• skincare hair empties

    May-June-July 2021 Product Empties

    July 30, 2021

    Hi Everyone!

    I haven’t finished many products over the past few months, so I combined three months’ worth of empties. I haven’t really touched my makeup in a long time, so I only have body, skin and hair care empties.

    Rael Miracle Acne Patches (read my review) – I love these and I will continue to buy them. I like that there are only 2 sizes of patches and the plastic they’re attached to is perforated so it’s easy to peel them off nicely.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    Skinceuticals Phlorectin CF* – I didn’t like the smell of this one (it smells like brown sugar or coffee?). It made my face feel tacky the whole day and I didn’t notice a huge difference in my skin either. Even if this was a more reasonable price (it’s $190 CAD for 30 mL), I wouldn’t purchase because of the scent.

    Repurchase? No.

    Neogen Pore Tight Aqua Mask – I don’t really use sheet masks anymore. I’d prefer to just use moisturizers, serums or sleeping masks. This mask didn’t really align with my face well. The eye holes were really high up, so part of my forehead wasn’t covered and a lot of the sheet mask was under my chin. It doesn’t have a scent, but for some reason, it gave me a headache. It dries down tacky which I didn’t like.

    Repurchase? No.

    Cerave Moisturizing Cream – I like this cream. It keeps my skin moisturized throughout the day.

    Repurchase? Yes

    Dove Cool Moisture Shampoo – I like cucumber-scented shampoos. They’re refreshing.

    Repurchase? Yes

    Dove Nourishing Rituals Energize Shampoo – I like the refreshing scent of the grapefruit and lemongrass.

    Repurchase? Yes.

    Australian Bodycare Intim Shave Gel* – I didn’t really notice if this helped with ingrowns or any redness/razor bumps.

    Repurchase? No.

    Pixi Glycolic Body Wash* – I was using this on my legs mostly. I am prone to ingrown hairs, so I think the exfoliating qualities of the body wash were helping my legs.

    Repurchase? Maybe.

    What products have you finished lately?

    Love,

    Products marked with * were sent to me.

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  • July 2020 Product Empties

    July 2020 Product Empties

    July 31, 2020

    Hi Everyone!

    I don’t have too many empties this month. I think most of my products are fairly new so my product empties posts will only have a few items every month.

    Smashbox Photo  Finish Primerizer  – I started using this as a moisturizer since I have quite a few primers and I know it keeps me moisturized. My skin was having a reaction and this was the only product I had that wasn’t new.

    Repurchase? Absolutely! (Note: the travel size is more cost effective than the glass bottle)

    Kiehls Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash – This cleanser is meant for normal to oily skin. I have dry skin so it’s not really geared towards my skin type. I really wanted to try it though. It didn’t make my skin feel overly dry either. I purchased the 500mL bottle which was expensive for a cleanser, but it lasted a year. I used one pump every day during my nighttime skincare routine and it lasted more than a year.

    Repurchase? No, but I would try something for dry skin from Kiehls.

    Nanacoco Cleansing Oil* – This was a good cleansing oil. It had a floral fragrance to it which I didn’t mind. However, I would prefer a cleansing oil without a fragrance since I have sensitive skin.

    Repurchase? No.

    Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel – This acne gel works great as a spot treatment. It will help dry up a pimple that has a whitehead. It won’t be immediate, but if you use it for a couple days, you should see your blemish go down. This little bottle lasted a long time since I only used it as a spot treatment. 

    Repurchase? Probably not.

    What did you finish this month?

    Love,

    Products marked with (*) were sent to me for review.

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  • touch in sol no poreblem primer

    July/August 2019 Faves

    August 28, 2019

    Hi Everyone!

    Bare Minerals Gen Nude Powder Blush in That Peach Tho – This is a beautiful peachy blush. I would definitely pick up other shades from this collection! I also really want to try Bare Minerals’ new Bounce & Blur Blush.

    Perricone MD No Lip Gloss Lip Gloss* – This is a beautiful lip gloss that has a very subtle tint. It’s not too sticky and it has a nice scent.

    Touch In Sol No Poreblem Primer – I’m late to the party on this one. This is a great primer and the price is even better! It makes my face look like it has a filter. Some people might be concerned about it clogging pores, I think it’s fine if you use it in moderation – Don’t use it every day so your skin can breathe.

    Cinema Secrets Makeup Brush Cleaner – As it says on the bottle, it’s a quick drying, rinse-free formula. I’ve previously tried the Sephora one which works well. I bought the Sephora one years ago and it smelled really nice and then I repurchased it and they had changed the formula or scent since then. I can’t describe the smell, but it kind of burns if you accidentally inhale it. This Cinema Secrets one smells like vanilla and Tati recently mentioned it as a fave in her “Sephora ‘VIB Sale’ Top Picks” videos.

    Eczema Honey Nut-Free Skin-Soothing Cream* (read my review) – This cream is great. I had an itchy spot and I put some cream on it and it instantly soothed it. I keep mine in the fridge so it keeps longer (but you don’t have to refrigerate) and it also gives the cream a cooling effect on the skin.

    Colourpop Brow Boss Gel in Clear – This quickly became a favourite brow gel. It’s clear, but it doesn’t leave your brows looking shiny.

    Love,

    Products marked with * were gifted to me.

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  • July 2018 Product Empties

    August 1, 2018

    Hi Everyone!

    There were quite a few products this month that I finished that I will not be repurchasing. I decluttered a bit of makeup while doing my mid-year makeup inventory (read the first post of my makeup inventory). Keep reading to find out which ones!

    Live Clean Apple Cider Clarifying Shampoo – I won this in a giveaway and I got 5 shampoos and 5 conditioners. I tried all 10 by using about 1/3 of each shampoo before switching to see which one I liked the best. This one made my hair feel clean and look shiny, but it was my least favourite scent of the 5 shampoos. Since it’s apple cider, it smelled like apple juice to me.

    Repurchase? Not this particular shampoo, but I would purchase others from Live Clean.

    Live Clean Exotic Nectar Argan Oil Restorative Conditioner – After trying each of the shampoos with their matching conditioners, I would switch back and forth between using the Apple Cider Ultra Light conditioner and this one. Since the Apple Cider one is very light, it didn’t make my hair as soft as this conditioner.

    Repurchase? Not this particular conditioner, but I would purchase others from Live Clean.

    Bioderma Hydrabio Gel-Cream – This cream was okay. Nothing special for me.

    Repurchase? No.

    Purlisse Blue Lotus 4-in-1 Eye Adore Serum – Sorry, Purlisse, I did not ADORE this serum. My under eye area always felt tacky.

    Repurchase? No.

    The Face Shop Smart Peeling Mild Papaya – I liked this when I first got it, but now there are so many other peeling gels out there. Since this one is goopy, I’d rather pick up the Soo’Ae peeling gel (read my review).

    Repurchase? No.

    Glow Recipe Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser – I like this cleanser and it removes makeup too!

    Repurchase? Yes.

    Tarte Deep Dive Cleansing Gel Rainforest of the Sea – It cleansed okay, but it’s a bit pricey for the size.

    Repurchase? No.

    The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Targeted Gel Blemish Stick (read my review) – As you may know, I love the tea tree oil line from The Body Shop. This is a good spot treatment, but since you’re treating blemishes, I feel like it’s a bit unsanitary to stick it back in after applying to my pimple. I want to try something else for a spot treatment; maybe I’ll try the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion (I’ve tried the Kate Somerville EradiKate and one that’s similar from the Face Shop).

    Repurchase? If it’s on sale, maybe. I prefer other products from the Tea Tree Oil line even though this one does work pretty well.

    Garnier SkinActive Micellar All-in-One Cleansing Water – Surprisingly, this took a long time to finish. It’s probably because I started using makeup wipes. I should probably start using micellar water more because it’s gentler.

    Repurchase? Absolutely! I love Micellar Water for removing makeup.

    Simple Eye Make-Up Remover Pads – My mom picked these up at Walmart because they were on sale. They removed makeup well, they were basically cotton rounds soaked in makeup remover.

    Repurchase? No. I don’t feel like they did any better at removing my makeup than regular makeup wipes.

    Urban Decay Perversion Mascara – This was a good mascara, but not my fave. It did darken my lashes though.

    Repurchase? Probably not.

    NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Black – I love this brow pencil. It gives me natural, but not too harsh brows (even with the black shade).

    Repurchase? Already have!

    NYX Makeup Setting Spray (Matte) – This setting spray is okay; sometimes it made my face feel tight and occasionally, I would (accidentally) get it into my eye and my eyes would water. I plan to pick up the Mac Fix + in its place.

    Repurchase? Probably not.

    Here are the products I decluttered:

    Coastal Scents Lipstick in 2 – The shade I got was a bright purpley-pink which I didn’t love. It sunk into the lines in my lips.

    Repurchase? No. Unfortunately, living in Canada, I get charged for duties when ordering from Coastal Scents, so I’d rather get a $10 lipstick instead of a $4 USD lipstick where I’ll get charged for duties.

    Tarte Tarteist Creamy Matte Lip Paint in Birthday Suit – I got this in the Sephora Birthday gift last year. I didn’t start using it til a few months after my birthday, but I think it’s time to retire it because it’s drying out. I really liked this. The formula wasn’t too drying and it looked pretty with a lip gloss on top too.

    Repurchase? I would consider buying a full-sized lip paint, but I know there are a lot of liquid lipsticks from the drugstore that are cult favourites. I would prefer to pay more for a bullet lipstick since those have a longer shelf life.

    MAC Cremesheen Lipstick in Créme Cup – I love MAC lipsticks and this is a beautiful lipstick shade, but it was too light for me. I prefer the more nude/mauve/brown shades instead of the pink ones on my skin tone.

    Repurchase? Not in this shade.

    MAC Fluidline Pen in Retro Black – I bought this at the MAC Warehouse Sale (check out my haul) because I’ve only used drugstore liquid liners, so I thought I’d give it a try since it was on sale. I am terrible at doing wings and I don’t line my lids with liquid liner that often. I prefer using kohl liner and smoking it out. I think I will stick to drugstore brands. I know Kat Von D’s Tattoo liner is a cult fave, but I don’t use it enough to want to splurge on it.

    Repurchase? They no longer sell it in Retro Black, but if they did, I don’t think I would repurchase.

    Estée Lauder Sumptuous Knockout Defining Lift and Fan Mascara in Black – I didn’t like the brush; the bristles were hard and short.

    Repurchase? No. If I bought high-end mascaras, this would not be on my list of mascaras I want to repurchase.

    L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara in Black – I just don’t like the hourglass shape of the Lash Paradise mascara.

    Repurchase? No, I prefer other drugstore mascaras.

    Wet N Wild Photo Focus Foundation in Buff Bisque – This foundation had a spatula that dips into the foundation bottle instead of a pump. I didn’t like this because it’s much easier for bacteria to get in. Especially if you apply the foundation from the spatula directly onto your face. I decided to declutter this because 1) the shade I got was too orange and I don’t think mixing it with anything would help 2) I haven’t been reaching for it when I’m deciding which foundation to use 3) it smells more like chemicals than other foundations 4) I mostly bought it jut to see if the hype was worth it and since it was under $15 and Wet N Wild was disappearing from the shelves of my drugstores (for some reason), I decided to grab it.

    Repurchase? No.

    The Estée Edit Flash Illuminator in Spotlight – This illuminates your skin like MAC Strobe Cream, but it’s not liquidy like the strobe cream, it’s goopy. I never really gave it a good try because I didn’t like the consistency (it reminded me of silly string where it pumped out in a long string). I mixed it once or twice with my foundation which looked pretty good, but it had to be a thicker foundation formula so it wouldn’t get clumps of the cream.

    Repurchase? The Estée Edit line has been discontinued, but if it were still on sale, I wouldn’t repurchase. I prefer the MAC Strobe Cream.

    Love,

    jen

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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,

    Save

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