September 2018 Empties

Hey guys! Catching up on my empties posts, so here is everything I used up in September. 

Bonapiel Beauty & Youth Serum - It smelled a bit too strong for my liking, but made my skin feel nice.Would not repurchase.

The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner - You all know my love for this toner, and I only have a couple left. I will not be repurchasing, unfortunately. This is just too plain considering the price. 

2 Cane + Austin Miracle Pad - This was super intense, but it was effective in making my skin soft and glowy. Maybe would repurchase. 

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion - This was very light, yet really hydrating. I tend to like Aveeno products, but likely won't repurchase. 

Bath & Body Works Black Cherry Merlot Hand Soap - Love this scent, but you all know I'm using up my stash and moving along to something a bit better quality. Will not repurchase. 

Maple Holistics Tea Tree Shampoo - I surprisingly liked this! It made my scalp feel nice, but I did need extra conditioner as it dried my hair out a bit. Will not repurchase. 

Dove Men Clean Comfort Antiperspirant - I actually used this since my husband didn't like spray deodorants. It smelled a bit overpowering but did its job. Will not repurchase. 

Young Living Super B - I LOVE this b complex vitamin! I've actually used up more than this but forget to save the bottles. I'm slowly moving towards using all Young Living products in general, and have switched over all supplements completely. Will definitely repurchase!

Triple Paste - For my daughter's tushy. This was great stuff. It's got no scent, and takes away rashes quickly. I've found a Young Living product I like better, so I will not repurchase this. 

Crest Pro Health Advanced toothpaste - I did not like this at all. The scrubbing bits in it didn't help my teeth feel cleaner and the taste didn't last either. Will not repurchase. 

Products used up: 11

Total for the year: 124 

Next post will be October's empties, and I'm so, so close to hitting my goal! I'm tempted to up my goal a bit to 165 products used, but if I don't hit that goal, it's not a huge deal. It feels good regardless getting rid of all these products and making room for better quality products :)

June 2018 Empties

June was an amazing month with using up products! I feel so proud of myself, and I'm excited to share what I was able to use up last month.

 I'll start off with the few skincare samples I used up. I have 3 packet samples: the Derma E Vitamin C Brightening Clay Mask, The Body Shop Drops of Youth Concentrate, and a Cane + Austin Miracle Pad +. I actually loved all three of these samples! Derma E makes great skincare, you all know I love The Body Shop products, and Cane + Austin is a new to me brand. 

I have 2 deluxes samples of moisturizer/sunscreen. The Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer All Day Defense Lotion was a bit thick, but it sunk into my skin fine. The Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion was not good. I used it 3 times and had to get rid of the rest. It smelled very strongly of perfume and made my skin look ghostly white. 

Next up is some hair and body care. I ended up getting rid of the Rusk Sensories Brilliance Color Protector. I just knew I wasn't going to use it and it's been in my closet for years. 

I finally used up the Arvazallia Restorative Conditioner. I thought this was okay. I used up the shampoo a couple months ago, and wasn't a fan of the duo. It made my hair feel nice for maybe a day, then it was greasy after that. 

I know a lot of people don't care for Pantene products, but I loved the Anti-Breakage Shampoo! It made my hair feel so soft and clean, and I might end up repurchasing at some point. 

I used up a shower cream and body cream duo from Perlier in the White Almond scent. I adore the scent, and of the two, the shower cream was my favorite. 

Next up is some random stuff. I had one wipe left of the Epielle Green Tea Cleansing tissues, but it was all dried up and not usable. 

I wasn't a fan of the L.A. Colors lip balm in the shade Boom. The tint was too much, so I just used it right before bed. 

I decluttered the Sonia Kashuk Radiant Tinted Moisturizer. It's very old and it was time to get rid of it. 

I also ended up getting rid of the Skin Food Cacao Hand Balm. I did not like how this just sat on my skin and didn't really provide much hydration. 

I'm on a quest to use up or get rid of all my candles. Now that I diffuse Young Living essential oils, I find myself not liking candles anymore.

I used up the two hand soaps I had in the kitchen and bathroom: Bath & Body Works Tuscan Vineyard, and Green Goo Lemongrass Zinger. Loved both scents, but once I use up all the handsoaps I have, I'll be making my own. 

Lastly is my daughter's empties! Mountain Falls is Amazon's brand, and their Baby Night-time Bath soap is awesome. It's not very expensive and smells like lavender. The mini Johnson's baby shampoo is what I use to clean my makeup brushes, or clean out my daughter's Nose Frida. The Boudreaux's Butt Paste was alright, but I discovered Young Living's diaper cream, and it's fantastic!

Products used up: 20
Total for the year: 94

Like I had said above, I'm so incredibly happy to have used up this many products. My goal for the year was to use up 150 products, and I just might exceed that! I'm really excited to see how the rest of the year pans out.

May 2018 Empties

May was kind of a rough month in using up products, but I still have a few to share with you all! 

I really only used up some skincare and body care in May. I used up The Body Shop Body Butter Duo in Vanilla, and I thought it was pretty nice! One side was thicker for extra dry skin, and the other side was for basic hydration. I have another one or two as backups. 

I ended up decluttering the O'Keefe's Working Hands because it's all dried out and unusable. I liked it when I was able to use it, but it did leave a bit of a film on my hands that kinda bothered me. 

I have one sheet mask from BioRepublic in Aloe Rescue. This felt nice and cooling on my skin when I was dealing with some dryness and irritation. I'm a big fan of sheet masks recently, but need to find more time to use them more consistently. 

The second to last of my Philosophy hand cream tubes has been used up. The Homemade Honey Buns scent was to die for, and I wish I had another one. My last tube should be used up by the end of June, so you should see that in June's empties post!

The Azure Naturals Ultimate Vitamin C Moisturizer was just alright. I liked it at first, but towards the end I realized it just wasn't for my skin. It didn't sink in very well and just sat on top, making my face feel more greasy. 

The last product I used up is an EOS lip balm in the Strawberry scent. These take forever for me to use up, and in all honesty, I don't really like them all that much. They're not the most hydrating and I'm just glad it's gone. 

Products used up: 6
Total for the year: 74

I definitely didn't use up as much as I wanted to, but I'm glad I used up at least a few products. So far, June is going much better and I'm more motivated in using up everything I have. 

What have you used up recently?

March 2018 Empties

April is here, which means it's time to share all the products I used up in March. I've been doing really well so far this year, and I'm really excited to share my progress with you all!

For skincare, I used up a Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash. I used to really like this stuff, but I realized it doesn't do anything for my skin.

The Algenist Overnight Restorative Cream was really freaking amazing, and I want the full size at some point. This made my skin look and feel so nice!

I wasn't able to use up the Neocorium Derma Carrier and EGF & Stem Cell Concentrate before it expired. It's a shame because this duo was pretty nice, and it's super expensive. 

I really wasn't a fan of the Derma-Nu Blueberry Cranberry Oxygen Facial Scrub. It smelled nice, but felt way too harsh on my skin. 

Montagne Jeunesse is a brand I'm unsure of, but I did like their Creamy Coconut Hydrating single use mask. It made my skin feel really soft and supple. Four more packets of the Dickinson's Oil Controlling Towelettes done, and just a few more to go. 

I usually don't wear perfumes or body sprays, so this Victoria's Secret Pure Seduction Body Splash took years to get through. I have different scents hanging around, so I'll try to use them more. 

I have another Philosophy Cranberry Medley hand cream used up, which I do like. I think I mentioned before, but this doesn't work very well if my hands are extra dry and cracked, but for a little moisture, it works just fine. 

I really enjoy Serious lip balms, and I used up a Peppermint one. I loved this so much. It makes my lips feel soft, and the peppermint scent is really nice. 

I have little samples of the Exuviance Evening Restorative Complex and the Caudalie Eye and Lip Cream. The Exuviance was nice, but felt maybe too hydrating at times, and I really enjoyed the Caudalie eye cream as well. It felt like a balm, but wasn't too heavy so I used it during the day. 

I had a deluxe sample of the Tom's of Maine Rapid Relief Sensitive toothpaste, so I used this up quickly. I didn't care for it much as it didn't help the sensitivity I have. 

I finally have some makeup! The Miss Mona Lisa Eyebrow Pencil was all dried out, and it fell out of the packaging, so I had to throw it away. I've been a fan of The Body Shop's Lightening Touch pen in shade 01 for ages now. I honestly am not sure if they still make this, but I may have a backup to use. I LOVE the Rimmel Match Perfection concealer in shade Fair. It's such a nice color for my under eyes, and blends in like a dream. 

Products used up: 19
total for the year: 57

I truly am so proud of myself right now! I never thought I could use up this many products so early into the year. I'm not sure how April will go, but I may focus a bit more on using up deluxe and foil packet samples. I have a ton of those to go through and really need to start using them up. 

What have you used up recently?

October 2017 Empties

I know I recently posted my empties for August and September, and I was thinking of waiting another month, but October was a great month with using up products! I don't think I've used up this many products in one month for quite a while. Since I have a good amount of products to share, I'll be combining November and December empties, even if it's a long post. So, without further ado, let's see what I used up!

Starting off with some skincare, I used up the AzureNaturals Ultimate Vitamin C Toner. I had a few skincare products sent to me from this brand, and they're not awful, but they're not great either. I wouldn't go out of my way to purchase anything myself. 

I've been working my way through the InstaNatural Youth Express Vitamin C Moisturizer for so long, I was getting so tired of using it! It's a decent moisturizer, but after using it all up, I feel like it just sits on my skin and doesn't sink in. 

I tend to shy away from Lancome skincare, mainly because it's so expensive, but their products are typically heavily fragranced. However, the Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate was lovely! There was little scent to it, and it really made my skin feel so soft and look brighter. Would I buy a full size? Eh, I don't know. I feel like there are better serums at a lower price, but this one is very nice regardless. 

Ole Henriksen makes some AMAZING skincare! I had a deluxe sample of their Sheer Transformation moisturizer, and I fell in love after the first application. I seriously think this may be in my top favorite moisturizers, that's now much I love it! I'm pretty certain I have a full size in my skincare stash, but I want to use a few more deluxe samples first before I open it. 

For haircare, I used up the Tresemme Platinum Strength Shampoo. The conditioner was in my previous empties, as my husband had used it a few times. I typically go through shampoos faster than conditioners, but I'm happy to have both used up now. They've been in my shower for way too long. There was nothing too special about this shampoo. It got the job done and is pretty inexpensive as well. 

I had purchased the Infusium 23 Color Defender Conditioner years ago after coloring my hair and wanting something different. I no longer color my hair, but wanted to still use this up. It made my hair super soft, but has a heavy fragrance. I got it from Big Lots for just a few dollars, so I have no clue if they even make this product anymore.  

Two body products I used up were The Body Shop Almond Shower Gel and the Philosophy Pomegranate Bubbly Exfoliating Shower Gel. You all know I'm obsessed with anything from The Body Shop, and the Almond Shower Gel was no exception. I also love Philosophy shower products, but this scrub was weird. The granules were too harsh and I wasn't a fan of the smell. 

I've used up more Bath & Body Works products! The Warm Vanilla Sugar Deep Cleansing Hand Soap, Vermont Sugar Maple Foaming Hand Soap, and the Vanilla Buttercream Hand Cream were all great! I love sweet scented hand products, and even my husband enjoyed the Vermont Maple Sugar soap. I've just realized how expensive all B&BW products are, even with a sale, so I'm slowly going through all products I have of theirs, and will likely not be buying anything else. 

 Lastly, I have a couple random products, and one of Olivia's. I don't understand why it takes me so long to go through mouthwash, but the Listerine Total Care Zero took me insanely long to go through. Possibly a year or more! Even though this has no alcohol in it, I still feel like it burned my mouth, but maybe I'm just sensitive. 

Call me gross, but I don't wear deodorant everyday. I'm home with my daughter, so I only ever wear it if we go out for errands, or have her physical/occupational therapists and family over. I really enjoyed the Dove Dry Spray Antiperspirant. It smells really nice, and the spray nozzle is pretty great as well. I think I got this in a previous Influenster box, but I may purchase myself in the future. 

The last product that was used up was the Johnson's Baby Head-to-Toe Wash. This was of course what I used for Olivia during baths, and it's just ok. We got so many different products for her and still have tons to use up still before we need to buy anything ourselves. I will likely switch to something else once we run out of everything else we have

Number of products used up: 14
Total used up for the year: 70

I'm honestly so proud of myself right now! I've been struggling using up products ever since my daughter was born, but I finally feel like I'm making progress. I had made a new goal of using up 75 products total for the year, and I can't believe I'm 5 away! I won't make a new goal now, as there is only 2 more months of the year, but I hope to make some good progress. I hope to use up a lot more or deluxe samples I have, as well as foil packet samples. I also need to really make an effort with using up makeup, since I have way too much for any normal person to go through! 

What are some products you've used up recently? 

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?

May, June & July 2017 Empties

 *Links are affiliate links*

I fell incredibly behind on updating you all on the products I've used up. Being a mom has, of course, taken precedence in my life, and my daughter has had a ton of appointments. She's also been wanting more attention, so I try to get things done during naps, but she doesn't seem to like sleeping either. Anyway, I have three months worth of empty products to share with you, and I'm quite proud of what I have!

I'll start with skincare, since that's what I have the most of. I used a When Glamour Base sheet mask, which I was a fan of! I feel like it did brighten up my skin and helped it feel more hydrated. 

The Caudalie Vinoperfect Day Perfecting Cream took me a while to use, considering it's a deluxe sample size. It has SPF in it, so I would only use it on days where I would leave the house. It seemed like it was fine, but nothing special. 

The Body Shop Tea Tree Toner used to be one of my favorite toners to use, until I discovered it has a high concentration of alcohol in it. This was my last bottle, thank goodness, so I won't repurchase again. 

I LOVED the Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Booster! I would put just a couple drops into my morning moisturizer, which really seemed to help with some dehydration I was having. I doubt I'd repurchase, since Dermalogica is quite an expensive brand. 

I had the Michael Todd Pumpkin Nutrient-Rich Facial Mask in my stash for quite a while, so I'm glad I was able to use it up. It was very tingly on my skin, and left it a bit red once I rinsed it off. It did, however, make my skin feel super soft. 

The Boscia Luminizing Black Mask is a love/hate for me. I love how incredibly soft it makes my skin feel, and it grabs any little baby hairs that are annoying. I hate how hard it is to remove. Seriously, if you get this anywhere near eyebrows or hairline, oh man does it hurt! I think I may have one more of these deluxe samples, but I wouldn't buy a full size. 

Origins is one of my favorite skincare brands, so it was no surprise I enjoyed the Make A Difference Plus Rejuvinating Treatment. I used it mainly as a serum before moisturizer, but it could be used by itself for very oily skin. I would consider buying this once my stash runs low. 

I used the Clinique Spot Healing Gel on any blemishes I may have gotten. Most times I only had to use this once, and the next day my skin was clear. I'm not too fussy when it comes to spot treatments, I just can't use benzoyl peroxide. 

I'm completely horrible with using body scrubs, but I adored the Tree Hut Shea Sugar Body Scrub in the Coconut Lime scent. I have so many scrubs to use, but I will likely buy this brand again when I use up what I have first. 

I go through lip balms like crazy normally, but I only have 1 I used up. I love the Badger brand, and their Lime Rocket scent of their Cocoa Butter Lip Balm is fabulous! Very moisturizing and kept my lips soft throughout the day. I have many different scents in my lip balm stash and don't think I'll run out anytime soon!

There's a sad story to the OXG Anti-Breakage Keratin Oil, since I didn't get to use it. I was cleaning up around the house and found the bottle laying on the floor, empty. I have no idea what happened to it, because my carpet is fine. I really wanted to use this too! My hair breaks easily, so I thought this would be great to use. Maybe one day I will purchase one for myself. 

I don't wear my contacts often, so it took a while to use up the Opti-Free Pure Moist contact solution. I surprisingly liked this, since most solutions burn my eyes, but this didn't. 

With how often I wash my hands, you would think I'd have more than one hand soap. Lemon Meringue Cheer from Bath & Body Works smelled amazing! Plus, I love these soaps with the scrubbing bits, although I think they end up drying out my hands more. 

Only one hand cream as well, also from Bath & Body Works. I absolutely adored this Island White Pineapple scent and would consider buying again. This is a great Summertime hand cream as it's not too heavy or greasy. 

We must've loved brushing our teeth the past few months! There's the Colgate Cavity Protection, Tom's of Maine Rapid Relief Sensitive, and a mini Crest that I had from when Olivia was in the hospital. The Colgate one my husband mostly used, and I always need a sensitive toothpaste. I was not a fan of this particular Tom's toothpaste, though. It made my teeth feel clean, but the taste wasn't very good, and I felt like I had bad breath really fast. 

I gotta include the baby products! So my daughter has fairly sensitive and dry skin. Because of that, her doctor recommended baths no more than twice a week, so we only used up two mini sizes of the Johnson's Head-to-Toe Wash, as well as a mini Johnson's Baby Lotion. I gotta admit, I'm not the biggest fan of Johnson's, but we have a ton of products we were given, plus I was able to take home what was used in the hospital, so we're likely set with body washes and lotions for the next year. 

The Hydraguard Phytoplex Silicone Cream is what was used on Olivia's diaper rash while she was recovering in the hospital from open heart surgery. Guys, THIS STUFF IS AMAZING! I kid you not, this cleared up her diaper rash so fast, and made her butt so soft! I went on a hunt for this because I had never heard of it, and I found it on Amazon. When I run out of other diaper rash creams, this is what I will be buying. It's a miracle! Plus it smells like cake batter. 

Number of products used up: 21
Total used up for the year: 43

I probably mention this in nearly every empties post, but my goal for the year was to use up 150 products. That includes full size, deluxe samples, foil packet samples, and now Olivia's products. Considering we have about 4 and a half months left to the year, I'm not quite sure I can make that goal. I'm doing well so far in August, and have a bunch of stuff nearly finished. I also want to start doing my makeup again, and I know I need to clear out some old stuff that hasn't been used since before Olivia was born! So maybe I will make my goal, who knows? 

What are some things you've used up recently?

April 2017 Empties

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I'm finally able to share the products I used up every month now! April wasn't the best for using stuff up, but I currently have a few products on their last legs. 

Starting off with a little bit of skincare, the first product I used up was the REN Mayblossom And Blue Cypress Balancing Facial Cleansing Gel. Phew, that's a long name! I did like this cleanser, but I could only get 2 uses out of it, so it's hard to say if I'd repurchase, if it's still available. It seems like it's nice for oily skin. 

I have been working on the InstaNatural Youth Express Eye Serum for ages! I have a review here and now that it's completely used up, my final thoughts are it's a nice product, but I don't think I'd purchase myself. If you don't have any eye issues except for a tiny bit of dryness, you'll like this. If you have lines, wrinkles, dryness, and every other issue with the skin around your eyes, this isn't for you. 

Last skincare product is from Borghese and it's their Intensifying Moisturizer. I used this as a serum underneath my regular moisturizer, and I really liked the extra hydration this gave. Even though I have oily skin, I've been battling dry, flaky skin in certain areas, and this helped immensely. 

For bath and shower products, I only used up two. My husband helped with the Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Shampoo, and we both liked it. It cleaned well, but I felt like it made my hair greasy faster. 

I don't think The Body Shop still carries this line of shower gels, but the Shower Gels For Earth Lovers in Cucumber & Mint was so refreshing, and my skin LOVED it! It lathered up nicely and left my skin feeling so soft and hydrated, I barely needed moisturizer after. 

The last sort of random product is the Wegmans brand One Daily Women's multi vitamin. What I liked about these is that they contain Folate and not Folic Acid. My body can't break down Folic Acid, which is the synthetic form of Folate, and it's surprisingly hard to find inexpensive multi's with Folate. Definite repurchase!

Number of products used up: 6
Total used up for the year: 22

AS I said above, I didn't do so hot last month. I'm hoping this month will be better so I can make my goal of using up 150 products!

What have you used up recently?

October, November & December 2016 Empties

*Post contains affiliate links*

With my daughter being born early, I had no time to write up empties posts every month, let alone any posts really. I did still keep all the products I used up, and I'll have another empties post for the first 3 months of this year so far coming in the next couple weeks. 

I'll start off with some bath and hair products. The Pantene Volume Shampoo is one that both my husband and I used. I'm a big fan of Pantene shampoos and conditioners, and this one was no exception. I was sent the Derma E Scalp Relief Shampoo a while ago, and I did really enjoy it. It had a tingly effect on my scalp and made any dandruff I had go away. 

Two deluxe sized body washes I finished up were the Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Stress Relief, and the other was the Dove Deep Moisture. I LOVED the scent of the B&BW body wash and am considering buying a full size once I use up my stash. The Dove I didn't care for. It really wasn't moisturizing to me and left my skin feeling rough. 

We used up two toothpastes the last 3 months of the year. A Colgate Total Whitening, and a Colgate Enamel Health. The Enamel Health was mine and I really liked how it made my teeth feel. I would occasionally use the Total Whitening, but it made my teeth too sensitive. 

While I was pregnant, I took the Thorne Basic Prenatal vitamin. I liked these because they contain Folate, not Folic Acid. Folic Acid is the synthetic form of Folate, and I have a disorder where my body cannot process the synthetic version. These are more expensive than other vitamins, but they were worth it to me. 

Lastly for health products, is a mini Degree deodorant. Since I was in and out of the hospital for the better part of 5 months with my daughter, I would take travel sizes since they were easier to manage. I liked this enough, but probably wouldn't buy again. 

For anyone that doesn't know, NICU's are very warm and very dry. My lips, hands and whole body took a beating, and I went through all these lip balms the last three months of 2016. I love The Body Shop lip butters, and this one was the honeymania scent. Families who have had babies in the NICU tend to give gifts here and there throughout the year,and in a gift bag I had gotten, there was the Blistex Fruit Smoothies lip balm in the Berry Explosion scent. I kid you not when I say I went through this tube in just two weeks! Last lip balm is the Serious balm in the Snickerdoodle scent. I love these balms and was sent a few, I wanna say last Spring. I still have the other two to use up and I'm sure I will get to them soon. 

Last up is some skincare! I'm fairly certain I used the BioRepublic Green Tea Detox sheet mask just before having Olivia, because I had zero time or energy to do any kind of face mask after she was born. I finally used up the First Aid Beauty Daily Face Cream that I had been working on for probably a year. I love this face cream because it's fragrance free and simple to use. The White Tea Facial Cleanser from Korres was nice, but slightly drying. I liked the scent, but this is better for me to use in the warmer months. 

I've used up more hand creams since, but the one I had finished up before the end of the year was the Neutrogena Norwegian Formula hand cream in the fragrance free version. I adore this hand cream as it's nice and thick, but is gel-like and sinks right in. I washed my hands probably 20 times a day, at least, while tending to my daughter, and needed something that would help heal the dryness and cracked skin I had. 

Total number of products used up: 15
Total for the year: 128

128 products used up in 2016 is not too bad! Considering having my daughter early, I'm pretty proud I did as well as I did. My lofty goal was to use up 250 products, and I initially wanted that to be my goal for this year as well, but I decided to be nice to myself and lower it to 150. Olivia has only been home for 2 weeks now, and we're still figuring out a good routine, so it may take a bit to get into a groove of using products efficiently. My husband and I would also like to move, maybe in the Summer, and I'd like to use up as much as I can before that. Anyway, like I said above, I will have an empties post for the first 3 months of this year up very soon, and will go back to monthly empties after that. 

Did you keep track of how many products you used up last year? 

Review: The Body Shop Intensely Revitalising Sleeping Cream

*Disclosure* Product was provided for review, and post contains affiliate links. All opinions are 100% honest and my own, like always

Hey guys! A few months ago, I was very kindly sent the Intensely Revitalising Sleeping Cream from The Body Shop to try out. I was so ecstatic because if you've been here for a while, you all know how much I love The Body Shop products. 

Here is some info on the product from The Body Shop website:

A night time cream to deeply nourish, visibly revitalize and intensely firm while you sleep. We searched the world and selected 3 Precious Seed Oils known for their revitalizing and repairing properties. By infusing them with 7 Powerful Essential Oils, into a refreshing yet cushiony cream, we've created an Intensely Revitalizing Sleeping Cream that replenishes like a dream (almost).

The 7 Essential Oils this contains:
- Lavender Oil from France, known for calming and sedative properties
- Rosemary Leaf Oil from Tunisia, helps prevent free radical damage and improves skin tone
- Geranium Oil from South Africa, promotes radiant skin
- Roman Camomile Oil from Central Europe, a calming agent
- Marjoram Leaf Oil from Mediterranean countries, used to fragrance the product
- Orange Peel Oil from Southeast Asia, revitalizes the skin
- Lavandin Oil from Provence, stimulates the fusion of elastin and collagen

The first thing I noticed about this moisturizer was the strong scent. It's probably due to all the oils in this, but boy is it strong! It reminds me of a certain aftershave my great-grandfather used to wear, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was. Despite that, I do feel like this is a very effective moisturizer. It makes my skin feel so incredibly soft and I always would wake up with brighter, more smooth skin. This cream is thick and sits on the skin for a bit, but eventually it does sink in. You don't need a ton of product to get the job done weither.

Now with that being said, I have a problem with the ingredient list on the box versus the one on the website. 

Hopefully you can read this well enough. This is the ingredient list on the box, and the following is what is on the website.

Aqua/Water/Eau, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Nylon-66, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Salicylic Acid, Caffeine, Tocopherol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum/Fragrance, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, Adenosine, t-Butyl Alcohol, Linalool, Eryngium Maritimum Extract, Leontopodium Alpinum Callus Culture Extract, Citronellol, Crithmum Maritimum Callus Culture Filtrate, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Myristyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Limonene, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but this seems like almost a completely different product online! I stopped using this moisturizer once I saw on the website that it contains Salicylic Acid, because I had already found out I was pregnant, and I'm not comfortable using that particular ingredient while pregnant. I also don't like when Alcohol Denat is in products that are supposed to be hydrating. It kinda defeats the purpose of you ask me. Also, unless it's under a different name on the box, I don't see any Caffeine on the list either. It's just so confusing to me and also a bit concerning. I've never had problems like this before, and I'm genuinely curious if there's some kind of typo somewhere.

I would love to continue using this because I really loved how it made my skin look and feel. The fact that the ingredient list is so inconsistent is putting me off of it until after I give birth. 

If the discrepancies with ingredient lists doesn't bother you, you can find the moisturizer here on The Body Shop's website for $39, as well as The Body Shop stores, and possibly Ulta. I've noticed more TBS products in my Ulta lately. 

UPDATE 6/30/16: I sent an email to The Body Shop just after posting this in regards to the ingredient lists being different. They emailed me back a couple days ago and said that the correct ingredient list is on the box, and the list online will be updated. I just checked online, and it is now updated! 

What kind of nighttime moisturizer do you like? Would two different ingredient lists put you off from using a product?

May 2016 Favorites

Hey guys! I'm sure you've noticed that I haven't really been blogging lately. So many things are going on in the home front right now, and I'm just trying to get my ducks in a row. I'll be able to talk more about what's going on in the next couple weeks, so please bear with me! That being said, I have not been into makeup at all this past month, and aside from wearing lipgloss a few times, I've been bare-faced the entire time. I do have just a few standout products that aren't makeup, so I wanted to share them with you!

*Post contains affiliate links*

I just have these three products to talk about. The first two are from Derma e, and the first product is their Psorzema Creme. I was very generously sent a nice little package from Derma e and BrandBacker, and I did a sponsored post here reviewing this creme. This creme is basically a miracle worker if you have incredibly dry skin. It even has worked on the little keratosis pilaris bumps that I have on the backs of my arms. I love that this creme is unscented and it sinks in incredibly fast, but hydrates insanely well.

In the Derma e package, they had also sent their Scalp Relief Shampoo. I was excited to try this because I have mad dandruff that my usual dandruff shampoo wasn't taking care of like it usually does. For a shampoo that says it's sulfate-free, this stuff lathers up really well and makes my hair and scalp feel super clean. There is a minty tingly feel to this shampoo, which I've appreciated lately with the hot and humid weather we've been having. This has definitely helped to calm down my dandruff and has made my scalp less itchy as well. 

The last product I have just adored is The Body Shop Honeymania Lip Balm. You all know my love for The Body Shop products, and their lip butters are fantastic. I usually have an issue with the lip butters that are white in color, like the Coconut and Shea scents, where they leave a nasty white cast on my lips, so I'd reserve them for bedtime use only. This stuff goes on basically clear, and has got to be one of the most hydrating lip balms I've ever tried in my life! No joke, this stuff rocks. I even use it in the morning after brushing my teeth sometimes and it leaves my lips nice and soft for hours. There is no flavor but the scent is to die for, and it reminds me of when I used to work at The Body Shop many years ago. 

What were some of your favorites last month?

April 2016 Empties

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What are some products you used up?

Review: The Body Shop Lightening Shade Adjusting Drops

*Disclosure* Product featured was provided for review. All opinions are 100% honest and my own, like always!

Hey guys! I'm so excited to bring you this review today of The Body Shop Lightening Shade Adjusting Drops. I had received a very lovely PR package with these as well as the Darkening Drops, and I was so incredibly happy to finally be able to test them out!

Here is a product description of the drops from The Body Shop website:

Transform an "almost right" shade into your perfect one in just one drop with The Body Shop's Shade Adjusting Drops. Lightening drop lightens and neutralizes yellowness, while the darkening drop darkens while keeping natural depth.

I have not tried the Darkening Drops as they're waaaayyy too dark for me to use with anything. I have the worst time finding foundations, because I'm super fair, but also super cool toned. In nearly every brand I've tried, the lightest foundation shade is either still too dark, or too yellow/orange. When I heard The Body Shop was coming out with a product to help us pale girls make that "almost right" shade of foundation perfect, I practically squealed with excitement! I really did though, my husband thinks I'm nuts...

Anyway, once I received this in the mail, I tried it with one of my favorite foundations, the Clinique Stay Matte Foundation. I actually own the second to lightest shade, but only because the lady color-matching me didn't know what she was doing, so I ended up with a foundation that's slightly too dark, and slightly too yellow. I used one drop of the Lightening drops, and low and behold, I finally got my perfect shade! Seriously, this is honestly a lifesaver, and I can now use the foundations that I stayed away from using!

It's a little hard to tell in the picture, but these Lightening Drops have a neutral to pink undertone, which helps to neutralize any yellowness. The product dispenses from a dropper type lid, which can be tricky to work with, but it provides the perfect amount of product. You only get 0.5 fluid ounces of product for $20, which is a bit pricey, but since you only need 1, maybe 2 drops, it's not awful. Plus, I don't wear foundation every single day, so I see this lasting a while. It also does not change the consistency of the foundation you're using, so if you like the formula of a certain foundation, don't worry about it applying differently!

If you're super pale like I am, and have a difficult time finding the right foundation shade, I highly recommend giving this a try. I can't say enough how thankful I am that I was given the chance to try these Shade Adjusting Drops out. 

You can purchase these at The Body Shop online, or in-store.

Have you tried out either the Lightening or Darkening Drops? Let me know if you like them or not!

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?