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?

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?

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?

Meg's Makeup Package

I got a package from Meg's Makeup a couple of weeks ago, and I thought I'd share with you what I got.

If you aren't familiar with Meg's Makeup, it is a beauty blog that offers rewards for participating. After you create an account, you get points for rating products and writing comments. You can then use those points to get a surprise package of beauty products (please note that you have to pay for shipping). You can redeem at 50 points, 150 points, and 250 points. Obviously, the more points you use to redeem, the more you will receive in your package. I believe the site says that it can take 6-8 weeks to receive packages, and that is close to accurate. She sends packages out in huge groups, so if you redeem right after one shipment, you'll have a wait. I've had some packages arrive in around a week, but I also think I've had to wait the full 8 weeks before.

At this point you might be thinking that you will receive cheap, no-name, awful products. If so, you're in for a big surprise. Here are some of the things I've received at different times in past Meg's Makeup packages: Revitalash, Urban Decay Dangerous Palette, Urban Decay Pocket Rocket in Doug, Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Natural Beauty, and Tarte LipSurgence in Enchanted. I've also gotten a few lower-end items like a Giovanni bar soap and a Jordana lip gloss. I have only redeemed for 250-point packages, and I would say that most of the packages I've received have averaged around $100 value. 

Here's what I was sent this time around:

AeroMinerale sheer Hydrating Mineral Primer (Retail Price: $19.99)

Meg has sent out AeroMinerale items before, but this is the first product I've gotten from this brand. I haven't tried it yet because I haven't been wearing a lot of makeup recently, but I'm looking forward to giving it a try soon.

Wet n Wild Megashield Lip Color SPF 15 in Lolly Popstar (Retail Price: $2.99)

I'm not a lipstick person. This is the second lipstick that I have in my collection, and I got the other lipstick in the last MyGlam bag that I received, which I think was back in April. I just don't like the maintenance of lipsticks. I usually forget to reapply throughout the day if I need to use a mirror.

That being said, I love this color. It's a gorgeous hot pink, and it has an almost metallic sheen to it. I just put it on my lips, and it felt smooth going on. I don't mind how it feels. I feel like the color looks good on me, but it is a little intimidating. I don't know that I'll be gutsy enough to wear it outside the house.

NP Set Glam Set Palette (Retail Price: $24)

NP Set is the line of cosmetics by Napoleon Perdis that is sold at Target. I haven't tried anything else by this brand. This set comes with four neutral eye shadow, two blush, and four lip glosses. So far, I've only worn the blushes. I love the look of the eye shadow colors, but I would have to add in at least one other color because the lightest shade here wouldn't work as a highlight for me. The blush colors are really on-trend with Tango Tangerine being the color of the year. I wore them mixed together, and I was happy with the results. The glosses are terrible. They have a hard texture, little color payoff, and they taste terrible. I wish cosmetics companies would learn to stop putting awful lip glosses in palettes like this and drop the price of the palettes.

NP Set Shimmer Highlight Duo Bronze/Gold (Retail Price: $15)

This product looks like something that my 6-year-old niece might wear for a dance competition. The glitter is so chunky that I don't think I could pull it off. My only hope for using this product is using it as an eye shadow base, but I'm afraid it is going to crease like crazy. It did make a nice effect when I put eye shadow over swatches on my hands. Keep your fingers crossed that it doesn't crease.

Napoleon Perdis Mesmer-Eyes Mascara (Retail Price: $25)

This is part of Napoleon Perdis's regular makeup line. I saw it in Ulta over the weekend and about fell over when I saw the $25 price tag. The really interesting thing about this mascara is the wand. As you can see, it is flat, with two different comb sizes on opposite sides of the wand.

I have been hating every mascara I've tried for months now, and I like this mascara a lot. I use the smaller comb side, and I love that it separates my lashes. It dries nicely (I've had a couple of mascaras recently that have remained tacky feeling ALL day), and it doesn't flake or smudge.Will I spend $25 to purchase it myself? Not likely. I will enjoy it while I have it though, and I think I'm going to clean off the wand when I pitch the tube and use it as a lash comb.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Baked (Retail Price: $19)

I enjoy Urban Decay eye liners, so I was happy to see this in my package. I'm pretty sure this is a discontinued color. The difference between the first swatch picture and the second one is just me tilting my arm towards the light a bit more. I think I'm going to have fun playing with this color.

As a side note, Meg recently declared that she would no longer support companies that test on animals. With Urban Decay's decision to sell their products in China, I would assume that Meg's Makeup will stop promoting Urban Decay. She has not made a direct statement about this, but I'm guessing this round of packages was the last one to include Urban Decay products.

Grand Total Value: $106 (rounded up)


Bottom line is, if you are a makeup addict and haven't signed up for Meg's Makeup yet, do it now! I had to pay $12 in shipping to get over $100 worth of product. Your points don't expire, so even if you aren't super dedicated to rating and commenting, you can go back months later, get more points, and get (nearly) free stuff.

 Disclaimer: These products were sent to me as part of a points rewards program hosted by megsmakeup.com. I paid for these items to be shipped to me. I did not receive any sort of compensation for posting about these products or about Meg's Makeup. My only affiliation with Meg's Makeup is as a registered member. I do have an affiliate link for Meg's Makeup on the sidebar of my blog. The ONLY thing I get when people use that link is an extra point towards my next package.

Do you participate on Meg's Makeup? If not, will you now? Which of these products would you be most excited to receive?