May 2013 Empties/Throwaways/Annoyances

May 2013 Favorites

May Favorites

MUFE Mat Velvet +: Now that I finally have a bit more color to my face I was able to start using my Mat Velvet + foundation. This is probably my favorite foundation ever. It covers like a dream, leaves my face looking matte but not dry, and stays all day. Plus, if I do want to retouch it I can add some more at the end of the day and it never looks cakey. I'm not too keen on the higher price tag, but I really do think it's worth it if you have combination or oily skin. 

Covergirl Outlast Foundation: I feel like this a drugstore sorta dupe for the Mat Velvet +. It provides buildable coverage, leaves your face with a matte finish, and stays on almost all day long. However, if you have any dry spots on the face you will probably want to skip this. Whenever I have acne healing I almost always get dry patches. They look horrible when I used this foundation over them. I also find this foundation applies better when I skip a primer and heavy moisturizer. If I use either of them then I feel like the foundation never really sets unless I powder afterwards. Overall, even with its flaws, this is a great drugstore foundation.

February 2013 Empties

Another month of empties! Woo hoo!

Pantene Flat to Volume Shampoo- Worked just fine. Didn't notice any extra volume but cleaned my hair without drying it out.

CVS Medium Thick Hair Conditioner- CVS's knockoff of Pantene's conditioner. Worked well for me.

Olay Tone Enrinching Ribbons Body Wash- Steven and I both enjoyed this body wash because the cream ribbons were so moisturizing. I will definitely repurchase...with a coupon of course!

Bath and Body Works Winter Cranberry Foaming Hand Soap- I love the scent of this soap. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait to repurchase next winter.

Slatkin. & Co. 3 wick candle in Frosted Cupcake- I wasn't too fond on this scent, so I will not repurchase. Nevertheless, Slatkin&Co. candles from Bath and Body Works are my favorite!

Simple Night Cream- I loved this night cream from the brand Simple. It had no fragrance or weird ingredients that would irritate my skin. I used it as a day cream too since my skin has been so dry, but I think it would be too heavy for the summer. I would repurchase this next winter.

Lypsyl lip balm- My favorite lip balm! Way better than Burt's Bees in my opinion. I have already repurchased another tube because all my other lip balms were in pots and I don't feel very sanitary using them after I've been touching stuff in public.

Revlon Brow Fantasy in Brunette- I never used the pencil side of this brow duo but I loved the gel side. It was tinted enough to look like I had filled in my brows and it was quick to use. I'm not using other brow products so I won't be repurchasing this for a while.

Revlon Lash Fantasy Total Definition mascara- My current favorite mascara. The primer reminds me so much of Dior's primer at a small fraction of the price. The rubber brush adds tons or length and definition to my lashes and never flakes. I'm already on a new tube of this.

CoverGirl Nature Luxe mascara- I really enjoyed this mascara. It has a mousse formula so it was very light on my lashes. I used it alone for a natural look or as a layering mascara with other mascaras to seperate and lengthen my lashes.

Glam Glow Youth-Mud Tinglexfoilate Treatment sample- I received this one time sample from a Sephore online order. This stuff retails at around $60 for a tiny jar. After reading the reviews I was expecting it to tingle and make my skin look AMAZING. Um that didn't happen. My skin was very smooth but the mask didn't tingle and the day after using it my skin was flaking everywhere. Gross. I would never use this again.

Ren Hydra-Calm Global Protection Day Cream sample- I almost wish I had never tried this moisturizer. It is so amazing. My skin has never felt so soft and moisturized without looking greasy before. I was able to skip my usual face primer because this cream prepped my skin for foundation too. I would purchase a full size but the price tag for that is $55!!!!!! Maybe I will splurge on it next time I get a gift card because it really is worth it .

Revlon Age Defying Cream Makeup samples- I tried using the pea sized samples of this foundation in different colors. The cream had shimmer in it and didn't do much for my skin so I know I wouldn't repurchase it.

What did you finish in February? Post a blog link in the comments!

January 2013 Empties

Since I'm trying to go an entire year of not buying any makeup I decided to keep track of all the empty products throughout the year. Here are all the products that I (some with the help of my husband) finished in January. 

A mini review will follow each as well as rather 

I would repurchase them again or not.

Hair Products:

 I'm not very picky when it comes to my shampoos and conditioner. I normally buy them for under $1 or get them for free when I coupon. As long as they get my hair clean and moisturize my hair I'm happy.

Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly shampoo: Got my hair clean and I loved the smell. No complaints from my husband or me. I would repurchase this.

Pantene Nature Fusion conditioner: I LOVE this stuff. I hadn't used this line from Pantene before and I was very surprised when I started using it. It moisturized my hair without leaving it limp or heavy feeling. I will definitely repurchase this.

Body and Skincare Products:

Secret Deodorant in Va Va Vanilla: This is the only antiperspirant deo that I use. It does what it's supposed to do, smells good, and doesn't irritate my underarms after I shave. I will definitely repurchase.

 Bath and Body Works Shower Gel in Be Enchanted: This wasn't my favorite scent from B&BW. It was a bit too sweet for me, so I wouldn't repurchase.

St. Ives Green Tea Scrub: I really liked this face scrub. It was gritty enough so it didn't irritate my skin. I used it with Clarisonic Mia and the scrub would foam up which I enjoyed. I think this is a great drugstore face scrub option, especially for those with oily or acne prone skin.

Nivea Creme: I stock up on these .99 hand cream tins. The thick cream sinks into my skin quickly so it doesn't feel greasy. It smells faintly of roses and does a good job of moisturizing dry areas like elbows, knees, and palms. I am stocked up on these, so I won't be repurchasing them until I run out.

Lumene Sensitive Touch Cleansing Wipes (2): These makeup removing wipes did a good job of removing all my makeup, other than multiple layers of mascara which isn't a big deal to me. What I liked most was the fact that my skin didn't feel dried out after I used them like some wipes do. My only gripe? I had to store them upside down with a book over the packages so the wipes didn't dry out. I would repurchase them if I found them on sale.

Random Products:
Walgreens Isoproyl Alcohol 91%: After watching Lisasz09's video about cleaning makeup brushes with rubbing alcohol, I decided to give it a try. I use this cleaning method about once a week and deep clean my brushes once a month using baby shampoo. My brushes look good as new and haven't dried up any which was my main worry when I first started this. Below is the video if you want to learn how I clean them.

Makeup Products:

L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara: I tend to go back to this mascara over and over. The blackest of black formula gave my lashes volume, length, and thickness. I liked to layer it with the Extra Volume Collagen and Falsies Flared mascaras.

L'Oreal Extra Volume Collagen Mascara: This was the first time I had used it and I must say I was impressed. I used to be a die hard Maybelline mascara fan, but I'm slowly going to L'Oreal's side of the tracks. This mascara did everything that the Voluminous did but tended to get a bit clumpy at times.

Maybelline Falsies Flared Mascara: The first few weeks I use this mascara I hate it. It definitely needs a few weeks to dry out before it lives up to its full potential. I will say that when combined with the other two mascaras I get a falsies look without the actual falsies.

I would repurchase all three mascaras. That might happen if I run out of the mascaras that are in my collection. Mascara is one thing I cannot live without.

MAC Viva Glam V lipstick: I finally finished up an entire lipstick! This pinky nude color was my go-to natural color on days when I didn't want a fussy lip color or had a colorful eye look going on. The best thing? 100% of the $15 goes to AIDS research. I will repurchase this once my makeup ban is over or when I have enough MAC products to Back 2 MAC.

Fresh Sugar Rose Lip Treatment mini: I received this for Sephora's birthday gift last year. I know the full-size of this product is pricey at $22.50 but I would pay that. Not only was the subtle rose tint beautiful but my lips felt so smooth after using it. The best thing about it was that I didn't have to reapply it every hour like normal lip balms. Maybe I'll receive it as a gift for my birthday or a holiday (hint hint everyone).

January 2013 Favorites

LypSol- I found this lipbalm at my local Walgreens. It reminds me a lot of Burt's Bees lipbalm but stays on my lips longer and moisturizes them more. It seems like actually sink into my lips, unlike some balms that just stay on the top layer. It also has a cute little bee on the side that moves the balm up and down in it's tube. How cute!

L'Oreal Infalliable Foundation- This medium-full coverage foundation has been a lifesaver for me this month. Depending on how much time I have I either apply it with my Real Techniques' buffing brush or with my fingers. Two thin layers of this foundation gives me enough coverage that I can go without concealer and lasts me most of the work day. I think it covers better than my beloved Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation and the price tag of $10ish is a lot better than that $43.

Covergirl + Olay Simple Ageless Blush in Rich Cinnamon- This cream blush doesn't have a lot of pigment to it and that's why I like it so much. It's very hard to over do it when applying this blush. The Olay moisturizer that is swirled within the blush provided extra moisture to my chapped cheeks this month. The Rich Cinnamon color provides a warm flush to my cheeks. Perfect for this nasty winter weather.

Essie Penny Talk- This rose gold metallic polish is one of my favorites. You do have to work with the formula a bit because too little can make it look streaky. Rose gold jewelry doesn't look flattering against my skin, but this polish does!

Essie Topless and Barefoot- My favorite nude polish. Normally Essie's nudes and lighter colors give me trouble, but this one is the perfect formulation and coverage.

Nivea Creme- The magical cream in the little, blue tin pots have been a lifesaver this month. I dab a bit on my hands and elbows every day. The thick creme sinks in quickly and doesn't leave me feeling greasy. I have also used a bit on my chapped nose to calm the redness and moistuize the chapped areas. Best thing about this stuff? A travel size costs .99.

Revlon Lipbutter in Berry Smoothie- This has been my go-to lip product for the month. My lips are pretty pigmented already, so I like to call this my "my-lips-but-better" shade. I can swipe it on without a mirror and it doesn't accentuate any chapped areas. I'm almost done with my tube of it and that makes me a little sad.

L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick in Fairest Nude- This is a fairly popular lipstick on YouTube and now I see why. I love the creamy formula and the pinky-nude color. It's much more natural that those "I just swiped concealer on my lips" shades. I've read that a lot of people don't like the smell of these lipsticks, but I do. It reminds me of my mom's makeup when I was young. I think this is a great shade to start with if you want to experiment with nude lips.

Maybelline 24 Color Tattoo shadows- I didn't wear much eye makeup in January, but if I did I was reaching for any of my Maybelline Color Tattoo cream shadows. Most of my shades are neutrals, so I haven't been picky. Which color is your favorite?

What were your favorites for the month? Link your post below or comment. I would love to find out!

2013: A year of no new makeup or new clothing.

Today marks the 17th day in a row I haven't purchased a cosmetic item. I've even passed over free makeup from CVS. Why? One of my New Year's resolutions is to go the entire year without purchasing any new makeup. I need to start an inventory of my collection soon, like Beauty Reductionista does, to see all my products and decide what needs to be used up first. I know I have enough of everything, including mascara and concealer, to last me an entire year. I've never been one to buy something without doing research, even if it's from the drugstore, but the amount of everything I have it just too much for one person. 

I was looking at different sites of people who are participating in the same kind of challenges and stumbled across quite a few websites about people who either didn't buy any type of clothing for a year or only bought secondhand clothing for an entire year. I'm not a big clothes shopper. I would rather spend my money on going on to eat or buying makeup instead. Now that I'm on Weight Watchers and not buying makeup I have been clothes shopping much more than I normally would. I've only purchased two items this year, both for under $10 at Kohl's, but I don't want to feel the need to spend my money. So I think I am going to accept the challenge of only buying secondhand clothing for the entire year of 2013 with the exception of underwear. 

I've loved going to Goodwill since I was in high school. One time I even found the most beautiful green leather Dior luggage bag. It disappeared my freshman year of college. The memory still hurts. However, I still have a brand new black Coach satchel I found. That reminds me to go find that in my closet. It has zero scratches and I even checked to see if it was real and it was. Holllllla.

I am also going to challenge myself to only spend $100 (taxes included) on my clothing budget for 2013. However, I will accept clothing from my mother. She said she would buy me a new piece of clothing for every 10 pounds I lose, so I can't argue with that!

Have you listened to "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore? Makes me want to go to Goodwill and start digging through piles of people's old crap.

Are you a thrifter? I would love to learn your tips 

or hear what your best buy has been!

2012 Recap

2012 was a pretty exciting and life changing year for me. 

Here are a few of my biggest accomplishments and events of 2012 
(in no particular order):

Read 71 books

Tried Pure Barre