scrub, and I didn't really care for it. The scrubbing bits in it were a bit rough, and it didn't smell too pleasant. 

I used up another sample of the bareMinerals Purifying Facial Cleanser, and I really, really like this! I used it in the morning and got a good weeks worth of use out of it. It cleans really well, but doesn't strip the skin. This is a great everyday, basic cleanser.

I used up a sample of the Philosophy Miracle Worker Miraculous Anti-Aging Moisturizer. This moisturizer is so interesting to me. It feels thick when I rub it between my hands, but once I apply it to my face, it spreads out evenly and feels incredibly silky. It's extremely hydrating, so I only used it at night, but I always woke up with really pretty skin.

I finally finished up 2 InstaNatural products, the first one being the Hyaluronic Acid Serum and the second one is the Age-Defying Skin Clearing Serum, which I reviewed here along with another product. The hyaluronic serum was amazing mixed into my morning moisturizer when I needed extra hydration and the skin clearing serum is probably one of the best serums for oily, acne prone skin I've ever tried. It seriously was amazing stuff, and I probably will repurchase when I use up other skin treatments. 

Now for makeup. I'm throwing away the Coastal Scents mini eyeshadow quads that I received in previous Ipsy bags. I was going through my makeup, saw these, and just decided to get rid of them. I've never used them and a couple shadows broke, so I have no use just hanging onto them. 

I'm also throwing away the Be a Bombshell Liquid Eyeliner in the shade Onyx. This also came in a previous Ipsy bag. I found this hard to use because the felt tip of this is so chunky and large, which made it hard getting a thin line. The color is so black though, which makes it tough to throw away. Oh well, like I said above, there is no use hanging onto this if I have no use for it!

The Freeman Purifying Paper Mask was not good. I'm not a fan of sheet masks, and this one was no exception. It didn't sit right on my face, so I kept getting it in my eyes and up my nose. I'll stick with my normal masks, thank you!

I absolutely loved the Korres Guava Body Butter! It smelled amazing and really hydrated my skin. I'm trying to get my skin in good shape after it being so dry in the Winter, so I need anything that's going to put moisture back into my skin. This did it, and I'm a little sad it's gone. 

I didn't care much for the Bliss High Intensity Hand Cream. First off, it's not that intense. It didn't really help my hands in any way. Second, I went through it pretty fast because of that. I felt like I kept having to reapply to get it to do anything. At least it's not sitting around anymore waiting to be used up!

If I'm not mistaken, this Simply Be Well Lotion came from the hotel my husband and I stayed at during our honeymoon. I'm weird and always take those little sample toiletries with me. This was alright. It's a very lightweight lotion and I only used it on my arms. This would've done nothing for my poor, dry legs.

Last few things! I am so happy to finally be finished a Johnson's Baby Shampoo. I use this stuff to clean my brushes, and let me tell you, I had this bottle when my husband and I first moved in together in the Summer of 2012. I got a hug double pack of these before we moved, and I'm just starting to use the second one. Crazy how long this big bottle lasts!

I'm sure I've mentioned before, but I'm not the biggest fan of Bath & Body Works body products. Candles and handsoap, I love, but body products, not so much. I had this Country Chic scented shower gel for a while. I'm going to start using up all their body care stuff I have because I don't want to be wasteful. 

The very last product is the Bath & Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in the Pumpkin Caramel Latte scent. Holy crap, does this stuff smell like heaven! I love anything that smells like pumpkin, but this smells like dessert and I wish I had a backup. There is always next Fall! Hopefully they bring it back.

Phew! If you lasted til now, thank you and I love you! I'm so happy to be using up so many products. I seem to be on a mission lately to de-clutter my life and I have so many beauty products to go through, so when I use something up, it feels like weight lifted off my shoulders. Such an awesome feeling!

What did you use up lately?

August 2014 Ipsy Bag

Hey guys! So I received my Ipsy bag on Friday but only got a chance today to write up what I got. When I was able to check my glam room and see what I would be getting, I was pretty excited! Once I actually got my bag in the mail, I was a little let down. The theme this month is called Beauty Schooled.

First off, I don't like the look of the bag. I don't like the color orange and when I got it, it was so smushed that I was afraid something may have broken inside. Onto the products.

 I first received the Dr. Brandt Pores No More Pore Refiner. I love receiving things that will help with my pores. Having oily, acne prone skin, products like this are amazing. I do have another sample of this but I have yet to try it. 

Next I received a Coastal Scents Forever Blush Sample Duo. I was first happy to see I would be getting this in my bag. Once I received it, I couldn't believe how small it was. I don't know how I'll be able to use this normally. I do have a comparison picture coming up shortly. 

Next up we have the Absolute Lip Balm in the Green Apple scent. A grape scent was also sent out and I probably would've preferred that, but this doesn't smell too offensive. I was never a fan of green apple stuff, even with candy. The color of it is pretty though so I'll give it a try. 

Then we have a Lord & Berry Silk Kajal Kohl Eye Pencil in a black color. Again, such a tiny sample that for me, it will be difficult to use. Reminds me of free samples they give you from Sephora when you place an order online. 

Lastly we have the Urban Decay Perversion Mascara. This is the only product I'm super excited to use. I love Urban Decay as a brand so getting to try their new mascara is nice.

Not sure if this is a good comparison picture, but I didn't really have anything else. I have been told by numerous people that I have really small hands. My wedding rings are a size 5 if that helps too, and they sometimes slide around. Granted, my husband's hands are huge compared to mine, but he's a big dude. I'm just amazed that these tiny ass samples were sent out. Like I said above, these remind me of the free samples they send out with online orders. Pretty disappointed. 

Overall, I am not too happy with Ipsy this month. Some months are so amazing and then we have months like this where they all seem like free samples that I paid $10 for. 

Anyway, I do like Ipsy but I'm hoping next month is way better than this. I've received some awesome bags in the past, so if you want to subscribe, sign up here!

If you're already signed up, what did you think of your bag?

February 2013 Ipsy Bag

Hey everyone! It's that time of month again where I show you all what I received in my monthly Ipsy bag! I'm not the happiest with this months bag, but lets get into what I got!

The first thing I got were Lash Cards. Honestly, this product is useless for me. I'm not really sure why anyone would spend the money for something you don't get many uses out of and this is just really gimmicky to me. I don't have many problems putting on mascara, and if you do get mascara on your eyelids, you can use a q-tip to touch it up. It's alot cheaper that way.

Next I got the Pixi Flawless & Poreless Face Primer. I'm willing to give this primer a try since I'm still on the hunt for a good one, but I've already gotten a face primer in a previous box, and I do have other primers in my stash to use up.

Next I received the MicaBeauty Gel Eyeliner in the black color. I've never tried gel eyeliner before because I feel like it'll be awkward for me, plus I have really hooded eyelids so trying to do a winged look doesn't work out so well and I know gel eyeliner is typically good for winged looks. I might give it a try just to see how it works.

Then I got the POP Smokey Lash Kapow Mascara in the color Smoky Black. I've read some reviews on this mascara, and I keep reading that it smudges quite a bit, which isn't that appealing. I might try this with a lash primer first and see how it works. I already have so many mascara samples anyways, so I don't know when I'll give this a go.

The last product I received was a Coastal Scents quad in the golden color set. There was also a gray/black color set, which I kinda wish I got more. I don't know why, but I hate yellows with a passion. The color Sunbeam looks hideous to me, but I could maybe work with Golden Globe if I mix it with another color. I actually really like the Dark Golden Olive color because greens tend to look nice with my eyes. Dark Goldenrod is just kinda meh to be honest. It still has a yellow tone to it, but I can probably work with it.

Well that's everything! Not really impressed with this months bag. I really hope next month they include some skincare or makeup I'm actually interested in. I'm also not a fan of the actual bag the products came in. It's a major dust magnet!

If you're subscribed to Ipsy, did you like your bag?

October 2012 Ipsy/MyGlam Bag

Today I'm going to be sharing what I got in my Ipsy/Glam bag. First of all, this company used to be called MyGlam, now they're called Ipsy so I guess when I post future bags I'll just called it an Ipsy bag. I was pretty darn excited to get this bag because I always look up the hints they give out on Facebook and figure out what I'm getting, so here it is!

The bag the products came in

The wonderful products!

So the first product I received is by Mirenesse and it is a Lip Bomb that says it's a glossy lacquer stain. I'm pretty excited by this because I'm obsessed with lip glosses and this is a nice neutral nude pink-y color that seems like it will go nicely with my fair skintone. I don't see a name for the color, it just has the number 9 on the bottom.

Next I received the Be a Bombshell Eye Liner in the color Onyx. I'm not a big fan of liquid eye liners only because I don't have much experience with them. I've tried a different one before and my hand was so shaky putting it on, it looked like a 5 year old drew on my face. But I guess this product gives me more reason to try and experiment again.

This next product I was most excited to receive! It's from Coastal Scents and it's just four dime sized eyeshadows in the colors Rosy Pink, Gunmetal, Elven Silver and Light Pink. Now you can't see in the picture, but I was a little disappointed because the silver color was a little broken. It's like a piece of the top was scraped off somehow, but I'm okay with it now because it's only a tiny amount that was broken. These colors look sooooo pretty though! I love the rosy pink and gunmetal colors the most.

The next thing I got is a Pequi Oil Treatment that's for your hair to restore softness and shine. Now I've never tried a hair oil before so I'm not sure if I'll like this or not. My hair right now isn't dry or damaged and it's actually pretty fine so I always think oils will just weigh my hair down more. I'll still try this though just to see how it works. I might wait til it gets a lot colder because that's when my hair gets the driest.

The last thing I received is from theBalm Cosmetics and it's the What's Your Type? "the body builder" Mascara in just a regular black color. I'm pretty excited for this too because I love trying new mascaras and I've actually heard a lot of good things about this. 

I also got a little card with all the products names on it and extra discounts if I place an order with any of the brands from this bag.

Well that's my bag! Overall, I'm happy with it. Again, not the biggest fan of hair oils but I will definitely try it. I'm still so excited over the eyeshadows and mascara! I can't wait to try them! This is also by far my favorite beauty subscription service. I used to be subscribed to Birchbox but didn't like over half of the boxes I got, and I was with them for a little over a year. Oh well, Ipsy is really amazing in my opinion :)

What beauty subscription services do you like or recommend?