2013 Empties Part 2 - Makeup, Fragrance, Nails

2013 empties part two! This time - hand & nail care, makeup, and perfume samples!

Nothing special about these hand creams - not bad, but I won't get them again. The Orly cuticle creme was really nice but I have a ton of cuticle products so I probably won't NEED to repurchase it. Orly Bonder base coat - I didn't hate it but I have quite a few basecoats I'm using up so I don't think I'll get it again. The Sally Hansen Insta Dri Whirlwind White I have already started a second bottle of! I know the nail products don't look empty, but the brushes don't reach the bottom so that's all I'm getting!

I enjoyed the Rimmel primer - although it took me AGES to use it up! There are others I want to try (and some samples to use up) but I'd consider getting it again in the future if I don't find something better. The Kat Von D eyeliner was such a pretty color but I've had it awhile and it was kind of dried up and getting difficult to get anything out of the bottle and onto my eye. The Revlon brow pencil is too short to fit inside of sharpeners anymore! I feel like much of the product ends up wasted and I didn't love the color so I won't get it again. The Mark. eyeshadow brush was AWESOME but the hairs have come loose inside of the ferrule and aren't staying the same length anymore.

I already have a full bottle of Couture Couture and I love it. I also really enjoy both the Marc Jacobs scents! I believe Oh, Lola! is one I can get from one of the Sephora fragrance samplers, and unless I end up loving one of the others, I'm pretty sure that's what I'll get the full size of! Miss Pucci was fine, I enjoyed the sample, but I don't see getting a full bottle.

2013 Empties Part 1 - Skin & Hair Care

In my recent cleaning efforts, I figured I could easily clear some clutter by photographing my empties and getting rid of them! I had accumulated more than I had realized, so I'm splitting them up instead of piling them all in one post.

I'd consider purchasing full sizes of both moisturizers if there were a good deal on them. Neither were too heavy or greasy feeling for me. Since they are kind of pricey, I probably won't buy them unless there is a deal or sale of some kind. I have nothing bad to say about the cleanser but I like others better so I probably won't buy it again. I do like that it was not irritating to my eyes at all.

While I loved them when I first got them, I definitely won't get the shampoo & conditioner again. They made my hair feel awesome the first few times and then by the end I just didn't like it at all. My hair just works so much better when I stick with sulfate free shampoos. Of course I have already purchased more of the Batiste!

I liked the Clinique makeup remover but probably wouldn't buy it as I think there are cheaper options that do the job well too. The Simple makeup remover burned my eyes quite badly so I used it for removing swatches from my hands and arms. Definitely won't buy again! I have nothing bad to say about the lip balms but I didn't LOVE them either so I doubt I'll get them again. The Softlips did smell delicious though!

The next installment of 2013 empties will be posted a week from today!

Recent Ulta Haul!

Since I had a 20% off coupon as well as double points throughout March, I decided to pick up some things I'd been thinking about for awhile at Ulta.

For more photos of the products, as well as my thoughts so far, keep reading!

OPI Euro Centrale Mini Set

I couldn't resist the mini set from OPI's newest collection! I seem to have tackled this collection much the same way as I did Skyfall - by intending to just get the glitter, and then leaving with the mini set as well. What can I say? These colors really appealed to me! Although, I do wish this set had one of the darker blue or purple shades rather than the gold, but I'll get past it.

For more photos, swatches, and my thoughts - keep reading!

bareMinerals - The Cocktail Hour palette

After seeing swatches and reading the review of this palette over on Temptalia a little while ago, I decided to look it up on bareMinerals' website - where it was on sale for $17.15! On top of that, there was free shipping, so I figured I couldn't resist! Although I'm not a huge fan of how much fingerprints and other smudges show on the outside, in general I really love the palette! The shadows are awesome quality, the colors in the palette are diverse enough that I think I could travel with it on its own, the mirror and brush in the palette are great, and it's so compact. While I don't think I'd pay the $40 full price for one of these palettes, on sale it was a great deal. The fact that this is one of just two palettes I decided to keep as is instead of depotting the shadows is definitely a sign as to how much I like the whole package!

For larger photos of the shadows, as well as swatches, keep reading!

December Empties

For my thoughts on the products I finished during December, keep reading!

No Repeat November - Thoughts

Since November is over, my few-weeks trial of "No Repeat November" is too. I'm really glad I did it! It got me using some products I'd been ignoring, and by having assigned products to use daily until they were gone, I successfully finished quite a few products.

I learned some things about my collection during this challenge. There are many products I have that I really, really do not need! For example, multiple black eyeliners, quite a few blushes that are almost identical, and more lipsticks than I even got close to getting through during these weeks.

There were products that I did not include as daily products initially, but after trying to rotate others in, I realized they were necessary, such as my MAC Painterly paint pot. At first, I tried rotating in some other cream products and eye primers, but most of them failed to prevent my shadow from creasing as well as Painterly does, so after awhile I added Painterly to my daily products so I wouldn't look like such a hot mess halfway through the day!

I also discovered a few products that I'll be eliminating from my collection:

Jordana Best Lash Extreme, Jordana Best Lash, Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume
NYX Cream Blush - Boho Chic, NYX Concealer in a Jar, ELF Studio Blush - Pink Passion

Although I never realized it before, I guess I'm pretty picky about mascaras. I just did not enjoy the days I used these. Personally, I don't like the look of very thick lashes, as I don't find it flattering at all. The Clinique and the Jordana Best Lash Extreme had that effect. I liked the Jordana Best Lash better, but not enough that I find myself reaching for it over any of my other mascaras.

The NYX concealer is one I've had a very long time, and it simply has gotten too dry to work well anymore. I used to love it, but the texture no longer works.

The NYX cream blush in Boho Chic and the ELF Studio blush in Pink Passion were the only blushes that remained unused. Although I love the color of Boho Chic, it has a sheen to it that I couldn't see in the pan at all, but once applied it made my skin look like it was extremely oily. Pink Passion used to be a very vibrant, almost neon, cool pink - but it seems to have gotten paler and more powdery over time and no longer shows up the same.

Final Thoughts:
I'm really glad I chose to participate in this challenge for a few weeks. Although I'm not going to continue it in the same way, I am going to use the idea of rotating products more in order to determine which I like and which I don't. I have quite a few perfume samples to work through still, as well as some samples of face primers and some lotion and skincare samples. I would definitely consider doing a similar challenge in the future, perhaps limited to lip products or eyeshadows, in order to choose which to keep and to keep myself from ignoring certain products. If you're in a rut or find yourself only using a few certain things, I'd recommend giving this project a try!

See also:
If you want to see my Face of the Day and the products I used each day during this challenge, visit the photo album on my Facebook page!

Face of the Day

Today marks the first day I decided to join in on the No Repeats November challenge! (If you don't know what I'm talking about, visit Lauren's video here or my previous blog post here!)

Today's products were: 

ELF Cream Eyeshadow in Bronzed
Wet n Wild Vanity palette
NYX Concealer in a Jar
Physicians Formula brown eyeliner from the Blue Eyes trio
Physicians Formula Happy Booster blush - Natural
Jordana Best Lash Volumizing Mascara
Revlon Colorburst Lipstick  in Fuchsia
Bulgari Omnia Coral perfume

My thoughts on today's products:
I really need to use the Vanity palette more! It's so pretty. As is the ELF cream eyeshadow! It applies so easily. I think the blush is a bit more shimmery than I usually like, but I don't hate it. I think it seems more summery maybe? I've never been very good at determining when to use certain blushes. The mascara is okay - it doesn't do anything great for me, but I also don't have anything against it. I just never find myself reaching for it.

 I also like this perfume! Probably not enough to buy one - I don't LOVE it - but certainly enough to keep using this sample eventually. I love the color of this lipstick and really need to use it more. The concealer, on the other hand, I think I'll get rid of. I used to love it! It's quite old though and seems to have dried out a bit. It no longer goes on easily, and ends up not looking good. The coverage isn't impressive and now that it's drier it doesn't leave a nice finish.

Sonia Kashuk Eye On Dazzling Color Palette

This palette is one of my favorite things I've gotten recently. The colors are gorgeous and really pigmented! They are kind of soft, though, which means if you don't tap off the brush, you'll get fallout on your face. It also makes the shadows get used quicker! I haven't had it that long, but you can see dents in many of the shadows. The color selection is amazing and the shadows are easy to work with. The only thing I think it's missing are blues! Usually I like palettes to have some matte shades, but it doesn't bother me in this one! 

As always, my swatches are done on my arm using sponge-tip applicators over a layer of NYX white eyeshadow base.

For larger photos of each row of shadows and swatches, keep reading!

October Empties

It's that time again! I feel like I have a ton of stuff I used up this month. Most of the hair things were partially used already. The mascaras and eyeliner got dry - they weren't completely gone, just not usable anymore.

If you'd like to see the pictures a bit closer and see some of my thoughts on them, check out the album I made for empties on my Facebook page! 

Clinique - Black Tie Violets Set

On a recent trip into Macy's, I spotted this set from Clinique. I was immediately intrigued because it included a few products I've been curious about - the mascaras and Chubby Stick - and the eyeshadow colors looked lovely. As an added benefit, it was also bonus time, and as this set was $39.50, it qualified for the bonus! I'll save the gift with purchase for another post, though.

Since there are so many, the detailed photos of each product will be after the cut!

September Empties!

I feel as though I made a lot of progress as far as using products up this past month! Most things I've been working on a long time or else they were sample sizes, but it still feels good to get rid of more stuff!

I've done a brief review of each product, but if you want to know anything more specific, just ask!

For closer photos and my thoughts on each of them, keep reading!

L'Oreal Brit Invasion - Nail Polish Comparison

After seeing several people discussing how pretty L'Oreal's Brit Invasion nail polish was, I picked it up at Target yesterday without giving it too much thought. It looked gorgeous! However, after getting it home and swatching it on a nail wheel, I realized it didn't seem that unique to my collection after all. 

On the left is China Glaze White Cap layered on top of China Glaze Ingrid. Brit Invasion is in the center, and China Glaze Ingrid on its own is on the right.

While I certainly wouldn't call Ingrid - with or without White Cap - a dupe for Brit Invasion, for me it was close enough that I didn't feel I needed both. Although it is a gorgeous shade, the more browny, neutral shades in my collection are probably among those I reach for least often, and having such similar shades didn't seem worth it.

If you don't have Ingrid or other similar shades, I do think this would make a nice addition to your collection. It applied really nicely - two coats was completely opaque, and it wasn't at all tricky to get an even coverage. There really is a lot of shimmer, but as it's very fine it doesn't appear glittery or too shiny.

Mini CVS haul, review, and face of the day

Revlon Colorstay Eyeshadow Quad - Inspired
Covergirl Lip Perfection Lipstick - Spellbound, Eternal

Face of the Day using the Revlon quad over Palladio primer and the Covergirl lipstick in Spellbound. (among other products, but those are the new ones)

I love the lipsticks - I have two others that I've had for quite awhile so I knew I liked the formula, and these colors are so pretty! The eyeshadow quad is so disappointing, though. The colors look so lovely and vibrant in the pan but just barely come off. You can't even tell I used the green at all, and the blue is after trying to pack on several layers. I should have known better considering how poorly pigmented the Revlon quads in the older packaging were, but I hoped the formula would be different as well as the packaging and color choices.

This haul was extremely affordable! Covergirl products were buy one get one 50% off and I had a $2.50 off two Covergirl products coupon from the newspaper. Beyond that, when I scanned my card at the machine, I had $5 extrabucks from the Beauty Club, $4.50 in extrabucks from something else, and a $5 off of $25 coupon that I'd put on my card from the website. After all that, I paid less than $3!

Even though the quad was essentially free, I'm still going to return it and get something else instead. Why keep something around that I'm not going to get any use out of? I'd rather try some other new products instead.

Eyeliner Pencil Collection and Swatches - Plus Urban Decay review

All my pencil eyeliners - including the 24/7 pencils. The order is the same in this photo as in the swatches.

L-R: Urban Decay - Radium, Physician's Formula - Shimmer Strips Eye Enhancing trio for blue eyes,  Milani Liquif'eye -  Blue, Milani Liquif'eye - Aqua, Jordana Easyliner - Bliss, Revlon Luxurious Color Eyeliner - Electric Blue, Urban Decay - Junkie, NYX eye pencil - Acid Green

Just a note- the Revlon and NYX liners above don't go on that pigmented over shadow on the eye area - probably because they are a bit harder so it's more difficult to apply the right amount of pressure without hurting the eye area.

L-R: Urban Decay - Ransom, NYX Slide On Eyeliner - Pretty  Violet, Jordana Easyliner - Purple Fusion,  ULTA Automatic Eyeliner - Raisin, Urban Decay - Woodstock

As you can probably tell, the Urban Decay and NYX purples are almost identical, with the NYX being even a little bit more pigmented.

L-R: Urban Decay - Perversion, Milani Liquif'eye  - Black, Physician's Formula - Shimmer Strips Eye Enhancing trio for blue eyes, Jordana Kohl Kajal Eyeliner - Onyx

I heard from several people that Perversion is the blackest black they'd seen...but from this photo the Milani looks even darker and the others don't really seem that different in darkness (of course the Physician's Formula liner has blue shimmer which changes it a bit - although it's hardly visible on the eye). The Jordana liner looks a bit shiny but I think that's because it never really sets. I never use that liner for that reason.

Physician's Formula - Shimmer Strips Eye Enhancing trio for blue eyes, Jordana Easyliner - Coffee Bean,  Rimmel Soft Kohl eyeliner - Pure White,  Rimmel Soft Kohl eyeliner - Stormy Grey, Milani Liquif'eye - Silver

After I had taken the regular swatch photos and uploaded my computer and then even waited a few more minutes, I just swiped down over all the liners with my clean, dry fingers to see how they smudged. The Milani and Physician's Formula liners definitely have the least smudging. The Rimmel and Jordana liners were the worst, and the others were somewhere in between. The Urban Decay liners didn't smudge a ridiculous amount, but they definitely did smudge.

I liked the color Junkie from the Urban Decay set since it was a more unique color that also had pretty good pigmentation. I wanted to really like Woodstock, but it wasn't as bright as I'd hoped. Radium is kind of in between bright and dark blue and while I didn't dislike it, I didn't get the feeling I'd reach for it often. I already have (slightly better, in my opinion) dupes for Perversion and Ransom in my collection, so it just isn't worth the money for me to keep this set. They're not awful liners but they're certainly not outstanding and I think better quality can be found at the drugstore price level, if perhaps lacking in shade range. But what good is a great shade range if the colors are only sort of pigmented and they smudge fairly easily?

What are your favorite or least favorite pencil eyeliners?

CVS Haul and Review- 5.24.11

Products I got:
Wet n Wild Glassy Gloss (clear)
Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick - 860 Rosette
Rimmel Sexy Curves mascara - waterproof
Essie nail polish - Coat Azure
Revlon Colorstay Mineral Lipglaze - 542 Continuous Coral
Revlon Quick Dry Base Coat
Revlon nail polish - Oh My Magenta
Revlon Top Speed nail polish - Guava

Total cost: $23.45. Total savings: $32.08.


L-R: Guava, Oh My Magenta, Coat Azure

I've used Guava and Coat Azure on my nails so far and they are both gorgeous! I left both on my nails for several days - which must mean I love the color, since I usually change polish pretty often! They apply beautifully, also - even and opaque.
Guava is a creme finish, while the other two have shimmer.



L-R: Rosette, Continuous Coral

I haven't worn the lipstick out yet, but I have used the lipglaze and I really like it! It feels really nice and smooth and it's pretty longwearing, plus it has amazing pigmentation! I also like the packaging, as it's not unnecessarily bulky.





Since my clear Jordana lipgloss exploded all over my stuff several weeks ago, I got the Wet n Wild as a replacement. It's your standard clear gloss, and it's less sticky than the Jordana, which is definitely a plus.
The Sexy Curves mascara has become one of my favorites!! I like the way my lashes look with it, plus it's waterproof but still easy to remove! I think that will officially make me quit using my Covergirl Lashblast, since I only used it because it was waterproof, but it is impossible to remove!
I also really like the Revlon base coat. It does dry really fast! When painting my nails, I always do one hand, than the other, and by the time I've finished the second hand the first one is dry! With other base coats I would have to wait a bit for it to be completely dry.

Jordana Haul and Swatches

I picked up a few Jordana products from Walgreens last month out of curiosity.

L-R: Fabuliner liquid eyeliner (marker style) in black, Pretty Shine lipgloss in Dazzling and Darling, Squeeze n Shine gloss (in clear...don't know if it has a name), Lipshine (brush style) in Watermelon

I'm not very impressed with the eyeliner. It's not very black and it seems to pick the color back up if you go over the same area too many times. Because the tip is felt tip and therefore pretty stiff, it's also hard to get a smooth line. The Pretty Shine glosses are nice. The gloss in the tube apparently had a slice in the package that I didn't notice, which then got ALL OVER my school bag and its contents. It's also a very sticky gloss. The lipshine is really nice - I love glosses that have a brush; I feel like it gives much more control in the placement. It's a really nice color, too. I really wish it didn't smell like watermelon, though...

Nails of the Day: Pink and White (Plus Revlon Powder Puff review)

Last week at CVS I spotted a Revlon matte suede nail polish called Powder Puff that looked really interesting. It is a white base with a subtle blue duochrome glitter in it. With the glitter and the finish, I thought it would be a really unique polish. However, the blue duochrome isn't visible at all and it takes 3 or 4 coats before it gets to a decent level of color, but even then I could still kind of see the line of the white part of the nail through the polish. Basically it's just a matte white that takes a lot of layers to be opaque. I'm so disappointed! If I can find the receipt I may end up returning it.

Since I really didn't like the look but didn't want to remove all the layers of polish I just put on, I instead topped it off with a coat of China Glaze crackle polish in Broken Hearted. I've used it before, but never realized how bright it could be until I put it over a white! While it's fun to combine crackle polishes with interesting colors underneath, sometimes it's fun to let the crackle shine!

Bright Pink Lipsticks: Drugstore Comparison with MAC Candy Yum Yum

Today when I stopped in CVS I spotted several lipsticks that were very bright pink in the tube and was wondering how they compared with MAC's Candy Yum Yum (one of my favorites!)

L-R: MAC Candy Yum Yum, Milani Rose Hip, Revlon Super Lustrous Matte - 011 Stormy Pink,  Wet n Wild 511B

Same order as the tubes. Top picture is with flash, bottom is without.
As you can probably tell, none of these are actually dupes for Candy Yum Yum, but the Milani and the Wet n Wild aren't too far off in color. They're both a creme finish whereas the MAC and Revlon are matte. The Revlon is definitely the most disappointing. It was the most expensive of the three I picked up today, and it looked gorgeous in the tube, but it just applies so sheerly! It still has a really nice texture and it is a pretty color, so it would probably be perfect for those who like the idea behind Candy Yum Yum but aren't comfortable wearing really bright lipsticks.
The Wet n Wild is also pretty sheer, but it's also still bright. I was really surprised at how nicely pigmented it was, considering the price.
Of the three, Milani Rose Hip is definitely my favorite. It has a really nice texture and it lasts really well, especially for such an affordable product. The only downside to it, for me, is the smell! It's really strong and I can still smell it once it's on my lips. I can't put my finger on the smell, but it's either fruity or sweet..either way, I am not a fan! I can probably get over it, though, since otherwise the product is great.

Milani Rose Hip

Physician's Formula Haul and Review

Baked Collection - Baked Smokes

Top: dry, Bottom: wet.
Without flash.

Top: dry, Bottom: wet.
With flash.

 I was really not impressed with these. They wiped off my hand right away without leaving any color behind, the color payoff wasn't great even when wet, and the colors weren't anything unique for my collection. I ended up returning it since I knew I would never use it.

Eyebrightener

Looks crazy but it's basically just a shimmery highlight shade for the browbone or inner corner. It works well for that. The packaging is ridiculously large; I depotted it immediately.

Healthy Wear Powder Foundations
Left: Translucent Light
Right: Translucent Medium

I had originally bought the Medium of the foundation because it was the lightest one my CVS ever had in stock so I thought it was the lightest...then I saw the light one! I took a photo comparing them before returning the medium one, which is obviously too dark for me! The light matches perfectly, though. I don't think these have any coverage, really, but with SPF 50 I use it as a powder on top of my foundation on days I plan to spend more time outside.