January 2018 Empties

Hey guys! I know, it's been ages. I know, I say that every time I haven't posted in a while. Life is absolutely crazy lately and there are times where I just need to focus on my family and not worry about blogging. I really miss blogging so much though, and want to start again, so bear with me as I figure out a new schedule. I realized I've been hanging on to all the products I've used up since the beginning of the year, so today I'll be sharing what I used up in January, which was a great month!

I'll start off with all the skincare I used up. I have 3 of the Ole Henriksen Ultimate Lift Eye Gels that I'm decluttering from my skincare stash. I had used one of them once and absolutely hated how it felt on my skin, so I'm just getting rid of them. 

I loved the Caolion Hot & Cool Pore Pack Duo! It's this 2 step process that is said to help get rid of blackheads, and it's just awesome. I purchased mine a while ago from Sephora, but I don't think they carry it anymore.  

I had a deluxe sample of the Lancer Eye Contour Lifting Cream that I got from Influenster. I liked it, but it was nothing remarkable. Lancer products are so expensive, I don't think I could ever purchase anything myself. I also used up The Method: Nourish moisturizer and did like that but again, wouldn't purchase myself. 

Valentia is a brand I've liked for a long time, and I finally used up their Clear Lift Revitalizing Serum. I'm not as big of a fan of this product as I am with their other products, but this was still nice. I used it at night and woke up with nice, soft skin. 

Glamglow products are hit or miss for me, and their Youthmud Treatment is definitely not something I care for. Luckily, this deluxe sample was only a one-time use. 

I'm decluttering the BareMinerals Eye Rev-er Upper. It just got old and smelled funky, so in the garbage it goes.

Kate Somerville products are ridiculously expensive, so when I get samples, I'm happy. I really did enjoy the SPF 55 Serum Sunscreen. It was nice for my oily skin, but I don't think they even make this product anymore. Thank goodness too, otherwise I'd be tempted to buy it. 

It took me ages to use up the Garnier Blackhead Eliminating Scrub. I liked it at first, but realize it's too harsh for my skin. 

I love vitamin C serums, and the Kleem Organics Professional Age-Defying Vitamin C Serum was really nice. It smelled good, and made my skin look much brighter. 

Now for some body/haircare. I got the Softsoap Coconut Scrub in an old Influenster box and it took me far too long to use it up. I like the scent, but it wasn't an effective scrub. 

I also got the Curel Itch Defense Moisturizing Spray from an Influenster box, and I did enjoy this. It helped my dry skin feel soft and less itchy than usual, and I like the idea of a spray moisturizer. 

I'm decluttering the Monat Rejuveniqe oil. I keep hearing different things about this brand and I don't feel comfortable putting this in my hair or on my skin anymore, so it has to go. 

This isn't too fascinating, but I managed to use up a sample of the Degree Dry Protection deodorant. In all honesty, I don't wear deodorant much since I stay home with my daughter and don't leave the house much, so I don't go through it as much as I used to. 

Two hand creams I managed to use up are the Vaseline Healthy Hand & Nail lotion and the Philosophy Cranberry Medley hand cream. I ended up not liking the Vaseline one because it burned my hands, but I do like the Philosophy. It smells nice and is hydrating, but when my hands are really dry and cracked, it doesn't do much and I need something heavier to get the job done. 

I used up a Desitin diaper rash cream on my daughter, in case anyone wants to know what she went through. I'm not the biggest fan of Desitin products and like other creams better, but this was fine and helped when she was a bit rash-y. 

I've been trying to use up the Absolute You're the Balm Green Apple lip balm for so long, and it's finally done. I really, really liked this balm a lot. I used it primarily at night and always woke up with hydrated and plump lips. 

Lastly, we have some foil packet type products. I used up 5 of the Dickinson's Oil Controlling Towelettes, which I do like, but they can be drying. The Blue Agave Hydrating Paper Mask by Freeman was nice, but it's not my favorite. I've really been enjoying using sheet masks after a clarifying mask, and it makes my skin feel so incredibly soft, and I wake up looking so nice. I've been wanting to try products from Andalou Naturals, and I had a sample of the Probiotic + C Renewal Cream. I LOVED this so much! I think it would be better for me in the warmer months, but it made my skin feel so soft otherwise. 

Products used up: 27
Total for the year: 27

I already feel so proud of myself! I had lofty goals last year, and only finished up 92 products. I said in my previous empties post that I want to use up 150 products this year, and I feel like I could make that goal possible! I'm also making more of an effort in doing my makeup as well, so I'll likely have some of those products to share at some point. I'm determined to make 2018 better in all aspects, not just with beauty and blogging. Thank you to those who have stuck around with me. I know I've been really slacking with my blog, but I really do want to make an effort and post more often. 

What are some products you've used up recently?

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? 

July 2016 Empties

Hey everyone! It's time for yet another empties post, where I share with you all the products I used up the month before. July wasn't so great with using up products, but at least I finished up some things. 

I used up a few different skincare products, and the first one is the Ole Henriksen Balancing Cucumber Face Mist. I used this by spraying some onto a cotton pad and applying it to my face that way. If I sprayed it directly onto my skin, it burned my eyes pretty bad. Despite that, I felt this was a decent toner. It got the job done but it was pretty fragrant. I doubt I'd repurchase. 

I finally managed to use up the StriVectin Repair & Protect Moisturizer. I had done a full review on this here, and I much preferred this in the colder months versus the warmer months. I just had a little left, and even though it made me pretty greasy, I didn't want to wait until Winter again to finish it. This is an ok moisturizer. I found it made my skin a bit itchy though, so I won't purchase myself. 

Next up is the DDF Ultra Lite Oil-Free Moisturizing Dew. I freaking LOVED this stuff! It was a hybrid gel-cream formula that made my skin so silky soft, and it was great on days when I didn't go outside but wanted to hydrate my skin. I may repurchase this once I use up the moisturizers in my stash. 

Last for skincare is the Pur~Lisse Blue Lotus + Seaweed Treatment Sheet Mask. I was honestly pretty impressed with this mask! I've always said in the past that I wasn't a fan of sheet masks, but I think I'm starting to change my tune. I've realized that I need to tone my skin before I apply one and they work so much better. I definitely want to try more sheet masks but ones that are more affordable. 

 I feel like my husband and I go through the Sound Body Dandruff Shampoo fairly quickly. I don't use this often, but my husband washes his hair alot and mainly uses this stuff. Since it's been on the blog often, I won't go into this much, but we both like it and it's pretty much just like Head & Shoulders, just much cheaper at Big Lots. 

I did a review here on this Keranique Scalp Stimulating Shampoo and Volumizing Keratin Conditioner duo back in December. For lack of better words, I absolutely loathed these products so much! They did nothing to help my hair and actually made it feel like straw. Even though I was sent these to try, I hate wasting product, so I used these up but hated every second of it. Stay away from these!

Lastly, we have some bodycare. My husband and I both used up the Suave Creamy Cocoa Butter & Shea Body Wash, and I LOVED how this smelled! I just love shea butter in general, but this was amazing, and super inexpensive. I usually buy these at my local Wegmans when they're on sale and if I have a coupon, so I end up only paying about $2 for it. We will repurchase when we use up our massive stash. 

I used up a deluxe sized sample of the Perlier Honey Shower Cream. I have so many deluxe samples of many different products, and I want to get through them. I really enjoyed using this! It smelled a little more flowery than sweet, but it was still nice. I had a whole set of Perlier things sent to me a while ago and still need to use the rest of them up. I don't think I'll repurchase this though. 

Number of products used up: 9
Total for the year: 96

I was so hoping to break 100 products by now! I definitely think my goal of using up 250 products for the year is further out of reach, so now I'm going to aim for 150. I need to make it a priority to do my makeup more and treat my skin better, which will hep me clear out my massive collection. Being pregnant hasn't made it easy, but I'm almost half way through, so I need to get my booty into gear!

What did you use up recently?

April 2016 Empties

Hi everyone! It's time again to share with you the products I used up for the month of April. I feel like I didn't do very well, and have plenty of products on their last legs that could've gotten used up earlier, but I haven't been wearing much makeup, or even taking that great care of my skin lately. 

I'll start off with a few skincare bits. Of course it wouldn't be an empties here without a bottle of The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner. You all know how much I love this stuff, but the price of it has gone up so much in the last few years, that I'm actually considering trying something else once I use up what's in my stash. 

Next up is the Radha Beauty Miracle Retinol Moisturizer. Not quite sure how this is a miracle, since it dried out my skin and didn't do much for me. I always had to put another moisturizer on top of this because it gave no hydration whatsoever. 

I'm not sure if I mentioned it here or not, but I used to really love the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask. It moisturized my lips like no other and kept them soft and supple without having to reapply. I put it away for a while and came back to it again sometime last month. However, it started making my lips go completely numb about 10-15 minutes after applying it, and it wouldn't go away. It was so bizarre, and then I finally realized that the first ingredient is Lanolin, which is derived from wool. Wool makes me breakout in hives, so I figured I had an allergic reaction to this lip mask. In the trash it goes, because I'm not chancing something more serious happening. 

I had the biggest gripe with the Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator when I first received it in a previous Ipsy bag. The container wasn't even a quarter of the way filled with product and I thought I'd hardly get any use from it. Well, I did end up getting quite a few uses out of this and I'm very pleased with how well this works. It just makes my skin so dang soft and beautiful. I doubt I'd buy a full size, but this was nice while it lasted. 

Lastly for skincare, I have two deluxe sized samples of Ole Henriksen products. One is the Truth Serum Collagen Booster, which was freaking fantastic and is probably one of the best serums I've tried. The second is the Invigorating Night Gel, which I didn't care for. It did make my skin feel better, but also stung quite a bit upon application and I didn't like that, so in the trash it goes. 

Next up is a bit of makeup and a random product. I used up two of my all-time favorite mascaras, Tarte Gifted and Covergirl The Super Sizer. These two are probably my picks for favorite high-end (along with Too Faced Better Than Sex) and low-end. Once I use up what I have in my collection, I will be purchasing these two again!

I decided to just get rid of the Be A Bombshell Lip Balm in French Kiss. This felt very dried out and the color is a baby pink that looks awful on the lips. I already have so many lip balms to go through, so this won't be missed. 

Lastly is the Berry Twinkle Pocket Bac from Bath & Body Works. I loved this while I had it, and one day I found it hiding in a purse and it smelled awful and was incredibly runny. I dumped out what was left in the trash, which wasn't alot really, so now I can use a different one. 

Lastly, I have some random bath, body and health care stuff to share. My husband and I both used up the Sound Body Dandruff Shampoo. I get these bottles at Big Lots for just a few dollars and it's exactly like Head & Shoulders, just much less expensive. We already have another in our shower. 

You all know I have to use sensitive toothpaste due to my incredibly sensitive teeth and gums. This is the Topcare (Wegmans store brand) Extra Whitening Sensitive Toothpaste, and I don't really care for this much. I don't notice any difference in sensitivity and the taste is a little odd as well. 

I finally used up the Bath & Body Works Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin foaming hand soap that's been in our bathroom for ages. I love these hand soaps, but they're really expensive even when there's a sale, so once I go through my stash, I'll look elsewhere for less expensive soaps. 

And lastly we have the final Bath & Body Works Shower Gel I had in my stash, which was Orange Sapphire. While this one smelled amazing, it did nothing for me. These shower gels make me itch and make my skin super dry. Plus they're really expensive for what they are. So glad to have these gone and I'll never repurchase. 

Number of products used up: 14
Total for the year: 66

I'm still doing good so far, and we're only in the 5th month of the year. I'm really hoping I can use up a ton more products. I think I'm making a goal of using up 250 products for the entire year. Last year I used up 177 products, so I have some work to do y'all!

What are some products you used up?

Ulta & Sephora VIB Sale HAUL!

Hey guys! I'm so sorry I've been MIA for a few days! I haven't been feeling so great lately and really just needed to rest. Today, I have a haul to share with you of some products I've picked up within the last few weeks or so. I haven't really done much beauty shopping lately because I am trying to use up what I already have, but I wanted to treat myself a little bit!

First up is Ulta. I had placed an online order during their 21 Days of Beauty, where I picked up the Philosophy Purity Made Simple Wipes and the Too Faced Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush in the shade Something About Berry. Each of those products were 50% off, and since I'm a Platinum member, I also received free shipping, as well as a good amount of points because Philosophy was 5X the points during that time! I've used the Philosophy wipes before and remember liking them, but I can't remember if I was wowed by them. They were only $7.50, so no real loss if I end up not liking them much. I had also been wanting to try one of the Too Faced Sweethearts blushes, but always thought they were a bit too expensive. They were only $15 at the 50% off sale price, so I ran with it. I have yet to try it, but will report back with a review!

I had gone into my local Ulta after not being in that store since October of 2015, because I had a 20% off coupon for Platinum members sent to me. I wanted to check out some skincare, so off to the store I went. I've really enjoyed being sent a bunch of goodies from Pur Cosmetics before, so I wanted to look into their skincare to see if I liked any of it. I picked up their In The Clear Clarifying Cleanser and the Soak It Up Intense Hydrating Moisturizer. A rep from the brand was there, so she was testing out a bunch of things on me to help me with my choices. The cleanser seems like it'll be great for use in the Summer as it's very cooling, and the moisturizer seems nice and light feeling, but still very hydrating at the same time.

I've heard so many amazing things about the Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing Pads, and have been very curious to try them myself. Unfortunately, I didn't look at the ingredients while in-store, and there's denatured alcohol in them. I'm trying to stay away from products that contain alcohol, and now for personal reasons (which I might mention later), I'm also staying away from Glycolic Acid. I will be returning this since I have yet to break the seal and open it. 

I really didn't have plans to buy anything from the Sephora VIB sale. In all honesty, I haven't shopped at Sephora, online or in-store, since the middle of December! Like I said above, I'm really trying to limit my purchases this year to buying mainly what I need, not just what I want. So, I limited myself to the NARS Pencil Sharpener, because the sharpeners I have just didn't cut it anymore, and the beautyblender Two.BB.Clean that comes with two regular sized original Beauty Blenders, as well as a 5 ounce Liquid Blender Cleanser. You all know my love for the Beauty Blender and I just adore their Liquid Cleanser as well, so for $40 minus the 15% discount, you really couldn't beat that. 

I finally had a reason to redeem some of my points, so I redeemed 100 points on the Lancome Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover, which is my all-time favorite, but it's freaking expensive. They also had a pretty great 500 point gift of Ole Henriksen products called Glow For it, which includes deluxe sizes of their African Red Tea Cleanser, Truth Sugar Glow Polishing Mask, Truth Collagen Booster (LOVE!), and Pure Truth Youth Activating Oil. I've been really into Ole Henriksen products lately, and this kit definitely seemed worth the 500 points. 

Did you buy anything from the Sephora VIB sale?

YouTube Video: March 2016 Favorites!

Hey guys! I decided to film March's beauty favorites this time around, so I hope you take a look at what I was loving last month! Be sure to give the video a thumbs up while you're there, and subscribe if you want :) I've used some affiliate links below if you wanted to check out any of the products.

Products mentioned in the video:

- Exuviance Gentle Cleansing Creme
- Ole Henriksen Balancing Cucumber Face Mist
- Valentia Royal Rose Hydrating Serum
- Kognac Sponge
- Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream
- Covergirl The Super Sizer Mascara
- Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lipcolor in Devotion
- Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons Palette

What were some of your favorite products? 

August 2015 Empties

Hey guys! Once again, it's time to show you my trash. I didn't finish using a crazy amount of products, but I'm happy with what I did use up. 

The first product I used up is the Herbal Essences Color Me Happy Dry Shampoo. Technically, I didn't use this completely up, because after about 3 uses, the nozzle completely broke on me and sprays out like a stream of water. Also, this stuff is just awful, so part of me is happy it broke. Everytime I used this, it would just make my hair feel sticky and grosser than it was before I used it. Don't buy it, ever. I've finally decided to never again stray from my beloved Batiste.

Next up are some Multi For Her Vitamins from Nature Made. Nothing fancy, just an everyday vitamin that's got the essential vitamins I need on a daily basis. I like the Nature Made brand and they're always on sale at Walgreen's for typically buy 1, get 1 free. 

Part of me wishes I would've saved The Body Shop Brazil Nut Shower Cream for Winter. It's incredibly hydrating and made my skin feel super soft. These shower creams are awesome too, and perfect for Winter when my skin gets drier than the Sahara desert. 

I used up probably my all-time favorite toothpaste from Tom's, their maximum strength Sensitive toothpaste. This stuff is amazing! I'm sure I've mentioned in previous posts that my teeth and gums are extremely sensitive, and most times I HAVE to use a sensitive toothpaste, otherwise it's hard to even drink cold water. I adore this toothpaste, as weird as it sounds. It just makes my mouth feel good, and the soothing mint flavor is nice.

The Dior Addict It-Lash Mascara was so dried up I could only partially get one eye done and had to switch to a different mascara. I wish this wasn't so dried out because I love the plastic bristles on the wand. Spiky bristles like that give insane definition to my lashes, which I'm a huge fan of. 

I used up the Aquafina Flavor Splash lip balm very early on in August. I liked this balm, but it sucks how quickly I went through it. Honestly, I probably used it up in maybe 3 weeks. I do like how hydrated this made my lips feel and I used it every night before bed. 

I used up the Amara Organics Vitamin C Serum, which I wrote a full review on here. I really did enjoy this serum alot. I used it in the morning under my moisturizer, and I felt that it brightened up my skin making it look alot less dull. 

I loved how the Ole Henriksen Grease Relief Face Tonic made my skin less oily. I didn't love how this stuff smelled though. It's very strongly scented of Robitussin. You know, the cough medicine. It's so bizarre, and because of that, I highly doubt I'd buy it again. 

The Korres Pomegranate Cream-Gel was just alright. It didn't make my skin feel oily nor did it cause any breakouts. It was just a meh product in my opinion. 

I used up the Boscia Luminizing Black Mask in one use, and it's an interesting one. It's one of those masks that dries and you peel it off your face. I liked it because it pulled out some of my baby hairs that I have all over and it also seemed to brighten up my skin. However, this hurts like a mofo when removing, and you have to use alot of it to get the thick, opaque layer that's needed to get results. 

The L'Occitane Hand Cream in the regular shea scent is phenomenal! I know I've talked about this before so I won't ramble on, but it's hydrating, smells fresh and clean, and doesn't leave my hands feeling greasy after I apply it.

What did you use up last month?

December 2014 Empties

Hello everyone! This is my last empties post from 2014! I used up a good amount of products in December, so lets see what I have!

The first product that was used up is the Silkience 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner. I bought this at Big Lots for I think around $3 when my husband ran out of his shampoo. I didn't want to spend too much money, so he said to get whatever, he's not picky. After he used it a few times, he said he hated it, so I decided to try it out myself. It really is not a good shampoo. It didn't clean well, and didn't feel good rinsing out of my hair either. It felt like I still had product in my hair after using it. My husband has lots of curly, thick hair so for him it was really bad. We used it up though since we don't like wasting, but we will never repurchase!

It wouldn't be an empties post if I didn't have a can of Batiste dry shampoo! This is the Sassy & Daring Wild version, and I think this is my new favorite scent. I typically love the Tropical scent, but I can never find it in stores, and the last time I tried ordering it online from Drugstore.com, my package was lost in the mail, so I had to call and get my money back. So I'm either going to start buying it in-store at Ulta, or on the Ulta website. 

I used up the Nature Made Multi For Her vitamins and this brand of vitamins is definitely my favorite. They're always on sale somewhere, and they're a good price to begin with. Will always repurchase this. 

This perfume is so old! It's from the Victoria's Secret Pink line, and this was called Wish Pink. I remember first seeing these in store and thinking how cute the packaging was. This particular one smelled the least offensive to me, it's sweet with just a hint of floral. I honestly rarely used this as actual perfume. I used it mainly as an air freshener! If I felt like maybe the trash was starting to smell funky, or I just wanted the air to smell nice, I'd do a few spritzes of this, and everything smelled good again. They discontinued this line so long ago, I don't even remember when. 

I was glad to finish up the Bath & Body Works shower gel in the Vanilla Tini scent. I'm pretty sure I've said before that these shower gels aren't my favorite. The scents are nice, but I don't feel like they clean very well, and they make my skin feel drier than the Sahara. I have a few more of these to use up, but I'll never repurchase any. 

This Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream sat in my stash for ages! Once the weather got really cold, I decided to finally use it up. I now know why it sat for so long. The scent is overbearing and it actually made my hands burn and feel more dry. I'm so glad this is finally used up.

I also used up the two lip balms I was rotating through. The first one is the Badger lip balm in the scent Vanilla Madagascar. I love Badger lip balms and typically buy a few when I see them. I have such a large stash of lip balms though so I don't need to repurchase any for a long time. I used this one mainly during the day as it was easy to just take off the lid and swipe it onto my lips. The second one I used up, I used at night and it's the Rosebud Strawberry lip balm. Oh my heavens, does this smell amazing! I love how this applies to the lips, and it gives a nice sheen where it makes your lips look so full and healthy. I usually loaded up on this stuff because my lips dry out alot overnight, but this helps a ton with that. 

I have finally used up the Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips that I've had since before my husband and I met. I always heard these were so bad for your skin, but they really cleaned out the pores on my nose and made them look so small. I typically used one after I washed my face, then I would use a deep cleansing mask afterwards, and it was a match made in heaven. I probably won't go out and repurchase right away (spending ban time!), but eventually I will. 

I used up the little jar of the Ole Henriksen Walnut Complexion Scrub. I was using this for ages because you only need the tiniest amount to get the job done. I could've sworn I had a review of this, but I actually don't. I do have the larger size jar to use up as well, so I may review it sometime soon! I really am a fan of this scrub. It makes my skin feel so soft and smooth, and the grains are the perfect size and not too irritating. 

I had a little sample size tube of the Sephora Instant Moisturizer hiding in my closet and decided to use it up. I have mixed feelings about this. I love how it spreads evenly on the skin and it makes it feel really soft at first. As the day goes on however, my skin turns into a big greaseball. The scent is also a little overwhelming, it's very floral-y. I probably will not repurchase. 

I also used up the Valentia Even Glow Serum, which I reviewed here. This serum is amazing! It felt so lovely on my skin, it sinks right in, it smells like oranges, and it helped brighten up my complexion when it was looking really dull and tired. I'm tempted to buy this, but with the massive amount of skincare I have in my stash, and it being $35, I'm going to pass on it for now. 

I've been trying to use up alot of the samples I have, and I wanted to try the Lancome Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector. This product is no joke guys! I know the bottle is really tiny, but I noticed a difference in my skin the next morning after using this. This is supposed to help with wrinkles, pores and evenness, and I swear to you, my pores were almost invisible when I used this. I do have another one of these little bottles to use, but I won't buy the the full size. A 1 ounce bottle costs $79, and the 1.7 ounce costs a whopping $115!

The last product I have used up is the Korres Wild Rose moisturizer. I didn't like this really. It felt heavy on my skin, even with it being so cold out, and the rose scent was too strong for my liking. I do think I have another one of these small tubes to use up, so I'll probably use it up soon before it starts to get warm, otherwise I'll be an oily mess after using it. 

Well that's everything I used up in December! I have to say, I was curious to see how many products I had used up this past year, so I went through all my empties posts and counted the products. From January through December, I have used up 181 products! I can't believe that! I was in shock when I saw that. But hey, that just leaves room to buy more products to try and use up, after my spending ban of course! ;)

What did you use up in December? Did you count how many products you went through?

HAUL! The Body Shop, Ulta, Wegmans, Sephora

Hey guys! Unfortunately for my wallet, I went on yet another beauty shopping spree. I tell ya, I can't resist a good sale and coupons! I went to The Body Shop, Ulta, Sephora and oddly enough, my local grocery store, Wegmans. Lets see what I got!

I'll start off with The Body Shop. They were having an awesome buy 3, get 3 free deal so obviously I couldn't pass that up. Once I got what I wanted, I was told I had my $15 gift to use if I wanted, so I said heck yeah! The girl there also said that anything else I got would be buy 1, get 1 free since I had already done the original deal. I made out like a bandit to say the least and with tax only spent a little over $50. 

Anyways, first we have two mini body butters. The one on the top is the Shea scent and the bottom is Cocoa Butter. If you know me or have read my blog for a while, you know how much I love their body butters. I don't use them much in the Summer since my skin isn't as dry, but the mini versions were just too cute to pass up. 

Next up we have one of my most beloved products ever, and that's the Hemp Hand Protector. Aside from the packaging being annoying, the actual product inside is amazing! I personally love the smell of this, but alot of people find it too strong. I love this hand cream in the Winter when my hands get so dry, they crack and really hurt. This hand cream pretty much solves that problem overnight. Love this stuff!

I decided to stock up on another beloved product, the Aloe Calming Toner. Y'all know I've talked about this a million times and it's in almost every empties post I write up. Holy Grail toner and I'll always buy this stuff in bulk.

I haven't used these next products in a while, but I've always loved their Aloe Protective Serum. This is great as a moisturizer for me in the Summer, or in the Winter I like to mix it in with a moisturizer for extra hydration. I couldn't remember if I had any at home, so I picked up two bottles. Of course when I got home, I did notice I have some backups. Oops!

Then we have the Aloe Eye Defense. I love this eye cream so much, mainly because it's incredibly gentle, yet it's still hydrating enough to make the skin around my eyes look and feel good. I also noticed I had a backup of this too. I need to start looking through my stash before I buy things!

Lastly for The Body Shop, we have two of their lip butters. I purchased the Shea scent and Coconut scent. I love these lip butters alot because they're incredibly hydrating and creamy, but they leave a white cast on my lips, so I only use them at night before bed, or throughout the day if I'm not going anywhere. 

Next up is Ulta! I was really wanting to go to Ulta because I had a 20% off coupon to use on anything, but the kicker was that coupon also worked on high end brands! Granted, it only took off 10% but hey, I wasn't complaining! I also had some points to use so I made out well here.

The first product I got is the Real Techniques Powder Brush. I love these brushes so much and while there wasn't a sale on them, I figured with the 20% coming off of this product, it wasn't a bad deal. I have yet to try this, but I'm sure I'll love it because I haven't been disappointed in any of their brushes I've tried.

Next up is the it Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Poreless Finish Micro Powder. I have never tried anything from it Cosmetics before and this stood out to me as a great finishing powder. I have really oily skin with pores galore, so I have high hopes for this.

The it Cosmetics Naturally Pretty Vol. 1 Matte Eyeshadow Palette is the original reason I wanted to go to Ulta in the first place. I'd seen review after review of this and everyone loved it. Even though I have both Lorac Pro palettes that have a good amount of matte shades in them, I wanted an all matte palette that had more than 5 or 6 colors in it. I plan on doing a review of this eventually but I have to say, the colors are stunning!

When I was checking out, the girl at the counter gave me this It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in Product as a free sample. I was so happy I practically yelled thank you at her! I've never tried this before but I've always heard good things about it. Can't wait to try it now!

Next is Wegmans. I'm not sure how many stores there are in the country but I have a feeling it's more of an upper eastern store. I'm in Pennsylvania, but I know there are stores in New York and they're constantly growing. A new store opened up next to the mall I work in, so it's incredibly convenient for me if I have to stop for groceries after work. 

Anyways, I usually check out what cosmetics/skincare/beauty stuff they have and I've been wanting to try the Garnier Clean Shine Control Cleansing Gel. This is a charcoal cleanser, and I really love charcoal on my skin. It really cleans it well and lessens the look of my pores. This stuff smells nice to me as well so I'm excited to try it!

Now we have the L'Oreal Youth Code Texture Perfector Serum. I have no idea if this is getting discontinued or my store is just not going to carry this anymore, but it was on clearance for only about $5. I'm pretty sure I heard about this product on YouTube and was curious about it, so when I saw this on clearance I kinda freaked. If I end up liking this and find out it's getting discontinued, I'll cry.

Lastly is another clearance item, and it's the Olay Fresh Effects Everything Off! Makeup Removal Cloths. I kid you not, these were only like $3 for this entire pack of 25. I also don't know if this is getting discontinued, or if it's getting repackaged, but I figured for $3 it wasn't too bad to try them out. 

Lastly, we have Sephora. Now these products are from two separate purchases. One was online and the other was from Sephora inside JC Penny. These purchases also renewed my VIB status through 2015, so expect another haul soonishly!

First up is the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Overnight Mask. I heard about this from YouTube and thought it seemed like an interesting product. You can use this on clean skin or after moisturizer, but you leave it on overnight and wash it off in the morning. It's supposed to brighten and nourish your skin, so I'm definitely curious to see what it does for me.

Next up is something I had been eyeing for a long time and it's the Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette in Native. When the original one came out, I had wanted that but thought the bronzer was too dark. When they came out with different shades and I saw this, I had to try it. I purchased mine online, but when I was looking at it in store, the blush had barely any pigment to it! I'm thinking it's from all the lights because mine is way more pigmented and beautiful. I'll tell ya, it's the perfect pink shade and the bronzer doesn't look too dark or orange. I'm flipping excited that I have this now!

I was looking at the sale section online because, you know, I like a good deal. I came across this Sephora PRO Cream Shadow #28 brush for only $20. I haven't been using my cream shadows because I don't really like getting my fingers dirty, plus it gets under my nails and makes a mess. I saw this and thought maybe it would work for me. I have tried this and am happy to report that I love it! It picks up just enough product and blends it on my lids perfectly. I will start using more of my cream shadows now that I have this. 

Well, I caved and bought the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask. This is an expensive little bugger but it's gotten a ton of hype. I do tend to have super dry lips, so this could be worth the hefty price tag if it helps me. 

When I was looking at all the Bite Beauty products in store, I was surprised to see the Deconstructed Rose Lip Gloss Library as I think it's limited edition. I had heard FleurdeForce talk about this and she loved every single color. My store only had one left in stock, so after I had a little fun with the testers, I decided to buy it even though it was close to $50. The glosses aren't a huge size, but I feel it gives me a good enough amount of product to decide whether or not I like them. Bite Beauty in general gets good reviews, so I do have pretty high hopes for these.

The very last product we have is the Ole Henriksen 3 Little Wonders Professional Strength AM/PM regimen. This was online and was given out for free with a certain code. Even though they're sample foil packets, there are 7 days worth but if you're anything like me, I'll try to make it last longer. Ole Henriksen products are kinda expensive, so I'm definitely gonna try and get good use out of them.

That's everything! Sorry the post is so darn long, but I did get alot of stuff! Like I said above, Those Sephora purchases extended my VIB status and I got a 10% off coupon to use, so expect another haul soon! ;)

What have you hauled lately?

June 2014 Favorites

Hey everyone! This past month wasn't too exciting product wise. I was pretty sick for most of June and I think I mentioned in my last post or the one before that I was doing physical therapy for my back. I'm still in physical therapy and I'm still trying to get over what I was sick with. Fun times, man! Anyways, there were a few products that did stand out this past month, so here they are!

 My first favorite is the Clarisonic Skincare Gentle Hydro Cleanser. This came in a kit when I got my Clarisonic for my 21st birthday. It's been hanging in my stash for a while but it works great! This cleanser says it's good for all skin types and sensitive skin. It's a very creamy cleanser, but doesn't make my skin feel more oily, if anything it's helping to balance it out. I use this at night and a few times a week I'll use it along with my Clarisonic. I love how it makes my skin feel and it takes makeup off amazingly well. Buying it on its own costs $25, which to me is a bit pricey for what it is. 

My next favorite is the Ole Henriksen Walnut Complexion Scrub. This scrub is fantastic! It smells so fresh and clean, but the scrubbing action is where it's at! It has the perfect amount of scrub to where it feels like it's doing something and it makes my skin look happy and glowing. This is a little 1 ounce container that came in a skincare sampler kit, and I'm seriously considering buying the full size of this, I love it so much! The full size product is 1.7 ounces and costs $24. 

Next up we have the Nars Blush in the infamous Orgasm shade. Everyone and their dog has either talked about or seen this product before so I won't go into how wonderful it is. I love it on my fair skin and it was pretty much the only blush I used all month when I wore makeup.

My last favorite is the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette. I kinda stopped using this when I was going through all my makeup trying to use up different products. I fell back in love with this and the Naked 2 (which I can't find right now!) when I was doing my makeup one day, and used this for most of the month. 

What products did you love in June?

June 2014 Ipsy Bag

Hey guys! A few days ago I received my Ipsy bag in the mail, and I was really flipping excited for this month because I always look in my glam room before I actually get the bag in the mail. I'm probably weird to spoil what should be a surprise, but I just like to see what I'm getting beforehand. Anyways, onto the bag and goodies!

So apparently the bag was designed by Rebecca Minkoff, and I really actually like this bag! It's cute and Summery and I can see myself carrying this around with me. I'll be honest though, I don't really care if something is "designer" or not, but this is a pretty bag! Onto the products!

The first product I received is the Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray. I could honestly do without this because I don't do much with my hair, I just put it into a ponytail basically everyday. I haven't tried it, but the only thing I like so far is the smell. Holy coconuts does this smell delicious! Reminds me of The Body Shop's coconut body butter. LOVE!

Next up we have the Ole Henriksen Truth To Go Wipes. I was so ecstatic to get these because I've always wanted to try them. If I'm not mistaken, Fleur from FleurdeForce on YouTube raves about these. If she likes them, then I probably will too!

Then we have another awesome product, a NYX Butter Gloss in the color Eclair. I already have 5 of these babies and I prayed that I didn't get one I already had. Luckily I don't have this particular one, and I'm thrilled to add another to my collection! These glosses are fabulous and I want pretty much every color they have.

Be a Bombshell is starting to get annoying for me. I've received plenty of their products in past Ipsy bags, but I'm a mascara hoarder lover, so it doesn't hurt to try out another, right? I will say though, the smell is pretty pungent, like plastic overload. Kinda turns me off, but I'll save it for when I feel like trying it out. 

The last product I received is the Jesse's Girl Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner. I can't tell you how excited I am to try this! I've seen this given out in other bags before, but I was never lucky enough to get one, until now. I can't wait to try this out, it seems really black and also easy to use.

Swatch of NXY gloss and Jesse's Girl eyeliner

Well that's everything I got this month! Ipsy has totally redeemed itself for me this time, and unless the next few bags really are terrible, I'm staying subscribed for quite a while! 

If you want to receive awesome products like this every month, sign up here! It's only $10 a month, plus shipping for some.

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

Post Spending Ban Sephora Haul!

As most of you probably know, I started my three month spending ban January 1st, which ran until April 1st. I think I did very well until the last few weeks. I bought quite a few beauty products from Walgreen's, Ulta and Walmart but I still didn't spend a ton of money because I had coupons and things were on sale. I'm glad I was able to hold out from purchasing anything from Sephora for that long, but holy schmoly was it hard! Anyways, once I was finished work on April 1st, I came home and placed a Sephora order because I had two gift cards to use up and I wanted to show you guys what I got! 

The first thing I got is the Kat Von D Lock N' Load Makeup Setting Mist. I have about a third of the Urban Decay De-Slick Setting Spray left so I wanted to get another setting spray to try out. I like the Urban Decay one but this one was a few bucks cheaper. I like Kat Von D's eyeshadow palettes, but have never tried this particular product before, so I'm hoping I like it!

The next thing I got is the Ole Henriksen Walnut Complexion Scrub. Ole Henriksen products are so amazing, but pretty expensive. Since I had a gift card I figured I'd give this scrub a try. I'm trying to get my skin in really good shape before my wedding in September, so I'm hoping this helps me out a bit.

Then I got the Soap & Glory A Great Kisser Lip Moisture Balm. I'm really excited to try this because I love Soap & Glory products, but I honestly don't think I've mentioned any on my blog before! Their skincare is nice and I have yet to try that hand cream of theirs that everyone and their mother raves about. This lip balm will probably be what I'll use at night before bed.

Now these next products I used points for, aside from the blue First Aid Beauty box. That's a deluxe sample of their Dual Repair Face Cream where you just had to input a code to receive. The main thing I'm excited for here is the Ole Henriksen Trans4mational Skincare set. This was a 500 point perk and I was so happy it was still there when I placed my order because I had my eye on this set for ages. This is a good little set for travel or if you want to test out this brand's products. The Algenist Regenerative Anti-Aging Lotion was a 100 point perk and I just wanted to try it out and see how my skin likes it. I'm 24 so I should start thinking about some anti-aging products for my skin, because I don't want wrinkles!

These last few things are the sample packets they always send you with online orders. Not sure if you guys are interested in seeing what samples I got, but I figured I'd show them anyways. I got two Fresh samples, one was the Soy Face Cleanser and the second one was the Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream. I hear good things about this brand but I know the products are really expensive so when Sephora has Fresh samples, I try and snag them. The next sample is First Aid Beauty's Face Cleanser. I haven't tried this before but I heard it can sting the eyes, so I'll try it and see what happens. The last sample is Philosophy Full of Promise face cream. Again, this is anti-aging and seems really moisturizing, so I'll probably try it out at night when I don't care about being greasy. 

Well that's everything! I'm super happy with my purchase and can't wait to try everything out! I'm also really happy that I had $60 worth of gift cards to use so I only had to spend a few bucks of my own money. I'll probably be doing a little more Sephora shopping soon!

Have you tried any of these products? If so, what do you think?

How To Take Care of and Treat: Combination Skin

Today I'm going to talk about combination skin. Combination skin can sometimes be a little finicky to treat because you can be combination/oily, which means you can lean towards being more oily, combination/dry, which means you lean a little more towards dry skin or just combination, which is a combo of oily and dry. There might have to be some trial and error in finding the right products to help take care of your skin.

Now, for a cleanser, don't look for something that's strictly for oily skin because it can dry it out real bad, but also stay away from super moisturizing cleansers as well (unless you lean a little towards the drier side). For me, I get combination to combination/oily skin in the later part of the Fall, into Winter, and the very beginning of Spring. A cleanser I absolutely love to use in the winter is Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash. Seriously, this cleanser is so fantastic and it's one of the only cleansers that I can use when it's colder outside. Here is a description of what it says on Sephora, "When it comes to faces with dry and oily places, it takes a clever cleanser to balance the two. This gentle, frothy face wash carefully does both jobs without canceling each other out. Skin feels comfortably refreshed after cleansing, never tight, pulled or parched." I couldn't agree more with this description. It cleans my skin well, but doesn't leave it parched and dry and also doesn't leave my feeling oily as the day goes on. A little goes a very long way with this cleanser. A little pea-sized drop will do, so it will last you a very long time, and it's only $20, so that's not too bad for a higher end cleanser. A nice drugstore cleanser is Biore Combination Skin Balancing Cleanser. I haven't used this in years, so I don't remember too much how it worked, but I do remember liking it at the time. 

With toners, like I said with dry skin, you can skip unless you absolutely feel the need to use one. A toner I really, really love is Bliss Daily Detoxifying Facial Toner. This toner is so amazing. It keeps my skin hydrated enough in the winter but it doesn't create any grease on my skin either. A good drugstore toner is Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner. I really think any skin type could use this, but it's just a simple, basic toner to help prep for moisturizer.

Onto moisturizers. This could be tricky depending on which combination skin you have. If you have combo/oily, try Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. This stuff is like a cult classic in the world of beauty. If this one doesn't seem moisturizing, try the lotion version instead (which is really geared more toward combo/dry, but hey, it doesn't hurt to test it out). For combo/dry skin, try out Ole Henriksen Truth Creme Advanced Hydration. Now I know this sounds like it's for people with totally dry skin, but this one has a lighter texture, so it's not as heavy as a cream. This stuff is pretty expensive too, so for a drugstore moisturizer, try Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture, Combination Skin. I'll admit, in the dead of winter, in like the middle of January, my skin can actually get pretty dry and this is the only moisturizer that hydrates my skin just enough, but doesn't make it an oil slick.

Now for sunblock! Finding a sunblock for combination skin can be a bit tricky as well because it can moisturize the dry areas, but make oilier areas more oily and it can just be really annoying. Unless you wear foundation everyday that's got a high SPF, you're definitely gonna need a sunblock and one I hear good things about is Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 40. This can even replace a regular moisturizer if you don't want to layer too much on. this is also a little pricey so a nice drugstore alternative is Neutrogena Dry Touch Sunblock. I know I recommended this for oily skin, but this can be wonderful for combination skin as well. And there are a ton of SPF levels on this sunblock, so choose which one you like. I prefer the SPF 55. 

Alright, now I really hope this helped anyone who has issues finding products for their combination skin. I know it can be such a pain finding something good. Trust me, that's why I hate my skin most in the winter because it changes almost everyday at that time, and like I said before, it can be trial and error in finding what's right. But when you do find something that works, stick with it. In the end, it'll be so worth it.