Empties ~ March 2017

How I have accumulated so much trash and empty products within the past two months is completely beyond me. But let me tell you, it feels so refreshing to finally be making a dent in all of the clutter and backstock of samples that I have laying around. I love trying out new products, but a lot of times if they don’t work for me right away they just get thrown to the back and end up staying there for months. I’m finally over doing that and have really been making it a point to use up those types of products so I’ll be left with what actually works. I have so much to go through, so let’s get straight to it!
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~Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay~ I can’t even count how many times I have raved about this product, so I won’t spend much time here. Basically all that needs to be said about this one is that it is the absolute best mask in the whole entire world and you need it in your life! But if that’s not good enough for you and you’d like more details, you can check out my full review of it here.

~Lancôme Beauty Sleep Perfector sample~ This is one expensive product! The full size of it is $90 and I was kinda sorta hoping I wouldn’t really like the sample of it just so I wouldn’t be too tempted. Fortunately enough for my wallet, it was more like a watery type of consistency and I don’t think it really made any difference.

~Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing Pads~ I featured these in my February Favorites post. I had been using them for a while and I really do think they helped make a difference in the texture of my skin. Besides how they performed, one of my favorite things about them was that every single pad was wet from the first opening to the last. It does leave a tacky feel, but that goes away after applying a lotion on top. I would definitely think about repurchasing these in the future!

~Olay Regenerist Micro Sculpting Cream sample~ Since this was such a small sample, I decided to use it around my eye area to get more applications out of it and because that’s really where my problem areas are. I ended up using it for months and never saw a difference. It felt really nourishing, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

~Mario Badescu Drying Cream~ I liked this product when I first opened it. One of my favorite things about it is that it has some pigment to it and if you have the right skin tone, it can easily act as a quick concealer spot treatment. It did smell awful, but I can look past that if a product really works. And it did work for me, but it dried out somewhat fast. Their Drying Lotion is my current favorite.

~Anderson Lilley Beach Butter Hand Cream~ I wouldn’t repurchase this scent (Manhattan Beach) because it reminded me of the smell of soap in most public restrooms. However, I did use on my hands every night before I went to bed and I do really like the formula of it. It would be worth checking out some of their other scents.
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~Shea Moisture Fruit Fusion Coconut Water Weightless Shampoo & Creme Rinse sample~ I hated this stuff! I had really high hopes for it because the name sounds so wonderful, but I seriously had to use this entire sample package of shampoo to get any lather action happening. It is a sulfate free shampoo and I never tend to like those anyway, so I should’ve known. But I also didn’t like the way it left my hair afterwards. It wasn’t it’s softest and it got oily much faster than usual. Same goes for the conditioner, I’d stay away from both!

~OGX Quenching Coconut Curls Shampoo & Conditioner sample~ I guess I just get too excited about coconut products because this was another huge let down. Some people really like this brand, but I’ve also heard many negative things about it. Even though this set smelled much better, I unfortunately had the same experience with this as I did with the Shea Moisture set. I’ll be sticking with my beloved Pantene from now on.
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~Women’s One A Day Petite’s Multivitamin~ I don’t mention these very much, but I do take these Women’s One A Day Petite’s every day. Since they’re petites, you’re supposed to take two to get the full amount of vitamins. I’m a pretty small person and I don’t want to over do it, so I only take one and that seems to work for me. I have already repurchased them and although I can’t tell a difference when I don’t take them, I still do it because I know I should.

~Nature’s Bounty Acidophilus Probiotic~ I know I’ve never mentioned this before, but I have the world’s most sensitive stomach ever. Not only does lactose intolerance run in my family, I’m just super sensitive to many foods. It’s pretty ridiculous. So in order to try to strengthen my digestive system, I take one of these acidophilus tablets every day. It’s been a few months now that I’ve been taking them consistently and they really are making a difference.
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~Opti-Free Replenish Contact Solution~ This is the one and only contact solution I have ever used in the eight years that I’ve worn contacts. It’s never given me an issue and I always buy the twin pack so I know I’ll never be without it. It keeps my contacts moisturized and comfortable enough so I can wear them longer.

~Smith’s Strawberry Lip Balm~ I love all of the Smith’s lip balms, they’re my absolute favorite. I use them every night before bed and they keep my lips hydrated all night. I did already have a backup waiting for me and right now I’m using their classic Rose Bud Salve that’s equally as good.

~Plus White 5 Minute Whitening Gel~ This has been a favorite for four years now and what I wrote my very first blog about. It’s only $5 for this tube and I have never experienced any sensitivity from it. I finally got my fiancé to try it and I’m so excited to start seeing his results. This is one that I can’t recommend enough!!
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~Maybelline Fit Me Concealer~ My holy grail concealer! I always have this on hand and use it every single time I do my makeup, whether I’m applying foundation or not. This blends so beautifully into the skin and has a crazy amount of coverage while feeling very lightweight. I did compare this to one of Maybelline’s other concealers previously, you can check out the differences here.

~L’oreal Visible Lift CC Eye Concealer~ I don’t even know how long this has been sitting in my drawer. This is one of those products that felt like there was literally no end to it. Unfortunately, it’s not one that I like. The little roller ball applicator on it felt nice and refreshing, but it didn’t have very good coverage so I won’t be repurchasing it.
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~Elf High Definition Undereye Setting Powder~ I had a backup of this powder before I even ran out. It is the most finely milled powder ever, which is perfect for filling in the undereye wrinkles and preventing concealer from creasing. It has a bit of a brightening effect to it also, which is even better.

~bareMinerals Mineral Veil Powder~ I was never really a big bareMinerals fan to begin with, but decided to try this small size of their powder to give it another shot. It was just okay while I had it, but I can’t say that I would repurchase it. I did notice a brightening effect from it’s yellow tint that I enjoyed, but I’d still rather use the Elf powder instead.
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~Chella Eyebrow Defining Gel~ I’m not big into eyebrow gels and this was probably only the second one that I’ve used. I think it kept the brows in place nicely, although that’s never a big issue for me. What I would’ve liked to have seen differently in this was a smaller applicator. I thought the wand was just a tiny bit too big.

~Benefit Roller Lash Mascara~ If you’ve seen my mascara routine post, then you’d know that I typically like to use two mascaras to get my lashes to look the way I want them to. This is probably the only mascara that I have ever tried where I was happy with the way it looked just using this on it’s own. I love it! Check out my full review to see more details and the results it gave on my lashes.

~Benefit Bad Gal Lash Mascara~ Since I loved the Roller Lash mascara so much, I had really high hopes for this one as well. Unfortunately, I didn’t like it mainly because of the big wand that it had which made it difficult to work with. I think it added a decent amount of volume, but I’d still like to see more and would just rather use the other one instead.

~DIY Eyelash Growth Serum~ This is a DIY serum that I make myself, so of course I’m gonna like it! Using this every night for the past few months, I have definitely noticed a difference in the health of my lashes and eyebrows. They are more conditioned and growing faster and longer than they were before. Definitely something I will continue to use.

~Covergirl Clump Crusher Mascara (Waterproof)~ I liked the original version of the Clump Crusher mascara years ago when I first tried it, so I got the waterproof version to wear on long days or if I was going to the beach. The wand on it is really nice and I think the waterproof formula held up pretty well. It is true to it’s claim that it doesn’t clump up and is a mascara that I would recommend.
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~Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hardener~ This is my favorite base coat and I use it every week when I paint my nails. In case you missed my at-home mani routine, you can find that here. I would definitely recommend picking this up if you’re looking for something to strengthen your nails, but make sure it’s in this clear bottle. They have one that looks very similar in a blue bottle and that one’s no good.

~Esteé Lauder Pore Vanishing Stick~ I received this product from Influenster and in my review, I mentioned that this is one of the few products that I really liked and got a lot of use out of. It blurred my pores and was very fast to use. However, it is pretty pricey for what it is and many brands are coming out with products very similar to this so I don’t think I’ll be purchasing it anytime soon.

~Chella Eyebrow Color Pencil~ I don’t know why I didn’t feature these two Chella products together. Duhhh, Christina!! But I did enjoy this pencil while I had it. The formula on it was great, the color match was perfect for me, and I liked how precise it was. The only thing I wish was different about it was to have a spoolie on the other end. With so many brands including that now, I found it a bit of a hassle to reach for something separate to blend instead of it being right at my fingertips.
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Whew, what a bunch of trash! I’ve worked my way through all of these products and now I have a bunch more to get through. I will work my way through this clutter, I’m determined! I hope you enjoyed this post, I know I had a lot to get through so I tried to be as short, yet as thorough as possible. Posts like these produce some of the best reviews after I’ve tried a product all the way through.

~Mani Monday~
I love Sinful Colors and I love Kandee Johnson, so when I heard they had collabed together on a nail polish line I knew I had to have them. I found a display randomly one day when I was in Walgreens and it was a little difficult figuring out which polishes were part of her collection and which ones weren’t. I ended up choosing the shade Flip Tease which is a light blue with little shimmer specks in it. The formula seemed more thick than what I’m used to from Sinful Colors. I think the color is nice, but not something I would typically pick out if it wasn’t for her name being on the bottle.
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What’s on your nails this week?

~Christina~

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