January Empties | #33

Starting the new year off right - by getting rid of things! I really want to make a conscious effort in 2017 to pare down my stash of beauty things to just my favorite, most used items and not keep a massive backstock. So often I see a great deal and feel like I have to get something because the price is right, even when I have no need for it. Moving forward, I'm going to be more conscious of how many items I keep on hand. 

With that said... here's what I've used up in January...

• Batiste Dry Shampoo in Floral Essences (would repurchase) - Batiste is hands down my favorite dry shampoo. It works great for soaking up oil and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Anything that saves me from having to wash my hair multiple days a week earns a repurchase in my book!

• Hask Mint Almond Oil Conditioner (would repurchase) - This is a nice conditioner. It has a nice mint scent and I think this line actually did help spur some new hair growth. See full review here. 

• It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Plus Keratin (would not repurchase) - This was fine. I sprayed it in my hair after I showered and used it to detangle my hair, which it did. I just prefer a keratin-free leave-in treatment - I don't want to develop breakage from overuse. 

• ARK Age Protect Skin Vitality Moisturizer (would repurchase) - This is a really nice moisturizer. It's light yet moisturizing, but also leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth. It didn't break me out either. My husband used it and liked it, too. See full review here. 

• Up & Up Eye Makeup Remover Liquid (would repurchase) - The Target brand eye makeup remover is the bomb. It competes with any name brand version, such as Neutrogena, out there. 

• Collective Wellbeing Honey Buff Gentle Exfoliator (would not repurchase) - This scrub was like a majorly watered down St. Ives. It ran everywhere when you tried to use it, which drove me crazy. So much was wasted because it ran all over. For that reason, I wouldn't buy this again. 

• CeraVe Eye Repair Cream (would repurchase) - This was a really nice eye cream. It's not too greasy but provides a good amount of hydration.

• Nooni Snowflake Cleanser (would repurchase) - I liked this little sample. Cleansing balms are my favorite way to remove makeup. See full review here. 

• Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in ZZ (would repurchase) - I loved this mauve lipstick sample so much that I bought a full size. It's creamy and hydrating on the lips and the color lasts for hours. This formula is one of my favorites. Definitely want to try more Vice lipsticks.

• Benefit Bad Gal Lash (would repurchase) - This was an OK mascara. Nothing overly special. It took a little bit of building to get the amount of volume I wanted, but overall it was good. I probably wouldn't spend much money on the full size though, because drugstore mascaras are good enough for me.

• Jack Black lip balm in Asian Pear & White Tea (would not repurchase) - I love Jack Black lip balms but I did not enjoy this scent. 

• Essence I Heart Extreme Mascara (would repurchase) - This is an awesome drugstore mascara. I love the short-bristled plastic brush - it makes it easy to coat your lashes and get up to the water line easily. This is super cheap and won't cost you more than $5! This isn't my first tube of this mascara and it won't be my last.

• Maybelline Stay Fit concelear (would not repurchase) - There's SO much hype around this concealer. People rant and rave all about this, but it does not work for me. It creases like mad and makes me look like I'm 50. Noooo thank you. 

• Blistex lip balm (would repurchase) - I like Blistex. It feels cooling and comfortable on the lips. Yeah, I'll buy it again.

• L'Oreal Revitalift Miracle Blur (would not purchase) - This was fine, but it's very synthetic and fake. I don't know if my sample was old, but it was thick and hard to smear around. My skin looked smooth, but there are other smoothing primers I like more than this one. 

• Shiseido Ultimune Eye Power Infusing Concentrate (would purchase) - This was an interesting product that's supposed to be a boost to anything you put on top of it. It smelled really nice and felt good on my skin. I'm sure it's expensive, but I'd be interested to see how my skin adjusts to using more than just a sample of this.

• Liquid BlenderCleanser (would not purchase) - Meh... not worth buying this cleanser made specifically for the beauty blender. It's really nothing special. Dr. Bronner's is my go-to, it's cheaper, and it does a better job. 

• Arbonne Cellular Renewal Masque (would purchase) - This mask was really nice. It felt kind of like lotion, but my skin felt refreshed after using it. I don't purchase pyramid-scheme products, but if I happened upon this randomly, I'd think about purchasing it.

• Keys Eye Butter (would not purchase) - Holy cow, the smell of this stuff was enough to make me throw out this sample. The ingredients are amazing and natural, but I think it's the rosemary oil mixing with something else that is just pungent and unsavory to sniff. Aside from that, it's a nice thick cream that adds moisture to the delicate undereye area, but beware of the scent!!

• 100% Pure Green Apple Nourishing Body Cream (would purchase) - A nice hand cream that smells just like green apples. Good if you like products that lean more natural.

• Jason Cranberry Pure Natural Hand Soap (would repurchase) - I loved this hand soap. It had an amazing light cranberry scent and the ingredients are A+. This big bottle lasted a long time, too. 

• Everyday Shea Peppermint Tingle Hand Soap (would repurchase) - Another natural hand soap, with a light minty smell. Cute packaging as well. 

• Babyganics Face, Hand & Baby Wipes (would repurchase) - I love Babyganics wipes to remove swatches, but not so much for baby wipes. They don't smell like anything and have minimal ingredients. These are my go-to for cleaning up my beauty area and giving everything a good wipe-down. 

• Elizabeth & James Nirvana Black (would repurchase) - Love this perfume and have it in a full size. Just had to use up this mini. See full review here.

• Oscar de la Renta Something Blue (would not purchase) - I do not like this scent. It's very heavily floral and citrusy, the complete opposite of what I like to wear.

• Estee Lauder Modern Muse (would not repurchase) - I like Modern Muse, but not enough to want a full size. It's floral but has undertones of patchouli, woods and musk. I prefer the Modern Muse Rouge and would buy that before the original. 

• B&BW Red Velvet Cheer candle (would not repurchase) - This was from last year's holiday collection. If you like gourmand scents, you'd like this. Unfortunately it didn't have much throw so it was more for the aesthetic than anything.

• B&BW Winter candle (would repurchase) - This is a classic B&BW holiday scent that I really love, comprised of the smells of pine, woods and mandarin.

• Yankee Candle Golden Sands candle (would repurchase) - This smells so nice. It reminds me of Flowerbomb or some comparable perfume. Had a nice scent throw. 

• Yankee Candle Mountain Lodge candle (would repurchase) - A fresh scent, kind of manly. Had a good throw as well.

• Better Homes Scarlet Amaryllis Flowers melts (would repurchase) - This smelled kind of fruity to me in a weird way. It was a strong scent that filled my whole house. Not my favorite, but not bad.

What did you use up this month? Let me know!

Holiday Gift Guide 2015

Now that Thanksgiving has passed, I am sure there is one stressful holiday thought on your mind: what do I get the beauty lover in my life?! Or, what do I get my beauty-loving wife/best friend/boss/sister etc! If you are wracking your brain for ideas, you've come to the right place. Some of these gifts are perfect for that lady friend in your life, regardless of whether or not she's a major beauty-lover. I know that I'd be happy to receive any of these in my stocking, and nearly all of them HAVE ended up in a gift box of my own. 

There's something for every price point in my list, so look carefully! Pick up any of the gifts shown up and listed below and I can guarantee you'll put a smile on the recipients face. Here's to a stress-free shopping season. 

• Lush bath bombs ($5 - $10): Sadly, I don't have a Lush anywhere near me, so lushusa.com is my best friend! Their bath bombs are.... the bomb (ha.. ha...). They have adorable Christmas themed fizzies that smell amazing and will make any bath-owner super happy. If you're like me and don't have a Lush anywhere around you, you can find all their Christmas themed goodies here. 

• Sephora Liquid Luxuries Perfume Sampler ($65): This is one of the coolest gifts for the perfume lover in your life. This gift set comes with 15 mini samples of perfume. You're thinking, "how lame, a bunch of mini samples I can get for free?" Well just hold your horses! This set also comes with a coupon to get any of the 15 perfume samples in a full size bottle! Some of my personal faves from this set include Chloe, Prada Candy, and both of the Elizabeth and James scents. 

• Tangle Teezer ($15): If your gift recipient (or you) have long hair, he or she MUST posses a Tangle Teezer (and pick one up for yourself while you're at it!) Seriously, it's the greatest invention for long haired people since... well, detangler spray. I've done a whole review on this puppy, and I recommend it to everyone I know! 

• Jack Black It's The Balm Lip Quartet ($25): Jack Black Lip Balms are.... the balm (HAHAHA I'm on a roll!). Okay okay, all bad jokes aside, I gave this balm a go last year and have been hooked every since. It's the best deal to get these in a gift set because you get more for your money. They actually moisturize your lips, they don't just sit on top doing nothing like vaseline. Plus, with four of these heavenly balms, your recipient will be set all year long! 

• Beauty Blender with Mini Solid Cleanser ($25): Beauty Blenders are the "it" makeup applicator. Don't be fooled by all the knock offs in the drugstore, they don't compare. There is something magical about this pink sponge, and it makes any makeup application (beginner or expert!) look flawless and professional. They're normally $25 for just the sponge, but in this set you get a little cleaner, too! So good.

• StriVectin Oxygen Infusion Smoothing Mask ($62): Oxygen masks are all the rage lately. This bubbles and foams up, making tickly bubbles all over your face. This removes dirt, gently exfoliates thanks to beta-hydroxy acids, and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. This would make a fun, unique mask to gift to any pamper-loving friend.

• Bath & Body Works Candles ($12): So, actually, B&BW candles are like $22 but promise me you'll never spend that, OK? They ALWAYS... I repeat... ALWAYS go on sale. Candles may seem cliche, but these holiday scented candles are super nice and who doesn't appreciate getting a candle they didn't have to buy themselves? B&BW has a million different holiday scents, all with really adorable packaging. I recommend anything pine-y - it's never offensive and everyone loves the scent of pine at the holidays!

• Elizabeth and James Nirvana Mini Rollerball Set ($25): These perfumes are amazing. They work alone, or combined together - take your pick! I own both and they've become my favorite scent combo. Nirvana Black is an evening scent, woodsy and musky. Nirvana White is fresh and crisp and fancy. I think just about everyone would like these scents. They're wearable for all seasons and these little rollerballs last longer than you'd think! 

What are you hoping to get in your stocking this year? Let me know in the comments below!

June Empties (#15)

It's that time again. I went through quite a bit this month, and now it's time to share with you whether or not these items are worth repurchasing in the future and any other gems of wisdom I choose to impart. Let's get right to it...

• Pantene Nature Fusion Smoothing Shampoo (would repurchase) - I really liked this shampoo. When I started using this, my scalp was dry and flaky, and this really helped hydrate and treat my scalp. It smelled nice, too.

• Dove Nourishing Body Wash in Pistachio Cream (would repurchase) - I've gone through one of these in the past, and I really enjoy this body wash. It's moisturizing, creamy, and smells amazing!

• Yes to Blueberries Cleansing Facial Towelettes (would not repurchase) - I don't know if I just had these waiting in backstock too long, or what, but these were awful. They were nowhere near saturated enough, and they didn't do that great of a job at getting my makeup off. I swear the first pack I used of these wasn't so bad, so maybe I got a dud. On the upside, they didn't irritate my eyes at all, but that's not enough to sell me on these again.

• Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture (would repurchase) - This is a super basic moisturizer. I used it in the morning, it didn't break me out and it doesn't have a fragrance. I like to switch up my skincare, so I won't be buying this anytime soon, but I'd consider it in the future.

• Sephora Organic Cotton Facial Pads (would not repurchase) - Much to the happiness of my wallet, I didn't care for these. They fell apart easily and weren't as big as I'd like them to be for removing my makeup and applying toner. I have one more box, but once those are up, they won't be coming home with me again.

• Bubbles By Brooks Shower Tabs in Walk in the Woods (would repurchase) - These are by no means necessary, but these little tabs will make your shower feel like a trip to the spa. All they do is add a nice smell to your showertime, and these smelled like sandalwood, which I enjoyed. They're sold locally by me, but I do believe you can purchase these online.

• Vanedo Aroma sheet mask (would not repurchase) - This wasn't a bad face mask, in fact it was quite relaxing because it smelled like lavender, but my skin always seems to break out after I use a sheet mask. So because of that, I wouldn't purchase this again.

• Rituals Honey Touch Body Cream (would repurchase) - This was a lovely body lotion, which you might remember from a previous haul. It was deeply moisturizing without being greasy or sticky. The smell will last lightly all day, but it's not overwhelming, and you can easily wear a fragrance over it. This lasted me a long time, and I enjoyed it while I had it.

• Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave-In Conditioner (would not repurchase) - I got this in an Ipsy bag a long time ago. I didn't think it was anything fancy and I didn't find it did much for my hair at all. 

• Covergirl 3-in-1 Outlast Stay Fabulous Foundation (would repurchase) - You all know this is my holy grail foundation. I absolutely love it. It's full coverage, lasts all day, and will keep you matte. Full review here.

• LaVanila Deodorant in Vanilla Grapefruit (would repurchase) - I love love loved this deodorant. It has good ingredients, no aluminum or cancer-causing crap, plus it smells amazing. It's pricey, but you can find it on sale now and then, especially online.

• Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer (would purchase) - I really enjoyed using this sample. I do think it kept my undereyes from looking crepe-y and dry. I'm not sure how much it costs, but if it wasn't too expensive, I'd think about purchasing a full size.

• Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment (would purchase) - I like this mask, but for the price, it's not worth it. I think it feels excellent on the skin, but there's NO way I'm going to pay like $70 for this stuff. I'll just keep enjoying the samples I receive.

• CLEAN Original Perfume (would not purchase) - I am not a fan of the CLEAN perfume. It smells like laundry or something, and while I enjoy my actual clothing to smell fresh, I don't care for my everyday fragrance to smell like that.

• Makeup Forever HD Foundation (would repurchase) - I got a sample of this foundation to try out, because I'm in a couple weddings this summer and I want a foundation that'll look good on camera. After trying it out, I bit the bullet and purchased it because it really did make my skin look fabulous. 

• Neutrogena Micro-Mist Airbrush Sunless Tan in Medium (would not repurchase) - This stuff give a very light application of color, but beware, because it will stain your surroundings. I sprayed it on in the shower, and when I cleaned my shower it was all brown on the towel (my shower tile is dark, so I couldn't tell until I cleaned). Not cool.

• Paula's Choice Sun 365 Self-Tanning Foam (would repurchase) - This is a nice self tanning mousse because it doesn't have bad ingredients, and it doesn't have that nasty self-tan smell at all. Did you hear me... AT ALL!! This gives just a light, but buildable tan, that even as a pale-girl, I wish was slightly darker, but I'll give this a whirl again I'm sure. 

• Jack Black Lip Balm in Shea Butter & Vitamin E (would repurchase) - This is one of my most favorite lip balms ever. It's so so so moisturizing and it feels great on the lips. I believe this won Temptalia's reader's choice award for best lip balm last year, and that's what spurred me to try it originally. I got a few more of these over the holiday season, so this certainly won't be the last time you see this baby.

• Christian Dior Creme de Rose Lip Balm (would repurchase) - I love the smell of subtle rose, and I love the fancy packaging of this, so this was a major win. It's easily the most expensive lip balm I've ever owned, but I hope I'll receive it as a gift again in the future. Full review here.

• C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve (would repurchase) - Another rose item, go figure! This stuff isn't quite empty, but I have had it for YEARS, so it's time for it to go. It smells really nice, and it's hydrating on the lips. I don't really love having to stick my finger in the jar to get product out, unless it's sitting on my nightstand to use before bed, so that's kind of a downside. But they do sell this stuff in a squeezy tube, too, which is how I will repurchase it in the future.

• Vitacost Quick Dots Chewable Biotin (would repurchase) - I get these off of Vitacost, which is one of my FAVORITE online retailers, because they sell health items of all kinds (food, pet items, beauty items, etc.) at discounted rates. I liked these, they tasted like sour candy. I like to take biotin daily as it's great for hair, skin and nails. 

• Pur-Lisse Pur-Moist Moisturizer (would repurchase) - I got this deluxe sample size in an Ipsy bag, and I enjoyed using it. It doesn't have a scent, it didn't break me out, and it moisturized my skin. 

• B&BW Antibac in Vanilla Berry Sorbet (would repurchase) - I use these before applying makeup to get anything icky off my hands. This was a nice scent, very fruity, but not my favorite.

• NYX Eyeshadow single in True Taupe (would repurchase) - This color was awesome. I've talked about it before... it's multi-purpose, great for the eyes, or brows. I used this primarily for my brows, which worked really well. If I could find this again, I'd repurchase it, but I haven't been able to find it.

• B&BW Candle in Sunrise Lagoon (would repurchase) - This is an OLD scent that I'm pretty sure is discontinued now. It smelled nice, and I'd buy it again if they re-release it.

• Gold Canyon Wax Melt in Fizzy Pop (would repurchase) - This really did smell like Sprite, and I really enjoyed the scent in my house. These melts are kind of fun, and I think this is a sample size, but Gold Canyon is one of those pyramid scheme brands so you have to find a rep to purchase them. Bummer.

And that's it! Have you used any of these products before? Let me know!

The Lip Product Addict Tag

Never have a I taken part in a "tag" on Glazed Over..... until today. Today that allll changes, thanks to the Lip Product Addict Tag, which I oh so relate to. Apparently this tag was started by my all-time favorite YouTuber/blogger, Estee, but I stumbled upon it thanks to one of my favorite bloggers, Britney from Life, Set Sail. (If you haven't checked out her blog, do so right now!!) I wasn't tagged, but she welcomed anyone to join in. Here goes nothin....

1. Favourite Balm/Treatment
It's no secret I can't live without a good lip balm. Nothing is worse than when you realize 

you left the house WITHOUT  a lip balm... it's like your lips know and immediately go dry as a bone
(although this doesn't happen to me often as I always seem to have 5-6 lip products in my purse
at a time). I recently picked up the Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm in Shea Butter & Vitamin E and it has become a fast favorite of mine. It's lightly scented and super hydrating. I can totally 
tell why it won Temptalia's 2014 Reader's Choice award.

2. Best Eye Catching Red

A bold red is one of my favorite looks, although I tend to retire it in the summer and bring it
back out for the winter. For my birthday, my best friend hooked me up with MAC's Viva Glam Rihanna
lipstick and it is one of the best reds I've ever worn. The blue-toned red meshes perfectly with
my pale skin, and the slight shimmer is stunning. 

3. Best Luxury and Best Drugstore

I really don't own many "luxury" lip products.... I am a drugstore shopper by nature. However,
I do own a couple choice items and my favorite is Dior's Creme de Rose, a heavenly rose-scented
lip balm that is so freakin' decadent. 

As for drugstore, see "best gloss" as my favorite drugstore item overlaps with this. 

4. Best MAC Lipstick

Viva Glam Rihanna could easily count as my pick for best MAC lipstick, but for variety's sake
I picked another of my favorites. My MAC lipstick collection isn't extensive, but out of what
I have, I really love MAC's Well Loved, a gorgeous nude. A nude lipstick that looks good with
my skin tone is really hard to come by, but something about this shade is pure magic. I think it
might have been part of a limited edition collection and therefore is no longer available. (sorry!)

5. The Most Disappointing

While the product itself is not overly disappointing, the color is almost nonexistent on my lips,
and so I have to vote for Mally's Lip Magnifier in Tulip. It literally doesn't show up on my lips.
I got this in a Birchbox so I'm not out anything, but I would certainly pick a different color if 
ever I bought one of these in the future. 

6. Liner - Yes or No?

Rarely do I wear lip liner. I have maybe 3 or 4 different shades, but only find them necessary
when applying a really pigmented lipstick and I want more ease in applying within the lines
and longer wear time. Most of the time, I just don't find them necessary or worth the money. 

7. Best Gloss

I really enjoy lots of lip glosses, but the NYX Butter Glosses are hands down the best glosses
I have ever tried. They are creamy, hydrating, colorful and they smell UH-mazing. I have
a wide range of shades and I aspire to own them all because they're that great. 

8. Something Extra

One of my favorite, hidden drugstore gems is Bonnebell's liplite in Strawberry Parfait.
It's been said it's a dupe for NARS' Turkish Delight. It smells amazing, and layered over
nude lipsticks (such as Well Loved mentioned above) it is like the 8th wonder of the nude
lipstick world. You can apply a million layers and it still looks good. The best part?
It costs just $3.50!

I tag Erin, Jeanette, and Kristin as well as anyone else who would like to participate!

Bye Bye Birchbox Haul

If you follow me on instagram, you know I recently unsubscribed from Birchbox. I subscribed for over 2 years, but felt that it just wasn't worth even $10 a month anymore, especially with services like Ipsy that provide excellent value each and every month for the same price. I had accumulated $50 worth of Birchbox points, and figured before I canceled, I ought to cash those out! Here's what I used my points for.

• Shea Terra Organics Body Creme in Bourbon Vanilla ($16) - I took a chance on this body creme. I'd never heard anything about it before, but all the scents sounded amazing (Bananas & Baobabs, White Chocolate, Gingered Pumpkin, etc) so I took a leap of faith and picked the bourbon vanilla scent. It doesn't go on super smooth, but I kind of wonder if it froze when it was delivered. Aside from that, it smells amazing and I love it! 

• Nuxe Reve de Miel Ultra-Nourishing Lip Balm ($19) - Beauty bloggers galore love to rave about this lip balm. It's thick, citrusy and mega-hydrating. I haven't really given this much of a go, but I'm going to put this in to my night-time lip therapy rotation soon.

• Klorane Soothing Eye Makeup Remover ($9) - Much like the body creme, I had never heard a peep about this eye makeup remover so I took a chance. I haven't tried it, but stay tuned for my review once I do.

• Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm in Shea Butter & Vitamin E ($7.50) - This lip balm won Temptalia's 2014 Reader's Choice awards, so I knew it had to be good.... and it totally is. 

Overall, I'm really happy with what I got with my Birchbox points! Have you tried any of these products? Let me know!