Empties #8

So many empties this month! Check out my mini-reviews on each product below.

• Neutrogena Oil-Free Cleansing Wipes (would repurchase) - These are nice makeup removers, especially for those who are prone to acne. I think they do a good job of removing all of my makeup. I'd buy these again, but Jake hates the smell of them so it probably won't be anytime soon.

• Klorane Soothing Eye Makeup Remover (would repurchase) - I loved this eye makeup remover. It was super gentle and didn't leave any residue behind. I absolutely want to get this again as it's one of the best I've ever tried.

• Lush Prince Shaving Cream (would not repurchase) - This is marketed towards men for facial shaving, but I picked it up on a whim when Lush was out of Turkish Delight. To be honest, I didn't care for this. It had a nice, earthy scent but my legs itched so bad after I finished shaving because this wasn't hydrating enough for me.

• Organix Cherry Blossom Ginseng Shampoo (would not repurchase) - I didn't particularly care for the scent of this, mostly because it smells like a deodorant I've used. I felt like I had to use a lot in order to get a decent lather going, so I don't think I'll get this again.

• Nexxus Dualist Conditioner (would repurchase) - I got this for a complete steal when it was on clearance, and that's the only reason I bought it. This is marketed towards those with colored hair, which I don't have, but it worked just fine for my normal hair. It was moisturizing, and the dual-sided packaging is kind of fun.

• VO5 Daily Leave-In Conditioner (would not repurchase) - This did next to nothing for me. It wasn't great at detangling and I didn't notice any extra conditioning in my hair.

• HerStyler Nourishing & Moisturizing Shampoo (would repurchase) - I did a full write-up on this product here, so I'll spare you the details. 

• Organix Hydrating Moroccan Argan Oil Creamy oil Body Lotion (would repurchase) - I LOVED this stuff. It had a very faint shimmer to it (so faint it took me half way through the bottle to notice it), has a nice scent and is moisturizing. 

• love&toast Honey Nectar Body Lotion (would not repurchase) - I used this as a hand lotion, but I didn't find it moisturizing enough nor did I like the smell. Happy to be done with it. 

• Organic Surge Tropical Bergamot Shower Gel (would not repurchase) - While I enjoyed the body wash, I didn't love the scent as much as I thought I did when I purchased it. I would definitely get another shower gel from this brand, but definitely in another scent. This was fine for summer time, but it would not be moisturizing enough for me to use in the colder months. 

• Skintimate Raspberry Rain Shaving Gel (would repurchase) - Nothing fancy, just a shaving cream. It did the job.

• Aquafresh Fresh Impact Toothpaste (would not repurchase) - The toothpaste itself? Fine. The packaging? Horrible. If I hadn't cleaned it up before throwing it in my empties bin, this toothpaste can would have been CAKED with toothpaste. Just disgusting.

• Suave Moroccan Infusion Shampoo (would repurchase) - I don't love the smell, but this is a nice shampoo that makes my hair feel nice. 

• Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in1 Foundation (would repurchase) - Blah blah blah... you've heard me talk about this a million times. LOVE it. Full review here.

• Eyeko Black Magic Mascara (would repurchase) - I got this in a Birchbox a while back, and immediately thought the packaging was so cute! The mascara itself was okay, it didn't do anything magical for me, but if I saw it for a good price, I'd probably buy it again.

• Covergirl eyeliner (would not repurchase) - I don't even know the full name of this... it's not on the tube anywhere! This was a REALLY liquid-y eyeliner pen. It was really difficult to build up a solid line as the formula stayed wet so long. This was a big miss for me.

• NYC Smooth Skin Pressed Face Powder in Transluscent (would repurchase) - This was a surprising favorite of mine. I had this sitting in the back of my drawer and finally brought it out to use up. They have all new packaging on this powder now, so yeah... time to use it up. It's really finely milled and looks so natural on the skin - never cakey. Loved this.

• B&BW P.S. I Love You Shower Gel (would repurchase) - This is an old scent that B&BW doesn't carry anymore so I was sad to see this go. It has a nice floral rose scent and is one of the best scents I think they've ever made. This shower gel is by no means hydrating so don't purchase it if you need extra nourishment for your skin.

• Benefit It's Potent Eye Cream (would repurchase) - This is just a little sample, but I got many uses out of it. I used this as my night time eye cream, but think if I were to purchase it again, I'd use it in the morning instead. It's really moisturizing without being greasy or heavy.

• StriVectin Instant Moisture Repair (would not repurchase) - It could be coincidence, but I think this broke me out a little bit. It was the only thing I switched in my skincare routine, and boom - new zits. No thank you!

• Yankee Candle Beach Vacation Candle (would repurchase) - This had a lovely scent, truly reminding me of sitting beachside somewhere. It smelled faintly of sunscreen and ocean air and had excellent scent throw. Full review here. 

• B&BW Snap Peas Candle (would not repurchase) - I have a full review of this here. I liked the smell, but it just wasn't strong enough for me. 

• B&BW Root Beer Candle (would repurchase) - This is an old B&BW candle that isn't available anymore. It smells JUST like a root beer float and gives off crazy scent throw... my husband actually had to blow it out because it was too strong a couple times! (I loved it, though!)

• Better Homes & Gardens Line-Dried Linen wax tarts (would repurchase) - This gave off the most wonderful laundry scent in my home. It smelled fresh and clean without being overwhelming the way some laundry scents can definitely be. 

• Gold Canyon Ten wax (would repurchase) - My mom bought a bunch of these little wax tubs that you scoop out and put in your wax burners. Ten smells like a high-end perfume and I absolutely loved it. 

• B&BW Lemon Mint Leaf candle (would repurchase) - I have a full review of this here. This was a nice fresh scent, still available at B&BW (with different packaging).

Phew... that was quite the empties post! Have you tried any of these products? Let me know!

Summer Lovin' - FOTD

It FINALLY feels like summer here in Minnesota - kind of sad, considering it's July 21... but we've just been graced with some 80+ degree weather for the last few days and I am absolutely loving it. All this sunshine and warm weather had me feeling so good that I decided to sport some dressed up eyes just for the heck of it. Here's how you get the look:

On my face, I began by moisturizing. See my current skincare routine for the products I use to do just that. For foundation, I used a cosmetic sponge to apply the Revlon ColorStay foundation; I'm the lightest shade, #110 Ivory. I set it using my go-to Rimmel Stay Matte powder. For a pop of color on my cheeks, I used a blush that's been featured many times on this blog, Physician's Formula Multi-Colored Blush in Blushing Nude. 

I filled in and set my eyebrows using the Wet n Wild eyebrow pencil in Taupe and the Maybelline Great Lash in clear. On my lips I'm wearing a NYX Xtreme Lip Cream in the shade Nude Peach Fuzz, an awesome pigmented cream that is more like a liquid lipstick. Because this look is more dramatic for me than normal, a nude lip color is a nice choice so the attention stays on the eyes.

For my eyes, I started by using the Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin, a shimmering champagne color. To define the crease, I used my all-time favorite NYX single in True Taupe with a fluffy blending brush. Any matte brown that is just a couple shades darker than your skin tone will do. 

I then pulled out my Sephora Primal Instincts palette seen above to do the real work. Using the lighter shimmery purple shade called Tea Rose (top, right) I filled in the outside of my crease and then pulled it in along my lid. To really define the outside of the crease, I then used the jewel-toned shimmery purple called Plum. I pulled this slightly around the top of the lid for a bit of definition. To brighten up the middle and inner corner of my lid, I used a rosy champagne color (top, left) called Apricot. And wa-lah! That's all for the eyeshadow.

Because my eyes always need a pop of eyeliner to look complete, I used a brown liquid Covergirl liner (unnamed) and went over it with the Sigma eyeshadow base in Strike, a shimmery burgundy brick color. To complete the look I used a couple coats of Eyeko's Black Magic mascara. 


This look is super easy to replicate, and you definitely don't need to use the exact same colors I did to achieve something awfully similar. If you recreate this look, send me a link! I'd love to see!

Battle of the Subscription Boxes III: Birchbox vs. Ipsy

If you read last month's Battle of the Subscription boxes, you'd know that I was seriously considering dropping Birchbox. For the last year or so, I've been only mildly impressed with what I receive for $10/month and after subscribing to Ipsy and receiving an awesome value for the same price, I thought it might be time to say goodbye to Birchbox. But this month, Birchbox majorly stepped up its game.... let's dive right in...

September Birchbox

• BCBGMAXAZRIA Bon Genre perfume (full-size: $55-$75) I've tried a couple BCBGMAXAZRIA perfumes, and this is by far the best smelling one I've tried. This smells really warm and spicy, perfect for the colder months. If you've ever smelled Spicebomb (the male version of Flowerbomb) it reminds me a lot of that (which I absolutely LOVE). I know a lot of people don't like these little perfume samples, but I enjoy them.

• Serge Normant Meta Luxe Hair Spray (full-size: $25) This hair spray claims to tame frizz and shield from UV rays. Aside from this, I've only tried the Serge Normant dry shampoo which I didn't like at all. Hopefully this proves better than the dry shampoo.

• Eyeko Black Magic Mascara (full-size: $24) This water-resistant mascara curls, adds volume and has "major staying power" according to Birchbox. Eyeko has been a Birchbox brand for quite some time now, and I'm excited to try another of their products. This mascara has killer ratings on Sephora.com, so I'll happily try it out.

• Ruffian Nail Lacquer in Delirium (full-size: $24) Full-size product alert!! This polish is part of Ruffian's very first collection. Retailing at $24, I'm happy to get this because I sure as heck don't ever spend that much on a nail polish. Loving this gorgeous purple!

• Grand Central Beauty S.M.A.R.T. Skin Perfecting Polisher (full-size: $38) This skin serum is made with natural botanicals that exfoliate, tone, smooth and moisturize the skin. I'm intrigued by this as I've never used anything like it. 

September Ipsy Glam Bag

• NYX Eye Shadow in Sparkle White (full-size: $4.50) Full-size product alert!! Woop woop! Sparkle White is a really gorgeous creamy off-white with golden shimmer. This would make a great inner corner highlight on the eyes. 

• Elizabeth Mott It's So Big Volumizing Mascara (full-size: $19.99) I've never heard of this brand or product before, but I'm always down to try a new mascara. This has an hourglass brush shape, and claims to lengthen and curl lashes without smudging.

• John Frieda Full Repair Full Body Shampoo & Conditioner (full-size: $6.49) This duo aims to weightlessly repair hair from frequent heat styling and coloring. I've never colored my hair and I rarely use heat on it, but my hair is awfully dry so I'm sure I could get some use out of these. These 1.5 oz. sizes will be perfect to keep around for traveling. 

• Starlooks Kohl Eye Pencil in Obsidian (full-size: $12) Another full-size product! I've never heard of Starlooks before. Just from swatching, the formula feels relatively creamy which is nice. These products can be used solely as eyeliner, but they can also be used all over the lid as a base. I'll definitely get use out of this. 

I really don't know if there's a clear winner this month! I like both subscriptions equally. If I HAD to choose a winner, I think it would have to be Ipsy because I received two full-size products, compared to just one in my Birchbox. I hope that Birchbox continues to have boxes as great as they did this month (probably a direct response to many complaining customers). Who do you think won? 

If you want to sign up for Birchbox or Ipsy, just click the links! Each are just $10/month and it gives you a chance to try some higher end products before you shell out the money on the full-size item. 

** This post contains my referral links. If you click on the link and sign up, I will earn credit towards Birchbox & Ipsy products.