EMPTIES: January 2013

Mid-month, I was starting to get a little disappointed at my lack of progress but things spend up in the last half of January and I'm proud to say I have quite a decent number of empties to start off the new year with(out).

Denise @ Circuits of Fever and Liz @ Beauty Reductionista (who I got the Empties idea from) still do a far better job than I but I'm slowly slowly getting there!


1. DKNY Red Delicious EDT 30ml - Regular size, Expired
I bought this along with the original Be Delicious (green bottle) years ago. Be Delicious is supposed to be inspired by green applies and Red Delicious by it's namesake. These are 30ml/1oz bottles, which are the smallest of the "regular" size perfume offerings. I didn't like Red Delicious nearly as much as the green and while that was emptied years ago, Red Delicious only made it to the half way point before expiring. I thought it would be similar to Be Delicious which was sweet, crisp, and fresh but with a softer vanilla instead of that greener freshness. I didn't experience much of that. Instead, there was leather and musk. Not too much of it but just what I wanted in this sweet blend. I hadn't picked it up for months but after a spritz in January, I smelled that smoky note which often occurs when perfumes goes bad.

2. Bath & Body Works Sensual Amber Body Lotion - Regular size, Empty
This is actually my second bottle of Sensual Amber. The first one was the old formula, although I can't remember a difference. There's nothing really to be said for the quality of B&BW body lotions. It's moisturizing, but I don't find it any more or less so than most others. For me, it's really the scents (and variety of them!) that drive me to purchase B&BW body lotions over any other ones. The Sensual Amber is way too cloying and heavy for summer but in the fall and winter? It is divine! B&BW categorizes this scent in their Warm family and describes it as pink lotus petals enveloped in golden amber and blended with succulent plum and creamy sandalwood. It's sweet, warm, and spicy and one of my favourites for offsetting the biting cold weather. I won't buy another bottle this winter but will most likely pick it up again next year.

3. Bath & Body Works Black Raspberry Vanilla - Regular size, Empty
Similar to Sensual Amber, I love this one for warm weather, too. B&BW has 8 fragrance "families": Exotic, Fruit, Floral, Fresh, Citrus, Gourmand, Woods, and Warm. This one belongs in the "Fruit" family but I think it would be just as appropriate as as Gourmand with it's good enough to eat smell of raspberries and vanilla. It's sweet but creamy so I associate it less with fruit than dessert. Again, I won't be picking up another bottle this year but will do so during one of their great Buy 3 Get 3 Free sales in the fall to prepare for the colder weather.

4. Boscia - Restorative Night Moisture Cream - Regular size, Empty
I really loved the consistency of this cream. It's moisturizing yet weightless, non-greasy, and didn't cause my super-winter-sensitive skin to go all apeshit in the last few months. But....I hate the packaging because it is the same one used for their Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel reviewed here. I figure it's empty because pushing the pump top no longer produces product but I can't be 100% sure. The frugal side of me wishes this was a clear bottle or a squeeze tube... As for repurchase? Nope. It was a great product but too expensive for the amount. I'm more likely to go back to my favourite boring but dependable brand: La Roche Posay.

5. Dove Revival Conditioner - Travel Size, Empty
This has a very light and pleasant pomegranate scent. It did a good job conditioning my hair and providing moisture. My husband and I both use a lot of Dove products (body soap, deodorant, and for him shampoo as well). We love how gentle and moisturizing their stuff is and it doesn't leave behind that squeaky clean feel a lot of other brands do. I actually find that makes me feel less clean. Drugstore shampoos go on sale so often I wouldn't specifically purchase this one again. However, if I had a coupon and this one happened to be on sale and I've run out (not likely considering my stash...)? I would.

6. China Glaze Fast Freeze Quick Dry - Regular size, Empty
This drying agent contains no DPB, Toluene, Formaldehyde, alcohol, nor oils and is supposed to dry up to 5 coats of lacquer in 30 seconds to the touch, 2 minutes out the door (according to their website). It definitely sped up the drying process but I it seemed more like 5 minutes to me. I was quite surprised that it contains no oils because it actually leaves behind an oily residue albeit lightweight and quick to absorb, similar to dry body oil. What I really love about this product is the scent. It has quite a strong peppermint scent that one review said was really offensive but personally, I can't get enough of it! I would buy another bottle of this just for that. Plus, I really like the applicator which is a little glass eyedropper. I can fill the dropper once or twice per hand instead of for every nail.

7. Covergirl LastBlast Fusion - Regular size, Hate!
This mascara is seriously AWFUL. I usually buy the blackest shade I can find but this time I decided to try a navy blue. First of all, the color didn't do anything for my eyes. The blue wasn't a rich royal blue but more of a faded navy which just seemed like dark fluff on my lashes. It was also really drying and provided no volume, length, or curl. It had decent lasting power but that's about all I can say for it. What a waste of money! I haven't had much luck with Covergirl mascaras but this one was really bad.

8. Cake Beauty Milk Made Velveteen Hand Creme - Regular size, Empty
I think Cake is popular because it has seriously cute packaging and is like a godsend for those who love sweet dessert scented products. I'm not so sure it actually has amazing products skincare-wise, though. I haven't tried but a few samples of bodywashes and lotions but nothing really wow'd me. Likewise with this hand creme. Cake Beauty describes this as a vitamin packed hand cream with decadent mango and shea butters, whole milk, and marshmallow extract to moisturize and sooth dry skin. The scent is of warm vanilla with a hint of raspberries. Those who like Aquolina's Pink Sugar will really like this. I didn't buy it at the regular price ($20) and I don't think I ever would. However, if it goes for $10 or less I would as I'm fond of the packaging, I like the sweet scent, and it's a decent moisturizer.

AND THE FINAL COUNT IS.....

# of bulk sized products: 0
# of regular sized products: 7
# of sample/travel sized products: 1 
# of true empties: 6
# of expired/broken: 1
# of hates: 1

How my counts work: Regular size refers to the commonly sold sizes. For fragrance, regular could be anywhere from 30ml/1oz to 100ml/3.4oz. A sample/travel size would be rollerballs and smaller sample vials and cards. A true empty is product I've fully used up. Hates are products that are perfectly useable but I just hate so much, I've called quits!

EMPTIES I: November 2011

I first came across Beauty Reductionista's blog a couple months ago when blog-hopping and quickly became engrossed in reading all her past posts. I love her writing style, her humor, and the content of her posts - particularly her two series of posts: "Empties" and "Inventory". As the titles imply, one is a series of posts regarding products that have been used up in the previous month or so and the other is an inventory of a particular type of product (blushes, mascaras, etc.).

It's not a new concept; I've seen it on other blogs. But Liz does it the best! Since I have no shame, I'm taking a page from her books with a series of Empties posts myself. Thanks Liz!



NOVEMBER EMPTIES LIST:
Forever21 Love & Beauty Hydrating Wipes
Clean & Clear Face Cleansing Wipes
Pond's Cleansing and Makeup Removing Towelettes
Vaseline Dry Skin Condition Lotion
Clinique Dermawhite Brightening Moisture Gel Cream
NYC 16H Lip Stain in Endless Spice 495
MAC Lipglass in Prize Petal from Spring 2007 "Strange Hybrid" Collection
Chanel Precision Lip Definer in Lilirose 19
Bath and Body Works Country Chic Body Lotion Travel Size

TALLY:
Total Items: 9
True Empties: 6
Expired: 2
Others: 1



Forever21 Love & Beauty Hydrating Wipes - I found two packages of these taped together (30 wipes each) with a $1.50 price stamp on the taping. I checked with the cashier and she confirmed that was the price. I still think it was a pricing error but who am I to complain? There's nothing special about these - they have a light fresh scent, nothing distinctive, and they are quite soft. They take off visible color makeup (not waterproof mascara or eyeliner) but after swiping my face with toner, I still find minimal residue. But for the price, these are great "freshening" wipes for the summer or makeup correction. I would re buy because the price is right.

Clean & Clear Face Cleansing Wipes - This is a sample package of 7 and came taped to a tube of C&C Pore Minimizer Moisturizer. Again, a light fresh scent, nothing distinctive. I found that it cleansed a bit better than the Forever 21 version but not much more. I wouldn't rebuy as they're priced the same as other brands and didn't outperform.

Pond's Cleansing and Makeup Removing Towelettes - I bought these from Winners for $5.99 - they always have a lot of facial wipes (Pond's, L'Oreal, Olay, Blum, Marcelle, etc.) there so I recommend checking it out! Most are around $6-8 for a package of 30. These come in a package of 30. The towelettes were thicker and soft and the scent was stronger but still quite pleasant (as you would find in a pot of moisturizer) but again, the performed about the same as the others. I wouldn't rebuy as I'd rather spend my money on the continuous hunt for the great one.



Vaseline Dry Skin Condition Lotion
These are about $7-9 at Shoppers but they regularly go on sale for $2.99 a bottle. There are a number of different types - Aloe, Cocoa Butter, Unscented, etc. I bought this one last winter as my skin was beyond dry. Well, this was NOT moisturizing for dry skin! 15 minutes after I put it on, I felt like I need more! This bottle is 325ml and I actually finished the whole thing - not because it's a good product but just because I needed so much of it to have any affect on my skin. Will definitely NOT buy despite the enticing cheap price (the cocoa butter one is a completely different story though).

Clinique Dermawhite Brightening Moisture Gel Cream
This is second empty actually. I have a 3rd pot that I'm about 3/4 the way through. I bought these at the MAC/Estee Lauder warehouse sales (which unfortunately I no longer have a hookup for...boohoo!) for $10 or $15, I believe. I don't notice a brightening difference but I just love the consistency of this product. It's similar to the L'Oreal Hydrafresh gel moisturizers. Great for the summertime! If I can get it for the same price, I'd buy again. At retail, I'll stick with similar products from drugstore brands.

NYC 16H Lip Stain in Endless Spice 495
This was on sale for $2 so I bought two. I lost one and this one I'm throwing away because after only a few uses, it's done. I know there is still a lot of product in there but the felt tip nib of this marker does not allow enough product to penetrate. After you've stained one lip, it's too dry to do the other. Leave it for a few days and more ink is on the nib but that's useless! I love the Covergirl Outlast Lipstains a lot more - those are super pigmented and the tips are always saturated with stain. The color is beautiful but what does it matter if you can't use it? Don't waste your money on these.

MAC Lipglass in Prize Petal from Spring 2007 "Strange Hybrid" Collection
This is a pretty light pink shimmer and so nice in the summer or over a cream lipstick. Unfortunately, I forgot about this and now it has that plastic expired smell. I wouldn't buy it again just because MAC has so many similar colors. Actually, I've yet to rebuy any MAC color because there's so many new collections released.

Chanel Precision Lip Definer in Lilirose 19
This is a beautiful color - a brownish-pink "rose" color. When I first got it, it was so smooth and creamy to apply. Very pigmented and I could use it on my whole lips with just some balm. The brush was great and allowed you to brush the product around almost like a lipstick. Unfortunately, it's another product I forgot about and the product core dried up. The brush was also a casualty of some overpacked makeup box.

Bath and Body Works Country Chic Body Lotion Travel Size I love the travel sized bottles from B&BW. They are fantastic to keep at work, in the purse, car, and pretty much every little nook and cranny I can find. They retail $4.00CDN but usually sell $2/5. Sometimes they offer a "preview" of a new scent via a bottle of this priced at $1.00CDN, found by the cash registers. The Frangrantica website description says: "Top notes are grapefruit, pear, green notes, tagetes and amalfi lemon; middle notes are jasmine, african orange flower, gardenia, lily and raspberry; base notes are musk, patchouli, virginia cedar, amber, peach, orchid and praline." It's a fruity floral scent - very sweet and perfect for the summer. I really like it but will not repurchase because like MAC, B&BW comes out with so many new products I want to keep trying new ones.

So that's it! My first empties post. Really looking forward to December's. I have to admit, it feels like a great achievement and is as satisfying as purchasing a new product, if not more.

PS: Go visit Liz's blog! >> BeautyReductionista.blogspot.com

Say Yes To Summer

We lost Spring somewhere in the shuffle between Winter and Summer. But who am I to complain?

Summer means sun and pretty outfits and no less important, a new pile of goodies to primp myself. Old favorites and new found loves find their way into the makeup pouch marked "essentials".

What would I do without you, Cargo Dark Neutrals palette? This palette also comes in Bronze, Smokey Gray, Warm Neutral, and Dark Neutral for only $34CDN (well worth the price!!). If space was limited, I would bring this palette as my one eye makeup product. The dark brown is perfect for brows or as a soft eyeliner and you can work through the shades to go from a natural work look to a smokier evening look. They also work for contouring the face in a pinch.

I buy shades of blue because they look so pretty in the bottle but I always end up wearing shades of pink and coral. My favourites are MAC Gee Whiz, a dark berry pink creme and this semi-translucent and high gloss coral , OPI Big Hair...Big Nails. Top it off with a new holy grail - Color Club's Vivid Color Intensifying top coat. This thing drys my manicure so fast, is super glossy, and makes my polish last a LOT longer than without. But since summer is an excuse to be lazy, half the time my nails are bare. No lie, the Revlon Crazy Shine Nail Buffer glosses up my nails so much it looks like I have a coat of clear nailpolish on. This green side buffs the nails and the other side shines. It's quite fun to use, too! Squeaks as you polish.

Ahh, now we're onto a classic - Nars Orgasm blush. I can't see this not working on every skin tone out there. In the winter I often use a dusty rose like Bobbi Brown's Desert Rose but in the summer, this blush gives a natural blush with just enough of a summer shimmer. A lot of blushes are way too shimmery and result in the sweaty-cheeks effect (ew!) but it is so fine in this blush.

My face is already tanned right now but the Cargo Water Resistant Bronzer in Medium provides natural contouring. It does double oily-face duty with the water resistance and matte texture. And you can't even feel it on the face, it's so finely milled.

Bath and Body Works is always having those Buy 3 Get 3 Free deals and I am shamed to admit that I own enough scented body lotion to last an entire extended family a lifetime! I thought I'd reach more for the tropical mango or passionfruit ones but I've been using Cucumber Melon Body Lotion non-stop for the past week. I love love love this fresh cool scent whereas sometimes those sweet summery scents smell as if they would feel sticky!

I won't mention the the Bobbi Brown tinted moisturizer as the review was a few posts ago so we'll skip over to eyes. Maybelline Falsies Waterproof Mascara, where have you been all my life?! This is the first time since I began wearing mascara that my eyelashes have been so thick and curled until I take it off. Yes, curled liked it was done 5 minutes ago when really it was 1 day ago! (Yes, I sometimes go to sleep with my makeup on). I used my beloved L'Oreal Voluminous mascara again and it's going to stay the Ex. Granted, Falsies gets clumpy and dries easily but I'd buy a new one every month if I had to!

The L'Oreal Line Intense liquid eyeliner isn't waterproof (which is usually a no-no for me) but it is very black and the long tip felt applicator is so easy to use. It's great for dabbing between eyelashes to give the illusion of volume. I still prefer using a liner brush and brown eyeshadow for my brows but the powdery Bobbi Brown brow pencil is so easy to use, I keep it in my purse for touch ups or if I'm running late (too bad for those who have to see me without my "brows" on. Not a pretty sight.)

And we've finally arrived at the lips. These are the two lipglosses in my bag at all times. I love the minty fresh feeling and the pretty purple color of the Cover Girl Amazemint Wetslicks in Plum Crazy. Never thought I could wear a color like this but it actually looks quite amazing (pun?). The gloss seems more like a liquid lipstick as it has absolutely non of the stickiness of gloss but still has opaque coverage. The Lancome Color Fever Lip Gloss in Rouge Magnificence looks intimidating in the tube but it's actually a sheer red with a lovely rose scent. Think your-lips-but-better-with-an-oompf!

I think you've read enough of my ramblings for now so I'm signing off. Would love to hear about your summer must-haves, too!