• October 2021 Product Empties

    Aug-Sept-Oct 2021 Product Empties

    Hi Everyone!

    It’s been a while since I’ve done an empties post. I haven’t finished many products lately. For empties posts, I will now add how long it took me to finish the product. I keep a skincare journal of all products I use in a day, so I’m able to track how long it takes me to use a product. It also helps me figure out what products I’ve been using if I get a break out.

    First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub with 10% AHA – My legs and arms feel smoother after using this scrub. I think if you use this scrub, you need to be consistent though. I’ve been trying my best to use it as frequently as directed, but sometimes I check when I last used it and it’s already been 2 weeks.

    Repurchase? I already repurchased a full-size bottle.

    How long does it last? For 1 oz travel size mini, I got 7 uses. I used a generous amount each time – full legs and upper arms, so you could probably get a few more uses if you only use on legs or arms.

    Rael Miracle Patches (read my review) – You probably already know that these are one of my fave hydrocolloid pimple patches.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    How long does it last? I used a couple sheets in the last 3 months because I was breaking out from some new skincare and also my diet.

    Cerave Hydrating Cleanser – This was an okay cleanser. It was very gentle and it didn’t dry out my skin. Comparing it to the cheaper Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, I didn’t see a huge difference. I’d rather buy the cetaphil cleanser and spend the money on a moisturizer.

    Repurchase? No.

    How long does it last? For 562mL, it took 9 months to finish (250+ uses). I used it once a day – 1 full pump, sometimes I used 2 pumps. I would say you could stretch it out to 10 months’ use if you only used 1 pump every day.

    Bubble Slam Dunk Hydrating Moisturizer* – This was a great moisturizer. I noticed that some of my redness went down when I woke up the next morning. I used this day and night.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    How long does it last? For 50mL, it took 4 months to finish (240 uses). I used one full pump each time and used it AM/PM (so 2 pumps a day).

    Youth To The People Superclay Purify + Clear Power Mask* – This is the first clay mask I’ve tried that doesn’t dry my face out. I didn’t use this as frequently as directed, so I didn’t see any of the benefits from this mask. I’m kind of lazy when it comes to face masks and I don’t use them that often.

    Repurchase? Probably not.

    How long does it last? The 59mL bottle lasted me 6 months, but I didn’t use it as frequently as directed. I didn’t get many uses out of it because I used generous amounts and went down to my neck. Using a regular amount, you could probably get 20-25 (maybe more) applications.

    L’Oréal 8-second Wonder Water Lamellar Rinse-out* (read my review) – It was a cool product to try, but I don’t personally find it worth the $10 for only 10 uses. It worked for me, my hair felt smooth, and it smells nice. For reference, I have straight hair and I haven’t dyed my hair in a long time. I also don’t style it very often, so it’s not damaged or frizzy. I’ve seen a few reviews where this hasn’t helped people with frizzy hair (as it claims).  

    Repurchase? No.             

    How long does it last? For a 200mL bottle, you’re supposed to use 20mL (or more) per use. 10 uses or fewer if you have thicker/longer hair.

    What products have you finished lately?

    Love,

  • gummiband hair cords

    Revisiting My 2017 Favourites | Part 2

    Hi Everyone!

    Today, I’m revisiting my favourites from 2017. I’ve posted Part 1 of revisiting my Best of 2017 post (read here). There’s some overlap in my monthly favourites and Best of 2017 post, so if they aren’t listed below, they’re in that post.

    SEPTEMBER

    Maybelline Fit Me Concealer – When I used this, I never tried it as an under eye concealer. I need to buy it again and compare it to the Age Rewind Concealer.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    Milani Color Statement Lipstick in 26 Nude Crème – I love the shade, but I don’t really like that it smells like a watermelon jolly rancher.

    Repurchase? Maybe.

    Milani Keep It Sweet Sugar Lip Scrub – Initially, I liked this, but I didn’t really like it after a while. It would just make the dead skin move back and forth and not slough it off.

    Repurchase? No.

    Milani Eye Tech Perfection Liquid Liner – This was a great liner, but I just don’t use liquid liner that much.

    Repurchase? No.

    Milani Retouch + Erase Light Lifting Concealer – I liked this concealer; it was thick, but it blended nicely.

    Repurchase? Maybe.

    Estee Lauder Pink Perfection Breast Cancer Awareness Kit – If you’ve read my post on Products I Regret Buying, this kit is on it. The eyeshadows were nice, but the shades they chose weren’t useful for me. I need a transition shade that’s matte and this didn’t have one. I did enjoy the lipstick, but not in the shade that came with it.

    Repurchase? Unavailable because it was limited edition. But I wouldn’t if it were still available.

    MAC Patentpolish Lip Pencil in Kittenish – I really like this lip pencil. It’s a hybrid of a balm and a lipstick.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    OCTOBER

    Garnier All-in-1 Cleansing Micellar Water – Love this!!

    Repurchase? Absolutely! I do want to try other ones first to see how they compare.

    NOVEMBER

    Clean and Clear Morning Burst Fruit Infusions Purifying Cleanser – I really liked this cleanser. It woke me up in the morning with the citrus scent.

    Repurchase? I don’t think you can buy this anymore.

    Dove Nutritive Solutions Coconut and Hydration Shampoo – So, a few years ago, I got eczema on my hands and legs and I stopped using a bunch of products to rule them out as a cause of the eczema. I stopped using Dove products and haven’t started using them again. I used to use Dove products all the time and had no problems, so I don’t think it was the cause, but I just haven’t purchased anything since I finished this shampoo.

    Repurchase? Maybe.

    Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler – I love this!! I wish I had bought this when I first started using lash curlers.

    Repurchase? YES!!!

    DECEMBER

    Tory Burch Perfume (Original) – I love this. It makes me feel grown up, but it’s not old lady-ish.

    Repurchase? Yes!

    GummiBand Hair Cords – I love these. I use them every day!

    Repurchase? Yes!

    Did you spot any of your favourites?

    Love,

  • November 2018 Product Empties

    Hi Everyone!

    Here are last month’s product empties:

    Amika Nourishing Mask – I got this on Amazon, so this is the old packaging. The new one looks pretty much the same (design-wise), but the font is a bit bigger. This mask made my hair smooth and shiny.

    Repurchase? Maybe. I did really enjoy it, but I think I would rather get a hair mask from the drugstore because I really enjoyed the Garnier ones I’ve tried.

    Sephora Yuzu Micellar Cleansing Water – The lemon scent makes me think of dish soap. While it does the job to remove makeup, it kind of makes my eyelids tingle. I gave it to my mom (who doesn’t have sensitive skin) and she noticed that when she used it, her face would be red after removing her makeup. She rarely has reactions from products, so it was weird. I used what was left in the bottle to clean my makeup sponge.

    Repurchase? I don’t think they sell it anymore. Even if they did, I would not repurchase.

    Tarte Maracuja Oil – I love this oil! I use it as a moisturizer and a primer.

    Repurchase? I already repurchased a supersize bottle! The supersize is available on Tarte and it’s $22 more than the regular size, but twice the size. I got it during the Black Friday sale when it was 20% off!

    Make Up For Ever Step 1 Equalizer Primer (Redness Correcting) – I love the MUFE primers, but this one is kind of useless. If you want to colour correct redness, get an actual concealer that corrects instead of a primer. I’ve written a This or That post comparing this to the Smashbox primer. While this one performs better than the Smashbox one, it still doesn’t do as much as an actual colour corrector.

    Repurchase? Not the redness correcting primer, but I have already repurchased other MUFE Step 1 Equalizer Primers.

    The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Exfoliating Gel Body Scrub (read my review) – The gel texture of this made me use it faster because it was easy to just scoop some out with my hand and get too much.

    Repurchase? No.

    BCL SPA Lavender + Mint Dead Sea Salt Soak – I enjoyed this a lot and it made me feel very relaxed.

    Repurchase? Probably not.

    BCL SPA Lavender + Mint Sugar Scrub (not pictured) (read my review) – I loooved this; it smells amazing and makes your skin feel baby smooth. I’m sad I used it up so quickly because it’s so expensive.

    Repurchase? Probably not. I just can’t justify the price tag, but I will try to duplicate it with a DIY sugar scrub or find one that’s more accessible and affordable.

    Live Clean Coconut Milk Moisturizing Shampoo & Conditioner (conditioner is not pictured) – I liked the smell of this and it made my hair feel soft.

    Repurchase? Possibly.

    Johnson’s Baby Shampoo – I used this to clean my makeup brushes and sponges.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    Lady Speed Stick Invisible in Cool & Fresh – The smell is very nice, but after a while, it started to smell different; not as fresh. I want to start using natural deodorants that don’t have aluminum.

    Repurchase? No.

    Delectable by Cake Beauty The Everything Powder – When I first tried it, I loved it. It doesn’t have talc and it was great to use as a setting powder, but I just don’t love the smell that much. I’ve said it multiple times, but it smells like this toy that my cousin had. It was a baby that comes with a bottle and spoon and you put the spoon in the bottle and it ‘fills’ up with cherries and you feed the baby and the cherries disappear.

    Repurchase? No.

    Delectable by Cake Beauty The Everything Balm – I enjoyed this when I got a little tube from a Topbox, so I bought a full-sized bottle. The full size comes with a pump, but the pump sucks. It doesn’t dispense the product and it smells a bit different from when I used the small tube.

    Repurchase? No.

    COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patches (read my review) – I love these. They’re amazing.

    Repurchase? YES!!

    Neutrogena Hydro Boost Eye Gel Cream (read my review) – This didn’t hydrate my eyes as much as other eye products I’ve tried which was disappointing because it’s a good price for an eye cream.

    Repurchase? No.

    Essence The False Lashes Extreme Volume & Curl Mascara (read my review) – This mascara held the curl of my lashes well, but it was quite flaky.

    Repurchase? No.

    Rimmel Moisture Renew Universal Transparent Lip Liner in 001 Universal – This is a clear lip liner that you can use for any lipstick. The only problem with it was that I could see where I was drawing on my lips. Also, it’s retractable and I prefer a pencil that you can sharpen so I can get a more defined line.

    Repurchase? No.

    Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in 855 Berry Smoothie – This was a gorgeous shade, but I just didn’t like it on me. It looked like my lips were stained from eating berries and I always wore it with Vaseline on top or underneath to sheer it out.

    Repurchase? I would consider repurchasing a Revlon Super Lustrous lipstick, but not in this shade.

    Bourjois Twist Up The Volume Mascara (read my review) – This was an interesting mascara, but if I were to spend over $20 on a mascara, I would get one from Sephora that I like better.

    Repurchase? No.

    Milani Color Statement Lipstick in 26 Nude Crème – I loved this shade. It was a “My Lips But Better” shade, but I didn’t love the watermelon scent of the lipstick.

    Repurchase? Maybe.

    Check out my Black Friday Haul!

    What did you finish last month?

    Love,

  • the body shop pink grapefruit exfoliating gel body scrub vs bcl spa sugar scrub

    This or That | BCL SPA Lavender + Mint Sugar Scrub vs. The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Exfoliating Gel Body Scrub

    Hi Everyone!

    Today, I’m comparing two different types and also two different brands of body scrubs. There are a few different types: sugar, coffee, salt, herbal, etc. I’m comparing sugar scrubs with a fruit scrub (this isn’t what it’s called, but since it’s made of fruit and uses orange peel and corncob granules, I’m going to call it a fruit scrub).

    I haven’t tried coffee, salt or herbal scrubs. I did try a DIY coffee scrub, but I don’t think I did it right and it got SOOO messy. I think any coffee scrub is going to be really messy and I don’t think I’ll like it for that reason.

    The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Exfoliating Gel Body Scrub – I thought this was the old formula that they used to have (the sugar scrub). So, it was a surprise to find that it was a gel-based scrub.

    Revitalize and soften your skin using an invigorating, gel-based scrub with gently exfoliating orange peel and corncob granules. Pink grapefruit seed oil provides essential fatty acids to repair skin’s moisture barrier, so it feels smooth and supple. Community Trade organic honey moisturizes and conditions skin.

    BCL SPA Lavender + Mint Sugar Scrub – I won this in a giveaway, so I don’t know how easy it is to get this in the US. It looks like it’s a bit harder to get in Canada (or it’s really expensive on Amazon) because it’s for professionals only/wholesale. I really love it though.

    Natural sugar suspended in certified organic oils create the base of our luxurious scrub for hands, feet and body. The sugar works to exfoliate dead cells from the skin, while our blend of precious Argan, Olive, Jojoba and Spearmint oils leave you velvety soft and glowing.

    WINNER (Type): Sugar scrubs

    WINNER (Brand): BCL SPA Lavender + Mint Sugar Scrub

    I chose the BCL SPA sugar scrub because I just love how smooth my skin feels and I absolutely love the smell of the lavender and mint. I chose the sugar scrub as the winner because it doesn’t leave anything behind. If you have a warm bath/shower, the sugar easily dissolves. On the other hand, I don’t like the Pink Grapefruit one because the corncob granules are left behind in the shower. They still go down the drain, but I’m worried that it will help clog the pipes faster especially if hair is already stuck in there. Also, since sugar scrubs are thicker, I feel like I use the right amount needed, whereas with the fruit scrub, I scoop out too much. The pink grapefruit does have a nice refreshing scent, but since I take showers/baths at night, I want something more relaxing and calming instead of ‘WAKE UP!’

    I think I will try making a DIY sugar scrub once I’ve finished these two body scrubs.

    What type of body scrubs do you use?

    Love,

    jen