Collective Ulta & Sephora Beauty Insider Haul

I've purchased some beauty bits since the Summertime, and wanted to share with you all what I picked up! I've been on a kick lately with self-care in taking better care of my skin and occasionally doing my makeup more. I'm so excited I got to treat myself and can't wait to give everything a try!

I'll start off with the most exciting purchases, eyes shadow palettes! You all know eye shadow palettes are my favorite, and I ended up picking up 3 during different sales where I received 20% off my purchase, and that included prestige brands. I don't really watch Jaclyn Hill much on YouTube anymore, but her eye shadow palette that she put out with Morphe looked absolutely beautiful. Now with Morphe being sold at Ulta, I'm more inclined to try their products. 

I don't have very many MAC products in my collection, but the Cool Neutral eye shadow palette really tripped my trigger. I LOVE cool toned shadows, and I feel like every palette out there is warm toned, so this is a welcome palette to my collection. 

Anastasia Beverly Hills makes some amazing products (the clear brow gel is fantastic!), and I typically love their palettes. With the whole Subculture debacle, I was wary of buying any more from them. However, the Prism palette is just so stunning, and limited edition, so I knew I had to have it before it went away for good. I have yet to try it on my eyes, but I'm excited to, even though reviews I've seen are mixed. 

Skincare is always my weakness, and I haven't used Dermalogica products in ages. Their Active Moist moisturizer was a favorite of mine years ago when I was in cosmetology school. I figured I'd give it a try again to see if I still like it. 

Face masks are my favorite skincare product to use, and I had never heard of the brand Skin & Lab before. They have a few different kinds of masks, but I chose their Glacial Clay Facial Mask, which is said to be a purifying cooling & pore refining treatment with Canadian colloidal & Avena satiba oatmeal. This mask seems to be right up my alley!

I'm in need of replacing my beloved The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner since it's so pricey now, and with the 20% off coupon, I decided to give the Mario Badescu Keratoplast Cleansing Lotion a try. It seems like a simple toner and only has a few ingredients, so I'm hopeful this is a good one.

'Tis the season for dry hands and lips. I tend to go through hand creams and lip balms like they're going out of style once the weather cools down, so I decided to get the Delectable Dream Cream Ultra Nourishing Hand Cream set, and the Skinfix Lip Fix set. I went through so many lip balms and hand creams when my daughter was in the NICU, and I still seem to go through alot, so I can never have enough!

These Hempz products were a gift with purchase for spending a certain amount, and I had never tried any of these products, so I figured I'd give them a go. It came with the Triple Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner, Hand Sanitizer, Body Cream and Lip Balm.

I wasn't planning on purchasing anything from the recent Rouge/VIB/Beauty Insider sale Sephora recently had, but this was the first year Beauty Insiders received a discount. I'm no longer Rouge, and much prefer Ulta's reward system, but the Kat Von D Saint & Sinner eye shadow palette for Holiday 2017 stood out to me. I missed out on last year's palette, Metal Matte, and I kick myself for not getting it still, so I knew I had to get Saint & Sinner. 

I also cashed in 100 points since I rarely buy from Sephora, so I got the Farmacy Honey Potion Hydration Mask. This is a brand I've been dying to try, and my skin needs some extra hydration lately. 

Is there anything you've purchased lately from recent sales?

August & September 2017 Empties

It's been quiet again here on the blog. I'm still trying to get into a groove with being a mom and a blogger, so I'm sorry if all goes quiet every so often. I have some empties from August and September to share, and I'm quite impressed with my progress! I was going to wait until the end of October, but this month has been pretty awesome with using up products, so stay tuned for that post! 

Most of this post will be skincare, and these are some smaller products and samples. I used up two foil packet samples, one being the Jurlique Skin Balancing Face Oil and the other being a Diskinson's Oil Controlling Towelette. I liked the face oil as a final step to my skincare routine at night. It kept my skin feeling hydrated, and I woke up with baby soft skin. The towelette I used in the morning as a toner before serum and moisturizer. I have tons of these honestly, and I liked it a lot. 

The Azure Naturals Ultimate Vitamin C Serum was alright. I had it in my stash for a while, and got bored of it fast. I typically like Vitamin C serums, but I didn't like this one in the end. 

I decluttered the Jersey Shore Sun Sans Tan sunscreen after trying to use it once. It had separated horribly and the smell was off, so in the trash it goes. 

I really enjoyed the Bliss Best of Skintentions moisturizer. I like the scent and how it sinks into my skin without making it feel greasy. I have a few of these samples in my stash still, so I hope to use them up before the end of the year. 

We all know I love Derma e products, and I had done a review of their Firming DMAE Eye Lift a while ago. This product took forever to use up, and I loved it til the last drop! I would absolutely buy this when I use up the eye creams I have already. 

My love for sheet masks is still strong, but masking in general has been hard with a baby and life. I managed to use the Tony Moly I'm Real Moisturizing Aloe Mask, and the Sephora brand Pearl Mask meant for perfecting and brightening. I enjoyed both, but prefer the Tony Moly mask. Even though I have oily skin, I've been dealing with dry patches and flakes. Now with the weather changing, it'll just get worse, so hydration is key for me. 

I used up another of my beloved Aloe Calming Toners from The Body Shop. I've loved and used this toner for years, and only have 2 or 3 as backups. It's gotten too pricey for what it is, in my opinion, so I'll be looking for a replacement at a lower cost. 

The last few products are miscellaneous. I've had the Tresemme Platinum Strength shampoo and conditioner in my shower for way too long, and surprisingly I used up the conditioner first. I love this brand and would buy it again. It's inexpensive and gets the job done, plus makes my hair feel like a million bucks. 

There are two less Bath & Body Works products in my stash, and I used up the Pumpkin Coconut candle, which smells heavenly, and the Spring Time & Clementines deep cleansing hand soap. I cannot wait to use up all these hand soaps, and move on to others that are less expensive. 

I had purchased the Dermasil Dry Skin Treatment moisturizer at the dollar store of all places, and it worked better than some of my expensive moisturizers. I don't think I'd purchase again, only because I have so many body creams and lotions to use up. 

Number of products used up: 13
Total used up for the year: 56

Definitely not where I want to be with the products used up, but I'm very happy with my progress. I think my original goal was to use up 150 products, but with really only 2 months of the year left, that won't happen. If I can get to 75, I can start fresh in January and really work towards my goal of using up products and decluttering my life. 

What are some products you used up recently?

Sephora VIB Sale, Ulta & Birthday Haul

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This post is coming quite a few months late, but for very good reason. My birthday was back in December, and Sephora usually does their VIB sale sometime around late November or so. I decided to treat myself to some beauty bits while my daughter was still in the hospital. 

After Olivia came along, I was mainly into skincare and getting my skin in good shape. I hadn't worn makeup in ages, and still haven't worn any since she was born. I still have boatloads of makeup that I slowly want to get back into doing, but skincare is my main focus. During the VIB Rouge sale (which I am no longer part of Rouge), I had picked up 3 of the Sephora Favorites sets: Soko to Tokyo, Scouted by Sephora, and Beauty Sleep. All of these sets came with brands that I had been dying to try, and now that Olivia is finally home, I can really focus on getting my good skin back. 

After the VIB Rouge sale, I got one of those $25 off of $50 giftcards sometime in December, so I ended up buying a few things for my birthday. I got the Too Cool For School Egg Cream Mask set that comes with 6 sheet masks. Ever since I learned how to properly use a sheet mask, they've become so much more fun to use. I also got the Tony Moly Coconut Face Mask Sheet in the 2-pack. 

To get to the $50, I purchased two lip balms from Smith's: one in Minted Rose, and the other in Rose & Mandarin. I've used these balms before in other scents, and love how they smell and feel on my lips. They're nice and thick, and perfect to use before bed to really soak in and hydrate dry, cracked lips. 

Since it was my birthday, I chose to get the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser as my birthday gift. I really like how there are options to choose from now, versus just a one product for all people. I also had 500 points to burn, so I chose the Glamglow face mask and cleanser set. I love the masks in the white and blue jars, but not so much the black one. I have yet to try their cleansers, but will probably save it for the warmer months when my skin gets more oily. 

I need more eyeshadow palettes like I need a hole in the head, but everyone and their dog was raving about the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette. Since Ulta gives you double points during your birthday month, and it was a time where I had a 20% off coupon, I treated myself. The colors are super pretty, but more warm toned than I'm used to. I honestly still have yet to try it with all the stuff going on with Olivia. 

Since I was on a skincare kick, I got some individual sheet masks from Tony Moly: Refreshing, Skin Purifying, Moisturizing, Pore Care, Skin Soothing, and Clear Skin. These sheet masks are so inexpensive and I always hear great things about them. I can't wait to dig in and try them!

I hope you all didn't mind my ultra late haul from my birthday and the VIB sale! Since these purchases, I haven't bought a single thing and have put myself on a spending ban for the entire year. Maybe once December rolls around again, I'll treat myself for my birthday, but other than that, I truly don't need a thing beauty related. Is there anything you've bought recently that you're liking?  

Beauty Wishlist: Fall 2016

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Hey everyone! I know I've been slacking again on the blogging recently. So much is going on in life and quite honestly, I'm just stressed out so the last thing I've wanted to do lately is sit down and write. Today though, I wanted to share with you all a few things that I've been seriously lusting over in the beauty world. As you might know, I've put myself on a spending ban and haven't purchased anything beauty related since April. There are so many new releases, and products that have been out for a little while that I just want to get my hands on. 

 

Lorac Mega Pro Palette 3 - Lorac never ceases to amaze me with their shadow formula, and it has definitely become my favorite formula to work with. Just look at how beautiful these shades are! This palette officially releases on October 2nd at Ulta Beauty for $59, and I think this is the one product I will allow myself to splurge on. I have the other two Mega Pro palettes, and the first two smaller ones, so naturally this is a must.


 

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush Palette Color Wheel - Now I really don't need anymore blushes in my life, but this palette gives me some major feels. I hear angels singing looking at this beauty. I'm a pretty big fan of the Tarte Amazonian clay blushes since they last on my oily skin, so this is incredibly tempting to get. This is a Sephora exclusive that sells for just $44.

 

Clarisonic Mia 2 Sea Breeze First Aid Beauty Set - I adore the Clarisonic. I've had my current one since my 21st birthday (almost 7 years now), and I can tell that it's starting to crap out on me. It works fine still, but it doesn't hold a charge very long. I don't use it very often, maybe twice a week at most, but I find that I have to charge it up constantly because it dies fast. I've been looking into getting a new one and this set comes with a few First Aid Beauty products, which is a brand I'm fond of, along with a Luxe Facial Brush Head and a Sensitive Brush Head. This set costs $169 and I'm pretty sure it's a Sephora exclusive. 

 

itCosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Eye Cream - it Cosmetics has recently launched at Sephora, and they have a few skincare items that are Sephora exclusives, this eye cream being one of them. What caught my eye with this is the claims that it smooths, brightens and depuffs. If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know I'm expecting a baby girl who is due on Christmas Eve. After she's born, I know I'll have many sleepless nights (and days) taking care of her needs and mama will look like a Walking Dead zombie. Anything that can help to brighten and depuff tired mommy eyes, I'm all for. This costs $48. 

  

Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Eye Shadow Palette - This bad boy has been out for a while and has so much hype surrounding it. Every video I watch on this and every blog post I read has nothing but amazing things to say. The colors are gorgeous, and swatches I've seen have been incredible. I'm now convinced that this needs to be in my collection, but it's sold out online everywhere at the moment. This costs $42 which is a great price for a palette.  

We would be here for hours if I kept adding products to this list, so I'll leave it at five. There are so many awesome products I'm dying to get my hands on, but with my priorities being on baby girl lately, I haven't treated myself to anything. If there is anything else you all think I should check out, let me know in a comment! I'd love to hear what you are lusting over!

Also, let me know what kind of posting schedule you would like to see from me. I don't have the time to post every single day, or even 5 days a week. I was thinking maybe Monday, Wednesday, Friday but would love some input!

August 2016 Favorites

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Hi guys! August was much better on the favorites front, as the last few months have been kinda blah due to pregnancy and life, and not caring much about makeup, skincare, or anything beauty related. I have a few favorites to share with you today, so lets get to it!

I've been making it a point to use a hair mask or deep conditioner about every other hair washing. I'm way overdue for a haircut, so I'm trying to keep it looking as soft and manageable as possible until I can get it cut. I've been really into the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Deeeeep Conditioner. Why are there so many E's in deep? I have no idea, but this stuff makes my hair feel fantastic! It works by just squeezing the tube and product comes right out. No need to take caps off or have the bottle fall onto the floor (that happens quite a bit now, and having a pregnant belly in my way makes it difficult to pick things up). It smells nice too, and is fairly inexpensive. 

Next up is a travel size of the Tree Hut Shea Sugar Body Scrub in the Coconut Lime scent. Taking care of the skin on my body has become more important as well due to my growing belly, and just having drier skin in general. I already have old stretch marks from weight gain and loss over the years, but I have no new ones (yet), and I attribute that to using this scrub and moisturizing regularly now. I absolutely love how this smells, and I pretend I'm on the beach with a pina colada in my hand every time I use this, even though I'd need a virgin one instead!

The Dr. Brandt Oxygen Facial Flash Recovery Mask has got to be my new favorite mask. I did a full review on it here, and have just been amazed with how awesome my skin looks after using this. It's ridiculously expensive, but when I have the money to splurge, I'm so buying this again. I love how it foams up on the skin, and it gives me such an amazing glow that pregnancy hasn't necessarily given me. 

I did a post back in February on three Serious Lip Balms. Since I'm a lip balm hoarder and only use pretty much one at a time, These kinda fell to the wayside. I pulled out the Snickerdoodle scent after using up a balm that I had been trying to use up for many months, and remembered how much I love these! They're so hydrating, they have amazing scents but no taste, and the women behind the brand are incredible people. Definitely be sure to check out my review of these balms!

I know I've mentioned the Sephora Ultra Shine Lip Gloss in the shade Pin Up Pink before in a favorites, but I can't get enough of this gloss! I'm finally about half way through this deluxe sized tube and will be sad when it's gone. I just love how soft and not sticky these feel on the lips, and they make my lips look so full and luscious. If I didn't have a million different lip glosses to use up, I'd go out and buy this in a heartbeat.  

What were some of your favorites in August?

Easy, Everyday Makeup Routine

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Hey guys! This post was meant to go up yesterday, but you know, life happens sometimes. Anyway, I'm getting into the habit of doing my makeup more often. Since becoming pregnant, I honestly didn't care one bit about makeup and didn't wear any for the longest time. I wanted to start wearing it again just to help feel more confident, even though I feel like a bloated whale. I have a pretty easy, go-to look when I don't want to really think about what I'm doing, and I wanted to share it with you. 

I usually start off with my eyes, so these are the products I used:

- Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze
- Urban Decay Naked2 Basics
- Lancome Color Design Sensational Effects Eye Shadow (these are usually in a gift with purchase set)
- Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Perversion
- Urban Decay Perversion Mascara
- Urban Decay Supercurl Mascara

For the face, I went very light since it's so incredibly hot here lately:

- Sonia Kashuk Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in Fair
- Rimmel Match perfection Concealer in Fair

Lips:

- Sephora Ultra Shine Lip Gloss in Pin Up Pink

I'm super happy with this look, and yes, there is no blush pictured, because I really didn't think I needed it! One of the perks of pregnancy is the supposed "glow" everyone says you get. I never really noticed a glow until very recently, but I'm not complaining! I also do switch out brands and whatnot, but usually keep the look about the same. I'm a neutral girl to a fault, and I really need to step out of my comfort zone more!

What do you use in your everyday makeup routine?

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?

March 2016 Empties

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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