November 2015 Empties

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What did you use up recently?

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Review: RevivSerums TelomErase Serum

*Disclosure* I received this product complimentary from BrandBacker for review purposes. All opinions are 100% honest and my own, like always

Hey everyone! Today I'm going to be reviewing a product that sounded so interesting, and I was really excited when I was given 2 deluxe samples to try. The RevivSerums TelomErase Serum sounds like a miracle for the skin when you read the ingredient list and the claims it has. 

Here is some info of the product from the RevivSerums website: 

TelomErase Triple Telomere Targeting Serum is next-gen age-defying technology: a 6-in-1 multi-corrective that erases, tightens, brightens, blurs, moisturizes and regenerates. It contains the most powerful combination of new ingredients available to visibly reduce the appearance of sags & bags, dark circles, fine lines, sunspots, redness, pore size & laxity.

Here is a list of the key ingredients, and what they're for, also from their website:

CYCLOASTRAGENOL is a novel molecule isolated from the astragalus membranaceous root. This hard-to-source ingredient has been shown to have telomerase activation activity both in vivo and in vitro and has been shown to reverse visible signs of aging.

TELOSOMYL® is a unique ingredient enriched in linear galactans derived from a particular type of red algae, Kappaphycus alvarezii. TELOSOMYL when tested on pre-senescent human fibroblasts, significantly reduces stress-induced telomere shortening by 65%. In a confocal microscopy study, 75% of human test subjects received more than a 30% improvement in the appearance of the dermal matrix. In a fringe projection study, TELOSOMYL improved skin roughness in 79% of the test subjects, and improved skin volume in 67%.

RENOVAGE™ has clinically proven anti-aging effects by addressing telomere stabilization.  

PEPHA®-TIGHT is a unique natural tightening and firming active ingredient that delivers both a fast, instant tightening experience, and a superior long term skin firming effect.

EYESERYL®: A tetrapeptide with a recognized efficacy against puffy eyebags, Eyeseryl reduced eyebags in 70% of test volunteers after only 15 days, as well as decreased dark circles under the eyes by inhibiting vascular permeability. It can also provide a visible lifting action on sagging upper eyelids.

REGU®-AGE: is specially purified soy and rice peptides and yeast-derived superoxide dismutase. It has been shown to visibly reduce dark circles and eye puffiness, strengthen connective tissue, reduce inflammation and prevent UV damage.

aFGF (Recombinant Human acidic Fibroblast Growth Factor): This growth factor or cytokine helps stimulate skin stem cells to rejuvenate both the epidermal cells and the underlying fibroblast cells, which produce collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid. aFGF can help remove the appearance of pigmentation, improve complexion, reverse skin damage and tighten skin.

SYMSITIVE™ 1609 works as a fast-acting “anti-nerve hyper-activator” to calm over-reaction of hypersensitive skin, and help prevent stinging, burning & tingling. 

NANO-LIPOBELLE™ DN CoQ10: A supersaturated CoQ10 double phospholipid nano-emulsion, Nano-Lipobelle DN CoQ10 contains ultra-small particles of highly purified coenzyme Q10, tocopherol (vitamin E) and ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate (vitamin C), creating a liposome. Together, they ensure fast penetration into deeper skin layers to maintain activity & potency and become a potent moisturizer.

So basically, this serum is truly supposed to be a miracle for your skin. In my honest opinion, after using up both of the sample bottles I was given, I don't think it's a miracle, but it is a nice serum. I used the first bottle just at night, then used the second one at night and in the morning. I don't think that made a difference, though. Either way, my skin felt hydrated, soft and my pores definitely seemed to be smaller. I never used it under my eyes since they're super sensitive to what I put there. Overall, I am happy with what this did for my skin, but then again, I don't have wrinkles or sunspots. I'm not terribly happy with the price tag of this... 

A full sized 2 ounce bottle normally costs a whopping $300! I was given a coupon code for you guys to receive 10% off of the $149 introductory sale price, if you use the code TIGHT10, through December 31st. You can find the product here. 

Note: Because of patent restrictions, not to be sold or shipped to Japan. 

I don't know about you guys, but this stuff is incredibly expensive. I only had tiny samples to work with that only gave me about 2 weeks worth of use. I don't think I'd personally buy this myself, but if I had the money to spend, I might just to see if the full size is worth it.

What do you think of this serum? Does it sound like something you would try?