November & December 2017 Empties

I'm a little late with is post (life happened), but it's time to share all of the used up products I have from the last two months of the year, and go over the total products for the entire year.

I'll start off with skincare. I tried a deluxe size of the Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Body Exfoliating Cream, and was not very impressed. It didn't really do much for me and I don't think it's worth the money. 

The Boscia Detoxifying Black Cleanser was amazing! I think I already have a full size in my stash but I'm trying to focus on my foil and deluxe samples this year before I bust into my full size stash.

I have a whole box full of the Dickinson's Oil Controlling Towelettes, but am using them sparingly for now. My skin is less oily in the colder months so I need more hydration. I really like these towelettes though, and they do seem to keep my oils under control.

I'm not usually a fan of Lancome skincare due to all the fragrance in them, but the Bienfait Multi-Vital High Potency Daily Moisturizing Cream was pretty awesome! It felt nice on my skin, didn't make it feel overly oily, and I appreciated the SPF of 30 it has. 

I've had this deluxe sample of the REN Active 7 Radiant Eye Maintenance Gel for a while, and I surprisingly really enjoyed using it, despite having a drier under eye during Winter. I feel like this gave me a nice amount of hydration, and would definitely be perfect for Summer time use as well. 

Now we have a couple body and lip products. You all know I love the Philosophy shower gels, and the Candy Cane scent is no exception. I still have quite a few in my stash, but they are pretty expensive. I will probably use up the ones I have left and start using less expensive products. 

I've always loved Aveeno products, but haven't used any in a while. I had a nice sample of their regular Daily Moisturizing Lotion, and remembered how much I used to adore this stuff. It's light, yet moisturizing, and is fragrance free.

Finally I have some lip balms used up! I don't like the Chapstick brand much, but I had gotten this in a gift bag from when my daughter was in the NICU, so I didn't want it to go to waste. The Korres lip butters are a product I'm not sure about. People rave about these, and some days I loved it, but others I felt like I needed more hydration. I have one or two more to use up, but I won't repurchase any. 

For some hair care minis, I have the Herbal Essences Hello Hydration shampoo and conditioner that I had gotten when my daughter was in the hospital getting surgery, and I finally got them used up in December. They were alright, nothing too special, but the scent was really nice.

My daughter has a couple empties as well, the Little Remedies Saline Spray, and the Johnson's Baby Lotion. The saline spray is something I use quite often as she gets congested a lot and I'm constantly using the Nose Frieda on her. I'm not the biggest fan of the Johnson's brand, but we have so much that was given to us, so I'm using up what we have before I buy something else for her. 

A few random things I used up are the Crest Pro-Health mouthwash, the Bath & Body Works hand soap in Sparkling Pink Champagne and candle in Salted Caramel, and the Starlooks eyeliner was completely dried out and unusable. I love the Crest mouthwash because it is alcohol free and doesn't burn my mouth, and the candle smelled AMAZING! I never got the use the eyeliner, and I'm using up all the B&BW handsoaps I have but will repurchase less expensive hand soaps.

These products are declutters. I was not a fan of the Sun Si'belle Tinted Sunscreen or the Oz Naturals Age Defying Solar Shield. The tinted sunscreen is too dark and the Oz Naturals was too greasy. I've also had them for a while, so the SPF is probably expired by now anyway. 

If there was ever a shampoo and conditioner I hated, it's the Organix Ever Straight Brazilian Keratin Therapy shampoo and conditioner. These were just awful! The shampoo never made my hair feel clean, and the conditioner made my hair more tangled. I used this duo maybe 3 different times and couldn't make it work. Just stay away from this stuff!

Number of products used up: 22
Total used up for the year: 92

For all of 2017, I used up a total of 92 products. Last year was a rough one with my daughter being born 10 weeks early in October 2016, then going through open heart surgery in March 2017. Not an excuse of course, but I just did not care about taking care of myself, and wanted to focus on getting and keeping her healthy and safe. I want 2018 to be different, and I really want to make more of an effort in using up what I have, especially makeup. I'm in the process of reorganizing my entire beauty stash (which can take a while with an almost 15 month old), so I hope I can get a better idea of just how much product I have. This year, I do want to focus a lot more on using up all the deluxe and foil packet samples I have. My goal for this year is to use up 150 products. 

Did you keep track of how many products you used up in 2017?

October, November & December 2016 Empties

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With my daughter being born early, I had no time to write up empties posts every month, let alone any posts really. I did still keep all the products I used up, and I'll have another empties post for the first 3 months of this year so far coming in the next couple weeks. 

I'll start off with some bath and hair products. The Pantene Volume Shampoo is one that both my husband and I used. I'm a big fan of Pantene shampoos and conditioners, and this one was no exception. I was sent the Derma E Scalp Relief Shampoo a while ago, and I did really enjoy it. It had a tingly effect on my scalp and made any dandruff I had go away. 

Two deluxe sized body washes I finished up were the Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Stress Relief, and the other was the Dove Deep Moisture. I LOVED the scent of the B&BW body wash and am considering buying a full size once I use up my stash. The Dove I didn't care for. It really wasn't moisturizing to me and left my skin feeling rough. 

We used up two toothpastes the last 3 months of the year. A Colgate Total Whitening, and a Colgate Enamel Health. The Enamel Health was mine and I really liked how it made my teeth feel. I would occasionally use the Total Whitening, but it made my teeth too sensitive. 

While I was pregnant, I took the Thorne Basic Prenatal vitamin. I liked these because they contain Folate, not Folic Acid. Folic Acid is the synthetic form of Folate, and I have a disorder where my body cannot process the synthetic version. These are more expensive than other vitamins, but they were worth it to me. 

Lastly for health products, is a mini Degree deodorant. Since I was in and out of the hospital for the better part of 5 months with my daughter, I would take travel sizes since they were easier to manage. I liked this enough, but probably wouldn't buy again. 

For anyone that doesn't know, NICU's are very warm and very dry. My lips, hands and whole body took a beating, and I went through all these lip balms the last three months of 2016. I love The Body Shop lip butters, and this one was the honeymania scent. Families who have had babies in the NICU tend to give gifts here and there throughout the year,and in a gift bag I had gotten, there was the Blistex Fruit Smoothies lip balm in the Berry Explosion scent. I kid you not when I say I went through this tube in just two weeks! Last lip balm is the Serious balm in the Snickerdoodle scent. I love these balms and was sent a few, I wanna say last Spring. I still have the other two to use up and I'm sure I will get to them soon. 

Last up is some skincare! I'm fairly certain I used the BioRepublic Green Tea Detox sheet mask just before having Olivia, because I had zero time or energy to do any kind of face mask after she was born. I finally used up the First Aid Beauty Daily Face Cream that I had been working on for probably a year. I love this face cream because it's fragrance free and simple to use. The White Tea Facial Cleanser from Korres was nice, but slightly drying. I liked the scent, but this is better for me to use in the warmer months. 

I've used up more hand creams since, but the one I had finished up before the end of the year was the Neutrogena Norwegian Formula hand cream in the fragrance free version. I adore this hand cream as it's nice and thick, but is gel-like and sinks right in. I washed my hands probably 20 times a day, at least, while tending to my daughter, and needed something that would help heal the dryness and cracked skin I had. 

Total number of products used up: 15
Total for the year: 128

128 products used up in 2016 is not too bad! Considering having my daughter early, I'm pretty proud I did as well as I did. My lofty goal was to use up 250 products, and I initially wanted that to be my goal for this year as well, but I decided to be nice to myself and lower it to 150. Olivia has only been home for 2 weeks now, and we're still figuring out a good routine, so it may take a bit to get into a groove of using products efficiently. My husband and I would also like to move, maybe in the Summer, and I'd like to use up as much as I can before that. Anyway, like I said above, I will have an empties post for the first 3 months of this year up very soon, and will go back to monthly empties after that. 

Did you keep track of how many products you used up last year? 

November Goals

It's that time again where I share with you the goals I have set for the month. Last month was a whirlwind with our daughter being born 10 weeks early, so it's safe to say that most of the goals I had set went out the window. Lets see how I did anyway!

Goals from October

- Get more baby stuff set up: Ha! Yeah, didn't happen.

- Clean and declutter our home more: ...Nope!

- Take better care of myself: Nah, sadly. Olivia was born October 17th, so between being in the hospital for a week and going back and forth constantly to the NICU, I look like I'm homeless. 

- Post at least 3 times a week: Didn't happen, obviously. I had every intention of being a good blogger, but Miss Olivia surprised us!

Goals for November

- Take better care of myself. Now I know I had this for last month, but this month I really need to do it. I'm sleep deprived, eating a ton of junk food, and shower 2 or 3 times a week at most. I know that's probably gross, but I'm at the hospital pretty much every single day. I get there bright and early and I'm typically not home until late and crash into bed. As much as I hate leaving her there, I need to start really caring for myself. Taking a shower and cooking myself a meal needs to be a priority again. 

- Blog at least once a week. I'm starting to bring my laptop to the hospital with me now, so I can take pictures at home and then write up posts while I visit Olivia. 

- Clean our house. This needs to get done, like yesterday. Since Olivia's been born, our house looks like a tornado hit. I may have to bite the bullet one of these days and not visit so early in the morning just to clean. 

I think I'm going to leave it at these three goals for November. Life has been absolutely insane and I'm trying my best to get into a routine. If you all are interested, I can do an update post on Olivia when she's a month old. Just let me know!

What are some of your goals for this month?

November 2015 Empties

Hi everyone! It's time, once again, to share with you all of the products I used up in November. I'm so happy with everything I was able to use up, and I'm even more happy that there are a whopping 25 products! That's got to be the most I've ever gone through in a month. This might be a long one, so grab a snack and a drink and lets see the products!

Starting with a few miscellaneous products, my husband and I both used the Head & Shoulders Total Care Shampoo. Even though this says it's for men on the bottle, I used it anyway because I do occasionally get dandruff, and this brand is really good with helping it go away. 

Next up is the Hershey's Honey Body Butter. I ended up just dumping out the product in the container because it had separated and smelled a bit funky. 

I adore the L'Occitane Hand Cream, and the one in this particular tube is my favorite. This is a smaller size that came in a kit a while ago, but this hand cream makes my hands feel so soft, and it smells very nice too, sort of like a light baby powder scent. 

You all know how much I love the Philosophy Shower Gels, but the Gingerbread Girl one I didn't care for. It smelled fine, but there are shimmer particles in this that was kind of odd to me, and it didn't necessarily clean very well either. I never thought I'd see the day where I didn't like one of these shower gels!

I take a Biotin supplement daily, and the one from Natrol is pretty good. It's the maximum strength version with 10,000 mcg, which can upset alot of people's stomach, but I was fine taking this as long as I ate breakfast first. I'm starting to notice alot more that my hair is growing faster, it looks healthier, and I had family comment that it looks thicker as well, but I don't notice that honestly. 

Now for some makeup, which is a rare occurrence in an empties post! I decided to just get rid of the e.l.f. Everyday Eye Palette because most of the shadows have broken and I don't really like them, along with the BH Cosmetics California Collection trios. I got both from Ipsy, but really wasn't happy with them. The Lancome Colour Focus Palette most likely came in a gift with purchase, but I don't like these colors and I've had it for many years, so in the trash it goes. 

The Marbella Permanent Eyeliner Pen was fantastic while it lasted. It's very black, goes on nicely, and lasts all day long. The only downside is that it literally is almost permanent. I always had such a horrible time trying to remove it all from my lashline at night and could never get it off fully, which I didn't like at all. It finally dried out on me, so it's time to officially say goodbye. 

I also used up the Mirabella Perfecting Loose Powder. I got this in an Ipsy bag so long ago, and just now used it up. I loved this powder to set my under-eye concealer. It helped it last longer, but didn't look cakey or make me look like an old lady. 

Time for a whole lotta skincare! I finally used up the Simple Refreshing Facial Wash Gel. This was my nighttime cleanser, and I loved this so much! It's so gentle, has no scent, and takes off every last bit of makeup (minus the eyeliner mentioned above. That stuff doesn't go away!). It's amazing when used in conjunction with my Clarisonic, and once I use up my hoard of cleansers, I'll most likely purchase this again. 

I still have some deluxe sizes of Dermalogica products left, but I managed to use up the Multi-Active Toner and the Skin Prep Scrub. The toner is alright, but nothing to write home about. The scrub on the other hand, holy moly is this intense! The scrubbing grains are made of corn meal, which isn't harsh for me, but it sure does get off any bit of dry skin you may have. 

I had to throw away the Super Hand & Cuticle Cream because I'm pretty sure mold was growing inside the bottle. The product had changed from a white color to yellow and it smelled nasty, so it's going nowhere near my skin.

I really enjoyed using the Oz Naturals Hyaluronic Acid Serum. Even though I have pretty oily skin for most of the year, it can get very dehydrated, so serums with hyaluronic acid in them work miracles for my skin without making it more oily. 

I had used up some Ipsy points to get the Tarte Amazonian Clay Double Detox Facial Mask, and I don't know how I feel about this honestly. It had enough product inside for just one use, which was a complete waste of points used, and I didn't expect it to have grainy bits in it. It tingled quite a bit on my skin, but once I worked the mask into my skin when I rinsed it off, my skin was very smooth. I don't think they make this product anymore though, but I could be wrong. 

I also have both of the RevivSerum TelomErase Serums used up. I reviewed these here, and I honestly think that this is such a pricey product for what it is. The samples I got were so small, but if I had gotten a full size to try out more, my opinion could be different. 

I used the bareMinerals Purely Nourishing Moisturizer at night, and I absolutely loved it! It made my skin feel soft and hydrated, but it wasn't greasy at all. I had a hard time finding these products for a little bit, but it looks like Sephora does still carry some products!

If you have a sensitive nose to scented products like I do, stay away from the Shiseido Urban Environment UV Protection Cream SPF 40. This smelled so strongly of perfume, I almost threw it out after using it for the first time. It also made my skin look very, very white, if that was even possible, and if I didn't blot off the excess with a shine sheet, I'd get asked if I was feeling alright. 

I finally used up the Amara Organics Total Repair Eye Gel. This took forever to go through because I've been testing out a bunch of new eye gels/creams lately, but I did like this. It's a bit too light for the colder months coming up, but it's awesome for Summertime use. 

Finally, we have some samples I was able to use up. The BioRepublic Cucumber Breeze Soothing Fiber Mask wasn't too bad honestly! I'm normally not a huge fan of sheet masks, but this one did make my skin feel soothed after using a detoxifying mask that made my skin red and irritated. 

I love Fresh products, but not the price of them, so any samples I can snag, I'm always happy. The Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask was heaven sent when I went through a dry spell with my skin. Having really cold weather one day, then unseasonably warm weather the next makes my skin freak out, and this helped to really make it feel nice and supple. I was able to get a good three uses out of the little packet. 

I'm not a huge fan of the Grace line of products from Philosophy, but the Pure Grace Foaming Bath and Shower Cream really surprised me. It really just smells clean, that's the best way I can describe it. If I didn't have a massive amount of shower gels/creams to go through, I'd buy a full size of this in a heartbeat.

If you made it here to the end, you're awesome! I know that was alot to go over, but I feel so proud of myself for using all this up. 

What did you use up recently?

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November 2015 Favorites

Hey guys! I can't believe it's already December. I know everyone and their dog says how fast time flies, but this year really flew by for me. I have a few favorite products to share with you from the past month, so lets see what I was loving!

The first product that I've been loving is my Philosophy Lip Shine in the Peppermint Bark scent. I adore these lip shines because the scents they have are just incredible, but they don't taste that great. This particular scent just smells so amazing and gets me in more of the holiday spirit. It also makes my lips look and feel more hydrated and plump. 

Next up we have the Caolion Premium Hot & Cool Pore Pack Duo. This dual phase mask is probably one of the best masks I've tried for my skin. I want to do a full review of this, but it makes my skin look so calm and clear, and my blackheads are almost nonexistent after I use this!

Next up is the First Aid Beauty Daily Face Cream. I've been using this at night, and I have to say, this makes my skin feel so much more hydrated when I wake up in the morning. Occasionally I wake up with a few dry flakes on my skin, but not when I use this! It's soothing and hydrating, but not so hydrating to where I look like a greasy mess.

A rediscovered favorite is the Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation in the shade 805. This foundation is just incredible. It's actually light enough for my super fair skin, it helps to keep my oils at bay, and it also gives pretty nice coverage. I wore this foundation when I got married, and it lasted threw tears, laughing and just everything that day. When I run out of other foundations I have, I will no doubt repurchase this. 

My last favorite of November is the Pur Cosmetics Eye Polish in the shade Suede. I was very kindly sent the entire 6 shades that are available, but this shade in particular is just so beautiful. It's got some gold shimmer flecks all throughout, which made my hazel eyes pop. I do have one sort of downer with this, and that is I have to layer a shadow on top of these to help prevent creasing. If I wear them on their own, I get creasing within a couple hours, and that's with using a primer underneath. Other than that, I highly recommend trying these out. I do have a full review of the range here.   

What have you been loving this past month? 

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November 2015 Ipsy Bag

Hey guys! I finally received my Ipsy bag in the mail yesterday. Every month it seems to get here later and later, which is kind of annoying, but I'm glad it's here! Lets see what I got this month!

The theme this month is Beauty Blast, and the bag that the products come in is probably my favorite design since subscribing. I love anything galaxy themed and the color scheme is really nice too. 

The first product I received is the SLMissGlam Boutique Blusher Brush. The main reason I like this brush is because it's pink, but it's so stinking soft, I can't wait to use it! It seems a bit small for blush, so I may use it for highlighter or contouring, but I will try it for blush and see how I get along with it. 

The next product is the Coolway Stronghold Spray. It says you can use this either on dry or wet hair, but I don't really care for a product like this honestly. I don't use many spray type products in my hair unless it's a leave-in conditioner. I'll give it a shot sometime, but this is the product I'm most disappointed in getting. 

Next up is the ModelCo Highlighting Trio. Another not so great product for me since I have very oily skin. Cream or liquid highlighting products just don't go well with my skin so I tend to stay away from them. Maybe I can use them as cream eyeshadow bases instead. 

Then we have the Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara. I always love sample sizes of mascaras, and I don't believe I've ever tried this particular one. Smashbox has always been hit or miss with the products I've tried, so I'm hoping I like this. As far as I know, everyone received this mascara in their bags this month. 

The last product I received is the INSPR Beauty Eyeshadow in the shade Carnival. I think this is such a pretty taupe-y grey shade, and I'm pretty excited to try it out. I've never heard of this brand before, so it's nice to get something new to try. 

If you want to get your own Ipsy bag, you can do so via my referral link here! It's only $10 a month, plus shipping for some, and you get 4-5 deluxe sized samples of makeup, skincare, haircare etc. I'm divided on liking this month's bag, but usually they're pretty great for the price you pay!
 

November 2014 Empties

Hey guys! November was a decent month with the products I was able to use up. I really enjoy the feeling I get when I use something up as it makes room for more products! ;) Anyways, lets see what I used up last month.

I'll start with the more random products. I used up the Bath & Body Works Citrus Garland Anti-Bacterial Deep Cleansing Hand Soap. This was in my kitchen and took forever to go through. I usually wash my hands in the bathroom and just use a soap til it's all used up. I really love how this smelled. It smelled just like limes and was so fresh. I love these hand soaps, especially the deep cleansing ones because they seem to wash my hands better. They're even husband approved!

The next product is the Colgate Maximum Strength Sensitive toothpaste. I feel like I went through this toothpaste so fast, but I guess that's because it's such a small tube. It only had 4 ounces of product and I think I'm used to larger tubes. I usually just buy what's on sale and if I have a coupon or not. I didn't really like this though. It burned my mouth and didn't taste very good. The one I'm currently using is really nice, but I doubt I'll use that up any time soon. 

Then I used up the InstaNatural Phytoceramides. I did a review on this here, and I honestly think it helped me. I noticed my skin was feeling less dry and more glowy. Now that I used it up, my skin is back to feeling more dry. I do have another bottle of this, but I wanted to not start taking it to see if my skin would go back to how it was before, and it did. I'm going to start the other bottle soon.

Now for some skincare! I finally was able to use up the Aveeno Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser. I swear, this stuff takes months and months to use up. I did only use it in the morning and it only takes 2-3 pumps of product to be effective at cleansing the skin. I've used this before and I do like it, but only in warmer months. Once it got cold, this dried out my skin so bad so I had to compensate by using a hydrating toner and moisturizer.

Next up is the Fresh Soy Face Cream. At first I didn't care for this, especially because of how it smelled. It's very floral smelling, and that can turn me off at times. It was very hydrating though and I only used it at night for that reason. I would wake up with pretty skin that felt nice and plump. 

I used up another one of my favorite sunscreens, the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock with SPF 55. I've raved about this in the past so I won't go on and on about it. This is definitely my favorite sunscreen of all time, but I am willing to try new things. Usually I end up going back to this product, though!

Then we have a hand cream from L'Occitane and it was lavender scented. I had this little tube for ages and finally used it up. I only used it at night because it smelled so soothing and calming, so it helped me to fall asleep a little better. It's not the most hydrating hand cream like their original one is, but I just loved the lavender scent.

The Dylan's Candy Bar Candy Lip Saver in the Chocolate Cupcake scent was interesting. I absolutely loved how this smelled, but after using it up, I didn't miss it. It didn't feel very hydrating and I found myself having to constantly reapply it. That's no good in my book.

I was going through my sample tubes I had and decided to start using the Coola Mineral Suncreen with SPF 20. I appreciate that this stuff is unscented, but boy did I look like a ghost with it on! It was so white on my skin and I couldn't seem to rub it in enough to make it less noticeable. I only got about a weeks worth of use, but I was glad to get rid of it.

Lastly, the makeup. I was doing my makeup for a Thanksgiving/house warming party my husband and I were going to and I wanted to do some winged eyeliner. I decided to use a gel because I felt like I could control it more. Well both of these MicaBeauty black eyeliners were dried up so bad, that I had to go over everything I did with liquid. I got these in Ipsy bags, but only used them a small handful of times. Maybe the lids weren't on tight enough, but I was upset with how dry they were. 

Once again, we have a ton of dried up mascaras. I think I'm gonna ban myself from buying any mascaras for a long time, because it's just a waste of money not being able to get any use out of what I have. Anyways, the dried up ones were the Cargo TexasLash Mascara. I wanted to use this so bad, but not a single speck of mascara would go onto my lashes. The Blinc Stop Painting Your Lashes...Tube Them! Mascara I think had zero product in the tube to begin with. Josie Maran Instant Natural Volume Argan Mascara was clump city the second I tried applying it. Dior Diorshow Extase was all dried up. Both bareMinerals Flawless Definition Volumizing Mascaras had no product on the wands at all. The only mascara I was able to get use out of was the Stila Forever Your Curl Curl Mascara. I used this 3 times when I decided it sucked. By the end of the day I ended up looking like a panda everytime I used this. 

Well that's everything I used up! what products did you use up recently?

November 2014 Favorites

Happy December! I know everyone and their dog says this, but this year has totally flown by! I mean honestly, where does time go? It's the 1st of December, which means there is only one more week until my birthday, and one month til 2015! Craziness. Anyways, this month was up and down with products. I've been working my booty off, which means I spent alot of my free time sleeping and not doing my makeup before work, but I do have a few products to share with you that stood out for me!

First up, we have a body butter from The Body Shop and it's in the Shea scent. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this on my blog and had it featured in a favorites before. Since it's been unusually cold lately, my skin is freaking out. It's so dry and flaky, so I started using this stuff again and it definitely helps my itchy, dry Winter skin.

The next product is one that I hauled here, and it's the Bite Beauty Best Bite Remix. As of writing this post, the Sephora site says it's permanently out of stock, which sucks, because this set is amazing! I seriously love every color, there isn't one that I'm even iffy about. They feel nice on the lips, go on smoothly, and last a while as well. Definitely one of my favorite purchases lately!

Next up we have the InstaNatural Age-Defying Skin Clearing Serum. I did a review of this here, and honestly, I think this is one of the best treatment serums I've ever tried. When I use this, I feel like my skin gets more and more clear and looks really healthy. It dries down really quick, but I do add a moisturizer on top. 

Then we have the Be A Bombshell Eye Base in the color Submissive. I did a review here, and I really am enjoying this eye base. I do love my color tattoos from Maybelline, but I've been reaching for this more when I don't want to fuss with my makeup but still want to look like a normal person. It gives a nice wash of color to the lids, but I do notice it does crease a bit when I don't use a primer underneath. 

My last favorite is the Maybelline Matte Lipsticks, and the two colors I have are Lust For Blush and Ravishing Rose. If you were to tell me a year or so ago that I'll be loving lipstick in the future, I'd probably look at you like an alien. I've always loved gloss, but I could not get into lipstick, especially matte ones. These are phenomenal lipsticks! I'm amazed at how they feel on my lips, even though I do use balm underneath. I love the colors I have, I love how they apply, I love everything about them. I'd get more colors, but these were the only two that stood out to me right away. I think I want to review these in a future post, so stay tuned for that!

November was definitely the month for lippies! What were some of your favorites last month?

November 2014 Ipsy Bag

Hey everyone! I received my Ipsy bag sometime last week, but only got around to posting about it til today. Work has been kicking my booty and I'll admit, I'm just tired. Anyways, this month's Ipsy bag is called Girl Meets Glitter, and so far, I'm not as impressed as I was last month.

I'm not sure how I really feel about the look of the bag. It's glittery out the wazoo, but I'm just happy it's got a smooth texture to it instead of being rough. I don't really see myself carrying this around with me.

I'm split on the products too. Half of them I like, the other half I can do without. That being said, the first product is the Temptu S/B Highlighter in the color Pink Pearl. I'm not a highlighter girl. I have oily skin most months out of the year so I have that glow already. Plus I don't own the Temptu airbrush system, so this is definitely useless to me. I'm hoping I can find some way to use it though. 

Next up is the Nicole by OPI Nail Polish in the color Guys & Galaxies. I'm sure I've already said multiple times, but I'm just not into nail polish. Give me skincare and makeup, but all the nail polish I get in these bags goes to waste. I have to really be in the mood to do my nails and I have tons of nail polish that are just sitting around. 

Next we have the Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco Argan Oil Volume Shine Hairspray. Again, another useless product for me. I've never used hairspray in my life so unless I give this away to someone, this product will sit in my collection gathering dust. 

Then we have the Be A Bombshell Eye Base in the shade Submissive. I'm happy with this. I love eye bases and this one is a pretty taupe-y bronze-y gold color that will probably get good use. Finally something I can use in this bag!

The last product is another good one for me. It's the ClariSEA Sea Salt Solutions Instant Glow Powder Exfoliant. Yes, yes and yes! I love a good exfoliant, especially this time of year when my skin gets drier. I can't wait to put this to use, but I have read comments that it's a bit rough, so we shall see. 

Well, that's my bag. I do wish I had some better products in here, but you can't always have an amazing bag. I have reviewed these products so hopefully they take into consideration that I don't really care for hairspray and nail polish!

If you want to sign up for Ipsy, use my referral link here! It's only $10 a month, plus shipping for some and you get some good products! (Most of the time, at least) 

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

November 2013 Empties!

November was a great month with empties! I haven't been buying as much as I have in the past, but I'm on a serious mission to use up as many products as I can. I gave myself a goal to use up at least 20 products between November and December, and in November I used up 13 products! I haven't used up much so far this month, but I may be pretty surprised by the end of December. Anyways, lets see what I used up in November!

First I'll start off with shower and bathroom products. I used up the last of The Body Shop Banana Shampoo and Conditioner I had left. I did a review on both of these last year here, and while I like these products, I got so tired of them and just wanted to use them up. I have so much shampoo and conditioner to use up, and these are pricey, so I probably won't repurchase. 

I used up a Philosophy Shower Gel called Celebrate Love, and the scent is a blackberry musk smell. I love these shower gels so much and really only buy the larger sized bottles when they have a sale, since they're normally priced around $16 each. I have a bunch of the smaller bottles that I bought from kits. I'm usually not one for musky scents, but this one was light enough for me so I ended up liking it!

I finally used up The Body Shop Satsuma Body Butter that I had been using since the Summer. I love these body butters, and this Satsuma scent smells so yummy, like just peeled clementines. So delicious!

I used up a Creamy Pumpkin Antibacterial Deep Cleansing Hand Soap from Bath & Body Works. I like getting the deep cleansing ones, especially for my husband because he works in construction, so he gets dirty quicker. I personally like the foaming ones a bit more, but these are still nice. Plus this creamy pumpkin scent is amazing!

I finally used up the Garnier Nutritioniste Daily Exfoliating Gel Cleanser. I didn't particularly like this stuff as it smelled overwhelmingly of perfume and mint. It's also pretty harsh to me, so I don't know why this was called a daily exfoliating cleanser. I'm never repurchasing this. 

I used up another one of my beloved Aloe Calming Toners from The Body Shop. I've talked about this a million times, and I'm already almost finished another one. This toner is just fabulous. 

The Garnier Fructis Volume Extend Instant Bodifier Dry Shampoo was interesting. It smells amazing, like all Garnier hair products, and when you spray it in your hair and rub it in, there's no white cast. For me, it didn't do any kind of volumizing and it didn't make my hair feel clean like Batiste does. I swear, Batiste is truly my Holy Grail hair product. I've tried numerous dry shampoos, and I do have another one to try other than Batiste, but they never ever compare. I will not repurchase this product!

I used up a hand cream from The Body Shop, and it's the Absinthe Purifying Hand Cream. This hand cream is terrible! Seriously, never buy this stuff! All it did was make my hands even drier and it made them crack on the knuckles. The smell of this also smells like aftershave that old men use. Nasty stuff man. The best hand cream they have is the Hemp Hand Cream. That's one amazing product, but this one is the biggest dud I've ever tried!

I used up Natrol Biotin 10,000 mcg. I took these to help with my hair, skin and nails. I don't notice much difference with my hair, my nails have always been pretty good and my skin has it's ups and downs. I still take biotin pretty much everyday hoping it'll make mostly my hair better. I've been struggling to have good hair for years, but it never grows past a certain length and I get split ends like crazy. 

I used up another one of my Similasan Allergy Eye Relief Eye Drops. These are the only eye drops I can use. Other brands burn and sting like crazy, but this brand is amazing! I do have very sensitive eyes and horrible allergies that always affect them, so this is perfect for me. I use these twice a day, morning and night.

Last two products! I finished up the Luster Now! Instant Whitening Toothpaste, and to be truly honest, this didn't whiten my teeth at all. I got this product in an Influenster box, and I'm happy I got to try it, but it did absolutely nothing. It didn't even make my teeth feel clean. I definitely won't go out and buy this!

I have a makeup product! This is a blush from The Body Shop and it doesn't have a color name, just the number 04 on the back. Now I bought this when I got a job at The Body Shop, get ready for this, 4 years ago! I had used this almost daily, and it still took me 4 years to go through. I know there's still some product in there, but I couldn't wiggle my brush enough in it to get any product on the brush. This was actually a nice blush. It was a peachy pink color with shimmer in it and it was nicely pigmented without being overly pigmented, if that makes sense. I have to say, I'm incredibly happy with myself that I was able to use up a blush. I never thought I could!

That's everything I used! I'm pretty happy with the amount of products I have here. I definitely feel a sense of accomplishment when I use up something, especially makeup!

What did you use up in November?

November 2013 Favorites!

Hey guys! I know, I know, I was away for a long while again. I'm not getting into it why I was gone, but I will admit I have a few personal family issues and it's been getting to me and making me upset and not wanting to do anything. I've missed writing normally on this little blog of mine and really want to get back into it, so I'm trying to get into a groove again. Today's post will be my favorites from November. I didn't have a good month makeup-wise, mostly because I got a stye on my eye and couldn't wear makeup for almost a week, and partially because of my horrendous work schedule. I've been wanting to get some extra shut-eye instead of waking up earlier to do my makeup. Anyways, enough rambling. Here are some products I was really into last month!

When I wear makeup, even if it's just a mattifying powder, I tend to use makeup setting spray, since my skin is so darn oily. The oiliness has calmed down a little since it's colder, but it's still there. This Skindinavia Bridal Makeup Finish Setting Spray has done a good job at making my makeup last throughout the day, and keeping me matte a little longer than usual. 

Since I ran out of my beloved Lancome eye makeup remover, I had this Maybelline Clean Express! Makeup Remover in my closet. I have to admit, this stuff is pretty darn awesome and it's under $5 at my Walmart. This is the version for waterproof eye makeup, so you shake it up to mix it all together then put it on a cotton round or ball and swipe away all your makeup. I don't wear waterproof eye makeup, but I like these kinds of removers better.

A co-worker of mine gave me this C.O. Bigelow No. 140 Chapped Hands Cleanser "Soap Free" after I told her about my horrendously dry hands. I always know Winter is coming when my hands get drier than the Sahara Desert and start cracking. This product has been a little miracle to my poor hands! I still do slather on the handcream since I'm OCD like that, but they don't burn, there are no cracks and overall my hands just feel better. I had to look this product up online because I had never heard of it, and it looks like it's sold at Bath & Body Works. I may have to go there and pick myself up the larger jar of this. 

My last favorite is the L'Oreal Eye Defense Eye Cream. When I ran out of my Philosophy eye gel that I raved about, I didn't know what to use next, even though I have tons of eye creams to go through! I decided on this, and I'm so in love. It hydrates my eyes enough with the cold weather we have, but doesn't make them feel overly oily either, and I do have oily eyelids. The texture is like a gel-cream so I think that's why I like it so much. 

Well those are my favorites! It sucked that I didn't have alot of time for makeup, and then I got that nasty stye. Oh well, it's a new month (and my birthday is in 2 days!), and I plan on actually using makeup more often as long as my schedule for work allows it. Seriously, retail hours are a pain in the a**. I actually can't wait for the holiday's to be over! Anyways, I'll talk to everyone in my next post, which will be empties! I used up alot of stuff, so stay tuned!

What were some of your favorites last month?

November 2013 Ipsy Bag

*Blows dust off blog, coughs a little*

Hey everyone! Remember me?! I sure hope so, because I missed everyone! It's been almost 2 weeks since I've last posted and I'm so sorry! I don't even really know what to say anymore for my being absent. I will say that I've had a few personal issues going on in life and I've been stressed to the max from it, but that's all I'll say. Also, I have this horrible stye on my eyelid (if you don't know what that it, just Google it, it's not fun to talk about) and I haven't been able to wear any makeup for the past few days because of it. I'm hoping in another couple days it all clears up!

Anyways, sorry for that long intro, but today's post is going to be what I received in my Ipsy bag this month! The theme for this month was Glam It Up, and I was very excited to see what products were going to be in this bag.

I'm not the biggest fan of the actual bag the products came in to be honest. I don't really like the print and I have to be in the mood to like the color gold, if that makes sense. Also, I'm not entirely happy with the products either :(

The first product I received is the Nailtini Straight Up Color Nail Lacquer in the color Caviar Cocktail. I have to admit, I'm a little bored with getting nail polish in these bags. It's not a bad color at all, but I'm definitely bored with this!

We also got a chance to try out Michelle Phan's new line of makeup called Em Cosmetics and I got the Pillow Plush Cushiony Lip Balm in the color Bubblegum, which is a pretty bubblegum pink color. I have tried this and I like how it feels on the lips and it also leaves a sheer wash of color, which I do like.

I then received the Pixi Beauty Bronzer in the color Subtly Suntouched. I'm not a bronzer person at all! I have a mini version of Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer, and while I like it, I've only used it maybe 5 times, if that. I feel like I'm just too pale for bronzer.

I received another lip product by Be a Bombshell, and it's a Lip Crayon in the color Shameless. To me it looks like a mauve-y berry color. It's actually a very pretty color and I'll probably use it, but it's annoying getting two lip products in one bag. 

I don't really care for the Cailyn Built-In Sponge Tip Mineral Eyeshadow in the color Champagne. I have a ton of other eyeshadows like this color, so this doesn't really excite me. I haven't used it yet, but the application of it does intrigue me a little bit.

The last product I received is the Starlooks Gem Eye Pencil in the color Topaz, which is this pretty shimmery silver color. I honestly don't know how I'm gonna use this pencil since I hardly ever wear eyeliner and I'm not too creative with it either. I may try to use this as a base or something and see what I can work with. 

Well that's everything I got! While I'm not totally happy with the products I received, the value of the bag is incredible! For only $10 a month, plus shipping for some, it's really not a bad deal at all. Sign up here if you're interested!

If you're already signed up, what did you receive this month?

November 2012 Empties!

Happy December everyone! This past month I really feel like I went through alot of products! It really is such a good feeling to be able to use something up, but then of course you have to buy more. So here is everything I used up!

So starting off with hair and body care, the first thing I went through is the Oscar Blandi Volumizing Dry Shampoo Spray. I honestly hated this stuff. It didn't do anything to get rid of greasiness if I didn't wash my hair the night before and it just made it feel dirtier. It took me a really long time to use up because I typically wash my hair everyday. I had this for probably over a year or so. 

Then I used up The body Shop Banana Shampoo. I still have some of the conditioner left to use so that'll end up in my December Empties. I absolutely love this shampoo! It smells amazing and made my hair really soft. I actually have a couple more bottles of this and the conditioner left in my closet so I won't need to repurchase for a while. I also did a full review of this here if you want to check it out.  

Next I used up another The body Shop product and it was the Milk & Honey Body Lotion. I really like this lotion more for use in the Summer because it's very lightweight and now with it being more cold outside, it doesn't work as well. I just wanted to use this up because I didn't want it sitting in my closet til Spring/Summer. It's a bummer The Body Shop doesn't carry this anymore because it really is nice and smells amazing.

Onto skincare! I usually use up a bunch of skincare in a month and the first thing I went through is my beloved The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner. I really can't say enough good things about this toner. I know I've mentioned it before in posts, but this stuff is really awesome! It only has like six ingredients so there's not much that can cause irritation. I have so many backups of this so I know I definitely don't need to repurchase for a long while. 

Next I used up the Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Cleanser. I'm so glad this is gone now! I wasn't a fan of this and it didn't do anything remarkable for my skin so I won't repurchase. I do like other Juice Beauty products, just not this. I did do a full review of it here.  

Then I used up this Olay Regenerist product called Thermal Skin Polisher. This stuff was interesting. When you wet your face, put some in your hands and starting massaging this on your face, it warms up, alot. Sometimes to the point of almost burning. It said on the package you could use it daily, but my skin is way too sensitive to be able to use this everyday. I doubt I'll be repurchasing this in the future.

I also finally used up The Body Shop Black Velvet Apricot Lip Balm. I had this for years and I thought it was just okay. It moisturized my lips for a while but once I got to the bottom of the jar, there were so many shimmery sparkles and it actually started drying my lips out more. This was part of a holiday scent so I doubt they'll bring this back. If they do, I know I won't repurchase. 

The last thing I used up is The Body Shop Aloe Soothing Day Cream. This stuff is really nice. I actually used this at night when my skin started feeling drier than normal and it helped to bring moisture back to my skin without getting super oily. This particular jar I'd had since last year from not finishing it up, but it was still good to use since there was no product separating or funky smells going on. I have another backup of this once my current nighttime moisturizer runs out. 

Well that's everything! I really think this is a good amount I went through. Still no empty makeup, but I'm almost done a face primer, so that may make it to my December empties!

November 2012 Favorites!

I know it sounds cliche, but this month has totally flown by and I don't know where the year has gone! Plus, my birthday is in a week and a half so woohoo to that! Anyways, since it's the end of the month, that means it's time for my monthly favorites! Honestly, it's not much because I still haven't gotten a chance to really play around with stuff, but here are my favorites of November!

My first favorite is a Bare Minerals Glimmer Eyeshadow in a color called Desire. I absolutely am in love with this color and I did a review on it which can be found here. It's such a pretty color, and I rediscovered this in my collection just last week.

My next favorite is a Stila Eyeshadow in the color Diamond Lil. I can't tell you how impressed I was with this shadow. I also have the infamous Kitten eyeshadow and a black eyeshadow that all came in a 3-piece set. I've used Kitten a couple times, but honestly, it's nothing to write home about. This color is just such a pretty taupe-y gray color that made my eyes pop when I put it on and I was super impressed. The color payoff is amazing and it lasted all day too, but I always use an eyeshadow primer first.

My next favorite is a lip butter from The Body Shop in the scent Guarana. This stuff smells amazing! To me, it smells like sweet candy. It doesn't taste like it though, which is a bummer. It's incredibly moisturizing, but the only thing that I sort of don't like is that it can leave your lips looking white, so you really gotta massage this into your lips, or use a colored lipgloss or lipstick over top. I use a gloss over top so it doesn't bother me too much. 

My next favorite is also something I did a full review on earlier this month, which you can check out here. It's the Super Hyper Hydrator with Coconut Water. It's so bizarre, but my consistently oily skin is actually really drying out for once, and this has been a godsend to me. I only use it at night, because during the day I don't need something this heavy. I wake up with really soft, hydrated skin and it hasn't even broken me out either, which is another miracle. 

My last favorite of the month is the Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner Pencil in the color Perversion. I can't believe I waited so long to get this! It's amazing how dark it is and it went on perfectly for my tightline and waterline. It didn't tug on my skin at all. The only downside, which I actually have with every eyeliner I've ever tried, is that it didn't last very long on my waterline. I noticed it was starting to go away after only a few hours. I blame this on my very sensitive eyes that water constantly and my allergies. I gotta say though, this is probably the best eyeliner I've ever tried. The whole 24/7 line is amazing, but I was looking for a really dark black color for the longest time and I ended up purchasing this when Sephora had their 20% off coupon for VIB's. So happy I purchased this!

Swatch of Stila eyeshadow and UD eyeliner

Well there are my favorites of the month! I'm really hoping I can test out a few newer things in December but since I work in retail, I might not have enough time with these crazy holiday hours. Anyways, I hope everyone enjoyed reading this and please comment if you'd like to see certain posts that I haven't done or would like to see more of! 

Also, what were your favorites in November?