Showing posts with label Dr. Bronners. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dr. Bronners. Show all posts

Friday, August 2, 2013

Finished It!!! Volume 10

Disclosure: There is nothing to disclose in this post.

I've had a little bit of motivation over the past couple of days. I've been trying to organize a little better in my office and declutter. Since I also had to take a few blog pictures of new products, I figured I would do an empties post too.


John Frieda Luxurious Volume and Sheer Blonde Highlight Activating Conditioners - If you have a good memory, you might remember that I had a tube of the Luxurious Volume conditioner in my last post of finished products, and I said that it was good but I wouldn't buy it again unless there was a good deal. Well...there was a good deal. I believe the deal was to buy one John Frieda hair dye and get a hair care or styling product for free. On top of that, I had a coupon for the John Frieda hair dye AND got a CVS coupon for hair dye. Score! I still feel the same. I would repurchase either of these if there was a fantastic deal.


Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Shampoo and Conditioner - I didn't buy these. A friend of mine gave me a bag of stuff that she didn't like, and these were in there. They were maybe half full when she gave them to me. They were okay, but I mostly just mixed them in with shampoo and conditioner that I have and like better to finish them. I won't purchase them for myself.


Renpure Solutions Cleansing Conditioner in Rosemary Mint - I finished this a while ago. I liked it well enough. It wasn't life-changing. It did the job. I've said before with cleansing conditioners that I keep them around for those nights when I'm feeling really lazy and don't want to deal with two products. I would buy this again if it was a good deal.

Organix Moroccan Argan Creme Conditioner - I bought this in a pinch. I mentioned in a previous post that I had to make a trip to visit my mom that ended up lasting longer than I expected. I ran out of conditioner, so I went to the drugstore and grabbed this. I liked it a lot. Again, this is another product I would repurchase if there was a good deal on it.


HerStyler Shampoo - These were sold at a kiosk in the mall. I got them last summer with a serum and a bottle of conditioner. I didn't really want them. These did spark my brainstorm that I could add tea tree oil to shampoos like this that don't already have it to help keep my flakes at bay. These wouldn't worth the price they "retail" for. I try and avoid those kiosks like the plague because I hate the hard sell that they do.

Kronos Liquid Theory Conditioning Detangler - This is another product that I got last summer. It was in a swap box a group of friends and I passed around. I remember that it was an expensive product because I researched it to make sure I exchanged it with something of similar value. It was nice but not amazing, and I have a couple of other less expensive leave-in conditioners in my stash. I won't go out and purchase this on my own.


Dr. Bronner's Hemp Lavender Pure-Castile Soap - I love the almond version of this soap. It has become my standard hand soap in my bathrooms. The lavender scent was okay, but it wasn't my favorite. I'll continue purchasing Dr. Bronner's soaps, but I don't know that I will buy the lavender scent again.

Bath & Body Works Signature Vanillas Shower Gel in Berry - I really like Bath & Body Works shower gels. They foam up really well and I enjoy the scents. I really liked the Signature Vanillas line, but it is sadly discontinued. I think I have one or two more bottles from the line left in my stash.


Neutrogena Acne Stress Control 3-in-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment - This has been a standard in my skincare routine for a while now. I have a couple more of these in my stash as backups because I can't find this in my area, so when I get it, I stock up.

Clean & Clear Advantage Mark Treatment - I bought this because it was on clearance. I didn't like it as much as the Neutrogena one. I don't know if this product still exists, but I wouldn't repurchase it anyway.

Philosophy Miracle Worker Miraculous Anti-Aging Retinoid Eye Repair - This was a deluxe sample from Sephora. It didn't work miracles for me. I won't be purchasing a full size.

Benefit Refined Finish Facial Polish - This was okay. I have face scrubs that I love a lot more than this. I also have to give a short complaint about the packaging. The plastic of the tube was so stiff that it made it practically impossible to get the last of this scrub out.

Simply Lip Balm in Acai Berry - This is the last of these lip balms from my stash. I bought a bunch of them last summer. I would repurchase more if I could only find them!

Darling Girl Cosmetics Sweet Lips On the Go Sugar'd Lip Scrub in Creme Brulee - I loved this product!!! It's a lip scrub in a tube, which makes it really convenient. Not only that: you get to pick the flavor. I haven't repurchased it yet because I've got another lip scrub I'm trying to use up, but I will repurchase it in the future.


Mystery Face Powder - I know the jar says Meow Cosmetics Pampered Puss Mineral Foundation. I finished that off a long time ago (and have another one that I'm using now). However, I refilled this jar with other powders. I think the base was Meow's fuller coverage foundation in a shade darker than I normally use. I then mixed in other random face powders that I had around. It was wonderful to finish it off, even if I can't remember what exactly was in it.

The Body Shop Peppermint Smoothing Pumice Foot Scrub - When my friend gave me the Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner, she gave me this. I already used up one of these. It's not very exfoliating and doesn't do much for my feet. I won't purchase a full size.


Mario Badescu Whitening Mask - The was a sample. I only got one use out of it. I have no idea if it did anything for my skin, and I've had other MB mask samples dry out on me. I don't use masks all that often, so I don't think I'll purchase a full size of any of them.

Luxury Lane Soap Whipped Up Sugar Scrub in Blackberry Tea - I got this small jar as part of a tester program. I loved this stuff! I purchased a full size already in a different scent. I really enjoyed the Blackberry Tea scent; I just wanted to try other scents. I can see this becoming a staple in my shower.


Samples - I don't think I have much of anything to say about these. The jar was Meow's Cat in Tree eye shadow, which was a shimmery deep green.

There we go...more stuff to go in the trash. I need to get back into working on the products that I want to finish. With the summer, I haven't been wearing makeup very often, so I've hit a bit of a wall on finishing those things. School (aka: work for me) is starting back up in a couple of weeks, so maybe that will help...

Have you cut back on wearing makeup this summer too? Have you finished anything lately?

Disclosure: There is nothing to disclose in this post.

Monday, May 20, 2013

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.