Products I Want to Use Up - 2014 - Update

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

I've been meaning to do an update on the list of products I've been trying to use up, and I finally got around to taking the pictures for it. If you want to see my original post, you can find it here.

Here's what I've finished:

• Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer
• Hard Candy Concealer Pencil
• Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil in CIA
• ELF shadow from the Day to Night Palette (white with gold shimmer)
• Stila Lip Glaze in Splendor
• Chapstick Lip Balm in Cake Batter
• Silk Naturals blush sample in Candie 
• Silk Naturals blush sample in Tart Light
• Stila Smudge Stick in Anglefish

I did a lot better than I thought. I had forgotten how many items I actually finished since I tend to add a new product when something gets finished. 

Now for the things that I'm still working on and the new things that I've added to my list.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Balancing Foundation in Fair - It's hard to tell because of the opaque tube, but I've made a lot of progress on this foundation. It's the one I've been using every day. I'm guessing I have less than a month left in the tube.

Nars Sheer Matte Foundation in Siberia - Since I've been using the Tarte foundation, I haven't really made progress on this one.

bareMinerals Prime Time Foundation Primer - This is my last foundation primer sample, so I want to use it up before starting in on my full size primers.

Benefit Erase Paste in Fair - I'm really excited to say that I've hit the bottom of the jar on this one. It'll probably still last for quite a while, but I'm still happy to see some progress.

Tarte Park Avenue Princess Bronzer - This is so close to gone. After I took this picture, I broke up what was left and put it in an empty loose minerals jar. It's making it easier to get to the last of the product.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Concealer in Fair - I'd like to get this concealer out of my collection because it separates in the tube. I was honestly quite disappointed with this concealer. I end up squeezing some into a clean jar so I can use a brush to mix it together.

Too Faced Wrinkle Injection Extreme Wrinkle Filler - I haven't made as much progress with this as I should. I still forget to use it more often than not.

Milani eye shadow in French Vanilla (largest pan) - The amount of pan showing on this has gotten a lot bigger. It's still going to take a long time to finish, but I don't mind using it, so that doesn't bother me.

Everyday Minerals eye shadow in Funnel Cake (darker brown) - There's a little more pan showing, but I tend to forget to use this one when I grab a palette with a crease color in it.

Silk Naturals eye shadow in Shantung (smallest pan) - This is an old gift with purchase shade. I picked it because it is such a small pan. I'm hoping it won't take too long to finish.

Everyday Minerals eye shadow in Driftwood (lighter brown) - I haven't really made any visible progress with this shadow.

Everyday Minerals eye shadow mix of Good China and Queen Anne's Lace - I pulled this shadow out because it is an easy lid shade. There's a speck of pan showing.

Tarte fRxtion Lip Scrub and Balm - This is getting to the point where it is a little annoying. I already had a bit of the exfoliator break off, which is something I expected. I don't think this will stay usable for much longer before the bulk of it breaks off.

Sassy blush sample in Cosmopolitan and Silk Naturals Mineral Glow in Crinoline - In hindsight, these weren't the best choices for the spring and summer season. I'm gravitating towards brighter blushes at the moment.  These would take me a while to finish anyway, so we'll see how it goes.

Tarte double-ended lip liner - I keep forgetting to use this before I run out the door in the morning, so my progress has been minimal.

Stila eye liners in Stargazer, Oscar Fish, Tetra, and Moray - Oscar Fish (the brown one) is actually gone. I finished it between the time that I took these pictures and the time I got around to writing this post. These drive me crazy because I can't check to see how much is left in them. They don't roll back down once they are scrolled up.

Urban Decay 24/7 eye liners in Whiskey and Rockstar - I've been focusing on the Stila liners, so I haven't really made any progress with these.

Stila Smudge Crayon mini in Smoke - I added this to my list, tried it once, and I might end up abandoning it. The shade is a bit too dark for me to regularly use as a shadow base, but I think it is too light to use as a liner. We'll see.

Stila Smudge Pot in Kitten - This is ambitious. I haven't even made a dent in this yet. The color is much easier than Smoke to use as a shadow base.

bareMinerals Prime Time Eye Shadow Primer sample - I'm liking this eye shadow primer. I've maybe got a week or two left of it before I go back to my standard Urban Decay Primer Potion.

Sassy eye shadow in Embellish - This is a small eye shadow sample that I've already made a bit of a dent in, so I'd like to finish it off. Like the Stila Smudge Crayon, it's a bit darker than what I normally wear during that day, so I'll be mixing it with other colors to make it more wearable for me.

Jordana LipShine in Banana Cream and Sugar Cookie - I love the scent of these, and I like the feel of them too. Sadly, the colors just aren't flattering on my lips. I'm going to try and use them up on the weekends and when I'm just hanging out around the house.

ELF Studio Translucent Mattifying Powder - I bought this a long time ago thinking I would use it for touch-ups during the day. I haven't been using it, so I pulled it out of my purse to use in the morning when I'm getting ready. I scraped this powder out of the pan after this picture so I could mix it with the other powders that I have and like more. 

I'm pretty proud of what I've finished and the progress I've made on the items that I haven't finished yet. I hope to keep the momentum going throughout the rest of this year. 

Are you trying to finish any products? 

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

Products I Want to Use Up - 2014

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

Last year I did a couple of posts about products I wanted to use up. It went okay. Looking back, I thought I had done more updates than I actually did.

I'm going to try it again this year.

When I went through and picked out the products that I plan on working on, there were a couple of things I looked at. Some of the products were chosen because they are products in which I've already made a big dent. I also chose products that were getting old.

Another motivation for doing this is to get rid of some of the products I own that aren't cruelty-free.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Balancing Foundation in Fair - I've had this for a really long time, and you can see in the picture that I've used a lot of it, so I'd like to go ahead a finish this off.

Nars Sheer Matte in Siberia - This foundation is in the same boat. I've had it for a while, and it is about half gone, so I want to try and finish this one too. I know using up both will take a while.

Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer - I have several full-sized primers in my collection, so I decided to use up all of my mini sizes. This is the last mini size that I have. It's hard to see in the picture, but it is about half gone already.
 

Benefit Erase Paste in Fair - Benefit isn't a cruelty-free company, so I'd like to get this gone. I would guess I have about a third of this left.

Tarte Park Ave Princess Bronzer - I have a lot of bronzers, so I'm taking the same approach that I took with my primers. I'm using up my mini ones first. I'm just about to hit pan on this one.

Hard Candy Concealer Pencil - This little pencil came with the Glamoflage Concealer, which I threw out a long time ago. I've been using this to clean up the edges of my lips. I can't sharpen it anymore, so it should be finished in the next week or so.

Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil in CIA - I've had this for a long time, and it seems like it is drying out a little bit. It's crumbled a couple of times when I've tried to sharpen it. I've really like it though, and I might repurchase it once I work through some other concealers first.

Too Faced Wrinkle Injection Extreme Wrinkle Filler - I got this in a swap a long time ago, and I tend to forget to use it.

Milani Eye Shadow in French Vanilla (largest pan) - I need to work my way through my extra matte browbone shades. Wet n Wild's Brulee is my absolute favorite, so I'd like to clear the clutter and stick with that one in the future.

ELF Shadow from the Day to Night Palette (triangular pan) - I pulled this out as a shadow to use up a while ago because the pan is relatively small. It's a cream with gold shimmer that I can use on the inner corners of my eyes nearly every day.

Everyday Minerals Eye Shadow in Funnel Cake (darker brown) - I have a ton of mineral eye shadows that I've pressed, and I don't use them often enough. I pulled this out because it is an easy crease shade. It does have some shimmer, but it doesn't show when applied.

Everyday Minerals Eye Shadow in Driftwood (lighter brown) - Another pressed mineral eye shadow. Again, I chose it because it is an easy color to use.

Stila Lip Glaze in Splendor - I was really sad when it came out that Stila is no longer cruelty-free. This is an easy gloss to throw on, so I hope I can finish it relatively quickly.

Chapstick Lip Balm in Cake Batter - Chapstick isn't cruelty-free either, so this will be living in my pants pockets until it is gone. I have another Chapstick balm to go through after this one.

Tarte fRxtion Lip Scrub and Balm - Another old product. The darker side is the sugar scrub, and the white side is the balm. I have a feeling this will break off before I can finish it.

Silk Naturals Blush Samples in Candie and Tart Light - I have a lot of mineral blush samples sitting around, so I pulled out a couple to work on. 

Tarte Double-Ended Lip Liner - I got this at the same time that I got the lip scrub. The colors are okay, but I'm much more likely to swipe on a balm or gloss.

Stila Smudgestick Eye Liners - Again, with Stila's change in cruelty-free status, I'd like to clear out what I can. Eye liners are easier to go through than powder products, and these colors are pretty easy to wear, so I'm going to try and wear them as much as possible to finish them off.

Urban Decay 24/7 Liner Pencils in Whiskey and Rockstar - It should be pretty obvious why these made the list. They are nearly gone to begin with, so I might as well use them up.

Those are all the things that I specifically pulled to use up. I've already mentioned that I'm working on my stash of lotions too. I didn't add in any pictures of them because I'm going through them relatively quickly using them twice a day on my arms and legs.

Are you trying to use anything up in the new year?

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

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.

Products I Want to Use Up! Volume 2

It's been just over a month since my first post of products I want to use up, and I've made some really good progress. It seemed like time to give an update.

Here was my original list with the finished products crossed out:

Lumene Double Stay Long-Lasting Makeup in Vanilla Meringue
Revlon Photoready Perfecting Primer
Tarte Clean Slate Flawless 12 Hour Brightening Primer
Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark-Circle Roller
Darling Girl Cosmetics Sweet Lips on the Go Sugar'd Lip Scrub in Creme Brulee
Yankee Candle Lip Balm in Pomegranate Fruit
Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lip Gloss in Naked - Mini Size
Burt's Bees Radiance Body Lotion with Royal Jelly
EcoTools Sustainable Softness Body Lotion
Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream
Silk Naturals Colt Eye Shadow Sample
Physicians Formula Black Eye Liner (From the original Nude Eyes set)
Hard Candy Pencil Concealer
Urban Decay Primer Potion Mini
Silk Naturals Naked Eye Shadow Sample
Silk Naturals Bone eye Shadow
Silk Naturals Panache Blush Sample
Silk Naturals Lovelace Blush Sample
Meow Ballerina Blush Sample

I've gone through and taken pictures of everything again and added in new items. I shot pictures of the old items to show my progress. I did forget to take a picture of the Bone eye shadow, which I've hit pan on.

Here's a look at my new list:

Bath & Body Works Night-Blooming Jasmine Body Splash

As you can probably tell, this is really old. When they were originally discontinuing this scent, I stocked up. Little did I know that they would keep pulling it out during their semi-annual sale. I've still got another full bottle of this.

Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil Roller Ball

The reason for me wanting to finish this one off is pretty obvious from the second picture. The cap is busted, so I have to be very careful to keep it upright: otherwise, it leaks. I use this as a cuticle oil.

ELF Zit Zapper

I'm not a huge fan of this, especially being a roller ball. I'm trying to use it up by putting it on bumps and ingrown hairs that I constantly get on my legs and arms.

Revlon Photogready Perfecting Primer

I haven't made a lot of progress on this. My skin was acting up and being really dry, so I cut back on using a primer for a while.

Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark-Circle Roller

This is the product that just won't end, and it taunts me because I can't see how much is left. *sigh*

Holika Holika Essential Petit BB Cream

This is the foundation product that I'm now trying to finish off. I squeezed the extra air out of it to show its current usage.

Mario Badescu Summer Shine Body Lotion

Darn shimmery lotions. This is the only one I have left.

Yankee Candle Lip Balm in Root Beer Float

Yep, I'm working on another one of these.

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

This is getting really close to being gone!

Urban Decay Lip Junkie Lip Gloss Mini in Crush (From Roller Girl Palette)

I'm really proud of myself here. You all know that I finished the mini Lip Junkie in Naked. I've also got a mini Lip Junkie in Midnight Cowboy that is on its last legs (it is so close to gone that it seemed silly to put in this post).

Urban Decay Primer Potion

This seems like it is really close, but it could last a lot longer than I expect.

Urban Decay 24/7 Liner Pencil in Rockstar

I really love this color. It's a great color that looks neutral. I have another mini and a full size in my stash, so I might as well try and get this one gone.

Hard Candy Pencil Concealer

It doesn't look like I've made much progress on this one. It's going to last forever!

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

The second picture shows all that I have left of this liner. It's almost there!!!

Silk Naturals Panache Blush Sample

I think I've only used this once in the past month. I need to work on that.

Meow Uncharted Eye Shadow Sample

I added a little bit of another color into this a long time ago. It's lighter than the original. It's been hanging around way too long.

Meow Cat in a Tree Eye Shadow Sample

This is another one that has been hanging around too long. I used to use this regularly as a liner, and I need to get too it again to get it gone.

Silk Naturals Lovelace Blush Sample

I haven't made much progress on this one since the last post either.

Silk Naturals Maybe Baby Blush Sample

This is just another sample that I pulled out of my stash to finish off.

Final Thoughts

Well, that's my updated list. It looks daunting, but it isn't too bad considering I'm not giving myself a time limit, and I'm not sticking myself on a no-buy until these are all finished. It's just a way for me to try and declutter my stash.

What are you trying to finish up?

Products I Threw Away

When I did my last post about products that I finished, I also took pictures of products that I am going to throw away. Notice that I didn't say that I have thrown them away. They have been sitting in a box in my office ever since. Maybe if I do this post, I'll actually let them go in the garbage.

Clearly Natural Essentials Lilac soap - I think my main problem with this soap is that I let it sit for too long. I had it for over a year before I used it. When I did start using it, it didn't smell like lilac anymore (if it ever did). I tried using it, but I finally just gave up.

Meow Snarky blush sample - I normally throw samples like this into my swap box, but due to some stroke of brilliance (please note the sarcasm), I dumped it all into a swirl bowl before I decided that I didn't really like how the color looked on me.

ELF lipsticks - I got these in a swap. I don't really wear lipsticks, and these are starting to look funky around the edges. I would be scared to use them. I never tried them, so I can't comment on the formula.

Everyday Minerals Soft Bronzer - This pulled too orange on me. Again, I had decanted it into a larger jar than it originally came in, and it would be too much work to get it back into a container that would be good for swapping.

Revlon Grow Luscious mascara - This mascara felt tacky to me long after it dried. It drove me nuts.

ELF mascara - This was either a terrible mascara or it was so old that it had pretty much dried up by the time I used it. I could barely get any color on my lashes, let alone any length or volume.

Urban Decay Supercurl mascara - It's been a while since I used this, but I think this was another mascara that felt tacky all day.

Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer SPF 50 - I didn't like this and stopped using it so long ago that the SPF had expired.

Jordana Squeeze n' Shine gloss in Lollipop - This gloss looked gorgeous in the tube, and I bought it on clearance. Unfortunately, it felt really goopy on the lips.

Got2b Playful cream pomade - I have no idea how long I've had this stuff. I don't use anymore, and I'm tired of having it sitting around.

Aromaleigh Color Infusion Botanical lipstick in Sassy - This was another item I got in a swap. I got it a couple of years ago, so it's time for this to go away.

Everyday Minerals Lavender pressed eye shadows - This pressed palette smells like crayons, which is an indication that it has gone bad. I might keep the compact around for potential future pressing.

Everyday Minerals Fairly Light pressed foundation - This doesn't have the crayons smell, but I've had it for about as long as the pressed shadows. I got it in a swap, and it's too dark for me. Again, I might keep the compact.

ELF Cream Shadows - I got these last year through a deal on Target.com. I think I spent $2 total for both compacts (with free shipping). When I ordered them, the site description said they were cream liners, so I was surprised to see that they were cream shadows when they arrived. They are useless. They crease in two seconds (maybe 5 with a powder shadow on top).

While this doesn't make a noticeable dent in my makeup collection, it's nice to get getting rid of products that I don't use. I need to pull more things for swapping as well. I'm one of those people who tends to keep things around thinking that I might figure out some way to use it in the future, and I rarely do.

Are you good about cleaning out your stash? Do you regularly throw out, swap, or give away items that you don't use?

What's in My Travel Makeup Bag?

A few weeks ago, I made the 6 hour trek to visit my family and attend the annual family picnic. Being the person that I am, I over-packed. I think I had twice as many clothes as I actually needed. My fiance refers to me as a boy scout when it comes to packing because I will pack anything and everything I think I might need. I have a large duffel bag that I use to pack my clothes, and it is a rare trip when it isn't completely full. I figure that if I have the room, I might as well use it and give myself options.

The same can be said about my makeup bag. I will fill it as full as I can without straining the zippers. Here's what I took with me for this trip, which included a day of shopping and a day sitting outside with my extended family.

 This is the bag I typically use. I got it last year at Target. It is by Sonia Kashuk, and I think it cost around $20. You can maybe see in this picture that it has three zippered compartments. The reason I originally liked this bag is that the top one has an elastic pocket with a protective flap for brushes. In a dream world, I would prefer that the sides were made of something more solid so they stood up better. It would also be nice if they separated completely. Overall though, this is a great bag that works really well for my traveling needs.

The top section is the one designated for brushes. Some people might not like that it is just one big pocket for brushes, but I like it because I don't have to worry about whether or not a brush handle will fit into a designated slot. On the left, you can also see that there's a zippered pocket that is really nice for smaller, random items.

Here's what I had in the zippered pocket. I bring extra hair ties, just in case (remember: boy scout). I throw in Q-tips for blending, and I bring tweezers for any stray hairs that I need to take care of. I threw in three lip products: Revlon Kissable Balm Stains in Sweetheart and Smitten and the new Tarte LipSurgence pencil that is also named Smitten that I got in a recent QVC TSV. I threw in a couple of perfume roller balls in Pacifica Island Vanilla and Clean Shower Fresh.

Here's a better look at the brushes I took. I like to take enough eye brushes that I could use a new brush every day if I switch colors. Yes, I realize that's excessive, but there's room, so I go for it. From left to right they are: Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, Tarte Airbrush Finish Bamboo Foundation Brush, Real Techniques Stippling Brush, ELF concealer brush, Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush, an Eco Tools shadow brush, Real Techniques Accent Brush, Everyday Minerals eye liner brushes (3), ELF Studio Contour brushes (3), and Everyday Minerals shadow brushes (3).

Here's a look at the second level of my makeup bag. I generally use this section for eye products. As you can see, it has quite a bit of room. For reference, my Naked palette fits quite nicely in there, and I can still throw in more products.

This is a closer look at the eye products that I took with me (clockwise starting on the far left): Laura Geller baked shadows in Sand and Sea, NYX matte shadow in Tryst, NYX shadow in Flamingo, Urban Decay Rollergirl Palette, Too Faced Shadow Insurance, Napoleon Perdis Mesmer-Eyes mascara, Silk Naturals Molten cream eye liner, Silk Naturals eye liner palette, and Wet n Wild Brulee eye shadow.

Finally, this is the bottom layer of my bag. I use this layer for face products. Again, it has plenty of room, allowing me to over-pack even more stuff.

Here are the face products I took (going clockwise starting in the top left corner): Tarte Maracuja Miracle Foundation in Fair, jumbo pencil sharpener, Skindinavia 10 Years Younger makeup finishing spray, Everyday Minerals kabuki brush, Physician's Formula Healthy Wear SPF 50 Powder Foundation in Translucent Light, Silk Naturals Sleep in a Jar Light Peach, Meow Sleek Siamese concealer, Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch concealer in Radiant, Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark-Circle Roller, Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil in CIA (old formula), Milani Minerals blush in Mai-Tai, and Physician's Formula Happy Booster Blush in Rose.

I didn't even get close to using everything I took, but I wasn't wishing for anything either.

What is your packing style? Do you over-pack like me or do you pack the bare minimum?

Best of 2011 - Eyes

This is the last of my posts on my favorite products from 2011. There are a lot of eye products that I love, but these were the ones that stood out to me just because I reach for them so often. 

Urban Decay’s Naked Palette – Okay. This isn’t really a shock. Nearly everyone loves this palette. It is just really easy to use while still giving a lot of look options. When I travel, I usually grab this. I doubt anyone actually needs to see a picture of it, but here it is anyway:

 Urban Decay’s Suspect eye shadow – I got this in the Book of Shadows volume III, and I got another one in the Rollergirl palette (which is what is pictured here). I’ll be getting a third in the Naked 2 palette. I like this color enough that I'm happy with having three of it. It is a great lid color for me. It is one of those shadows that I can just throw on to add some depth and color to my lids without worrying about it being too dark. When I want to go really subtle, I'll use this as a crease color with Verve on the lid. I could also use this as a lid color with Smog or Darkhorse in the crease for a smokier look (I have to try that now). If you're fair skinned, definitely give this color a swatch if you see it. Here's my quick swatch without primer:

Wet & Wild Brulee eye shadow – This is the perfect highlight shade for me. I love it because it helps me blend out my crease color, which always tends to go higher than I would like. It also evens out the color of my browbone without being obvious. Looking at it closely, I can see tiny flecks of shimmer, but when applied, it looks matte, so it is great for super shimmery looks. As you can see, I've hit pan, and I bought this sometime during the spring or summer. I rarely hit pan on things, so that says something about this product.

EcoTools Blend eye shadow brush (from their 6 piece eye shadow kit) – This works really well for applying Brulee. It is fluffy enough to sort of buff on the color and help blend my crease color, but it is dense enough to lay down enough product to even out my browbone area. I use this brush every day.

 I have two of these brushes, and they are a little different. I prefer the top one because it is less flat than the one on the bottom. I feel like it blends better, but I do still use them both.

ELF Studio Contouring brush – This is the perfect crease brush for me. I typically have issues with crease colors going too high and too far out. This keeps my crease color where I want it better than other crease brushes I’ve tried, but it is big enough to blend out the color too. I’ve got four of these brushes, and I’m always tempted to buy another one when I am in a Target. 

Silk Naturals Cream Eyeliner Palette – This was released as a limited edition item in the spring, and it was rereleased for Christmas. It has 9 mini pans of SN’s cream liners – Midnight (navy blue), Fort Knox (gold), Peacock (teal green), Mahogany (shimmery brown), Espresso (matte dark brown), Amethyst (purple), Tarnish (steel grey), Envy (khaki green), and Film Noir (black). I love the texture of these. They are stiffer than most cream/gel liners, so I have to swipe an angled liner brush across the top instead of dipping a brush in like you do with most cream/gel liners. I like that it is pretty much impossible to get too much product on my brush because it is so stiff. Most days, I don’t bother setting this with powder (which is recommended by SN), and aside from the outer corners of my eyes, which usually fades to nothing by the end of the day, it stays put. This palette retails for $19.99, which is a great value because these liners will last you a really long time. I've barely made a dent in the two colors (the browns) that I use most often. 

What eye products have you been loving over the past year? What should I try during 2012?