February 2017 Empties

More progress in February!

Makeup items:

Ulta Demi-Matte Foundation (Ivory)

Opinion: This is my favorite foundation ever! The shade is a perfect match for me, and it is more matte than demi-matte in my opinion. It is quite thick and a little difficult to apply. I find that a Beauty Blender works best. This stuff sticks to my oily face all day.

Repurchase?: I already have. It's nice that Ulta brand items frequently have BOGO sales too.

NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray

Opinion: I blow through this like crazy.

Repurchase?: Again and again. I have two backups right now. I did just buy the E.L.F. version to try though, since it was only $3.00. So far I am not impressed.

Napoleon Perdis Autopilot Pre Foundation Skin Primer

Opinion: This worked well enough. It wasn't my favorite primer ever or anything.

Purchase?: Pass.

Dermalogica Hydrablur Primer

Opinion: This was a pretty standard "slippery" primer for me. It worked well. I liked it more than the Napoleon Perdis one.

Purchase?: Doubtful.

IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream

Opinion: Loved this. I understand the hype around this brand because everything of theirs I have tried is awesome. My skin looked great wearing this and this only. 

Purchase?: I have been very tempted to more than once. It's a little on the pricey side for me. I have two other sample tubes I have been hoarding for the hot summer months when I don't feel like slapping on a full face.

Vincent Longo double ended eyeliner pencil

Opinion: I used up the side of this that I like. It was getting kind of old and the color on the other side just got dry and unusable. It started cracking a little too, so it was time to go.

Repurchase?: I love eyeliners and I have a ton. I am currently using a Sigma eyeliner in a color very close to the one side I used up, so I don't need a new one of these at the moment.

yourMinerals Sweden setting powder

Opinion: I liked this a lot. It was very fine and very translucent. It gave my skin a nice soft but natural looking finish.

Repurchase?: My next setting powder purchase is definitely going to be Tarte, but this one is pretty close.

Skin care:

Aveeno Absolutely Ageless Intensive Renewal Serum

Opinion: This smelled really nice. I kept it in my gym bag to slather on after I showered and it made my face nice and soft.

Purchase?: Not at the moment, but I would definitely consider it in the future. When/if I ever run out of serums.

Algenist Genius Ultimate Anti-Aging Eye Cream

Opinion: This was nice enough and the little jar lasted a while. It kept my undereye area hydrated overnight, which is what I expect from a good eye cream.

Purchase?: Not for the price, ouch.

Lancôme Energie de Vie the Smoothing and Glow Boosting Liquid Care

Opinion: I'm not even 100% sure what this was. I used it as a serum.

Purchase?: Too confusing.

Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask

Opinion: I LOVED this and I see what the Bliss hype is about now. This left my skin so soft and refreshed and it smelled nice too.

Purchase?: This brand is a little spendy for me, but I do see it on Hautelook every now and then. I will pay more attention and look for it now.

Pixi Glow Tonic

Opinion: This is a little sample bottle from the Target advent calendar that I got super cheap after the holidays. I used to go through this like crazy, until I realized that I wasn't actually sure it was doing anything. Also, even though it's not expense, it's not cheap either for the rate that I use toner.

Repurchase?: I'm holding off for now and searching for my HG toner. So far I am really liking The Body Shop's tea tree toner. Next I want to try the Mario Badescu one.

Miscellaneous:

More toothpaste! I keep toothbrushes and toothpaste all over the house. It's a small miracle to me when I finish a tube since I have to use it all by myself. My husband hates the varieties that I use.

Proraso Liquid After Shave Cream

Opinion: I shave my legs very infrequently, and they always burn like crazy afterwards. I got this sample in an Amazon luxury beauty box and I cannot believe how quickly and effectively it makes my legs stop burning!

Purchase?: Already did. This little bottle lasted me forever, so I didn't mind splurging a little on the full size.

Random Perfume Samples

Opinion: I love just about any and all perfumes. I don't have a "signature" scent. I just love wearing perfume and perfume in general. I currently have amassed 60-70 of these little sample vials, so I am making a point to use some up.

That's it for February! March and April will  be a combined post since things were a little slower.

December 2016 Empties

Way behind on this. Also, I am going to stop adding an origin to each product. At this point, my stash is so big I mostly have no freaking clue where something came from. Especially after my Black Friday/Cyber Monday/post holiday hauls.

And here is the pile. Decent enough for a single month. I was pretty satisfied.

Hair items:

Nois Shield Leave In Conditioner
Price: $12.99
Opinion: I got this from a higher end beauty subscription box (Glossybox or Boxy Charm) and I loved it. I am not usually one to go for hair stuff, but I could air dry my hair perfectly with this. Air drying is my jam since I wear a hairnet for my main job and rarely style my hair anyway.
Repurchase?: Already did, but I don't think I got such a good price on it.

Marc Anthony Argan Oil of Morocco 3 Day Smooth Perfect Blow Dry Smoothing Cream
Price: $8.99 for a full size
Opinion: I left this in the bathroom where I blow dry my hair when I need to for my second job. It got the job done.
Repurchase?: I have tons of other similar samples to use up. I blow dry my hair about 2-3 times a month, so it's going to take me a while.

Aloxxi Dry Shampoo
Price: $9.00
Opinion: I like this because it worked well with my dark hair. Most dry shampoos leave whit streaks. That being said, dry shampoo is a product that just in general does not work for me. I have to wash my nasty oily hair every single day. Spraying it with dry shampoo just pisses it off. I only use this situations where I need a little damage control, like midday sweat around my hairline in the summer.
Repurchase?: No, it's just not a product that works for me and I have a few mini bottles to get through.

Skincare type stuff:

Previse HydroMilk Hyaluronic Lotion

Price: $48.00 (!!!)

Opinion: I really like this lotion. It was not oily at all and absorbed nicely into my skin.

Purchase?: I got this in Glossybox and I had no idea it costs so much. It was a nice sized tube and lasted a while, but sadly it is out of my price range. 

Jersey Shore Spa Lip & Hand Polish

Price: $25.00 for a full size

Opinion: This product made me mad. It was basically pure brown sugar and oil. When I used it on my lips, it tasted delicious (like cookie dough), but was waaaaay too oily. I banished it to the showed to take care of the rough patches on my knees, but it soon failed there too. After all of the very runny oily component oozed out, I was stuck with a rock hard lump of sugar that was going nowhere. 

Purchase?: Heck no. This needs to be packaged in a tub or something besides a foil tube.

Makeup Wipes from TJ Maxx

I have nothing special to say here besides these worked and I used up the entire pack. When I run out of makeup wipes, I always run to TJ Maxx for more. They are cheap and plentiful. I try to go with something containing tea tree oil, coconut water, or dead sea minerals.

Bliss Triple Oxygen Ex-'Glow"-sion Vitabead Infused Moisture Cream

Price: $64.00 for 1.7 oz

Opinion: I like this. I have like all Bliss products I have tried. This smelled nice and my skin drank it right up.

Purchase?: Not at this price, sadly.

Pixi by Petra Glow Tonic

$15.00 at Target

Opinion: I like this enough to have paid full price for it with my own cash monies more than once. It seems I am always in need of toner.

Repurchase?: I am sure I will eventually, but I have decided to try other toners for the moment. I just got The Body Shop tea tree toner and I am totally in love. I also want to try to Mario Badescu one soon.

Makeup-y items:

Pogo Lip Balm
Price: $3.49 at Ulta
Opinion: I got like four of these in an Organic Authority box. Get ready to see more empties because I have been tearing through them lately. They go on smoothly and I like that they are shaped so weird because it makes them easier to grab in my purse. 
Repurchase?: Probably not. I always seem to have more than enough lip balms in my stash.

NYX Simple Vamp Lip Cream in Covet
Price: $6.49 at Ulta
Opinion: I loved this lip crayon. The color was stellar! I think my husband liked it even more than me. Sadly, it broke enough for me to toss it. I have a had a few similar issues with NYX products lately and it is seriously bumming me out.
Repurchase?: I am am pretty hesitant here. Most likely not, but I will be looking for a dupe for this shade. It was such a perfect metallic burgundy! Action shot:

Figs & Rouge Avance+ Mattifying Emulsion
Price: $30?
Opinion Okay, I cannot figure out how exactly to buy a full sized one of these. And I say "one of these" because I was really unsure of how to use this product. When I applied it to my face alone, it flaked up on me like crazy. The mattifying effect was quite nice, so I ended up mixing it in with my foundation primer and that seemed to work very well.
Purchase?: I don't think so.

NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray
Price: $7.99 at Ulta or Target
Opinion: I use the bajeezus out of this product. One time it was listed as out of stock on Ulta's website, so I freaked out and bought two at Target, Target doesn't always have it in store either. I will buy this forever and ever until I can't.
Repurchase?: Already did. Several times.

Dior Hypnotic Poison
Price?: Varies by size, but it's a lot
Opinion: I have always loved this perfume, but never ponied up for a purchase. Then one day I was discussing perfumes with a crazy lady at my last job, and she said she had a bottle of this and that it would smell better on me than her because I have dark hair. Whatever, I was up for a free bottle of this goodness! Somehow she lost the cap, but that didn't matter to me. I rationed this and indulged in every last drop.
Purchase?: If I got a good deal on it. I am pretty buried in perfume samples and minis at the moment.

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella
Price: $27.00 for a full size
Opinion: This was one of my Sephora birthday gifts when I first signed up as a Beauty Insider. I loved the color and application. Sadly, I recently confirmed that it does, in fact, give me a rash. Not cute.
Purchase?: Nope. The other color it came with doesn't seem to bother my lips as much, but I don't think I would take the chance of spending my money on a full sized lip product that could potentially give me a rash.

That wraps up December. Hopefully I can get January's posted soon.