Empties - March 2016

This was a big month for lip products, and makeup in general.  I rarely use up any makeup, but to use up 2 lip balms in one month has never happened before!  I also tried a lot of skincare, and even found a fantastic drugstore moisturizer.

I also decided to combine the Giveups into the individual sections rather than having a section of their own; we'll see how that goes for a few months.  Let me know what you think by shouting out in the comments below.

Makeup

• Benefit Air Patrol BB Cream Eyelid Primer – Sample from Ulta.  This isn’t the best eye primer I have, by far.  I much prefer Too Faced Shadow Insurance and Urban Decay Primer Potion to this.  It didn’t seem to have the same staying power or give the same intensity to my shadows, particularly powdered shadows.  Purchase: No.
• Benefit Posie Balm – Full size.  I had gotten a sample of this before, and from that very small amount decided to get the full size.  It’s an OK lip balm and stays for a decent amount of time even though it is a softer stick.  However, this color can barely be seen, and it has a very strong flower/rose scent.  Considering these are $18 each, they’re not worth the price.  Repurchase: No.
• H&M Liquid Eyeliner in Bronze and Gold (similar) – Full size.  GIVEUPS.  I originally picked these up because I wanted to grab a gold eyeliner like mentioned in the Hunger Games books.  Unfortunately, these burned my eyes as they dried down.  I was able to get some really nice looks using combining these two, so I may have to look into better ones in similar colors.  Also, H&M has reformulated their (I believe) entire makeup line, so things might be better now.  Repurchase: No.
• LUSH Santa’s Lip Scrub (similar) – Full size.  This was originally in a LUSH kit I received for Christmas 2014.  This smells great but was kind of difficult to use.  It was hard to get the scrub out of the jar and then have it stay on my lips long enough to scrub.  Also, it wasn’t the most exfoliating scrub I’ve used.  Purchase/Repurchase: No.
• Pixi Shea Butter Lip Balm in Comfort Clear – Full size.  This is a fantastic lip balm.  It lasts for a long time, has a mild vanilla mint scent, and is relatively inexpensive (more than a ChapStick, less than Fresh Sugar).  The tinted balms are good too, but this is my favorite.  Repurchase: Yes.
• Tarte BB Tinted Treatment Primer in Fair – Full size.  This may make a decent primer, but I didn’t like this as a BB Cream.  Because it had a silicone texture, I definitely had to set it with powder or my hair would stick to it all day long.  Repurchase: No.
• Ulta Cream Eye Shadow in Shimmering Topaz – Full size.  GIVEUPS (sort of).  This is the first cream eyeshadow I ever hit pan on.  I used this all the way to the edges and then some, but then it dried out.  This is a great cream shadow, though it is a dupe for the Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal eyeshadow in Barely Branded.  Repurchase: Maybe (already have Barely Branded to use first).

Face Care

• Bite Lush Lip Wipes – Full size (1 of 5 from set).  This was originally in a Bite kit I received for Christmas 2015.  It’s basically a smaller wipe that is supposed to be used specifically for removing lipstick.  Aside from having a nice, fresh, slightly fruity scent that I would associate with Bite Beauty, I don’t know why I’d spend extra money on these.  Purchase: No.
• L’Oreal Age Perfect Hydra-Nutrition Golden Balm – Magazine sample.  Wasn’t a huge fan of the scent, and it was a heavy cream (hence the word “balm” in the name).  Purchase: No.
• L’Oreal Revitalift Volume Filler Re-Volumizing Cream – Magazine sample.  This might make an OK primer, but not what I was looking for as a moisturizer.  Purchase: No.
• Neutrogena Make-Up Remover Cleansing Towelettes – Travel size from Ulta.  HG product, just in travel size.  Repurchase: Yes (already have full size).
• Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream – Travel size from Target Beauty Box.  This smells so fresh, and I actually see a bit of a difference in appearance when I use it consistently.  One of the best face creams I’ve used, high end or drugstore.  Purchase: Yes (Already have full size).
• Olay Regenerist Luminous Tone Perfecting Cream Moisturizer – Rippy packet.  Not bad.  It has the same fresh scent as the Micro-Sculpting Cream.  I did just buy the other, and might want to try a few more samples of this one before committing to it to see its effects (or lack thereof).  Purchase: Maybe.
• Perricone MD Face Finishing Moisturizer – Sample from QVC (gift).  I don’t understand why brands make face products floral scented.  It seems like most high end brands do this with their face moisturizers.  It wasn’t even the greatest moisturizer.  Purchase: No.
• Simple Micellar Make-Up Remover Wipes – Full size.  I love the Simple Micellar Water, but really didn’t like these wipes.  I found that they just didn’t remove my makeup well.  I actually got so frustrated that I went back to using my Neutrogena ones and finished these up by cleaning swatches.  Purchase/Repurchase: No.

Skincare

• Ala Moana Hotel Body Lotion – Hotel sample.  Standard hotel sample.  Purchase: No.
• BBW Shower Gel in Pink Chiffon – Travel size.  I used to love this scent, but now there are others I prefer more.  I’m also not a huge fan of the BBW shower gel anymore; I feel like it dries me out. Repurchase: No.
• BBW True Blue Spa Fragrance Free Shea Butter Super Rich Hand Cream – Full size.  This was a decent unscented hand cream.  It was very rich, being good for extra dry skin, and being unscented worked out well when scented products were not feasible.  Repurchase: Maybe.
• Marietta Massage Bar in Fresh & Clean – Hotel sample.  Standard hotel bar soap.  Purchase: No.
• Philosophy Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath in Raspberry Sorbet – Small full size (6 oz).  I received this in a kit as a gift, with another shower gel and two lip glosses.  I really enjoyed not only this formula but also this scent, much more than other products from Philosophy.  Purchase/Repurchase: Yes.
• Soap & Glory Scrub of Your Life – Travel size.  I originally received this in a gift kit.  I love this scent and love the scrubbiness.  Unfortunately, this contains microbeads, which I’m trying to avoid in the future, so I won’t be getting this again on purpose.  Purchase/Repurchase: No.
• TonyMoly Banana Hand Milk – Rippy packet from Birchbox.  OK hand cream, but not my favorite.  Luckily, my coworker will take any I get of this.  Purchase: No.

Fragrance

• Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Eau de Parfum – Sample gift.  Not a favorite.  Purchase: No.

Hair Care

• Beauty Protector Protect & Treat Treatment Mask – Sample from Birchbox.  I’m not a huge fan of hair masks, but this worked ok as a conditioner or before swimming.  Purchase: No.
• Garnier Triple Nutrition Fortifying Shampoo and Conditioner – Rippy packets.  Not bad.  Standard hair products.  Purchase: No.
• Jane Carter Solution Revitalizing Leave-In Conditioner – Travel size from Target Beauty Box (page refreshes each month when new box is available).  This wasn’t my favorite leave-in conditioner, but it did the job better than many.  It had a bit of an odd scent which I didn’t like.  Purchase: No.
• L’Oreal Volume Filler Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner – Rippy packets.  Just OK.  Purchase: No.
• Pureology Smooth Perfection Cleansing Condition (Ulta) – Rippy packet from Ulta.  I was pleasantly surprised by this, but not enough to rush out to get it.  May change my mind if I try more samples.  Purchase: No.
• San Francisco Soap Company Milk Shampoo – Hotel sample.  Clarifying shampoo from hotel.  Purchase: No.
• Tigi Bed Head Dumb Blond Reconstructor – Full size.  This is one of my favorites for dyed hair.  It is super hydrating, and will moisturize hair no matter how dried out or damaged it is.  It did become difficult to use it all up because it only comes with a pump and the end couldn’t be pumped up.  (The corresponding shampoo will follow next month.  I always seem to use up full size conditioners first.)  Note: It looks like they just re-did this product.  I don't know if it's a whole reformulation or just a repackage, but I love the new packaging.  Repurchase: Yes.

Other

• BBW PocketBac in Best Friends Berry Friendly and Hawaiian Pink Hibiscus – Full size.  These are both nice scents, and ones I would consider again if they were available and once I run out (which may take forever!).  Repurchase: Product – Yes, Scents – Yes.
• Degree MotionSense Dry Spray in Shower Clean – Full size.  This is OK, but it doesn’t seem to last as long as other deodorants on me.  Maybe it’s the format, spray vs. solid, but I don’t think I’ll get this again.  Repurchase: No.
• Sephora Makeup Sponge – Full size.  I picked this up trying to find a less expensive version of the BeautyBlender.  Unfortunately, this was NOTHING like a BeautyBlender.  This sponge was almost solid and had almost no bounce at all.  Well, you could almost compare it to a rubber bouncy ball; that would be a better comparison than to a makeup sponge.  Repurchase: No!

Note: Birchbox link is a referral link.