What I Got For Christmas/ My Birthday HAUL!

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Hey guys! I hope everyone who celebrates had an awesome Christmas, and has a very happy New Year! December is always an odd month for me because my birthday is on the 8th, so presents that are given to me nowadays are for both that and Christmas, which I'm honestly fine with! Since I'm now 27 (hooray for being in my late 20's now...not!), I never really ask for certain presents anymore. I prefer either gift cards or cash so I can get something I know I'll enjoy and use. I also do treat myself to some things because, why the heck not?! So today I'll be sharing with you what I ended up getting with my birthday/Christmas money!

I had gone to Walgreen's hoping to find new products that I've been hearing about, but had zero luck. They did however have a major clearance sale going on, so I took some time browsing. I picked up the Wet n Wild Fergie Take on the Day Mattifying Powder that was on clearance for just a couple dollars. I'm hoping this is decent, but with it being marked down, it's probably getting discontinued. 

I also picked up one of the Megalast Liquid Lip Colors in the shade Red My Mind. It's a beautiful shade in the package, but that's it. It's an awful formula and flakes off my lips almost immediately after applying it. Luckily, this was just over $1 on clearance, and now I understand why every shade in this line was marked down. 

I've never tried the popular Wet n Wild lipsticks that everyone talks about, so I picked up the shades Smokin' Hot Pink and Cherry Picking. I always thought these were $1.99, but at my Walgreen's they were $2.49. No big deal really, so if I end up liking these, I'll probably buy more!

Burt's Bees wasn't on sale at all, but if you bought 2 of their lip balms, you got 1,000 points so I got the scents Honey and Coconut & Pear. I love lip balms, and Burt's Bees makes some great ones. 

Next up is Sephora! I had gotten the VIB Rouge giftcard in the mail for $25 off of a $50 purchase, and my mom also gave me hers to use as well, so I placed 2 separate orders, but lumped everything together. On one of the orders I had to buy hair ties because I wasn't quite at $50, but somehow I lost them already.

Anyway, I ended up getting the Philosophy Holiday Handbook hand cream set, which has the scents Cranberry Medley, Fresh Cream and Raspberries & Cream. I purchased a set of these last year as well and love them, so when I saw they had another set this year, I knew I had to have it. Fresh Cream is such a light, but amazing scent and I'm very happy to have it in hand cream form!

I have no reason to be buying more eyeshadow palettes, but the Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons is one I just had to have! I had been hearing about it for months, thought the packaging was adorable, and the fact that it smells like chocolate always seals the deal. I have the other two chocolate bar palettes as well and color selection wise, I think I like this one the most. 

Kat Von D has been killing it with her makeup line within the past year, and everything I've tried so far, I've loved. I bought yet another Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in the shade Bauhau5 and a Metal Crush Eyeshadow in the shade Raw Power. You all know my love for her liquid lipsticks, but I've been dying to try out the Metal Crush Eyeshadows. I was torn between this and the shade Thunderstruck, but went with Raw Power because I love my burgundy's!

The birthday gift this year came from Nars and it included a Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in the shade Cruella, a Satin Lip Pencil in the shade Rikugien, and since I'm VIB Rouge, it came with an extra little sample of their Larger Than Life Eyeliner in the shade Via Veneto. I hear that both of the lip pencils and the eyeliner are great, so I'm excited to try them out!

Last but not least, I made a trip to Ulta. My lovely mother-in-law gave me a giftcard, and my dad gave me some birthday money. I also had the coupon for 20% off, which was good on everything I purchased! I had seen a review on YouTube of the Stila Trust in Love Gift Set, which includes an eyeshadow palette, a deluxe sized lip glaze, and a deluxe sized sample of their HUGE Extreme Lash Mascara. The wand on the mascara reminds me so much of the Too Faced Better Than Sex, which is probably my favorite higher end mascara, so we'll see if the Stila one compares. 

Real Techniques was on sale, so I picked up two of their Shading Brushes. I don't have these yet in my Real Techniques brush collection, but I love the size of these and think they will be good for applying shadow to my hooded lids. 

I've decided I wanted to delve into the world of lip liners, so I went a little ham with what I bought. I ended up buying three Essence lip liners in the shades 15 Honey Berry, 07 Cute Pink and 08 Red Blush. These babies were only $1.49 and with the coupon I had, it made them super inexpensive. I always hear good things about these lip liners too, so I have high hopes. I also purchased two other lip liners, one from NYX in the shade Cabaret, and one from Rimmel in the shade Rapture. The Rimmel lip liner was marked down to clearance, which may mean it's being discontinued. 

Next up is a new Revlon eyeshadow palette called Not Just Nudes, and the one I purchased is Romantic Nudes. They had another one that seemed a bit more warm toned, so the purple-y mauve-y pink shades in this stood out to me more. I love how drugstore brands are coming out with eyeshadow palettes, so I hope this is decent quality. 

The last product was the birthday gift from bareMinerals, and it's a Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in the shade Birthday Babe. I don't think I've tried these glosses before, but I love the color of this, and it isn't very sticky either. 

That's everything from my birthday and what I got for Christmas! Did you get any makeup/beauty goodies that you're enjoying?

November 2015 Empties

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What did you use up recently?

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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?

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May 2015 Empties

Hey everyone! May was an awesome month with using up products. I think this was the most products I've ever used up in a whole month, which makes me pretty darn excited. Anyways, get a snack or a drink since this may be a long post. 

I tried putting the products together in categories, so first up is the skincare. I used up the Adeline Anti-Aging Moisturizer. I did a full review of this here, and since using it up completely, I'm a bit indifferent on it. I liked it, but wasn't wowed by it. It smelled really nice, kinda like peppermint, and it just seemed like a regular moisturizer.

Next up is the Boscia Charcoal Pore-Minimizing Hydrogel Mask. I also did a review of this here, and it just didn't work for me. I hear so many good reviews of these masks, So I'm not sure what the deal is. The only thing I liked is that it actually fit my face well, otherwise it's just a meh product.

I always say this, but it's never an empties post for me if I don't have The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner in it. Absolutely love this stuff and it will probably always be my favorite toner of all time. 

I had used the bareMinerals bareVitamins Skin Rev-er Upper a long time ago as a treatment under moisturizer. When I found it in my stash, it wasn't as good as I remembered it being. It used to make my skin feel and look nice, but this bottle didn't really do much for me. I'm honestly not sure if this product is still around, but I highly doubt I'd buy it again if it was available. 

I was a pretty big fan of the Origins A Perfect World Antioxidant Cleanser with White Tea. It lasted me quite a while too because you need the tiniest bit to get a good foam. This cleanses well, but the only gripe I had is it burned like Hell around my eyes. 

I've loved the Clinique Moisture Surge for years, and this one is their Extended Thirst Relief version. I only used this at night and it made my skin feel amazingly soft and hydrated. This product in its full size is pretty expensive, but I may consider buying it once I use up what I have in my stash.

I didn't actually get to use the Philosophy Hope in a Jar Moisturizer because when I open it, it smelled awful and was yellow. Just nasty, so in the trash it goes!

I'm also throwing out the Valentia Organic Rosehip Oil. I did a full review of this, and I'm not a fan. I did like how it made my skin look and feel, but I can't get past the smell of it. I'm not sure if I got a bad batch, but it smelled rotten to me. 

Now for some health/body products. I have finally used up the Perlier Limone Italian Sorbet Body Water. I had done a review of this ages ago here and found it so interesting. It's not necessarily a moisturizer, it's like a gel that crackles on your skin and it's so refreshing to use after a really hot day and a nice shower. I'm not sure if I would buy it for myself, but it's such an interesting product that I might consider it. 

Another Perlier product I used up is the Volcanic Stones Thermal Scrub. I reviewed this here, and at the time, I did like it. Now that it's used up, I love how this smells, it's like a spa, but the scrubbing particles kinda hurt my skin. 

I finished up a Natrol Biotin 10,000 mcg tablet bottle. I take one of these every morning to help with my hair, skin and nails. My nails are always nice, but I don't think this works for my hair. I keep using it in hopes it will eventually. 

I used up the Wegmans Topcare brand of Sensitive Toothpaste. I liked this alot and it only costs about $3. Much better price than other sensitive toothpastes around. 

Now for a few random makeup type products. I'm actually sad to have used up the Skindinavia Bridal Makeup Finish Spray. I bought this for my wedding back in September 2013. I loved it back then and I loved it til I used it all up. I'm not very picky with setting sprays and can kinda use whatever and be happy, but there are sentimental reasons to this one!

I hadn't used this Bare Escentuals Rare Minerals Skin revival Night Treatment since I was probably a teenager. I remember using it and thinking it never really did anything. It was a powder that you put all over your skin at night and it was supposed to help with skin turnover and large pores. Since it is so old, I don't want to chance it so it's getting thrown away.

I reviewed these Dermalogica Precleanse wipes here and I didn't really care for them. At first I wasn't using them correctly, and found out that I had to wet these after an initial use to remove the rest of my makeup. I'm not a fan of these and mainly used them for rubbing off swatches. 

Last few products! I used up the Suave Keratin Infusion Color Care Shampoo and Conditioner, but not at the same time. I always use up shampoo first for some reason, and a couple weeks later, I used up this conditioner. I'm a big fan of suave hair products because they make my hair feel so soft and healthy. 

The last product is the Bath & Body Works Anti-Bacterial foaming hand soap in the scent Creamy Pumpkin. I love their hand soaps so much and always stock up during a sale. This scent was really nice, kinda like pumpkin pie but without the cinnamon. 

Well, that's everything I used up! Not too shabby if you ask me, and if you made it til the end, you're awesome and I love you :)

How many/what products did you use up in May?

April 2015 Empties!

Hello everyone! It's time to look through my trash and see what products I was able to use up in April. I think I used up a fair amount of products, and it's such a rewarding feeling seeing it all. 

The first product I used up is the Philosophy Purity Made Simple Facial Cleansing Gel & Eye Makeup Remover. This took forever for me to go through since you only need a tiny bit to get the job done. It was an amazing cleanser for taking off makeup and overall cleansing. I probably would repurchase, but I have so many cleansers to go through right now. 

Next up is the Mario Badescu Special Mask for Oily Skin. Unfortunately, when I went to use this, it was all dried up so I had to dump it out. I'm saving the little pot though as I'm sure I'll find a use for it eventually. The Aloe Moisturizer was alright. It felt nice going on the skin, but it never really sunk in and made me feel greasy after a while. The drying cream was also a dried up mess and unusable. 

I wasn't much of a fan of the Sephora Supreme Cleansing Foam. It smelled really strongly of flowers and didn't clean the best either. I'm glad it was a sample size that I got through quickly.

The Pangea Organics Facial Cleanser was alright. It was super liquid-y but it did clean my skin nicely. I can't remember where I even got this little sample, but it lasted me quite a while.

Both my husband and I used the Pantene Sheer Volume Shampoo. He's not picky and neither am I really. This was good. It cleaned my hair nicely and left it soft and fluffy. 

I used up sample packets of the John Frieda Luxurious Volume shampoo and conditioner while staying at my Mother-in-law's house during Easter. I really liked this alot. The duo made my hair feel so soft and it looked amazing once it was all dry. I'd consider buying full sized bottles once I use up what I have.

I have to throw out the Radha Beauty Argan Oil. It smelled funky when I received it for review, and it smells even worse now. I don't know what is wrong with it, but I have to toss it. I feel bad though because I only used it a few times and I did like what it did for my skin and also my hair when I used a tiny bit. 

The Philosophy Peppermint Hot Cocoa shower gel smelled so amazing and made my whole house smell good after I took a shower. You all know my love for Philosophy shower gels, so I won't ramble on about how amazingly awesome they are. 

I finally was able to use up the Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist. I hated using it by directly spraying it on my skin as it burned my eyes like hell, even though they were closed. It was much better just spraying some on a cotton pad and swiping it on my skin. It didn't do much for me though. I still am obsessed with The Body Shop's Aloe Calming Toner and nothing really comes close to it. 

Last few products! I absolutely loved the bareMinerals Firming Eye Treatment. It made my eye area feel so soft and hydrated, but it wasn't heavy at all. I only used it at night and when I woke up in the morning, the skin around my eyes felt really nice. 

The product next to it is the Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm Balm in the Black Tea & Blackberry scent. It got lots of love from me as it usually was the one I brought with me to work. I loved this stuff. It made my lips feel nice and hydrated and it's a great base for drying lipsticks. 

The last product is the Urban Decay Complexion Primer Potion. This stuff was like magic for my pores! Seriously, it covered them up so I could put on foundation or concealer and not have to worry about my pores looking like massive craters. I would most definitely buy the full size once I use up other primers. 

What did you use up last month?

March 2015 Empties!

Hi everyone! Today I'm showing you my trash. I used up a pretty decent amount of products in March, so grab a snack or a drink, because this may be a long one!

I'll start with skincare since that's what I have the most of. The first product is the Korres White Tea Fluid Gel Cleanser. I used this in the mornings, and I really did like it. It cleaned my skin well and got rid of any oil I may have had from the night before. 

This wouldn't be an empties without an Aloe Calming Toner from The Body Shop. I've talked about this a ton before, so I won't beat a dead horse. This is my favorite toner ever, and I use it primarily at night, unless it's Winter, then I use it morning and night. 

I used up a sample of the Pangea Organics Facial Scrub, and I didn't really care for it. The scrubbing bits in it were a bit rough, and it didn't smell too pleasant. 

I used up another sample of the bareMinerals Purifying Facial Cleanser, and I really, really like this! I used it in the morning and got a good weeks worth of use out of it. It cleans really well, but doesn't strip the skin. This is a great everyday, basic cleanser.

I used up a sample of the Philosophy Miracle Worker Miraculous Anti-Aging Moisturizer. This moisturizer is so interesting to me. It feels thick when I rub it between my hands, but once I apply it to my face, it spreads out evenly and feels incredibly silky. It's extremely hydrating, so I only used it at night, but I always woke up with really pretty skin.

I finally finished up 2 InstaNatural products, the first one being the Hyaluronic Acid Serum and the second one is the Age-Defying Skin Clearing Serum, which I reviewed here along with another product. The hyaluronic serum was amazing mixed into my morning moisturizer when I needed extra hydration and the skin clearing serum is probably one of the best serums for oily, acne prone skin I've ever tried. It seriously was amazing stuff, and I probably will repurchase when I use up other skin treatments. 

Now for makeup. I'm throwing away the Coastal Scents mini eyeshadow quads that I received in previous Ipsy bags. I was going through my makeup, saw these, and just decided to get rid of them. I've never used them and a couple shadows broke, so I have no use just hanging onto them. 

I'm also throwing away the Be a Bombshell Liquid Eyeliner in the shade Onyx. This also came in a previous Ipsy bag. I found this hard to use because the felt tip of this is so chunky and large, which made it hard getting a thin line. The color is so black though, which makes it tough to throw away. Oh well, like I said above, there is no use hanging onto this if I have no use for it!

The Freeman Purifying Paper Mask was not good. I'm not a fan of sheet masks, and this one was no exception. It didn't sit right on my face, so I kept getting it in my eyes and up my nose. I'll stick with my normal masks, thank you!

I absolutely loved the Korres Guava Body Butter! It smelled amazing and really hydrated my skin. I'm trying to get my skin in good shape after it being so dry in the Winter, so I need anything that's going to put moisture back into my skin. This did it, and I'm a little sad it's gone. 

I didn't care much for the Bliss High Intensity Hand Cream. First off, it's not that intense. It didn't really help my hands in any way. Second, I went through it pretty fast because of that. I felt like I kept having to reapply to get it to do anything. At least it's not sitting around anymore waiting to be used up!

If I'm not mistaken, this Simply Be Well Lotion came from the hotel my husband and I stayed at during our honeymoon. I'm weird and always take those little sample toiletries with me. This was alright. It's a very lightweight lotion and I only used it on my arms. This would've done nothing for my poor, dry legs.

Last few things! I am so happy to finally be finished a Johnson's Baby Shampoo. I use this stuff to clean my brushes, and let me tell you, I had this bottle when my husband and I first moved in together in the Summer of 2012. I got a hug double pack of these before we moved, and I'm just starting to use the second one. Crazy how long this big bottle lasts!

I'm sure I've mentioned before, but I'm not the biggest fan of Bath & Body Works body products. Candles and handsoap, I love, but body products, not so much. I had this Country Chic scented shower gel for a while. I'm going to start using up all their body care stuff I have because I don't want to be wasteful. 

The very last product is the Bath & Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in the Pumpkin Caramel Latte scent. Holy crap, does this stuff smell like heaven! I love anything that smells like pumpkin, but this smells like dessert and I wish I had a backup. There is always next Fall! Hopefully they bring it back.

Phew! If you lasted til now, thank you and I love you! I'm so happy to be using up so many products. I seem to be on a mission lately to de-clutter my life and I have so many beauty products to go through, so when I use something up, it feels like weight lifted off my shoulders. Such an awesome feeling!

What did you use up lately?

November 2014 Empties

Hey guys! November was a decent month with the products I was able to use up. I really enjoy the feeling I get when I use something up as it makes room for more products! ;) Anyways, lets see what I used up last month.

I'll start with the more random products. I used up the Bath & Body Works Citrus Garland Anti-Bacterial Deep Cleansing Hand Soap. This was in my kitchen and took forever to go through. I usually wash my hands in the bathroom and just use a soap til it's all used up. I really love how this smelled. It smelled just like limes and was so fresh. I love these hand soaps, especially the deep cleansing ones because they seem to wash my hands better. They're even husband approved!

The next product is the Colgate Maximum Strength Sensitive toothpaste. I feel like I went through this toothpaste so fast, but I guess that's because it's such a small tube. It only had 4 ounces of product and I think I'm used to larger tubes. I usually just buy what's on sale and if I have a coupon or not. I didn't really like this though. It burned my mouth and didn't taste very good. The one I'm currently using is really nice, but I doubt I'll use that up any time soon. 

Then I used up the InstaNatural Phytoceramides. I did a review on this here, and I honestly think it helped me. I noticed my skin was feeling less dry and more glowy. Now that I used it up, my skin is back to feeling more dry. I do have another bottle of this, but I wanted to not start taking it to see if my skin would go back to how it was before, and it did. I'm going to start the other bottle soon.

Now for some skincare! I finally was able to use up the Aveeno Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser. I swear, this stuff takes months and months to use up. I did only use it in the morning and it only takes 2-3 pumps of product to be effective at cleansing the skin. I've used this before and I do like it, but only in warmer months. Once it got cold, this dried out my skin so bad so I had to compensate by using a hydrating toner and moisturizer.

Next up is the Fresh Soy Face Cream. At first I didn't care for this, especially because of how it smelled. It's very floral smelling, and that can turn me off at times. It was very hydrating though and I only used it at night for that reason. I would wake up with pretty skin that felt nice and plump. 

I used up another one of my favorite sunscreens, the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock with SPF 55. I've raved about this in the past so I won't go on and on about it. This is definitely my favorite sunscreen of all time, but I am willing to try new things. Usually I end up going back to this product, though!

Then we have a hand cream from L'Occitane and it was lavender scented. I had this little tube for ages and finally used it up. I only used it at night because it smelled so soothing and calming, so it helped me to fall asleep a little better. It's not the most hydrating hand cream like their original one is, but I just loved the lavender scent.

The Dylan's Candy Bar Candy Lip Saver in the Chocolate Cupcake scent was interesting. I absolutely loved how this smelled, but after using it up, I didn't miss it. It didn't feel very hydrating and I found myself having to constantly reapply it. That's no good in my book.

I was going through my sample tubes I had and decided to start using the Coola Mineral Suncreen with SPF 20. I appreciate that this stuff is unscented, but boy did I look like a ghost with it on! It was so white on my skin and I couldn't seem to rub it in enough to make it less noticeable. I only got about a weeks worth of use, but I was glad to get rid of it.

Lastly, the makeup. I was doing my makeup for a Thanksgiving/house warming party my husband and I were going to and I wanted to do some winged eyeliner. I decided to use a gel because I felt like I could control it more. Well both of these MicaBeauty black eyeliners were dried up so bad, that I had to go over everything I did with liquid. I got these in Ipsy bags, but only used them a small handful of times. Maybe the lids weren't on tight enough, but I was upset with how dry they were. 

Once again, we have a ton of dried up mascaras. I think I'm gonna ban myself from buying any mascaras for a long time, because it's just a waste of money not being able to get any use out of what I have. Anyways, the dried up ones were the Cargo TexasLash Mascara. I wanted to use this so bad, but not a single speck of mascara would go onto my lashes. The Blinc Stop Painting Your Lashes...Tube Them! Mascara I think had zero product in the tube to begin with. Josie Maran Instant Natural Volume Argan Mascara was clump city the second I tried applying it. Dior Diorshow Extase was all dried up. Both bareMinerals Flawless Definition Volumizing Mascaras had no product on the wands at all. The only mascara I was able to get use out of was the Stila Forever Your Curl Curl Mascara. I used this 3 times when I decided it sucked. By the end of the day I ended up looking like a panda everytime I used this. 

Well that's everything I used up! what products did you use up recently?

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! :)

July 2014 Ipsy Bag

Hey everyone! I got my Ipsy bag in the mail the other day, so it's time to share what I got! I was excited for this month when Ipsy posted sneak peeks on Facebook, but was slightly disappointed in the products I ended up receiving. This month's theme is called Sensationally Sunkissed so lets see what I got!

Now I love and hate the bag at the same time. I love it because it's a bright hot pink, my favorite color. I hate it because it's probably the cheapest feeling material I've ever felt in my life.  I mean seriously, the zipper is coming apart in one area and it feels so flimsy. Cute concept with the pink and scalloped edges, just cheap looking!

Onto the products! The first product I have here is the Purlisse Pur Protect Essential Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30. I can definitely appreciate a sun care product that provides a good SPF but this is for normal to dry skin so I most definitely can't use it, especially in Summer. I can maybe save it for the dead of Winter when my skin is drier, but I'm not sure if it will work for me.

Next up is the Models Own Nail Polish in the color Red Sea. Honestly, I'm pretty tired of receiving nail polishes in these bags. I haven't done my nails in ages and I don't really care for polishes that have chunks of sparkle or glitter. 

Then we have the Pixi Beauty Mini Tinted Brilliance Balm in the color Unique Pink. I haven't tried this yet, but it smells just like peppermint tea, and I find myself sniffing it for longer than I probably should. I'm weird, I know. I'm curious about the tinted aspect of this because it just seems like a clear balm, so we'll see if it works!

Now we have the bareMinerals 5-in-1 BB Advanced Performance Cream Eyeshadow Broad Spectrum SF 15 and I think I got the color Barely Nude. Oy vey that's a long name for a product! I have to say though that this is a really tiny sample. Reminds me of the free samples they give out when you order something online. I will try this because I'm curious to see how it performs and because I like the bareMinerals brand. 

The last product is the Clear Clinic Laboratories Vanished Clear Spot Treatment. I'm kinda terrified to use this because I took one whiff of this stuff and it smells like straight up alcohol! I know spot treatments are typically drying, but if something smells this strong of alcohol, I'm most likely not putting it anywhere near my face! I'm gonna have to research the ingredients in this more. 

Kind of a meh bag this month but Ipsy usually redeems itself if I don't like a bag. If you want an Ipsy bag yourself sign up here! It's only $10 a month, plus shipping for some, and you get 4 to 5 sample products in each bag!

If you're already subscribed to Ipsy, what did you receive in your bag?

May 2014 Empties!

Hey everyone! I know you all probably thought I died or something, and I felt like I did at one point, but I'm still here! I was actually just really, really sick. I probably had bronchitis or an upper respiratory infection. I've also had some other health issues going on and to make a long story short, I'm doing physical therapy three times a week right now for my back because of a herniated disk and pinched nerves. Needless to say, I've been in alot of pain lately so the blog took a backseat so I can focus on feeling better. Anyways, enough of me rambling, here are the products I had used up in May!

The first product I used up is the Sephora brand Daily Makeup Brush Cleaner. I love using this after every makeup application because I do have oily and acne-prone skin, plus my eyes are sensitive so cleaning all the brushes I use after every use is essential for me. I deep clean about once a month because I do spot clean with this daily.

Next up we have the Bath & Body Works Mango Paradise foaming handsoap. I'm obsessed wit the B&BW hand soaps and I typically only buy them when there's a good sale. I have so many backups of other scents so I'm set for a while. 

Then we have The Body Shop's Cocoa Butter Creamy Body Wash. While I loved the smell of this, I didn't really feel like it cleaned very but it did make my skin feel super soft after using it. I have so many different body washes and shower gels in my closet that I probably don't need to buy any for over a year. I'm thinking once I use up everything, I may go drugstore because it's cheaper and I feel like my skin is extra sensitive to scented products lately. 

The Body Shop's Coconut Body Scrub is one of the most heavenly scented products I own. Its not the most effective scrub ever but I'm just obsessed with coconut. This is in the old packaging before they changed it and I bought it for I think $5. I'm pretty sure I have another one of these but I might not repurchase since I like my body scrubs to have more grit to them. 

I did a review here on this Yes To Tomatoes Daily Pore Scrub, and I still don't like it. I used it up because I hate being wasteful, but I didn't like this. It left a weird film on my face and it was too harsh on my skin. I have no idea why anyone would want to use this daily because of that. I will never in a million years repurchase this.

I absolutely loved the bareMinerals Renew & Hydrate Eye Cream. I also did a review of this product here. This eye cream was so hydrating and felt amazing around my eyes. I'll have to repurchase this once I use up my other eye creams.

Another amazing eye cream I used up is the Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream. I used this in the morning because it has a tint to it to help with dark circles. I noticed a little bit of a difference with my dark circles, but not enough to completely wow me. I mostly loved this because of how good it felt and that it wasn't heavy feeling at all, but still moisturized well.

An odd mix of products here, but I'm throwing away the Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker lip gloss in the color Candy Gloss. I went to use it one day and it burned like acid on my lips. Had to take it off right away because it hurt so bad! I understand plumping glosses have that tingly effect, but I never remember this burning so bad. I admit, I've had it for quite a while, so it probably just went bad. 

I'm also throwing away 2 of the E.L.F. Eyelid Primers because they just suck. I started using one after I used up the rest of my Urban Decay Primer Potion (which is my favorite) and this one does not compare at all. My shadow lasted only about 2 hours before it started creasing and by the end of most days, I barely had any eyeshadow left on my lids. It was crazy so I dug through all my primers and found only one extra one, so they're both going in the trash!

I also used up the Wet N' Wild Megalength Waterproof Mascara. I didn't like this at all when I first started using it, but it grew on me after a while and I liked the effect it had on my lashes. They looked natural but this did give them some decent length. At the end of it's life, it started making my lashes look a tad bit clumpy and it didn't deposit enough color on them either, so it was time to say goodbye. 

I used up a packet of the Barefoot Spa Professional Exfoliating Polish because I did a review of it here. I got two of these packets in an Ipsy bag and I wasn't a fan of this really. The scrubbing particles were so tiny it felt like nothing on my skin. Afterwards, my skin felt softer for some reason but I have no idea why. I'll use up the other packet but I probably won't purchase this myself.

I'm also throwing away this little palette from The Body Shop. It's just called the 01 Eye & Cheek Palette and I purchased this when I started working at The Body Shop about 5 years ago. I had to buy some of their makeup to use when I was working there and at the time, this was great. I used it basically everyday when I was there. I took it out of my stash to use one day last month, and I'm not sure why, but the pigmentation was awful and it blended horribly on my eyes. I never remember that happening back then, but hey, this little guy is almost 5 years old! I'm gonna keep the sentimental side out of this and just throw it away. It was good to me while I needed it.

These E.L.F. brushes have to be thrown out! They're so old and rough and basically not useable anymore. The top one is the Bronzing Brush and the bottom one is the Total Face Brush. I think these came in a kit or something with some face products, but they're so old that I honestly have no idea when I got them. If I can remember, my mom actually got them for me when I was a teenager. Yeah, time to go! I have so many brushes that these won't be missed. 

Well, if you made it to the end, you're awesome! I know this was a super long post, but I sure did go through alot of products! I feel like I'm making a good dent in my beauty stash which makes me really happy! What did you use up in May?