March/April Empties

I barely touched anything in March, so on decided to combine it with some decent progress in April.

There were definitely a few big wins here.

Shower stuff:

Some Matrix shampoo and conditioner 

Opinion: These fell victim to necessity. My water at home is super soft and all of the things that hotel water is not, so it is hard to form an actually analysis of functionality. Either way, these were decent enough.

Purchase?: These worked for travel. I liked them. More than more travel shampoo/conditioner duos. If I ever run out, then maybe.

Jergens Wet Skin Moisturizer

Opinion: Dude. How can this stuff even be real? I am soooo lazy when it comes to applying lotion, so this is a miracle product for me. It did take me a couple of tries to find a scent that wasn't super gross. This one is just a little gross, but I can handle it. I see that they now have a tanning version, and I love me some Jergens fake tan.

Repurchase?: Again and again. Except right now I am trying to use up a Nivea sample.

Face Stuff:

Some more random makeup remover wipes from TJ Maxx
Opinion: They worked!
Repurchase?: I can't resist the makeup wipes at TJ Maxx

Pacifica Sea Foam Complete Face Wash
Opinion: I love this. I had to buy a full sized tube after my sister stole my sample sized one last year. It smells nice, is gentle, and left my skin super soft.
Repurchase?: I have skin care ADHD, so probably not. It's not that I don't like it...I just have lots of others to get through before I come back around to anything.

Pacifica Dreamy Youth Day & Night Face Cream
Opinion: This was very very nice. Moisturizing, but not greasy. Also had a very mild pleasingly neutral scent.
Repurchase?: I am up to my eyeballs in moisturizers at the moment, so no.

Chanel Le Lift Firming Anti Wrinkle
Opinion: LUXURY SAMPLE! I am not sure what this was supposed to be. I used it below my eyes.
Purchase?: I am scared to even look up what this costs.

Makeup things:

NARS Bronzer sample in Laguna
Opinion: Bronzer may be the only makeup category I am just not in love with and/or hoard like crazy. HOWEVER, this product was awesome. I got a few uses out of this card and loved it. It was a good color match for me, and it blended out super well.
Purchase?: No way. I will never buy a bronzer. I get too many as it is from subscription boxes. I will say that this is the first NARS product that I have liked, since their lip crayons give me a rash. 

Skyn Iceland Blemish Dots
Opinion: I used this entire pack for a particularly bad pre-period breakout. I am not sure they did anything, BUT! they did stay on my face the entire night while I slept.
Purchase?: I love Skyn Iceland, but these were not worth it to me.

Makeup Forever Step 1 Primer
Opinion: This was a nice, tinted, "slippery" feeling primer. Very comparable to Benefit Prefessional.
Purchase?: Nah, I am already stocked up on other primers. Plus, Makeup Forever products are a little too pricey for me.

NYX Stay Matte But Not Flat Powder Foundation
Opinion: NYX can do me no wrong! I gave up on this when it was just a little ring around the pan because I felt like it was going to mess up my brushes trying to get the last out of there.
Repurchase?: Heck yes I will! After I use up my BH Cosmetics version. Or maybe I will just repurchase the BH Cosmetics version. Either way, I liked this a lot and will need something like it again soon.

NYX Matte Finished Setting Spray
Opinion: My baby always and forever.
Repurchase? I always have at least two more bottles on standby.

Empty NARS bronzer and NYX powder:

Miscellaneous:

It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product
Opinion: You know what? Screw It's a 10! I have never liked their products and this was no different. I do not enjoy sticky hair.
Purchase?: Absolutely not.

Reese's Flavored Lip Balm
Opinion: Mmmmmm.....Reese's! I had this as my bedside lipbalm and it made me happy to slather it on before bedtime. 
Repurchase?: Maybe the next time I see it. I have been murdering lip balms at an alarming rate recently.

Ecolip Bee Free Lip Balm
Opinion: I liked the application and smell of this, but I had to give up on it. It somehow made my lips drier and gave me a rash. I was stuck in a dry ass hotel for an entire week with only this balm in my purse, and it was horrific. I kept waking up in the middle of the night with dry lips and this just somehow made them worse. 
Purchase?: Heck no this was awful.

Pogo Lip Balm in some minty flavor
Opinion: Pogo know what is up with natural lip balms. I have been happily using these up.
Purchase?: Maybe when I have used all of them from my Organic Authority box. I think I am on the last one now.

October/November Empties

So much product murder over the last couple of months! I showed my husband this pile to justify all of my Black Friday/Cyber Monday purchases. Not that I need justification. I bought all of these with my own monies.

Body and hygiene type stuff:

Rituals Happy Buddha Shower Foam
Origin: Pretty sure it was an Allure quarterly box.
Price: $15.00 on the Rituals website
Opinion: This product smelled amazing! It was very strange to use though. It cam rocketing out of the can as a very thin gel, which foamed up almost instantly with no provocation.
Repurchase?: Eff no, not for $15! It did not last long at all. I can find another much cheaper way to smell good after I shower.

Colgate Optic White Toothpaste
Origin: Allure quarterly box
Price: $5.96 for a 2 pack at Wal-Mart
Opinion: It was toothpaste. I am not picky about toothpaste.
Repurchase?: Not any time soon. I have several other tubes of toothpaste to use up first.

Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter
Origin: Ulta sample pack
Price: $15.00 at Ulta for a 10.1 oz tub
Opinion: This body butter is everything I look for in a body butter. Not greasy. Soaks in nicely. Not too smelly. The hubby really liked it as well.
Repurchase?: More than likely. $15 for a huge tub is not bad.

Bells Brewing lip balm
Origin: Bells tap takeover giveaway
Price: N/A
Opinion: This was nice and smooth and hydrating. It had a fresh minty smell.
Repurchase?: I doubt I would be able to find it again, but I will drink more Bells beer for sure.

Some random body serum
Origin: possibly Vegan Cuts 
Price: no idea
Opinion: This smelled nice but was a bit sticky
Repurchase?: nah

Chapstick Total Hydration Coconut
Origin: Allure quarterly box
Price: $2.99 at Walgreen's
Opinion: This was a total flood of moisture on my lips. It didn't even feel like it could possibly come from a solid stick. I loved the coconut flavor as well!
Repurchase?: Yes, but I am currently working on another variety.

Face stuff:

Aubrey Organics Everyday Basics Daily Skin Moisturizer
Origin: I'm going to have to go with another Allure quarterly box (I swear they are not paying me for this review)
Price: $8.99 on Amazon
Opinion: This was a nice, thick "night time" moisturizer for me, but it had one major downfall. It reeked strongly of my most hated food, celery.
Repurchase?: Absolutely not! Celery is the worst.

Real Chemistry Luminous 3 Minute Peel
Origin: a sample from somewhere, most likely Ulta
Price: $48.00 of 1.7 fl oz (OUCH!!!!)
Opinion: In no way did this product "wow" me.
Repurchase?: Absolutely not. Way too much money.

Laneige Water Bank Serum
Origin: since it is Laneige, most likely a Target beauty box
Price: $35.00 for 60 ml at Target
Opinion: This was nice, but then again, I have never met a serum I did not like.
Repurchase?: Not right now. I have lots of other little serum samples hoarded at the moment. The price is also a bit high for me.

Lotus Moon Hydro-Therapy Eye Serum
Origin: probably Vegan Cuts
Price: $28.00 at Lotus Moon
Opinion: I loved rolling this under my eyes at night! It was cooling and soothing. It soaked in nicely too.
Repurchase?: I would say "yes" because it lasted FOR-EV-ER, but no because I didn't really see much of a difference in my eye bags. I did love applying it though.

Makeup items:

NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray
Origin: Ulta (I order it because my Target always seems to be sold out)
Price: $7.99 at Ulta
Opinion: This is my favorite setting spray ever, and it's super affordable! I go through a bottle every couple of months. I got sprayed in the face with a hose at work the other day (don't ask, my job is dumb) and my makeup didn't budge one bit!
Repurchase?: I've already went through most of another bottle and I just bought an additional bottle.

Urban Decay Perversion Mascara
Origin: sample size from somewhere, Ulta or Sephora
Price: $22.00 at Urban Decay
Opinion: My HG mascara!!
Repurchase?: I have two more samples hoarded and I hope I never have to actually buy one. I am sure that day will come some day though.

Chella Eyebrow Defining Gel
Origin: I am going to have to go with Ipsy
Price: $18.00 at Chella
Opinion: I honestly do not understand the Chella hype. This barely had any hold and it got gooey super fast. I have had another tube of this in the past and it did (or didn't do) the same things.
Repurchase?: Pass.

Makeup Forever Mat Velvet+ Mattifying Foundation

Origin: Sephora - the actual store!

Price: $39.00

Opinion: When I got my second job, which requires makeup, I actually went in to Sephora to buy my first tube of foundation. I asked for the best foundation for oil skin. The girl who helped me, who was also an oily Jillian, swore by this product and I can see why.
Repurchase?: Maybe eventually. I have recently found a much cheaper Ulta foundation that I like that does a pretty good job controlling oil.  
Laura Geller Tinted Spackle

Origin: sample with a purchase from Laura Geller website

Price: $32.00 for a full size

Opinion: They aren't joking when the say "spackle". This went on smooth, dried down quickly, and left my skin nice and smooth without being tight. My foundation went on evenly over it and stayed put all day.

Repurchase?: Eventually. I have been burning through small primer samples in search of my HG. I believe this is it though.

Benefit The Pore-fessional License to Blot

Origin: most likely came with an Ulta or Sephora purchase

Price: $20.00 on the Benefit website

Opinion: I liked this a lot. I put it on my T-zone before applying primer and foundation and it did a decent job of keeping the greasies at bay.

Repurchase?: Not for the price. I would rather just splurge on a primer that controls oil and more.

Smashbox Photo Finish Pore Minimizing Primer

Origin: Sample from who knows where. I am always swimming in Smashbox primer samples.

Price: $39.00 on the Smashbox website

Opinion: This was my first time trying this variety of Smashbox primer. It was not as slippery as their regular clear Photo Finish primer. I feel that it did an okay job filling in my pores and it did help a little with oil control. I just wasn't super impressed or anything. 

Repurchase?: Nope. I will be saving my money for the Laura Geller Spackle.

The Balm "Put a Lid on It" Eyelid Primer

Origin: I believe I picked this up at Kohl's

Price: $18.00 at The Balm

Opinion: This was the first eyeshadow primer I ever used. I got a sample in Birchbox years ago when I was very new to makeup and my eyeshadow addiction started almost immediately after I discovered this was how I could keep shadow on my greasy lids all day!

Repurchase?: As much as I enjoy this, I have recently converted to Urban Decay's Original Primer Potion. If UD ever goes to 100% deer foot applicator on their primers I will go back to The Balm though.

Ulta Mineral Setting Powder

Origin: Ulta free-with-purchase beauty bag.

Price: $14.00 at Ulta

Opinion: I fell in love with this immediately! The texture and the smell of all things are fabulous! This mini sample was messy as hell so I ordered the full size very quickly. It is massive so I am hoping it stays in the container better when I dip in my brush.

Repurchase?: Already did. I'm waiting to use up a Tarte and a Swedish Minerals sample before I open it. I have been going through an absurd amount of setting powder lately.

Hair items:

Living Proof Perfect Hair Day 5-in-1 Styling Treatment
Origin: I am guessing this was a Sephora sample
Price: $15.00 for 2 oz at Sephora
Opinion: This was my first encounter with this brand and they aren't joking when they say "perfect hair day". A light coat of this on my damp hair gave me a fantastic blow out without the frizzies.
Repurchase?: No. I don't go through very much hair styling product because I only heat style my hair 2-3 times per month. By the time I run out of something, I typically have another sample on hand.

Eva NYC Therapy Session Hair Mask
Origin: possibly an Ulta sample
Price: $14.99 for 16.9 oz at Ulta
Opinion: I luuuurve me some hair masks and this was way up there in my opinion. It smelled fabulous, was not too heavy, and made my hair silky soft.
Repurchase?: HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS WAS SO CHEAP?? *adds to Ulta basket*

Octavio Molina Aceite de Argan
Origin: Ipsy
Price: $32.00  on the brand website
Opinion: This was a decent argan oil. It was not too thick and got the job done.
Repurchase?: Nah. I got plenty of argan oil right now. Plus, I feel like my beloved Hask products do just as well (if not better) and are a much better price point.

Marc Anthony Hydrating Coconut Oil & Shea Butter Conditioner
Origin: Ulta sample
Price: $7.99 for 8.4 oz at Ulta
Opinion: This was way too thick for my fine hair. I used it up by mixing it into my regular conditioner a little bit at a time.
Repurchase?: No.

Kardashian Beauty Black Seed Dry Oil
Origin: sample from I don't remember
Price: $9.48 for 3 oz on Amazon
Opinion: I liked this way too much. The consistency, the texture, the smell, the way it made my hair feel...
Repurchase?: Nope. I don't support celebu-tards.

Now on to the "naughty" product pile:

Benefit Ka-Brow! Eyebrow Cream-Gel Color
Origin: Ulta sample
Price: $24.00 on the Benefit website
Opinion: I had such high hopes for this, and maybe it was just the size of the sample, but this SUCKED. I could barely dig any product out of the little glass bottom piece with the very soft brush. It was also the wrong color for me. What little I could get out just smeared all over since the brush was so weak. Maybe the full sized product is better, but I hated this sample.
Repurchase?: NOPE. I will stick to my NYX brow products.

Burt's Bees Lipstick in Magenta Rush
Origin: Allure quarterly box
Price: $9.00 at Burt's Bees
Opinion: I loved this lipstick hard. It was moisturizing, the color was flattering, and it stayed on forever. THEN ONE DAY I reached for it in my purse to slap on before my second job and it had betrayed me. There were hard lumps in the bullet that scraped my lips and moved the color around. I tried wiping off the bullet off to no avail. I even tried removing a large chunk hoping to start anew. Nothing worked. This product was no impossible to apply. You can see what I mean on the swatch below.
Repurchase?: Sadly, no. And I now mistrust all Burt's Bees lip products.

Be a Bombshell Lip Crayon
Origin: Ipsy
Price: $5.00 on the brand website

Opinion: I liked this product at first. The color was very flattering on me, but it always felt very dry. The application had a lot of drag too. I never really reached for this, and I recently discovered that it had gotten very dry and crystallized. I have about a bazillion other lippies begging for attention, so I tossed it.
Repurchase?: Pass

Rimmel The Only One Lipstick
Origin: Allure quarterly box
Price: $6.99 at Target
Opinion: This was a beautiful color and highly moisturizing formula, but it feathered terrible on my lips. Especially at the corners. Lip liner did not help - it still got all over my face in a "wanna know how I got these scars?" sort of way.
Repurchase?: Big nope.

Swatches of Benefit Ka-Brow!, chunky Burt's Bees lipstick, Be a Bombshell lip crayon, and Rimmel lipstick.