Makeup I’m Using During October

The downside of concentrating on a select group of items is that you end up neglecting a whole lot of your other things. I’ve been choosing one palette to focus on each month, and I’ve really enjoyed doing this because it’s enough time to really try it out and get genuine thoughts on it, but it also lets me rotate through things so I don’t get bored and so I use a bunch of my things.

I’ve noticed that even in my downsize projects, I don’t reapply lip products enough to really get through my lip items. That’s why I decided to take a different approach, and now I’m going to be rotating eye and lip projects on a monthly basis. If I pulled something I realize I don’t like, I’m getting rid of it.

For October, I’ve decided to bust out my Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette. I really love this, but for whatever reason, I haven’t used it very much. You really only need a little bit with these shadows anyway, so I don’t expect I’ll be making very much of a dent in this by the end of the month, but I’m really excited because I love pretty much all of these colors and will be able to get a lot of use out of it.

Here’s what it looked like at the beginning of the month:

And for lip products, I’ve chosen three:

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Sugar Plum.  Initial thoughts: This stuff is just so easy to wear. I really like it and the color is my favorite type of color to wear for the fall.

L’Oreal Color Riche Extraordinaire in Blushing Harmony. Initial thoughts: I love the color, and it’s a really nice glossy finish. I’m excited to get some use out of this, since I haven’t really worn it too much since I first got it.

Guerlain Shine Automatique Sheer Lipstick in 202 Mi-Mai. Initial thoughts: This is so expensive ($35!) I bought this years ago, and I don’t know what I was thinking. The color isn’t horrible or anything, and the package is lovely, but I just don’t think this is anything special. I’d like to get more use out of it, and this is something I do eventually want to use up.

I’ll post again at the end of the month to show what I’ve used and give my final thoughts.

July Empties!

I can’t believe how much stuff I managed to finish up this month. I’m organizing this a little differently. You’ll see it by category, and I’m putting most of the samples in a separate post.

Home (and Tea!)

1. Yankee Candle Small Jar Candle – Orange Dreamsicle.
This lasted me forever, despite its small size. It smelled exactly like it’s name, and I absolutely loved it.
Repurchase? Totally would, but I needed to use up some other things first.

2. Bath & Body Works Wallflowers 2 Pack – Beach Day.
This had a much more man-cologne scent than I was expecting, and it was a bit too strong. Wasn’t a fan.
Repurchase? Nope, definitely not my jam.

3. Bath & Body Works Wallflower – Sundress.
This didn’t really strike me as a super summery scent, but whatever. It’s fine.
Repurchase? Eh, maybe, but not a must have.

4. Bath & Body Works Wallflowers – Market Peach.
This smells exactly as you’d expect. If you like peach scents, nothin’ to complain about here.
Repurchase? Sure, if I happened to see it. I wouldn’t go out of my way to hunt it down, but I would be happy to use it again.

5. DavidsTea – Hot Tropic.
I really need to work through my tea stash, and I’ve been making iced with seltzer to help me do so during the summer months. That’s how I drank this one, and it wasn’t bad! It was a fruity, tropical flavor. The fruit pieces were really large in this, if I recall correctly, so it didn’t last very long at all.
Repurchase? Not even sure if you can buy this anymore, but I wouldn’t. It was fine, but not worth the $.

Nails

6. Sephora Instant Nail Polish Remover Wipes.
These were great! One wipe took off all ten nails (assuming no glitter).
Repurchase: Can’t, unfortunately. I don’t think they make these anymore, but I would if I could!

7. Cutex Advanced Revival Nail Polish Remover Pads.
Oops, this was technically a sample that I got in a Target(?) Box. Oh well. I LOVED these! Again, one wipe took off all ten.
Repurchase: Already did! But I’m disappointed the full size only has 10 wipes. The Sephora box had 20, so it lasted a lot longer.

Hair

8. John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Colour Protecting Moisturizing Conditioner.
Funny story. So I’ve got light brown hair with some natural blonde highlights. I got the shampoo and conditioner in a past Allure box and figured I would just end up passing these on because I didn’t really need this. WELLL. Stupid me decided to get baliyage highlights. That part isn’t the stupid part. The stupid part was going to Ulta, because I wound up with full on ombre and the bottom of my hair was literally orange. So I had to go back to my trusty stylist to fix me. She had to dye my hair brown to balance everything out! And this stuff came in handy. I think? I actually don’t know that it did anything to be honest. I’m still working through the shampoo.
Repurchase: No, because I don’t know that it did anything special for color treating, but as a conditioner, I didn’t have any complaints.

9. S Factor Papaya Leave-In Moisture Spray.
Another funny story! Originally this stuff did nothing for me. And then I had my hair fiasco, where the ends were like straw, and let me tell you, this stuff made my hair feel so, so good.
Repurchase: No, because it’s expensive. I think I’m at a point now where my hair is healthy enough to use normal sprays, but if you have damaged hair, I do recommend!

10. Batiste Dry Shampoo – Tropical (travel size)
I love Batiste products, but this scent not so much.
Repurchase: Not this scent, but would buy others I like better.

11. Bumble & Bumble Sea Salt Spray.
I guess sea salt spray just isn’t my thing. This was the best sea salt spray I’ve tried but I still really dislike how it makes my hair feel in general.
Repurchase: Nope.

Skin Care

12. Fresh Soy Face Cleanser
This was a really gentle but effective face cleanser. It had a cucumber scent.
Repurchase: No, I like cheaper alternative just as well, but I did enjoy using it.

13. Up & Up Cleansing Towelettes
I am not a big makeup remover wipe person, but I use them when I have them. These were totally fine to me.
Repurchase: Sure, if I needed some.

14. Marcelle Eye Makeup Remover Wipes
At first I didn’t like these because I thought the texture was a little harsh, but they grew on me, big time. These are super effective!
Repurchase: Absolutely. I think I’ll be using my Birchbox points to pick up more of these once I use up some of my liquid eye makeup removers I’ve got in my stash.

15. Sephora Lingzhi Eye Mask
I know a lot of people like these, and yes, it is cooling and soothing, but it just seems so expensive for what it is.
Repurchase: Nope. Didn’t see enough benefits.

16. Alchimie Forever of Switzerland Kantic Calming Cream
I got this in a BeautyDNA box, and I paid significantly less than the retail price. It is supposed to be good for soothing redness, which I sometimes suffer from. I thought this was a really nice, gentle, effective moisturizer.
Repurchase: Ehhh, probably not. I have to say, I really did enjoy it. But I generally prefer a non-jar format, so I think that’s the one major factor working against this stuff.

Makeup (This Time All Eye Makeup!)

17. Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion – Original
Yeah, this is the old school packaging, aka, this was SUPER SUPER OLD. As you can see, I cut this open to get everything out, because there’s no way you can get to the product that collects on the bulge part of this. Once I couldn’t get anything out on the applicator, I cut it open and filled a small jar with the remaining product. Unbelievable! So I’m technically still using it (seriously, there was so. much.) But the packaging is dead.
Repurchase: Yep, I like the product, and fortunately, they have improved the packaging big time.

18. Benefit They’re Real Mascara Mini
I used to like this, but the more mascaras I’ve used, the more I realize that I actually don’t like this very much at all. It’s such a pain to remove.
Repurchase: Nope.

19. Clinique Quickliner Eye Liner – Blue Grey
This used to be my favorite eyeliner of all time. I still really like it, but it goes so fast. I like this best on my lower lash line.
Repurchase: Yes, still would! Except I have 5,001 eyeliners to get through so not any time in the near future.

20. Julep Blank Canvas Eye Primer
I’m convinced there is way more product in here if I could be bothered to take this apart, but I didn’t like it enough to go through the hassle. So thick and just not that great.
Repurchase: Most definitely not.

21. W3LL PEOPLE Expressionist Mascara.
Got this in a Birchbox, and it was a really great everyday mascara, actually! I really don’t like the packaging though, because as you can see, it gets super dirty.
Repurchase: Nah, but I didn’t hate it.

Okay! That’s it for my (mostly) full-size empties. I’m doing a separate combined post to talk about my samples and purges for the month, so be on the lookout for that one.

December 2014 Empties and Purges – Tons of Stuff!

Let’s end this year with a bang, shall we? I used up a bunch of stuff this month, but I also decided to weed out some old things and get rid of them.

Here is the rating scale I use for these posts:

♥ = Hated
♥♥ = Just OK, used it to use it up.
♥♥♥ = Liked it, recommend it, but may or may not repurchase.
♥♥♥♥ = Love, must have it. Obviously recommend it.

First of all, I wiped out a ton of stuff I challenged myself to use by the end of the year. (I will have a separate post on this soon).

1. Rimmel Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara – ♥. This was super wet and messy when I first opened it, and when it finally dried out, it was actually not so bad and much easier to use. That said, this was too much work for a drugstore item and I just can’t recommend it.

2. Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Blaze – ♥♥♥. I cannot believe I actually used up an eyeshadow. I adored this color, and it was my go-to shade for years. I am only giving it a 3 rating because it’s unfortunately discontinued. It was a nice neutral, gold shimmer.

3. Tocca Mini Perfume in Lilliana – ♥♥♥. This is one of the perfumes in my “Meet the Girls” sets. I love Tocca perfumes, and I really liked this scent, but I found that it was not particularly long-lasting on me, so I probably wouldn’t get the full size.

4. Boscia BB Cream Deluxe Sample – ♥♥. A pretty average run-of-the-mill BB Cream.

5. Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick Mini in Naked – ♥♥♥. I really liked this! It was a flattering pink/nude shade. I have no business buying anymore lip stuff right now, so I probably wouldn’t repurchase this right away, but it may be something I come back to in a thousand years when I finish all of my others. I’m not going to dig into the tube here.

6. Nivea A Kiss of Moisture Lip Care – ♥♥♥♥. I used this every night before I went to bed, and I think it did a great job keeping my lips moisturized. I’d definitely get this again.

Okay, next up, all of the random body care items.

7. Olay Satin Care Shave Gel – Sugarberry – ♥♥♥. I mean, this was fine. I’m not really fussy about this type of stuff, but I did like the scent.

8. Listerine Fresh Burst Rinse – ♥♥♥. Another thing I’m not terribly fussy about, but it’s a must-have in my bathroom cabinet.

9. Colgate Optic White Toothbrush – ♥. I think this is a huge gimmick. The brush is supposed to help remove stains better, but it has these weird plastic nubs in the middle of it that are pretty annoying and not necessarily pleasant on the gums. It has a whitening pen you store in the base of the brush, but it’s this weird, gummy gel texture that kind of grosses me out.

10. Q-Tips – ♥♥♥♥. I’m not typically a brand snob, but I must have the Q-tip brand. I cannot stand knock-off cotton swabs. Is that weird?

11. Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter – ♥♥♥♥. I was putting off finishing this because I only had a little left, which was just ridiculous. This is a love or hate scent, but I personally love it. I will absolutely positively repurchase once I use up some of my other lotions.

12. Skyn Iceland Glacial Cleansing Cloths (pack of 30) – ♥♥♥. These were excellent cloths with tons of moisture and I really liked that the whole pack stayed saturated right to the end. I’m only giving this a 3 because you kind of have to go out of your way to find them.

13. Biore Self Heating One Minute Mask – ♥♥. The box comes with 4 individually packaged charcoal masks. You wet your face, massage for a minute, rinse off. Super easy! The warming sensation is also pretty nice but was sometimes just a little too intense for my face.

14. Bath and Body Works Island Nectar Pocket Pak – ♥♥. I don’t really like these, but trying to use them up and get them out. The scent was pretty nice.

I also used up a ton of candles!

15. Bath and Body Works Wasabi Apple 3-Wick Candle – ♥♥♥♥. This is hands down my favorite BBW scent ever and I would bathe myself in it if I could. I think I’ll pick up some more of these online, since you can’t get them in the store anymore. It’s a really nice, spicy apple scent.

16. White Barn Honeysuckle 3-Wick Candle – ♥♥. I love the honeysuckle scent, but after the candle reached the halfway point, it started to take on a really artificial, chemically smell that I didn’t care for, so I’d stay away from this in the future.

17. Prize Candle in Apple Pie – ♥♥. I’ve decided I am just not a fan of Prize Candle products. They place the ring in this huge plastic clamshell packaging, and it makes the candle burn really unevenly. It’s a pain. The scent of this, however, was absolutely amazing. I just don’t like how it burns.

18. Prize Candle in First Snow – ♥♥. Same note as above. But I did like the scent.

19. Bath and Body Works Peach Fizz Bellini Mini – ♥♥♥. I kept this on my night stand, and it was a nice subtle peach scent without being overwhelming. I would think about coming back to this.

Next, I went through a couple of tea samplers:

20. DavidsTea Organic Vanilla Chai – ♥♥. This was just okay. Kind of boring, not something I’d go out of my way to get.

21. DavidsTea Forever Nuts – ♥♥. I used to really like this. It’s a sweet almond pink tea, but I didn’t find it too flavorful this time around.

22. DavidsTea Egg Nog – ♥ (Not Pictured). I found this flavor to be absolutely vile and I threw the whole thing away.

Sample time!

23 & 24. Carol’s Daughter Monoi Repairing Sulfate-Free Shampoo and Conditioner – ♥♥♥♥. This is I think the second time I tried this sample, and it made my hair so smooth and silky. Once I get through my existing shampoo and conditioner stash, I think I’m going to buy this.

24 & 25. Life Jump Start Body Wash and Lotion – ♥♥. I was not impressed. It was your average minty smelling shower gel and grapefruit smelling body lotion. Weird combination together.

26. Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster – ♥♥. I don’t mind this, but I think I like others better.

27. First Aid Beauty Deep Cleanser with Red Clay – ♥. People go crazy for this brand, but I can’t stand it. This did nothing for me.

28. Lancome Genefique Concentrate – ♥♥. I didn’t notice anything special about it and wouldn’t buy it.

29. Caudelie Vinoperfect Serum – ♥♥♥. I’ve used other samples of this before, and I do like it.

30. Flower by Kenzo Perfume Sample – ♥. So strong and powdery. Yuck.

31. Jack Black Double-Duty Face Moisturizer – ♥♥♥. I’m having trouble remembering exact details about this, but I know I liked it.

32. AmorePacific Enzyme Face Peel – ♥. This was kind of harsh for me, not really a fan.

33. Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo – ♥♥♥♥. This worked really well in my hair and I liked the scent. I know this is expensive, but I can definitely see myself using Birchbox points to get this in the full size at some point!

Whew! That’s everything I used up for this month.

I also gathered up a bunch of old nail polish and miscellaneous products I just want to get rid of:

I’m not going to go through all of these one by one, but basically, the nail polishes are all old and gloopy. The hand sanitizer dried out. Skin care items didn’t work for me. All of the makeup items are expired / have gone bad.

I’m really glad I revisited these Kat Von D lipsticks, because they’re so disappointing. I can’t believe how much they dried out! That really makes me think twice about ever buying a full size.

Okay, that’s it! I am excited to get all of this stuff out of my apartment, and I have big plans to seriously downsize this coming year. Stay tuned for that post.

Use It Up Challenge #1: A Three-Month Adventure

I have way more stuff than I need in my beauty drawers. My “collection” pales in comparison to a lot of people’s, but it’s more than I need, and I really want to downsize. It’s so easy to get caught up in the latest and the greatest, and then older items fall by the wayside. To curb my spending and use more of what I already have, I’m embarking on a three-month challenge to focus on a handful of selected items. I’ll check in with my progress every month, and then at the end of the three months, I’ll start over with a new set of items. I feel like three months is a good set of time to hunker down, but not too long that I’ll burn out on the same old stuff. If I’m not tired of something in this current set, maybe I’ll roll it over. We’ll see.

I’ve corralled about 14 products and placed them in a cleaned out candle jar (minus one item that is too big to fit in here). I then put this front and center on my counter so I can see everything in here and grab them easily without giving it a second thought. In the past, I tried placing things in little drawers, but I find that if I can’t see them, I’m less likely to use them. I think this is going to work really well.

Let’s break this down and take a look at what I’ve picked and why.

First, I’ve selected a few skincare items:

1. Maybelline Dream Fresh Beauty Balm. I really like this BB cream. I think I have about 1/4 of it left, so it should go pretty quickly. I have a backup of this, plus a bunch of other BB creams, so I wanted to make sure I just hunkered down and finished it up.

2. Miracle Skin Transformer Tinted Body Lotion. I haven’t gotten around to using this sample yet, but I noticed that it expires this month, so it’s time to use it or lose it! This is kind of a higher end predecessor to Jergen’s BB Body Lotion.

3. Kate Somerville Exfolikate. I absolutely love this exfoliator. I have several samples of it, so I might as well use this one.

4. Amore Pacific Moisture Bound Intensive Vitalizing Eye Complex. I’ve had this sample for a while but I haven’t made much of a dent in it. I don’t love this line, and I have a lot of other eye creams I like better, so I’d like to use this up and move on.

Next, we have some eye makeup.

5. Eyeko Skinny Liquid Liner in Purple. This is getting toward the end of it’s life anyway, so I’m going to focus on using it up before it dries out.

6. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero. As I’ve mentioned in past posts, I’m just not a fan of eyeliners that you have to sharpen. I love the color and quality of this pencil, but I have so many of these, and I just don’t like using them. I’m going to try and work my way through this, which shouldn’t be too hard. I’ve already made a pretty good dent in it.

7. Bare Minerals Lash Domination Volumizing Mascara in Intense Black. I recently picked up the Sephora Lash Stash to Go ($25), which has five deluxe size samples of mascara. The set comes with a coupon to redeem for a full size of whichever you liked best. This is a crazy good value and I highly, highly recommend this set. But back to the point. I just opened opened the Bare Minerals one so I’ll be focusing on using it to get the most out of my money. I like this one so far!

8. Sephora Full Action Extreme Effect Mascara in Purple.  I love colored mascara. It’s subtle but noticeable and I get compliments when I wear it. Since it’s something that’s open and that I’ve been using, I put it in here to make sure I make the most of it before I have to toss it.

And now for the tough part. I need to concentrate on about a gazillion lip products.

9. Jouer Tinted Lip Treatment. I’ve had this little sample for so long, but I just haven’t gotten around to using it. Amazingly enough, it’s still good, so I’m going to try and use it up.

10. Sephora Lip Gloss. This is just a sample of Sephora lip gloss. It’s a really pretty neutral pink and I don’t have too much left of it, so it should be easy to finish.

11. Borghese Lip Gloss. This is a deluxe sample size, and I really like the color on me. Unfortunately, this is starting to get a little gloopy, so I feel like it’s close to its expiration.

12. Sephora Lip Gloss Wand. I put this in here because it will be really easy to layer over lipsticks to change up the look. I like this wand a lot and wish I could purchase that blue color on its own because I absolutely love it. The gloss is really hard to get out of these little tubes, but now that I have that Swoon Pick Up Artist lip wand, I think I’ll be able to make a good dent in this.

13. Guerlain Kiss Kiss Stick Gloss in Berry Pink. This is really old, but I love it. I’m not sure that they even make this any more? It’s pretty sheer, and there are certainly similar products out there. This was a splurge at the time, but the packaging is so sleek and  I like the product a lot. I feel like its days are numbered, though, so I want to make sure I use it before it goes bad. The color is just perfect for spring/summer, too. This is how much I’ve got left. I think it should go pretty quickly.

And finally, I’m going to try and use up a perfume.

14. DKNY Be Delicious Fresh Blossom Juiced. I really loved this when I first got it (at least three years ago), but I’m tired of this scent and ready to get this out of my collection. You can’t see from the photo, but this is pretty close to the bottom of the bottle, so I should be finishing this up soon!

So those are all the items I’m hoping to either use up or at least make a significant dent in over the next three months. I’ll check in next month with a progress report so I stay accountable!

Empties: Products Used in April

Subscription boxes are my weakness, but otherwise, I have been really good about using what I have and refraining from buying new stuff. I still have so much backlog to get through, though. I will warn you: this month was pretty unexciting. I went through quite a few items, but I loved very few of them. And the things I did love? Pretty boring. That’s alright, though. That just means I’ve gotten rid of things taking up space, right?

March Empties: A Bunch of Reviews

I know these posts can get a little long, so I’m trying something a little different this month and will be organizing my empties into groups: loves, likes, and skips. This month I got through a ton more stuff than I expected to, but I guess that’s what happens when you stop buying and focus on using up what you’ve got! I also went through a ton of candles; I’m not sure why there were so many this time! I’m really happy with my progress this month. I found some new favorites and got rid of a few things that have been clogging up my drawers, too.

The Loves: Would Repurchase!

1. Yankee Candle Santa’s Candy Castle – This is seasonal, so I can’t repurchase it for a while. I normally don’t like sweet scents, but I just loved this. It basically smelled like Swedish Fish candies.
2. Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy Total Care Nourishing Shampoo (sample) – I got this in a PinchMe box. This made my scalp and hair feel extremely clean. I still have a lot of shampoos and conditioners to go through, but as soon as I’m ready for a new one, this is what I’m getting.
3. Klorane Extra Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk (sample) – I got this through Birchbox and I love it. The best part about this is the turbo nozzle that delivers a high-powered blast of goodness to your head. The scent is pleasant, and it works fantastic. This is on my list to buy.
4. DavidsTea The Spice is Right – This is a spicy orange flavored green tea, and it is SO good.  I went through this tea in record time, I think.
5. Pantene Pro-V Smooth Shampoo – I’ve had this almost-empty bottle in my shower for a while, so I finally finished it up. I really like this though. The scent is great and it leaves my hear silky smooth.
6. Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion (sample) – I have several samples of this stuff so I don’t need to purchase right away, but it works well for me and I really like it.
7. Victoria’s Secret Nail Polish – I have no idea what color this is. This is so old, and I’m so sad it’s empty. This is one of the few nail polishes I’ve totally used up!
8. One-a-Day Women’s VitaCraves Gummies – These have the extra dose of Vitamin D in them, which is what I need. These taste really good for a vitamin and make it easy to remember to take them. I’ve already repurchased.
9. Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle (sample) – I got this in a Birchbox, and this little sample lasted me such a long time. It has a sweet vanilla scent and does a great job conditioning and detangling hair. I am thinking of using some points to get a full size of this.

The Likes: Just OK, Probably Won’t Buy

Lots of “just OK” products gone this month.

1. Febreze Hawaiian Aloha – The product works great, but I wasn’t nuts over this fragrance. I would definitely repurchase the product, but definitely not this scent.
2. Yankee Candle True Rose Small Jar – I love rose candles, but this was not nearly as great as some of the other rose-scented candles I’ve used in the past. I enjoyed it while I used it, but I won’t be picking this up again.
3. Yankee Candle Warm Woolen Mittens – This had a really lovely clean scent, but not a must-have for me. It was seasonal, anyway.
4. Neutrogena Ultra-Soft Eye Makeup Remover Pads – I didn’t mind these, but they didn’t always take off everything cleanly. I enjoyed them while I used them but probably wouldn’t seek them out again.
5. SPL Candle in Romance – This is from Little Black Bag. It’s a soy candle with a lovely rose scent, but it burned kinda funky, and the fact that they value this thing at $60 is an instant no for me. I loved how it smelled though.
6. Yankee Candle Oceanside – I liked this, but it didn’t smell like the ocean at all. It smelled like vanilla mint and seemed like more of a winter scent. I’m sure there are better beachy scents, so I won’t be repurchasing.
7. Burt’s Bees Day Lotion with Clary Sage (sample) – This was a Birchbox sample. It was too heavy/greasy for me as a day moisturizer so I used it as a night lotion. It was great for that, but not anything I need to run out and buy.
8. Bath & Body Works White Tea and Ginger Body Lotion – I love this scent so much, but I like other lotions better so I don’t think I’ll be repurchasing. I’ve had this for a while so I was really excited to use it up.
9. DavidsTea Orange Blossom – This tea is an orange-vanilla flavored rooibos. I liked it, but I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to get it again. I wanted it to taste like a creamsicle, but it wasn’t quite there. lol.
10. DavidsTea Cinnamon Rooibos Chai – This is your standard chai with cinnamon flavor. It was good, but I’m not a huge chai person, so I probably won’t get it again.
11. Stila Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Beauty Balm – This used to be a favorite for me, but I sort of fell out of love with it. It skews a little too orange on my face, but I did like the coverage.
12. Michael Kors Perfume Sample – Smelled like gardenia, which I like, but not really unique enough for me to purchase.
13. Coach Poppy Perfume Sample – This reminded me of DKNY Be Delicious. Smelled good, but not totally unique.
14. Yankee Candle Scent-Plugs – Lilac Blossoms – Pleasant, but not a must-have for me.
15. Clinique Quickliner – Grape – I love this eyeliner, but the color itself wasn’t fantastic for me. Would buy other colors, but not this one.
16. Buxom Insider Eyeliner – Black Jasper (sample) – This stuff went on so smoothly, but it smudged so easily and never really seemed to set.
17. 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Mascara – Black Tea (sample) – This gave a really natural eye, which I liked, but I think there are better options. I will say I have sensitive eyes, and this did not irritate me at all.
18. Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask – I thought my skin reacted well to this, but I think there are cheaper options that are just as effective.

The Skips: Not for Me!

Sadly, there were several things this month that I just did not care for. Just because they don’t work for me doesn’t mean they won’t for you, but I definitely won’t be repurchasing!

1. Bath & Body Works Rainkissed Leaves Body Lotion (sample) – This scent didn’t really do anything for me. It was boring.
2. Origins Plantscription SPF 25 Anti-Aging Cream (Sample) – This stuff made my face so greasy. I love Origins, but this was too medicinal smelling and way too oily for me.
3. Yankee Candle Sugared Apple – Too sweet. Smelled like maple syrup.
4. TRESemme FreshStart Smoothening Dry Shampoo for Straight/Normal Hair – Ugh, I hated this. It smelled like straight alcohol at times and did absolutely nothing for me. What’s worse is that the nozzle randomly stopped working. There’s still some product in there, but I wasn’t going to fight with it. Out it goes.
5. Pangea Organics Facial Mask – Japanese Matcha Tea with Acai & Goji Berry (sample) – Yuck, didn’t like. There were all weird particles in here that just made me feel icky putting on my face. Hated the smell.
6. Whish Exfoliating Body Wash (sample) – This was coconut milk scented, and I just don’t like coconut for bath & body items. I didn’t feel like this performed very well, and I hated the scent.
7. High Performance Hair Care Super Comb Prep & Protect (sample) – This was from Birchbox. I couldn’t stand the smell of it, and the detangle and protect spray in the red bottle worked so much better.
8. LA Fresh Healthy Hand Sanitizer – This is supposed to be a “fresh orange scent” but it just smells gross.

Some great hits, some misses, but most importantly, a little more room in my cabinets.

I will also be purging some items this month and will share that with you once I do a clean-out.

 

Stitch Fix #7 [March 2014]: A Big Flop

I originally planned to post part two of some easy ways to sell your clothes online, but my Stitch Fix came in mail today, so I’m interrupting myself to throw up this quick review.

This fix was a miss for me, and I haven’t decided if I’m going to keep anything or send it all back. I’d love to hear your input and advice in the comments if you can spare a moment!

This month, I requested some transitional pieces  for the spring, and it sounded like my stylist (Catherine) really took my requests into account. I just didn’t love what I got. I tried to make it clear in my profile that I have wide hips and prefer not to draw attention to that area, but most things I got this month only seemed to do just the opposite!

February Empties [Part 2] Sampled and Purged!

To see the full-sized items I went through this month, head over to Part 1. To see the samples I used up, as well as a few items I tossed, just keep reading!

Sampled

1. Diorshow Extase Mascara (full size is $28) – This was a fine mascara and I enjoyed the sample, but for me it wasn’t enough to justify the $28 price tag. I will not be purchasing.

2. Fresh Sugar Rose Lip Treatment SPF 15 (full size is $22.50) – I have three of these, so I was pumped to use one of them up. I love this product and it works great. I won’t be purchasing for a long time, but I could see myself purchasing, but in the original clear. I like that one the best.

3. Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré 24-Hour Miracle Cream (Full size is $16) – This is a multi-tasker that can also be used as makeup remover, but I used it as face moisturizer. I really loved this stuff. It was effective without being heavy of greasy and I absolutely want to purchase the full size once I use up some of my other creams.

4. Zoya Remove+ Mini Nail Polish Remover – You can buy this 2 oz. size at Zoya for $4.6o. This may be a little expensive, but it works unlike anything else I’ve ever used. I have a few more of these little bottles that I transfer to my bottle with the flip cap top (so you just push down to get product). Once I get low, I’m going to be buying the big $25 bottle (32 oz) so I can refill my flip cap. This is a definite repurchase and a must-have for me.

5. MAKE Dual-Phase Eye Makeup Remover (full size is $22) – I got this sample through Birchbox. This is one of those removers you have to shake up before using to mix the oil. It was gentle and didn’t irritate my eyes, yet effective at removal. While I enjoyed it, I won’t be purchasing because $22 feels a little too expensive.

6. L’Occitane Cleansing And Softening Shower Oil With Almond Oil ($25 for 8.4 oz, or buy this 2.5 mini size for $8. You can also go big and pay $36 for the 16.9 oz size with a pump!) – This stuff was pretty cool. It comes in oil form, and when you mix with water, it has a really nice gentle foam. The scent is mild and pleasant and it did a great job leaving my skin feeling soft. I think this would be amazing for someone with sensitive skin. I enjoyed this, but it’s not anything that I have to have. While I recommend it, I won’t be purchasing.

7. Ouidad Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel ($23 for 8.5 oz) – It’s not humid right now, so I couldn’t test this sample to the fullest, but I used it when I air-dried my hair and it left me with amazing, soft, defined waves. I don’t need this right now, but I’d like to buy it in the summer.

8. La Fresh Nail Polish Remover in Fresh Tuscan Orange Scent (10 for $5.25) – This smelled amazing! One pad actually did remove all ten fingers,which I feel never happens. I may consider purchasing for on-the-go removal, but it’s not something I’m immediately rushing out to get because I’m so happy with my Zoya.

9. Peter Thomas Roth Laser-Free Resurfacer Face Serum ($75 for 1 oz) – They have an ingredient in here called Dragon’s Blood Complex™ that made me laugh. And then I opened up this sample and saw the blood-red serum. And I laughed some more! This is supposed to dramatically improve skin appearance, reduce wrinkles, even skin tone, etc. etc. I got a couple of uses out of this packet, but it probably wasn’t enough for me to really test this out over the long term. That said, it actually made my complexion redder, and I didn’t find it very effective for me. I am sure this is a great product for some, but I will not purchase.

1o. Julep Luxe Repair Skin Serum (full size is $28 or $22.40 for Mavens. .60 oz) – Note that the full size for this is is incredibly tiny. I really did not like this sample. The formulation is a really runny liquid, and when I opened this sample packet, it ran everywhere. Packaging aside, I thought this was okay, but I will not be purchasing.

Purged

I also ended up tossing a few things things this month:

1. Nail File – Not sure what brand this was, but it bends easily and I have enough of these.

2 and 3. The Color Institute Hand Lotion and Foot Lotion – These lotions came in a kit I got as a gift, and I just don’t like them. I think they messed up the packaging. In my experience, foot lotion usually has the pink peppermint stuff, no? The white one didn’t smell like much, but it was greasy. I have so much of this stuff, so I just got rid of it.

3. Stila Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer SPF15 – You may have seen one of these in my empties. This was a backup bottle I had, but it went bad. It smells horrible so out it goes.

4 and 5. The Color Institute Cuticle Softener Pen and Nail Corrector Pen – These also came in that kit with #2 and 3. They dried up a bit and aren’t terribly effective anyway.

6. Biolage Finishing Spray – I’ve had this forever, and I just don’t use it. The nozzle is clogged and while I could clean it, I don’t see myself using the rest of it. I like this brand a lot, but this particular spray isn’t my favorite.

7. Benefit ultra shines lip shine in life on the A list (bubble gum pink) – This came in my “I’m Glam Therefore I Am” set. I never really went for this color because it washed me out. It’s expired and stinky now, so out it goes.

8. Benefit BADGal Mascara – This is expired and almost gone, anyway. This is alright, but I prefer They’re Real.

9. Mary Kay Velocity End 2 End Lip Gloss – I have been looking for a good blue gloss for a while. I have a tiny one in that Sephora wand that I just love, but I haven’t been able to find a full size to replace it. This isn’t it. I don’t know if it expired or if it’s just stinky, but it smells disgusting and it’s completely unusable.

So that’s everything for this month. I hope I do just as well next month!

 

February Empties [Part 1]: Used It Up!

February may be a short month, but I made a huge dent in my overflowing collection, and I’m really pleased with how much I’ve been able to use up this month. This has been working so well for me, because it’s helped me focus my efforts and resist buying things I really don’t need. This month, I only bought a bottle of conditioner to help me get through my half-full shampoo bottles, a new toothbrush, my sample subscriptions, and the few Sephora items I posted about recently. Not bad, I say.

Anyway, because I used up so much, I’m splitting this topic into two parts. The first part (this one!) is my full-size empties. The second part will be my samples and purges. So let’s get started with all these full-size items.

1. Bag of 80 Cotton Rounds – I think I bought these at Target. They were too fuzzy for me, so I don’t think I’d get them again. Pass.

2.  Aveeno Positively Nourishing Comforting Whipped Souffle Body Cream (MSRP $8.49) – I really liked it! It was softly scented, absorbing, and an all around good, gentle body butter. I have a different product that I tend to prefer, so for that reason alone I probably wouldn’t seek this out again, but I would definitely recommend.

3. Soap & Glory Better Your Self Body Butter – This is technically a mini size that came in a trio set from Sephora, called Good, Butter, Best. This is their “Fruitigo” scent, described as “notes of frozen yuzu, orange oil, and jungle pomelo.” Soap & Glory’s body butter is my absolute favorite, but I prefer the original scent and will probably continue buying that one going forward. It was great to try the others, though. I still recommend it. Full size is $20.

4. EOS Ultra Moisturizing Shave Cream in Pomegranate Raspberry (MSRP $3.49) – I loved this stuff. I loved the pump dispenser and it worked great. The pomegranate raspberry scent wasn’t really my thing, but once I’m through with all of my other shave creams, I will be purchasing again in a different scent. (I have my eye on Lavender Jasmine.)

5. Dove Refresh+Care Invigorating Dry Shampoo (MSRP $4.99) – I’m torn on this one, because I really liked how it performed, but oh, the scent. So. Stinky. Like, singe your nose hairs stinky. So I probably will pass on getting this again.

6. Living Proof No Frizz Styling Cream (MSRP $26 for 4 oz) – This packaging will look different to you, because these were lab samples that Sephora and Living Proof gave away quite a while ago. This is the styling cream for straight hair. It worked really well. The scent was a bit peppery, which I didn’t mind, but it may be off-putting for some. I will consider getting this again in the future, but I’m buried in hair products and this is definitely a splurge. I will pass for now.

8. Pantene Ice Shine Shampoo – This was a big size that I had hanging around in my shower forever, as I’d finished the conditioner first long ago. I got some new conditioner and finally finished this up. This is sulfate free, and I really liked it. The scent was great, it worked great on my hair, and I’d definitely consider purchasing again.

9. Colgate Total Advanced Pro-Shield Mouthwash in Spearmint Surge – Loved it. The alcohol formula doesn’t burn, but it does a great job keeping your mouth feeling clean. I mistakenly bought a different kind when this ran out, and I am kicking myself for it. Definite repurchase.

10. CareOne Nail Polish Remover with Gelatin –  I didn’t care for this. I didn’t think it was very effective and took a lot of remover to effectively get anything off. My holy grail remover is Zoya Remove+ and it is honestly hard to use anything else, but I had this and needed to use it up. So I did. Pass.

11. Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes (25 count) – I really liked these. They were gentle and effective. Not much more to say than that, but I’d definitely purchase again.

12. Stella by Stella McCartney – 1 oz eau de parfum ($50) – I am so, so sad this is gone. If you like rose scents, you’ll love this. I am trying to crack down on my gigantic perfume stash so I am not allowing myself to buy anything else right now, but this will absolutely positively be a repurchase as soon as I free up some more space.

13. Febreze NOTICEable Spring & Renewal air freshener – This was a really pleasant, fresh scent. I love my NOTICEables and would buy again.

14. Stila Sheer Color SPF15 Tinted Moisturizer – This is super old, guys. It was actually sitting in the back of my makeup drawer empty and has probably been empty for like, three or four years? The packaging is completely different now, and I think they’re up to SPF 20. This used to be my absolute favorite tinted moisturizer, but I’d have to buy the new kind to see if anything’s changed. Would consider getting again.

Finally, I also used up a couple of candles.

15. Yankee Candle Whiskers on Kittens – This was a dark purple color and was a really nice, clean scent. It wasn’t my favorite, but I didn’t hate it. This is seasonal and possibly retired for good? so I couldn’t get this again if I wanted to. I’d probably pass on it, anyway.

16. Yankee Candle Christmas Rose Small Jar – Loved this. I have a weakness for anything rose-scented, and this had an extra special sparkle. If it’s around next year, I’ll be buying it!

So that’s everything for my full-size empties, and I’m thrilled with how much I’ve gone through. I have a few repurchases in here but a lot of things that will finally be gone from my home for good, too.