October 2017 Empties

I know I recently posted my empties for August and September, and I was thinking of waiting another month, but October was a great month with using up products! I don't think I've used up this many products in one month for quite a while. Since I have a good amount of products to share, I'll be combining November and December empties, even if it's a long post. So, without further ado, let's see what I used up!

Starting off with some skincare, I used up the AzureNaturals Ultimate Vitamin C Toner. I had a few skincare products sent to me from this brand, and they're not awful, but they're not great either. I wouldn't go out of my way to purchase anything myself. 

I've been working my way through the InstaNatural Youth Express Vitamin C Moisturizer for so long, I was getting so tired of using it! It's a decent moisturizer, but after using it all up, I feel like it just sits on my skin and doesn't sink in. 

I tend to shy away from Lancome skincare, mainly because it's so expensive, but their products are typically heavily fragranced. However, the Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate was lovely! There was little scent to it, and it really made my skin feel so soft and look brighter. Would I buy a full size? Eh, I don't know. I feel like there are better serums at a lower price, but this one is very nice regardless. 

Ole Henriksen makes some AMAZING skincare! I had a deluxe sample of their Sheer Transformation moisturizer, and I fell in love after the first application. I seriously think this may be in my top favorite moisturizers, that's now much I love it! I'm pretty certain I have a full size in my skincare stash, but I want to use a few more deluxe samples first before I open it. 

For haircare, I used up the Tresemme Platinum Strength Shampoo. The conditioner was in my previous empties, as my husband had used it a few times. I typically go through shampoos faster than conditioners, but I'm happy to have both used up now. They've been in my shower for way too long. There was nothing too special about this shampoo. It got the job done and is pretty inexpensive as well. 

I had purchased the Infusium 23 Color Defender Conditioner years ago after coloring my hair and wanting something different. I no longer color my hair, but wanted to still use this up. It made my hair super soft, but has a heavy fragrance. I got it from Big Lots for just a few dollars, so I have no clue if they even make this product anymore.  

Two body products I used up were The Body Shop Almond Shower Gel and the Philosophy Pomegranate Bubbly Exfoliating Shower Gel. You all know I'm obsessed with anything from The Body Shop, and the Almond Shower Gel was no exception. I also love Philosophy shower products, but this scrub was weird. The granules were too harsh and I wasn't a fan of the smell. 

I've used up more Bath & Body Works products! The Warm Vanilla Sugar Deep Cleansing Hand Soap, Vermont Sugar Maple Foaming Hand Soap, and the Vanilla Buttercream Hand Cream were all great! I love sweet scented hand products, and even my husband enjoyed the Vermont Maple Sugar soap. I've just realized how expensive all B&BW products are, even with a sale, so I'm slowly going through all products I have of theirs, and will likely not be buying anything else. 

 Lastly, I have a couple random products, and one of Olivia's. I don't understand why it takes me so long to go through mouthwash, but the Listerine Total Care Zero took me insanely long to go through. Possibly a year or more! Even though this has no alcohol in it, I still feel like it burned my mouth, but maybe I'm just sensitive. 

Call me gross, but I don't wear deodorant everyday. I'm home with my daughter, so I only ever wear it if we go out for errands, or have her physical/occupational therapists and family over. I really enjoyed the Dove Dry Spray Antiperspirant. It smells really nice, and the spray nozzle is pretty great as well. I think I got this in a previous Influenster box, but I may purchase myself in the future. 

The last product that was used up was the Johnson's Baby Head-to-Toe Wash. This was of course what I used for Olivia during baths, and it's just ok. We got so many different products for her and still have tons to use up still before we need to buy anything ourselves. I will likely switch to something else once we run out of everything else we have

Number of products used up: 14
Total used up for the year: 70

I'm honestly so proud of myself right now! I've been struggling using up products ever since my daughter was born, but I finally feel like I'm making progress. I had made a new goal of using up 75 products total for the year, and I can't believe I'm 5 away! I won't make a new goal now, as there is only 2 more months of the year, but I hope to make some good progress. I hope to use up a lot more or deluxe samples I have, as well as foil packet samples. I also need to really make an effort with using up makeup, since I have way too much for any normal person to go through! 

What are some products you've used up recently? 

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? 

October Goals

October and cooler weather is finally here, and I couldn't be more excited! Fall is my favorite season, and I'm also nearly 29 weeks pregnant so the heat we were having was not good to me. I always start the month off going over my goals from the last month, and then telling you all what my goals are for the new month. 

Goals from September

- Finish the one book I started back in August: Big fat fail over here! I'm just about halfway through it at this point. 

- Go out on a date with my husband: YES! Our 3 year wedding anniversary was September 21st, so we went out for a lunch date to Olive Garden. I can never get enough of their unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks!

- Donate more to Purple Heart: Sort of! I've been getting more things together to donate and so far I have three big trash bags worth, and I have a pickup scheduled for later this month. 

- Use up 10 beauty products: I just looked in my empties bag, and there are exactly 10 products! Woohoo! They're not all entirely beauty/makeup, but I have a few healthcare things as well, which counts in my book!

Goals for October

- Get more baby stuff set up. My husband and I have very recently started getting baby stuff together for when Olivia arrives. We had some amazing things that were very kindly given to us, and more kind people are giving us stuff soon, plus my baby shower is in a couple weeks! We're gonna be loaded but I need to get my booty into gear and have it all set up and organized. At least the crib is put together!

- Clean and declutter our home more. You all know I've been on a decluttering kick in all aspects of my life. I've gotten rid of countless things, and thrown away junk I hadn't used or cared about in years. This week and last week alone, I went through about 10 trash bags worth of stuff to throw away, and it's like a breath of fresh air. 

- Take better care of myself. This is kind of broad, but since I'm now in the third trimester, I need to take the time to really take care of myself. Sometimes I feel like a chicken with its head cut off when I'm cleaning, throwing junk away, putting donation bags together, etc., and I know alot of my aches and pains are due to that. I also have been very bad again with not taking care of my skin, and I didn't wear makeup at all in September. I need to have more nights where I take a nice shower, pamper myself with a face mask, and REST!

- Post at least 3 times a week. I had an original goal of posting Monday's, Wednesday's, and Fridays. I was good the first full week in September, then it was very sporadic. I think with everything going on and me in hardcore nesting mode, this little blog has gotten neglected. So, even if I don't do the Monday, Wednesday, Friday thing, if I can aim to post 3 days a week, I'll be proud of myself. 

Well that's everything! What are some of your goals for this month? 

October 2015 Empties

Hi everyone! October wasn't too great with using up products due to me being in the hospital and now trying to feel better again. I did manage to use up a fair amount, so it's time to share it with you!

I'll start off with a few body products and a lone toothpaste. I'm in love with the Tom's Sensitive toothpaste! It makes my teeth feel really clean, my breath feels fresh, and I don't get any irritation on my teeth or gums when using this. It can be a little on the expensive side, but occasionally my grocery store has a sale for $1 off and there are coupons once in a while as well. 

The Olay Sensitive Body Wash is something my husband mostly used, but I used it sometimes. I heard about this from Jen, From Head to Toe on YouTube, and honestly, this body wash is really, really, really amazing! It's unscented, but it's got a bit of a light, fresh scent still. My husband and I both have pretty sensitive skin on our bodies, so I'm really thinking of completely switching to this once we use up our hoard of body washes. It's really that good!

I finally used up the Bath & Body Works Jingle Bellini Body Lotion, and I really am not a fan of their body products to be honest. Their body washes and lotions make my skin itchy and irritated and I typically have to mix the lotion with another one to get decent hydration. I know I have a few body washes left to use up, but I'm not sure if I have any lotions left. 

I used up a little sample of the Origins Ginger Souffle Whipped Body Cream, and I unfortunately didn't like this either. Anywhere I put this, I would get clogged hair follicles that became really inflamed and painful, almost like cystic acne. It wasn't fun, and I will never in a million years buy this full sized. I love Origins products too, so it's a shame this didn't work for me. 

Now for some hand products! I had received the Softsoap Pampered Hands Foaming Hand Soap in the scent Coconut Lime in an old Influenster box and just left it sitting around in my stash. I figured I'd give it a go, and I was pretty impressed! The scent is amazing (although my husband hated it), and it did clean my hands nicely. 

Next up is a Bath & Body Works Deep Cleansing Hand Soap in the scent Eucalyptus Mint. This was the soap I had in my kitchen and I feel it's the perfect kitchen scent. It smelled medicinal, which I'm a fan of, and I really enjoy their soaps with the exfoliating beads. my husband loves them too since he works in the medical field and always needs to keep his hands scrubbed clean. 

I normally am a huge fan of the L'Occitane hand creams but this one is called an Ice Hand Cream Gel, and it had a very lemon-y, almost chemically scent. I didn't like that, and it also did absolutely nothing for my dry hands. If anything, it made them worse and I'd have to find something more hydrating. I much prefer L'Occitane's normal hand creams with the high concentrations of shea butter. 

Lastly, I have just a few skincare products. You all know my love for The Body Shop, and their Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash is one of my go-to cleansers in the warmer months. It helps to keep my skin less oily and feeling clean, and I really do notice fewer breakouts using this as well. 

Using their Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion in conjunction with the cleanser can be sometimes a bit much, but I had really clear skin while using both together. While I do really like this gel-based moisturizer, I think my skin has different needs now that I'm a bit older (not that I'm old, but I'm pushing 30!). 

I can't say enough horrible things about the little sample of Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil. I don't know if it's just my skin, but the two uses I got from this sample packet made me breakout SO bad! It wasn't like cystic acne, but I had so many little red dots all over my face, and alot of them turned into whiteheads. We all know how attractive those are (not!). Even my husband made a comment about my skin! Lesson learned from this. I can't use it as regular skincare, but I can add a drop mixed in with my foundation and be fine.

Those are the few products I managed to use up. I currently have quite a few that are about to run out, and I'm trying to use up as much as I can before the new year!

What are some products you used up?

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October 2015 Favorites

Hey guys, and Happy November! I'm so glad that October is over because I had a pretty rough month. If you read this post here, you know I was in the hospital and it's been quite the journey feeling normal again. Since I'm still trying to feel somewhat like a normal person, I don't have many favorites this month. I was lucky if I could manage putting on some mascara and lip gloss occasionally. I do have a few things to share with you, so lets get to it!

Since I didn't really care much about doing my makeup in October, I focused mainly on taking care of my skin. I started using the Origins GinZing Energy-Boosting Moisturizer when I ran out of the other one I was using, and holy cow do I love this! First off, it smells like a lovely field of oranges. I'm a huge fan of citrus scented products, but I can also safely say that this is quickly becoming one of my favorite moisturizers. I'm thinking it deserves its own review shortly. 

The next product has changed my skin in more ways that I can count. Shiseido very kindly sent me this product to try (which will also get a review soon!), and it's their Ibuki Multi Solution Gel that is said to help with roughness and visible pores, and it's got a Salicylic Acid treatment. Every night I use this, I wake up with skin that looks literally perfect. Seriously. My pores look like they shrunk to almost nothing, and my entire face looks clear and smooth. It's honestly a miracle. 

When I did feel like putting something other than lip balm on my lips, I had two go-to's. the first one was a NYX Butter Gloss in the shade Peaches and Cream. Even though I don't normally go for peachy shades, this one has just a little bit of pink to make it wearable for me, and it helped me to look more alive when I felt like I was dying. The second lippie is from theBalm, and it's their Meet Matt(e) Hughes Liquid Lipstick in the shade Commited. I received this in October's Ipsy bag, and I surprisingly really like it! It's not a shade that I would pick out for myself, but I'm truly surprised at how flattering it looks, especially with my pale skin. It's got a mauve-y tone to it that's a bit rosy, which I feel makes it more wearable. It does sort of dry out my lips, but as long as I prep them well, I don't mind it!

Those are my few favorites for the month! Here's to hoping November is a good month where I feel better and healthier everyday! Also, what were some of your favorites from October? I'd love to know!

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!*

October 2014 Empties

Hey everyone! I used up so many products in October, especially skincare, so I'm just gonna get right into it.

The first product I used up is the Colgate Optic White mouthwash. I thank everything that is holy this is used up. I hated this so much, it burned and didn't make my breath feel fresh at all. Hated this stuff!

The next product is a good one, and it's The Body Shop Satsuma Shower Gel. This product smells like heaven. I swear everytime I use this in the shower, it makes my whole house smell like oranges. I'm a huge fan of The Body Shop's shower gels and will always have one or two backups in my closet. 

Next up is a Hair, Skin & Nails supplement by Spring Valley. I like taking these supplements to help take care of my hair, but I notice a huge difference in the health of my nails the most. 

Then I have a small tube of L'Occitane Hand Cream. This hand cream contains 20% shea butter so it's ultra hydrating. I liked using this before bed so it could sink into my skin. My hands are really starting to dry out now, so I can already tell I'll be going through hand cream like crazy. 

I definitely used up quite a bit of skincare and the first product is the Hydroxatone AM/PM Anti-Wrinkle Complex moisturizer. This took me ages to use up because I used it at night and I did alternate between different moisturizers. This stuff is pretty heavy, but I didn't break out from it, which was nice. I did a review of it here and it was sent to me from iFabbo.

The next product I used up is the Boots Expert Sensitive Gentle Refreshing Toner. I think I may have put this in a monthly favorites, but don't quote me. I did like this toner alot. It was very inexpensive and did feel good on my skin. I don't know if I'll repurchase only because I'm so attached to the Aloe Toner from The Body Shop. 

Next I used up the Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream Moisturizer. I don't like this stuff at all. It doesn't do anything for my skin and the scent is too overpowering for me. 

I've decided to throw away the Proactiv Mild Exfoliating Peel. I was going through my closet and saw this in there. I was actually going to use it then saw when it expired. In the trash it goes!

The last skincare product is the Own Firming Silk Concentrate. I did a review on this here, and now that it's all used up, I can say that I would not repurchase it. It was nice while it lasted. I mixed it into my night time moisturizer for extra hydration, but it did feel a little oily on my skin. 

I loved the Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara. It lasted for close to a month and made my lashes look nice. All other mascaras pictured were drier than the Sahara so in the trash they go. The mascaras are Pop Beauty Smoky Lash Kapow!!! (yes, it really has 3 exclamation points at the end of the name), theBalm What's Your Type? "The Body Builder", Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash, Korres Provitamin B5 & Rice Bran, and two of the Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes. All of those were just so dry and un-useable.

Now finally some makeup products! The first product is the Pixi Flawless & Poreless Primer. I didn't find this particularly amazing. I think it did help foundation/concealer go on a bit nicer, but it didn't really do much for my pores or oily skin. I do have another one of these to use up though.

I finally used up my Maybelline Age Rewind Dark Circle Treatment Concealer in the color Fair. I love this stuff so much and will always repurchase once I use up some other concealers. I think this is one of the best concealers for my dark circles. 

I also finally used up my Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in the Translucent shade. This took me so long to use up since I don't use alot and mostly used it under my eyes. I love how fine this powder is and how it keeps my skin looking nice and shine free for a while.

I'm sad to say it's time to get rid of the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge I've been using. It had started to get tears in it and little bits were coming off when I was using it. Even though this is way less expensive than the Beauty Blender, it doesn't hold up as well as the Beauty Blender. I've been using my Beauty Blender longer than I was using this Miracle Complexion Sponge and it's holding up so much better. 

I used up this tiny sample of the Chella Eyebrow Defining Gel that I received in an Ipsy bag. I actually did really like this. I don't do much with my eyebrows, so some gel to tame them a little is fine with me. 

The last product is the La Fresh Travel Lite Makeup Remover Wipes. This little package came in either an Ipsy bag or an old Birchbox. I used these because I couldn't find a large package of wipes and they kinda sucked to be honest. They didn't remove makeup well, so I mainly used them to clean up swatches. Even then they didn't clean well. 

What did you use up in October?

October 2014 Favorites!

Hello everyone! October is officially over, which means it's time to talk about the products I was loving last month. I have to say, I'm very happy with the products I've been trying out lately, so lets get into it!

Now I know mouthwash may seem like an odd favorite to some, but this stuff is seriously amazing! The Crest Pro-Health Multi-Protection mouthwash is great. It's alcohol free which for me is the best because other mouthwashes burn the heck outta my mouth. This makes my mouth feel so clean and fresh after I use it and I probably won't go to anything else. This is by far the best mouthwash I've ever used. Hubby likes it too :)

Next up is the Suave Keratin Infusion Color Care Shampoo and Conditioner. Since coloring my hair a burgundy/auburn color, I really wanted to make sure I'm taking care of it properly and not having the color fade like crazy. I have had some fading in my hair, but it's not bad to where it looks horribly faded, it's more of a natural looking fade, if that makes sense. Anyway, I love how this combo makes my hair feel and look. Plus, it smells amazing and it's super inexpensive at Walmart.

Now for some skincare. I've had this Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay for quite a while now and have only used it a small handful of times. When I tell you this stuff is intense, I mean it! You take equal parts clay and add either water or apple cider vinegar, mix it up and apply to the skin. You can use it on your face or body, which is pretty neat! I've been loving this for my face because it really helps with breakouts and large pores, and it just smooths everything out wonderfully. I follow this mask up with the GlamGlow Hydrating mask and it's a match made in mask heaven. My skin looks gorgeous after them!

Now we have a new toner I've been trying out and it's the Peter Thomas Roth Aloe Tonic Mist. You all know how much I love The Body Shop's Aloe Calming Toner, but I had this in my stash and wanted to use it first before I bust open one of those. I have to say, I'm impressed with this! I actually spray a bunch onto a cotton pad and apply it that way. I notice if it gets near my eyes, they tend to sting a little for some reason, so applying it with the cotton pad gives me more control. Otherwise, this toner feels great on the skin and preps it well for serums and moisturizers. 

This wouldn't be a favorites if I didn't include something from The Body Shop! Their Aloe Protective Serum is amazeballs! I'm pretty sure I've included this in a favorites post before, but I love mixing some of this into my morning moisturizer for extra hydration. My skin can tell that it's getting cooler, therefore it's starting to dry out. This gives me the extra hydration I need without feeling too heavy or too light. I have so many backups of this, so I'm stocked for a while.

Lastly, we have makeup! First up is the much talked about Lorac Mega Pro Palette. I did haul it here, and a Fall look here featuring this palette. I think this is so beautiful and has so many amazing colors. I wasn't going to get this at first, but I got sucked in and had to have it. I'm so glad I bought it because I know I'll get so much use out of it! My one and only gripe is that it's fallout central and kicks up alot of powder as you dip your brush in.

Lastly, we have two of the Too Faced Melted lipsticks that came in the Melted Kisses set from the Sephora Friends & family haul I did here. I remember saying in that post that I wanted to try some of these but didn't want to spend the money on a full sized one. I saw the set online and figured it would be a great way to try 4 different colors. I have not tried the other two yet, but the ones pictured above, Melted Nude and Melted Peony are fantastic! The color payoff is great and they last a long time on the lips for me. I am tempted to buy some full sized ones, but I doubt I will because there is enough product in these for me to like them and not get tired of them. 

What were you loving in October?

October 2014 Ipsy Bag

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Swatches of lip gloss, eyeshadow & eye base

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

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

October 2013 Empties!

Hey guys! So today's post is going to be the products I've used up this past month. I have to say, I'm very happy with what I did use up and I'm pretty sure November will be a good month as well! Lets see what my empties are!

The first product I used up is the Clean & Clear Morning Burst Shine Control Facial Cleanser. I liked using this in the morning because I actually think it helped wake me up a bit. The scent of it was sometimes a bit too fragrant, but that's okay. I don't know if I'll repurchase. I have about a million cleansers to use up.

Next, I finished up the Korres Pomegranate Toner. I loved this for my oily skin. It was great to use in the Summer when I was a greasy mess. It smelled amazing too! I love pomegranate, so I'd probably repurchase this in the future.

I finished up the wonderful Philosophy Eyes Wide Open Instant Refreshing and Depuffing Eye Gel. I know I've talked about this product a few times, and I just love it. It makes my eyes look more awake and took away any puffiness I may have had. It's a wonderful eye gel!

I then finished up a Shea Lip Butter from The Body Shop. I love these lip butters but only use them at night because they leave a white cast on my lips. Obviously, since I only used this at night, I didn't care at all. This particular one was fairly hydrating, but I feel like I need more hydration since it's getting alot colder now.

Sadly, I used up a Lancome Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover. This is definitely my all-time favorite eye makeup remover! It's pretty expensive, but I work in a place where I can buy this, so when I can get an extra discount, I tend to buy one or two. I do have a backup of this, plus a smaller travel-sized one, but I'm putting myself on a spending ban soon, and I'm afraid I might run out :(

I'm just throwing away the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser for Dark Circles Treatment Concealer in the color Fair. I'm not sure what happened, but I think the twister thing broke and no product will come out anymore. This is my favorite concealer, and luckily my mom gave me one because she got the wrong shade, so I have another one to use! 

I also used up another concealer-type product and it's The Body Shop Lightening Touch in the shade 01. I like this for when I feel like my dark circles are extra dark. Adding a bit of this on top of the Maybelline concealer works really well with extra coverage, plus it helps to brighten a bit. 

As you can tell, my Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion has died! Not really though, I had to have my husband cut it in half for me so I could de-pot it. I couldn't believe how much product was still in there! Seriously, a while ago, I took out the clear, plastic stopper from the top and that helped alot. When I felt like I was running out of product, I just thought there was more in there. I'm a weakling so I asked my husband if he could cut it in half for me. Of course he looked at me like I had ten heads, but obliged like a good boy. Once he got it cut open, even he was shocked at how much was stuck to the sides where the wand couldn't reach normally. I had a little sample sized pot to put the rest of the product in and I probably have enough to last me through the end of the year. 

The Crest Pro-Health Complete mouthwash took me forever to go through. I had this bottle since before my husband and I got our own place in July of 2012. Granted, I didn't use it every single day morning and night, but I used it pretty frequently. I like this stuff though. It didn't burn my mouth like alot of mouthwashes do and it tasted good too.

I used up Natural Factors Hi Potency B Complex vitamins. I think my mom got these for me to help with energy, but honestly, I never notice a difference. I'm not even sure why I continue taking vitamins when I don't notice any changes, but I'm used to my routine in the morning, so I stick with it.

The last two products I got from the hotel my husband and I stayed at during our honeymoon. They're Simply Be Well Ginseng and Wild Mint Shampoo and Conditioner. I didn't use them all up in September, but of course I brought them home and used them up this past month. They're nothing special honestly. Typical hotel toiletries that came in handy when I forgot my other shampoo and conditioner. 

That's everything I used up! Like I said above, I'm very happy to have used these all up, especially the mouthwash! That bottle is massive, so it's good to clear out some space in my closet!

What did you use up in October?

October 2013 Favorites!

Hey everyone! So this past month hasn't been too interesting favorites-wise but I do have a few products to share with you guys. 

First up is the awesome Urban Decay Vice 2 Palette. I swear, this is probably the best eyeshadow palette ever for Fall. You have some amazing jewel toned colors, and you also have your neutrals. I won't go on too much about this because I did a full review with swatches and a look here if you want to check it out!

My go-to eye look when I was feeling lazy or in a rush was first using the Sephora Outrageous Prisma Chrome Eyeshadow in the color Outrageous Metallic beige all over my lids, and then taking Naked 2 from the Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette through my crease. Naked 2 is the perfect crease color for me because it gives the right amount of definition to my eyes without looking like I have too much makeup on. I'm also obsessed with those Chrome eyeshadows! I sometimes can still find them on the Sephora site and there are a few left in my Sephora in JC Penny. They're on clearance for $6 so if you see them, snag them up! They're awesome!

I've been loving the cleanser I've been using every morning and that's the Soap & Glory Face Soap and Clarity 3-in-1 Daily-Detox Vitamin C Facial Wash. Phew that's a long name! Anyways, I love how this cleanser makes my skin feel. There are little beads in it that help to smooth out any bumps or rough spots and it takes away any dirt and grease build-up from the night before. 

My last favorite is the Maybelline Color Whisper in the Color Berry Ready. I've been loving this color for Fall. I usually don't go along with trends during seasons, and dark lips tend to look funny on me because I'm so pale. This color is perfect for me though. I can wear it a bit bold like in the swatch above, or I just usually take my finger and dab it on my lips for a sheer wash of color.

Those are my favorites! I'm hoping November brings some different favorites, but with my insane holiday retail schedule I'm honestly not sure what's gonna happen!

What were some of your favorites from October?

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?

October 2012 Favorites!

Hello everyone! I finally have power back on and my internet is fully functional so I'm officially back to posting again! But this is probably going to be a sad favorites post, only because I haven't really experimented much with anything new I've gotten yet so they didn't really get a chance to be considered for this favorites post. So basically I'll talk a little about what I've been using for most of October and felt they deserved mentioning.

My first favorite of October is the NYX Eyeshadow in the color Aloha. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this in a previous post but this is such a pretty highlight color for the browbone. I bought this back in I wanna say August, but I wanted to use it enough to say how much I love it. It's just this really pretty, shimmery champagne color that's also good for highlighting the inner corners of the eyes. To me, this is very similar to the color Virgin that's in the Naked Palette. This one is just a tad more shimmery, but the color payoff is pretty much the same.

My next favorite that I'm surprised hasn't been in a favorites post before is the bareMinerals Flawless Definition Mascara in the color black. I know I've mentioned this in other posts too, but not a favorites post. I've gushed about this before so I won't go into it again, but this mascara makes my lashes look like my lashes, but better.

Next up is something that I haven't mentioned before and that's the Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Intensely Smooth Leave-In Conditioning Cream. Boy that's a mouthful to say. Anyways, I haven't really talked much about haircare because honestly, my hair isn't that much to talk about and I'm not fussy with the products I use. My hair is pretty fine, doesn't have much damage now, but can frizz once in a while. My hair used to be pretty damaged until I got about three inches chopped off so now I'm better about using this stuff after my shower. I run this through my damp hair with my fingers first and then comb it through. When I wake up in the morning my hair is so soft and doesn't get knotty anymore. I'll actually be doing a full review of this coming soon.

My next favorite is actually a newer product I tried this past month and that's the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Treatment Concealer. I've heard so many good things about this product but was skeptical because nothing has ever totally gotten rid of my dark circles. This product is amazing! It doesn't totally 100% get rid of the darkness but lessens it quite a bit. I'm super impressed with how it works. It's also very creamy and easy to blend in with my ring finger. It even matches my skin perfectly too! I never thought I'd get to say that!

My last favorite for October is also another newer purchase I've made and that's a nail polish by OPI called Vampsterdam. This color is so stinking beautiful in the bottle and is even more beautiful on the nails! The picture makes this look black but it's actually a very dark, almost black, plum-y purple color. This is just such a beautiful color for fall and I gotta admit, I'm not a huge fan of the dark burgundy, oxblood trend that's going around. I feel like I'm way too pale to be able to pull it off but this Vampsterdam color is stunning for my paleness.

Well those are my favorites of October! I know it's probably nothing exciting, but I'm going to try and make an effort to try out some of the new makeup I've bought over the last month or so and let everyone know how I like them.

What are your favorites for October? 

EDIT: There was an issue with my posting date, but it's been fixed. It had said October 29th was the posting day but really it was supposed to say November 3rd. I think I fixed everything!

October 2012 Empties!

Hey everyone! This past month I actually think I went through a decent amount of stuff. Makeup is always hard for me to go through because I don't wear it everyday but I managed to use up one makeup product. So here is all the stuff I was able to go through in October!

So the first product I used up is something that isn't even made anymore and it's the Philosophy It's All In Your Head Extra Gentle Daily Shampoo. It sucks that this isn't made anymore because I actually liked this. I'm not picky with hair stuff so I'm always trying new things but this made my hair really soft and cleaned it very well. It also had a nice light, fresh scent to it. 

The next product I used up is the Olay Body Wash plus Creme Ribbons. I'm not gonna add a link to this because I didn't like this stuff at all. The smell of it was too overwhelming. It smelled too much like perfume and it actually irritated my skin and dried it out more. It's just a crap product to me.

Next, I used up the Gillette Satin Care Shave Gel for sensitive skin. This product was okay. It didn't really do much for my skin and I didn't notice it make my skin softer or prevent ingrown hairs and all that. I have a backup of this to use up now but I don't think I'll be repurchasing this again.

The next product I used up is another one that's not available anymore (sorry guys!). It's the Dylan's Candy Bar Ice Cream Sugar Scrub in Coconut Bon Bon. I got this and some other things from this brand at Sephora a really long time ago, it's probably been a few years. Anyways, I really loved this scrub. The scrubby granules weren't big so they didn't irritate my skin but left me with really soft baby skin. The smell of this was just amazing too! A little of this went a long way too, so it took me a long while to go through this. 

The next product is The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Blemish Fade Night Lotion. I know I've mentioned this in posts before and I like this stuff. Because of the tea tree oil, it does have a pretty strong scent but it doesn't linger and the lotion sinks right into your skin. It sometimes irritated my skin a little bit, but I usually mixed this with the aloe serum from The Body Shop to help with that. 

The next product I used up (thank god!) is the E.L.F. Tone Correcting Concealer in the color ivory. This stuff sucks to be honest. I'm so glad this is gone but unfortunately I do have another one to use up. I don't know what it is about this product. I just did not like it. It smells like an orange creamsicle which is nice, but it gives absolutely no coverage whatsoever and it doesn't blend very well either. I should just throw out the other one I have but I hate wasting product like that. Plus, I'm pretty sure this was only $1 so it's not a big burn in my pocket, but it still sucks!

The last product I used up is The Body Shop Seaweed Pore-Cleansing Facial Exfoliator. I really, really like this stuff. The scrubby particles in it are a good size so they don't irritate my skin but it still gets the job done. I'm always left with super soft skin afterwards. The base of this scrub also gets very foamy so it can also act as a cleanser. A word of caution if you try this: be very careful not to get it in your eyes! Trust me, my hand slipped one time and I got some of the soap, not the scrubby particles, in my eyes and it burned like hell. I had to keep flushing my eye with water and it was fine but man that wasn't fun!

That's everything! I hope in November I can go through more makeup products but I'm happy with what I used up this month.

What did everyone else use up in October?