• October 2018 Product Empties

    Hi Everyone!

    Happy Hallowe’en! Here are this month’s product empties.

    Dove Advanced Hair Series Regenerative Nourishment Serum-in-Oil (read my review) – I don’t do a lot of things to my hair, so it’s in pretty good shape. I don’t think I really need a hair oil, but I think every now and then I’d use a hair mask. This did make my hair feel soft, so if you need something to help smooth and soften your hair, I’d recommend this.

    Repurchase? Probably not.

    Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Oil – I got a little sample of this and it lasted a long time (probably because I liked it and I was saving it until I bought another). I mostly used it on and around my nose to moisturize those areas. It could sometimes look cakey in those areas after a few hours of wearing foundation. So, I learned to be light-handed with it and make sure it absorbed before applying my makeup on top.

    Repurchase? Absolutely. Although, right now, I’m using the Tarte Maracuja Oil instead (it’s cheaper because it has more in the bottle for the price).

    Milani Keep It Sweet Sugar Scrub (read my review) – Initially, I really liked it, but I realized it was kind of just moving the loose skin on my lips back and forth instead of actually scrubbing it off. I would rather use a warm, wet cloth to exfoliate or use the elf lip scrub.

    Repurchase? No.

    Sonia Roselli Water Balm (read my review) – When I first got this, I used way too much of it. I learned that a smaller scoop went a long way because when you rub your hands together, it turns to water beads.

    Repurchase? Absolutely!

    Bobbi Brown Intensive Long Wear Makeup Remover – This was a really good makeup remover, but there are tons of drugstore brands that are more affordable. I only had this because I got it free when I purchased a palette from Nordstrom.

    Repurchase? No.

    First Aid Hello FAB Coconut Skin Smoothie Priming Moisturizer – I don’t really love the smell of this. I’d rather get the Sonia Roselli Water Balm if I’m going to get a 2-in-1 moisturizer and primer.

    Repurchase? No.

    Live Clean Biotin Extra Body Shampoo & Conditioner – This shampoo says it thickens and volumizes. While I could use some volume in my hair, it definitely doesn’t need to be thicker. I liked the smell of this shampoo and conditioner. I didn’t really notice if it did, in fact, thicken and volumize my hair. I noticed that this conditioner was the thickest of the Live Clean conditioners I tried.

    Repurchase? No, my hair is already thick.

    Garnier Skin Active Micellar Water (Waterproof) – This micellar water is great to remove makeup. Although, it does have an oily feeling. So, if you prefer not to have that feeling, get the pink one that’s not for removing waterproof makeup.

    Repurchase? Absolutely, but I want to try other micellar waters.

    Shiseido Benefiance Extra Creamy Cleansing Foam – This had some type of bead in it which I didn’t like. If I’m using a foamy cleanser, I want it to be nice and smooth. This was very fragranced and I’m not sure if my skin had a reaction from it.

    Repurchase? No.

    Earth Therapeutics Purifying Foot Scrub – I bought this a loooong time ago at Winners. It’s a good scrub and it made my feet and hands feel smooth, but I don’t know if they still sell it. One thing that I didn’t like is that it was really hard to squeeze out product, I don’t know if it was a flaw in the design or something, but I always had to use both hands to squeeze out the scrub.

    Repurchase? Probably not.

    Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub – I think this was an old formula, so it still had the plastic beads to exfoliate. I was using it every day which was too much for me. If I use it a few times a week, I think it would’ve been okay. I didn’t really love this product.

    Repurchase? Probably not.

    The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Body Wash – This product worked well. It concerned me that it said not to use on the face though- how much stronger is it than their other tea tree products?

    Repurchase? Possibly.

    Essence Get BIG! Lashes Triple Black Mascara (read my review) – This mascara does darken and volumize my lashes…and it’s a great price! The brush is just too big for my lashes.

    Repurchase? No.

    Inglot x Jennifer Lopez Lipglossy Lip Gloss in Pinky (read my review) – This is a beautiful lip gloss shade, but it’s so expensive and I don’t really like that it’s scented.

    Repurchase? No.

    Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Serum Concealer in Warm Ivory – I did not like this concealer. I would rather get a drugstore one than use this one. I got a bit of a reaction from using this concealer under my eyes. When I swatched on my hand and blended it out, it would look beautiful, but when I used it under my eyes, it would just look terrible. I’m glad I didn’t pay full price for this (bought it at the MAC Warehouse Sale).

    Repurchase? NO.

    Maybelline Fit Me Shine-Free Balance Stick Foundation in 130 Buff Beige (read my review) – I actually really loved this foundation (I think I preferred it to the liquid Fit Me). It lasted throughout the day on hot summer days. Of course, I would still get shiny in the t-zone, but it still looked really good after 8 hours of wear. I don’t know how it would do on someone with oily skin, but it worked great on my normal-dry skin. I’ve compared it to the Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation stick (read my review).

    Repurchase? If I were going to continue buying drugstore foundations, I would definitely buy this again.

    bareMinerals BAREPRO Performance Wear Powder Foundation in Cashmere – This was a sample size and I really liked using it to pop in my purse (because of the size of the sample) for spot conceal touch-ups. I also liked using it to clean up my brows.

    Repurchase? I prefer loose powder foundations, but I would definitely consider bareMinerals.

    OPI Mini Nail Lacquer in Tickle My France-y – I love this colour, it’s a pinky-purple shade. I have to declutter this mini because the polish was starting to get really thick when I painted it onto my nails.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    What did you finish this month?

    Love,

    jen

  • Dove Advanced Hair Series Regenerative Nourishment Serum-in-Oil

    Review | Dove Advanced Hair Series Regenerative Nourishment Serum-in-Oil

    Hi Everyone!

    I got a little sample size from a LUXEBOX that I had forgotten about until recently. I was trying out a hair colour thing that comes out after a few days which I got from Winners. It made my hair look super dry and a bit gummy from the residual product (my hair looks awful). I won’t bother writing a review on the wash-out hair colour because it’s been discontinued, but it was the Garnier Colour Styler. Hair oil is supposed to help remove the colour and I thought it would help repair the dryness.

    I tried the serum and it smells good, made my hair feel softer and look shiny (and not like an oily shine, it’s a healthy shine). I was originally unsure of using a hair oil/serum because I thought it’d just make me feel greasy. For this reason, I didn’t touch the roots of my hair, I started half way down and concentrated the oil on the tips.

    20180320_211547.jpgDove Advanced Hair Series Regenerative Nourishment Serum-in-Oil

    Combines oil’s nourishing power with serum’s restorative qualities
    Regenerates properties of healthy hair
    Unique formulation delivers strength and manageability with every use
    Brings softness and shine to hair that’s been weakened by damage
    Fights split ends and breakage
    Suitable for even extremely damaged hair

    RATING: 4/5

    I don’t think I’d purchase the full-size bottle because my hair isn’t terribly damaged. I think a good hair mask and conditioner will do the trick for me., but if you have damaged hair and want to purchase a drugstore brand hair oil/serum, this is a great choice.

    Have you tried hair oils?

    Love,

    jen