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?

*Post contains affiliate links*

June 2015 Favorites

Hello everyone! June was a long month for me, but July definitely seemed to creep up at the same time. Weird, I know. I wasn't in the mood to wear a ton of makeup last month, but I do have some favorites to share with you!

My first favorite is the L'Oreal La Palette Nude 2. I've done a full review of this here, and since using it more, I really love this palette alot! I find it to be a great drugstore palette, and while it's a little on the high-end retailing for $19.99, you can find sales quite frequently, and also Walmart sells it for about $16. I just think this palette is really nice quality and I love these cooler, purple shades.

My next favorite is the Simple Refreshing Facial Wash Gel. I had ran out of my nighttime cleanser and was looking through my stash for something that was gentle, yet helped to get rid of any makeup residue left behind from a makeup wipe/cleansing oil. This cleanser is most definitely my answer to that! It's so incredibly gentle that I can use it on my eyes to help remove mascara, and it doesn't burn one bit. I love how this gel turns into a slightly foamy/milky consistency and it does get rid of every last trace of makeup, dirt and grease. Absolutely love this stuff!

Next up we have the Caudalie Instant Detox Mask, which I reviewed here. In my review I raved about how this has changed my skin, and I still mean that. When I don't use this for a while, my skin starts feeling more rough and textured. This mask totally cleans out my pores, evens out my skin, and gives me such a nice glow. It is a bit pricey, but it's worth every penny!

My last favorite is the e.l.f Therapeutic Conditioning Balm in the scent Orange Cream. I just checked their website, and they do still carry this lip balm but it's under a different name, and it looks like they no longer have this scent. That's such a shame because I've been obsessed with slathering this stuff all over my lips at night before bed. I do find this to be hydrating, but it doesn't last very long on my lips. I also tend to go through this pretty quick as there isn't a whole lot in the tube. I just started using it about a week and a half ago, and I already see myself using it up in the next couple weeks, if that. It's only $1, so it's not that big of a deal. 

That's everything! Might not be too exciting, but like I said, I haven't been in the mood to wear much makeup, plus I haven't been feeling well. Hopefully July is better! 

*Remember I still have my Summer Blog Sale going on!*

What were some products you were loving in June?

*Product links are affiliate links*

Spring 2015 Walmart Beauty Box

Hey guys! Today I'm going to be sharing the Walmart beauty box for Spring 2015. I have a rant on this one, as I did with the Winter box I received, but I'll save that until the end. Here is everything I got.

I made the products look all nice in the box for this picture. I probably shouldn't have because I'm pretty disappointed. 

-Lady Gaga Fame Perfume: Don't like perfume, this is getting passed on to a co-worker

-Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes: I'll definitely use these at some point to remove swatches or makeup, but there are only 7 wipes. Probably more good for travel, but I don't have plans to go anywhere anytime soon

-Schwarzkopf Essence Ultime Omega Repair & Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner: I've never heard of these before and again, these can be good for travel. They're so small and are basically like free samples they send out

-Dove GoFresh Body Wash in the scent mandarin & tiare flower: This smells nice, but again, this is like a free sample

These are some foil packet samples and coupons for L'Oreal, Schwarzkopf, Nivea and Maybelline. I'm curious to try the Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion, but I am nervous it will make my shower all slippery. 

I was thoroughly unimpressed with this box. Granted, it's only $5 and you get one per season, but I've had so many issues, that I just cancelled. Now for my rant. I was charged twice for this box and had to call customer service, which is a pain normally because either they never answer, or they're just rude and don't know what they're doing. I was told I'd receive a phone call or email back about being double charged, and I waited and waited for weeks until one day I noticed my credit card was refunded. I waited for probably close to 3 weeks to notice the refund and was pretty pissed that no one could send me a quick email letting me know I'd get a refund. Also, when answering the phone, I don't want to hear, "customer service, how can I help you?" in a nasty tone from a total douche bag guy who probably has no interest in a beauty box or helping people with legitimate problems. There was no professionalism at all with him and I was really upset. I work in retail where customer service has to be our top priority. While there may be some customers who I don't think deserve good customer service, I still have to help them, with a smile, and be professional. The dude I talked to was just rude and not very helpful. I am definitely glad I got my money back from being double charged, and once I received this box in the mail, I made sure to cancel right away. I probably shouldn't be so upset over 5 bucks, but that's my hard earned 5 bucks. I say skip this crappy box, spend $5 more and subscribe to Ipsy. Way better products, full size products at times, and awesome customer service. I have never had an issue that wasn't resolved immediately with them. *End rant*

Are you subscribed to the Walmart Beauty Box? If so, have you had similar issues to mine?

Skincare For Teens

I'm sure a lot of you younger people out there might only have access to drugstore skincare and makeup, which is totally fine. You can find some wonderful, amazing products at the drugstore or even at Walmart and Target. So, today I'll be talking about how teenagers can take good care of their skin with the right products from the drugstore.

Now I know when I was a teenager, I couldn't stop the oil on my face. It was just so greasy and very annoying at times. It was hard finding a good cleanser that got rid of the oil on my face, but not dry it out real bad. I remember using the Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash. Oh the memories. For me, it was just okay. It didn't do anything miraculous for my skin and at times it just dried it out and made it uncomfortable. It also didn't do much for the acne I had. Granted, that was like the first skin cleanser I ever tried back when I was 11 ( that's almost 13 years ago!), so they might have changed it or reformulated it somehow so it can be a decent cleanser for starting out a routine. Personally, I think you'd have better luck with Clean & Clear cleansers. I still use Clean & Clear cleansers to this day because I think they're wonderful. Their Morning Burst Facial cleanser is fantastic! Seriously, if you wake up in the morning feeling really tired, this will wake you right up. It has a nice citrus scent that's not overpowering, and its got Vitamin C and Ginseng which help to wake up your skin. If your skin is looking and feeling a little dull, try the Morning Burst Skin Brightening Facial Cleanser. This will kick your skin up a notch and make it look vibrant and refreshed.

Toners aren't absolutely necessarily for teenagers. Most toners geared toward teen skin is way too harsh anyways because a lot of them are alcohol based, which is so not healthy for your skin. They'll just over-dry your skin, therefore producing more oil to compensate for the dryness. It's not a fun cycle to go through. If you really do want to try a toner though just for the sake of having a routine, a good one is Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner. Like the name says, it doesn't have that nasty alcohol in it and it's just a simple, basic toner. Another good one is Simple Soothing Facial Toner. This toner is wonderful for acne prone skin because it'll help calm down all the inflammation of acne. 

Another thing I feel I should mention is, don't feel it's necessary to stick with a brands 3-step system. There are so many brands that have a cleanser, treatment and moisturizer combination set. 9 times out of 10, and I hate to say this, but the systems won't work. Trust me, there were times where I'd try out different systems, and they broke me out so bad and made my skin so red and irritated because they were just too harsh. My acne was worse than before, so I had to stop using the system. I'd then try maybe the cleanser of that system but use a different toner and moisturizer and my skin cleared up. So really, try some different brands, try the 3-step systems if you like, but I'm just warning you, it might not work.

Now onto moisturizers. Personally, I would try to find a moisturizer with SPF in it to save time and a little extra money. You also want to start early with using SPF because that'll help slow down the aging process. (we all want that, don't we?) A good moisturizer with SPF in it, if you have pretty normal skin with a touch of acne is Simple Vital Vitamin Day Cream SPF 15. This is thicker than a lotion or gel, which is why I recommend it for more normal skin. If you're oily, try a light lotion based moisturizer like Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture in either SPF 15 or 35. I prefer 35 since it's got more sun protection in it, but 15 is the absolute lowest you should go. Neutrogena has a very nice line of moisturizers with SPF, so look around and see if you like something better too. for nighttime, you definitely don't need the SPF moisturizer. If you have oily, acne prone skin, try Neutrogena Oil-Free Anti-Acne Moisturizer. This has salicylic acid in it, which helps to clear out your pores, healing and helping to prevent more acne from forming. If you have more normal skin with not too many issues, try the Oil-Free Moisture - Combination Skin. I have this in my closet for when it gets a little cooler outside since it's a tad bit heavy to use right now. Also, as you can tell, I'm a huge Neutrogena fan. Even though that one cleanser wasn't that good, I still love a ton of their products.

It's also a good idea to always use sunblock all over your body when you're outside in the sun all day. You might not believe when I say this, but tanning is bad for you. Yep, I said it, it's bad for you. When you get a tan, sunburns also, you're damaging your skin cells. Tans and sunburns are caused by harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation and that's what attacks your skin cells making them darker. Tans may look good on some people, but trust me, the consequences in the long run aren't good. Your skin can look a lot older than it is, therefore making you look older than you are, and you can get skin cancer, and I know no one wants that.

I really hope this helped out any teen girl (or guy even) looking to start a simple everyday routine. I know it can sometimes be a pain sticking with a routine, especially with school and whatnot, but try to make the effort and wake up 5 to 10 minutes earlier to do your skincare routine. Then at night, take that same amount of time roughly and do it again. You can even wash your face in the shower quick and do the rest when you get out. Trust me, if you stick with it, in the long run, you'll be so much better off. You'll have beautiful skin that everyone will compliment on, and you'll look younger too!

All About Eye Creams

Okay, so I'll admit, even though I'm only in my early 20s, I love eye creams. I can't get enough of them. I've been using them since I was in my late teens. I love trying all different kinds and price usually isn't that big of a deal to me when it comes to them. Although, I do have some kind of spending limit to them and I usually don't go over $50. Seriously, a good eye cream, in my opinion, is very important in a skincare routine no matter what kind of skin you have.

Now for me, since I have very oily facial skin, sometimes my under-eye area and especially my eyelids, get oily, which is usually in the summertime. This is why I prefer to use a gel based eye cream. If I feel a little drier than normal, I use a lighter cream based one. But don't get me started about my winter eye skin. That can be a challenge for me because my skin changes daily when it's colder. So, my favorite eye cream of all time is The Body Shop Vitamin C Eye Reviver. I use this in the morning to help with the lovely dark circles I get. It's a wonderful creamy gel formula that moisturizes my eye area, but doesn't make it greasier. You can go on their website and try to find it all you want but unfortunately, it got discontinued (womp, womp :(), and is now reformulated, repackaged in a roller-ball form, and called Vitamin C Eye Reviver Duo. When the new version came out, I originally thought it was just repackaged differently, but no. This one has a gel on one side and a cream on the other. I'll be honest, I don't like it at all. To me, it's nothing like the original. The original is so amazing and it breaks my heart that it got discontinued. (Luckily, I still have a decent amount left in the container I'm using now, plus a back-up!) 

Since I've been using the Vitamin C eye cream in the morning, I do use a different one at night because I like a little more moisture when I go to bed. The one I'm currently using and have been using for quite a while now is another Body Shop product. It's their Vitamin E Eye Cream. I love this stuff too. It's a little heavier than the Vitamin C, but not super heavy like Philosophy Hope in a Tube (I love this stuff too, but only in winter when I have drier skin). If you have dry skin and also a very dry eye area, the Hope in a Tube is wonderful. It's pretty thick, but it's very moisturizing and sinks in well. 

Another really good eye cream is Clinique All About Eyes. Holy cow, this stuff is amazing! It's a cream-gel formulation and when I used this, I used it only at night because it's heavier than I'm used to for daytime, but boy, when I wake up, my eye area looked so good. I will definitely repurchase this in the future but it is a little on the expensive side with 0.5 ounces costing $30, and a whole ounce costing $50, but like I said, I'd spend $50 on this in a heartbeat because I love it so much.

Drugstore eye creams aren't necessarily my favorite, but I haven't tried too many to compare them so one I came across that isn't too bad is L'Oreal Paris Eye Defense. I bought this at Walmart for around $13 and it's another gel-cream formula. For a drugstore eye cream, this really isn't bad. It's just a nice light eye cream that's not greasy and says it's made for all skin types. Sometimes I feel like I spoil myself with eye creams because your eyes are generally the first area on your face that show age, and I'm all for slowing down how old I look in the future, so I'm always going to invest in good eye creams but if you don't feel like shelling out $50 for an eye cream, keep looking at drugstores or Walmart. Another eye cream I've been hearing good things about but haven't yet tried, is Simple Soothing Eye Balm. The name sounds wonderful. I'm all about soothing my eyes after a long day at work, especially if I've worn makeup for 8+ hours. You can find Simple skincare at Walmart, Target, or any drugstore really. Their website has a spot where you can type in your zip code to see where they have a particular product. I'm actually dying to try this eye cream, but I'm trying to use up what I have before I buy more.

I know this post is probably long, but I can't stress enough about a good eye cream, and it doesn't have to be super expensive to be a good product. Drugstores and Walmart have some wonderful options if you want something less expensive, or if you're just stepping into the world of eye creams. As you get older or more into skincare, you can always expand your horizons and find products from Philosophy or Clinique. Anyways, like I said, a good eye cream is super important in any skincare routine, and I really hope this helped anyone looking for a new eye cream, or if you're new at starting a routine, a nice, simple one to try :)