April 2026 Empties

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

1. e.l.f. Shadow Lock Eyelid Primer: I liked this primer because it's clear and has a very thin formula so it doesn't alter any eyeshadow that's placed on top of it. It really helped my eyeshadow stay in place and kept it from creasing. My only issue is that the product packaging makes it difficult to get every last bit of product out of it. 

2. Dove pamper shea butter + vanilla body wash: I feel like this body wash is great for colder weather because it's deeply hydrating, moisturizing, leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth, and also has a warm, inviting scent that isn't too heavy or too sweet. As always, I like to use this as a shaving cream because it helps my razor glide along my skin smoothly and lasts much longer than traditional shaving foam would. 

3. wet n wild photofocus Loose Setting Powder in  Translucent: I love this setting powder because it keeps my makeup in place but has a really nice, skin-like finish where it neither looks nor feels powdery.  

4. OPI Heart and Con-Soul Nail Lacquer: This is a really pretty orange-y red nail polish. Unfortunately my bottle is essentially all out to the point where even thinning it out with nail polish remover doesn't make sense to do. It also is prone to chipping so while I really liked the color, it's time to say goodbye.

5. Jiocolor Wispy Lashes x2: These are a pretty wispy shape, I like the alternating short and long bits. I will say that these are very thin and delicate so while they do glue onto the eyelid fairly easily, they're also easy to bend out of shape or to get lash glue all over the band. So, it's important to be careful and gentle with them. 

6. Alterna Caviar CC Cream 10 in 1 Complete Correction Leave-In Hair Perfector: This was a really nice styling cream that gave my hair softness and shine. I feel like it made my waves look shiny, soft, and pretty. 

7. White Barn Peach Bellini PocketBac anti-bacterial hand gel: This hand sanitizer just smells so yummy! Peach Bellini has been one of my absolute favorite scents since I was in college so it's very nostalgic to me.

8.  essie mint candy apple nail lacquer: I'm so sad to have finished up this nail polish because as you know, I love wearing mint on my nails! But it's gotten to the point where I already thinned it out with acetone and there's not much left and what is left is quite goopy. It is time to say goodbye. 

9. equate Cherry Vanilla Sugar Scrub:  I love how gritty this scrub is. I think this scent is newer and I LOVE it!  It's a yummy, sweet cherry scent that's reminiscent of a Cherry Jolly Rancher; I don't really get any distinct vanilla in it but I'm not too upset about that. This leaves my skin feeling very soft and smooth, and is great for shave prep.  

10. Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation Perfecting Moisturizer: I love the texture of this moisturizer, it's a lightweight, almost whipped feeling, cream texture that melts right into the skin. I think it's fantastic for oily skin because of how light it is. That said, I found it to be quite hydrating, for the most part, even for my dry skin. I was a little worried using this at the end of winter/start of spring because it was still quite cold outside and that's when my skin tends to be at its driest but I'm pleasantly surprised that I didn't really experience much dryness or flakiness when using this.

11. COSRX Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence: Even though I have another bottle of this, I am sad to have used it all up. Over the years this has become something of a holy grail product for me when it comes to having a hydrating serum that makes my skin feel bouncy, juicy, soft, and supple. 

Disclaimer: I purchased all of the products mentioned above with the exception of the essie polish, which was a gift.

January 2025 Favorites

Hey folksickles,

Alright, all the goodies I've been enjoying in January :) 

1. essie mint candy apple nail lacquer: It's been quite a while since I used this nail polish and now that I finally did, I remember how much I love it! This is such a perfect shade of pastel mint and literally sparks joy when I look at my nails with it on!

2. Colourpop Shadow Stix in Honey BB: This eyeshadow stick was honestly a great buy! It is a shimmery fair neutral tone so on me it's pretty on its own and it also makes a fantastic base to use underneath neutral eyeshadows. I find myself reaching for this fairly often and I'm sure I'll buy another one eventually. 

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Disclaimer: The nail polish was a gift from a friend, I purchased the rest of the products mentioned above myself.

September 2023 Arrivals

Ok folksickles! Well, given that it's my birthday month I picked up some things just for fun.

1. Flower Knows Gifts: One of my friends very generously got me these beautiful products for my birthday and we all know I am very excited and grateful because I love mermaids.

Flower Knows Moonlight Mermaid Series Setting Powder in 02 Fair Beige

Flower Knows Moonlight Mermaid Series Hand Mirror

2. ColourPop Haul: I've been eyeing most of these products for a while now and with the Aurora Struck palette FINALLY going on sale, I just went for it:

Fourth Ray Beauty So Radiant brightening eye cream

party proof eye primer in translucent

Rock On Pressed Powder Palette

sage the day Pressed Powder Palette

Aurora struck Pressed Powder Palette

3. Trader Joe's Honeycrisp Apple Scented Candle: This candle legitimately smells the way you would imagine biting into an apple would taste like. I wanted to purchase one last year but the wax looked really odd in last year's candles so I hesitated but it looks great this year so I decided to just go for it. 

4. one+other Pro-Strength Nail Polish Remover Dip: The one I currently have has gotten quite gross so I've decided to replace it.

5. FRUDIA My Orchard Mango Mochi Cleansing Foam : This was an impulse purchase because I have these on my YesStyle wishlist but I saw it for $4 at Marshall's and decided to just go for it.

6. Tiam Snail & Azulene Sleeping Mask: I'm running low on my current sleeping mask and decided to give this a try since it's got ingredients that have historically worked really well for my skin.

7. Birthday Gifts: So one of my friends decided to get me all these beauty goodies for my birthday:

it Cosmetics Confidence in a Cleanser

OYAX Deep cleansing Nutrition Mask Avocado Sheet Mask

OYAX Hyaluronic Acid Whitening Moisturizing Facial Mask

essie nail lacquer in mint candy apple

8. CVS Mini-Haul: These are things I needed to replenish on because I either ran out or that time to replace them is coming:

COVERGIRL CLUMP CRUSHER Mascara in Very Black

Physician's Formula Eye Booster Waterproof Ultra-Fine Liquid Eyeliner

Neutrogena Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Spot Gel

Please let me know if you have any comments or questions.

Disclaimer: I purchased everything listed above with the exception of the Flower Knows items and the other birthday gifts I mentioned. 

Nail Polish Review: essie mint candy apple nail lacquer

 Nail polish: essie nail lacquer in mint candy apple

What the brush looks like:

My nails with 2 coats of polish, all nails have inm Out the Door Topcoat for Nails on:

Availability: This retails for around $9-$10 and can be purchased at drugstores that carry the essie brand along with essie.com and amazon.com.
Would I buy this again?: Yes!
Notes: I'd describe this as a Tiffany blue. I have had this color in the past but my bottle dried out and got goopy so I was unable to take photos for the blog. In any case I'm really happy to have this again because I love pastel mint nail polish. In terms of wear, this chipped somewhat within four days of having it on, mostly on the tips of my nails and began to look more gnarly with the 6th day of wear, I did deep clean this week so that might have contributed to this not wearing the best. 

 
Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. 

Disclaimer: I received this as a gift for my birthday.

July 2022 Empties

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

1. Maui Moisture Thicken & Restore + Bamboo Fibers Conditioner: While I can't say that this conditioner gave my considerably noticeable thickening effects, I did find that it provided my hair with a nice, lightweight hydration that left my hair feeling soft and silky.

2. Dr Teal's Shea Sugar Scrub in Rose: This scrub has a delicious rose scent that's, in my opinion, a bit more on the herbaceous side and not super sweet but it's still a nice rose scent. The scrub has a good grit to it that provides me with that intense exfoliation that I like and although it has a bunch of oils in it, it doesn't feel greasy, leave behind a residue, or have you slipping and sliding all over your bathtub or shower floor.

3. Essie Passport To Happiness: I am absolutely heartbroken to say goodbye to this nail polish because, as some of you who've been following this blog for some time may know, it has made it to several favorites and I just love wearing it. That being said, it's become really thick and goopy to the point where I struggle to get it to apply to the nails in a smooth, nice-looking way.

4. Physicians Formula Eye Booster Waterproof Ultra-Fine Liquid Eyeliner: This is my favorite liquid eyeliner at the drugstore. I find that it's very easy to use and get good precision with this. It deposits a good amount of color but it's also easy to go over without ruining the work you've done or having it pull on your eyes. I've already replenished this. 

5. Duo Brush-On Adhesive with Vitamins: This is my go-to lash glue. It works to my satisfaction in terms of getting falsies onto my eyes and keeping them on there throughout the day. 

6. Lancome Hypnose Doll Lashes: I remember absolutely loving this mascara when I first purchased it but I felt like it was alright when I used it now. I'm unsure if it's just that my tube of it is old or I'm just used to the effect of false lashes. 

7. now 100% pure peppermint essential oil: Honestly I've had to use this aggressively lately because allegedly vermin doesn't like the scent of mint so I've been sprinkling it all over the apartment to keep the creepies away. 

8. Colourpop just a tint lip Crayon in Chimichanga: I feel like I say this every time I run out of one of these balms but I AM SO SAD to have run out of it! It was such a pleasure to use and has such a lovely, silky texture and gives my lips a nice hint of color. I'm down to my last one of these and I'll be sad when they're all gone.

9. wet n wild Rose Addiction Photo Focus 3-in-1 Primer Water: While I do have a backup of this ready to go, I'm still sad to have run out because I just love this spray. It really helps my makeup stay put all day, works great as a medium to apply eyeshadow wet, and smells delicious.  

10. narciso rodriguez fleur musc for her: I really enjoyed this perfume while I had it. This has a nice floral bouquet to it that's rounded out by musky and slightly powdery notes. 

11. berkley jensen unscented baby wipes: As I've said in previous empties, I really like to use these to wipe down countertops, to wipe swatches off my hands/arms, and to clean my makeup collection.

12. SHIMA of Navajoland Blue Canyon Soap: This soap smelled really nice but unfortunately because of the way it happened to break apart and melt it only lasted me a week and a half. 

13. Trader Joe's Oatmeal & Honey Soap: As we all know I absolutely adore this soap so much! It's hydrating and gentle, fantastic if you have eczema or any other type of inflammatory skin condition. It foams up beautifully as well.  

14. Winsome Lash 3D Faux Mink lashes in Cloudless x2: Honestly, as is the case with many faux mink lashes, these have a thick lash band that just doesn't want to stay on my lash line. I feel like I have to fight with them to get them to stay put on my eyelids.

15. Dr Teal's Shea Sugar Scrub in Citrus: This is by far my favorite in the collection! It has this sweet, bright, orange citrus scent that is delicious. I love how scrubby this scrub is, it helps me wake up in the morning.

16. inm Out the Door Topcoat for Nails: This is a great topcoat that sets the nails quickly and has a shiny, gel-like finish to it. Unfortunately my bottle has gotten goopy and stringy so it's that time to discard it.

17. Dove renewing body wash: This body wash smells so delicious and leaves my skin feeling clean. As always, I really like to use my Dove body washes specifically for shaving and this leaves my skin feeling very silky smooth post-shave.

18. L'oreal Excellence Creme Conditioning Treatment: For whatever reason my mom doesn't use these after she dyes her hair so I end up using them instead. This leaves my hair feeling very soft, silky, and smooth. It gives my hair a nice shine.

19. COSRX Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence: While I cannot say that this had any anti-aging benefits for me, given that I *knock on wood* don't have too many signs of aging at this point, it left my skin feeling very soft and smooth. This toner provides a nice hydration boost to my skin as well.

20. Korres Lilac Hyacinth Renewing Body Cleanser: This is a nice, lightly hydrating, foaming body wash with a beautiful lilac scent. 

21. COVERGIRL + OLAY Simply Ageless Foundation: This is a nice, natural-looking foundation. I feel like I personally prefer something with just a slightly higher coverage and more dewy finish. In addition, I felt like I ran through this fairly quickly. I'm glad I got to try it out but I probably won't be picking it up again.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Disclaimer: I purchased all of the above with the exception of the narciso rodriguez, COVERGIRL, and L'Oreal products. 

April 2022 Favorites

Hey folksickles,

Alright, all the goodies I've been enjoying in April :) 

1. ColourPop Sol Pressed Powder Palette: I think in terms of its color scheme, this palette is the perfect transitional situation to take you from summer into fall. With that being said, I feel like I've established long ago that I don't really think about seasons much when testing or using my palettes. I've been playing with this again and just absolutely enjoying the process! The shadows are all so beautifully pigmented, blend beautifully together, and create a versatile array of looks. I'm sad that they've discontinued the palette because it's just so great!

2. The Face Shop Calendula Essential Moisture Cream: So I've been testing out my moisturizers lately and I am just in love with this! It has such a beautiful, silky, hydrating texture without feeling heavy. In addition, I have this patch of dry, flaky, inflamed skin on my chin that's been around for the past few weeks and NOTHING has helped it go away. Since I've started using this at night, I only used it twice, but I'm already noticing that patch healing. 

3. Essie Passport To Happiness: So I have a strange confession to make when it comes to my nails. if my nail polish is heavily chipped or my nails look a mess I tend to feel like my life isn't together and I'm more anxious than usual. So putting this on my nails after wearing a nail polish that literally just peeled off my nails and it wearing really nicely just put my mind at ease. I love pastel mint shades and looking at my nails when I have this on just makes me feel so happy. 

4. ColourPop Blush Crush Pressed Powder Palette: I've been testing this palette lately and have been loving it. The shade selection here enables me to create very soft, romantic looks that are extremely flattering without being over-the-top. I've really been enjoying using it!

5. Hourglass Blush in Mood Flush: I honestly had no intention of liking this blush and thought it would look kind of whatever on me. That being said, it's such a flattering warm, mauve-y pink and gives me such a pretty flush of color. I'm really enjoying using it!

6. My Dress-Up Darling: It has been ages,since I've brought up a show that I really enjoyed here and this is a show I really loved watching! Granted, it's quite pervy and loaded with fanservice but I personally think that it works in the context of what's happening and isn't awkwardly inserted for shock factor (or at least, it's done better than other animes have done it). It's a great, genuinely funny rom-com with what I think is a really fun plot and loaded with really sweet moments. 

Please let me know if you have any comments or questions.

Disclaimer: I paid for the products mentioned above myself with the exception of the Hourglass product, which was provided for testing purposes.

October 2021 Favorites

Hey folksickles,

Alright, all the goodies I've been enjoying in October :) 

1. Essie Passport To Happiness: I really love the color mint, as many of you know so honestly it does make me genuinely happy to see this color on my nails when I use it.

2. Asakuki 300ml Ultrasonic Diffuser: So the diffuser I was using before this broke and I decided to replace it with this one. I really love having a diffuser in general but I like the design of this - I think it looks like a cute little bulb and I like the "wood" grain print on its base. These come in different shapes and sizes but something about the bulb-shaped one was really appealing to me. 

3. The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane: I haven't used this in a while and now that I am, I see such a difference in just the texture of my skin and a reduction in redness. I know that I always rave about squalane but the difference it makes when I don't use it and come back to it is just so noticeable to me. My skin is A LOT less inflamed or dry and its texture is so buttery smooth. Every time I put makeup on I marvel and how smoothly everything goes on and I know it's squalane's work. 

Please let me know if you have any comments or questions.

Disclaimer: I paid for the products mentioned above myself.

October 2021 Empties

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

Sheet Masks Galore:

the Saem Oatmeal Natural Oatmeal Mask Sheet: I wasn't sure what to expect with this but it's a really nice hydrating mask despite having a clear serum. I find the serum to have a nice viscosity to it where it's not dripping all over the skin and feels very nourishing. 

the Saem Honey Natural Honey Mask Sheet: Much like the mask above, this is a very hydrating, softening mask with a nice viscous serum that tends to stay with the mask and not drip all over the place.

WONJIN Effect Power Rejuvenation Concentrated Essence Mask: This mask felt intensely hydrating and left my skin feeling really smooth. 

WONJIN Energy Infusion Concentrated Essence Mask: This mask is lightly hydrating and left my skin feeling smooth and soft. It also has a nice refreshing, "green" type of scent.

TONYMOLY I'm Rose Mask Sheet: This is a nice lightly hydrating rose-scented sheet mask. 

2. Essie Closing Night Gel Couture Polish: This is a really pretty elegant gray color and I'm sad to discard it but it's down to the bottom.

3.  Dr. Jart Ceramidin Cream: I was using this to treat my bodily eczema and have ran out. I really like that this is deeply nourishing without being a very heavy or sticky product. 

4. Bath & Body Works PocketBac in Banana Rama Beach? Alpaca Towel: I thought this was such a cute hand sanitizer because I always pack an extra towel for when I go to the beach for sitting on (because wiping oneself off with a sandy towel isn't exactly fun). This has a sweet banana scent that I enjoyed.

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. Suave Professionals rosemary + mint invigorating conditioner: This is a very hydrating conditioner that leaves my hair feeling very smooth and silky. I really like its herbal scent which shocks me a bit because I typically don't like herbal scents but I think rosemary smells delicious, so there's that. I really enjoyed using this and it lasted me quite a while.

7. wondergloss Blossom Balm: Honestly this is a great makeup remover but it's too thick and balmy for my personal preferences.

8. 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. 

9. m-61 PowerSpot Clear: As I've mentioned before I really like to use this as a spot treatment because it really helps reduce inflammation and helps any of my breakouts heal quickly. 

10. Shea Moisture Lavender & Wild Orchid Calming Hand & Body Scrub w/ Shea Butter: I  really grew to like these scrubs as they provide good scrubbiness without being abrasive. This has a sweet lavender scent that i enjoyed.

11. Chantecaille Faux Cils Longest Lash Mascara: Honestly I feel like I was determined to dislike this mascara just because it is ridiculously expensive so I wanted to avoid, at all costs, falling in love with it. That being said, I genuinely enjoyed this so much! I have seen a difference in my lash hairs becoming longer and thicker over time and I'm not 100% that I can attribute it to this or to the fact that the makeup remover I'm using is hydrating and removes most of the lash glue so my lashes just have a better chance to grow. I also really like the rose scent that this has but I can understand how it might irritate someone's eyes. Overall I do like this a lot but I still don't think I would drop $72 on an item that needs to be replaced every three months. 

12. Ben Nye Luxury Powder in Rose Petal: Overall I liked this powder because it's brightening and this jar lasted me quite a long time. That being said, I find that it can look just a bit cakey on the under-eye area and can emphasize texture there. So if you're someone with a lot of dryness, texture, or lines on the under-eye I don't know that this is great on its own. It did work really well when I would use a sponge sprayed with good setting spray and press it into the powder but not all of the sprays I used created good results. So overall mixed feelings. If you don't have the issues I described above though, it's definitely a good value product because it'll last you. 

13. Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub in Exotic Bloom: The reason you're seeing two scrubs essentially back to back is because I was already low on this but I put it back in my stash and then took put it back out to use it up. Frankly, after all the other scrubs I've used, I find the sugar crystals here a bit TOO abrasive but not enough to bother me much. This smells delicious too, I really like its sweet floral fragrance.

14. Duo Brush-On Adhesive with Vitamins: I feel like this has become my standard go-to lash glue. It does the job and is easy to find and purchase. 

15. KISSME Heroine Make Smooth 01 Jet Black Liquid Eyeliner Super Keep: I know a lot of people really like this liner and feel they can get precision from it because it's so thin but honestly I found it a bit of a learning curve to use this because it's so thin. Overall it's not my favorite.

16. The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%: I genuinely wanted to love this because so many people say that it helps them with their breakouts and pores. Niacinamide is supposed to be a great alternative to Vitamin C as well, I hear, because it has anti-oxidant, brightening, and anti-inflammatory properties. That being said, I didn't notice any change to my skin while I was using this, and if anything, I broke out more than usual with cystic acne. With all that being said, I will most likely not be repurchasing this.

17. CVS Health Ultra-Soft Cleansing Wipes: These are fairly standard fare as far as baby wipes go - they do a good job of wiping down surfaces, especially on my makeup collection as well as removing swatches from my hands/arms when I take blog photos. 

18. Femme Fatale Glass Coffin Artisan Nail Lacquer: This nail polish is beautiful but unfortunately has gotten to the stage where I am unable to dispense enough from the bottle to go over my nails smoothly. 

19. Maya Chia Supercritical Omega-3 Chia Face Oil: This is definitely one of my very favorite facial oils because it's very nourishing to the skin and has a beautiful citrusy scent. Like I said in my review of this product, I think I will always come back to squalane because it really helps my skin's redness diminish this but this oil is a more nourishing, more luxurious-feeling alternative for hydration. 

20. Fourth Ray Beauty Turmeric Face Milk: Honestly I found that this isn't hydrating enough on its own and while this gives my skin a pretty radiance I can't tell if its the turmeric doing anything or if it's because this has a shimmery pigment in it. In addition, turmeric is supposed to have anti-inflammatory properties but I haven't noticed a difference in my skin's redness when I was using this.

21. Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs, and Rosewater: I think this spray smells great and it feels very refreshing when applied but I personally prefer sprays that are designed to keep makeup on and this is more just for refreshment. I don't mind it but I wouldn't get it again.

22. Chesapeake Bay mind & body Clarity peppermint Essential Oil: This is a really nice peppermint essential oil that worked well to scent my apartment, keep rodents away (mice don't like the scent of mint), and worked well in my diffisuer. 

23. Korres Body Firming Serum Spray in Lilac Hyacinth: 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 fresh lilac scent. The scent always takes me back to my childhood as we had lilac bushes growing all over the neighborhood back in Minsk. 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. Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt: I am SO SAD to have used this all up as it is by far my very favorite scalp scrub - this is amazing for dandruff or otherwise dry, itchy scalp conditions because it will physically buff away the dead skin. The sea salt in this soothes inflammation and I find that this product does a great job of also cleansing the hair without being extremely drying. That said, because of the salt, I do suggest following this up with a deep hydration treatment or thick conditioner.

24. Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Illuminating Body Scrub: This body scrub smells so delicious and is a great level of gritty without being too intense.

24. Kiss Lash So Wispy Lashes in Pompadour: These are a pretty, voluminous wispy lash. They're very lightweight and fairly easy to apply which I appreciate.

25. Peter Thomas Roth Rose Stem Cell Bio-Repair Gel Mask: This mask had a very beautiful rose scent, is lightweight, refreshing, and adds a nice boost of hydration when applied.

26. Youth to the People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Mask: I am so sad to have used up this mask because I just loved it so much. It hydrated my skin so beautifully, left it with a pretty glow, smelled nice, had a beautiful texture. I highly recommend it as a hydrating sleeping mask.

27. Dr. Teal's Pure Epsom Salt Soaking Solution Balance & Calm with Matcha Green Tea: Honestly I was hoping these would have more of a matcha scent which was there, but it was faint. In terms of efficacy these are as good as any of the other Dr. Teal's Epsom salts, they work great for relaxing sore muscles and feeling soothing overall. 

Please let me know if you have any comments or questions.

Disclaimer: I purchased all of the above with the exception of the Chantecaille, Mario Badescu, Christophe Robin, Peter Thomas Roth, Youth to the People, and TONYMOLY products. 

Nail Polish Review: Essie Passport To Happiness

Essie Nail Polish in Passport to Happiness

What the brush looks like:

My nails with 3 coats of polish, all nails have inm Out the Door Topcoat for Nails on:

Availability: This appears to have been discontinued.
Would I buy this again?: Yes!
Notes:   I'd say that this is a mint green with a minty pearl; a gorgeous color for anytime if you love mint shades like me but one that's great for summertime especially! This is mostly opaque within two coat but I applied three for good measure. Wear-time wise I find this wore fairly nicely for about five days with sings of wear around the tips of the nails and growth at the base. 

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. 

Disclaimer: I paid for this myself.

September 2019 Empties

All my garbage of the month! :D

Sheet Masks Galore:

innisfree my real squeeze mask in pomegranate: This is a yummy smelling mask that left my skin smooth and hydrated.

innisfree my real squeeze mask in bamboo: This mask left my skin feeling refreshed and hydrated. 

innisfree my real squeeze mask in broccoli: This left my skin feeling soft and smooth.
innisfree my real squeeze mask in tea tree: This left my skin feeling refreshed and with a  nice clarity but I find that it's a bit drying.

innisfree my real squeeze mask in lime: I wasn't expecting much from this because I thought, given that it's lime, it might be drying but I found that my skin was left feeling soft and smooth. Plus this smells really yummy.
innisfree my real squeeze mask in green tea: This left my skin feeling soft, smooth, silky, and refreshed. 

innisfree my real squeeze mask in aloe: This is a really nicely hydrating and soothing mask. It left my skin feeling soft and refreshed.
innisfree my real squeeze mask in cucumber: This also left my skin feeling soft, smooth, and refreshed. It hydrates very lightly which I enjoy.
innisfree my real squeeze mask in honey x2: I feel like I was expecting a more intense honey scent from these - they hydrate lightly and leave my skin feeling soft.

2. NARS Audacious Lipstick: Frankly I mislabeled these sample packets and I'm unsure what shade I had but this is an orange-y red. It's pretty and wore very comfortably. 

3. Dove Go Fresh Pomegranate & Lemon Verbena Scent Body Wash: As I've said many times I tend to get these at BJs because you get 3 big bottles which last about a month each (my mom and I share) and work great as a substitute for shaving cream. This leaves my skin feeling soft, smooth, and hydrated. My only beef with it is that I feel it doesn't hydrate as well as many of the others in the same line but its scent is fantastic - floral, fruity, and sweet.

4. Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray: A cult favorite that I find... just ok. I like that it adds texture and definition to my hair but I genuinely think the salt here either dries my hair out or causes it to be dry and not retain moisture well. Either way I wouldn't go out of my way to purchase it.

5. Supergoop Defense Refresh Setting Mist SPF 50: In theory I really wanted to love this product but in practice... not so much. It's somewhat heavier than expected from a setting spray and it has this odd rosemary herbal scent that I'm not a fan of.

6. Osea Atmosphere Protection Cream: This is a nice, lightweight moisturizer that provides great hydration without being heavy. It also has a nice lightweight, fresh, sea-breeze type scent.

7. m-61 Powerglow Peel x2: As you folks know, I really like these peel pads, they gently help resurface and exfoliate the skin resulting in a really nice glow. Normally when I don't get much sleep my skin looks dull, dehydrated, kinda crusty even but this makes me look wide awake and fresh.

8. Laura Mercier Radiance Foundation Primer: This has a really beautiful subtle glow that makes skin look dewy and does a great job keeping makeup on throughout the day.

9. fresh Vitamin Nectar Glow Juice Antioxidant Face Serum: This has the most delicious scent and texture - it gives my skin a pretty glow.

10. too cool for school Marshmallow Puff: This is a nice makeup sponge but I find it kind of firm - in the sense that I can't use it wet because it doesn't retain water. It does a good job of blending and I like that it has a pointy end to get into hard-to-reach spaces.

11. Essie Mint Candy Apple Nail Polish: This is a very pretty Tiffany blue polish but unfortunately mine is getting dry and goopy.

12. dermalogica AGE smart multivitamin power firm: Ironically nowhere in the name of this product do you gather that it's an eye cream until/unless you read the directions. I found this to be nicely hydrating and smoothing - it has a bit of a berry scent which I find odd given that it's a product designed for the eye area - like why is there scent?

13. fresh Rose Floral Toner: This is a nice, lightly hydrating toner with a floral rose scent.

14. Sol Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream: This stuff smells absolutely delicious and does a nice job of hydrating the body. I use it as a body butter more so than a firming product because I don't really feel it doing much in the firming department.

15. Bawdy x Sephora Flaunt It Butt Sheet Mask: Alright friends I bought this as somewhat of a gag gift... for myself, partially because I felt guilty just asking for my birthday gift without making any kind of purchase. Firstly I feel like, although I managed on my own, it's probably for the best to do this as a partner activity... for best results... or on your own but I mean like ON. YOUR. OWN. so you can let your tush hang free - unless your friends don't mind that. Anywho, ya girl had put her pants over this and left a delightful wet mark upon my friend's couch. It didn't stain. On the actual tush - this has a noticeable firming and softening effect. My booty felt refreshed. It's fun - I would recommend it for funsies.

16. Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub in Moroccan Rose: I feel like I constantly say this in every empties post but these scrubs are my favorite - they feel really abrasive and scrubby - which I personally like for the body. They're also sugar-based which means that they'll hydrate the skin and won't irritate the skin if you shave. This has a nice sweet rose scent.

17. REN Clean Skincare Moroccan Rose Otto Body Lotion: I'd say that this worked alright, it was nicely hydrating but nothing extraordinary to write home about - as always, not hydrating enough for the soles of my feet. I also found that the fragrance was somewhat plastic-y which is odd given that it's natural fragrance.

18. Garnier Fructis Style Flexible Control Hairspray: This is my favorite hairspray because it keeps frizz away but keeps your style manageable and touchable.

19. LUSH Santa's Belly Shower Jelly: This is a nice, very hydrating shower soap product. I'd say toward the end of its use it became a mess as the jelly fell apart. They suggest you take the entire chunk of jelly and lather it up - which I did upon my loofah.... which I felt caused the jelly to deteriorate with time. I think this would probably work best with either a washcloth or by pinching off a small chunk of jelly and working it into a loofah.

20. Supergoop! Superscreen Daily Moisturizer SPF 40: I really enjoyed this stuff but unfortunately it smells off.

21. Fresh Sugar Ruby Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15: Unfortunately like the product above, this smells really off.

22. Molton Brown Heavenly Gingerlily Bath & Shower Gel: This has a really nice, clean light floral scent.

23. LA MER The Regenerating Serum: I'm not perfectly clear what this serum is meant to accomplish outside of being anti-aging - given I don't have any super noticeable signs of aging I can't really pinpoint to it having results in that aspect. That said, I found this to be hydrating in a lightweight manner which I really enjoyed.

24. Dr. Bronner's 18-in-1 Hemp Citrus Pure-Castile Soap: This has a really nice citrusy scent. I use it pretty much exclusively for washing my brushes and I find that it does a really good job of getting them clean and keeping the bristles soft.

25. Pampers Sensitive Wipes: I use these to wipe down surfaces and my makeup collection. I find they work fairly well for all that.

26. Darphin Predermine Sculpting Night Cream: I found this to be a nicely hydrating night cream that felt fairly lightweight and had a bit of a skin-tightening feeling.

27. Revive Moisturizing Renewal Cream SPF 15: This moisturizer is so wonderfully lightweight while being hydrating. I love how well it sinks into my skin and that, although it contains SPF, it isn't sticky or heavy.

28. Darphin Intral Redness Relief Soothing Serum: This was a very lightweight, watery serum. Unfortunately I can't say it did much to get rid of my redness or even to soothe my skin. I wanted to love it but it was kind of a miss for me.

29. Jack Black Face Buff Energizing Scrub with Vitamin C & Mint: This is a mint-scented very abrasive feeling scrub. It's not so abrasive that I was in pain but I definitely found it to be a bit rough on my skin. I can see why this would be marketed more toward men specifically because this would help more with things like buffing around areas where facial hair grows to help avoid flaky skin and ingrown hairs. I think it could work as body scrub for the ladies tho.

30. Moroccanoil Moroccanoil Treatment Light: I felt like this gave a very light boost of hydration to my hair. I also appreciate that the scent on this treatment is less intense as well as I don't really like the scent of the Moroccanoil products.

31. Natura Bisse C+C Vitamin Eye: Given how hydrating the face cream for this line is I found the eye product being a gel rather... disappointing. It worked alright but I was hoping for more hydration.

32. Osea Blemish Balm: This is a really lightweight moisturizer - I really liked it for hot, humid days but overall it's not hydrating enough for me personally. My skin is dry so I wasn't expecting much but I was breaking out a lot in August so this was helpful.

33. Osea Advanced Protection Cream: I find the cream a bit too heavy for my personal tastes. I think I'd like it better in the dead of winter when my skin is wind-chapped but overall the consistency is too rich for my skin.

34. Tokyomilk Dark No 83 Bittersweet: Overall I find this scent to be more of a winter scent given it's heady, gourmand nature. It's sweet yet also musky which gives it a nice complexity but given that it is heady and I typically lean toward lighter scents I'm glad to be done with it.

35. m-61 JetGlow Serum: I'm not sure what it is that m-61 uses for its glycolic acid but I find that it doesn't aggravate my skin or cause me to break out nearly as much as many other glycolic products. This kept my skin soft and smooth while providing a bit of radiance. Overall though I still prefer using Vitamin C to create a radiant glow versus glylcolic acid because my skin is sensitive and tends to be less irritated by Vitamin C.

36. Supergoop! Everyday Sunscreen with Sunflower Extract SPF 50: I really liked this sunscreen because I found it gives my skin a nice boost of hydration without feeling heavy, especially given its high SPF level.

37. Revive Masque de Radiance: Overall I find this product somewhat gimmicky in that the mask itself has a metallic gold shimmer through it. Like... is it the shimmer giving the skin radiance or is it the mask itself? That said, it does leave my skin feeling very soft and smooth.

38. wet n wild Rose Addiction Photo Focus 3-in-1 Primer Water: This smells so wonderful - like rose tea. Yummy! I'm so sad to see it ended. I found that it kept my makeup in place nicely throughout the day - I used this as both a primer and a setting spray.

39. Garnier Whole Blends Oat Milk Delicacy Gentle Shampoo: (not pictured) This is a relatively gentle shampoo that's lightweight and leaves the hair feeling soft and hydrated. I say relatively because it contains sulfates so... there's that. Overall my mom used this a lot more than I did (twice, because I have other shampoo on rotation) and she liked it a lot.

Disclaimer: I purchased all of the above with the exception of the Bumble & Bumble, Supergoop, fresh, Osea, m-61, Laura Mercier, dermalogica, Sol Janeiro,  REN, Molton Brown, LA MER, Daprhin, Revive, Jack Black, Moroccanoil   and  Natura Bisse  products. 

Nail Polish Review: Essie Closing Night Gel Couture Polish

Essie Gel Couture Nail Polish in Closing Night

What the brush looks like:

My nails with 2 coats of polish, all nails have NailsInc Gel Effect Top Coat  on; I have  Formula X for Sephora Xplosives - Chaotic on the ring finger:

Availability: In the US this can be purchased at target.com, ulta.com, and riteaid.com along with their respective store locations and essie.com. This is also available anywhere Essie nail polishes - especially the gel ones are sold. Price and availability will vary on location and looks to range anywhere from $7-$11.50.
Would I buy this again?: Possibly.
Notes:    In terms of color, Essie describes this as a soft shimmer gray.  I'd say that this is a mid-tone gray with a blue pearl and a cream finish. This is mostly opaque within one coat but I applied two for good measure. I found that this wore well for about a week and while essie.com claims wear time to be around 12 days I just don't personally wear polish for longer than a week at a time. I like that this gives that thick, shiny effect and longevity gels do but without needing a UV lamp. 

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. 

Disclaimer: This polish was a gift from a friend. :)

Arrivals - October 2018

Ok folksickles, I had a thought to have a new "column" in here that I'll be calling Arrivals and Departures which is essentially a two-parter that will happen monthly (or as applies). Arrivals will feature items I bought this month that are joining my collection. Without further ado.

1. Essie Gel Couture Nail Polish in Closing Night: I've heard people raving about the lasting power of these polishes and since my nails are peeling and nothing stays on anymore I decided to give this a try. Also I'm out of gray nail polish and I think it's a really pretty color for autumn and winter; essentially the cooler seasons. I also LOVE the flash of blue in this, no one is surprised.

2. Sephora Collection Black Magic Eye Makeup Remover Cloths: I loved the larger cloths and wanted to replenish, unfortunately these smaller ones were the only ones available and I figured I might as well get my hands on them because the larger cloths were fantastic!

3. Sephora Collection Instant Nail Polish Remover x2 (not pictured): My absolute favorite nail polish remover - this gets EVERYTHING off, glitter polishes, nail art, nail stickers...EVERYTHING - probably not actual gel or acrylics but... yeah. I love it and it seems like they're trying to discontinue it which is NOT COOL.

4. Lashes Galore: Since my lash stash is running low I decided to head on over to Ricky's and see what they had because the selection is good. Well, lucky me, everything was 65% off so I bought 8 pairs of lashes and a nail polish for under $16.
Ardell Double Up in 206
Red Cherry Lashes in #510 x2
Red Cherry Lashes in #76
Red Cherry Lashes in Ryder
Red Cherry Lashes in Molla
Red Cherry Lashes in Chakra
Red Cherry Lashes in Juliet
Huda Beauty Lashes in Samantha

5. Youth to the People Green Tea Spinach Vitamins Superfood Cleanser: One of my friends is working for this brand and I wanted to support by trying it out.

6. Youth to the People Kale + Spinach Green Tea Hyaluronic Acid Superfood Air-Whip Moisture Cream: I also LOVE whipped textures for my moisturizers so I'm very excited to give this a try.

7. Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Coconut Oil Micro-Exfoliating Shampoo: I have a friend said that this is amazing for dandruff and I do agree that having something that will physically scrub the dandruff flakes off the scalp  definitely be helpful. I'm excited to try it out!

8. Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Peppermint Oil Cooling Jelly Conditioner: After a good exfoliation I think this might be a really good item to help sooth and rejuvenate the scalp.

9. Rosette Hello Kitty Uji-Matcha Kintoki Cleanser: I just couldn't pass this up. I love matcha-scented things and was hoping this would have a matcha scent because it's so affordable. That said, I think it smells like a green tea and red bean dessert more than straight up matcha powder. That aside I'm still excited to give this a try.

10. Sheet Masks Galore: I was all out of sheet masks so I figured I'd replenish. I got the:
JMsoltuion Glow Luminous Flower Firming Mask in Rose
Nu-Pore Moisturizing Eye Mask in Honeysuckle and Grapefruit
Nu-Pore Collagen Essence Face Mask in Pomegranate
Nu-Pore Collagen Essence Face Mask in Vitamin E
Nu-Pore Collagen Essence Face Mask in Green Tea
Nu-Pore Collagen Essence Face Mask in Cucumber
Nu-Pore Collagen Essence Face Mask in Aloe
Nu-Pore Collagen Essence Face Mask in Rosemary

11. Huda Beauty Emerald Obsessions Palette: Everyone was talking about how they wanted to get this palette in particular out of the gemstone obsessions collection and while I wasn't initially thinking of getting it I just thought it was really pretty and decided to try it out.

12. Huda Beauty Sapphire Obsessions Palette: Now this one should come as NO SURPRISE, a palette that's essentially all shades of blue and teal?!? Of course I'm going to get it! I think the colors in this one are really pretty.

13. Morphe Boss Mood Artistry Palette: My wife brought this in when she came to pick me up from work and I HAD TO HAVE IT. The glitter shades in this are SO BEAUTIFUL and the matte greens... OMG, I had nothing like them in my collection. I've been pulling for this palette a lot and absolutely adore it... well at least the greens because that's what I've been playing with so far.

14. Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadow in Sunset Cove: I've been coveting this since its initial release but have always been too cheap to get it until now.

15. Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadow in Into the Blue: I figured this one would be a really good compliment to the Sapphire Obsessions palette mentioned above. It's even prettier in-person, I love the flash of purple it has.

16. Essie Nail Polish in Passport to Happiness: I found this on sale and just couldn't pass it up - it's a beautiful mint with a flash of turquoise.

17. NailsInc London Gel Effect Topcoat: This was another product recommended by my friend that I keep mentioning. sephora.com was sold out of most of the topcoats and base coats and I needed something because, like I said, nothing stays on my nails anymore. Anywho, I do like the shiny look of "gel effect" products so I decided to give this a go.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Disclaimer: I purchased everything listed above.

August 2018 Favorites

Hey folksickles,
Alright, all the goodies I've been enjoying in the month of August. :) I'll be honest in that I don't really have many new things when it comes to favorites because I tend to reach for the same stuff over and over lately and haven't been trying a bunch of new things. That said:

1. Indie Lee Squalane Facial Oil - I've really been loving this oil lately and have been recommending it to nearly everyone that asks for a good moisturizer/serum product. Personally I like to mix this in with my serum and apply it that way. It leaves my skin glowing and baby smooth. Plus the price point is super approachable. I absolutely adore it!

2. Formula X For Sephora Latte Run Cupcakes and Cashmere Nail Color - An absolutely gorgeous wear anywhere, anytime nude polish. I feel like this makes my nails look so polished and is great for absolutely any occasion.

3. Essie Nail Polish in Romper Room - Similar to the nail polish above, this is perfect for any occasion. A beautiful soft, whisper pink.

Disclaimer: I received the Indie Lee oil for testing purposes. I purchased the nail polishes myself.