Empties #4: October 2013

     If you don't know what an empties post is, I go over all the products I've completely used up recently and tell you what I think about them! This is beneficial because I've obviously used the product enough to form a REAL opinion. I've made 3 distinctions between products and put them underneath each one (this way it's kind of like a summary or if I get too wordy in my description you can quickly see what's really going on). "I'll Never Dessert You" for products I absolutely adore and will be repurchasing; "Decent, but no Delight" for products I really enjoyed, but have found/think I will find something just a little better/cheaper; "Rest in Pastry" for products I ended up hating.
1.  Clear Scalp and Hair Beauty Therapy Nourishing Shampoo in Voluminizing Root Boost      This was my first purchase from the Clear line (along with the conditioner) and I really enjoyed it. Who knew I really was *Heidi Klum voice* "starting at the wrong end of hair"?   Normally, the longer I use a shampoo my hair doesn't respond as nicely to it as it did in the beginning but this just got better with time!  It made my hair silky, healthy, full, and shiny.  I've heard mixed reviews about some of the other products from the line, but the voluminizing one is amazing!

2. Biosilk Silk Therapy Shampoo      I've had this shampoo for far too long.  I used to love Biosilk Silk Therapy and thought that the shampoo and conditioner must be just as good - they're not.  They're expensive but actually wrecked my hair for awhile.  I stopped using them and when my hair was back in shape I decided this would serve as a great clarifying shampoo.  It deep cleans and strips your hair THAT much.  As for the conditioner - well, I use it as a shave cream now.

3. Bastiste Dry Shampoo in Blush      Another Bastiste!  I'm thinking this is going to be a recurring trend in my Empties Posts.  Unlike the one for brown hair from my last Empties post, the one in the Blush scent is my favorite so far.  The formula and the smell is amazing.  It smells like a very light, clean, florally/fruity perfume.  Can't get enough of it.

4. Grassroots Pomegranate Super Anti-Oxidant Cream (with Himalayan Goji Berry)      In the past few years I've found that my skin responds AMAZINGLY to anti-oxidant moisturizers. They really help heal my acne and smooth the texture of my skin.  This one was around $35 but it lasted me a really long time.  I used it whenever I needed a little boost of moisture in addition to my regular moisturizer.  This is a great moisturizer, but I think I will forever be on the hunt for different anti-oxidant products.

5. Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Silky Beige      I've used this powder for years!  It's now becoming pretty big in the beauty bloggin' world because  it really is the best at controlling oil and it's only around 4-5 bucks.  If you use it lightly, you can't go wrong.

6. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Travel Size (original formula)      After using this primer in the Eden version (thicker and colored like a concealer) I went back to this since I had a travel size and I found that this one was good for days when I wasn't doing a very complicated or dark eye look or if my eye area was a little dry.  The Eden version is more long wearing on my oily skin and the added pigmentation covers any discoloration on your eye lids - but the original version is great for the winter.  My eye area can get dry in the winter and this is almost slightly moisturizing compared to the Eden version.

7. Clinique High Impact Mascara      I normally don't love too many of Clinique's mascaras, but I found that this one was amazing once it dried out a little.  It made the formula VERY volume-building but it still wasn't clumpy.  I think the best part was that while it didn't flake or smear during wear, it still came off super easy when removing make up at the end of the day.  If you're someone who is always trying to find a good voluminizing mascara that isn't clumpy, then you know that ease of removing is practically non-existent with those kinds of mascara. Loved it!

8. Essie Grow Stronger Base Coat      This has been my Holy Grail base coat for a couple years now.  This is the second one that I have gone through and I was sad to see it hit the bottom.  My nails grow quickly as is, but this base coat makes them less prone to chipping and grow a little quicker.  I think it's also amazing at helping whatever polish you put on top stay on longer.  I'm going to miss it while I try to use up the other base coats I have.

     Quite a bit of these were favorites of mine (just a few hates).  I always like using up products because it shows that I actually use certain things a lot and that they're worth the money.  Then I realize sometimes there is a lot that I want to go repurchase and my wallet kind of cries a little.  As a beauty blogger, I usually have a lot of things that I need to use up before going to buy new stuff so I'm thinking I may do a "no purchase month".  No-Buy November sound good?  Let me know if you know what that is or if you have ever done one! Expect a post on it soon.

Like Empties Posts? Empties #1 June 2013 Empties #2 August 2013 Empties #3 September 2013 Empties#4 October 2013

Empties #3: September 2013

     If you don't know what an empties post is, I go over all the products I've completely used up recently and tell you what I think about them! This is beneficial because I've obviously used the product enough to form a REAL opinion. I've made 3 distinctions between products and put them underneath each one (this way it's kind of like a summary or if I get too wordy in my description you can quickly see what's really going on). "I'll Never Dessert You" for products I absolutely adore and will be repurchasing; "Decent, but no Delight" for products I really enjoyed, but have found/think I will find something just a little better/cheaper; "Rest in Pastry" for products I ended up hating.
1. Batiste Dry Shampoo in Dark & Deep Brown      I love Batiste and thought it would be wonderful to not have to worry about the "powdery" look dry shampoos can leave. This has a tint so that you don't get that white-cast. Too bad it changes the formula. I find that it leaves my hair overly dry and feeling a little sticky - by sticky I mean my hair kind of clumps together instead of flowing smoothly. I used it, but it wasn't quite up to par as the original.

2. Organix Moroccan Argan Creme Sheer Opulence Masque      The smell of this mask is probably my favorite thing about it; smells great.  I do feel like it was a mask that my hair absorbed rather that just coating the outside of the hair, which is great, but it wasn't the most amazing mask I've ever tried - I've got a review coming soon of a good drugstore mask!

3. L'oreal EverStrong Overnight Hair Repair Treatment       I really love a lot of the products from the L'oreal Ever___ line, but this isn't one I was very impressed with. Granted, I have long hair, but I only got 2 uses out of this product.  I feel like leaving any regular hair mask on damp hair would work better than this formula on dry hair.  The directions say to apply generously to dry hair, but it dries stiff overnight and didn't do as much as an actual conditioner does when used this way.

4. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser      This has been my morning cleanser for over a year now - love it!  It cleans the skin very gently while adding moisture and a balanced pH.  I have oily skin and have found that this actually helps calm my skin and prevent it from creating so much oil.

5. Neutrogena Pore Refining Toner      I enjoyed using this toner for days when I just wanted the fresh feel a toner provides without any of the harshness or drying problems that tend to come with them.  It tightens the pores and refines the skin without drying or irritating.

6. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion Travel Size      All-time love.  I've never found anything that my skin loves as much as this moisturizer.

7. Olay Body Butter Ribbons Body Wash Plus with Jojoba butter      Really good body wash for adding moisture to the skin, lovely scent, but I think my skin didn't like the KIND of moisture that was being added the longer I used it.  It felt great at first, but towards the end of the bottle my skin was sometimes itchy and odd feeling. Might just be my reaction; not sure what happened there.

8. Bath & Body Works Intense Moisture Body Butter in Be Enchanted      Body butter is always my top pick in lotion from B&BW, but this scent is great.  It's floral-y (which I normally am not a fan of) but it has pomegranate and still smells fresh in a way. But please tell me why I can't get the body butter in the fall fragrances?

9. Maybelline Dream Matte Powder      Great finely milled powder from the drugstore - impossible to look cakey. I've raved about it before, but find that while it's great for blotting because it's so light, it makes me oily a little faster than most setting powders.

10. Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Deluxe Sample Size      Loved this mascara. You have to check out my Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara Review to really understand - I'll just babble if I begin to explain again.

If you have any requests for upcoming fall posts, let me know! Obviously going fall crazy over here!


Like Empties Posts? Empties #1 June 2013 Empties #2 August 2013 Empties #3 September 2013 Empties#4 October 2013

Empties #2: August 2013

     If you don't know what an empties post is, I go over all the products I've completely used up recently and tell you what I think about them! This is beneficial because I've obviously used the product enough to form a REAL opinion. I've made 3 distinctions between products and put them underneath each  (this way it's kind of like a summary or if I get too wordy in my description you can quickly see what's really going on). "I'll Never Dessert You" for products I absolutely adore and will be repurchasing; "Decent, but no Delight" for products I really enjoyed, but have found or think I will find something just a little better/cheaper; "Rest in Pastry" for products I ended up hating.
1. L'oreal EverCreme Nourishing Leave-in Spray If you open the bottle, you will see a creamy and thick moisturizer. In a spray bottle. Yeah, this crazy-creamy leave-in still sprays out of the nozzle. I have no idea how. It doesn't weigh my hair down and actually feels as though it is actually nourishing. Love this stuff and I've repurchased it a couple times.

2. Dove Nourishing Oil Care Shampoo I loved this shampoo as soon as I lathered it on my head. It makes your hair feel so healthy; I noticed less frizziness and split ends within a few washes. I also definitely recommend the deep treatment from this line to go with it. I've started using more cleansing conditioners, but this was definitely a shampoo that I enjoyed.

3. Garnier Fructis Fortifying Pure Clean Shampoo I wasn't sure what to expect from this shampoo when I first picked it up. It claims to be a very natural line - and it doesn't contain parabens or any of that nasty stuff, but it does contain sulfates (what makes the lather in soaps). While this is too stripping and drying for regular use, it is perfect for a clarifying shampoo to use every so often to really deep clean the hair. It's cheaper than the clarifying shampoo I was using before and it smells great (not like dish detergent as some clarifying shampoos do)!

4. L'oreal Magic Lumi Light Infusing Primer This took me awhile to love, but once I did I really loved it! You can use it as a primer before makeup, but I found that I liked to mix it with my foundation. Especially during the winter months it was wonderful to mix with my Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet + Foundation (which is a drier, oil-controlling foundation) because it took away some of the dryness and make it look natural but didn't take away the long-lasting and oil control of the foundation (or the coverage)! I know some other affordable brands have come out with similar products, and I'm interested to try them.

5. L'oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara
This is my Holy Grail mascara. End of story. It lengthens and gives volume and drama. Perfection I will repurchase forever. 

6. C.O. Bigelow Vanilla Cola Mentha Lip Shine I've been using the Mentha line of lip shines from Bath & Body Works for a long time because I find it's an incredible product - and I'm not a lip gloss girl! After getting out of the shower when the steam has opened my pores and moisturized my skin I like to slather this on because I find that it locks the moisture in and smooths my lips. Better than any balm, chapstick, etc. Can't live without this!

7. Maybelline Define-A-Brow in Dark Blonde I love strong brows but I hate for them to look "penciled in". This pencil is so thin and sharp that I could mimic hairs with the waxy formula that not only fills, but holds eyebrow hairs in place. The staying power was also quite incredible, I could go swimming and my brows would still look decent. My complaint about this product is that it has a comb on the end instead of a brush that would help blend a little more.

8. Jergen's Natural Glow Foaming Daily Moisturizer I've used Jergen's for years and loved this product for how quickly you can put it on and blend it in; it dries almost immediately! While I like how easy and quick it is, I didn't get the kind of color I became used to after using the Express version of Jergen's. 

9. Aerie Botanicals Smoothing Body Scrub in Coconut + Vanilla Bean Did anyone know the American Eagle intimate store, Aerie, had body care? They did for a short amount of time! I don't know why they stopped carrying all of their body products because this is one of my favorite scrubs I have ever come across. It's very thick and very gritty while still giving some moisture to the skin and smells like heaven!

 

(if I could find you)

10. Crest 3D White Glamorous White Multi-Care Whitening Rinse This is my favorite mouth wash that I mentioned in my Cheap Teeth Whitening At Home post. I don't know what I would do without this product; brushing my teeth doesn't feel right without it!

               Wishing you a beautiful day from a girl posting about a box full of trash, 

Like Empties Posts? Empties #1 June 2013 Empties #2 August 2013 Empties #3 September 2013 Empties#4 October 2013

Empties #1: June 2013

My first Empties post! If you don't know what an empties post is, I go over all the products I've completely used up recently and tell you what I think about them! This is beneficial because I've obviously used the product enough to form a REAL opinion. I've made 3 distinctions between products and put them underneath each product (this way it's kind of like a summary or if I get too wordy in my description you can quickly see what's really going on).


1. Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin scent from Bath and Body works
I STOCKED up on this scent last fall because I love it so much. Then, my friends and family bought me even more for my birthday. Now, I find myself still smelling like pumpkin in the summer!

• Anti-Bacterial Gentle Foaming Hand Soap : I'm sure we've all used  this somewhere, great hand soap in my favorite scent.
• Shea Enriched Shower Gel : I love their shower gels; packed with smelly-goodness.
• Triple Moisture Body Cream : you already know, the best all around lotion.
• Creamy Body Scrub : THIS-- this is the gem. I had never used Bath and Body Works' Scrubs before, but I fell in love in the fall. Its really thick and gritty so it exfoliates wonderfully, but it's so creamy it leaves your skin moisturized at the same time. I think I went back and bought 7 in the fall scents all together. Oops.

2. Suave Professionals Keratin Infusion Dry Shampoo
I've repurchased this a couple times in the past just because of the accessibility and price. You can get it at Walmart for about 2 bucks. But, honestly it's not the best. It will freshen your 'do but then in about an hour it feels gross; almost worse than if you hadn't used any. But after tracking down Batiste dry shampoo, I don't think I'll be looking back.

3. L'oreal EverCreme Sulfate-free Cleansing Conditioner
Love this! I've recently got my hair used to not being washed as much (it was a intense battle; comment if you'd like a post) and this is perfect! It's exactly what it says it is. It cleanses without stripping, drying, or damaging. My hair is healthier than it has been in years. I've never tried Wen before but I think this would serve as a good drugstore dupe.

4. John Frieda Sheer Blonde Go Blonder Lightening Spray
I ombre'd my hair at the beginning of the summer and picked this up to help the blonde tips stay true. I didn't see drastic results -don't expect to change light brown hair to platinum with something like this- but I did see results. It made the blonde less brassy and brighter. Impressive.

5. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion
This has been my holy grail moisturizer for years. I can never find anything to replace it. I've been using up all the sample-sizes I've accumulated as I wait for the release of the new + version that is to come out!

6. E.l.f. Zit Zapper
Great acne treatment that I reviewed in my Top Ten Elf Products post.

7. Maybelline Master Precise Eyeliner in black
I adored the felt tip on this baby. Super skinny. When I purchased this, there weren't any applicator tips this precise in the drugstore. I really loved how sharp and thin I could get my liner. The only problem I had is that I found the formula to be drier, which can create longevity to the wear, but in this case it caused flaking on me.

8. Maybelline Dream Lumi Concealer in Radiant
I used this thing to death. I liked that the radiant was slightly pink and added a pretty highlighting effect. But the more consistently I used it underneath my eyes I found that it was a little to dry for that area everyday. Worked perfectly for the other planes of my face, though!

9. Jergen's Natural Glow Express for medium to tan skin tones
Finally used up what I had left of this; this has been my favorite self-tanner for a few years. It's quicker than the normal Natural Glow, but doesn't add as much color as most tanners do. I have yet to try the new version of this (it's called 3-day something) I will probably switch to it when the cooler months come and I don't need much bronzing.

Like Empties Posts? Empties #1 June 2013 Empties #2 August 2013 Empties #3 September 2013 Empties#4 October 2013