February 2016 Empties

Hey guys! So I finally decided to start up my YouTube channel again, and I filmed my empties for February. If you're interested in checking out the video, hopefully you can click on the video above, but if not, click here! Also, while you're there, remember to give the video a thumbs up and subscribe!

Products mentioned in the video:

- Bath & Body Works 3-wick Candles in Strawberry Rhubarb Marmalade and Mahogany Teakwood. Loved the Strawberry Rhubarb Marmalade, but not a fan of the Mahogany Teakwood. My husband loves it though, so we usually pick one up for him

- Bath & Body Works Coconut Body Lotion: I don't like B&BW body products so I'm glad this is gone. 

- Bath & Body Works Anti-bacterial Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in Spice Kissed Pumpkin: I'm finally realizing how expensive these hand soaps are even when they're on sale. I'm trying to use up my stash of the ones I have, and then I'm finding something cheaper.

- Masque-Ology Pore Minimizing Sheet Mask: I don't know why I keep trying sheet masks. I'm always disappointed in them because they never work for me. This was in my box of samples to use, and you all know I hate wasting product. 

- Philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleanser: I love this cleanser so much more now that I'm older, but when I was a teenager I hated it! This is a great cleanser that I can use to remove every bit of makeup, even from my eyes. 

- Freeman Facial Clay Mask Mint & Lemon: I love how these masks are so inexpensive, yet effective. They last forever too, so you get your money's worth!

- Epielle Deep Cleansing Nose Strips: These work just the same as the Biore ones, so for $2 for this box, I'll keep repurchasing this brand instead. 

- Divas Never Age Hyaluronic Acid Serum: I reviewed this here, and while it did hydrate my skin, the smell of it is very overwhelming. I still used it up because like I said, I hate wasting product. 

- Amara Organics Hyaluronic Acid Serum: I reviewed this here almost a year ago, and finally used it up. This is so much better scent-wise than the Divas Never Age serum. My skin loves hyaluronic acid, so this serum is one I would consider purchasing again. 

- Bliss Naked Body Butter: This was a birthday gift from Sephora ages ago. I like this alot because it was super hydrating, but has zero scent so it doesn't interfere with perfumes or other body products. 

- Regenepure Hair & Scalp Treatment: I initially liked this at first, but now that the bottle is gone, I don't care for it. It did help with dandruff and feels cooling when using, but it doesn't help with hair loss or anything. I reviewed this back in August 2015 here.  

- Ecru Acacia Protein BB Cream: This is a BB cream for your hair, and I freaking loved this! It made my hair soft and manageable, and was just amazing. I'm tempted to buy a full size, but have a hoard of hair products to use up. 

- Garnier Fructis Fortifying Deep Conditioner: Loved this stuff so much and I'm sad it's gone. I don't think they make this product anymore either. 

- Garnier Olia Brilliant Color in 4.0 Dark Brown: Love Garnier hair color, and the Olia line is fantastic. I received this from Crowdtap and love the color they sent me. 

- Colgate Cavity Protection Toothpaste: Just a regular toothpaste that my husband and I used up. I used this at night because I have a different toothpaste I use during the day for my sensitive teeth and gums. 

- The Body Shop Black Velvet Apricot Frosted Shimmer Lotion: I had gotten this back when I worked at The Body Shop many years ago. I don't care much for shimmery lotions, and I'm sure this has gone bad by now. 

- Sephora Daily Makeup Brush Cleaner: My favorite brush cleaner to use when I spot clean my eye brushes. It's a bit expensive, but I love it. 

Number of products used up: 18 
Total for the year: 29

What were some products you used up last month? I'd love to know! 

December 2015 Favorites

 *Some links below are affiliate links*

Hi everyone, and happy 2016! I'm pretty excited that 2015 is over and done with, and I can't wait to get this new year started. Today I'm going to be sharing with you some products that stood out to me in December. I am planning on doing a yearly favorites that should be up sometime next week, so stay tuned for that, but for now, here are a few products I loved last month!

The first product I was loving was the Arvazallia Rejuvenating Hair Mask. I had reviewed the entire 3-step range here, and completely fell in love with the line. The mask in particular has been so amazing for my hair lately. I honestly don't wash my hair too often, about every 2 or 3 days, but alot of times, my hair is just so dry! I don't use this mask every time I wash my hair, but about every 3rd washing I will. This mask just makes my hair feel so soft, silky and manageable. 

Next up is a toothbrush. You probably are thinking I'm a total weirdo (I am, actually), but hear me out! I'm sure I've mentioned here before that my teeth and gums are super sensitive. I can only really use a sensitive toothpaste, but I also can only use extra soft toothbrushes. I can never find extra soft toothbrushes in-store anywhere, so I end up buying them online. I found a package of 8 toothbrushes by a brand called Cand, for just $13.99. They're apparently a Chinese brand and these toothbrushes have black bamboo charcoal bristles (again, totally weird). I was reading up on these before purchasing, and they're said to help get rid of toxins in your mouth and to help with tooth whitening. I haven't used mine long enough to notice any whitening, but this is hands down the best toothbrush I've ever tried! My teeth and gums feel so clean, it doesn't irritate at all, and my teeth feel clean for alot longer than when I used a different toothbrush. I kept telling my husband how impressed I was that even he started using one, and he loves it too. This has changed my life honestly.

The next product is by a brand called Ecru, and it's their Acacia Protein BB Cream for Hair. I had received this in a previous Ipsy bag, and was kinda intrigued at the thought of a bb cream that you use on your hair. To me, this is basically just a lightweight leave-in conditioner, but it makes my hair feel so incredibly soft, and when I use it after the Arvazallia hair mask, my hair feels just incredible. I feel like this has helped my hair to feel cleaner longer as well. 

My next favorite has been a Philosophy Lip Shine in the scent Red Velvet Cake. Now, I love these lip shines mainly because of all the different scents. They don't particularly leave color on the lips, but if you apply these over a matte lipstick, they make your lips look and feel big and juicy, which I really enjoy. I have so many of these and I just love them.

My last favorite has been the Valentia True Glow Eye Cream, which I did review on here. I'm in love with the Valentia brand and have gotten so lucky to be able to try a bunch of their products. This eye cream makes the skin around my eyes feel so soft and hydrated, but I never get an oily film, which can happen if I use an eye cream that's too rich. I feel like this helps with dehydration lines and slowly helps with dark circles as well.

What have you been loving lately?

October 2014 Ipsy Bag

Hey everyone! My Ipsy bag came a little late this month, this past Friday actually. I was just busy all weekend and I can now get to showing you all what I got! I have to say, I'm impressed this month!

For the actual bag the products come in, I love the color! Teals are beautiful. I'm just not a fan of the pattern. I don't really see myself using this bag for anything honestly. The products are what's important!

The first product I received is the Ecru New York Acacia Protein BB Cream Beauty Balm for Hair. I've never heard of this brand before but I had heard of bb creams for hair. I'm definitely looking forward to trying this since I colored my hair a burgundy/auburn color and I want to maintain the health of my hair. 

Next up is Epice International Purifying Exfoliant. I can always use a good exfoliant and with the colder weather coming up, this will come in handy. 

Then I got a Starlooks Lip Gloss in the color Gulity Pleasure. I think the color is great for Fall and compliments my fair skin nicely. When I swatched it however, it did feel a bit sticky. I haven't tried it on my lips yet, but I hope the stickiness isn't too bad once applied. 

I also got a Jessie's Girl Mineralized Baked Shadow Powder in the color Plum Frost. When I swatched this, I was surprised at how pigmented this shadow was. I know this brand is sold in the drugstore, but I was pretty impressed. It's definitely a beautiful color that I can see myself using.

Next up we have a Figs & Rouge Hand Cream in the scent Rose Berry. I have heard of this brand before and it comes out of the UK, which is pretty neat. I'm glad I got a little hand cream because I can take it to work with me and have it not take up too much space in my work bag. It does smell very nice too but I have yet to test it out on my hands. 

Now this sixth product is one that I had used my points for and it's the Eyetini Eye Cordial Cream Shadow Tint & Base. I wasn't too happy that I didn't have many choices when picking out what I wanted, but I had some points expire and I didn't want to lose any more. Believe it or not, I actually really like this product! I used it as a base under eyeshadow and it looked pretty, had good pigmentation, and also made my look last all day! 

Swatches of lip gloss, eyeshadow & eye base

Overall, I'm highly impressed this month! The last couple months were a little meh, and I did consider cancelling my subscription. This bag has totally redeemed itself for me as it has a nice mix of skincare and makeup. 

If you want your own Ipsy bag, use my referral link here! It's only $10 a month, plus shipping for some, and you get a good range of products sent to you every month!