Back with some more empties! Lots of minis this month but I was trying to get rid of some products I had kicking around and wanted to finish. Let's get into it.
Caliray Come Hell or High Water Mascara I love the fact that this mascara doesn’t budge or smudge so it is great when I am wearing my glasses. It gives good length, volume and curl too. Not my favourite mascara, but definitely in the top 5 and it serves a specific purpose for me.This was my third and I have already repurchased my fourth. I buy the travel sized one as it lasts me 3 months plus and it's great to throw into my purse. The regular sized one would be a waste of money for me as it would go bad before I finish it.
Shiseido Facial Cotton - Another one done! Already repurchased. I really try to load up on these during the Sephora semi-annual sales as they have gotten quite expensive but there are no other suitable substitutes in my opinion.
Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil UV Protective Dry Oil Finishing Spray - I love me some Bumble and Bumble and I am a big fan of their products, but this particular product is by far the worst one they've ever made. It's like spraying literal air into your hair. It doesn't smoothe, add shine, no softness, offers no hold nor refresh your hair in any way, shape or form. This was a travel sized can and I think I may have bought two but "used" the other one up some time ago. When this can was almost finished, I sprayed the "air" into my hair until the can was used up and still it did nothing to my hair. Would never repurchase.
Beautaniq Beauty Guardian Angel Revitalizing Eye Gels - I got these in a subscription box I used to get. I didn't really find that they did anything much for my undereye area. I would not repurchase.
Diorshow Maximizer 3D Triple Volume Plumping Lash Primer - This isn't a bad product and I would repurchase a regular sized one maybe but I don't feel it lives up to it's hype. It can help a so so or crappy mascara be better. If you have an amazing mascara though, not sure this helps a lot and it is an extra step. This was a travel sized tube and it's made very crappy. The wand is awful and twisted and another one I had in the past the wand broke off completely very soon after I started using it. Was not impressed with that.
Charlotte Tilbury Collagen Lip Bath Gloss in Refresh Rose - I have mixed feelings about this product. This is a mini size. I got a set of 3 in different colours. This was the second one and the colour was too warm for me but it worked in a pinch. So far, the two I have tried are pretty colourless and the difference between the shades is close to undetectable for most people. So I don't love that. They are minty and do appear to make your lips look more juicy with less lines. I normally hate lip plumpers and the discomfort they cause but this one has zero discomfort. This is where the product excels. I tend to dab a bit of this over whatever lip product I am wearing if it is looking a tad dry. Works wonders. A full sized tube is $47.50 Canadian which I think is outrageous for a what amounts to a fancy, clear, slightly plumping gloss. I would never pay full price for this. There are other products on the market that work just about as well for half the price such as the Fenty ones. I would consider buying these again in a mini set if I got them on sale.
Caudalie Resveratrol-Lift Instant Firming Serum - I have said it before, but Caudalie serums do nothing for me. I like their Premier Cru cream a lot, but the serums don't work for me. This was a mini but I do like that it came in a glass container. I was happy to finish this and will not be repurchasing.
Ilia Lip Wrap Hydrating Mask - I have not yet formulated in my mind how I feel about Ilia products in general. I hated this lip product with a passion and yes I still used it up! I also have 2 Ilia eyeshadow palettes and I like them enough but not sure I love them. Anyway, back to the lip product. I didn't care for the smell first of all. It was like a minty lemon car wax scent. Some of the product was hard and in tiny hard chunks which I would have to pick off my lips. The product would slide off my lips in a matter of seconds and I would have to reapply almost instantly. To say this product was not long lasting is the understatement of the year. I kept this handy in my family room for when I was watching TV and my lips felt dry so I had time to reapply as desired. Would never repurchase.
Estee Lauder Little Black Primer - I have had this small travel-sized tube for a long time. Longer than I care to admit. I've had it so long that the writing is completely gone from the tube. In my opinion, this is one of the best mascara primers out there and I really like the fact that it is black. It does make a difference, but how much of one, I am never sure. I would purchase this but I have a lot of other primers in my collection to use up first.
Clarins Extra Firming Jour (Day Cream) - I got a sample size of this and used it on my neck. I have to very careful what I put on my sensitive face so I opted not to use it there. I think this was a fantastic neck cream and I would consider trying it on my face. It was super nourishing and moisturizing. Would definitely consider buying this.
SkinFix Barrier+ Skin Barrier Restoring Gel Cream - Hated this. Did nothing for me and my skin barrier was not improved at all. I don't know if it was because of the gel formulation, but this was night and day compared to the cream version for me which was 10x better. This was a small sized jar that I believe I got in a set of SkinFix products. Would not repurchase.
Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup - I love this foundation. I don't know how many bottles of this I have used up. Already repurchased. It's matte with a tiny bit of glow. If you want your makeup to stay put all day, this is the one for you. I use shade 2N1 Desert Beige 12.
SkinFix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Cream - I really liked this product when it first came out. I credit it with helping me get my rosacea under control. I don't find it to be very moisturizing but it does seem to help a lot with my skin barrier. My empty was a small jar that came in a SkinFix set of products. I have repurchased the regular, full sized jar a few times but it seems to not be as effective as it was. I have seen some online chatter about SkinFix changing the formula and I believe it. I am planning to finish up what I have, but I am not sure if I will repurchase as I have found other effective products that manage my rosacea for cheaper and work better.
Peach & Lily Match Pudding Antioxidant Cream - This too was a small jar that came from a Peach & Lily set of products. I do like it, I am not sure if I love it. I have repurchased a full sized jar and hopefully by the time I am done with it, I will have a more well formulated opinion of it. Will report back.
it Cosmetics Confidence in Your Beauty Sleep Skin-Transforming Pillow Cream - Another small jar (really small jar) that I got in a set of it Cosmetics products. I thoroughly enjoyed this night cream. So much so that I was all set to order a full sized jar but I stopped because the reviews are not great on Sephora's website. I realize that shouldn't stop me, but it did give me pause. I do plan to push past my concerns and buy a jar during the next Sephora sale. Will keep you updated.
Fable & Mane HoliRoots Hair Oil - This was another smaller sized bottle that I used up. I have purchased a full sized bottle. This product smells amazing and it moisturizes my scalp nicely. I am not sure if it is doing anything further for me. I hope to have a better idea and a fully formed opinion once I finish the regular sized bottle. Promise to update all of you once I have finished it.
