September 2021 Empties

All my monthly trash on display for you to see. :P

Sheet Masks Galore:

A'Pieu Air Pocket Sheet in Coffee Milk: As in previous reviews, I continue to love these sheet masks. They're beautifully hydrating and leave my skin feeling very silky with a supple softness. 

BANOBAGI Vita Genic Jelly Mask in lifting: This mask, in my personal opinion, had way too much serum in it. Not only were they extremely generous, but the mask is gelatinous, as its name implies, in a way that felt like entirely too much to me. It left my skin feeling fairly hydrated but I wouldn't get it again. 

Coreana Orthia Perfect Collagen 28 Days Intensive Ampoule Aqua Mask: This mask, like the one above, was just too goopy and wet for me. I found that mask, on its own, was adequately wet without the need to go in with the first step serum (although I used it as instructed). I think it would've been better had I not gone in with that first step.

Eunyul Broccoli Daily Care Sheet Mask: This mask is lightly hydrating and left my skin feeling smooth and soft.

Etude House Hyaluronic Acid Air Mask: To be honest I had high hopes for this mask as I've really liked the sheet masks I had from Etude House in the past. With that being said, I found it to be just ok. It hydrates lightly but I just don't like it as much as the other Etude House sheet masks that I've tried before.

goodal citron infused water mild sheet mask: This mask was really hydrating despite being a clear serum - I find that typically milkier serums are more hydrating. That said, this has a nice light citrus scent and leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth. 

goodal quince infused honey mild sheet mask: I really liked this mask because it left my skin feeling hydrated, soft, and smooth. In addition this has an apple-like scent that set the mood for the approaching fall season. 

Nature Republic Real Nature Mask Sheet in Green Tea: This mask has a really pretty green tea scent; it left my skin feeling very soft, smooth, and supple.

Nature Republic Real Nature Mask Sheet in Avocado: This mask is a repeat favorite. It's extremely hydrating and perfect for when my skin feels dry, tight, is peeling, or is suffering from rough texture. My skin is left incredibly soft and smooth. 

papa recipe Bombee Honey Mask x2: These masks feel really refreshing and they leave my skin feeling hydrated and smooth. They have a delicious honey scent. 

papa recipe  Bombee Black Honey Mask Pack x3: Frankly I think I like these even better than the original honey mask! This smells just as delicious but it leaves my skin even more radiant, hydrated, and smooth. The mask itself feels more silky and luxurious. The only downsides are that the masks themselves are somewhat small and I feel like they're designed for someone with a smaller face. I feel like a lot of the serum drips all over my neck and chest when I wear this, which isn't the most pleasant of feelings. 

TONYMOLY Cat's Purrfect Brightening Eye Mask: This provided some nice hydration for my under-eyes as well as for the forehead. I went into this thinking it was going to be more for the actual under-eye area but it's more of a masquerade type of mask so it covers the upper portion of the face. It was weird to be able to drink tea and not worry about it being awkward the way it can be with regular masks. 

2. Bath & Body Works Tiki Beach Scented Candle x2: I love this candle scent so much and am sad to see it come to an end. 

3. germ-x fragrance free original hand sanitizer: Honestly I am not a fan of this hand sanitizer. It's too goopy and gelatinous in a way that causes it to take quite a while to dry on the hands.

4. Laura Mercier body & bath ambre vanille honey bath: This bubble bath just smells so incredible and I truly enjoyed having it. It produces lovely bubbles and has its scent lingers on the skin.

5. KISS Lash Couture Faux Mink Collection Lashes in Little Black Dress x2: As much as I love the look of these lashes in the box and on myself I wish that, especially given how soft and natural they look, that they had thinner, more flexible lash bands. I find them difficult to work with because they don't want to bend to my eye shape. I do find this annoying thick band frequently with faux mink lashes so that might be the issue. 

6. Indie Lee I-Awaken Resurfacing Mask: I really liked how smooth this mask made my skin feel when I washed it off but overall I wasn't a fan of the scent and the fact that this mask took a while to wash off. 

7. ColourPop Complexion Blending Sponge: This sponge did a fantastic job of blending on my face cosmetic products really flawlessly and seamlessly. I found it easy to work with, 

8. Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Color Stick in Rose Gold: I love this so much as a base for powder shadow. It adds a nice touch of neutral sparkle, which is pretty even on its own, and I find that it really helps my makeup stay put throughout the day. It's a great neutral pinky shade that, in my opinion, goes with everything. 

9. Oribe Featherbalm Weightless Styler: I found this to be a nice, lightweight, styling cream that added a little bit of smoothness and hydration to my hair. I personally didn't find it to be much better than other styling creams I've had in the past, outside of its light texture, which I do like... but technically I can use less of another product so, to be honest, I don't feel like I can justify its price point but if you need a light styler and are willing to make the splurge, this is nice. 

10. Trader Joe's Watermelon Facial Mist: I really love to use this as a toner. It adds a nice boost of hydration to my skin and smells really yummy too!

11. Maya Chia The Straight A Advanced Gentle Retinol Treatment Facial Oil: I am so sad to say that this is completely gone because, it being one of the only retinols I could use nightly with no irritation, and having a beautiful rose scent, made it a winner in my book. As I don't have any severe signs of aging or crepiness of the skin I can't say that this made any improvement in that aspect, my skin was very soft, smooth, and had a nice glow while I was using this. Pore-wise I also would say I didn't see a difference, but then again I feel like maybe with something as permanent as sebaceous filaments there isn't much that can be done to eliminate their presence. 

12. Ariose Monde Ocean Bliss Shower Gel: I know this may be a silly thing to say but I'm glad that this has come to an end. It works well and bubbles nicely but its scent has a musky note that I am not a fan of. 

13. L.A. Girl Pro Conceal HD High-Definition Concealer in Classic Ivory: This is another item that I am glad to have used up completely because the color is just too dark for me. I was able to make this work by layering it underneath my foundation but overall it's ok and I didn't love it.

14. Laneige Foam Cleanser Moisture: This was a pretty nice standard creamy bubbly cleanser. I didn't find it any more hydrating than any other similar formula and overall wasn't super blown away by it. It did its job of making my face clean.

15 .Indie Lee Restorative Eye Cream: Unfortunately this was a dud for me. I found that it was too rich for my eye area to the point where I'd constantly get clogged pores around my eyebrow area and milia on the under-eye area when I used this. In addition, I feel like I zipped through it super quickly. 

16. Bath & Body White Caramel Cold Brew Scented Candle: This candle had a nice, prominent coffee scent. I don't know what it is with Bath & Body works but since they discontinued their Pumpkin Caramel Latte none of their coffee scents has been as good. I don't see why they discontinued that scent either as I personally think it was a really popular scent for the fall and one that my best friend and I sorely miss.

17. berklen jensen Unscented baby wipes: As I've mentioned before, I really like to use these baby wipes for wiping down surfaces, removing makeup swatches, and for wiping down my makeup collection. They are well-moistened and I like that they come in 100-packs, they last quite a long time. In addition, when I go to the laundromat I take these and some alcohol and use them to disinfect the surfaces there. 

18. Moroccanoil Moroccanoil Treatment: While I don't love its scent, I really like this oil treatment to help hydrate dry ends. Even the regular treatment isn't too heavy for my fine hair; it leaves my hair silky and shiny without being weighed down or oily.  

19. Shea Moisture Superfruit Multivitamin Firming Hand & Body Scrub w. Mango Butter & Green Coffee Bean Extract: This is a really nice scrub that leaves my skin very soft and smooth. It has a nice sweet, sour scent to it that reminds me of sour candy but I can't really place it.

20. Dove glowing mango butter & almond butter Nourishing Body Wash: As I've mentioned in the past, I really like to use these to shave with because they're moisturizing, foam nicely, and provide a nice glide for my razor. It leaves my legs feeling super smooth and silky. It works great as a hydrating body wash also, leaving me feeling soft and clean. 

21. Mario Badescu Deodorant: I have to say that with this, as with many other natural deodorants, I found myself disappointed. The stick itself has a really nice, fresh, clean scent. That being said I find that this lasts maybe 4 hours before I have to reapply because I found myself sweaty (to be expected with natural deodorants) and stinky (NOT to be expected with natural deodorants after maybe a one or two week adjustment period). Toward the end of me using this I developed a bit of a rash on my underarms. Now, typically, I would blame the deodorant itself but because this is baking-soda free (baking soda is usually what irritates my skin!) I feel that the rash is moreso due to the inefficacy of this to do much about the bacteria in my sweat proliferating and causing stink and sweat rash. Unfortunately it just didn't work out for me.

22. Fourth Ray Beauty Papaya Face Milk: I really enjoyed this moisturizer because it's lightweight yet provided my skin with what feels like enough hydration. It has a faint, sweet scent that I really enjoy. In addition, the papaya enzymes in this leave my skin feeling very soft and smooth. I only used this at nighttime so I didn't experience any irritation, even when I was using a retinol oil alongside this.

23. Korres Body Firming Serum Spray in Cashmere Rose: I really liked this as a lightweight moisturizer for the summertime and felt that, despite its very lightweight, silky milky serum texture, that it provided really wonderful hydration. This leaves my skin feeling super silky, smooth, and hydrated. As always, this wasn't enough hydration for the soles of my feet but it left me legs feeling amazing post-shave. I LOVE the scent of this; it's a very warm, cozy rose scent. It smells so good and I am sad to have used it all up.  Additionally, I can't say that this had any noticeable firming effect for me personally BUT I only use body moisturizer on my legs below the knee and on my feet, because I walk around a lot and worked retail where I was standing constantly, those areas are fairly firm to begin with. 

24. Guerlain Abeille Royale Youth Watery Oil: I kept seeing advertisements for this so frequently that when I saw Sephora offering a sample with purchase I jumped on the chance. Also like, Guerlain usually doesn't do samples of anything. This felt really nice and absorbed really quickly into my skin, making it feel hydrated and giving it a beautiful glow. That said, it's too pricey a product for me to look into it further.

24. Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Serum: This has an almost watery gel-like texture, is hydrating, and left my skin feeling really soft and smooth. That being said this is another one that's above my budget.

24. Chanel Ultra Le Teint in B30: *sigh* This is a sample that I tried to make work but alas, I'd have to say my attempt was a fail. There wasn't enough product in here for me to determine if it was merely a sheer coverage or that there wasn't enough product and therefore it ended up sheer. This shade was  a bit too dark for me as well so, in order to solve both issues, I ended up going over it with my regular tinted moisturizer. This has a nice, hydrating feel though and a pretty, glowing finish.

Disclaimer: I purchased all of the above with the exception of the germ-x, Indie Lee, Laura Mercier, Ariose Monde, L.A. Girl, Moroccanoil, TONYMOLY, Sulwhasoo, Chanel, and Oribe products.