hand cream Archives

Haul | 2022 Black Friday and Holiday Sales

December 8, 2022
Hi everyone!

Today, I’m sharing what I got from Black Friday and Holiday sales! In the past two years, it seems like I do the most damage in October and November because I just can’t resist a Black Friday sale!

I’m not going to put the prices up because I’d rather not see the grand total of what I spent during the sales, but I will include the discount.

Sephora – 20% off
- First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub with 10% AHA
- bareMinerals Original Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF15 in Light
Shiseido – 30% off when you spend $200
- Eyelash Curler (comes with replacement pad)
- 2 x Eyelash Curler Pads (2 replacement pads per pack, so I got 4 in total lol)
- Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing Concealer in 202 Light
- Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing Concealer in 203 Light
- Overnight Wrinkle Resisting Cream (for my mom)
Kiehl’s – 25% off
- Centella Sensitive Facial Cleanser
- 2 x Ultimate Strength Hand Salve
Bottom left is Blondo, middle is Skechers

Mejuri – 20% off when you spend $150 (I believe this is the only sale they have throughout the year)
- Twist Ring in 14k White Gold
- 2x Single Mini Hoop in 14k White Gold
Last year, I bought the Single Mini Hoops and I’ve been wearing them ever since. I decided to get 2 more for my second piercings. To bump it up to $150, I also got the Twist ring. Last year, I got the Braided ring. I haven’t worn it much though, because it looked a bit plain on its own. So now I have the twist one to stack. Their diamond huggies are super cute too.

Old Navy – 50% off code for being a Navyist Rewards Member
- Creaseless Hair Clips 4-pack (Tortoise shell/Coral pink)
- Dynamic Fleece Pullover Hoodie in Icelandic Mineral
- Vintage Long-Sleeve Sweatshirt in Inkwell
- Printed Flannel Pajama Pants in Red Fair Isle
La Vie En Rose – 2 for 1
- Soft plush Robe in Lilac Cloud
- Soft Plush Robe in Black Buffalo Plaid
Naturalizer – 30% off
- Blondo Skylar Waterproof Combat Boot in Black Suede (wide)
I have wide feet unfortunately and I’ve realized it’s ridiculous to put bandaids on my pinky toes when I wear my winter boots. I was on the hunt for a nice pair. I got these Blondo boots in wide. I read a few reviews, but it’s hard to decide based on a few website reviews, so I just decided to try them. They were definitely not wide. I know Blondo is known for having a narrow fit, but I thought maybe these would be okay. These were probably what would be considered a regular fit for other brands. I was wearing regular, thin socks and while my foot fit into them, they would be super uncomfortable. You could also see the shape of my foot in the boot and it just didn’t look nice. Unfortunately, they only accept returns online which means they charge $8 to ship it back to them (taking it off your refund).

The Shoe Company – 30% off?
- Skechers On-The-Go Glacial Ultra-Woodlands Wide Winter Boot in Black Suede
Skechers is a brand that I own quite a few running shoes from. Even with their regular fit, they’re very comfortable. I recently purchased a wide fit sneaker and they are super comfy for me. So I got these knowing that Skechers is a brand that I like.

Spanx – 20% off for regular priced items, I think. I got something from the sale section, so it was 50% off
- Spotlight on Lace Regular Waist Brief in Vintage Rose
Clockwise from top left (gray): ribbed cotton, cotton cable lace, pointelle high cut, cotton eyelash lace, period underwear

Aerie online order – 30% off sale or something
- AerieREAL Period Underwear (I will be posting a review on this once I’ve tried it out)
- AF Super Cropped Scoop Neck Cami in Black
- Wrap One Piece Swimsuit in Black
- High Neck Henley Tank Top in White
I bought the swimsuit because I realized I sold all of my swimsuits on Poshmark. Even though I haven’t gone swimming/to the beach in 6 years lol, I thought it’d be good to have one just in case. I was disappointed when I tried it on and ended up returning it. I don’t think I have a particularly long torso, but the body was so short (it was cutting into my butt). I can’t imagine a taller person wearing it. Even though you can adjust the straps to make it a bit longer, it would make the bust lower and the wrap part just wasn’t flattering to begin with…It wasn’t giving any lift to the girls. When I was thinking about buying it, I was a bit worried about whether it would stretch from wrapping it all the time, but I wanted to try it anyway since they have free returns. Back to the drawing board for this one.

Aerie in-store purchase – 10 for $40
- Pointelle High Cut Bikini Underwear (high cut, peek of cheek)
- Cotton Cable Lace Boybrief Underwear (regular rise, no cheek peek)
- Cotton Eyelash Lace Boybrief Underwear (low rise, no cheek peek)
- Ribbed Cotton Boybrief Underwear (low rise, no cheek peek)
I have previously purchased Aerie underwear a few years back and the boybrief underwear were really stretchy and too big. I got the same size in all of the underwear I bought and it just didn’t fit right. I’ve had time to try all of the underwear I bought and they all fit nicely. The Cotton Cable Lace ones are my favourite. A lot of my underwear are low rise and I’ve realized how much I like a regular rise.

With all of the online orders, I managed to get about $20 cashback from Rakuten.

(not sponsored or anything, but this is a referral link to sign up. You get $30 if you use the link and I will too).

Did you pick up anything during the Black Friday sales?

Love,
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May-Oct 2022 Product Empties

October 31, 2022

Hi Everyone!

I didn’t realize I was so behind on my monthly empties posts! Here’s what I finished during the spring and summer!

Kiehl’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve* – I wish I had known about this hand salve sooner. After trying it, I bought some for my family to try as well. My mom and sister get cracked hands in the winter. My mom said she had a crack on her thumb and it helped heal it faster than Vaseline. Whenever I forget to apply it, my hands are so dry. When I use this, my hands feel super soft.

Repurchase? I already repurchased it and I’m on my second tube.

How long does it last? I was sent the 200mL tube and it lasted 250 uses (most of the time, I used the same amount, but I used more in the winter). This last 8.5 months of daily use (applied at night only).

Dove Deep Cleansing Cucumber & Green Tea Hand Wash – If you’ve tried Dove Shampoos, the hand wash smells exactly the same. I’m currently using the Deep Moisture one. They are nice hand washes that don’t irritate my skin. They come in bottles with a pump.

Repurchase? Yes.

Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion – This is not moisturizing enough for me in warm weather, so I can’t imagine it being enough in the winter time. I prefer the Cerave Moisturizing Cream or Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion.

Repurchase? No.

Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash – This is an unscented body wash that’s super gentle. It does have a certain scent to it (smell from the natural ingredients). I think it’s the oatmeal, but you can’t really smell it on the body.

Repurchase? Maybe.

The Inkey List Omega Water Cream* – This gel cream was okay. I didn’t think it was anything special. I was hoping it would be similar to the Sonia Roselli Water Balm where it beads up like water, but it was different. I didn’t like the smell of it. It had this wet smell.

Repurchase? No.

How long does it last? 2 months.

Youth to the People Triple Peptide + Cactus Oasis Serum* – I really liked this serum, but it seems like I finished it fairly quickly. The pump also tends to spurt product out (I don’t know if I had a defective one, but this also happened with the Retinal + Niacinamide one). Comparing this to a Volition Beauty serum with the same amount, I finished the YTTP serum a month faster. With the Volition serum, I was able to control the amount by doing a half drop, but you can’t control the amount with this pump (can’t do a half pump).

Repurchase? Yes.

How long does it last? The 30mL bottle lasted about 3 months of daily use (once a day, I mostly used one pump per use).

Volition Beauty Skin Rhythm Balancing & Clearing Serum* – I was a bit skeptical about this one being able to help deal with hormonal acne, but when I used this, I noticed that my acne during that time of the month wasn’t as bad. I did still get some hormonal breakouts every now and then, but I think this definitely helped.

Repurchase? Yes.

How long does it last? I used the 35mL bottle for 5 months. For the first month or so, I was only using it at night, but then I started using it twice a day. A small drop was more than enough for each use and I would only apply it on my problem areas (nose, chin, jawline). It lasted 210 uses.

Volition Beauty Yaupon Tea Glow Awakening Moisturizer* – I didn’t really notice a huge difference in my skin. It was kind of similar to the celery green cream to me. Both are nice, but I probably wouldn’t buy it. I prefer the volition products that come in bottles: serums and oil.

Repurchase? Probably not.

How long does it last? About 3 months. It’ll last longer depending on how much you use. I feel like I used quite a bit for each use.

The Inkey List Tranexamic Acid Hyperpigmentation Treatment* – I didn’t notice a difference to my dark spots, but this gel wasn’t bad. My skin was pretty clear when I had this in my routine so I can’t say if it helped with new dark spots.

Repurchase? Maybe.

How long does it last? 2 months.

Bolden Skincare Hydrating Cleanser* – It’s a nice cleanser, but I didn’t see anything special about it.

Repurchase? No.

Bolden Skincare Awake Under Eye Patch* – The eye patches were a nice selfcare item, but I didn’t notice my under eyes being brighter or anything. I think I would need to use them regularly for a longer period of time.

Repurchase? No.

How long does it last? It depends how often you use them. You could finish the pack of 10 in a week and a half or it could last a couple of weeks if you only use them every few days.

PanOxyl Creamy Acne Wash – 4% Benzoyl Peroxide* – This was a nice acne wash with benzoyl peroxide. While it wouldn’t clear acne super quickly, it did help bring some painful underground ones to the surface. I would only use this on areas where I needed it. At 4%, it was gentle enough that it didn’t make my skin red and irritated.

Repurchase? Maybe.

How long does it last? About 4-5 months. I didn’t use it daily, but I used it when I needed it.

PanOxyl PM Overnight Spot Patches* – I did not like these. Read my This or That post on Acne Patches.

Repurchase? No.

How long does it last? It lasted about 3 months (I had some bad breakouts this summer).

Nacific Fresh Herb Origin Spot Patch – These were good, but they are on the more expensive side (cost per patch). Again, check out my This or That post on Acne Patches to see a cost per patch breakdown of the pimple patches I’ve tried.

Repurchase? No, there are others that are cheaper.

Herbal Essences Tealightfully Clean Shampoo – I liked the fresh, clean scent from this shampoo.

Repurchase? Yes.

Dove Daily Moisture Shampoo – My go-to shampoos are drugstore ones. I sometimes splurge on higher end ones or hair masks/treatments, but I don’t use those as often. I don’t style my hair that often and I haven’t dyed it in a long time, so I don’t need anything special for my hair.

Repurchase? Yes.

The Inkey List Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Scalp Scrub* – I really enjoyed this one. I don’t really do treatments with my hair since I don’t do much to it (don’t curl or straighten much, haven’t dyed it in a long time). I would do this scalp scrub every so often and I did notice that my scalp felt cleaner after using this scrub. It was gentle and I preferred it much more than a sample of the Drunk Elephant one I tried.

Repurchase? Yes.

How long does it last? It took me 10 months to finish the 150mL bottle, but I honestly don’t know if I used too much or too little each time. I’m pretty sure I used too much lol. I didn’t use this frequently so if you used this every couple weeks or so, it would only last a few months. Over the 10 months, I used it about 15 times. If you use quite a bit, it would last at least 6 months (using it every 2 weeks).

Spot any favourites in my empties list?

Love,

Products marked with * were sent to me for review.

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First Impressions with MOR Emporium

October 9, 2019
Hi Everyone!

Last month, I received a box from Calissa with 3 products and today, I’ll be reviewing the MOR Emporium Trio of Treasures. The trio includes: a soapette, hand cream and perfume oil. They sent over the Lychee Flower scent. It looks like Calissa doesn’t have the Trio of Treasures, but they do have the soap and candle in the lychee flower scent as well as a variety of other products from the brand.

First of all, I love the beautiful design on the products and the tin is such a cute little container.

All 3 products smell very strongly of lychee especially the perfume oil and hand cream.

Hand Cream

Enriched with Vitamin E, Shea and Cocoa Seed butters for smooth, soft and perfectly perfumed hands.

I don’t like using scented hand creams, so I gave it to my mom to use. She tried it on and she said the cream felt very nice and moisturizing, but it was a bit too strong for her. So, she ended up giving the cream to my grandma who loves scented hand creams.

RATING: 3/5

While it is a nice scent and the hand cream itself is nice, the scent is so strong that you wouldn’t be able to wear it in an office.

Perfume Oil

Bountiful with Rosehip, Vitamin E, Sweet Almond Oil and flourishing with fragrance for silky-soft skin and perfectly perfumed pulse points.

The perfume oil is a rollerball and as soon as I applied some to my wrists, I could instantly smell the lychee. The product felt very nice (not too oily). After a while, it started to mix with my body chemistry and faded a bit after I washed my hands. By the end of the day, it smelled quite nice. Personally, I love fruity fragrances, but this one is a bit on the sweet side for me.

RATING: 3.5/5

Soapette

Housed in a collectable tin, each precious Soapette creates a decadent lather that leaves skin brilliantly refreshed.
- Enriched with nourishing Shea Butter and Vitamin E
- Velvety Triple-Milled soap for a smoother, creamier and more luxurious lather
I think the soapette is my favourite product. It smells like lychee, but when you walk into the bathroom, you can’t smell it. You can definitely smell it when you use it though and it’s the most subtle of the three products. I’ve been using it for a few weeks as the soap on my sink and it hasn’t softened (like some soaps I’ve tried). There’s still quite a bit left.

RATING: 4/5

All of these products were nice, but if you have a sensitive nose like I do, you probably won’t like these. If you don’t mind stronger scents and you like lychee and sweet-smelling products, you’ll like these products.

If you would like to make a purchase on Calissa.com, use code 10FRIENDSOFCALISSA to get 10% off! (This is not an affiliate code, just a code for you to get a discount!)

Check out my other posts on products I’ve received from Calissa!

Love,

*I was sent this product by the team at Calissa. All opinions are my own.
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Haul | August 2018 Sephora VIB Rouge Sale

August 30, 2018

Hi Everyone!

I picked up some things from the Sephora Beauty Insider Appreciation Sale, mostly skincare because I’m working on finishing products I have in my current collection. I have so many products in my LOVES list that it was hard to refrain from buying more things. I only bought products I need to replace other things I’ve finished. Although, I did make an order from Tarte as well (first time ordering from them).

If you haven’t bought anything yet, you still have time! It ends September 3rd!

What do you guys think of the new updates to their Beauty Insider program? It’s awesome if you’re a VIB or ROUGE, but it’s still kind of the same for Beauty Insiders. I guess it makes sense since they want to reward the people who are spending more money. Somehow, last year, I got to ROUGE status and I’m a a bit mortified at how easy it was to do that. I did buy products for my mom, but the majority was for me…Skincare and makeup tools are expensive. As a ROUGE, I plan to take advantage of it while I still can. I will hopefully only make it to VIB in the following years.

I bought two things for my grandma too. She loves scented hand creams and a Bobbi Brown lipstick.

Bobbi Brown Luxe Lipstick in Brocade

The gold tube is so pretty and you can tell it’s a luxury item. This is a beautiful “bright purple plum” shade and my grandma can really pull off purple lipsticks. It’s definitely very pigmented and has a satin finish.

A full-coverage, vitamin C and E-infused lipstick that plumps lips, supports natural collagen, and smooths the look of lines and wrinkles.

L’Occitane Hand Cream in Cherry Blossom

I almost wrote “Cheryl Blossom” there lol (character from Riverdale). Anyone else ready for shows to start up again? I thought this one smelled nice. I don’t personally like hand creams that are scented, but I don’t mind sniffing them. My grandma loves the L’Occitane Hand Creams. For Christmas one time, we bought her the Roses et Reines (roses), Pivoine Flora (peonies) and Arlésienne Velvet (rose, violet & saffron).

A collection of luxurious hand creams to help nourish and protect hands.

For the things I got for myself, it’s the first time buying all four products. I’ve tried other Clinique Acne Solutions products, but not this one. I was going to pick up the Benefit Gimme Brow, but I realized that the Dior brow gel is actually cheaper (it’s $2 more, but there’s just a little bit more in the tube) and I mean, it’s Dior. Who doesn’t want to own a Dior product and have that signature CD emblem?

Waso Quick Matte Oil-Free Moisturizer

Waso is a new brand by Shiseido that’s geared towards Millennials. Similar to the Dior Backstage line, it’s a ‘more affordable’ line from Shiseido. I originally bought this for my mom because she’s looking for a new moisturizer. She decided to go with the Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Day Emulsion Broad Spectrum SPF18 which we will pick up on Sept 5th at Hudson’s Bay when they have the Shiseido gift with purchase. I decided to keep the Waso moisturizer for myself.

An oil-free, oil-balancing gel emulsion to mattify and balance skin with 24-hour hydration. This formula smooths and hydrates skin with a shine-reducing, sebum-absorbing powder to maintain a matte look. The dewy texture feels refreshing and leaves skin feeling smooth, hydrated, and less shiny.

Tarte Maracuja Oil

I’ve tested the Maracuja Oil on my hand and I was amazed at how smooth my hand felt.

A vegan face oil for a healthy-looking, radiant complexion with no greasy feel.

Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel

I’ve used the Acne Solutions Cleansing Foam and Cleansing Gel and both worked well for me, but they are kind of pricey. Right now, I’m using a Neutrogena one since it’s a lot cheaper. I prefer to splurge on spot treatments and buy drugstore acne cleansers.

A daily treatment gel for acne-clearing results equal to a leading topical prescription.

Diorshow Bold Brow in 002 Dark

It’d be nice if they had more shades. They only have 3: Light, Medium or Dark. Luckily, I can use dark, but I wouldn’t mind if it was a little darker.

A brow mascara to achieve lush, full, and groomed brows immediately.

That’s all I got in the Sephora Haul. I’ll write a post for my Tarte Haul once my order comes in and write reviews on these products once I’ve tested them out.

Have you tried any of these products? What did you pick up from the Sephora Sale?

Love,

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Topbox | July 2016

July 26, 2016
Hi Everyone!

I got my first Topbox in the mail and enough time has passed that everyone should have received theirs, so I wouldn’t be ruining what’s inside for anyone. Topbox sends a spoiler alert email anyway saying what’s inside the box, but since Canada Post was possibly going on strike and the delivery of the boxes may have been delayed, Topbox was sweet enough to include a bonus item as a thank you for waiting. I must say, the container that the makeup comes in is so cute. I even like the pattern. As soon as I opened the box, I could smell the hand cream’s scent.

The contents of July’s box were:
- The Face Shop Character Face mask (Pig-moisturizing)
- Be Delectable Ultra Nourishing Hand Cream (coconut and cream)
- Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara
- Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo (Sea Buckthorn Berry- Obliphica)
- Starlooks Gem Pencil Eyeliner (GP5B- Ultra Turquoise)
I’ve used TheFaceShop’s character face masks (pig- moisturizing) before, so that one wasn’t a big deal for me. They’re moisturizing and my face feels soft after using them.

The hand cream has shea butter, coconut oil and aloe vera. I’ve used shea butter hand cream before and I find that it smells really nice in the bottle, but once I use it, it smells different. Maybe because my body oils and chemicals are changing the smell, or it’s just how it smells once it’s outside of the bottle, but either way, it always smells nicer in the bottle.

I’ve heard of the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, but I never pay more than $15 for mascara because I would prefer to have multiple mascaras for different uses (lengthening, volumizing, etc.) than only have one mascara. Since I usually stick to drug store brand mascaras like Maybelline and L’Oreal, this mascara was a treat for me, even if it is a travel size one. I compared it with another mascara I have (right now, I actually have about 6 mascaras and most of them were free- I got them from Sephora promos and Beauty Insider points). I believe I used Make Up For Ever’s Smoky Extravagant mascara on one eye and the Better Than Sex Mascara on the other. What a difference! I liked the Too Faced Mascara much better because 1) it didn’t look clumpy 2) my lashes felt super soft 3) When I used my finger to feel the lashes, no mascara came off on my finger (it did for the Make Up For Ever mascara). I probably wouldn’t splurge on the Too Faced mascara, but I definitely see why people love it.

This was my first time trying dry shampoo, so I read up on how to use it. I absolutely love the smell of the shampoo and the little can it came in is adorable. It’s great for travelling and you want to freshen up a bit after a long drive or something. Given the normal price tag, I would never buy it, but, similar to the Too Faced mascara, I see why it’s popular.

I got a bonus eyeliner in ultra turquoise. It has a bit of sparkle to it. It’s really pretty on and great for a night out. It’s not waterproof, so the colour smudges easily, but the sparkles stay on your skin. I was cleaning the swatch off my hand and the colour smudged off easily, but the sparkles went all over my hand where I had rubbed it off. There’s still a few sparkles that I missed with the soap on my wrist right now.

I can’t wait to see what’s in next month’s box!

What beauty subscription boxes have you tried?

Love,

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