Finished It!!! Volume 9

Disclaimer: All of the products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Well...my brief blog hiatus allowed me to really build up a pile of used up products. Even I was surprised with everything I'd used up when I was taking pictures yesterday. For reference, I haven't done one of these posts since March 5, so it really has been a while. Products with a * are ones that were on my list of products that wanted to use up.

I'm going to start with a product that isn't pictured.

Heritage Store Rose Petals Rosewater (8 fl oz size) - This didn't get pictured because I already reused the bottle to make a homemade brush cleanser, so it wasn't in my pile o' stuff. I enjoy using this rosewater as a face spritz to get rid of the powdery look after I've finished my makeup. I have a setting spray, but I know those aren't good to use every day, so this is a nice substitute. I've already repurchased it.

HerStyler Nourishing & Moisturizing Conditioner - You know those obnoxious kiosks in the mall where you get sucked in and they won't let you leave. Well...I got trapped by one of those last summer. She was trying to sell me a hair straightener. I caved when she dropped the offer down to the straightening serum, shampoo, and conditioner. I finally used up the conditioner. I'm sure they normally charge an arm and a leg for it. I'll never buy it again.

Neutrogena T/Gel Shampoo - I love my Nature's Gate Tea Tree Shampoo, but it just wasn't cutting it for keeping flakes at bay, so I went back to my old stand-by for a while.

got2b Guardian Angel Flat Iron Balm - This is a regular item for me. I've gone through a bunch of bottles of this. I've got a travel bottle left, and I'll probably stock up again when it's on sale at CVS.

got2b Guardian Angel Flat Iron Balm - No, I didn't screw up and take two pictures of the same bottle. I emptied this one out into the small travel bottle I mentioned. I didn't even realize that I had another one in my finished products pile.

John Frieda Luxurious Volume Conditioner - I picked this up because a box of hair dye that I bought had a coupon for a free bottle of conditioner. I liked it well enough. I'm happy with my Nature's Gate conditioners, so I won't buy this again unless there is a fantastic sale or another coupon.

Organix Smooth Hydration Argan Oil & Shea Butter Moisture Restore Mask - I'm trying to take better care of my hair, so I picked up a couple of Organix deep conditioners. I haven't tried the other one yet, but I really liked this one. The texture was like a really thick pudding. I felt like it did do some serious conditioning. I'm not running out to repurchase this now because I have the other one to use first, but I can see myself repurchasing this in the future.

The Body Shop Chocomania Shower Cream - This smelled exactly like devil's food cake. Yum! Sadly, I'm not impressed with the slip that these Body Shop shower gels have. I don't use a shave cream, so I really need a shower gel that helps my razor glide. This one didn't do that.

The Body Shop Vanilla Bliss Shower Gel - Again, this smell on this one was fantastic. The slip on this shower gel seemed to be a bit better than the Chocomania one. I still don't think I'll repurchase it.

Bath & Body Works Coconut Vanilla Body Wash - Bath & Body Works body washes are some of my favorites. Fantastic lather and enough slip to make shaving easy. I really liked this scent too, but it is sadly discontinued.

Softsoap Scentsations Lemonade Berry Splash Body Wash - I really didn't like this body wash. The scent was great, but I think it was missing the slip that I need. I stopped using it in the shower a long time ago. I tried using it to wash brushes, and I didn't like it for that either. My last ditch effort was putting it in a hand soap container and using it that way. It's still hanging around, but it will be used up as a hand soap. I just want rid of the bottle.

Dr. Bronner's 18-in-1 Hemp Almond Pure-Castile Soap - I heard so many raves about this soap that I had to pick some up to try it. I use it as a hand soap in my main bathroom. The fantastic thing is that it is so concentrated that it can be watered down. I bought a bottle of foaming soap and continue to use the foaming bottle for this soap (even not watered down, this soap has a thin consistency). I've already repurchased this and will continue to repurchase it and use it.

Taylor Swift Wonderstruck Scented Bath Gel - This came on a Christmas gift set that I purchased on clearance after Christmas. I got a small bottle of Wonderstruck, the bath gel, and a lotion for $10. I like the Wonderstruck scent, but I didn't like it in a shower gel. It was just overpowering. I prefer food scents for shower gels.

EcoTools Body Lotion* - This wasn't anything special, and I didn't particularly care for the scent. I won't repurchase.

Bath & Body Works Cashmere Glow Body Lotion - I LOVE this scent. According the Bath & Body Works website, the notes of this scent are shimmering vanilla, golden peach, and cashmere musk. It's just a gorgeous warm, sweet scent. I will likely purchase more items in this scent at some point.

The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector - This was part of this massive bag 'o stuff that I got with their Black Friday sale. It was really moisturizing, but I still didn't like it. The metal tube kept squirting out more lotion than I wanted. If I tried to squeeze the product towards the cap when the tube was closed, it squirted out when I took the cap off. I also didn't care for the scent.

The Body Shop Coconut Body Butter - Yum! This was a super creamy body butter that I kept in my purse throughout the winter months to keep my hands from getting dry and cracked. I've got a full size of another scent in my stash that I'll probably start using when it gets cold again.

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate - I love this stuff. It is both a physical and chemical exfoliator. It leaves my skin feeling really soft and smooth when I use it. I think some people might be bothered by the scent. To me, it smells like cloves. I don't love the scent, but I don't mind it either. I used to have friends in college who smoked clove cigarettes, so it reminds me of them (yes, I realize that sounds a little weird). I already have another mini bottle in my stash.

Boscia Luminizing Black Mask - I got this is a Sephora Favorites skincare set a couple of summers ago. I know there are people who love it, but I just didn't. I've decided that I just need to stay away from peel-off masks. I don't like them because they hurt to pull off.

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster - This is the second mini bottle of this serum that I've used. I got this bottle through a swap. I like it, and I know vitamin C is good for evening out skintone. I don't know that I liked it enough to pay full price for it, but I would be happy to use it again if it was in a great value set.

Sephora Daily Makeup Brush Cleanser - I bought this a long time ago to do quick brush cleaning, but it didn't dry as quickly as I was expecting. If I'm going to be an emergency brush cleaning, I'm just going to use rubbing alcohol. I don't plan to buy a brush cleaner again.

Yankee Candle Lip Balm in Root Beer Float* - I've already finished a couple of these lip balms. I like them, but I don't love them, and they are hard to find. I might grab one again if I come across them, but I'm not going to hunt them down.

Simply Lip Balms in Vanilla Mint and Pomegranate - Clearly, I like these balms. I bought a ton of them last summer, and I've still got a few left. I'll be on the hunt for more this summer when I travel to visit family because I found them at Walgreens, and I don't have a Walgreens near me. The only real negative with these is that they melt somewhat easily. Definitely don't leave them in a hot car and be careful if you keep them in your pocket and are out in the heat - they'll be really soft.

Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lip Gloss in Midnight Cowboy* - This was a really easy color to slick on without a mirror. Sometimes the formula felt a little too sticky for me, but most of the time I didn't mind it. I wouldn't repurchase it, but if I happened to get another mini, I would use it.

Tarte Clean Slate Flawless 12-Hour Brightening Primer* - This was in the $9 primer trio that Tarte released (I don't know if it is still available). This particular formula is meant for dry skin, and it did make me feel oily part way through the day. I used it up by using it on days when I was just running a couple of errands and not on busy work days. I won't repurchase this formula.

Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel Sensitive - This is a fantastic exfoliating mask. Even though this mask says "peel," it isn't a peel off mask. I'd be curious to try the full strength version of this, but a full size is somewhere around $45, and I haven't been willing to spend that much.

Physicians Formula Black Liner from the Nude Eyes Set* - I'm so excited to finish this liner off. I have so many black liners in my stash, so I'm glad to see one leave my collection. I did like this liner. It isn't as soft as an Urban Decay liner, but there are times when I don't mind that because it gives me a little more control about how intense it applies.

ELF Zit Zapper* - I didn't care for this. It's a salicylic acid treatment in a roller ball form. It didn't always dispense well out of the roller ball because it was a thicker gel-like formula. I won't repurchase it.

Meow Equilibrium Finishing Powder - I had this for a long time. It was a white finishing powder that was supposed to balance out your skin, similar to Tarte's claims about Amazonian clay. I ended up mixing this in with my Meow foundation powder because I've been preferring to use mineral foundation as my setting powder. This is a good powder, but I don't plan on repurchasing it.

Urban Decay Primer Potion* - This is my favorite eye primer. I have a jumbo and a full size of the old style bottle to work through. I will continue to repurchase it.

Silk Naturals Lovelace Blush sample* - This was a pretty light peach blush sample. I love their blushes, but this isn't a color I use often, so I won't be repurchasing it.

Silk Naturals Sleep in a Jar Light Peach - I use this product every day I do my makeup. It is a fantastic corrector.

Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme* - I've had this for way too long. It's an okay product. It's really thick, so I would only really use it at night when I was sitting in front of the TV. I don't plan on repurchasing it. If you have any good cuticle cream recommendations, please let me know!

L'Oreal Revitalift Deep-Acting Moisturizer - Nothing special.

Fekkai Shea Butter Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner - Nothing special.

Meow Ballerina blush sample - This was a really soft pink blush shade. It probably wouldn't show up on anything deeper than fair to light skintones. I have another sample of this, and I have too many other blushes to think about repurchasing it.

Silk Naturals Nekkid eye shadow sample - This is Silk Naturals version of MAC's Naked Lunch eye shadow. It was too peachy/orange for my taste. The formula was good, but I won't repurchase this color.

Sephora Creamy Body Wash pods in Strawberry, Coconut, and Vanilla - I bought these as fillers to get free shipping. They were handy to have and the scents were decent, but I don't plan on purchasing more (unless I need another filler product in the future).

That's it! You've made it to the end of my marathon empties post. Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: All of the products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Finished It!!! Volume 8

It's time for another round of showing off my trash. I'm excited about this one because I have a few items from my list of products I want to finish that I get to include (those products will be labeled with a star).

Let's get started:

The Body Shop Love Etc... Body Wash - I wasn't in love with the scent of this, and the lather seemed to disappear pretty quickly. I won't be rebuying.

Bath & Body Works Berry Vanilla Body Wash - I loved the scent and the lather is fantastic. I have several bottles of Bath & Body Works body wash left in my stash. I don't think I can get this scent again, but I will probably end up buying more of this product in the future.

The Body Show Satsuma Body Wash - This body wash smells amazing! The lather didn't last as long as I would like, and it didn't always do a good job of helping my razor glide along my legs (I don't use shaving creams). I probably won't repurchase.

Yardley London Vanilla Sugar Soap - I wanted to love this, but I'm just not a fan of bar soaps. Sadly, I have a couple more of these left to use or get rid of in some way.

 Bath & Body Works Cherry Blossom Lotion - This isn't the most moisturizing lotion formula, but it isn't bad. This is one of my favorite scents, and my fiance really likes it too.

Scentsations Vanilla Sugar Body Lotion - I got this at Kohl's a long time ago with a coupon. It is really watery and not very moisturizing. I won't be repurchasing from this brand.

Burt's Bees Radiance Body Lotion - While I like the idea of shimmery body lotions in theory, I hate them in practice. The shimmer gets everywhere and sticks on my hands much longer than I'd like after applying it. I won't be picking this up again.

Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion - This was a freebie from some Ulta order. It was okay, but it wasn't anything special. I don't plan on picking this up again.

Silk Naturals Kiss Cleanser - This is a holy grail product for me. It's a great, simple face wash. Silk Naturals suggest putting it in a foamer bottle that they sell and diluting it with a 70:30 ratio of water to cleanser, so one bottle lasts a long time. I already had a backup, and I will continue to repurchase it in the future.

Neutrogena Acne Stress Control 3-in-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment - I've used this for a long time, and it works well for me. I still have a couple of tubes of this in my stash.

Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Eye Cream - I like that this eye cream has retinol in it, but it wasn't quite moisturizing enough. I don't plan on repurchasing it.

Tarte Clean Slate Primer - This is the old formula and/or packaging. I liked it. I've got several other primers to use up and at least one other one that I want to try, but I might eventually repurchase this.

Lumene Double Stay Long-Lasting Makeup in Vanilla Meringue* - One of the major positives of this foundation is that it matches my skin. Unfortunately, it isn't easy to get here in the US. I ordered it off ebay when I bought it. I've got other foundations that are easier to get that match me, so I don't plan on getting this again.

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment - This was a freebie from Sephora. I was glad I got to try it, but it didn't seem overly moisturizing to me, and it was so soft that I had to depot it into a jar before I was even halfway through it. A full size is also really expensive. I won't be purchasing a full size.

Darling Girl Raspberry Mist Lip Balm - I really like Susan's lip balms. I love that she has so many flavor options. I've gone through several, and I will probably buy more in the future.

Yankee Candle Pomegranate Fruit Lip Balm* - I liked this balm well enough. I think the packaging is really cute since it looks like a mini candle, but it's also too bulky for someone who likes to keep her balm in her pants pocket. These aren't easy to find, so I probably won't pick this up again.

Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lip Gloss in Naked* - This was the mini that came with the Naked 2 palette. I really liked the color. I wasn't a huge fan of the consistency because it was a little too sticky. I won't buy a full size.

Perfume Samples in Marc Jacobs Daisy, Betsy Johnson Too Too pretty, and DKNY Pure - I already have a mini of the DKNY Pure. I don't plan on purchasing Daisy or Too Too Pretty (BTW: those two stopped spraying, so even though there is still perfume left, I can't get to it).

 Lots of Random Samples - I didn't love any of these. The only one really worth noting is the Silk Naturals Colt Eye Shadow Sample*. It's a nice color that is a dupe for Urban Decay's Darkhorse. Since I already have two full-size pans of Darkhorse, I feel no need to purchase the dupe.

Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Curl Boosting Mousse - This left my hair feeling too crispy. I'm glad to see it gone. I won't pick it up again.

Those are my empties! Have you finished up anything lately?

Products I Want to Use Up! Volume 1

I've had a container of products I want to use up sitting on top of my makeup table. After seeing carlyjeanx's video about products she wants to use up in 2013, I realized that would make a good blog post series.

Let me be clear that I'm not attempting a project pan here. I'm not going on a spending ban. I know I would fail miserably if I tried. I am trying to cut back on my beauty spending, but that's not the purpose of this.

My purpose here is to use up products that I would like to see go away or products that I have multiples of in my collection (like foundation, black eye liners, etc). I tried to pick things that I use daily or smaller sized items that I'm more likely to finish. I don't want to get frustrated with myself or get completely bored with the colorful products.

Let's take a look at what I'm currently working on:

Lumene Double Stay Long-Lasting Makeup in Vanilla Meringue

Confession: I finished this prior to getting this post written. I've already switched to a new foundation product: a Holika Holika BB Cream.

Revlon Photoready Perfecting Primer

There's no particular reason why I threw this into the mix except that I've got several primers, so I picked this one to try and finish up first.

Tarte Clean Slate Flawless 12 Hour Brightening Primer

I threw in this sample primer too because it's formulated for drier skin, so it makes my face look greasy before the end of the day. I try and use this on short work days or days when I'm just running errands.

Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark-Circle Roller

This product just won't die!!! I've been using this consistently for over a year now. I don't love it and don't plan on repurchasing, so I just want it gone. 

Darling Girl Cosmetics Sweet Lips on the Go Sugar'd Lip Scrub in Creme Brulee

I love this stuff. The best part is that you get to choose the flavor. I'm trying to use it up because I've had it around for a while and I don't want it to go bad.

Yankee Candle Lip Balm in Pomegranate Fruit

I like this lip balm well enough, but the size makes it a little awkward to put in my pocket. It's getting close to being gone, so I'm trying to finish it off.

Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lip Gloss in Naked - Mini Size

As you can see, this is almost gone. I have too many lip glosses in my collection, so I chose a mini size to try and use up first. After this one is gone, I'll probably work on another mini Lip Junkie.

Burt's Bees Radiance Body Lotion with Royal Jelly

I dislike lotion with shimmer in it, and this one has shimmer. It's small enough that it won't take me too long to get it out of my collection.

EcoTools Sustainable Softness Body Lotion

If you've followed me for a while, you probably know that I have a big stash of lotion since I end up mentioning it when I have a lotion in a finished it post. This is a small bottle, so I grabbed it to try and use up. I'm also not a big fan of the smell.

Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream 

I'm not in love with this cuticle balm, I've had it for a really long time, and I've hit pan on it. It's time for it to go. I've got a mini size of this to work on after this one is gone.

Silk Naturals Colt Eye Shadow Sample

This was a sample made for me by a friend. Colt is a dupe for Urban Decay's Darkhorse (By the way, Silk Naturals now has dupes for the Naked 1, Naked 2, and Naked Basics palettes). A friend sent this to me a long time ago. I have too many baggie samples in my collection. This will be a start in the right direction.

Physicians Formula Black Eye Liner (From the original Nude Eyes set) 

I have a lot of black eye liners in my collection because so many brands throw them into value sets. After I finished off a mini of Urban Decay's Zero (it'll be in my next finished products post), I pulled this one out as the next eye liner to finish off.

Hard Candy Pencil Concealer

This came with the Glam-o-flage concealer. I'm using it to brighten up my lower waterline. Even though the pencil is quite small, it's going to take me a long time to finish. I've used it a handful of times already, but I haven't had to sharpen it yet.

Urban Decay Primer Potion

I use this every day. I have a full size and a jumbo of this in the old-style packaging. This mini tube is almost gone.

Silk Naturals Naked Eye Shadow Sample

This is a dupe of MAC's Naked Lunch. At first look, you might this this little baggie would be easy to finish, but you would be mistaken. If you've had baggie samples like this, you'll know that they last through quite a few uses.

Silk Naturals Bone Eye Shadow

I pressed this a while ago. It's a nice browbone highlight, but it doesn't match my Wet n Wild Brulee, so I want to finish it off. My goal is to work my way through my matte highlight shades that aren't Brulee and then not purchase any more. For the quality and the price, I don't think anything else can beat it.

Silk Naturals Panache Cream Blush Sample 

This has been collecting dust, and it shouldn't be too hard to finish if I just grabbed for it regularly.

Silk Naturals Lovelace Blush Sample

This is a much brighter peach than it is appearing in the picture above. I'm not a big peach blush person, but I really like this one. The second picture was included to show how much product is in the jar. Again, it doesn't seem like a lot, but this will last through quite a few uses.

Meow Ballerina Blush Sample

Again, this baggie holds a deceptive amount of product. I'm hoping since the color is pretty light I can go through it faster than a brighter color because I'll be able to apply more of it.

Those are the products I'm working on right now. Do you try and focus on finishing specific products? What products are you working on finishing right now?

Finished it!!! Volume 5

I was hoping to get a couple more review posts up before posting another post about finished products, but I have a lot of stuff compiled, and I'd like to throw it all away. Here's what I've gone through (in no particular order):

Garnier Fructis Color Shield Shampoo and Conditioner samples - I got these as part of a Target Beauty Bag. I can't stray from my Nature's Gate Tea Tree Shampoo for long or else my scalp starts flaking, so I would never have considered buying the shampoo in full size. The conditioner did a nice job detangling my hair, which is the primary thing I have to look for in a conditioner, but I have other conditioners that I like better, so I will not be purchasing a full size of this either.

Pond's Original and Evening Soothe Wet Cleansing Towelettes - I've mentioned before that I primarily use makeup wipes for removing swatches from my hands and removing makeup before using a face mask. I only use it as my sole means of washing my face once in a blue moon when I am completely and utterly exhausted. Therefore, I'm not overly particular about these. These did well at the jobs I use them for, but I already have other wipes to use up, so I won't be repurchasing in the near future.

Bodycology Brown Sugar Vanilla Body Mist - Body sprays always sound like a good idea, but I don't use them as much as I should. I've had this one for way too long. I finished it up by using several spritzes before bed each night. I won't be repurchasing.

Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm - It has been so long since I used this balm on my lips, I honestly don't remember if I liked the texture or not. I think I did. The problem was, I swear I found an eyelash that wasn't mine stuck inside the balm. Ewww! After that, I stuck to using this on my cuticles to use it up. I have a bunch of other lip balms to use before I purchase any more.

Simply Lip Balms in Vanilla Mint and Pomegranate - I found these balms at Walgreens over the summer for around $1 each. I bought a few, tried one out for the day, and bought a bunch more the next day. I love that they have SPF 15. They have a smooth texture and don't feel heavy on the lips. My only real complaint is that they melt easier than any other lip balm I've owned. I had one in my pocket a few weeks ago on a warm (but not hot) day, and I had to move it to my purse because it got too soft to use. I don't have easy access to purchase these, but I would probably repurchase more if I happen to see them.

Bath & Body Works Country Chic Supercharged Body Scrub and Cream Body Wash - Both of these were a Christmas gift. I like the scent, and I started to like it more as I continued to use these, but it isn't my favorite. I liked the body scrub because it's a sugar scrub in a body wash base, so it wasn't an extra step. I was even able to use it to shave. The creamy body wash gave a nice lather, so I liked it too. Since I am finally getting close to the end of my stash of body washes and soaps, I may stock up at the January B&BW semiannual sale. I would buy both products again (in a different scent) if they had a good sale on them.

Giovanni Exfoliating Body Bar in Cool Mint Lemonade - I got this in a Meg's Makeup package over a year ago. The mint part of the scent was really subtle. I probably wouldn't have identified that there was mint in it if it wasn't written on the box. The overall scent also wasn't very strong. According to the box, crushed mint leaves and purified salt granules are what make this an exfoliating bar, but this doesn't provide a very strong exfoliation. Overall, this was a decent bar soap, but it wasn't anything special. I prefer body washes anyway, so I don't plan to purchase any more.

Physicians Formula Healthy Wear SPF 50 Powder Foundation in Translucent Light - I picked up three of these when they were 75% off at CVS. It is too dark for my winter complexion, but it became my go-to summer foundation. It gave enough coverage without feeling heavy, and it was quick to apply. I was a little dismayed to notice that if I was outside in the heat and sweating for an extended period of time, my face started to feel gritty. Not pleasant. It's also unfortunate that this product is no longer being sold in stores; it can only be purchased online. I still have two more, and I haven't decided if I like it enough to order more when I run out, which won't be until sometime next summer.

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Concealer in Radiant - This is a sheer to medium coverage concealer that I've already reviewed here. I liked this, but it wasn't a Holy Grail find for me, so I'm going to keep looking for something better.

Meow Sleek Siamese Concealer sample - If you aren't familiar with Meow cosmetics, their shades are classified by a breed (undertone) and an adjective (depth). Sleek is the second lightest shade. I typically wear Inquisitive, the lightest shade. This originally came in a sample baggie, and I decanted it into a jar. This works okay for me during the winter months, and it worked really well for me this summer. I really like this mineral concealer in general, and I already have a full size of my regular shade. I might need to repurchase samples of this shade next summer because my regular shade becomes too light. I would only get samples though because the samples alone last a really long time.

Silk Naturals Chocolate Cream Cuticle Balm - This cuticle balm had cocoa butter in it, which gave it a light chocolatey scent, which I loved. The texture in the pan went off slightly not long after I got it. The ingredients separated slightly, so it had more solid beads of product in a more oily, but still solid, base. It didn't affect the performance of the product though. It took a little bit of time for the product to soak into my cuticles, so I preferred using this while watching TV in the evening. It is currently not being sold on Silk Naturals website, so I don't have the option to repurchase.

DKNY Be Delicious perfume sample - I love the tart apple scent of this perfume. I recently bought a double-ended roller ball with this perfume and Be Delicious Fresh Blossom at Ulta. I also have two sample sets of Be Delicious NYC, London, Paris, and Rio.

Tarte Maracuja C-Brighter Eye Treatment - This was a preview item sent in a QVC set of Tarte items. It was a nice eye cream, and I enjoyed using it. This product hasn't been released yet, but I have a feeling a full size is going to cost more than I'll be willing to spend on it.

Wet n Wild Brulee Eye Shadow - I would consider this my Holy Grail browbone shade. I love that it is matte. It does a wonderful job of evening out my browbone and blending out the edges of my crease color. I already have a new one of these waiting in the wings. I'm trying to use up two shadows that are very similar in shade to this one though before I open the new one.

Nature's Gate Conditioners in Jojoba and Biotin - I love Nature's Gate hair products. I've used the Pomegranate Sunflower conditioner for a long time now. The last time I stocked up, I purchased a few other kinds to try. I didn't love the jojoba conditioner. It didn't detangle my hair as well as the others, so I won't be repurchasing it. I LOVED the biotin version though. It felt tingly on the scalp, which was a bit strange at first, but once I got used to it, I liked it. I'm also wondering if this conditioner is part of the reason why my hair has gotten back a lot of natural volume that it had lost until recently. I ordered more conditioner yesterday from drugstore.com, and I threw in two bottles of this type along with a couple of other types that I like.

Salon Grafix Conditioning Cleanser in Citrus Creme - This is my second bottle of this product. I love it. I can't use it all the time because my scalp will start to flake, but it is great for those lazy nights when I don't want to deal with shampoo and conditioner. I just put this on at the beginning of my shower and rinse it off after I've finished everything else. I haven't repurchased it yet, but I will be in the near future.

Organix Moroccan Curling Perfection Defining Cream - This is a nice cream to add a little bit of definition to the natural curl/wave that I have in my hair. It doesn't make my hair stiff at all. I already have a new bottle.

TRESemme Split Remedy Shampoo - This was another sample from a Target Beauty Bag. I honestly didn't noticed if it helped hide split ends. As I mentioned with the Garnier shampoo, I'm sticking to my Nature's Gate Tea Tree shampoo.

Neutrogena Ageless Restoratives Anti-Oxidant Moisture Night - I uncovered this in my skincare drawer recently. I had completely forgotten that I had it. The tube was almost gone, so I pulled it back out to use it up. I didn't notice anything special about it. I have other things that I'm trying to use up and other products that I want to try. I don't plan on repurchasing.

Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Moisturizer Night - I've used up two of these. I love the fact that this has retinol in it. As I just mentioned, I'm using up some other things in my stash, and I plan on testing out other products. I don't plan on repurchasing this for the time being.

Philosophy Hope in a Jar - I got this in a Sephora 500-point perk. I would prefer trying the oil-free version since I have oily skin. This worked okay, and it didn't break me out, but I didn't notice anything special enough to pay for a full size. If I got more of this in a skincare set or as a sample, I would use them though.

Garden of Wisdom Fruit Hydrating Mist in Peach - A makeup forum that I participate in had a traveling box of beauty products this summer. A group of generous ladies donated a bunch of products to get the box going, and it got passed from person to person. When you got the box, you got to choose was you wanted to remove from the box, and you had to replace those items with items comparable in price. This was one of the items that I took out. I used it as a face mist for after I applied my makeup in order to get rid of the powdery face look. It worked for that, but I'll stick with the rose water and setting spray that I have in the future.

That's it for now. I was really happy to finish up several makeup items lately. I was particularly happy to finish off the Physicians Formula powder foundation and the two concealer products. I have too many foundations, concealers, and powders in my collection, so it was nice to get rid of a couple of them.

Have you finished up anything recently?

Finished It!!! Volume 4

Yet again, time passed too quickly, and products accumulated into a larger pile than I intended. Here's what gets to go in the trash today:

Equate Sensitive Skin body wash - I bought this to mix with the I Love... body wash next to it. I wanted something that was fragrance free, and this served its purpose.

I Love... Raspberry & Blackberry body wash - The scent of this is AMAZING! I did a quick review of this body wash here. Basically, it didn't lather well, which is why I bought a body wash to mix with it. I won't buy this again, but I might eventually buy their lotions because the smell is that good.

Dove Deep Moisture body wash - I also bought this body was to mix with the I Love... one. It had too much of a scent to it though, so I just used it by itself.

Organix Macadamia Oil and Moroccan Argan Oil conditioners - These were nice conditioners. I finished them too long ago for me to remember which one I liked more (I think it was the Macadamia Oil one). I like my Nature's Gate conditioners more, but since I can't get those easily, these are on my list to repurchase if I'm in a pinch for more conditioner.

Silk Naturals Cocoa Butter Oatmeal scrub bars - These are a limited edition item that Silk Naturals has released twice, once for Valentine's Day and once for Christmas. The combination of the cocoa butter and the oatmeal left my skin feeling really soft. One bar (each pack came with two) lasted me 3-4 showers, so these are more of a treat item than an everyday thing. If they get released again, I might stock up.

CVS and Ponds Makeup Removing Wipes - I've mentioned before, I use these to remove makeup before a face mask or when I'm doing a swatching marathon. I don't use them in lieu of a face wash, so I'm not overly particular about them. I buy what is cheapest at the time.

The only one of these samples that I'm actually going to comment on is the Murad Pomegranate Exfoliating Mask. It is similar to the Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel Mask (Please note that I've only tried the sensitive version), but it is gentler. The smell is also more pleasant, so if you tried and didn't like the Juice Beauty mask because it was too harsh or the smell was too off-putting, you might want to give this one a try.

Neutrogena On-the-Spot Acne Treatment - This has been a staple in my skincare routine for a long time now. I haven't repurchased it though because I'm currently using the Acne.org benzoyl peroxide cream instead.




 Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Hydrating Acne Treatment - This is another staple in my routine. I'm testing out a Yes to Tomatoes salicylic acid treatment as a possible alternative.

Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer All Day Moisture Defense Lotion SPF 30 - I got this in Sephora's sun favorites kit from last summer. Even though it was oil-free, it seemed to make my skin slightly greasy, so I don't plan on repurchasing it. 

Napoleon Perdis Lavender hand cream - I received this last summer in a package from Meg's Makeup. If you are unfamiliar with Meg's Makeup, you can read about it (and my last package) here. I'm not currently seeing this hand cream on the Napoleon Perdis website. It was okay, but I didn't plan on repurchasing it because I believe it did retail for over $20.

Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Creme - This had an interesting jelly-like consistency. It felt like a really good foot cream. It took a long time to sink in, so it worked best when I put socks on after applying it. I won't repurchase it any time soon, but I might eventually.

Nivea Creme - I got this free because of a coupon issued by CVS. It was nice, but it wasn't a miracle product. I don't plan on repurchasing it at this point.

Please note that I'm lazy, and I declare lip balms as finished when I have them turned up as far as they will go and my lips rub against the plastic rim of the container. That's why these balms appear to have product left.

Darling Girl Creme Brulee lip balm - I love the feeling of these lip balms, and the scent/taste is fantastic. The only downsides are that they don't have an SPF, and they don't seem to last very long on my lips. I'll be repurchasing more of these in the future.

Yankee Candle Vanilla Cupcake lip balm - I liked this balm. Unfortunately, the twist up mechanism on the bottom of this one broke off, so I had an interesting time finishing this up. These aren't easy for me to find, and I don't feel compelled to hunt them down, so I might repurchase eventually if I happen across them, but I won't be heart-broken if I don't.

Silk Naturals Summer Fruit lip balm - I think this is a discontinued formula of Silk Naturals balms back from when they were experimenting with them, but I'm not positive. I enjoy the current SN balm formula, and I will repurchase them at some point, although probably not in this scent because I prefer others.

Urban Decay Primer Potion mini - UDPP works really well for me. It would be on my repurchase list if I needed to repurchase it. However, I have an extra large of the old bottle, a mini squeeze tube from a palette, and a full-sized Too Faced Shadow Insurance to work through first.






I was going to add in some products that I'm throwing out (I almost typed throwing up...Oops!), but this post is so large, I think those need to wait.

What products have you finished lately?

Finished Products!!!

I initially planned on waiting until the end February to do this post when I started collecting finished products around the middle of January. Well...The empty stuff has piled up to a point that it is irritating me, so I'm going to go ahead and do this early. In the future, I'll probably continue to post when the empties start piling up instead of posting on a regular schedule.

Here's a shot of everything in a basket:

Breakdown of the items that I've finished:

Burt's Bees Radiance Exfoliating Body Bar - I'm pretty sure I got this as part of a value kit of minis that was on clearance a while back. It lathered nicely, and I like how my skin felt after my shower. Since I tend to prefer body washes, I don't think I will be repurchasing this item.

Olay Ultra Moisture Body Wash with Shea Butter - I got this in a clearance value set from Wal-Mart after Christmas (can you tell I'm big on sale items?). This was a decent body wash, but it didn't really feel any more moisturizing than others that I have, and there wasn't much scent to it. Since would prefer something with more scent, I don't plan on repurchasing.

Bath & Body Works Triple Moisture Shower Cream in Midnight Pomegranate - Another sale item, I believe from B&BW's summer clearance sale. I liked this. I like the scent. The thing that I DIDN'T like was the packaging. As you can see from the picture above, the metallic paint on it started to flake off as I tried to get the last of the product out. Improved packaging and another good sale might induce me to buy more of these.

 Cosmedicine Healthy Cleanse Foaming Cleanser & Toner in One - Yet another clearance item. This one came from Walgreens back in September. This did a decent job of cleansing, but I don't think it did any better than my Silk Nautrals Kiss Foaming Cleanser, and I believe it is much more expensive at full price. I don't plan on repurchasing.

Silk Naturals Firming Moisturizer - A sweet woman on the Silk Naturals forum offered this up as a freebie to someone because it didn't work for her. I didn't notice any amazing results, and I'm liking the Neutrogena night moisturizer that I currently have with retinol in it, so I don't plan in purchasing this.

Burt's Bees Milk & Honey body lotion - This came from the same or a similar clearance value kit as the bar soap. I liked the smell, but the texture had gone off slightly. I had to shake it up before using it and once had to push clumps down from the neck of the bottle. I might repurchase in the future, but not before I make a major dent in my current stash of lotions.

Pink Bow Bath Boutique Silky Skin Souffle in Pink Sugared Buttercream Puff - I won this in a giveaway done by LipGlossFiend back in the fall. I don't remember if it still had a whipped texture when I got it, but by the time I got around to really using it, it was liquidy instead of whipped. I also, sadly, spilled most of this when I was trying to clean off the threads around the jar because the lid wasn't going on right.

Burt's Bees Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Creme - Another item from the clearance value kits. I think the texture on this had gone off slightly as well. It was better after I gave the jar a good stir with a toothpick. This was super thick, and if I used too much, it left my hands feeling tacky for way too long. I probably won't repurchase any time soon, but I might eventually try it again to see if a fresher jar works better.

Yes, I'm including these mini samples. These sorts of things clutter up my makeup area, so I still consider it a positive thing when I finally use them.

L'Oreal Magic Lumi Primer - I have oily skin, so I don't really need a luminizing primer. It felt nice though.

Silk Naturals Damsel sample - This was a pretty pink. I have too many lip products that I barely use though, so I don't plan on purchasing this one. It's better for me to work on the ones I have.

Holika Holika Peach Girl BB Cream - I got this sample when I ordered their Essential Petit BB Cream on Ebay. The color on this one wasn't bad. I don't know how this formula is different from the Essential one. It might be worth looking into though.

Infusium23 Moisture Replenisher - This was a sample that wasn't very effective because of the sample packaging. This was like water, so trying to put some on my hands and get it to my hair was challenging. I would assume a full size of this comes in a spray bottle. I don't really feel the need to look into it though.

Pore Clearing Fruit Smoothie mask - I got two uses out of this packet. It smelled good, and I liked how it felt on my skin. These sorts of packets are probably good options for me when I get caught up on my skincare stash because it takes me so long to get through a full size of a face mask product.

Korres Antiaging Primer - I had high hopes for this, but it broke me out. There's technically a little bit left in the sample pod (on the other side of the card), but I'm not putting it on my face again.

Essence of Beauty Buttercream Cupcake lip gloss - Okay...as you can see, the label is gone, so I'm guessing the on flavor a bit. It is some sort of cake scent. This was just a clear gloss that wasn't anything overly special.

Badger Balm Tangerine Breeze lip balm - This is a really nice balm. It would be even better if it had an SPF. I have a couple of other flavors of this in my stash that I will enjoy using, and I will likely purchase more of these in the future.

Kiss My Face Vanilla Honey lip balm - This balm has an SPF 15, which is great. This balm has a thicker consistency than others in my collection, which feels really good sometimes, and other times it feels goopy. I have a couple more of these in my stash (I am a lip balm addict). Especially because of the SPF, I can see myself replacing these when they are gone.

Avon Glazewear Shine lip gloss in Iced Pink - This was an easy-to-wear shade. I could apply it without a mirror. The gloss felt smooth and wasn't sticky. I would be interested in trying more of this formula in the future.

Tarte Park Avenue Princess Bronzer mini - I'm doing a minor cheat here. I actually have about 2-3 days left of this product, but I scraped what was left of it into a jar a few weeks ago. I use this every day I wear makeup, so it should be gone within the week, and I'd like to get rid of this container now instead of hanging on to it for my next post on finished products. This is a decent bronzer for lighter skin tones. I would prefer something matte, but the shimmer in this isn't overwhelmingly obvious. I have another mini of this that I'll probably use, but I don't plan on purchasing this myself (both of my minis came in value sets that I purchased).

I have never actually finished a mascara. However, these are ones that I'm tossing, so I figured I would include them in this post.

Tarte Lights, Cameras, Lashes mascara - I've mentioned on here more than once that I don't care for this mascara. This tube was my last shot at liking it. Sadly, I have multiple tubes of this in my stash because they keep coming in Tarte sets that I buy. If you like this mascara, keep an eye out for future giveaways here because you'll probably see those tubes there.

Flirt! Big Flirt Thickening mascara - This mascara was a little bit clumpy, but recently it has started to get worse. Since I have quite a few backup mascaras in my stash, I figured it was time for this one to go.

Wet & Wild Mega Protein mascara - This mascara has a really wet formula. I probably ended up with mascara on my browbone every time I applied it. I don't think it did much in terms of lengthening or volume, and I didn't use it enough to know if it would have helped my lashes grow.

Are you working on finishing up any products? If you do these sorts of posts, feel free to link to them in the comments. I love reading these types of posts because they motivate me to try and work through my stash.