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.

Finished It!!! Volume 10

Disclosure: There is nothing to disclose in this post.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Disclosure: There is nothing to disclose in this post.

Mini Haul and Rambling

It's Monday night (this will be scheduled to post on Tuesday AM), and I'm exhausted. I shouldn't be exhausted, but I am. I am so tired that I crouched down to look at the bottom shelf of a bookshelf and was seriously tempted to just sit down and sit there.

So...I'm keeping this post really short and uncomplicated.

On Saturday, I stopped at two Walgreens stores, a CVS, a KMart, and a WalMart. It doesn't sound all that exciting, but it is when your local shopping isn't very good. I picked up a bunch of items, most of them overly exciting, so I'm not going to bother sharing them right now. I do want to mention a couple of items that I picked up.

The first is an item that I found at Walgreens: RenPure Cleansing Conditioner.

RenPure Cleansing Conditioners in Sweet Pomegranate and Rosemary Mint

I picked up both scents because I thought they were BOGO Free, but they weren't. However, they were only $9.99 each, and they made my purchase large enough that I got a voucher for a Walgreens sample box, so I'm okay with that.

I'm really excited about these because I like the SalonGrafix Cleansing Conditioner, but my hair has been super dry lately, and it hasn't been cutting it. I'm hoping these will work better. I tried the Rosemary Mint one last night, and it seemed to work well.

The other item that I'm really excited about is the EcoTools Fresh & Flawless Five Piece Complexion Set.

I love EcoTools brushes, and I can't resist their sets. I actually think I have them all. When I saw this one at WalMart (the last one that they had), I snatched it up.

I also have to brag on myself that I was actually able to show some restraint while shopping. The WalMart I was in had the entire Flower by Drew Barrymore line, and I didn't get anything from it. I was really close to picking up the foundation because it actually looked like it would be light enough for me, but I have enough foundations right now, and when I grabbed the brush set, I knew the foundation had to get left behind.

That's it for now. I told you: short and sweet. I'm hoping to get to bed early so I can feel a bit more energetic tomorrow.

Have you had any fun, exciting beauty finds lately?