March 2016 Empties

Hey guys! March was pretty insane with using up products, and I'm so proud of myself! I know that probably is odd, but using up what I have makes me feel good, as well as getting rid of products that don't work well. So grab a snack or something, because this might get long, but I'll try to not ramble on as much! 

I'll start off with a few makeup products. The Korres Mattifying Primer was really an odd consistency, and I don't find it kept my skin more matte than normal. 

The L'Oreal Magic BB Cream in Fair is just god awful! It starts out white, then is said to adjust to the shade name. I'm not sure how the shade is fair, but I looked like an Oompa Loompa, not even joking. Even mixing it with a lighter foundation or The Body Shop Lightening Drops didn't work. In the trash these go!

I initially liked the Covergirl Plumpify Mascara, which I reviewed here. Over time, I realized just how ridiculously large the brush is, and I would constantly stab myself in the eye no matter how careful I was. The consistency also started to change a bit, so I'm just throwing it out at this point. 

I'm also throwing out The Body Shop Nature's Minerals Foundation in the shade 01. I've had this container since I worked at The Body Shop, which was almost 7 years ago by now. It's old, I don't like the shade for my fair skin, and it doesn't blend well. 

It's also time to say goodbye to the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. I'm going to be honest here, and I may get some flack for it, but I freaking hated this sponge with a passion! It is so not like a Beauty Blender no matter how much people try to say otherwise. It breaks apart easily and makes foundation and concealer look awful on my skin. Bye Felicia! 

Now for a few random empties. I used up my last big bottle of the Crest Pro-Health Mouthwash. I really liked this as it didn't burn my mouth, but I'm over it now. I'm on the hunt for a nice mouthwash that is alcohol free, so if you know of a good one, please let me know!

There's not much to say about Batiste Dry Shampoo, except I love it and would marry it if I could. This is the best dry shampoo I've ever used and have backups of backups in my stash. 

The Korres Yoghurt After-Sun Cooling Gel is said to be used after being in the sun too long and having some irritation. Since I'm a cave-dweller, I used this as a hand cream instead, and was happy with the results I got. 

You all know my love for The Body Shop Lip Butters, as well as their Body Butters. I used up the Sweet Lemon Lip Butter finally, and a mini size of the Cocoa Butter Body Butter. Their lip butters are fantastic to use before bed, and I think everyone loves their body butters. 

Now for some candles! I decided to start including these in my empties posts/videos, and last month I used up three. The first one is by a brand called Aroma-MIX and it's in the scent Holiday Cookies. This candle was a gift from an old co-worker, so I'm not sure where you can get them. I will definitely be keeping the container though, as I like to use them for makeup brush storage. 

Then I have two from Bath & Body Works. The first one is Peach Cilantro Twist, which smelled like a fancy drink, and the second one is Cinnamon Caramel Swirl, which made me want to bake and eat lots of junk food. Both are lovely, but B&BW candles are just so darn expensive, so once I use up my stash, I won't continue buying them, unless there's an awesome sale going. 

Now for some skincare! I was obsessed with Paula's Choice products many years ago before the line blew up and they started sponsoring bloggers and YouTubers. Their Hydralight Healthy Skin Refreshing Toner for normal, oily and combination skin is just incredible. All of the products I've tried from her line never disappoint and there are products for every type of skin. 

I received the Nourish Organic Moisturizing Cream Face Cleanser in a previous Ipsy bag, and it was a very generous deluxe sample. I got about 2-3 weeks of nightly use from this, and I ended up really liking it. Even though it was moisturizing, I felt like it cleansed my skin nicely, and it worked well with my Clarisonic. 

I used the Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Masque after using deep cleaning masks, and it was just alright. It's a gel consistency that sinks into the skin pretty fast, and you can use it as an overnight mask. It didn't wow me, and since Dermalogica products are so expensive, I will never buy the full size. 

I finally finished up the Amara Organics Retinol Serum, which I did a review on here. Now that it's used up, I feel it's just a meh product, and nothing you should rush out and buy. There are more effective retinol products on the market for around the same price.  

I completely adored the Origins GinZing Energy Boosting Moisturizer. I also reviewed this here, and I think this is one of the best moisturizers I've ever used. It's a gel/cream formula, but it was hydrating enough for when it was freeing cold outside. I was thinking I would need to switch to something heavier eventually, but this was fantastic. It smells like an orange field too, so it was great for in the morning. 

Lastly, I have some baby and foil packet samples. The Sephora Instant Moisturizer isn't that great honestly, and there was only enough in here for two mornings of use. 

I was so pleasantly surprised by the Phyto-C Velvet Gel. I've had this in my stash for ages, and I don't even know where I got it from. It just made my skin feel so soft and plump, and I got over a weeks worth of use from using it morning and night, underneath moisturizer. 

I hate saying this, but I thoroughly enjoyed the Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exoliating Treatment. It made my skin look and feel brand new after only the one use, and it's tempting me to buy the full size, which is an ungodly price. The only thing I didn't like was the smell. It smells like grass and looks like it too. 

I've already used up a packet of the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil and loved it. This stuff removes every last trace of makeup on your face and rinses off incredibly well. 

Number of products used up: 23
Total for the year: 52

I'm already doing great this year with empties! Like I've said before, 2016 is the year of using up and decluttering for me, and not just for my beauty collection. I'm wanting to declutter everything in my house and just get rid of the stuff my husband and I no longer use or need. Using up 52 beauty products in just 3 months really puts things into perspective with how much stuff I actually own. What are some products you've used up recently?

October 2015 Ipsy Bag

Hi guys! I finally received my Ipsy bag for October this past weekend. Seeing which products I was getting beforehand, I was actually pretty excited this month! Until I got my bag in the mail that is. I had redeemed points last month to get a certain product, and they sent me the wrong one! 

I'm not a huge fan of the actual bag everything came in. One side is gold, the other is black. The theme this month is Alter Ego.

The first product I received is the Royal & Langnickel Medium Eye Shader Brush. I've never tried anything from this brand before, but the brush I got is incredibly soft, and it's pink! I can never have enough brushes, so I'm really happy to have gotten this. 

Next up is the Beauty Without Cruelty Fragrance Free Hand & Body Lotion. This truly is fragrance free, which I'm actually happy about. My allergies have been going nuts lately, and it's being triggered by certain fragrances. This has shea butter, jojoba, and kukui nut oil in it, so it's great for hydration. My sad, dry hands will definitely appreciate this!

I'm so excited to have received the it Cosmetics Hello Lashes 5-in-1 Mascara! I love it Cosmetics as a brand, but have never tried this mascara. I've heard good and bad things about it, but I'm excited to give it a try!

Next is the Nourish Organic Pure Hydrating Argan Face Serum. I've gotten this brand before in previous Ipsy bags, but honestly haven't tried them yet. This is said to be for normal to dry skin, and my skin is already drying out with the colder weather we've been having. This will probably be put to use in the coming months!

The last product I received is theBalm Cosmetics Meet Matt(e) Hughes Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick in the shade Committed, which is a pinky nude color. I was super excited to try out this little sample, and it doesn't disappoint. I tried it right when I got this bag in the mail, and I love the color and how it applies. It is pretty drying though, but I typically expect that from liquid lipsticks. 

Now, the product they sent me for redeeming my points is the BellaPierre Gel Eyeliner in the shade Ebony. While this is a decent eyeliner, it's not what I had redeemed my points for! I had to go back and check what I did originally get because I know I didn't pick this, and I was pretty confused. What I had redeemed them for was a blending brush from Luxie Beauty. I got one of those in a previous Ipsy bag, and absolutely love it. When I saw it was available for 500 points, I snagged one. I don't know what happened, but I got a little mad seeing an eyeliner instead of the brush I wanted. I already emailed them about it, and they did say I'll get a replacement, but who knows if it will be the brush I wanted. I've never had this issue before!

Anyway, that's everything in this month's bag! Despite being sent the wrong product for redeeming my points, I'm happy with the products this month. I was on the verge of cancelling honestly, but I'll give it a few more months. If you want to get Ipsy bags for yourself, you can sign up here! It costs $10 a month, plus shipping for some, and you get 4-5 deluxe sized samples of beauty products!

*Ipsy link is a referral code. I get points to redeem for product, if you use my link to sign up!*

September 2014 Ipsy Bag!

Hey everyone! It's a dreary, rainy day here in eastern Pennsylvania. I'm off work but my husband wasn't so I was by myself all day. I got a little happier when I checked my mail and saw my Ipsy bag had arrived! The tracking info I got said it wouldn't be here til next week sometime, so it was definitely a surprise seeing it! The theme this month is called Street Style, so lets see what I got!

This bag is super cute to me! I love silver and it's very rocker chic with the studs. I can see myself carrying this in my bag. Onto the products!

The first product I received is the Crown Brush Infinity Shadow/Crease Duet Brush. I've purchased brushes by Crown Brush on Hautelook before and I'm impressed with them, so I was excited to see this double-ended brush in my bag. It's really soft too so I think I'm gonna like it!

Next up is the Mitchell and Peach Luxury Hand Cream. Apparently this is made with matured essential oils over in Kent, England which makes it sound all posh. However, I don't really smell anything at all but then again, my nose is a bit stuffy right now. I always like a good hand cream, so I'm happy to try it out!

Then we have the Cailyn Art Touch Tinted Lip Gloss in the color Love Affair. This is such a beautiful burgundy shade that'll be great for Fall! It's fairly pigmented as well, which you'll see in a swatch in a bit.

Next product is the Pacifica Natural Water-Proof Eye Pencil in the color Gun Metal. It's a pretty silvery color that to me has a hint of green to it. The swatch I did on my hand was a bit hard to do so I'm a bit wary of putting it near my eyes. maybe if I warm it up a bit first then it'll be okay. I really like the color too, but it's not an everyday color.

The last product I received is the Nourish Organic Moisturizing Cream Face Cleanser. I'm a little wary of trying this as well because I have oily skin and cream cleansers don't go well for me. I think maybe I'll save this for colder months when my skin is less oily.

swatch of eyeliner and lip gloss

Overall, I'm alot happier with this bag than I was with previous bags. I'm happy with pretty much everything, which hasn't happened in quite a while. If you want to sign up for your own Ipsy bag for only $10 a month, plus shipping for some, use my affiliate link here!

October 2013 Ipsy Bag

Hey everyone! Sorry my Ipsy bag post is going up a bit later than normal. I received my Ipsy bag in the mail this past Friday and was away for the weekend so I didn't bring anything with me to be able to blog! Better late than never, right? Anyways, lets see what I got this month!

The theme for this month is called The Art of Beauty. I love the look of this bag! It's so cute with the all white and red lettering. This quote is pretty nice as well. Onto the products!

I'll admit, I'm not terribly impressed with the products I received this month. First, I received the La Fresh Eco-Beauty Oil-Free Face Cleanser Wipes. I've gotten wipes from this brand before in a past Ipsy bag but I haven't used them honestly. They're just sitting in my shoebox that I keep all my samples in. I will use them and the ones I just got eventually, but just when all my other face wipes run out.

I then received the Nourish Organic Deeply Nourishing Coconut & Argan Body Lotion. I've never heard of this brand before but I do love coconut smells so this seems promising.

I could do without this Big Sexy Hair Blow Dry Gel. Fun fact about me, I never blow dry my hair. Hell, I don't even own a blow dryer! Seriously, I shower at night and just let my hair air dry and in the morning, I just throw it up in a ponytail. Although, I did just buy a curling wand, so that hairstyle may change. Anyways, I have zero use for this product :/

Next, I received a Zoya Nail Polish in the color Giovanna. I do like Zoya nail polishes, but I have to admit, I'm a little tired of getting nail polishes in these bags! Don't get me wrong, I like nail polish, but I'm not one of those girls who constantly changes up their nail color. I'm lucky if I paint my nails once a month. I feel like all the nail polish I have is just sitting here in my room getting hardly any love. I'll use this, I'm just not sure when.

The last product I received is the Buxom Full-On Lip Polish in the color Dolly. Another meh product honestly. I have a ton of these Buxom glosses and I don't really feel like looking through all my lip products right now, but I'm about 95% sure I already own this color. 

Now I'm not complaining by any means, but when I look at the other products I could've received this month, I would've loved to have gotten either one of the two Ole Henriksen products, the Coastal Scents Shadow Brush, the H2O Plus Hydrating Treatment or the Wet N' Wild Eyeshadow Palette. 

I love Ipsy, and usually I love the products I receive but like I said, I'm not overly excited with the products this time around. I'm still staying subscribed because I know when I haven't really liked a bag, they usually redeem themselves later on! If you want to subscribe to Ipsy, you can right here! For only $10 a month, it really is a sweet deal! Even though I don't like every single product this month, the $10 spent is really worth it :)

If you're already subscribed to Ipsy, what did you receive this month?