Spring Empties - 2019

Hello, everyone!  How has your week been so far?

These are all the products (not included in my Project Empty Challenge) that I was able to use up during the Spring.  It's all skincare because that's pretty much all I've been using lately.

Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion
I really like this lotion.  It doesn't feel greasy and it keeps my skin feeling soft all day.

Noxema Classic Clean Original Deep Cleansing Cream
I use this all the time and I repurchase it constantly.

First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads
I don't notice a big difference in my skin when I use these.  I do like that they're super easy to use though.

St. Ives Blackhead Clearing Scrub
I like this drugstore face scrub.  I do prefer the Dr. Brandt one more, but it's crazy expensive.

Dr. Lili Fan Probiotic Eye Repair Cream
This kept my under eye area soft and hydrated.  It also smells nice which is always a plus.
 

That's everything I used up!  Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a great weekend!

Summer Empties - 2018

Hello, everyone!  How has your week been so far?

Here are all of the products that I used up (that aren't part of my annual Project Empty Challenge) during the summer.  I actually have quite a few products this time around!  I feel like seasonal empties are definitely better for me than monthly empties.  I hate publishing a post with only 3 or 4 products.

Sephora Collection Pencil Eyeliner in Black
This was okay.  It faded from my waterline after a couple of hours but it didn't bleed or smudge.

Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask
I rarely use conditioner, but I decided to try this out since I've heard a lot of good reviews about this brand.  This made my hair feel soft and smooth.  I don't know if I'd purchase a full size of this though.  I've been using coconut oil for years and it does the same thing for my hair.

L'Oreal Revitalift Cicacream
This didn't do much for me.  (To be fair, I really don't have many fine lines or wrinkles that concern me.)  My skin did feel quite moisturized with this though.

Sunday Riley Martian Gel Toner
There was only enough product in this sample for one use, so I can't say how well this works over a period of time.  What I can say is this product has a strong and...unique smell.  I guess you could call it an "earthy" scent.  Whatever it is, I'm not a fan.  lol

Delectable Ultra Nourishing Hand Cream in Sweet Mint and Cream
This is a thick hand cream, but it sinks into the skin nicely.  My hands always felt incredibly soft after using this.  The scent is pretty strong, but I enjoyed it.

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask
This was nice.  It made my skin soft and hydrated.  I'll probably go pick up the full size of this soon!

Marc Anthony Nourishing Argan Oil Conditioning Treatment
This was okay.  It didn't make my hair feel as nice as the Briogeo hair mask, but it still did its job.

Skin & Co. Whipped Cleansing Cream
I will not purchase a full size of this.  It worked alright as a cleanser, but it was really thick and I didn't feel like it was giving my skin a deep cleanse.  I also hated the smell of it.  I'm pretty sure it's the truffle scent, but I do not like it at all.

Bare Minerals Blemish Remedy Mattifying Prep Gel mini
This would work great for people with oily skin.  My skin is normal with a few dry patches, so it didn't fit my needs.

Mario Badescu Hyaluronic Eye Cream
I like this eye cream.  My eye area looked hydrated and smooth after using this.  This is the first eye cream I've used that actually made my eye area look radiant and moisturized.  I'll definitely be picking up the full size of this soon!

That's everything I used up these past few months!  Who's excited for Fall makeup looks?!  What are your Autumn must haves?  I love a good berry toned or deep red lip during this time of year.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you have an amazing weekend!

Spring Empties - 2018

Hello, everyone! I know I've been MIA for the past month, but I've been feeling quite unmotivated for a while now.  For some reason, makeup just isn't as enjoyable as it used to be for me.  Does anybody else have these feelings too?  Sometimes I'm an addict for all things beauty, and then other times it just all seems so unnecessary.  I'm currently in one of those ruts, but no worries because I know I'll bounce out of it again soon!  :)

Anyway, I wanted to show you all of the products I used up during the spring (that are not a part of my Project Empty challenge this year) as well as share my thoughts on them.  I don't have a whole lot of products since I haven't really been into wearing makeup lately, but here's what I do have:

Noxema Classic Clean Original Deep Cleansing Cream
I've been using this product on and off for many years.  I really like the cooling, tingling sensation and that it deep cleans without my face feeling dry after.

Philosophy Take A Deep Breath Eye Cream
I don't think these little sample sizes are enough product to determine whether or not they actually work for me.  I never see any difference after using one of these small sample sizes.  This one felt nice, but again, I didn't notice much of a difference after using it.

Sea Breeze Astringent
I'm no longer going to be using this toner.  I never realized that this had so much alcohol in it and it was severely drying out my skin.

Dr. Brandt Needles No More
I don't really have any wrinkles, so I don't know if this works well or not.  It didn't disrupt my makeup when I wore it though.
 

That's everything I used up these past few months.  What have you used up recently that you enjoyed?

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you have a great weekend!

Winter Empties - 2018

Hello, everybody!  How has your week been so far?

This year I've decided to do seasonal "empties" posts rather than monthly posts.  I usually don't go through many products, so my monthly posts contained about 3 products in each.  I figured seasonal empties would work better for me as they would have more products so they wouldn't seem like a "waste of time".  (Hopefully that makes sense.)  Anyway, here are the products that I used up through the Winter that aren't a part of my Project Empty challenge.

SpaLife Pore Clarifying Activated Charcoal Facial Mask
I really liked this mask!  My face felt so soft and smooth afterward.  I would purchase this again.

Vaseline Intensive Care Essential Healing Body Lotion
I won't be repurchasing this body lotion anymore.  I've used this constantly over the past couple of years, but I decided recently to try something new.  This feels hydrating for a while, but it doesn't last.  Within a few hours my skin would feel and look dry again.  I started using a body lotion from Aveeno and my skin has never felt better.

Urban Dollkiss Face Mask
This mask was very hydrating!  My skin looked incredibly radiant and youthful afterward.  I would absolutely purchase this again.

Pixi Beauty Glow Tonic
I really liked this.  I think I'm going to switch from my current toner (Sea Breeze) to this one.  My skin felt so nice after using this.  I didn't pay attention to the ingredients in the Sea Breeze toner, and I was wondering why my face was becoming so dry and flaky.  It turns out that alcohol denat. is the second ingredient, and that's why my face has been drying out.  This toner make my skin feel hydrated and soft and didn't dry me out.

Hey Honey Open Your Eyes Eye Contour Lifting Fluid
I didn't notice any tightening or lifting of the eye area after using this.  It felt nice under my eyes and didn't irritate me in any way, but I don't think I'll purchase a full size of this.

Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm in Natural Mint
There's a bit left in the end of the tube, but it's so hard to get it out without cutting the tube in half.  Honestly, I may just end up cutting it because I really like this lip balm.  I enjoy the minty flavor and it actually made my lips feel softer and hydrated.  I use a ton of lip balm, and this one is definitely one of my favorites (that I've tried so far).

Those are all of the products that I used up recently.  Have you tried any of these products?  What are your thoughts on them?

I hope this was in some way helpful.  Thanks for stopping by!

Beauty Product Empties - December 2017

Hello, everybody!  How was your New Year's Eve?  David and I celebrated by spending the evening with his siblings playing card games and trying some homemade cocktails.

Today's post is my last monthly empties for last year.  My Project Empty Challenge results for last year will be in the next post, and my PEC for this year will be up on Monday, so stay tuned for those!

KNC Beauty Collagen Lip Mask x 2
I've used all 3 of these lip masks that I received in my Boxycharm in November, and I haven't noticed any difference.  My lips only feel slightly more hydrated immediately after wearing these.

Bio Republic Skincare Pomegranate Crush Sheet Mask
I love sheet masks.  My skin feels so soft and hydrated after wearing one, and this one is no different.  This one is meant to brighten your skin which I could see a slight brightening to mine, but nothing significant.

Nourish Organics Renewing Eye Cream
You only need a tiny bit of this product, so this tube lasted for months!  Unfortunately, I didn't see any changes to my eye area after using up the entire tube.  Thankfully, I didn't purchase this (my sister received it in an Ipsy bag and gave it to me) so at least I'm not out any money on it.

So, that's all I was able to use up last month.  What products did you use up?

Thank you for stopping by!  Have a great New Year's Day!

Current Skincare Routine

Hello, everyone!  How was your weekend?

I thought I'd share my current skincare routine for today's blog post.  My skin is in no way perfect or flawless, but it has definitely gotten better recently.  For all of my teenage years and half of my 20's, my skin was oily and acne prone.  Then halfway through 2014, my skin became incredibly dry.  I had dry, flaky patches everywhere.  I had dry spots on my eyelids which made my makeup look terrible...it was bad.  Then I got a 10 pack of samples of the "Ultra Repair Cream" from First Aid Beauty.  That stuff saved my skin!  It is really thick but sinks into the skin pretty quickly and keeps my skin hydrated all day/night.  I no longer have super dry, rough patches.  I still have some skin issues, like redness and acne scaring, but I'll take those issues over dryness any day because I can at least cover those up with makeup.

The first thing I do is remove any makeup I might be wearing with the Ole Henriksen "Pure Truth Melting Cleanser".  This removes even my waterproof makeup.  It's supposed to be a 3 in 1 cleanser but it's pretty oily so I use a regular cleanser afterward.

For my cleanser, my absolute favorite has been the First Aid Beauty "Pure Skin Face Cleanser".  My skin has never felt cleaner after using this face wash.  It's safe for sensitive skin as well.

Next, I use the First Aid Beauty "Facial Radiance Pads" that are meant to tone, exfoliate, and brighten the skin.  Honestly, I haven't noticed any brightening, but I do still like this product.

Then I go in with my eye cream.  I have two that I use: the Tony Moly "Panda's Dream So Cool Eye Stick" for in the mornings and the Bobbi Brown "Hydrating Eye Cream" for in the evenings.  I like the Tony Moly one for daytime because it's not thick and it cools the under eye area making me look a little more awake.  I like using the Bobbi Brown one in the evening because it's a thick cream that stays on longer and really sinks into the skin to keep the eye area hydrated.

Lastly, I moisturize with the First Aid Beauty "Ultra Repair Cream".  At first, I thought this would make my skin oily because of how thick this product is, but it doesn't.  This can be used on the face or body to help relieve dry, itchy skin.  I don't think I'll be changing out this moisturizer anytime soon.  It's been my holy grail product since I first started using it.

I also want to mention that once or twice a week I use this St. Ives "Blackhead Clearing Green Tea Scrub".  I purchased this because it says that it helps calm redness which is something I struggle with right now.  I also like that it contains natural exfoliants.

And that is my current skincare routine in full!  I hope this was helpful, and thank you so much for stopping by!

Also, if you have any other product suggestions for calming redness let me know!  I'm always looking for new things to try.