Thursday, August 24, 2017

MASSIVE EMPTIES | #39

Nothing like missing a month of empties to make you feel really accomplished about everything you've used up. If you're looking for some quick reviews on a whole smorgasbord of products, you're in for a treat. Let's get to it...


  • Antipodes Chia & Kiwi Seed Superfood Serum (would repurchase) - This was more like a facial oil than a serum. I used it in the morning, and after applying I sealed it in with another moisturizer. I think this would be really great in the colder months, but it was a bit much for summertime. I'd like to try more from this brand in the future. 
  • L'Occitane Essential Water Toner (would not repurchase) - This toner was super duper scented, and not in a good way. It felt more like I was smearing perfumed water over my face, rather than a beneficial toner. I wouldn't get this in the future because it has too much fragrance and artificial ingredients in it. 
  • ROC Deep Wrinkle Night Cream (would not repurchase) - This came in an old Target Beauty Box and I kept putting off using it. It has that typical smelly ROC smell - if you've used any of their products, you know what I mean. I don't like that scent, and I don't think this really did anything for me, so I wouldn't buy this again.
  • Reviva Labs Eye Gelee Concentrate (would repurchase) - This gel is like an essence for your eye cream. Apply it before your eye cream to assist with puffing and hydrating the undereyes. I've found it keeps me from looking crepe-y and dry. 
  • Hey Honey Open Your eyes Eye Contour Lifting Fluid (would not repurchase) - This came in an Ipsy bag, and I can't say I was much of a fan. I prefer thicker, more hydrating eye balms than this. This was like a thin, watery lotion that didn't do anything for my undereyes. 
  • Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask (would purchase) - This little sample pack had all three versions of the lip mask and I loved all of them! I definitely want to get the non-tinted version for use at bed time. This stuff is thick and coats your lips while hydrating. You'll wake up in the morning with it still on. Goooood stuff and smells yummy too. 
  • Benefit Ka Brow (would purchase) - This was my first experience with an eyebrow cream-gel color and I actually really liked it. The blond color was a good shade match, but I had to be light handed so my brows didn't look too bold and caked on. This claims to be waterproof, but I found it easy to smudge off. Despite that, I may pick this up at the next VIB sale. 
  • Covergirl Intensify Me eyeliner (would repurchase) - This is a good, cheap drugstore eyeliner. Once you get over the learning curve of the flat felt-tip, it's easy to use. The color is a perfect matte black, and it doesn't easily smudge on my oily eyelids.
  • Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner (would not repurchase) - On the flip side, this eyeliner pen sucked. It was very light, so I had to go over it again and again in order to build up a bold enough line. The felt tip wasn't very long so it just felt weird to apply. I don't like this and would never buy this again.
  • Prada Candy perfume (would purchase) - If I saw this perfume for cheap, I'd get it because the scent is nice, but it's so popular and not the most unique. It's very sweet and also a bit musky. It borders that line of childishly sweet. Not essential to have in my collection, but I enjoyed using this sample up. 
  • Replica Beach Walk perfume (would not purchase) - This was not my cup of tea. It's very coconut heavy, with a hint of salt water and sunscreen. The smell really does make you think of a beach. It also has some floral notes like ylang-ylang, which is a scent I'm not big on. If you like Bobbi Brown Beach, I think you'll also like this perfume. 

  • Tree hut Shea Moisturizing Body Lotion (would repurchase) - I liked this lotion. It had a very subtle scent and was hydrating without being greasy. I want to say I purchased this at Walmart, and it was dirt cheap.
  • St. Tropez Gradual Tan (would repurchase) - Before I bucked up and got over my fear of tanning mousses, I liked using lotions. This was one of the best I tried. It gave a nice warm color, didn't streak, and the smell wasn't too bad. I'd consider getting this in the future, but I much prefer the color payoff of the St. Tropez mousse instead.  
  • Jason Dandruff Relief Shampoo (would not repurchase) - I'm inclined to getting dry scalp, which I chalk up to dry shampoo wreaking a little havoc on my scalp. I thought I'd try something more natural, but this was not the answer. It has a nasty old lady smell and really did nothing for me.
  • TonyMoly Makgeolli Mask Sheet (would repurchase) - I like the TonyMoly sheet masks. I think they feel nice and they don't break me out. Did this purify my face? Hard to say. But it was nice nonetheless. 
  • Botanic Farm Sea Mustard Mask (would not repurchase) - It's not that anything is overtly bad with this mask, but I just can't for the life of me remember anything about it. If it didn't stand out, it's probably not worth buying again.
  • Vanedo Beauty Friends Gold Mask (would repurchase) - This was also just OK. It has lots of serum on it, enough that you could save it and keep using it after you're done with the mask. It didn't break me out. It was just refreshing and hydrating.
  • Boscia Tsubaki Oil-Infused Exfoliating Powder (would not repurchase) - This really wasn't exfoliating in the least. It was just a powder that functioned as a cleanser once you added some water in. I didn't notice this doing anything for my skin, and it didn't really make my skin feel clean, so I wouldn't get it again.
  • Andalou Naturals 1000 Roses Floral Toner (would repurchase) - This was a nice toner. It had a light rose fragrance, and it was gentle on my skin.
  • Neutrogena Extra Gentle Eye Makeup Remover pads (would not repurchase) - This is an awful eyemakeup remover. The pads aren't saturated enough so I had to add extra remover to them to even get my mascara off. I'd rather have the bottle of Neutrogena eye makeup remover than these.
  • Swisspers Cotton Rounds (would repurchase) - What's an empties post without a pack of these? I use them for toner and eye makeup remover and they work like a charm. 
  • Aveeno Positively Radiant Makeup Removing Wipes (would not repurchase) - The scent of these makeup wipes is way too overpowering for me. It's a really artificial scent that is just, no... just no. 
  • Babyganics Face, Hand & Baby Wipes (would repurchase) - I don't actually use these wipes on my son, but I use them to wipe down my makeup area and any makeup on my hands. They work great and don't have bad ingredients. 
  • Audrey and Lewis South Pacific Shower Gel (would repurchase) - This body wash has a nice, subtle scent of vanilla and citrus. It sudsed up well and made me feel clean. 
  • Dr. Bronner's Hemp Rose Castile Soap (would not repurchase) - I love Dr. Bronner's but I do not love the hemp rose scent. It started off ok, but became sickening to me pretty quickly. I use this to clean my brushes and beauty blender and it works nicely for that, but I'm glad I used this bottle up. 
  • LaVanila Deodorant in Vanilla Coconut and Vanilla Lavender (would repurchase) - LaVanila is my favorite natural deodorant brand. Deodorants, especially natural ones, seem to work different for everyone so while this might not be your perfect option, it works well for me. 
  • Batiste Tropical Dry Shampoo (would repurchase) - Batiste is a stellar dry shampoo brand. It does a great job of soaking up oil in my hair and refreshing it, and it's affordable, too! I find it to be cheapest at TJ Maxx, but you can also find it at the drugstore for a couple bucks more.
  • NelsonJ Argan Oil7 Non-Foaming Shampoo (would not repurchase) - I didn't like that this shampoo didn't foam. It was so hard to tell when I'd scrubbed my hair enough or if I'd gotten it all out. It also has little beads in it that would get stuck on my scalp. I really wanted to like this, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.
  • Rimmel Stay Matte powder (would repurchase) - This is an oldie but goodie in my makeup drawer. I've repurchased it time and time again. It works well to set my foundation without being cakey. I don't experiment much with powders so I just keep picking this up and it doesn't disappoint.
  • Beautyblender (would repurchase) - The beautyblender has become my go-to makeup application tool. It makes my skin look flawless, doesn't leave streaks, and makes application quick and easy. I think the beautyblender trumps all other cheaper knock-off brands. I've tried many and nothing compares. Worth every penny to pay for the actual BeautyBlender.
  • Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer (would not repurchase) - I used to love this for spot concealing, but have found things I like better now. This is a very thick and oily concealer, and while it says it's creaseless, there is literally no way I'd put this on my undereye area. It's way too thick for that and it would either make my eyes look crepe-y or it would majorly crease.

  • Spry Healing Blend Mouth Wash (would repurchase) - What sold me on this mouthwash was both the good ingredients in it and the marketing around it having healing properties for canker sores or sensitive gums. I did have a canker sore while using this and I can't say it really healed it any quicker or helped it feel better. Despite that, I still liked this overall. 
  • Kiss My Face Triple Action Toothpaste (would not repurchase) - I didn't realize until I got a canker sore that this toothpaste has SLS in it. I thought it was free of that ingredient but my body let me know differently. For that reason, I wouldn't buy this again, despite it being a decent toothpaste.
  • Smile Brilliant Teeth Whitening Gel (would repurchase) - This was my final vial of the Smile Brilliant whitening gel, and I really like this stuff. It makes a noticeable difference in the brightness of my teeth. This set was sent to me for review, but I did just purchase more vials of whitener once I finished this. See full review here.
  • Ralph Lauren Hot Perfume (would repurchase) - I love this perfume. It has so much good nostalgia tied to it. But I've had this in my collection for longer than I'd like to admit so I made a conscious effort to use this up. The main notes are vanilla, fig, spice and amber. It's tough to explain, but it's something unique that I'd certainly buy again. If you like scents such as Vera Wang Princess, Viva La Juicy and Hillary Duff With Love, chances are you'll like this one.
  • Aura Cacia Lavender Baby Shampoo (would repurchase) - This was a gift from one of my baby showers, and I enjoyed using it on my son. The ingredients are pure and didn't irritate my son's skin. It smells just like fresh lavender, but the scent doesn't linger long.
  • Mrs. Meyers Watermelon Foaming Hand Soap (would repurchase) - This was a really fun scent of hand soap. It smells like watermelon candy, and the scent stuck around for a bit. I really liked this and would definitely get it again. The Mrs. Meyer's brand is one of my favorites for household items.
  • Signature Soy Pinky Peony Candle (would repurchase) - This was a candle from Target that was a nice one to burn during the spring months. Smelled just like a peony, and like that it was soy so it burned cleaner. It's a goal of mine to switch over to just soy candles once my backstock of others is gone.
  • ScentSationals Herb Garden Wax Cubes (would repurchase) - This mix of herb-scented wax melts smelled fresh and clean. A great option for making the house smell nice in summer.

And that's it!! Have you tried any of these things? What interesting things did you use up this month? Let me know!

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Play! by Sephora | Summer 2017


I figure I better start this post with a "uhhh yeah, I'm still alive" disclaimer! Blogging has taken a back seat this summer to family time and any extra minutes of sleep I can possibly get. Family is always my #1 priority, but I sure do miss blogging! 

It's been a while since I've shared my Play! by Sephora box and I have really been enjoying it. I thought I'd spare you multiple posts and instead lump June, July and August's boxes all in one conveniently long post. 

If you're on the hunt for a great $10/month subscription beauty service, look no further than Play! by Sephora. All of the brands featured in the bag can be found at Sephora, so naturally you get some great deluxe samples to try. If you're interested in signing up, you can so do here (not an affiliate link). 

JUNE

  • Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium perfume - This is a cult favorite perfume. It's musky yet sweet, not for the beginner perfume-wearer. I think this smells like a knock-off of Flowerbomb and because I love that perfume so much, I'll probably never purchase Black Opium.
  • Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in K-Dub - This formula of lipstick is super-long wearing. Like, will hold up through a hurricane long-lasting. I have found it to be extremely drying, but I am so impressed by the pigmentation and longevity of it. I'm not excited about the shade they selected, but perhaps I'll have a reason to get funky with my lip color and I'll pull this out.
  • Benefit Porefressional primer - This primer smooths pores for an even and flawless makeup application. I've used it in the past and really liked how it seemed to give me a blurred base to apply my foundation on to. 
  • IGK Rich Kid Coconut Gel - A coconut-infused hair gel that nourishes and conditions. It's not marketed like your typical gel; it seems to be more of a leave-in conditioner than something that's going to hold a style all day. It's also said to be good for both wavy, curly and straight hair.
  • Ouai Rose Hair & Body Oil - This is a silicone-free multi-purpose oil. It's said to be quickly absorbed in to skin or hair. Use this product to restore and repair dry skin and hair and reduce the appearance of scars and redness. 
  • First Aid Beauty Hello FAB Coconut Skin Smoothie Priming Moisturizer - An oil-free primer comprised of super-food ingredients. It'll blur the appearance of pores and provide a dewy finish to the skin. It can be worn alone or underneath makeup. 

JULY

  • bareMinerals GEN NUDE Matte Liquid Lipcolor in Swag - This lip color is infused with a primer and hydrating ingredients for a cream-to-matte finish. Swag is a really pretty everyday color, perfect for the office or to dress up your look. 
  • Milk Makeup Cooling Water - This is a caffeine-infused stick of... something? that you can rub on to your skin or under eyes for a cooling, de-puffing effect. You can also leave it in the fridge to amp up the effect. It seems a little gimmicky, but maybe it really is the next best thing? TBD.
  • It Cosmetics Superhero Elastic Stretch Volumizing Mascara - This mascara's aim is to be like skincare for your lashes. It volumizes, lengthens and stretches lashes while conditioning and strengthening. 
  • Boscia Charcoal Pore Pudding Intensive Wash-Off Treatment - First off, can we just talk about how gross the term "pore pudding" is? Ughh... anyway. This is a fancy swirled face mask that detoxifies the skin and reduces the appearance of pores in the process. It's formulated with white charcoal and kaolin clay, both known for removing impurities in the skin. 
  • Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine - If you're a citrus-scent lover, this one's for you. Orange Sanguine features notes of bitter orange, blood orange, amber, and sandalwood. It's not my favorite scent, but I prefer far warmer, woodsier scents than this typically.
  • Briogeo Rosarco Milk Reparative Leave-In Conditioning Spray - This is a lightweight leave-in conditioner. Spray it on damp hair and let it work its magic. It aims to reduce flyaways, protect against UV rays, and hydrate hair. It's also 96% naturally derived! 

AUGUST


  • Alterna Cavier Anti-Aging Miracle Multiplying Mist - A treatment and styler in one. It claims to provide volume both instantly and over the course of using the product. It strengthens hair to reduce breakage and restore it's natural thickness. 
  • Kat Von D Saint & Sinner Perfumes - Two new fragrances from Kat Von D. As you can guess, Saint (the white bottle) is the lighter, fruitier version of the two. It has notes of vanilla, jasmine and tiare flower. Sinner is the warmer, darker version, comprised of notes of patchouli, wood and cinnamon. Neither fragrance smells very unique to me, so not something I'd bother picking up for my own collection in the future. 
  • Clinique HIM Dual-Ended High Impact Mascara & Primer duo - The priming end of this duo helps boost the appearance of the mascara you put on top, adding volume and length. It goes on white, so over top you layer the High Impact mascara for color and fullness. 
  • Beauty Blender Micro Mini - This mini version of a beauty blender is teeny tiny. I use mine for blending out under-eye concealer and getting in to any nooks and crannies that my normal-sized beauty blender can't. Not essential to have, but convenient from time to time. 
  • GlamGlow Volcasmic Matte Glow Moisturizer - This moisturizer claims to hydrate the skin for a glow without shine. It's marketed as a "water balm" formula, which I've heard is complete crap, but hey... it has decent reviews on the Sephora website, so maybe it's not so bad.
  • Too Faced Mascara Melt Off Cleansing Oil - This oil is meant to take off both waterproof and normal mascara. It has a small wand that almost looks like a bristle-free mascara wand, and you just rub that along your lash line to coat your lashes, let it sit for a minute, then wipe away the product and mascara with a wipe. Not really essential, especially for $17, in my opinion. 

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