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. 

Finished It!!! Volume 10

Disclaimer: Most of the products in this post were purchased by me. A few were giveaway prizes, were given to me by a friend, or were promotional freebies. All opinions are my own. I have included my referral link for The Honest Company. 

I'm working on editing pictures from my big holiday set hauls. Sadly, there seem to be some that I need to retake because they are blurry. I hate when that happens. I wish I had been able to get more of them up during Sephora's VIB sale, but that's life. 

In the meantime, I've been trying to clean my office (again). One of the things that I need to do is get rid of the pile of empties that have accumulated. 

The Body Shop Strawberry Shower Gel - I bought this during The Body Shop's Cyber Monday sale last year. The smell was okay. I wasn't in love with how well the lather lasted. I don't plan on repurchasing.

Dr. Bronner's 3-in-1 Hemp Almond Pure-Castile Soap - I use this for hand soap. I put it in a foaming bottle with about 1/2 to 2/3 of the bottle being water, which means this huge bottle lasted a long time. I recently started using Dr. Bronner's soap as a face wash too. I'll get back to you on how that works for me.

Macadamia Rejuvenating Shampoo - Over the summer Target had Macadamia sets that were essentially by-one-get-one free. Otherwise, I wouldn't have bought the shampoo because I need shampoo that combats a flaky scalp, but I came up with the solution of adding tea tree oil directly into the shampoo in order to use it. Since this shampoo is quite expensive (retail is $21 for this size bottle) and it doesn't meet my hair needs, I won't be repurchasing it. 

Alba Botanica Very Emollient Cream Shave in Mango Vanilla - I stopped using a special shaving product several years ago; I just use my shower gel to shave. I'd heard good things about this cream shave on YouTube, so I figured I would give it a try. While I an understand why people like it, it wasn't for me. It was really thick, so it accumulated on my razor. Using a separate product to shave with also added a step to my shower routine. I won't be repurchasing.

Luxury Lane Soap Triple Care Hemp Wash in Vanilla Oak - This was a really nice body wash made by an indie company. I reviewed it here. I really liked it. The product is currently being reformulated, and I do plan on trying the new formulation when it becomes available. I also want to point out that Luxury Lane Soap is offering free shipping from now until they close for the holidays, so it is a great time to give their items a try.

Silk Naturals Kiss Cleanser - This has been my regular face wash for several years now. I love how gentle it is. It does a decent job removing the majority of my makeup (stubborn mascara and eye liner tends to stick around). I already had a back-up bottle ready to go when this one was finished. 

Mario Badescu Acne Facial Cleanser - For a few months, I used this with my Clarisonic Mia after I did an initial wash of my face with Silk Naturals Kiss Cleanser. I got lazy though and haven't done that in a while. I did have a back-up bottle ready to go though when this one was finished. Sadly, I heard recently that Mario Badescu products are being sold in China, which means that I no longer consider the brand cruelty-free and will not purchase from them any more.

Neutrogena Rapid Clear Foaming Scrub - This was in a bag of products a friend gave me that she didn't like. I used it on my body instead of my face to use it up because I didn't want to be wasteful. Neutrogena is not a cruelty-free brand, so even if I did like this product, I wouldn't purchase it again.

CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion AM and PM - I picked these up because CeraVe is one of the few cruelty-free skincare brands that I have easy access to and because the day lotion had an SPF of 30, which is a requirement of mine. I liked both of them. The only thing I didn't like is the packaging. I dislike products like this with pumps because it makes is really hard to impossible to get the last of the product out. Because of that, I didn't repurchase them, but I might in the future. 

Maybelline Expert Eyes Moisturizing Eye Makeup Remover - I bought this a long time ago, mostly because of the bottle. I hate the eye makeup remover bottles with the caps that have the cardboard at the top because half the time the cardboard disintegrates before the product is gone and the bottle starts to leak. I didn't particularly care for the product itself (and rarely use an actual eye makeup remover anyway), and Maybelline isn't cruelty-free, so I won't be buying this again. I might keep the bottle around though because I think it could be handy.

 

The Honest Company Shampoo & Body Wash - This was part of the free trial set I got from The Honest Company (referral link) over the summer. The scent is Sweet Orange Vanilla, which was okay but not my favorite. I did buy a full size in one of my bundles I have received since my trial kit. I may or may not repurchase this in the future. It is a good body wash, but I like others more.

The Honest Company Face & Body Lotion - This either came in a box I got from Totalbeauty.com or from the free trial set I got from The Honest Company. It was okay as a body lotion. I didn't try it on my face. I didn't notice anything special enough to repurchase it. 

Mario Badescu AHA Botanical Body Soap and Citrus Body Cleanser - I got a $10 gift certificate from Mario Badescu for my birthday back in September (they do this for everyone registered on their site), which I used to pick up one of their toners, and these were two of the samples I got with my order. Again, I no longer consider Mario Badescu to be cruelty-free, so I won't be buying a full size of either of these. 

Tata Harper Rebuilding Moisturizer - I attended some sort of Facebook "party" where Tata Harper Deluxe Beauty Sets were being given away as prizes. This was a nice enough moisturizer, but I don't think it was special enough to justify the $100 price tag for a full size. 

John Frieda Conditioner (from a hair dye kit) - I have been using John Frieda hair dye for a while because I thought it was cruelty-free (but now I'm not so sure). I have a couple more boxes left in my stash. I think my goal is to get myself through the summer and then try a henna hair dye. If you've got any suggestions for cruelty-free hair dye options, please let me know. 

Kiss My Face Peaches & Creme Moisturizer - I have dealt with lots of bumps on my legs for years, and now I'm getting them on my arms. I have self-diagnosed myself with keratosis pilaris. I've tried multiple ways of exfoliating to get rid of the bumps, including this lotion with AHA. I liked the scent, but it didn't solve the problem. I think I have another one of these tubes that I need to use up. I probably won't repurchase it. 

EVOLVh Shampoo and Conditioner - These came in a box I got from Totalbeauty.com. The brand is expensive, so I wouldn't consider repurchasing. I don't know their cruelty-free status. 

Holika Holika Essential Petit BB Cream - I liked this BB cream. I bought it because Phyrra reviewed it. Our skin tone is essentially the same, so when she reviewed this and said that it matched her, I figured I would give it a try. I've got too many foundations to work my way through before I might consider repurchasing. I'm also not positive on Holika Holika's cruelty-free status since it is an Asian brand (Phyrra reviewed it a long time ago before she went cruelty-free). 

Silk Naturals Sleep in a Jar Light Peach - This is a staple product for me. I use it daily under my eyes. I do find it a bit drying sometimes, but I keep using it to hide my dark circles. 

Silk Naturals Maybe Baby Blush Sample - This is a clone for MAC's Blushbaby, which is a nude toned blush with a hint of pink. It was an okay color, but it wasn't anything special enough for me to repurchase it. 

Paula's Choice Barely There Sheer Matte Tint SPF 30 in Level 1 Fair/Light Sample - This was a nice tinted moisturizer. The color match was good for me, and I liked that it had SPF 30. I might buy a full size at some point, but I won't be purchasing it right now. 

Make Up For Ever HD Powder - This came in a value set I purchased from Sephora last year. It was okay, but it is expensive for what it is (100% pure silica). I can buy the same thing from TKB Trading for a lot cheaper. Make Up For Ever is not cruelty-free.

Meow Uncharted Eye Shadow Sample - This is a sample from Meow's Caribbean Escape collection that is only available during the summer. Meow describes it as a neutral beige taupe with gold shimmer. I already have a full size of this shade in my collection.

Silk Naturals Bone Eye Shadow (the empty pan) - This was a matte highlight shade. I had pressed it, which is why it is an empty pan. I think I added too much binder to it when I pressed it because it was a bit too hard. I also prefer Wet n Wild's Brulee for my matte highlight, so I don't plan on repurchasing. 

Alima Pure Foundation Sample in Neutral 1 - I had this for a long time. It was a little too dark for me, so I mixed it with the MUFE HD powder to use them both up. I won't be buying a full size.

bareMinerals Original Mineral Veil SPF 15 - This was in another Sephora set I bought a long time ago. I wouldn't go out and buy a full size, but I would use it again if it came in another set.

Tarte Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara - I've had major issues with mascaras. They seem to want to flake on me, and at the end of the summer, mascaras were smudging onto my browbone all the time. I liked this one when I was using it. It didn't flake or smudge. I wasn't using it in extreme heat though, so I don't know how well it would have held up then. I've got another one of these in my stash (I got them in Tarte QVC sets) that I'll pull out eventually, but I've got a couple of mascaras that I'm already using at the moment.

Silk Naturals White Chocolate Macadamia Lip Balm - I enjoy Silk Naturals lip balms. I really like the texture. I don't always keep them on hand, but when there is a flavor that catches my interest, I make sure and pick it up. 

A Bunch of Random Samples - I've been trying to work my way through a backlog of skincare samples lately. None of these really stood out to me since there's really not enough of any of them to decide of I liked them. I will say that I didn't care for the La Fresh wipes. Several of these are from brands that aren't cruelty-free. 

theBalm TimeBalm Juniper Oil-Free Face Moisturizer - This was okay. It should have been in the other picture, but I missed putting it there. 

Neutrogena Make-Up Remover Cleansing Towels - I primarily using these types of wipes to remove swatches. These did the job okay, and they were free in a sample box from Walgreens. Neutrogena is not cruelty-free, so I wouldn't repurchase them. I'd love to know of some good, inexpensive, cruelty-free wipes if you have any suggestions. 

Another load of empties gone! I'm happy to see so many products leaving my stash, especially all of the ones that aren't cruelty-free that won't be coming back into my stash. 

Do you have any suggestions for cruelty-free hair dye or makeup remover wipes? 

Disclaimer: Most of the products in this post were purchased by me. A few were giveaway prizes, were given to me by a friend, or were promotional freebies. All opinions are my own. I have included my referral link for The Honest Company. 

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 7

It's that time again. I get to throw away the stash of empties that have piled up.

Bath & Body Works Night-Blooming Jasmine Shower Gel - This is a scent that I fell in love with during college, and I still really enjoy it. It isn't part of the permanent line anymore, but it is usually available during the semi-annual sale.

Gud Vanilla Flame Body Wash - The bottle says this scent is a combination of vanilla and rice milk. This is a really good scent for people who don't like their scents to be too sweet. This was a decent body wash, but it was a bit expensive (I think I paid close to $7 for it).

Salon Grafix Conditioning Cleanser - I am declaring this product to be such a staple that I won't be including it in my posts of finished products anymore, just like I'll no longer be including my regular shampoo and conditioner). I love this for those lazy nights when I don't want to mess with two products. I recently saw a person on YouTube say that this product is awful compared to Wen, which I've never tried, so your results may vary.

Giovanni D:tox Purifying Facial Scrub - I've had this for too long. I like it when I first got it, but then I just stopped using it. It's not overly scrubby, so I was able to use it every day when I was using it. One pet peeve of mine though is the packaging. I hate when bottles like this have their labels painted on in such a way that they start flaking off.

Philosophy Amazing Grace Shower Gel - This was a freebie that I got in an Ulta order. I'm not a big fan of the Philosophy perfume scents. For me, Philosophy shower gels are over-priced for what they are, and I'd probably never purchase them unless there was a good sale or value set, and I would stick with their sweet, foody scents.

John Frieda Precision Foam Color Conditioner - I'm going to stop throwing these in too. I like the John Frieda hair color enough that I'm going to stick with it for the time being. The conditioner that comes with it is okay.

 Mary Kay Satin Hands Vanilla Sugar Hand Cream - I got this free through a drawing a long time ago. I enjoyed the scent, but the hand cream itself wasn't anything special. I don't plan on repurchasing.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula with Vitamin E - Another product that I've had around for way too long. I finished it up by using it on my feet and cuticles, but of which are super dry this time of year. I currently have a stick version that I'm using on my cuticles. I don't plan on repurchasing the tub for the time being.

Neutrogena Visibly Even Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 - This was a decent face moisturizer and met my requirement of having an SPF of at least 30. I don't think it helped my skin tone at all though. I'm currently testing out the CeraVe daily moisturizer, so I'm not repurchasing this one.

The Body Shop Peppermint Smoothing Pumice Foot Scrub - The Body Shop had an AMAZING Cyber Monday sale, and I couldn't resist. This little sample was part of a goodie bag that was $30 with any $30 order. It only lasted me about 3-4 uses. It felt nice, but it didn't have a lot of scrub to it, and my feet have pretty hefty calluses, so this didn't really do anything for them. I won't be purchasing a full size.

Sally Hansen Cuticle Oil with Vitamin E - Honestly, I'm guessing on the name of this. I've had this for way too long, so the name has worn off the bottle, and I'm too lazy to check. This was too oily for me, and yes, I do realize that it was an oil. It didn't absorb very quickly, and I've decided that I generally enjoy cuticle creams.

Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil and Josie Maran Argan Oil - I started experimenting with essential oils in my skincare routine a couple of months ago. Since essential oils need a carrier oil, I figured I might as well use the ones already in my stash. I'm really liking the essential oils, but I didn't notice anything special about using these particular oils as the carrier oils. Once my stash runs out (I have a 1 oz bottle of the argan oil and 2 full-sizes of the maracuja oil to work through), I'll be looking for a cheaper alternative.

This is my attempt at clearing out all of my little sample packets. I have a ways to go, but it's definitely a start!

Strivectin-SD Intensive Concentrate for Stretch Marks & Wrinkles - Not nearly enough of a sample to tell if it is effective.

DDF Erase Eye Gel - I felt like this eye gel was masking the problem more than it was attempting to fix the problem. It has dimethicone and mica in it, so it feels like a primer and has a slightly shimmery, yellow tint to it. I wasn't a fan.

Josie Maran Argan Oil Hair Serum - This felt nice and didn't leave my hair feeling greasy.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple - I had been wanting to try this because so many people love it, so I was excited to finally have a sample to try. I think it was causing my skin to break out. I'm not positive on that, but it did push me over the edge to commit to my current face washes and stop trying out new ones. I'm happy with what I have (Silk Naturals Kiss Cleanser and Mario Badescu's Acne Facial Cleanser). It works, so I'm not going to mess with it anymore.

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil - This didn't do a very good job of removing my eye makeup, which surprised me.

Silk Naturals Cucumber & Rhassoul Clay Mask - This came as an extra in a Mystery Adventure Club package a long time ago (MAC was a program where you got a package with all of the gift with purchase shades for that given month along with some sort of fun extra). Silk Naturals masks come in powder form, and you mix in the liquid, typically water. I was feeling adventurous, and I used witch hazel with this. I liked it, but it has never been released for sale, so I couldn't get it. I also have several other face masks to use up.

Jergens Daily Moisture Dry Skin Moisturizer - It's a lotion. It felt okay. I have a ton of lotion in my stash.

Asian Cream Cleanser - I have no idea what the brand is. This was part of my Secret Santa package. It burned my eyes a bit.

Hanfang Anti-oxidizing Mask - This was a sheet mask, and I couldn't deal with leaving the sheet on my face. The eye holes weren't quite large enough, and it would have driven me nuts. Instead, I just got as much of the liquid on my face as I could (which was actually quite a bit) and used it that way. I don't think I will be picking up more sheet masks.

I took these shampoo and conditioner packets with me while traveling over the holidays. None of them were anything special.

Kiss My Face Vanilla Honey SPF 15 Lip Balm - I think this is the last Kiss My Face balm in my stash. I like them. This felt kind of goopy by the end, and I've had it so long, I don't remember if it always felt that way. It wasn't totally off-putting though. I just dabbed it onto my lips instead of swiping it on. I might eventually buy more of these.

C.O. Bigelow Lemon & Black Cherry Lip Balm - I bought this back when they were on clearance at Bath & Body Works. It wasn't until after I bought it that I realized it contains shea butter, which causes my lips to crack. I used it some on my lips, but not much. Instead, I used it on my cuticles to get rid of it.

Badger Pink Grapefruit Lip Balm - I like the Badger lip balms. I just wish they had an SPF.

Buxom Lipstick in Amsterdam - I got this in the Sephora Give Me Some Lip set from a couple of years ago. The color was a bit too brown for my taste. I'm also not a big fan of lipstick. I won't be purchasing any of these.

Boyfriend Perfume Sample - I like this perfume, and almost more importantly, my fiance likes it. I might eventually buy this perfume, probably in roller ball form.

Subversive Apothecary Serum - This was a freebie sample that I got a long time ago. This is supposed to be an amazing anti-aging serum, and a full size of the serum is really expensive. I've been using essential oils (with a carrier oil, obviously), and I just decided to pour this into the mix to get rid of the sample vial.

Tarte Gifted Mascara - I've mentioned on here several times that I'm not a fan of Tarte's Lights, Cameras, Lashes mascara. It flakes on me. I didn't have high hopes for this one either, but I got it with a QVC kit, so I figured I would give it a try. I really liked it. It worked much better than the LCL mascara. I used it for 3 months, so it's time for this one to go away.

Tarte Smooth Operator Finishing Powder - This is such a fine powder that a cloud of dust kicked up every single time I used it. It didn't help that the sifter came off and dumped all of it into my swirling bowl. I ended up mixing in my Meow mineral foundation hoping to minimize the dust cloud. It didn't help much. I'll be getting a full size in a QVC kit in February, and I may try it again to see if I can get it to work. At this point, I wouldn't be purchasing more of this if it wasn't part of a kit.

Tarte Clean Slate Primer - I don't know if you can see, but there is a lot of product still left in this tube. This is the old packaging, and I have not verified if the current Clean Slate Primer is the exact same formula or not. Either way, this packaging was horrible. It made it really hard to get product out, and I've just given up. I know I could cut the tube open, but I don't really like that idea. I read a blog post (I think) a long time ago where a woman explained that she doesn't cut open her Urban Decay Primer Potion tubes (obviously the old style packaging of that) because tiny fragments of the plastic would end up in the product. I'd rather not be rubbing jagged plastic fragments all over my face.

Silk Naturals Sleep in a Jar Light Peach - I think this is the third time this product has shown up in a finished products post. I use it every day. I love it. It's HG for me. Enough said.

That's it for now. I'm really happy with the fact that I was able to use up a bunch of samples and things that I've had for way too long. Hooray for reducing beauty product clutter!

Finished It!!! Volume 6

It's that time again. I want to throw a bunch of stuff out, so I have to blog about it first. Hooray for getting rid of things!

Nature's Gate Tea Tree Shampoo and Henna and Pomegranate Sunflower Conditioners - The Tea Tree Shampoo and Pomegranate Sunflower Conditioner are staples for me. I have bought multiple bottles of each and will continue to do so. The Henna Conditioner wasn't bad, but it didn't work as well as the Pomegranate Sunflower one, so I don't plan on repurchasing it.

Philosophy Vanilla Birthday Cake Body Wash - This was my Sephora birthday gift from 2011, and I finally got around to using it. I like the Philosophy body washes, but they are, in my opinion, over-priced for what they are. I might buy more at some point if there is a really good deal, but it's not going to become a staple product for me.

John Frieda Precision Foam Colour Conditioner - This is the conditioner that comes with the John Frieda hair dye, and they always stick around forever because I forget to use them. I liked the hair dye and just bought another box yesterday because it's that time again. I'm trying a new color this time, which makes me nervous. I'm going a bit darker because my town doesn't carry the color that I used before, and I want to try a darker shade for the winter.

Skindinavia 10 Years Younger Makeup Finish Spray - I do believe that this spray helped my makeup stay on longer. Another benefit was helping get rid of the powdery look after I've finished my makeup. I bought the XL bottle of Urban Decay's All-Nighter Spray when this one started running low since Skindinavia makes that as well. I will continue to purchase whichever brand has a better deal at the time I need to purchase more finishing spray.

Benefit The POREfessional Deluxe Sample - I think I got this in a set from last Christmas. I liked it. It did seem to help hide my large pores. I've got several other primers to get through before I buy any more, and I don't think I loved this enough to repurchase it when I do need more primer.

EOS Travel Lotion in Cucumber - Another lotion bites the dust. Yes! I sound like a broken record when I finish lotions, but I'm going to say it again. I have a ton of lotions to use up before I buy any more.

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream - The was a decent, no-frills moisturizer. It didn't have SPF, so I used it at night. I might actually pick this up again after I go through my current moisturizer since I'm using a retinol cream at night, so I don't need a nighttime moisturizer with a lot of frills.

Bobbi Brown Correctioner in Porcelain Bisque - I'm still on the hunt for a Holy Grail corrector for under my eyes. This one wasn't it. Having a different shade might have helped (I purchased blind off Sephora.com because I don't have access to a Bobbi Brown anywhere nearby), but I didn't like the formula enough to repurchase it in another color.


Chloe Perfume Sample - This is a nice floral scent. I'm not big on floral scents, but I like this one. I have a mini bottle that I got in a Sephora value set and a rollerball of this from the Superstars Beauty Essentials set that I picked up. I will continue to use and enjoy those.

Napoleon Perdis Mesmer-Eyes Mascara - I got this over the summer in a Meg's Makeup package, and I really enjoyed using it. I loved the comb wand, and the formula didn't make my lashes feel stiff or flake on me. The only reason this is going away is because I used it for three months, and I'm trying to be good about switching my mascaras in that amount of time. I'm normally hesitant about purchasing high-end mascaras, but I've had so much bad luck with drugstore mascaras that I've purchased to try that I might break down when I'm through my current stash and buy a high end one that I know I like.

Physicians Formula Healthy Wear Powder Foundation in Translucent Light - I had one of these in my last post of finished products. I think I went through this one much quicker than my last one because I wasn't wearing makeup as often over the summer. I have one more of these left, but I won't be opening it up just yet because I'm now officially too pale for it. The last remnants of this one got mixed in with my regular super pale powder to use it up.

Philosophy Full of Promise Samples - These samples were so small that I used both of them for one application. I've been tempted to purchase high end skincare, but I haven't actually done it yet. Philosophy is at the top of my  list to try if I do go the high end route.

Simple Hydrating Light Moisturizer Sample - This came with a $2 coupon off a Simple moisturizer, which I ended up using on their Vital Vitamin Night Cream. It's a nice basic moisturizer, which is what I was looking for since I'm using a homemade serum and a retinal cream; I don't need bells and whistles in my moisturizer too.

Urban Decay Primer Potion - I think this has officially become my favorite primer. I've tried a few other primers recently that other people say work just like UDPP or Too Faced Shadow Insurance, and they crease on me. I like TFSI, but I get annoyed with the fact that it separates.

Urban Decay Complexion Primer Potion Samples - These are okay. I didn't notice anything special about them. I have a bunch of other primers right now.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation in 3.5 and 2.0 - I am loving this foundation. I'm now too pale for both of these shades. I picked up a sample of 0.5 yesterday at Sephora. I'm dying to get a full size of it, but I want to try out this shade first, and I need to work through at least one of the foundations I currently have before I buy another one.

Ojon Damage Reverse Instant Restorative Hair Serum - This was okay. It wasn't a big enough sample to notice the effect of this over time. I'm sure a full size is much more than I'm currently willing to pay on hair care.

Pond's Original All Day Clean Towelettes and Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes - I've mentioned before that I primarily use these when I'm swatching products or occasionally when I want to remove my makeup before doing a face mask, so I'm not overly particular about them. Both of these worked well enough for my purposes. I tend to buy whatever I can get for a good price.

That's it for finished products for now. I'm pleased with what I've been able to finish off even though it always feels like I'm fighting a losing battle. I need to start working my way through mineral eye shadow and blush samples because I have a million of them, and they barely get touched. That however, it a project for another day and another post.

Have you made any progress finishing up items 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?