As you can see, I have a lot of empties to share today. I’ve basically been saving all this past winter (so maybe this should be fall 2014? Anyways..), and a lot of things ran out at the same time this past week. So, I decided to share them with you! I have some good reviews, and some not so good reviews. But, perhaps that’s how it always goes. 🙂
1. Plackers GentleSlide Floss Sticks -I love floss sticks. It makes flossing a much more pleasant process, and I don’t have to worry about my fingers’ circulation getting cut off. I decide to try the Gentle Slide kind, to see how it was. It’s pretty good, I guess, but I didn’t see a huge difference. So, I’ll probably buy the original version of Plackers like normally do.
2. Loreal True Match Liquid Foundation – I have worn Loreal for most of my foundation-wearing life. It’s a nice consistency -not too thick, or thin or patchy -and it comes in a lot of shades. This shade is N2, which I have loved. I’ve decided to switch to W2, a warmer tone, so I’ll let you know how it goes. So, do I like this foundation? Yes. I am sure that I will continue to buy it in the future.
3. Mary Kay Time Wise Set (Cleanser, Moisturizer, Sunscreen, Serum) -I have had a love-hate relationship with Mary Kay, and I’m finally breaking up with this company. I used these products every day (no, really, I mean it), and I was… okay with the results. My skin wasn’t breaking out into an allergic rash at least, but it wasn’t doing anything to help with fine lines, and it didn’t even help keep my skin from flaking. And at $90 full price (or $45 if you get it off ebay), it’s really just not worth it. I guess I’m at a point in my life where I realize that bottles claiming to have magical powers to turn back time… are generally liars. And, I have more important things to spend my money on than something I’m going to wash down the drain. Like rocks, for instance. 🙂 I’ll be going with a much more affordable skin care option next… I might even try a diy.
4. VitaFusion Calcium Gummies -I got these gummies at Sam’s Club, when I realized that I hadn’t been getting near enough calcium (I was basically eating a lactose-free diet, for Ben’s sake). These gummies are fun and tasty, although they sure have a lot of sugar (6 grams for two gummies!) I do like them, though. I definitely liked the price too -200 gummies for $11.
5. Homemade Exfoliator and Clay Mask -These were fun little spa treats that I received for Christmas, from my little sister-in-law, Naomi. They were fun to play with -I especially liked the clay mask. And, the exfoliator smelled like strawberries. 🙂 I think creating at home beauty products is a lot of fun, and a great creative process.
6. Kennet MD Massage Bar -This was a very gentle bar of soap, and was fun to use. It didn’t have much of a scent, but I liked that it was nice to my sensitive skin, and didn’t cause any drying. This sample soap was fun to try, although I’m not sure where you would even buy this soap.
7. Victoria’s Secret Mango Temptation Body Butter -This body butter had a great scent, and was lots of fun to apply. I have determined that I like body butters much better than I do lotions, so I’ll have to keep that in mind in the future. Did I think this was worth purchasing at full price? Eh, probably not. I guess I’m cheap. I think I’ll check the body butters out in my local Wal-Mart. That said, the scent was lots of fun.:)
8. Ban Solid Deodorant -This deodorant is one that I grew up with (albeit in roll-on form). My mom swears by it’s ability to keep you from being smelly no matter what. I’m not as much of a fan of the solid kind, although I do like the roll-on. I think next time, I’ll switch back to roll-on -it just works better. For now, I’m using some Dove deodorant.
9. Oshadhi Grapefruit Essential Oil -I became obsessed with essential oils during 11th grade, and this was the first bottle of essential oil that I ever bought. It’s also the first essential oil that I finished. The fun thing about essential oils is that they do seem to last a long time. I read somewhere that most last about 10 years. I mainly use essential oils for aromatherapy (in an essential oil diffuser), and for keeping the toilet smelling fresh. Will I buy this brand again? Probably not, mainly because I don’t even know where I would buy it. It was nice, though. I do love the smell of grapefruit. 🙂 I think when I buy essential oils again, I’ll buy from Mountain Rose Herbs, as they have some that are certified organic and Fair Trade, and I can buy them online.
10. N°4 Lumiere d’hiver Reconstructive Masque -This was a sample hair masque -it’s a kind of deep conditioning treatment. I liked it a lot. It smelled nice, and did it’s job without leaving lots of build-up. I really love samples, because I can try of a lot products without making time and money commitments to them. I might try something from N°4 in the future.
11. Beauty Protector Hair Masque -This masque smelled like strawberries, and was interesting to use. It had the consistency of yogurt, until it seemed to melt into my hair. 🙂 That said, it was a bit heavy for my hair type, and left some build-up. But, because it was a sample, I got to try it out. And trying out new things is always fun. 🙂
12. Elf Mist & Set -This is a makeup finisher. You spray it on your face after putting on makeup, and it’s supposed to keep the make-up on longer. I wasn’t a big fan of it, because it didn’t extend my makeup wear time by much, and it was sticky from the aloe vera in it. But, for $3, it wasn’t a bad purchase. This might work better on someone who has more oily skin, maybe?
13. Physician’s Formula Organic Wear Mascara -I loved this mascara so much. It washes up with just water, and is super gentle to my skin. It can smudge easily in humid climates, but in dry climates it works great. I only wish it came in a black brown, as the color is a bit harsh for me. I might try something else by Physician’s Formula in a black/brown formula.
14. N°4 Lumiere d’hiver Clarifying Shampoo -This sample lasted a while, and it was a lot of fun. It was more concentrated, because it has a low lather, but that meant that it lasted longer. I did like how it worked for my hair -it stripped buildup with out leaving my hair super dry.
15. Physician’s Formula Shimmer Strips Black Eyeliner -This came in the nude eyerliner trio, and I did like it a lot. I didn’t use the black much, but the pencil kind of kept breaking (it got super soft in the Houston heat). I used this black eyeliner on the corner of my upper eyelids, and had fun with it. I really like the copper color from this trio, but it’s not used up yet. I will definitely buy this product again.
16. Amika Nourishing Mask -This was my favorite of the three hair masques that I tried. It smelled nice, and is free of parabens, and artificial dyes. It had a nice consistency, and had a good balance of conditioning without build-up. It’s kind of expensive, though, so I probably won’t buy it in the future. It was a nice sample though!
Phew! Sixteen different empties! I’m not sure if I’ll keep up with the empties posts, as I’m not sure if people actually read my reviews. It is nice though, to show what I actually finished, as opposed to big hauls. 🙂
