January 2016 Empties

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Hi guys! So we're already one month into the new year, and I made it my mission this year to use up as many products as I can to make a dent in my stash. January wasn't that great in using up much honestly, but I did manage to use up a few things!

I used up a good bit of skincare last month, and of course it wouldn't be an empties if I didn't have The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner. You all know my obsession with this toner, so I won't ramble. It's just awesome. 

I have finally used up the Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel. I only used this at night, and it took me an incredibly long time to use up, since you only need one pump for your entire face and neck. I loved this product to help keep my pores clear. Salicylic Acid works wonders on my skin, and I'm pretty sure I have a backup of this. I have other products I want to use up first though before I open a new one. 

I used up a one time use sample of the Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Eye Mask, and it didn't really impress me. I'm not sure how well eye masks in general work, but the only thing this did for my under-eyes is keep them hydrated. They didn't look energized or brightened in any way, so I doubt I'd buy these. 

I got a deluxe sized sample of the Purlisse Pur Delicate Gentle Soy Milk Cleanser in a previous Ipsy bag. To me, this is just a basic creamy cleanser that did remove makeup fairly well, but it seemed to dry out my skin a little bit, even though the packaging says this is non-drying. My skin has been very finicky so far this Winter, and it doesn't know whether it wants to be dry, oily, or combination. Finding products that help balance it out has been a bit difficult lately. 

I've heard many people say they love the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, and as I was cleaning out my sample box, I came across some samples of this cleansing oil. I gave it a go one night on a full face of makeup, and at first I wasn't sure it was doing anything. Once I started rinsing it off, every bit of makeup was completely gone. I had three coats of mascara and a good layer of foundation on that this completely took care of. It's amazing, and I'll be sad once all the samples are gone. I may purchase a full size in the future, but I'm on a strict no-buy at the moment and I have tons of cleansing oils in my stash to use up. 

I had a little baby sample of the Dermalogica Total Eye Care with SPF 15 hiding in my stash that was mostly used up, so I finished it off last month. I forgot how much I loved this. It has a bit of a tint to it that actually seemed to help my dark circles, and it's pretty hydrating without being greasy. Dermalogica is a pretty expensive brand, so I'm not sure if I'll repurchase, but once I go through my stash of eye creams, I'd consider it. 

These are the last of the products I used up, and it's a mix of hair care, body care and lip care. I'm one of those people who love Pantene shampoos and conditioners, and this Sheer Volume conditioner was pretty amazing. I'm not sure if it actually made my hair more volumized, but it made it so incredibly soft. This is just a small bottle I had in my stash, and the cap broke off when I dropped it one time, so I made a point to use it up quick. 

I know I've mentioned before that I'm not the biggest fan of the Bath & Body Works Shower Gels. This is in the Coconut and Vanilla scent that I had purchased one year during a semi-annual sale. Believe it or not, I didn't actually mind this one. Most of their body washes dry my skin out and make it itch like crazy, but this seemed a little more hydrating than the others I've tried and it didn't make me itch. I seem to have a black hole in my closet where all my body washes are, and B&BW shower gels seem to keep popping up. I'm making it a point to use those up before I go on to something else. 

I'm also making it my mission to use up as many foil packet samples as I can, so I decided to try out the DERMAdoctor KP Duty AHA Moisturizing Therapy for dry skin. This little packet was surprisingly enough for both of my arms, and I gotta say, after just the one use, I was in love. It smoothed out the backs of my arms, and pretty much got rid of those nasty chicken skin bumps that many people have. I'm tempted to break my no-buy for this, but since I'm trying to be good, I won't torture myself. 

Lastly, we have some lip products! I've been trying to use up the Laura Geller Lip Strip scrub for well over a year. The tiniest bit goes a very long way, and I used this stuff pretty regularly about once or twice a week, but mainly in the colder months. This is very minty, and if you accidentally get some in your mouth, it's ok because it tastes like toothpaste, which I don't mind. This did help with dry skin on my lips, and left a bit of a moisturizing film that was pretty hydrating. 

These On10 Lip Balms take so long to go through, and I used up the cider scent around the middle of January. I only really used this lip balm if I was going outside or running errands because it has an SPF of 15. If I'm staying inside the house all day, it doesn't matter what balm I use. I like these On10 lip balms though and this came in a set that my mom had gotten me for Christmas from Sephora quite a while ago. 

Well, I used up 11 products. Not too shabby, but it's not great either. I'm hoping February is better! 

Number of products used up: 11

What did you use up last month?

December 2012 Favorites!

Happy New Year everyone! I'm so excited that 2012 is over and 2013 can finally begin! I'll be doing my December favorites today. I haven't been blogging for that long so I didn't really find it necessary to do a yearly favorites. Probably the end of this year I'll do that. Anyways, lets get on with what I've been loving this past month!

Everything I've been loving!

The first product I've been loving is the Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder, and I got the shade 001 Transparent. I just started using this about the last half of December and I can't believe I waited this long after buying it to try it! This is such an amazing powder. If I'm wearing tinted moisturizer or b.b. cream, this sets it so beautifully and keeps my face looking matte. I can do a full review of how I like it if anyone is interested. 

This next product I haven't really heard much about except from maybe 2 or 3 people and it's the Elizabeth Arden Pure Finish Highlighter in Rose Illumination. The very first time I heard about it was from michelle1218 on Youtube. She was raving about how beautiful this was and how much she loved rose gold. Literally the next day when I went to work, I picked it up and she was right! It's such a beautiful rose gold color that gives the prettiest bit of sheen on your cheekbones. I've used it quite a bit this month with my skin getting a tad drier than normal to add some glow to my skin.

I've also been loving my Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover. I've had this for a long time but I ran out of my Origins makeup remover and I had this as a backup. It's definitely very gentle taking off eye makeup but once in a while I do get some stinging. I do have insanely sensitive eyes, especially if I've had my contacts in for a long time during the day. I also don't really agree with it being oil-free because once all my makeup is off, there is a bit of a film on my eyelids. I don't really care about that because I always take a shower and wash my face completely after taking off my eye makeup, but I don't think they should call it oil-free if it leaves a film. 

Next I've been loving the Laura Geller Lip Strip. This is just a basic lip scrub that smells and tastes minty. I've never tried any of the LUSH lip scrubs, but I'm going to assume they're basically the same product as this. I use this at night before I brush my teeth and I always put a hydrating lip balm on right after. I absolutely love how this makes my lips feel. They're super soft and this scrub takes any dead flaky skin away. This actually came in a Sephora lip kit a couple years ago, but I never really touched it until recently when my lips kept cracking and getting dry on me. 

I know I've had this bareMinerals Flawless Definition Mascara in a favorites post before, but I am just that in love with it! I'll be one sad girl when this runs out or dries up on me. I did a full review of it here so I won't go rambling on about this. It's just amazing.

Next I've been loving an E.L.F. eyeshadow in the color Coffee Bean. The picture makes it look like there's alot of shimmer, but there really isn't once you put on your eyelid. This is just a really pretty color for all over your lids or blended into the crease. I'm typically a one shadow girl and this was mostly my go-to color along with the shadow next to it...

...And that's the bareMinerals Glimmer eyeshadow in the color Desire. Again, I did a full review of this here so I won't say too much. It's another pretty color for all over the lid.

These are swatches of the highlighter and E.L.F. eyeshadow. I tried taking so many pictures but this was the best one out of all of them so hopefully you can see the highlighter.

That's everything! Hopefully this year I can really try out products that I've had for a while so I can review them for you guys!

What were your favorites for the month? (Or year!)