May 2018 Empties

May was kind of a rough month in using up products, but I still have a few to share with you all! 

I really only used up some skincare and body care in May. I used up The Body Shop Body Butter Duo in Vanilla, and I thought it was pretty nice! One side was thicker for extra dry skin, and the other side was for basic hydration. I have another one or two as backups. 

I ended up decluttering the O'Keefe's Working Hands because it's all dried out and unusable. I liked it when I was able to use it, but it did leave a bit of a film on my hands that kinda bothered me. 

I have one sheet mask from BioRepublic in Aloe Rescue. This felt nice and cooling on my skin when I was dealing with some dryness and irritation. I'm a big fan of sheet masks recently, but need to find more time to use them more consistently. 

The second to last of my Philosophy hand cream tubes has been used up. The Homemade Honey Buns scent was to die for, and I wish I had another one. My last tube should be used up by the end of June, so you should see that in June's empties post!

The Azure Naturals Ultimate Vitamin C Moisturizer was just alright. I liked it at first, but towards the end I realized it just wasn't for my skin. It didn't sink in very well and just sat on top, making my face feel more greasy. 

The last product I used up is an EOS lip balm in the Strawberry scent. These take forever for me to use up, and in all honesty, I don't really like them all that much. They're not the most hydrating and I'm just glad it's gone. 

Products used up: 6
Total for the year: 74

I definitely didn't use up as much as I wanted to, but I'm glad I used up at least a few products. So far, June is going much better and I'm more motivated in using up everything I have. 

What have you used up recently?

May 2018 Boxycharm

I know this post is super late, but I wanted to share what I received in May's Boxycharm. I'm sad to say this is my last box with Boxycharm. I think they're an incredible value for only $21 a month, and you receive some amazing products, but I have such a large collection already so I realized I truly did not need a subscription service anymore. 

The theme for May was Boxy Bash. The first product I received was the Pur Sculptor Highlight & Contour palette. I'm not usually one to highlight and contour, plus the contour shades are far too dark for my fair complexion. I'd probably use this palette as eyeshadow instead. One cool thing is this palette smells like chocolate. This palette retails for $30.

I got four brushes from the brand Aesthetica. A 3 Piece Eye trio and a P12 Face Brush. I don't care for the eye brushes aside from the spoolie. I use those quite frequently. The P12 brush seems nice for blush or bronzer. The trio retails for $45 and the face brush retails for $27.

I also received a Beauty Creations Liquid Lip Gloss in the shade Kiss Me. It's a really pretty rosy, red color that will likely be nice for Fall weather. This retails for $10.

I'm not a big fan of gel eyeliners, or eyeliner in general, but the Pretty Vulgar The Ink Gel Eyeliner in 01 Black List seems nice. I'll give it a try, but I'm not sure if it will stay in my collection. This liner retails for $24.

The last product is from Cover FX, and it's their Blurring Primer. I tend to like primers like this because of my large pores. Cover FX is a good brand too, so I look forward to trying this at some point. It retails for $38.

The total value of this box is $174. That's not bad at all, though I feel the brushes are far too expensive for the quality. Like I said above, this will be my last box for the foreseeable future. I enjoyed the box the few months I was subscribed, and may go back to it in the future. 

If you're subscribed to Boxycharm, what did you get in your box?

May, June & July 2017 Empties

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I fell incredibly behind on updating you all on the products I've used up. Being a mom has, of course, taken precedence in my life, and my daughter has had a ton of appointments. She's also been wanting more attention, so I try to get things done during naps, but she doesn't seem to like sleeping either. Anyway, I have three months worth of empty products to share with you, and I'm quite proud of what I have!

I'll start with skincare, since that's what I have the most of. I used a When Glamour Base sheet mask, which I was a fan of! I feel like it did brighten up my skin and helped it feel more hydrated. 

The Caudalie Vinoperfect Day Perfecting Cream took me a while to use, considering it's a deluxe sample size. It has SPF in it, so I would only use it on days where I would leave the house. It seemed like it was fine, but nothing special. 

The Body Shop Tea Tree Toner used to be one of my favorite toners to use, until I discovered it has a high concentration of alcohol in it. This was my last bottle, thank goodness, so I won't repurchase again. 

I LOVED the Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Booster! I would put just a couple drops into my morning moisturizer, which really seemed to help with some dehydration I was having. I doubt I'd repurchase, since Dermalogica is quite an expensive brand. 

I had the Michael Todd Pumpkin Nutrient-Rich Facial Mask in my stash for quite a while, so I'm glad I was able to use it up. It was very tingly on my skin, and left it a bit red once I rinsed it off. It did, however, make my skin feel super soft. 

The Boscia Luminizing Black Mask is a love/hate for me. I love how incredibly soft it makes my skin feel, and it grabs any little baby hairs that are annoying. I hate how hard it is to remove. Seriously, if you get this anywhere near eyebrows or hairline, oh man does it hurt! I think I may have one more of these deluxe samples, but I wouldn't buy a full size. 

Origins is one of my favorite skincare brands, so it was no surprise I enjoyed the Make A Difference Plus Rejuvinating Treatment. I used it mainly as a serum before moisturizer, but it could be used by itself for very oily skin. I would consider buying this once my stash runs low. 

I used the Clinique Spot Healing Gel on any blemishes I may have gotten. Most times I only had to use this once, and the next day my skin was clear. I'm not too fussy when it comes to spot treatments, I just can't use benzoyl peroxide. 

I'm completely horrible with using body scrubs, but I adored the Tree Hut Shea Sugar Body Scrub in the Coconut Lime scent. I have so many scrubs to use, but I will likely buy this brand again when I use up what I have first. 

I go through lip balms like crazy normally, but I only have 1 I used up. I love the Badger brand, and their Lime Rocket scent of their Cocoa Butter Lip Balm is fabulous! Very moisturizing and kept my lips soft throughout the day. I have many different scents in my lip balm stash and don't think I'll run out anytime soon!

There's a sad story to the OXG Anti-Breakage Keratin Oil, since I didn't get to use it. I was cleaning up around the house and found the bottle laying on the floor, empty. I have no idea what happened to it, because my carpet is fine. I really wanted to use this too! My hair breaks easily, so I thought this would be great to use. Maybe one day I will purchase one for myself. 

I don't wear my contacts often, so it took a while to use up the Opti-Free Pure Moist contact solution. I surprisingly liked this, since most solutions burn my eyes, but this didn't. 

With how often I wash my hands, you would think I'd have more than one hand soap. Lemon Meringue Cheer from Bath & Body Works smelled amazing! Plus, I love these soaps with the scrubbing bits, although I think they end up drying out my hands more. 

Only one hand cream as well, also from Bath & Body Works. I absolutely adored this Island White Pineapple scent and would consider buying again. This is a great Summertime hand cream as it's not too heavy or greasy. 

We must've loved brushing our teeth the past few months! There's the Colgate Cavity Protection, Tom's of Maine Rapid Relief Sensitive, and a mini Crest that I had from when Olivia was in the hospital. The Colgate one my husband mostly used, and I always need a sensitive toothpaste. I was not a fan of this particular Tom's toothpaste, though. It made my teeth feel clean, but the taste wasn't very good, and I felt like I had bad breath really fast. 

I gotta include the baby products! So my daughter has fairly sensitive and dry skin. Because of that, her doctor recommended baths no more than twice a week, so we only used up two mini sizes of the Johnson's Head-to-Toe Wash, as well as a mini Johnson's Baby Lotion. I gotta admit, I'm not the biggest fan of Johnson's, but we have a ton of products we were given, plus I was able to take home what was used in the hospital, so we're likely set with body washes and lotions for the next year. 

The Hydraguard Phytoplex Silicone Cream is what was used on Olivia's diaper rash while she was recovering in the hospital from open heart surgery. Guys, THIS STUFF IS AMAZING! I kid you not, this cleared up her diaper rash so fast, and made her butt so soft! I went on a hunt for this because I had never heard of it, and I found it on Amazon. When I run out of other diaper rash creams, this is what I will be buying. It's a miracle! Plus it smells like cake batter. 

Number of products used up: 21
Total used up for the year: 43

I probably mention this in nearly every empties post, but my goal for the year was to use up 150 products. That includes full size, deluxe samples, foil packet samples, and now Olivia's products. Considering we have about 4 and a half months left to the year, I'm not quite sure I can make that goal. I'm doing well so far in August, and have a bunch of stuff nearly finished. I also want to start doing my makeup again, and I know I need to clear out some old stuff that hasn't been used since before Olivia was born! So maybe I will make my goal, who knows? 

What are some things you've used up recently?

May 2017 Goals

I had some pretty lofty goals for April, and didn't quite make the mark. May is such a nice month to me weather wise, so I'm going to cut myself some slack and go with the flow this month. Lets recap how I did last month, and talk about what I'd like to do in May. 

Goals from April

- Reach 2,000 pageviews on the blog: Didn't happen! I came in at just under 1,400 for the month, and that's ok. I ended up exhausting myself and didn't promote posts like I should have

- Have some ME time: Yes! I did have a little me time and treated myself to a haircut! I hadn't had a haircut in about 2 years, and it was just time to chop it all off and start fresh. I did also manage to hand off Olivia to her dad a few times so I could shower in peace and not have to rush. 

- Continue writing 2 posts a week: Eh, not so much. I was doing so well from about the middle of March to middle of April. Like I mentioned above, I exhausted myself with taking care of Olivia, making sure the house got cleaned, getting her to doctors appointments, making dinner, etc. Life just got crazy and I fell into a bit of a funk. Luckily, I have some awesome friends who understand what I've been going through, so I feel better and am ready to continue growing my blog back up!

- Organize our house: It's getting there! I was doing really well and managed to donate quite a few trash bags of stuff, as well as throw away stuff we no longer needed or wanted. It seriously feels so good getting rid of junk! I always feel like my head clears and I can focus more when things are put in their right place. Of course, our house still isn't perfect (and probably never will be) and is taken over by baby stuff, but I've made some great progress. 

GOALS FOR MAY

- 2,000 blog pageviews. I'm going to keep this as a goal because it's really so attainable, as long as I put in the effort. 

- Have a family day. Since we brought Olivia home, I've been weird about being around germs and lots of people. We've slowly ventured out into the world, and I would like to go out as a family one day to either a park or flea market. Something with just the 3 of us.

- Do a face mask once a week. This one has been soooo hard! I'm still getting back into a skincare routine, and I've been slacking using face masks. I love how they make my skin feel, and I need to use up what I have in my stash. 

- Organize Olivia's clothing. Ok, this has been a feat since she's been born! We've been incredibly lucky to have people give us so much clothing to last through about her first year of life. She's still small and is about to go into 3 to 6 month clothes. I just have so much to go through and sort, and I'm still trying to figure a way to make it easy on myself when she transitions to the next size.  

These are my goals for the month. I am definitely going to cut myself some slack and if I don't hit something, I'm not going to worry. Taking care of Olivia is my #1 priority, and I'm not taking time away from her, as I'm sure most people would understand. 

Let me know what goals you have for the month!

May 2016 Empties

Hey everyone! As you know, I've been a bit MIA here on the blog. I mentioned in my May favorites that I'll be able to talk more about what's going on in my life, so stay tuned. I'll be updating in the next couple weeks or so! Anyway, May wasn't great in the empties department either. Like I've said already, I haven't been interested in makeup much, and taking care of my skin has taken a bit of a backseat as well. I did manage to use up more than I thought, so lets see what I have!

I'll start off with some skincare. I finally used up the Skyn Iceland Glacial Face Wash that took me over two months to use up. This cleanser foams up like crazy even though it doesn't feel like it would. You only need a little bit to get the job done, and I used this in the morning. It helped to wake up my skin and prep it for the day. 

Next up is a konjac sponge. I don't know the brand, but it's your typical white konjac sponge, and I really liked it while it lasted. It started getting moldy in one spot, so I decided to toss it, even though I didn't use it for very long. 

I used up two lip balms. Yes, two! That never happens to me, but these tubes were pretty tiny. The first one is the Aquafina Flavor Splash in the Wild Berry scent. I loved this at night because it left my lips feeling nice and soft until morning. The second one is by Olive Natural Beauty and it's their Moisturizing Lip Balm in the Refreshing Rosemary scent. I didn't like this too much honestly. The hydration was fine, but I couldn't get past the smell and it kept making me nauseous. Luckily, I used this up within about a week and a half, so I didn't suffer too much. 

Next up is just a couple mini body washes. I absolutely loved the Dove Go Fresh Nutrium Moisture Body Wash in the scent Mandarin & Tiare Flower. Holy crap was this lovely! It smelled citrus-y and a bit flowery, but not over the top flowery. You all know I can't stand flowery smells. I'm very tempted to go and buy this in a full size, it's that good. 

The sceond mini body wash is the Bliss Lemon + Sage Soapy Sap Fresh Foaming Shower Gel. Absolutely loved the scent, but it didn't lather very well, so I used it up pretty quickly. 

Last few products are some random bath products. I finished two deodorants, one being the Dove ClearTone Deodorant and the second being the Secret Clinical Strength Clear Gel in the scent Completely Clean. The Dove was nice, and the concept is that it's supposed to help with taking care of the darkness that some people get on their underarms. I didn't notice a difference in that area, but it kept me smelling nice and not sweaty. I did love the Secret Clinical Strength, and I was sent this in a little package a while ago. It's just a travel size that didn't have much use in it, but it's amazing and doesn't get white marks all over your clothes. 

Of course we can't forget about toothpaste! This is the Colgate Baking Soda & Peroxide Whitening Toothpaste in the Frosty Mint Stripe flavor. It was nice, did what I expect from a toothpaste, so I have no complaints. My husband helped use this up so it went pretty fast. 

Number of products used up: 9
Total for the year: 75

Yeah, I didn't do too well in May. I was hoping by now I'd have used up closer to 100 products. I'm sure you know by now, but this is the year of decluttering and using up what I have. I made the goal of using up 250 products, and that will include samples and mini sizes of products. I can't even begin to count how many samples alone I have. It's quite ridiculous actually. I have a long road ahead of me, and please bear with me until I can finally talk about what's going on with life!

What did you use up last month?

May 2016 Favorites

Hey guys! I'm sure you've noticed that I haven't really been blogging lately. So many things are going on in the home front right now, and I'm just trying to get my ducks in a row. I'll be able to talk more about what's going on in the next couple weeks, so please bear with me! That being said, I have not been into makeup at all this past month, and aside from wearing lipgloss a few times, I've been bare-faced the entire time. I do have just a few standout products that aren't makeup, so I wanted to share them with you!

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I just have these three products to talk about. The first two are from Derma e, and the first product is their Psorzema Creme. I was very generously sent a nice little package from Derma e and BrandBacker, and I did a sponsored post here reviewing this creme. This creme is basically a miracle worker if you have incredibly dry skin. It even has worked on the little keratosis pilaris bumps that I have on the backs of my arms. I love that this creme is unscented and it sinks in incredibly fast, but hydrates insanely well.

In the Derma e package, they had also sent their Scalp Relief Shampoo. I was excited to try this because I have mad dandruff that my usual dandruff shampoo wasn't taking care of like it usually does. For a shampoo that says it's sulfate-free, this stuff lathers up really well and makes my hair and scalp feel super clean. There is a minty tingly feel to this shampoo, which I've appreciated lately with the hot and humid weather we've been having. This has definitely helped to calm down my dandruff and has made my scalp less itchy as well. 

The last product I have just adored is The Body Shop Honeymania Lip Balm. You all know my love for The Body Shop products, and their lip butters are fantastic. I usually have an issue with the lip butters that are white in color, like the Coconut and Shea scents, where they leave a nasty white cast on my lips, so I'd reserve them for bedtime use only. This stuff goes on basically clear, and has got to be one of the most hydrating lip balms I've ever tried in my life! No joke, this stuff rocks. I even use it in the morning after brushing my teeth sometimes and it leaves my lips nice and soft for hours. There is no flavor but the scent is to die for, and it reminds me of when I used to work at The Body Shop many years ago. 

What were some of your favorites last month?

May 2016 Ipsy Bag: Destination Chic

Hey guys! It's time again for another post on what I got in this month's Ipsy bag. The theme this month is called Destination Chic, which makes it sound like the products are good for travel. 

The bag everything comes in is cute with the print of all different parts of the world, but it's a very cheap vinyl feel. The snap closure is a nice change from the zippered bags they usually provide. 

The first product I got is from Pacifica, and it's their Natural Mineral Coconut Eyeshadow Trio, and it comes with the shades Skinny Dip, Crush and Lovely. I have yet to swatch these shadows, but if they're like other Pacifica shadows I've tried in the past, then I won't really care for them. The shades themselves are very pretty though, but very Fall-like. 

Next up is the Formula 10.0.6 Pores Be Pure Skin-Clarifying Mud Mask. This is a brand I've seen at Ulta and have been curious about for a while, but never had the chance to try. You all know my love for face masks, so I was thrilled to have received this. It's been a whie since Ipsy has sent a face mask in my bag! There are a few ingredients in this that I need to research, because I'm staying away from certain ones right now, but if this gets the go-ahead to use, then I'll be using it!

I can't tell you how excited I was when I finally stopped receiving nail polishes in my Ipsy bags. I'd purposely give them bad reviews, and specifically have stated that I do not want nail polish. Well imagine my surprise when I saw I would be getting the Aurora Gel Effect Nail Polish in the shade Old School Pink. I can't say I hate the color, because I love hot pink, but I'm very disappointed in getting this when I know it's just going to sit around and collect dust. 

You all know how much I'm obsessed with lip balms. I was ecstatic to see that I would be receiving the Hanalei Lip Treatment, even though I have never heard of the brand, until I looked at the ingredients. The very first ingredient is Lanolin. If you saw my most recent empties post, you know I got rid of the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask due to an allergic reaction to the Lanolin in the product. I don't know now whether I should try this and see what it does to me, or just give it away to a friend. Either way, I'm sad I most likely will not be able to use this.

The last product I received is the Smashbox X-Rated Mascara. I feel like this is a newer mascara for the brand, but I've never tried it. To be honest, I have so many small samples, as well as full sized mascaras to use up, that I probably won't be using this for quite a while. Mascara is one of my favorite makeup products to use, so I'm sure it'll get used eventually. 

That's everything I got in this month's bag, and unfortunately, I've also decided that this will be my last Ipsy bag. I haven't been blown away by an Ipsy bag in a very long time, and with all the different products I have in my stash, it just doesn't seem worth it to me anymore. I loved my time with Ipsy, and I might even go back in the future, but I feel that now is a good time to cancel. Sorry to all of you who enjoyed reading my Ipsy posts!

May 2015 Empties

Hey everyone! May was an awesome month with using up products. I think this was the most products I've ever used up in a whole month, which makes me pretty darn excited. Anyways, get a snack or a drink since this may be a long post. 

I tried putting the products together in categories, so first up is the skincare. I used up the Adeline Anti-Aging Moisturizer. I did a full review of this here, and since using it up completely, I'm a bit indifferent on it. I liked it, but wasn't wowed by it. It smelled really nice, kinda like peppermint, and it just seemed like a regular moisturizer.

Next up is the Boscia Charcoal Pore-Minimizing Hydrogel Mask. I also did a review of this here, and it just didn't work for me. I hear so many good reviews of these masks, So I'm not sure what the deal is. The only thing I liked is that it actually fit my face well, otherwise it's just a meh product.

I always say this, but it's never an empties post for me if I don't have The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner in it. Absolutely love this stuff and it will probably always be my favorite toner of all time. 

I had used the bareMinerals bareVitamins Skin Rev-er Upper a long time ago as a treatment under moisturizer. When I found it in my stash, it wasn't as good as I remembered it being. It used to make my skin feel and look nice, but this bottle didn't really do much for me. I'm honestly not sure if this product is still around, but I highly doubt I'd buy it again if it was available. 

I was a pretty big fan of the Origins A Perfect World Antioxidant Cleanser with White Tea. It lasted me quite a while too because you need the tiniest bit to get a good foam. This cleanses well, but the only gripe I had is it burned like Hell around my eyes. 

I've loved the Clinique Moisture Surge for years, and this one is their Extended Thirst Relief version. I only used this at night and it made my skin feel amazingly soft and hydrated. This product in its full size is pretty expensive, but I may consider buying it once I use up what I have in my stash.

I didn't actually get to use the Philosophy Hope in a Jar Moisturizer because when I open it, it smelled awful and was yellow. Just nasty, so in the trash it goes!

I'm also throwing out the Valentia Organic Rosehip Oil. I did a full review of this, and I'm not a fan. I did like how it made my skin look and feel, but I can't get past the smell of it. I'm not sure if I got a bad batch, but it smelled rotten to me. 

Now for some health/body products. I have finally used up the Perlier Limone Italian Sorbet Body Water. I had done a review of this ages ago here and found it so interesting. It's not necessarily a moisturizer, it's like a gel that crackles on your skin and it's so refreshing to use after a really hot day and a nice shower. I'm not sure if I would buy it for myself, but it's such an interesting product that I might consider it. 

Another Perlier product I used up is the Volcanic Stones Thermal Scrub. I reviewed this here, and at the time, I did like it. Now that it's used up, I love how this smells, it's like a spa, but the scrubbing particles kinda hurt my skin. 

I finished up a Natrol Biotin 10,000 mcg tablet bottle. I take one of these every morning to help with my hair, skin and nails. My nails are always nice, but I don't think this works for my hair. I keep using it in hopes it will eventually. 

I used up the Wegmans Topcare brand of Sensitive Toothpaste. I liked this alot and it only costs about $3. Much better price than other sensitive toothpastes around. 

Now for a few random makeup type products. I'm actually sad to have used up the Skindinavia Bridal Makeup Finish Spray. I bought this for my wedding back in September 2013. I loved it back then and I loved it til I used it all up. I'm not very picky with setting sprays and can kinda use whatever and be happy, but there are sentimental reasons to this one!

I hadn't used this Bare Escentuals Rare Minerals Skin revival Night Treatment since I was probably a teenager. I remember using it and thinking it never really did anything. It was a powder that you put all over your skin at night and it was supposed to help with skin turnover and large pores. Since it is so old, I don't want to chance it so it's getting thrown away.

I reviewed these Dermalogica Precleanse wipes here and I didn't really care for them. At first I wasn't using them correctly, and found out that I had to wet these after an initial use to remove the rest of my makeup. I'm not a fan of these and mainly used them for rubbing off swatches. 

Last few products! I used up the Suave Keratin Infusion Color Care Shampoo and Conditioner, but not at the same time. I always use up shampoo first for some reason, and a couple weeks later, I used up this conditioner. I'm a big fan of suave hair products because they make my hair feel so soft and healthy. 

The last product is the Bath & Body Works Anti-Bacterial foaming hand soap in the scent Creamy Pumpkin. I love their hand soaps so much and always stock up during a sale. This scent was really nice, kinda like pumpkin pie but without the cinnamon. 

Well, that's everything I used up! Not too shabby if you ask me, and if you made it til the end, you're awesome and I love you :)

How many/what products did you use up in May?

May 2015 Favorites

Hi everyone! I'm sorry again for the lack of posts, but life got in the way a bit. I officially was finished work on the 30th, so my plan is to post as much as I can here. I'm hoping to do 4-5 posts a week until I can get into a set routine. Anyways, today I'm going to be sharing my favorites for May. There aren't too many, but the few I have, I've really been loving.

I know I talked about Bioderma in a previous favorites, but it really is amazing! It gets off all my makeup without leaving any traces behind, and it's so incredibly gentle on my skin. I have sensitive eyes and even with eye makeup removers that say they won't burn or sting, they still do for me. Bioderma does not and it's just an amazing product. I want to do a full review on this at some point. 

Next up is The Body Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimiser. This stuff is amazing at filling in your pores before makeup, and it's helped a ton with keeping my oily skin pretty calm. I would never use this as just a moisturizer, but it's an excellent primer.

I won the Belif Moisturizing and Firming Eye Cream in an Instagram giveaway, and I've been so impressed. It's very thick and moisturizing, but it doesn't leave a greasy feeling around my eyes. When I consistently use this, my eyes start looking so much better. I have a few different eye products I'm rotating through, but this one is probably my favorite nighttime eye cream. 

I put off trying the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask for ages and bought it quite a bit ago. I was having an issue with my lips in May, I think I may have had an allergic reaction to something, but nothing was making it go away. I was getting frustrated until I remembered I had this. This stuff cleared it up in a couple days and made my lips look and feel so much better. 

My last favorite is the Pop Pouty Pop Crayon in the shade Coral Crush. This came in a previous Ipsy bag and I would pull it out occasionally then switch to something else. In May, this was basically all I used. It's such a pretty color too, and I always got a ton of compliments while wearing it. It's definitely a good Spring/Summer shade.

What were some of your favorites in May?

May 2015 Ipsy Bag

Hello everyone! I received my Ipsy bag in the mail yesterday, which for me seems late. I usually get them pretty early and have it in my mailbox before I get the tracking code email. This time was different, but I'm actually happy with what I got, so that makes up for it!

The theme this month is called Jetsetter, so I guess it's based off travel-friendly products. I'm not a big travel person, but I will probably get use out of everything here. I think the bag is adorable this month! Ipsy sent out different designs on this canvas style bag, and mine says, VIP: Very Important Products. So cute, and I will most likely use this if I ever go anywhere, or just keep it in my purse. 

The first product I got is the Chella Eyebrow Color Pencil in the color Tantalizing Taupe. The color seems a little bit dark, but I think I can work with it. I don't typically use brow pencils, just clear gel to keep them in place, but I will give this a go and see if I like it. 

Next up is the Luxie Beauty Tapered Blending Eye Brush 205. I can never get enough of blending brushes, and this one feels so stinking soft! I can't wait to wash this and see if it's good. 

The Tarte Amazonian Clay Double Detox Facial Mask was a product I redeemed my points for. For such a tiny container, this cost me 500 points. I will probably only get 1 use out of this, so it better be a miracle worker for my skin!

Next is The Organic Pharmacy Double Rose Rejuvenating Face Cream. You all know I'm a skincare freak, so I can always use a good moisturizer. It says it's for all skin types but with it having shea butter and jojoba oil, it may be greasy for my oily skin. I will use it for sure, but probably only at night. 

The Not Your Mother's De Ja Vu 'Do Style Extender didn't seem that interesting at first. However, it comes in a red apple and berry scent, which is heavenly and I think I can just use it as a leave-in conditioner. It says it's supposed to block humidity and repel dirt and oil, so I'm definitely intrigued to see if it actually does that. 

The last product I received is the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Lip Pencil with 2 bonus samples of the Revolution High-Color Lipgloss. I love Urban Decay as a brand, but never really got into lining my lips. I'm definitely curious to try it out and I'm a lipgloss girl, so the little bonus samples were a nice surprise. 

Overall, I'm incredibly happy with this month's bag, even when I thought I wouldn't be. I can't wait to try everything and see what next month's bag will be like! If you're not subscribed to Ipsy, you can do so here with my referral link. You get 4-5 deluxe sized samples, with the occasional full-sized product, for only $10 a month plus shipping for some. Like I said, I'm surprisingly really happy with what I got, and I think Ipsy is just great. There are some months that are meh, but they typically make up for it at some point! 

If you're already subscribed to Ipsy, what did you get in your bag?

May 2014 Empties!

Hey everyone! I know you all probably thought I died or something, and I felt like I did at one point, but I'm still here! I was actually just really, really sick. I probably had bronchitis or an upper respiratory infection. I've also had some other health issues going on and to make a long story short, I'm doing physical therapy three times a week right now for my back because of a herniated disk and pinched nerves. Needless to say, I've been in alot of pain lately so the blog took a backseat so I can focus on feeling better. Anyways, enough of me rambling, here are the products I had used up in May!

The first product I used up is the Sephora brand Daily Makeup Brush Cleaner. I love using this after every makeup application because I do have oily and acne-prone skin, plus my eyes are sensitive so cleaning all the brushes I use after every use is essential for me. I deep clean about once a month because I do spot clean with this daily.

Next up we have the Bath & Body Works Mango Paradise foaming handsoap. I'm obsessed wit the B&BW hand soaps and I typically only buy them when there's a good sale. I have so many backups of other scents so I'm set for a while. 

Then we have The Body Shop's Cocoa Butter Creamy Body Wash. While I loved the smell of this, I didn't really feel like it cleaned very but it did make my skin feel super soft after using it. I have so many different body washes and shower gels in my closet that I probably don't need to buy any for over a year. I'm thinking once I use up everything, I may go drugstore because it's cheaper and I feel like my skin is extra sensitive to scented products lately. 

The Body Shop's Coconut Body Scrub is one of the most heavenly scented products I own. Its not the most effective scrub ever but I'm just obsessed with coconut. This is in the old packaging before they changed it and I bought it for I think $5. I'm pretty sure I have another one of these but I might not repurchase since I like my body scrubs to have more grit to them. 

I did a review here on this Yes To Tomatoes Daily Pore Scrub, and I still don't like it. I used it up because I hate being wasteful, but I didn't like this. It left a weird film on my face and it was too harsh on my skin. I have no idea why anyone would want to use this daily because of that. I will never in a million years repurchase this.

I absolutely loved the bareMinerals Renew & Hydrate Eye Cream. I also did a review of this product here. This eye cream was so hydrating and felt amazing around my eyes. I'll have to repurchase this once I use up my other eye creams.

Another amazing eye cream I used up is the Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream. I used this in the morning because it has a tint to it to help with dark circles. I noticed a little bit of a difference with my dark circles, but not enough to completely wow me. I mostly loved this because of how good it felt and that it wasn't heavy feeling at all, but still moisturized well.

An odd mix of products here, but I'm throwing away the Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker lip gloss in the color Candy Gloss. I went to use it one day and it burned like acid on my lips. Had to take it off right away because it hurt so bad! I understand plumping glosses have that tingly effect, but I never remember this burning so bad. I admit, I've had it for quite a while, so it probably just went bad. 

I'm also throwing away 2 of the E.L.F. Eyelid Primers because they just suck. I started using one after I used up the rest of my Urban Decay Primer Potion (which is my favorite) and this one does not compare at all. My shadow lasted only about 2 hours before it started creasing and by the end of most days, I barely had any eyeshadow left on my lids. It was crazy so I dug through all my primers and found only one extra one, so they're both going in the trash!

I also used up the Wet N' Wild Megalength Waterproof Mascara. I didn't like this at all when I first started using it, but it grew on me after a while and I liked the effect it had on my lashes. They looked natural but this did give them some decent length. At the end of it's life, it started making my lashes look a tad bit clumpy and it didn't deposit enough color on them either, so it was time to say goodbye. 

I used up a packet of the Barefoot Spa Professional Exfoliating Polish because I did a review of it here. I got two of these packets in an Ipsy bag and I wasn't a fan of this really. The scrubbing particles were so tiny it felt like nothing on my skin. Afterwards, my skin felt softer for some reason but I have no idea why. I'll use up the other packet but I probably won't purchase this myself.

I'm also throwing away this little palette from The Body Shop. It's just called the 01 Eye & Cheek Palette and I purchased this when I started working at The Body Shop about 5 years ago. I had to buy some of their makeup to use when I was working there and at the time, this was great. I used it basically everyday when I was there. I took it out of my stash to use one day last month, and I'm not sure why, but the pigmentation was awful and it blended horribly on my eyes. I never remember that happening back then, but hey, this little guy is almost 5 years old! I'm gonna keep the sentimental side out of this and just throw it away. It was good to me while I needed it.

These E.L.F. brushes have to be thrown out! They're so old and rough and basically not useable anymore. The top one is the Bronzing Brush and the bottom one is the Total Face Brush. I think these came in a kit or something with some face products, but they're so old that I honestly have no idea when I got them. If I can remember, my mom actually got them for me when I was a teenager. Yeah, time to go! I have so many brushes that these won't be missed. 

Well, if you made it to the end, you're awesome! I know this was a super long post, but I sure did go through alot of products! I feel like I'm making a good dent in my beauty stash which makes me really happy! What did you use up in May?

May 2014 Favorites!

Hey everyone! It's been ages since I posted anything, I know, but I've been so sick the past week and a half and I haven't wanted to do anything but lay in bed or sit my butt on the couch watching Game of Thrones. I also still had to work while being sick so that didn't help matters either. Even though I'm still sick, I wanted to share some of the products that I was loving last month.

I only have four products to talk about, mostly because I haven't really tried any new products and partially with me being so sick. When I'm sick, I barely do anything with my skin, so it's not too happy with me right now.

Anyways, the first product I have here is Bausch & Lomb Advanced Eye Relief eye drops for dry eyes. This stuff is surprisingly really good! Usually I only buy the Similasan eye drops because my eyes are really sensitive and that was the only stuff I could use without my eyes feeling like they were being burned. This B&L product does not burn my eyes at all and actually helps with the dryness I get. Plus, this is super inexpensive at Walmart, only about $3.

My next favorite is actually a product that isn't made anymore (sadface) and it's the Covergirl Natureluxe Mousse Mascara in the Very Black color. This mascara is fantastic for my lashes! I love how natural it makes them look, and this color is super black, which I'm a big fan of. I really wish they didn't discontinue this mascara, because it really is nice. I can't remember when I bought this honestly, maybe last year when the drugstores had their clearance sales. I may have gotten this at CVS.

Next up we have one of my favorite Wet N' Wild trios, and it's in Silent Treatment. This little trio makes the perfect smoky look for me. I don't follow the little guide in this and I switch the crease and eyelid shade. The crease shade in here I just couldn't blend out well enough so I use it on my lids and I take the eyelid shade through my crease. Then I use the browbone shade lightly as a highlight and I'm good to go. I wear that look alot to work and I get compliments on it all the time. Great little trio here!

My last favorite is the much talked about Mario Badescu Drying Lotion. This whole month my skin has looked terrible most days, but getting sick and not being able to take care of it normally sent it into a total fit. At the moment, my skin is worse than when I was a teenager. I feel like I can finally take care of it like normal, so I'm hoping it clears up fast. Anyway, this product is a little miracle worker for zits. Pop a Qtip in the jar and then put it on any blemishes, and the next morning everything is either gone or alot smaller than the day before. I've used it quite a few times this past month, but it's definitely gotten a ton of use the past week and a half.

That's everything! I know it wasn't alot, but I totally wasn't expecting to get completely knocked out from being sick. I'm really hoping June is better for me product (and health!) wise! 

What were some of your favorites in May?

May 2014 Ipsy Bag

Hi guys! I received my Ipsy bag in the mail yesterday and I was actually pretty excited to see what I was going to get! I know I've stated before that I haven't been super happy with Ipsy lately, but this bag has redeemed itself a bit, so lets see what goodies I have!

The theme this month is called Beauty's Fresh Picks, and I must say, I'm kinda digging the bag! It's kinda this canvas type material that I can actually see myself using in daily life. 

The first product I received is the Eva NYC Therapy Session Hair Mask. I'm pretty happy I got this because I've been trying to take better care of my hair since I chopped it off. I really like how this smells too. It's like a vanilla latte, or something like that. 

Next up we have the Olive Natural Beauty The Olive Lip Balm. If you know me, you know I can't get enough of lip balms. I like to try any kind, I'm not too picky. Personally, I'm not the biggest fan of olive scented things, but this isn't an overbearing scent. 

Then we have the Jersey Shore Sun Sans Tan Anti-aging Sunscreen. I'm a little 'meh' about this product, only because I tend to be picky with my sunscreens. I do love skincare, so I'm definitely willing to try this out and see if I like it. 

I was pretty excited to try out the Pacifica Mineral Eyeshadow Duo in the #2 shades, which are Moonbeam and Unicorn, but I'm pretty unimpressed with this. It's not pigmented and feels very chalky when swatched. I don't even think this warrants a review or even a picture of swatches because they're that bad. I still have to try it out on my eyes though and use a good primer to really test it out. 

The last product I received is the Barefoot Spa Professional Exfoliating Polish. These are in foil packet form, which I kinda loathe, but I did get two of them. After the horrible Winter we had here in Pennsylvania, I'm ready to scrub my skin and get it ready for Summer!

Overall, I'm happy this month. Looking at all the products that were given out, I might have preferred getting any of the makeup brushes, the Too Faced Bronzer or the Revlon Matte Balm instead of the sunscreen and eyeshadow I received. I can't complain too much though, because I'm spending only $10 a month when I'm getting some decent products. Lets hope next month is better though! I wanna be wowed man!

If you're interested in Ipsy, sign up here!

If you already receive Ipsy bags, what did you think of yours?!

May 2013 Empties!

This past month I feel like I went through alot of products. I'm pretty happy with that as I have more room to shop for more things! Well.... not really. I gotta cut down on my spending, and I may actually do another spending ban. Anyways, onto what I used up in May!

The only body care product I used up is the Dylan's Candy Bar Body Smootie Lotion in the Chocolate Cupcake scent. I know ages ago I talked about the body scrub from this line in the same scent that I loved. I liked this lotion too. It wasn't super amazing, but it was a basic body lotion that smelled really good. This line of products was sold at Sephora quite a while ago and I still have a few other body products and lip balms to use up. Unfortunately, they don't make these products anymore.

I have a funny story about this next product, the Eshu Face Wash. When I was browsing the Sephora website as I frequently do, I came across this brand and bought this face wash. Well, once I got it in the mail, my mom told me that this was a men's skincare brand! I actually had to laugh, but I didn't mind this. It kinda reminded me of Dermalogica's Special Cleansing Gel with how it smelled. 

Next, I used up Neutrogena's Fresh Foaming Cleanser. I loved this! I used it in the morning and it made my face feel so clean and happy, but didn't dry it out. I'd probably buy it again once I use up what I have in my stash.

Finally for skincare, I used up The Body Shop Aloe Eye Defense. I'm pretty much obsessed with this eye cream. It's a mix between a cream and a gel, and it's perfect for in the morning and your eyes are all puffy and red. This helps to calm that down and make my eye area feel nice and soothed. Not sure if I have another backup of this or not, but once I use up my other morning eye creams, I'll definitely repurchase!

I finally used some makeup products! It's about time The Body Shop's Mineral Foundation in the shade 01 is empty! I'm not even sure how long I've been using this little jar, but it's lasted me ages. I do like this powder foundation and the color matches me pretty well. I know I've mentioned before how fair I am, so when I find a color that matches my skin, I tend to buy quite a few backups. I probably have three or four backups of this and I'm currently using bareMinerals, so I'm set with mineral foundation for quite a while.

I'm also parting with my most favorite mascara ever, bareMinerals Flawless Definition. I did a full review of this a while ago here, so I won't go into details about how much I love this. I will say that I was going through a box of makeup I have, and I discovered I had another one of these! I got so excited, but I have tons of mascaras to go through, so I'm waiting to open it up.

These are the last products I used up! I finally used up my Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Intensely Smooth Leave-In Conditioning Cream. This was the best leave-in conditioner and I do have a backup of this. I'm currently using a product from Aussie that I featured in my May favorites, so I'll go back to this once I use up the Aussie product. I also did a blog post reviewing this conditioner here if you want more info on it.

I also used up the Suave Dry Shampoo. I did a review on this and I didn't particularly like it, but I didn't hate it either. It made my hair look less oily, but it still felt dirty, which I didn't like.

I wasn't sure if you guys care about the vitamins I take, but I used up the Nature Made Multi For Her vitamins. Nothing special about these, I just like to think I'm doing myself some good by taking my vitamins.

That's everything! Like I said, I think I went through quite a bit, and I'm very happy I actually used up makeup! I think next month should be a good month as well with empties.

What did you use up in May?

May 2013 Favorites!

It's time for another favorites post, and I really can't believe how fast the year is going by! I know everyone says that but seriously, we're already almost half way through the year! Plus, there's only four more months until I'm married. Eeekk! Anyways, enough of my ramblings, and onto my favorites!

My first favorite this past month has been the Clean & Clear Morning Burst Shine Control Facial Cleanser. I've been using this in the morning, obviously, and I like how it actually seems to be controlling the oiliness I get throughout my day. It's not a miracle cleanser by any means, but it makes my skin feel clean and shine free, but not dried out.

My next favorite has been my Sigma P88 Precision Flat Angled Brush. I feel like I've raved about this too much already and I did a full review here if you wanted to read it. Since I already did a review on it, I won't go into much detail here as it may take up this whole post!

Next up is the Aussie Split-End Protector. I've been using this as a leave-in conditioner just on the last 4 to 5 inches of my hair. I did recently get a haircut and I colored it myself, so I'm trying to take care of it the best I can. I hate split ends and as my hair gets longer, it always gets worse whether I get a haircut or not. I've only been using this for about two weeks now and so far it's been awesome! I love how it smells and it makes my hair alot easier to comb and brush through.

Inked in Pink (top) Seashore Frosts (bottom)

My next two favorites have been Maybelline Color Tattoos in the colors Inked in Pink and the coveted Seashore Frosts. I love Inked in Pink when I don't want to put alot of fuss into my look, but still want a nice wash of color on my lids. This color is great underneath a shimmery, champagne colored shadow as well. 

Seashore Frosts. Oh boy have I heard some amazing things about this Color Tattoo! When I read a bunch of rave reviews on this, I knew I had to have it. I went to three different stores looking for it and finally found the last two of this color at Rite Aid mixed in with the regular line. This color for some reason wasn't in the limited edition display. When I saw two of these bad boys hiding, I grabbed them so quick and squealed a little, that's how excited I was. My fiance looked at me like I was nuts, and I probably am! Like I said, I bought the last two they had and I'm not sure what I'll do with the unopened one I have yet.

This next favorite I'm a little happy/sad about. I'm happy I found the Covergirl & Olay Simply Ageless Eye Concealer because it's truly an amazing concealer for the dark circles I have under my eyes. I'm sad because I've heard too many times that this is getting discontinued. I should've known when I saw that this was discounted at 50% off at Walgreen's. I heard alot of amazing things about this concealer through Youtube and figured I'd give it a try. I found the last one of the lightest shade and it's perfect for me.

Color Whisper (left) Lip Butter (right)

My last two favorites are lip products. The first one is the Maybelline Color Whisper in the color Cherry on Top, and the second is a Revlon Lip Butter in the color Sorbet. I love pink lip products whether they be glosses or balms. I'm not the biggest fan of lipsticks, which is why I love these. Both are very moisturizing and have a balmy texture to them. The colors look very similar but Sorbet is a bit deeper. I also love how you can wear these sheer or layer them on your lips to make the color pop more.

May 2013 Ipsy Bag

Hello everyone! It feels like ages since I've written something here. Life has been a little weird. I got sick for a few days, my work schedule is pretty crazy and on days off all I really want to do is rest and do nothing. I'm back today though with what I got in my Ipsy bag! I'm pretty happy with what I got so lets get into it!

All of the products came in a cute teal and orange bag. I love teal, but orange not so much. I have so many of these Ipsy bags just laying around because honestly, I don't have much use for them. I'm actually thinking of going through all the ones I have and getting rid of some since they're not being put to use. This month's bag was customized from our IpsyMatch quiz, which I think was a pretty cool concept.

Anyways, the first product I received is the St. Tropez Instant Glow Body Lotion. I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of bronzing lotions, or bronzing products in general. I'm not sure how Ipsy figured to put this in my bag, but I'm about 99% sure I won't use this. I embrace my paleness and don't feel the need to change it. 

The next product I received is a concealer from Yaby in the color Buff. This is nowhere near my shade. It's way too dark and looks orange in the pan. I might try it and see if I can work with it, but I'm not sure how it's gonna go. 

Next, I received the Mirabella Perfecting Powder, which is just a loose face powder. I'm actually pretty excited to try this because I usually love trying out different face powders, whether they're pressed or loose. Hopefully this one is nice.

Then I got a lip gloss by Juice Beauty in the color Pink. To me, this is not pink. It's more of a berry color, which is fine because I love berry colored glosses. This stuff smells so good too! It's like a mix of citrus and fruit loops, if that makes sense. I've tried this already and I love how it feels on the lips as well. It's not sticky at all. A+ on this product!

Finally, the last product I received is a beautiful Zoya nail polish in the color Julie, which is such a lovely light lavender color with shimmer in it. I'm so excited for this because I wanted either this color or the pink, so I'm happy! I haven't used this yet, but it's gonna be what I use next.

That's everything! I'm pretty pleased with what I received this month, except for the bronzing lotion. This bag was definitely worth the $10 this month, so I'm happy.

What did you get in your Ipsy bag?