Summer 2020 Empties

So it's mid-October and I am doing a Summer Empties post? Yep, it's true. It's been that kind of year. I'm stacking up my September and October empties already so it's long overdue to wrap up Summer 2020. I'm sure many of you have been in the same boat as me - wearing little to no makeup the past few months. I'm still working from home, have my video off for 95% of my work meetings and when I go out I have a mask on. Blush and lipstick have been nearly non-entities in my life the last several months. Sad. I miss them. I have still been ordering from Sephora this year, but mostly skin and hair care. Perhaps the odd eyeshadow palette that I cannot resist....still trying to wear eye makeup once a week at the supermarket to feel human lol! You'd think my skin would look fabulous wearing 0 makeup. Nope. That is a total fallacy my friends, that wearing makeup too long wrecks your skin. Ha! I don't know if it is the lack of sun but my skin doesn't look great at all here in quasi-isolation. Anyway, let's dive in to the empties! 

Nivea Body Milk Pure & Natural (x2) - yep, had a lot of dry skin this summer. Likely due to being inside a lot. I keep buying this product as it works decently and I like the price point. Would switch to something else if I found something better. I'm open to suggestions. 

Klorane Floral Water Make-Up Remover - this is where I should start lightly sobbing. I used to buy this at Rexall on my way to work when I needed it. I can't find it for sale anywhere near my home and I don't live close to my office. I also wonder if the Rexall I used to buy it at still exists or if they shut down due to the pandemic since it was in an underground office area which is now deserted. I bought the new Nivea Micellar Water and it is a poor substitute. Luckily, I am not wearing much eye makeup these days to really be irked by my lack of Klorane. 

Living Proof Perfect Hair Day - already repurchased. Love this stuff. Somedays my hair doesn't feel normal without it. 

Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash - this isn't a product that you wouldn't be in love  with, but you know what? If you want to wash your face quick and have it feel clean and energized, this isn't a bad option. I keep one of these in my shower sometimes. I have another little tube that I am using now. I would repurchase. 

Origins VitaZing SPF 15 - Many times when I left the house this summer I reached for this. I wanted some SPF protection (although there isn't much in here) and some kind of tint to cover my blemishes. Every time my mother saw me in it (often from a distance on her deck) she asked me where I got my serious tan. It was all fake thanks to this. I think this runs a bit dark for me and I know it looks a tad orange on some people. I have already repurchased but I will be looking for alternatives. 

Laura Mercier Full Blown Volume Mascara in Black - I have had this travel sized mascara in my stash for longer than I dare to comment. It was unopened though. It's crumbs. I am not sure if it was always super dry and horrible or if it just got old even though it was sealed. I have never seen anyone talk about this mascara so I am thinking it's no great loss that I didn't get to use it. 

Bite Agave Lip Mask in Lavender - This is my fourth to last tube of the original Bite Agave Lip Masks and I am sad. Every drop is precious. Why they had to sell the company and then the new owner thought it would be a good idea to change all of the formulas is beyond me. People are not stupid. R.I.P. 

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion - I avoided this product for years and then they took the parabens out. I have to say it works better than the half dozen or so other eyeshadow primers that I used in it's place over the years. This was a small tube and I have another. Already using it, would absolutely repurchase. 

LAVANILA The Healthy Deodorant in Vanilla Coconut - this product used to be so good and then I don't know what happened. It's just not as good anymore. I have been experimenting with some other "natural" deodorants on the market and they are worse so I may buy this again but the jury is out. I think I still have one or two more in my stash as I bought a bunch in bulk awhile back because I thought they were being discontinued. I almost finished this one but then the last bit dried up and crumbled so I said to hell with it, it's chucking time.  

LAVANILA The Healthy Deodorant in Vanilla Breeze Sport Luxe - this is the best of the LAVANILA deodorants these days. I have a friend who swears by this scent and this one alone.  I almost finished this one too but then the last bit dried up and crumbled so I said to hell with this one as well. 

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara - I always end up with samples of this horrid mascara and they are always terrible! I am amazed this product is still on the market after all of these years! It does nothing for my lashes whatsoever. Tarte has discontinued some good stuff here and there and yet this crappy mascara remains. 

Leanne Grace Blissful Body Butter in Sweet Cream - It smells nice but it's powdery. Hubby says it smells like baby powder. It does moisturize well though. I won't repurchase because shipping is a hassle (please see my other posts on this product in other scents) and the powdery texture I don't care for. 

Sephora Lashcraft Big Volume Mascara - This was a much better product than I expected it to be. Not my favourite mascara of all time by no means but it did an ok job at a respectable price point. It took forever to get dry and go bad. Not sure I would repurchase because there are better mascaras, but I don't regret buying it. 

Estee Lauder Double Wear Zero-Smudge Lengthening Mascara - It's funny but this mascara was drying up back in March when I stopped going into the office. It has sat in my purse for ages. I recently took it out of my purse and smelt it. Not good. So it's done. Love this mascara because it is the only one that doesn't smudge on me when I wear my glasses to work. Already repurchased.

Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum - I was keeping this little tube for travel, but who are we kidding? I won't be traveling for a long time. This is the one Drunk Elephant product that I can honestly attest to the fact that it goes sideways and doesn't have a long shelf life. The orange colour gets darker and darker, the smell changes and I don't think it works well after awhile. So I decided I was going to use this up before it was unusable. 

Alright that is it! So happy I am finally getting this post up. I have a couple deodorants and some foundations next up and soon another empties post! 

Spring 2020 Empties!

Like many of you, I haven't been wearing much makeup since this pandemic got real in March. I have been working from home since then and likely will continue to do so for quite some time. I do miss makeup though and I've started to dab a bit on when I go to the grocery store just for kicks. Mostly eye makeup. I don't remember the last time I wore foundation because I usually wear a mask when I go out. So all of this being said, I haven't had many empties the last few months. However, I did manage to gather up what I have used and do a Empties post for you here today.

Nivea Pure & Natural Body Milk - Another one bites the dust. Already replaced x2.

Bath & Body Works Winter Candy Apple - I got rid of two BBW hand soaps! Yeah! I think I have maybe 4 or 5 left scattered throughout the house and I am on a mission to get rid of all of them! You would think that Winter Candy Apple would smell nice, but this soap sure didn't. Phew. I think it smelt better when I bought it, but once the air hit it, downhill it went. Good riddance.

Bath & Body Works Anti-Bacterial Deep Cleansing Hand Soap in Kitchen Lemon - This is likely one of the best smelling hand soaps that BBW has. I quite liked it in the kitchen, but I am over these chemical hand soaps so I will not replace it.

Tony Moly BBO BBO Lip Balm in Honey - I remember when this was all the rage! Now Sephora doesn't even sell this brand. Product was ok but doesn't compare to Bite Beauty's Agave Lip Mask of the past, not present. I decided to use this up and get rid of it.

Origins Plantscription Anti-Aging Power Serum - I used to swear by this stuff and I still do to some extent. It is a fabulous product, I've just really started to love Drunk Elephant and I find it does a great job for me anyway. I have another small tube of this and I will repurchase though as I like using it at night.

Shiseido Facia Cotton - I can't go back to regular cotton pads after using these the last couple of years. Worth every damn penny.

MAC Painterly Paint Pot - Another one done. Already repurchased. A definite cannot live without item.

Living Proof frizz humidity shield - This was hands down the most useless hair product that I have ever used. It did nada to my hair when I sprayed it. Did nothing to tame frizz. It was like spraying air into my hair. One day I got mad and sprayed all that was left in the can onto my hair. No difference. Total garbage and I normally really like Living Proof products.

Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream - This moisturizer makes my skin glow. It is not the most moisturizing cream in the world, but when you add in some DE Marula Oil and it doesn't get much better than that! Already repurchased.

Leanne Grace Blissful Body Butter in Vanilla Rose - I have another couple of jars of this cream that I am trying to use up. This product is a good moisturizer but it smells like baby powder and it's a bit pasty. My husband, as I think I have mentioned before, says it smells like baby powder too and I didn't even ask him what it smells like! I've mentioned too that I had issues with 2 shipments arriving smashed, but the company did make it right. I am not convinced it wouldn't arrive smashed the 3rd time if I reordered as it is not packaged well. The shipping costs to Canada are very expensive and the powdery smell and feel turns me off a bit.

Belif The True Cream - Moisturizing Bomb - Review

I got a 10ml sample of this from Sephora (I stole the picture from them as well above). I decided to try it several weeks ago at the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown. The first thing I noticed was how incredibly soft and moisturized my skin was after I put this on. My skin felt very luxurious with this on. Also, almost instantly, my skin looked fantastic - it was like imperfections were blurred and I was not expecting that!

When I awoke the next morning, my skin still felt extremely hydrated and like silk. I was wowed. I was tempted to open up my Sephora App and make the full-sized purchase. Since I have a ton of moisturizer around at the moment (I had just restocked several of my Drunk Elephant faves) I held off on rushing to order.

Later that same day, I noticed my skin was starting to feel a bit itchy and tender. That passed quickly and then I started to get little bumps. Within a few hours of this, I broke out like crazy with cystic acne, the likes of which I hadn't experienced in years! Since it was that time of month nearly upon me, I chalked it up to stress from the recent lockdown coupled with hormones.

Since my skin was not happy, I went back to my Drunk Elephant products and my skin recovered within a few days. Fast forward a few weeks and I decided to try my Belif sample again. As if I was in the movie Groundhog, the same thing happened. Put it on, skin felt amazing, looked amazing, woke up the next morning, skin looked and felt fabulous and then a few hours later irritated skin, small bumps, cystic acne breakout. It was not near that time of the month. So it was the face cream. I won't make that mistake again.

It is clear from the online reviews that people either think this is their holy grail or they had my experience. I should have googled first, but it was only a sample....If you have dry skin which is not sensitive, this may be the best cream you have tried! I'm sure for some people, this is a fantastic product for them. I would caution those who haven't tried this to get a sample first, maybe test a small area before you put it all over your face. If you have sensitive skin, just pass. Maybe I and others are allergic to something in it? Don't know but it was not good for me.

The product sells at Sephora for $50 Canadian for 50ml.

February 2020 Empties

I can't believe that it is already March 18th! The world is a strange place right now and I am doing my best to stay indoors at home (also working from home at the moment) as I am sure many of you are. For all of you beauty lovers out there, I think it's time we all had a distraction with some empties!

Bumble and Bumble Mending Shampoo - This shampoo was ok. I don't think it did much for my hair except make it soft and it detangled alright. I was still battling frizz in a big way with this and for that reason alone, I won't repurchase.

Avalon Organics Lavender Luminosity Brilliant Balance Cleansing Gel - My mother was using this and for some reason gave it to me. I was pleasantly surprised! It smelt nice, cleaned well, removed makeup and was gentle on my skin. I don't know the cost of this but it can't be super expensive - looks like it's between $10-$15. Compared to cleansers at Sephora, this is cheap! I really liked this and I would repurchase!

Bath & Body Works Black Cherry Merlot Gentle Foaming Hand Soap - I am trying so desperately to get rid of all of my BBW liquid soaps! I checked and I think I am down to the last 7 or 8. How did this happen? How did I collect so many! I am just over them and their chemical scents. I have another full bottle of the Black Cherry Merlot in the cupboard but this scent is truly one of the better ones. Since I am washing my hands morning, noon and night with COVID-19, maybe I will get rid of a few more of these in the next month! Gah!

Aveeno Active Naturals Intense Relief Hand Cream - This is the one I keep at my desk at work. I keep forgetting to put this in my empties posts and I am nearly through another one. Glad to finally chuck this empty out. I really like this cream and I will buy it again and again.

NARS Chelsea Girls Lip Gloss - This might be my favourite lip gloss. I love layering this over whatever is on my lips. Smells nice, feels nice and the colour is a great neutral on me. This was my second one. I will definitely repurchase!

Milk Makeup Kush Mascara - I have had this mascara for a long time! It really went the distance for a travel sized tube. It was ok. It gave decent volume but not much length for my taste. For that reason I will not repurchase but if all you want is volume, give this a go! The packing is super heavy as a side note.

Makeup Geek Baby Face Eyeshadow - Proud to say I used it up. It was long wearing, smooth and opaque. I would repurchase maybe but the colour is nothing special and exists in 100 palettes I have.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair - Another freebie bites the dust. One day I will buy a regular, full-sized bottle...once I use up all of my free samples of course! This does make a noticeable difference to your skin in the morning and I would recommend it, albeit it is pricey.

Foundation swatches and reviews coming up for Charlotte Tilbury and MUFE over the next few days!

Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation in 185 and 260 - Review and Swatches

Ever since Estee Lauder discontinued my beloved Double Wear Light foundation, I've been so lost. The new version that they replaced it with, the Soft Matte Hydra Makeup version, is just not good and nothing like the original version that I'd worn for a good decade. 

I found myself with no choice but to see what the makeup industry was offering in the way of foundation products since I hadn't really been looking for....well a decade! I wish I could say I was wowed and amazed with what I found but instead the last year has been a frustrating, disappointing, maddening and not to mention expensive experiment with foundation. I've bought quite a few and I have many reviews to share with you. Let's start with Fenty Beauty's Pro Filt'r Matte Longwear oundation.

I got a sample from Sephora of this foundation in 260 which is on the right in the swatch above. As you can see, it's too dark for me. I mixed it with another lighter, thinner foundation and was impressed by the great coverage it had and the soft glow it gave off on the skin. I thought this could be a foundation option for me! This was last Fall before the dry winter air emerged. I swatched a number of shades in Sephora and decided 185 was the best match for me based on arm and wrist swatches. This shade is on the left hand side in the picture above and below. 

It was obvious when I got home that 185 was too light for me. It looks white when I apply it to my face. So I started mixing it with the 260 travel tube I had. The mixture was still too dark. I waited until deep dark winter and tried 185 again. It was still too light worn on it's own but now it was a better fit. After wearing it alone for an hour or so I noticed something. It oxidized and went darker. So the colour was even better but it of course had oxidized so that was no good! To make sure I wasn't losing it, I read some reviews online and realized that this foundation is known to oxidize. Also when I wear it alone not mixed with another foundation it's not comfortable; after awhile and feels quite drying.

When you apply it, you better work fast because it dries quick and you don't want it clumping up on you. Also, in winter anyway, you don't feel like your skin is breathing and it's an uncomfortable feeling.

In the picture above, I have 185 blended out on the left and 260 blended out on the right.

I bought the Fenty concealer in the shade 230 because the product was nice and thick so I thought it would do a good job of concealing. It does a good job of concealing but the colour is still too light! Fenty Beauty has 50 shades and I can't find one that matches my skin tone. Brutal.

Let's forget about the fact that I can't find a shade in the Fenty Beauty range for the moment. The pros of the foundation is that it is very thick and offers good coverage, gives a nice glow to the skin, is in a glass bottle (yeah!) and is very long lasting.

The cons are it oxidizes, I can't find a matching shade, it feels dry on the skin and uncomfortable after a couple of hours and around my chin, at least, it can look cakey at the end of the day.  It dries super fast while you are applying it so you need to apply it fast. As a side note, I have combination skin not totally dry so this would definitely not be suitable for dry or very dry skin.

So Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Matte Longwear Foundation was a bust for me. I feel like it is a shame because this foundation could be so much better and it has the seeds for greatness with some tweaks.

Empties post next and then another foundation review.

December 2019/January 2020 Empties

I have 3 foundation reviews on deck to post (ahem have had them pretty ready for a little while) but recycling day is upon me and I want to get rid of some of my empties taking up space. Also I am starting to get some February empties so I want to make room for them. Let's get to it.

Klorane Floral Water Make-Up Remover - Countless bottles purchased and finished. Already repurchased. If you read my blog, I need not say any more.

Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser - I really liked this product and I would consider buying another but I haven't. The reason? The price. This product is outrageously expensive at $42 a tube Canadian. Thank God I got it during a Sephora sale. It's basically a really good jelly or glycerin-like cleanser but I have others that cost a fraction of the price that work pretty much just as well. I have a number of travel-sized tubes of this product and I will happily take them when I go on vacation and use them up.

Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream - I think this was my second jar of this and I have already repurchased. I find my skin looks really nice and healthy when I use it and it seems to keep my blemishes at bay. I find it works best when I mix it with Drunk Elephant's Virgin Marula Luxury Face Oil, otherwise the Protini alone might not be moisturizing enough, especially in winter. 

It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream in Light - I have had this product for awhile and I finally cannot squeeze anything else out of it. This may sound out of left field but I really like to wear it on airplane rides! You get coverage, moisture and it doesn't dry out your skin like wearing foundation would. This product is likely all many people would need day to day but it's not as good as foundation so for me it can't replace it. This is great to use if you are running some errands and don't feel like doing a full makeup day but you still want coverage. I have tried wearing this alone with no moisturizer and I have to say, you still need to apply moisturizer unless you have super oily skin and it's high summer. 

Origins Plantscription Powerful Lifting Cream - I swear by the Planscription Serum but I didn't like this cream. I used it mostly at night. Found it didn't do much for me. Definitely one of the most disappointing moisturizers I have tried in the last couple of years. Would not repurchase. 

Drunk Elephant C-Tango Multivitamin Eye Cream - I love me some Drunk Elephant but this one is not very good. Maybe if I was 20 years old with super oily skin I would say it was alright. It's a bit drying and that is not something I want in an eye cream! I'm also not 20 something so this isn't going to cut it. This was only a travel-sized tube so I mostly used it for overnighters but I found myself applying other creams on top of it, so what was the point! Will not repurchase. I meant to do a full review on this but I think I pretty much just did. It did nothing for my dark circles either. 

Origins Eye Doctor - I finished this and I switched to something else out of boredom and now I miss this like crazy! Will repurchase soon! My eyes are not as moisturized without it and my dark circles are not looking so hot right now. Why, oh why, do I switch things up sometimes???

Skin Laundry Gentle Foaming Face Wash - If you are looking for a nice smelling, gentle face wash, look no further than this. It's too gentle for me personally, but some people will love this especially if they have super dry skin. Sometimes I used this in the shower to wash my face when I was in a rush. But for everyday use, I need something more powerful. 

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer in Light Neutral - I just found out this has been discontinued. I am sad and I am not. I am sad because this colour was excellent and this product worked well. I am not sad because I was going through these like crazy as there isn't much product in them and I was not happy at what I was spending on them. I have bought 2 of the replacement product in different shades and I plan to have a review on them for you shortly. 

To those of you in Ontario,Canada, Happy Family Day!