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?

September 2016 Empties

Hey everyone! I know I normally do my monthly favorites before my empties, but honestly, I don't really have any favorites to share! I was lazy again and didn't wear makeup at all. I have been better with my skin, though I haven't been using many new products, and it was a pretty crazy month overall. So, I'm instead just continuing with my empty products!

Starting off with the few skincare products, I used up two different sheet masks. The first one is from When, and it's their The Last Choice mask. I've gotten a little more into sheet masks lately now that I know how to use them better, and the When brand is pretty great. I also used up a Pur~Lisse Blue Lotus + White Tea mask. I had gotten two or three in a previous Ipsy bag, and this was my last one. I really liked this one too, but I don't think I'd go out and purchase myself. 

I used up a deluxe sample of the Shiseido Ibuki Gentle Cleanser as well, and this cleanser is freaking amazing! It gives me that squeaky clean feeling, which I know not many people like, but in the Summer when my skin is super oily, this comes in handy. This tiny tube lasted ages too because you only need the tiniest amount to get the job done. 

I have a few bath and shower products as well. My husband and I both used the St. Ives Rich & Creamy Vanilla Body Wash, and we both enjoyed it! It lathers up really well, smells amazing, and is pretty inexpensive.

I've been working through my Bath & Body Works handsoaps, and this Sugared Vanilla Wish scent is to die for! I wish I had 50 backups of this stuff honestly, but B&BW handsoaps are too expensive in my book, even during a sale, so once I use up what I have, I'll be moving on. 

The Garnier Olia After Color Conditioner came in a boxed hair color from ages ago, and I just never used it up until last month. I love Garnier hair products but I don't care much with coloring my hair anymore. The Olia line of haircolor is fantastic, though!

Lastly is a few random products. I had gotten the Secret Clinical Strength as a sample, and I really do like this. It dries down and doesn't leave a white residue on your clothing, and it smells nice too!

I pretty much exclusively used the Bausch+Lomb Renu Fresh Contact Solution, as it's the only kind that doesn't make my eyes burn. It's rare I wear my contacts anymore, unless I'm going out. I tend to stick with my glasses. 

Technically I didn't use up the two vitamins pictured, but I had to get rid of them. They both contain Folic Acid, and I found out I can't take folic acid, I need folate. Folic acid is the synthetic version of folate, and my body can't break it down like others can, and being pregnant, I need the folate to help keep my baby healthy. The Super B-Complex is by Nature Made, and the Prenatal Vitamin is by The Wellbeing Centre. 

Number of products used up: 10
Total for the year: 113

What have you used up recently?

September Goals

Hey guys! It sure has been a while! Life got a bit crazy here, and these pregnancy hormones are no joke. Since we're in yet another new month, I wanted to go over the goals I had for August, and the ones I want to set for this month. 

Lets see first what I wanted to accomplish in August:

- Straighten up the bedroom: YES! It's looking so much better now, but it still has a ways to go. With just the 2 of us living here the last 4 years, it's amazing how much junk accumulates. 

- Read 1 book: Sort of... I started one book and am about a quarter of the way through. I really need to just read, even if it's for just 10 minutes before bed, or during a face mask.

- Show my husband I appreciate him more: Absolutely! I've been showing him alot more how much I love and appreciate all he does for me and baby girl. My hormones have seriously been no joke and I can be a b*tch and take it out on him, which he doesn't deserve. The man works his butt off 50-60 hours a week, in the medical field mind you, just so we can make ends meet, so the least I can do is give him a big hug and kiss, and let him know how much I care. 

- Pick out a baby name: YES! So we have picked out baby girl's first and middle name, but I'm only going to be sharing her first name here, as we're keeping her middle name a secret from everyone in our lives until she is born. Her name will be Olivia :)

- Use up at least 10 beauty products: Eh, nope! I only used up a total of 7 products this month, which that empties post should be up next week sometime!

- Donate clothing/household items to Purple Heart: YES! We actually had them come out on the 26th and haul away 5 trash bags of things from clothing I couldn't sell, to DVD's and household items. It feels so good getting rid of stuff we no longer need or use!

So I think I did pretty well with my August goals! Here is what I want to do this month:

- Finish the 1 book I started. I know, that's stretching it for me, but I genuinely want to make an effort with this. 

- Go out on a date with my husband. He and I rarely go out and do things anymore. Mainly because of finances, but there also isn't much to do around my area unless you want to go to a bar or head down into Philly, both of which we're not fans of (plus being pregnant, I might get some stares at a bar!). So, since our wedding anniversary is this month, we decided to celebrate and at least go out for either breakfast or dinner. It'll probably be a breakfast date, since we both could eat breakfast foods, all day everyday!

- Donate more to Purple Heart. I am so hoping I can go through more stuff to get rid of, even if it's just a couple bags worth. I always feel amazing being able to give what I don't use anymore to a good cause. 

- Use up 10 beauty products. I failed August with this goal, but I'm so close to finishing a bunch of products, so I'm pretty confident I can do it this month! I had an original goal of using up a combined total of 250 products, but I'm nowhere near it and want to get as close as possible to it before baby Olivia arrives. 

That's all I'll be focusing on this month! I do still plan on working on getting the bedroom sorted out more, but it's getting harder as my belly more so I need to take my time on that one. What are some of your goals for this month? 

September 2015 Empties

Hey guys! This is my first real post in a while. I didn't get a chance to show you all the products I used up last month, so without further ado, here they are!

The first product I used up was a joint effort between myself and my husband. We both really enjoyed the Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Shampoo. It cleans my hair well and actually does make it shiny. Does it work for my husband's curly afro? Not at all with making it shiny, but he says it gets the job done. 

Next up is a Tom's Whole Care Toothpaste in the Spearmint flavor. I didn't care much for this honestly. I'm in love with their Sensitive toothpaste and it's always sold out when I need another one. I would only repurchase the Sensitive version.

Using up body scrubs can take a while for me. I honestly wasn't much of a fan of The Body Shop Coconut Body Scrub. I adore the scent, but it doesn't have enough scrubby action to it to make that much of a difference.

I used up a ton of skincare, which I'm really happy about! Of course it wouldn't be an empties without The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner. I always go on and on about how much I love this stuff. Best toner of life. 

Next up we have the Purederm Choco Cacao Collagen Mask. This came in a Memebox ages ago, and I finally got around to using it. The only good thing about this is that it smells like chocolate. Otherwise, it did nothing for my skin. I just don't really like sheet masks, and I don't know why I keep trying to.

I had the Juice Beauty Green Apple SPF 15 Moisturizer sitting in my collection for ages. I did a sniff test (it smelled fine) and saw that there was no weird separation, so I used it up. I actually really liked this! It smells nice and blends in the skin nicely too without feeling greasy or leaving a white cast. 

I also used up a deluxe sample of the Dermalogica Oil Control Lotion. I had an oily skin kit from the brand in my stash and decided to finally try and use up the products. I used to be obsessed with this moisturizer about 7 or 8 years ago, but now it just doesn't work for my skin. It dried it out pretty bad. My skin must be alot less oily than when I was younger, which is nice!

Another Dermalogica product that came in the kit was the Dermal Clay Cleanser. Again, I used to love this cleanser as it also acted as a quick 3 minute mask to help soak up oils and get rid of blackheads. I also feel that this is just too much for my skin now. The only nice thing I liked about it, is that it feels so refreshing and cooling on a hot Summer day. 

I finally used up the InstaNatural Youth Express Eye Gel. I had done a review on this over a year ago here when I was sent the product to try. I really ended up liking this because it made my eye area feel tighter and brighter. I am glad that I was able to use this up, it sure took a while!

The Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant also came in the oily skin kit I mentioned above. This stuff is freakin' fantastic! Seriously, if I could afford the full size, I'd buy in bulk. This product is basically a powder exfoliant that you add water to, creating a paste. You gently rub it into your skin and when you rinse it off, prepare to feel the softest, smoothest skin you've ever felt. Seriously. This is most definitely gentle enough for daily use, even on my sensitive skin. I adore this product!

The last skincare product I was able to use up is the Radha Beauty Vitamin C Serum. I really enjoyed using this when I felt like my skin needed a glow booster. even though I have oily skin in the Summer, I am prone to some dry patches and dullness. This really helped to smooth out my skin and make it look pretty again.

Finally, we have a few makeup products! I used up my beloved Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser Concealer in the Brightener shade. This is my all time favorite concealer for my under eyes, and also wherever I feel like I need some brightening. I do have a backup of this, but I don't want to crack it open just yet as I have quite a few concealers to go through first. 

I was so sad to use up this sample size Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel. I honestly don't do much to my brows, usually just some gel does it for me, and this stuff is magic. It literally is like hairspray for your brows. It keeps them in place all day and it doesn't flake or wear off. It's amazing. 

I technically didn't use up the bareMinerals Round the Clock Waterproof Eyeliner in the shade Midnight. I had gone to use it one day, and while I was sharpening it, the whole eyeliner color just fell right out onto the floor and shattered! I guess it had dried up too much. That's a shame too because I have Urban Decay 24/7 liners that I've had for YEARS, and they're still good and still perform amazing. Oh well, I don't go through liners often, so it's not a huge deal.

I'm so sorry it's taken so long to get this post up. If you read my last post, you know I had a bit of a health setback, and I'm trying to get posts done when I have the energy. Today is a good day so far, so I'm going to try and get a few posts pre-written so I can schedule them for you guys!

What products did you use up last month?

*Post contains affiliate links*

September 2015 Favorites

Hey guys! Today I'm going to be sharing with you some products I've been loving this past month. I was going to originally film a favorites video, but I didn't like how it turned out, plus I still feel pretty awkward talking to a camera. Anyways, here are the products!

The first product I've been loving is the Proganix Quench Coconut H2O + Electrolytes Conditioner. I do love the shampoo as well, but the conditioner is freakin' amazing! It makes my hair feel like silk, it makes it smell incredible, and I've noticed my hair feels cleaner longer when I use it. Amazing stuff!

Next up is the wondrous Tangle Teezer. I purchased this a little while ago because I've always heard good things. I have pretty fine hair that gets really tangled, especially after I wash it, so I wanted to see what the hype was about. This baby has been a miracle for my hair! I no longer struggle to get those little knots out, and I think it's been really helping to strengthen my hair as well. My husband has even stole this a few times since he's got incredibly thick, curly hair that can turn into dreadlocks if he's not careful, and he said he loves it. I will be buying his own soon!

Jaclyn Hill makes me want to buy EVERYTHING. Seriously, that girl can sell ice to an Eskimo. When I heard that she was collaborating with Becca Cosmetics in bringing out her very own highlight, I was excited for her, but not overly excited to buy it. Then she started using it in her videos and talked about it non-stop. I then had to get it, despite me not really being into highlighters. Champagne Pop is stunning, and surprisingly nice for pale girls like myself. I do have to use a light hand though, otherwise it will look like a stripe of gold on my face. So beautiful, and so worth the price. 

Next up is Revlon's lipstick in the shade Cherries in the Snow. I had posted this lipstick in my Favorite Fall Lipsticks post, and this is truly such a stunning red. It's got more of a fuchsia tone to it, which I feel is great for my skin tone. If only I had bought this lipstick sooner, because I think it may be my favorite red ever. 

My last favorite is from Ardency Inn, and it's their Modster Manuka Honey Pigment in the shade Hell. I cannot get enough of this shade when I want a darker bronze smokey look! It looks so gorgeous over the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze. I did a review of the two shades I have here, and I kinda bashed them a bit saying that the shade range isn't that unique. while they might not be, this shade gets more beautiful the more I use it. I now want basically every color they make. 

What were some of your favorites last month? I'd love to know! 

*Some links above are affiliate links*

September 2015 Ipsy Bag

Hey guys! It's been quite a few days since my last real post, and I'm sorry for that! I actually started up my own YouTube channel (you can see my first video here!), and I'm considering focusing on that maybe a little more than the blog. Maybe. I'm still figuring out exactly what I want to do. Anyways, a couple days ago I received my Ipsy bag for the month, and of course I have to share what products I got. 

The theme this month is Face Fashion. I think the bag everything came in is super cute too! It's actually a bag I can see myself using, and it's a bit wider than previous Ipsy bags. I just like the style of it for some reason. 

The first product I received is the Crown Brush Oval Concealer Brush. I already own a couple brushes from Crown, and they're not awful quality, but they're not great either. I typically use a Beauty Blender for concealer now, so I may save this for putting on eyeshadow bases. 

Next up is the tre'StiQue Mini Matte Lip Crayon in a shade called Nantucket Nude. I feel like this is going to look horrendous on me with my fair skin. It's a shame because swatching it, it feels nice and creamy. I just look bad in nude colors.

Next is the Not Soap, Radio Revitalizing Hand/Body Lotion in the scent The Phoenix. To me, this smells really perfume-y and it makes me sneeze. I haven't tested it out, but I'll probably try it just to see if I have other reactions to it. 

Finally, a product that I'll use, for sure! It's a NYX eyeshadow trio that looks like it was made special for this Ipsy bag, which is pretty neat! The pigmentation isn't that amazing, but I'm sure with a primer it'll be fine. 

Lastly, another darn nail polish *sigh*. I don't know what else to do to get them to stop giving me nail polish! I feel like I get one in every other bag, and I've specifically graded any nail polishes badly in hopes they'll stop sending them. But, it is Formula X, and the shade I got called Ignite is pretty. I just don't wear nail polish regularly, so all the bottles I have are sitting there, probably very sad. 

If you aren't subscribed to Ipsy, you can do so here via my referral link! It only costs $10 a month, plus shipping for some, and you get usually 5 deluxe sized samples of beauty products sent to you every month.

If you're already subscribed, what did you get this month?

September 2014 Empties

Hi guys! It's time for some empties and this will probably be a long one because I used up a decent amount of products. Here we go!

First up is a can of Batiste Dry Shampoo, and this is the one with a hint of color for light and blonde hair. I didn't mind the color of this, which was a light yellow. It rubbed into my hair fine and left no strange color. I love my Batiste and will always repurchase, but probably not this one.

The next product I used up is the Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge Fortifying Shampoo. I didn't use up this whole bottle myself, I had the help of my husband. He's not picky with shampoo, but I did like this. It definitely made my hair feel really clean and it smelled really nice too. I always like shampoos and conditioners from this brand so I'll always repurchase at some time or other.

Next up is a conditioner I've been tying to finish for probably a year or so, and it's the Pantene Sheer Volume Complete Therapy Conditioner. I don't know why this took so long to finish, but I didn't need alot at all to make my hair feel hydrated. This definitely made my hair feel so nice and less tangled. Worth it for how long it lasted, but I was so over it when it was gone!

I also used up the Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk Conditioner that also took me ages to use up. This conditioner is really good stuff. It's very thin and liquid-y though so at first I thought it wasn't going to work well. Boy was I wrong! This left my hair feeling so soft and made it smell so darn good! I would repurchase once I use up my stash. 

Oh look, mascaras! I gotta admit, alot of these were just dried up and I couldn't use them. The two Buxom Lash mascaras I've had for I don't even now how long, so they gotta go. The Benefit Badgal Lash I used once, but it seemed off to me. I used it before and liked it, but this tube just wasn't the same. Funny story about the Fresh Supernova mascara. The first time I went to use it, I got one eye done and loved how it turned out. Then the wand proceeded to fly out of my hand onto the carpet. Needless to say, it had hair and dust all over it so I had to toss it and find something else to use. I absolutely hated theBalm's What's Your Type? mascara in "The Body Builder". It did nothing for me at all. I was so in love with the Sephora Atomic Volume mascara and I got a good 3 weeks of use out of it before it started to dry out and not work as well. 

The next product Is actually one I'm throwing away because the color is hideous and it's the Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Ultra Lipstick in the color Brick. It's a horrible brick red color that makes me look so sick. This came in a gift with purchase so I'm not worried about throwing it out.

Then we have a Jouer lip gloss and the color is called Birchbox Pink. This obviously came in a Birchbox, but I haven't been subscribed to them in about 2 years, plus this smelled funny, so out it goes!

The bareMinerals Prime Time Eyelid Primer was pretty nice, but my shadows creased on me most days I used it. It wasn't terrible, but enough to be annoying. I did finish all of this and got a little over a month's worth of use out of this little sample. 

I'm just throwing away the J.Cat Beauty Sparkling Cream Palette. This glittery creamy mess is just not good and no one should ever use it. 

Onto some random bits. First up is a foaming hand soap from Bath & Body Works in the scent Coconut Cove. I absolutely loved this scent, obviously because it's coconut. I have about 20 different scents of these soaps because I always stock up during sales. 

Next up is my favorite contact solution, Renu Fresh. I know I've said before, but this is the only brand that doesn't burn my eyes when I put my contacts in, so I can't really buy anything else. This stuff isn't cheap either, so I'm learning to wear my glasses more just to conserve a bit.

I was sad using up this Crest Sensi-Relief Toothpaste, because it was so good! This has to be one of the best toothpastes that have helped my sensitive teeth and gums. This isn't cheap either and I did buy it at Walmart when I had a $1 off coupon to use. Normally I think it's a little over $4, which to me is high. I always feel like I shouldn't pay that much for something like toothpaste. I will repurchase eventually if I don't find something better, or cheaper.

I used up the Body Shop's Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner, which I've been a fan of for years. I love this stuff in the Summer especially, because it's awesome for oily skin. It keeps my skin clear and fresh and I feel it helps with my breakouts. 

I used up my first EOS lip balm and I think the scent is either strawberry or raspberry. It never says on the packaging what scent it is, so I really am guessing. In my truly honest opinion, I think this stuff sucks. I didn't find it moisturizing at all. If anything my lips were drier making me use it constantly. I do have a few more of these lip balms in my stash, but I don't know if I want to just throw them out or not. 

Next up is another product from The Body Shop, the Elderflower Unperfumed Eye Gel. I loved this so much in the Summer because it felt so cooling and nice on hot days. It really has no scent either which for me is nice since I tend to have sensitive eyes. 

I was really sad when I used up this little sample of the Jouer Lip Enhancer Conditioning Lip Treatment. I think I got this in a Birchbox as well, but this seemed good to use. I absolutely loved what this did to my lips. It made them plump and feel so hydrated and lovely. I'm tempted to buy a full size of this honestly but I have plenty of lip balms/treatments to use up first.

The last product I used up is the Almay Oil-Free Makeup Remover Towelettes. I'm on the fence with these. I liked them but I didn't love them. They did seem to remove my makeup well, but they left a bit of a film on my skin and stung my eyes occasionally, which was odd. 

Phew! That was a doozy! If you made it til the end, tell me what you all used up last month! :)

September 2014 Favorites

Hello everyone! It's the end of yet another month which means it's favorites time! Let's see what I was loving in September.

 

The first product I've been loving is the Apothecary Extracts 100% Pure Australian Tea Tree Oil. I wrote up a review if this here, and basically it's amazing! I mentioned in that post that I was using in mixed in my shampoo, and I'm convinced that it's helping with dandruff and itchiness. I also have been using it mixed in the baby shampoo I use to wash my makeup brushes for some extra disinfection.

My next favorite is the Urban Decay Vice 3 Palette. I did a first look type of post here on this, though I will end up fully reviewing this palette in the coming weeks. I love this palette so much. There are a good mix of neutrals and bright colors, and there are also an impressive amount of matte shades. Overall, I'm very impressed. Definitely stay tuned for my review!

Next up is another Urban Decay product and it's their Naked 2 Basics Palette. Check out my full review of this here, but in a nutshell, I love it! I've been more into matte shadows lately and I think this palette is great of you want neutral shades that are more cool than the first, but not so cool to where only a few people can use it. These shades blend like a dream and I have gotten good use out of it. 

Now we have the Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara in the color Jet Black. I think this may have come in a kit of some kind but I honestly can't remember. I was looking for a mascara to use because I had used up the other one I was using but came across ones that were so dried out, they weren't usable. Once I decided on this one and used it, I was pretty impressed with how nice my lashes look. They give decent length and volume, but don't look spidery or clumpy. 

My last favorite of the month is the Tarte Clean Slate 12 hr Smoothing Primer. I've been trying to use up some of my eye primers because 1. I have a ton and 2. I don't wanna use up all of the Urban Decay Primer Potions I have. That stuff is my ultimate favorite so I'm saving it! This little tube came in a gift set of different Tarte primers and to be honest, I actually really like this! It feels so different though, like lotion. I wasn't sure I'd like it because of the thin texture, but this stuff really makes my shadows last longer. Not UDPP long, but longer than if I didn't use primer at all. 

That's everything! What have you been loving lately?

September 2014 Ipsy Bag!

Hey everyone! It's a dreary, rainy day here in eastern Pennsylvania. I'm off work but my husband wasn't so I was by myself all day. I got a little happier when I checked my mail and saw my Ipsy bag had arrived! The tracking info I got said it wouldn't be here til next week sometime, so it was definitely a surprise seeing it! The theme this month is called Street Style, so lets see what I got!

This bag is super cute to me! I love silver and it's very rocker chic with the studs. I can see myself carrying this in my bag. Onto the products!

The first product I received is the Crown Brush Infinity Shadow/Crease Duet Brush. I've purchased brushes by Crown Brush on Hautelook before and I'm impressed with them, so I was excited to see this double-ended brush in my bag. It's really soft too so I think I'm gonna like it!

Next up is the Mitchell and Peach Luxury Hand Cream. Apparently this is made with matured essential oils over in Kent, England which makes it sound all posh. However, I don't really smell anything at all but then again, my nose is a bit stuffy right now. I always like a good hand cream, so I'm happy to try it out!

Then we have the Cailyn Art Touch Tinted Lip Gloss in the color Love Affair. This is such a beautiful burgundy shade that'll be great for Fall! It's fairly pigmented as well, which you'll see in a swatch in a bit.

Next product is the Pacifica Natural Water-Proof Eye Pencil in the color Gun Metal. It's a pretty silvery color that to me has a hint of green to it. The swatch I did on my hand was a bit hard to do so I'm a bit wary of putting it near my eyes. maybe if I warm it up a bit first then it'll be okay. I really like the color too, but it's not an everyday color.

The last product I received is the Nourish Organic Moisturizing Cream Face Cleanser. I'm a little wary of trying this as well because I have oily skin and cream cleansers don't go well for me. I think maybe I'll save this for colder months when my skin is less oily.

swatch of eyeliner and lip gloss

Overall, I'm alot happier with this bag than I was with previous bags. I'm happy with pretty much everything, which hasn't happened in quite a while. If you want to sign up for your own Ipsy bag for only $10 a month, plus shipping for some, use my affiliate link here!

September 2013 Empties!

Hey everyone! I went through a ton of products this past month so I'm not going to ramble and get into what I've used up! There's a decent mix of products, so I'm really happy to have used up so much.

Starting off with skincare, I finally used up a Paula's Choice 2% Beta Hydroxy Acid Lotion. This bottle lasted me well over a year, for sure. My husband and I got our own place back in July of 2012 and I was already about halfway through the bottle. I used this at night after I toned my face and I just love how this helps my skin. I have incredibly large pores that get clogged easily, and this stuff works miracles in helping them stay clear. I'm currently using the gel version of this and like it a bit better for my oily skin.

The next product I used up is the Philosophy Hope in a Jar Oil-Free Moisturizer for normal to oily skin. I liked this, but didn't love it. To me, it's a basic moisturizer that felt hydrating on the skin, but didn't make me feel like a greaseball. I didn't notice it doing anything special for my skin, but it didn't have any negative effects either. I probably won't repurchase this in the future.

My last skincare product I used up is the Freeman Facial Brightening Paper Mask in Rose. I used this the Friday before my wedding, and I have to say, this is the most awkward mask I have ever tried! Since it's a sheet mask, you take it out and place it on your face, but there are holes for your eyes and nose. The eye holes were way too small and not placed far enough apart and it burns like a mother if you get the liquid too close to your eyeballs. I didn't even notice any brightening in my skin. This was in the September Ipsy bag, and while it's awesome we got these face masks, they're so not worth it in my opinion.

I used up a Suave Keratin Infusion Smoothing Shampoo. I really liked this shampoo. It smells amazing and makes my hair feel so soft and clean. It's really inexpensive if you buy it at Walmart. I probably paid only $3 or $4 for this bottle. I'm currently trying to finish up the conditioner that goes with this. I always go through shampoos way before conditioner. I probably will repurchase this sometime in the future.

Next up is the Dove Refresh+Care Invigorating Dry Shampoo. This dry shampoo is complete crap! Seriously, this did absolutely nothing for my hair. It just made it feel greasier and dirtier and I just hated it. The smell is atrocious as well. Like an old lady's perfume. Nasty, don't waste your money! I only used this up because I hate to waste product. It was painful having to use this and I'm glad it's gone.

Next up we have some vitamins. I used up a Nature Made Multi Complete. I honestly don't know how effective taking vitamins is, but I didn't notice a difference in anything when taking these. I still take them pretty much everyday because I'm used to it.

I also used up a Natural Factors B12 chewable vitamin. My mom actually got these for me to help with energy. I honestly didn't notice any difference in my energy levels at all. I'm not sure if you have to take these every single day to be effective, but I only took one when I really felt tired and needed more energy. 

Well I finally used up a Dove Ultimate Go Fresh Deodorant in Cucumber & Green Tea scent. I say finally because it seems like it takes forever for me to use up a deodorant. I promise, I use it everyday! To me, deodorant is nothing special and I just buy what's on sale. I do like how this smells though, so that was a plus.

I used up a Neutrogena New Hands Restorative Hand Treatment. I didn't like this stuff at all. It doesn't feel moisturizing and it burns really bad whenever I put it on. Even though this stuff lasts forever, I won't repurchase.

I used up a Colgate Total Pro-Shield Plus Sensitivity Toothpaste. I'm not too picky with toothpaste, but I do usually have to buy the kind for sensitive teeth because it feels better to me. 

I'm obsessed with the Bath & Body Works hand sanitizers and the one I used up is in the scent Snow Frosted Apple. This one smells so amazing and whenever I had a co-worker use it, they loved it too. I think this is a Christmas scent, so I hope they bring it back this year.

The next product is a Soho Beauty Sponge. I'm throwing this away because it's terrible and now that I have the Beauty Blender, nothing can compare to it. This one is such bad quality, it falls apart when you wet it. Good riddance to this!

I used up a little sample of the Lancome Cils Booster XL Super Enhancing Mascara Base. I really liked this stuff a long time ago because it made my lashes look alot longer. Now, I don't really care for mascara primers but I do have another one of these to use up plus an E.L.F. one, so once those are used up, I probably won't repurchase any.

The final product here is the bareMinerals Lash Domination Volumizing Mascara. I absolutely hated this, so technically this isn't an empty because I'm throwing it away. I only used it about 4 times and it clumped on my lashes every single time really bad and it's a super wet formula. I don't know why this is getting such rave reviews honestly. 

If you made it to the end, then you're awesome! I know this is a long post, but I told you guys I went through a ton of stuff! Hope you guys don't mind :)

What did you use up in September?

September 2013 Favorites!

Hey everyone! It's the end of yet another month, which means it's favorites time! This month wasn't too exciting for me in the product department, so most of the products featured today are repeat favorites. Here goes!

Philosophy Purity Made Simple has been my nighttime cleanser for a little while now. I absolutely love using this with my Clarisonic as it makes my skin feel super clean, but not overly clean, if that makes sense. When I wear a full face of makeup, I always remove it first with a makeup remover wipe and this just takes off anything else the wipe may have left behind. I remember using this when I was a teenager because my mom used it, and I hated it. I love it now, probably because my skin is different than when I was a teenager.

My second favorite has been the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser for Dark Circles Treatment Concealer in the Brightener shade. I used this on my wedding day and loved how it made my under-eyes look so bright and awake. I definitely needed it then because I hadn't gotten good sleep the past few nights. I'll definitely repurchase this when I run out.

I've also been loving the Philosophy Eyes Wide Open Instant Refreshing and De-puffing Eye Gel. Again, this stuff has worked miracles with me not sleeping. It actually does take away any puffiness I have and makes my eyes look better. This is great in conjunction with the Maybelline Brightener. I had purchased this at Sephora ages ago, but I don't think they sell this by itself anymore, at least not on the Sephora website. I can only find it in a set, which is a bummer because I don't want the set, just this eye gel. 

The Lorac Pro Palette should come as no surprise for a favorite this month. I used this palette on my wedding day and I couldn't believe how many compliments I received. People were even asking me if I had my makeup done for the day (kinda cool!). I did it all myself and I made a post about the makeup I wore here if you wanted to check it out. I love this palette and totally fell in love with it again after my wedding. It's just so versatile with the matte and shimmer shades so you can create numerous looks with this. Definitely worth the money.

My last favorite is the Maybelline Illegal Length Mascara in Blackest Black. Again, I used this on my wedding day for my third coat of mascara. This is the stuff that ultimately gave me the look I wanted with my lashes. I feel this mascara actually rivals my beloved bareMinerals Flawless Definition Mascara. If you've read my blog for a while, you know how much I love that mascara, so for this one to rival it, that's pretty amazing!

Those are my favorites for September! I know I've mentioned a few of these products before, but just fell in love with them again after my wedding. It feels good to bring out products that I hadn't used in a while, then remember how much I really do love it :)

What were some of your favorites?

September 2013 Ipsy Bag

Hey guys! I finally got my Ipsy bag in the mail and wanted to post what was in my bag before I get married on Saturday. I can't believe it's only in 3 more days! It's incredible how fast time went by. I'm also thinking of putting together a post of what makeup I'm considering wearing for my big day, so let me know if you want me to write up that post! Anyways, let get into what I received this month!

I'm loving this bag so much! I love the blue color and all the different prints on it. So beautiful!

The first product I received is a NYX Single Eyeshadow in the color Cryptonite. Now, I love NYX eyeshadows alot. They're very nice quality for the price. I have to be honest though and say I'm not the biggest fan of the color I received. It's like a greyish black color with shimmer in it. I'm more of a neutral girl, but this will probably be good for smokey looks.

Then I received the Elizabeth Mott It's So Big Volumizing Mascara. I'm not too happy with this honestly. I've read reviews on this and basically all of them are negative. I have tons of mascaras to go through before this though, so it may be a while until I get to try it out.

I then received the J.Cat Beauty Fantabulous Lipstick in the color Honeycrisp. I could have done without this product in my bag. I've never really been a lipstick girl, plus this color is pretty bad for my fair skin. It'll just make me look sick.

I also got the Starlooks Kohl Eye Pencil in the color Obsidian. Alot of people say you can never have enough black eyeliner, but if you're like me and hardly ever wear eyeliner, it's just gonna sit in your collection. I did swatch it and it felt nice, but if I do wear eyeliner pencil, I typically go for Urban Decay or the Rimmel Kohl pencil.

I'm most excited about these babies! When I saw on Ipsy's site that I was getting a Freeman mask, I honestly was only expecting one, not three. Buy hey, I ain't complaining! Anyways, these are the Freeman Beauty Facial Paper Masks. I got a hydrating mask with Blue Agave, a purifying mask with Star Fruit, and a brightening mask with Rose. I plan on using the brightening mask on Friday before my wedding! 

Swatch of eyeliner, lipstick and eyeshadow

That's everything I received! I'm not overly excited about this month's bag aside from the masks, but I will say that there are some decent products in here. If you want to subscribe to Ipsy, click here. It's only $10 a month, plus shipping in some areas, so you really can't go wrong. Most bags are usually at least worth double than the price paid!

If you subscribe to Ipsy, what did you get in your glam bag?

September 2012 Favorites!

I really can't believe that it's already October! I know everyone on the planet says that but really, this year is flying and it's time for another favorites blog! Lets get started!

Now my first favorite is probably no surprise to most people who know me and that is the Philosophy Melting Marshmallow Cream Flavored Lip Shine. I truly can't say anything bad about the Philosophy lip shines. They smell good, they taste good and they leave my lips feeling super soft. I'm still not sure why I was drawn to this one most in September because this is more of a Christmas flavor but I just loved it. With all the lip glosses I have, I constantly reached for this one and kept it in my bag at work too. Seriously, I haven't met a flavor I didn't like yet!

My next favorite is the Nails Inc. nail polish in the color Fenchurch Street. This came in a set of four and I bought the set around this time last year (I think) and this color just screams fall. It shows up a lot darker in the picture but in person it's this dark mustard-y color with an orange tint to it. I love the whole set of colors though. They're all very fall but this one was on my nails for most of September.

I don't think you can get my next favorite anymore because I got it in a value set from Sephora a while ago and that's an eye shadow quad from the Smashbox Ultimate Eyes- Hazel value set. I honestly don't even remember all the things that came in the set but this eye quad is fantastic! You get a very light, cream color shade that's a really good base and highlight, a shimmery taupe color, a wonderful shimmery, dark silver color and the most beautiful dark plum color ever with just the tiniest bit of shimmer. All these colors together create the most beautiful subtle smokey eye or you can go very neutral with just the cream shade all over the lid up to the brow bone as a base, the taupe color all over the lid and the dark plum as a liner. I have so many eye shadows but this palette was just so amazing I couldn't really use anything else.

Next, I have Origins Well Off eye makeup remover. I'll admit, I'm not terribly picky with eye makeup removers only because I always wash my face right after. The only thing I really look for in a makeup remover is that it doesn't sting my eyes. This one is so gentle and doesn't sting at all, which is wonderful. It also doesn't leave that greasy film all over your eyes that not many people like. I personally don't mind because like I said, I always wash my face right after and I always go over my eyes with my cleanser to make sure I got all the makeup off. 

This next favorite is actually a surprise favorite of mine because I honestly didn't think it would work and that's Urban Decay De-Slick Oil-Control Makeup Setting Spray. This really does make your makeup stay put all day and I'm not a big greasy mess by the end of the day. I still get a little oily throughout the day, but not as bad as before I started using this stuff. It's also very cooling on your skin when you first spray it on. I'm not 100% sure if I'll re-buy this, only because it's pretty darn expensive and it doesn't totally control my oil all day. With my makeup on the other hand, that really does last all day and that's surprising.

My last favorite is a Blending brush from BH Cosmetics. Holy cow, this is the best blending brush in my opinion. I love how fluffy it is and it does a really good job at blending eye shadows well. It's also one of the softest brushes I own. I've used brushes that have actually hurt my eyes because they were so scratchy but this one is soooooo soft and amazing!

So there you have it! Those were my favorites for September! What were some of your favorites this past month?

September 2012 Empties!

Today I'll be going over the few products I used up in September. I absolutely love reading these types of posts and watching the videos on Youtube. It's always a good feeling when you use something up, because then I use it as an excuse to buy some more! So lets get started!

The first thing I used up is my Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash. I really like this stuff. It doesn't smell the best but it makes my skin so soft and it helps keep those reds bumps on the backs of my arms at bay. This took me a little while to go through because I'm using another body wash as well and I liked to switch it up sometimes, but this was the first one that was used up!

Next, I used up the Garnier Fructis Length & Strength Shampoo. I still have a ton of the conditioner left over, probably about half of the bottle. For some reason I always go through shampoo like crazy but conditioner lasts me a really long time. Anyways, I really liked this shampoo. It made my hair really soft and the smell of all the Garnier shampoos is uh-may-zing! 

I finally finished up my Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock with SPF 55. I don't even know how long this took me to go through, but I've raved about this sunblock in quite a few of my blog posts, so you all know how much I love this. I actually just opened a new one of these this morning, so we'll see how long it takes me to go through. 

When I took the picture of the products I used up, I still had one day's worth left of the Garnier Nutristioniste Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream. I used the rest up this morning and today is the last day of September, so I had to include it in this post. I have mentioned this in a few other posts and I'm not a fan of it. I've said before that the smell of it is very overwhelming and I personally didn't think it was that good of a moisturizer. I'm glad it's empty now! 

Next, I used up The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Facial Blotting Tissues. I think these are okay. They're basically your standard oil blotting tissue and there's nothing really remarkable about them. They're not terrible, they get the job one, but I don't use blotting tissues that much so they lasted me a very long time.

The last thing I used up is the Lash Fusion XL Mascara by Fusion Beauty(well, it really just dried up on me. Not sure if there was anything left in it). This came in one of those Sephora Lashstash boxes where you get a bunch of little mascaras to try. For me, I notice mascara doesn't really do much to my eyelashes. None of the ones I've tried have particularly lengthened or separated them. I basically look for if it doesn't flake off and that it lasts on my lashes. I have very oily eyelids and sometimes it causes my mascara to flake off and give me raccoon eyes, which isn't very attractive but this stuff really lasted for me. I would do my makeup in the morning before work and before I would take it off at night, I didn't have any smudges or flakiness so I liked it alot because of that. 

Well there you have it! I know I didn't use up that many things but I'm really going to try and go through a bunch of stuff in October so hopefully I'll have more to talk about.

What did you guys use up in September?