Finished It!!! Volume 12

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me except the Vaseline lotion, which was sent in an Influenster box, and the Tata Harper serum, which was part of a giveaway prize. All opinions are my own.

I'm really excited about this empties post for a reason that might seem a little strange. I recently found out where there is a nearby recycling drop-off, so I can actually recycle most of the empty containers I'm about to show you. Yay!

I'm also excited about the number of products I have to show you, especially lotions. For the majority of January, I was applying lotion to my arms and legs twice a day. I've since gotten a little lazy and only apply lotion once a day, but I'm still making progress working through my stash.

DermOrganic Daily Hydrating Conditioner - I really loved this conditioner. It made my hair feel really soft and moisturized. It's a little bit pricey (I found this bottle at TJ Maxx for $20), so I'm not replacing it right away, but I do plan on picking it up again in the future.

Organix Renewing Argan Oil of Morocco Conditioner - I happened upon the 50% more free bottle around the holidays, so I went ahead and picked it up. I liked this conditioner too, and the Organix line is a great cruelty-free option from the drugstore.

RenPure Solutions Sweet Pomegranate Cleansing Conditioner - I got out of the habit of using a cleansing conditioner a while back, and honestly, this bottle got lost in my stash of hair stuff. I've mentioned before that I like cleansing conditioners when I'm feeling lazy and don't want to do two steps. This is another product that I'll probably purchase again at some point, but I'm not running out to buy it now.

got2be Guardian Angel Flat Iron Balm Mini Size - I bought this for a long time because I thought it was cruelty-free. I've since seen got2b on a list of brands to avoid. Thankfully, I rarely use heat on my hair anymore, so it isn't a huge loss.

Nourish Organic Organic Hand Wash in Wild Berries, Almond Vanilla (2 - I'm reusing one of the bottles), and Fresh Fig - I made a big Nourish Organic order when they did a 50% off Black Friday sale. I love the principles of the company, and the soap itself was good. I probably wouldn't repurchase the hand wash though because I like using Dr. Bronner's soap even more, and it is less expensive.

Studio 35  Beauty Pure Honey Body Lotion - I made a point when I started focusing on using up lotions to use up ones that I knew weren't cruelty-free or ones that I wasn't sure about, and this one falls into that category. It was a cheap drugstore lotion too, so it wasn't anything special.

Scentsations by Bodysource Berry Burst Body Lotion - I don't know the status of this company either, and I didn't care for the lotion anyway. It was really runny and didn't seem to do much for my skin.

Vaseline Spray & go Moisturizer in Total Moisture - I like the concept of this lotion, but I didn't love it. This was part of an Influenster box I received last year. Vaseline isn't cruelty-free, so I wouldn't purchase it myself.

Paula's Choice Resist Skin Revealing Body Lotion 10% AHA - I have come to the conclusion that I have keratosis pilaris because I constantly have small bumps on my legs, and I have started getting them on the backs of my arms as well. I bought this to try and help. It didn't work miracles for me, but nothing has so far. I might buy it again in the future.

Wei East China Herbal Hand & Body Perfection - I bought this a long time ago because there was an awesome deal where this tube only cost a couple of dollars. I don't know the status of the brand and didn't like the lotion enough to check.

Bath & Body Works Pomegranate Citrus Body Lotion - I'm a sucker for Bath & Body Works scents and sales. This was a limited edition scent, and while I liked it, I wouldn't repurchase it if it was released again.

Essence of Beauty Citrus Coconut Body Lotion - I got this for free a while back with a CVS coupon. The lotion itself wasn't great, and I don't know the cruelty-free status of the brand.

True Blue Mini Shea Cashmere Hand Cream - The scent of this is beautiful and cozy smelling (don't ask me how it smells cozy though). I'm not running out to repurchase it, but I would definitely pick it up again if I happened to find it for a really good price.

Honest Face & Body Lotion - This is my second mini tube of this lotion that I've finished. It was a decent product, but I don't plan on repurchasing.

Luxury Lane Soap Nourishing Body Lotion in Vanilla Oak - This is a lotion that I would consider repurchasing once I work my way through my stash. I like the formula, and I love the scent.

Bath & Body Works Apple Blossom Citrus Body Lotion - Another limited edition scent that I couldn't resist trying. I wouldn't repurchase.

Bath & Body Works Cherry Vanilla Body Wash - I really liked the scent, and I like Bath & Body Works' body wash formula. I can't get this scent anymore, but I will repurchase other scents in the future.

Bath & Body Works Eucalyptus Spearmint Body Wash & Foam Bath - This came in the Black Friday bonus bag. I wouldn't have picked out the scent myself, but I liked it. I didn't like it enough to repurchase, but I would use it again if it came in another set.

Heritage Store Rosewater - I like using a rosewater spray after I've applied my makeup to help get rid of the powdery look that it can sometimes get. This is my second bottle from this brand. I have a couple of other facial sprays to test and use first, but I might repurchase this one in the future.

Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Ultra-Sheer Daily Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 30 - I like the brand Paula's Choice, but I really didn't like this moisturizer. The consistency was really runny, similar to what a traditional sunscreen feels like, and it felt gritty when I applied it. I won't repurchase.

Tata Harper Rejuvenating Serum - Just like a couple of other Tata Harper products that have ended up in my empties, this was part of a giveaway prize. The brand is too expensive for me to consider buying, but it was fun to try, and I like the principles behind the company.

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer - This came in a Sephora set that I bought over a year ago. It's a really nice primer, but it isn't amazing enough for me to justify buying a full size, which is quite pricey.

Silk Naturals Candie Blush Sample - Candie is a light shimmery pink blush. The color was pretty, but I don't wear my loose blushes enough for me to choose to purchase a full size.

Silk Naturals Translucent Cloud Finishing Powder Sample - I bought this to mix in with my beloved Sleep in a Jar Light Peach. It is supposed to help skin retain moisture, and I find Sleep in a Jar to be drying. I'm still testing my mix, but the sample jar is in my empties because the jar itself has been emptied.

Silk Naturals Sleep in a Jar Medium Peach Sample - I originally just planned on mixing the Cloud Powder with the Medium Peach, assuming that the mix would be light enough for me to use. However, the Cloud Powder didn't lighten the Medium Peach as much as I expected. They both ended up mixed in with my Light Peach.

The Body Shop Vitamin C Eye Reviver Duo - Just like a lot of my beauty purchases, this item got purchased because it was on sale. At first, having the two sides, one with a roller ball and the other with a doe-foot applicator, seemed fun. Later it just seemed annoying. Because of the two products in one gimmick, there's also less product overall. I think this product was actually discontinued, but I wouldn't repurchase it anyway.

Stila Lip Glaze Mini in Splendor - Stila, sadly, is no longer cruelty-free because the brand has started selling in China. I made a point to use this up to get it out of my collection. I didn't particularly care for the applicator or the formula, so it isn't a huge loss.

Chapstick Lip Balm in Cake Batter - I'm a sucker for cake, vanilla, and sweet scents, so I was weak and purchased this balm along with a red velvet one back in the fall, even though Chapstick isn't cruelty-free. I didn't love the formula, and the scent was just okay, so I'm glad to have this one gone and the other one about to head out the door too.

Hard Candy Concealer Pencil (comes with the Glam-o-flage Concealer) - I pitched my Glam-o-flage a long time ago, and this concealer pencil just kept hanging around. I used it up by using it to clean up my lip line. It wasn't special, and I didn't like the Glam-o-flage enough to repurchase.

That's all of my empties for the time being. Now I get to go sort them out for recycling.

Have you finished anything recently?

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me except the Vaseline lotion, which was sent in an Influenster box, and the Tata Harper serum, which was part of a giveaway prize. 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. 

Sephora Favorites Superstars Beauty Essentials - Superstar Value!

I was lucky enough to get a 20% off coupon code through their employee appreciation sale. One of the things I picked up was their Superstars Beauty Essentials kit because it came with ten products (FIVE of them are full size) for $75 before the discount. It has a nice mixture of products, and they most of them stand out to me a cult classics that beauty fanatics rave about.

The set comes packaged in a nice cardboard box tied with a glittery red ribbon. The outside of the box is a shiny red that I couldn't get a good picture of because I kept getting glare like you see in the picture above. Once the products and insert are removed, this will be a nice storage box.

The Products

*Note* I only did detailed pictures of the colored makeup products in this set.


Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil - .5 fl oz - $14 value -   I have another smaller sample of this oil, but I've only used it once or twice. I just ordered some essential oils to add to this and make it more of a skin treatment for acne-prone skin with acne scars.

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate - .5 fl oz - $19 value - I have another one of these that is almost gone. I LOVE this product, so I'm glad to have another one waiting in the wings. It is a scrub that also has enzymes in it, so it exfoliates two ways. It smells like clove to me, which isn't my favorite smell, but I don't mind it.

 Makeup Forever HD Powder - .035 oz - $3.20 value - I'm  not overly excited about this one. It's just 100% silica powder, and I already have silica powder from TKB Trading, where you can get a full ounce of product for $4.95. I'll use it, and I'll try and compare it with the TKB silica, but I can't see it being that much different.

 Chloe Perfume Rollerball - .2 fl oz - $25 value - This is a nice floral perfume that I will enjoy using.

 Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer - .33 fl oz - $18 value - This claims to be a water-resistant primer with SPF 15. Like most primers it says it with minimize the look of fine lines and pores and make your makeup stay on longer. I've only tried this once so far.

Benefit They're Real Mascara - .3 oz - $23 value (full size) - This mascara hasn't been on the market for very long, but it was an instant success. The feature that stands out with this mascara is the brush, which has bristles around the tip of the brush. I didn't take a picture of it because I'm not ready to use this mascara yet, and I don't want to open it until I do. You can see the brush here.

Sephora Microsmooth Baked Eyeshadow Trio in Sunset - 1.8 g - $17 value? (full size) - This is a nice trio that seems like it would work for most skintones.

Nars Orgasm Blush - 4.8 g - $28 value (full size) - This product is just about the epitome of cult classic products. I have heard of some people who don't care for it, but they are few and far between. It's a pretty peachy-pink blush with gold shimmer.

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner - .016 fl oz - $20 value (full size) - I have very limited experience with liquid liners. This will be fun for me to play with. I like that it has a fine, felt tip.

Buxom Big & Healthy Lipgloss in Dolly - .15 fl oz - $19 value (full size) - From the limited amount of time that I've had with this set, this gloss is my surprise favorite. It's a pretty plummy colored gloss with gold shimmer. It isn't sticky and gives a slight tingling sensation on the lips. My only minor complaint is that the tube itself is really bulky.

 

Total Value: $186.20 - The box claims that it is $189 value. I'm guessing the difference comes from the HD powder (I had to calculate the price based on a full size, and mini sizes tend to cost more) and maybe the Sephora eye shadow (I couldn't find this exact product listed online).

 Final Thoughts

This is a great set! It would be great for someone who wants to try out a bunch of new things for a great price or for someone who already loves these cult favorites and wants to get a great deal on them. Sephora is supposed to be having a VIB/BI sale soon, so that would be a great time to pick this set up!

I also picked up the In the Glow Sephora Favorites set, and I'll try and get up pictures/first impressions of that one by the beginning of next week.

What do you think? Is this set going on your wishlist? Do you have a favorite product from this set?