November 2024 Empties

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

1. Clean Beauty Smoke & Mirrors 6 Pairs of Reusable Lashes with Lash Glue (fourth pair from top): So, what I liked about this pair of lashes is that they had the gelatinous band that molded to my eyes better than the second and third pairs did. I also like their chunky yet wispy shape. However, these lashes still had the tendency to want to pop up at the inner corners and I found that rather frustrating.

2. Dove refreshing cucumber & green tea body wash: As I mentioned, I like using these in place of shaving gel. The reason being I find that the body washes last me two months versus a week with shave gel because I am a hairy beast with sensory issues that hates the feeling of hair on their body. I also find that most of the body washes in this line are hydrating and gentle on my skin. Anyway, this one has, as its name implies, a refreshing scent of cucumber and green tea.

3. Lancome Energie de Vie Dullness Relief & Energy Recharge Daily Cream: I used to absolutely love this moisturizer and was excited when its turn came up to finally use it. That said, I find that for my skin as it is, this is hydrating and smoothing but it's not quite as hydrating as I would personally like. With the seasons changing now, I have dry spots that this was barely enough for. I do love its lightweight gel cream texture, how it feels cooling when applied, and how it has a bit of a smoothing effect on the skin. 

4. EVELINE COSMETICS Goat Milk and Collagen Eye Contour Serum: This is a nice, lightweight basic eye cream but personally I like something a bit more hydrating and brightening. 

5. wet n wild photo focus Dewy Foundation in Rose Ivory: I love this foundation. I think that its price point is great and accessible. It's lightweight, has buildable coverage, a beautiful healthy glowy finish, and it stands up to humidity really well. I'm actually shocked how well this wears in all weather conditions and highly recommend it. 

6. berkley jensen Scented baby wipes Green Tea & Cucumber x2: As I always mention, I like to use these to wipe down surfaces - especially when it comes to wiping down my makeup collection. I also like to remove swatches of makeup with these. We have started keeping a package of these in the restroom as well which my mom takes to the laundry with her to wipe down the tables there or we'll wipe things up in the restroom with these, hence why I have two of them in empties this time. 

7. Kose softymo Speedy Cleansing Oil: This makeup remover worked just fine and the bottle lasted me nearly a whole year so that's a plus. That said, I personally prefer the Deep Cleansing Oil version of this because it actually does a more speedy job of removing stubborn makeup as it's meant to be more deep cleansing, and I get to use less of it as well. Also I feel like this bottle had some sort of leak because it always felt greasy and I didn't like that. 

8. Equate Coconut Hibiscus Shea Sugar Scrub: I really like that these scrubs are gritty without being overly abrasive and are at an affordable price point. This has a really yummy sweet and sour scent that I really enjoy, it smells refreshing yet floral.

9.  LAZY JUNGLE Rice Foam Cleanser: I like how foamy, soft, and hydrating this cleanser is. I think it's a great basic cleanser for anyone with dry skin, as it left my skin feeling refreshed yet hydrated.  

10. Clean Beauty Smoke & Mirrors 6 Pairs of Reusable Lashes with Lash Glue (fourth pair from top): These are some kind of papery plastic material that just is flimsy in the sense that it did not want to mold to the eye and loved to pop off at the inner corners especially, but on the outer ones occasionally as well. I think their shape is so pretty but they're a pain in the butt to work with.

11. Isehan Kiss Me Sunkiller Perfect Water Essence Alcohol Free SPF 50+ PA++++: This is a nice, lightweight SPF. My main complaint is that I dislike the scent of this and find it a bit strong. I prefer the Biore UV Aqua Rich Water Essence SPF 50+ PA++++ which I feel is similar, but I like better due to both its texture being a bit lighter and it not having such an intense scent.

12. Ivon Cuticle Pusher: I purchased a three pack of these because my cuticles were starting to look raggedy and they do a really nice job of getting rid of the dead skin but I feel like they're not as invasive as literal cuticle nippers and are easier to use.

13. Givenchy Powder Puff: These are great at apply powder to the face and are very soft. It's time to replace this one. 

14. Shiseido Prepare Dermaplaning Razor: It's about that time to replace this razor as it's getting a bit dull.

15. matrix Food For Soft hydrating shampoo: This shampoo left my hair soft, hydrated, silky, and shiny. This also has a really delicious gourmand vanilla scent. 

Disclaimer: I purchased all of the products mentioned above with the exception of the matrix shampoo which was a gift from a friend.  All opinions are my own.

Eye Serum Review: EVELINE COSMETICS Goat Milk and Collagen Eye Contour Serum

Hello folksickles. Today's review will be for the EVELINE COSMETICS Eye Contour Serum with Goat Milk and Collagen.

Availability: As you can tell from the sticker, I purchased this at $3.39 from a pharmacy. That said, I can't seem to find this exact one online.

Would I buy this again?: Possibly.

What is this product designed to address?

According to lantale.com.ua this is what the product is and what it does (I edited some words in brackets to make this make better sense in English):

Serum for the contour of the eye based on the healing goat milk and [collagen] has a light texture, is quickly absorbed and does not leave a feeling of tightness. The serum restores and improves the elasticity of delicate skin by the eye. The [benefits are] unique, the product effectively smooths facial wrinkles around the eyes and reduces dark [circles] under the eyes. The formula of the cream enriched with milk proteins , deeply rejuvenates and nourishes, regenerates the epidermis. Vitamin cocktail gives freshness and healthy shade to the skin.

Does it contain any special/beneficial ingredients?

Glycerin: Helps attract moisture to the skin.

Glycine: Helps promote moisture retention, collagen production, and skin repair.

Collagen: Has a hydrating effect.

Urea: Has hydrating and skin-smoothing properties.

Linoleic Acid: Has hydrating and anti-inflammatory properties, helps rebuild skin barrier.

What is the texture like?

I'd describe the texture as a lightweight, emollient, milky lotion. 

Is it scented?

This has a faint, cold cream-like scent.

My overall experience/comments on the product:
I've been using this eye cream for a few weeks now and I feel like it's hydrating in a light way that doesn't interfere with my makeup. That being said, I don't feel like it does anything in terms of brightening under eye circles or helping with puffiness, which frankly are the two main issues I've got. I got this to try because it's inexpensive, and if all you need is lightweight hydration, it might be worth checking any Russian-speaking pharmacies in your area if they have the product. If not though, I think this is a pass.

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

Disclaimer: I purchased this myself. 

November 2022 Empties

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

1. Ariose Monde Ocean Bliss Bath Fizzers: I used these in my foot baths and they're a nice bath bomb that left my skin feeling soft. That being said, I found the scent to be quite intense. 

2. Youth to the People Kale + Spinach Green Tea Hyaluronic Acid Superfood Air-Whip Moisture Cream: This moisturizer felt really fantastic on my skin. It hydrates really deeply despite being lightweight. Unfortunately, as with many moisturizers, it's not enough for the spots where I have eczema but if my eczema were to clear up I would definitely consider repurchasing this.

3. Trader Joe's Oatmeal & Honey Soap: As I mentioned in the past, I love this soap so much because it nourishes my skin and whenever I have eczema flareups on my hands I find this soap to be very soothing. I like to always have it on hand because it's fairly inexpensive and works well. 

4. Dr Teal's Shea Sugar Scrub in Rose: This scrub smells absolutely delicious and does a great job of smoothing my skin and preparing it for shaving.

5.Minoxidil Topical Aerosol 5% for Women: So just a heads up that Minoxidil is the active ingredient in Rogaine and is meant to help with hair growth. I had some sparse patches toward the front of my hairline and feel like this has made a really big difference in terms of me actually getting hair growth in those areas that were essentially balding. 

6. Tarte Amazonian Clay Bronzer in Park Ave Princess (matte): This was a really great shade of bronzer that added a bit of warmth to my face but was a shade that still gave my face depth and dimension the way a contouring product would. I can't believe my pale behind finished a whole bronzer in the course of a year yet here we are. 

7. The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG: While I do find that this helps me with puffiness, it doesn't help brighten my under-eye area the way I wish it would. I don't know that I'd pick this up again. 

8. Trader Joe's Watermelon Facial Mist: I love how this adds a bit of hydration to my skin and makes my skin feel refreshed. It actually smells like watermelon which is a nice touch. 

9. Freeman Detoxifying charcoal + black sugar Mud Mask: I like that this is a mud mask that doesn't feel super tight as it dries. I can't say it works amazing for clearing away my sebaceous filament but it makes my skin feel deep-cleansed yet soft and smooth when I use it.

10. RAW SUGAR moisture loving body wash in Watermelon + Fresh Mint:  While I like the scent of this body wash and that it's moisturizing, I find that it leaves behind a residue - it's not super thick or anything but I wasn't a fan of this. 

11. Sol Janeiro Brazilian Joia Strengthening & Smoothing Conditioner: This conditioner has the signature Sol Janeiro scent which I adore. I like that the scent lingers in my hair throughout the day after I use this on it. It leaves my hair feeling very hydrated, conditioned, and silky.

12. Dr Teal's Shea Sugar Scrub in Rose: This scrub smells absolutely delicious - I think citrus is my favorite scent out of those that I've tried. This also does a great job of smoothing my skin and preparing it for shaving.

13. MAC Lip Pencil in Cherry: This is a beautiful true, classic red lip-liner that took me nearly a whole year to use up with near daily use. I wore this as a lipstick too - meaning I used it over my entire mouth, not just to line with - and it lasted me that long. I really enjoyed using this but honestly it was a bit on the dry side which helped with wear but felt a bit uncomfortable. Given that I have loads of red lipsticks at the moment that I don't use a lip liner with, I don't think I'll be repurchasing this. 

14. Osea Atmosphere Protection Cream: This moisturizer feels really fantastic. It's not heavy but it gives my skin a  really nice degree of hydration. Unfortunately I find it's not quite enough for my eczema patch but it felt great over the rest of my face. 

15. AOA studio Perfect Setting Powder in Soft Light: Honestly I feel like this setting powder is just ok because it sets my face nicely but looks cake-y and creases underneath the eye area which I am not a fan of. 

16. wet n wild photo focus Dewy Foundation: I am so sad to part ways with this foundation. It gives me such beautiful coverage, wears all day, and has a very pretty finish wherein my skin has a healthy glow to it. I really loved using this and highly recommend checking it out.

 

17. Dove gentle exfoliating sea minerals body wash: As I've mentioned many times, I really love to use these body washes to shave with because they're very hydrating and more economical for me to have on hand versus shaving foams. This has a nice, refreshing, clean scent to it. This is sold in a bundle with the peony and coconut scented ones and honestly is my least favorite just because the beads get in the way of my razor but I feel like other than that I like it just fine.

18. Bath & Body Works Pumpkin Everything Anti-Bacterial Foaming Mousse Hand Sanitizer: If I'm being honest I wasn't the biggest fan of this stuff. It leaves a residue on the skin because it attempts to be hydrating and also left a stain on my carpet where the hand sanitizer dried up on the carpet and turned solid. Alas. In addition to that it just smells too sweet for my liking and the dispenser broke before I was able to actually finish the product within. It feels like there's plenty of it left in there but I can't get it to dispense. 

19. AOA studio 3D Faux Mink Premium Natural Lashes in Brianna: I really liked these lashes. They're a long lash with V-shaped clusters and I find that it really opens up my eyes and makes my eyes look large.

20. L'Oreal Paris Excellence Creme Conditioning Treatment: This works really well as a stand-in for conditioner and makes my hair feel soft and silky. 

21. AOA Studio Mochi Teardrop Blender: I find that this does a nice job of blending my makeup and works as well as most other sponges I've tried. That being said, I find these difficult to thoroughly wash as they seem to really want to hang onto foundation/potentially absorb a lot of foundation as they're being used.

22. berkley jensen baby wipes in Refreshing Green Tea & Cucumber: These wipes smell so good! I don't have the packaging in my empties photos because I spent a lot of wipes cleaning grease off the walls in the kitchen and ended up just dumping the packaging together with the used up wipes.

23. The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane: Frankly I don't even know what bottle of this I'm on because I love this stuff and keep repurchasing it. Unsurprisingly, I am sad to be out. I definitely feel a difference in my skin when I don't use squalane in terms of my skin being flakier than usual. I've ordered a new one to try but will be using a different oil in the meantime. 

24. Shiseido Prepare Eyebrow Razor L Shaped: To be honest I use these mostly on my upper lip and to quickly trim any hair that wants to hang around my face and be unsightly. They do a great job but the blade on this has become dull over time.

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

Disclaimer: I purchased all of the above with the exception of the Ariose Monde, OSEA, Bath & Body Works, and Freeman  products. 

May 2022 Empties

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

1. Dove restoring coconut & cocoa butters body wash: This body wash smells like a coconut cookie and is extremely hydrating without making the shower/tub a slip and slide. I loved this as a shaving cream substitute in particular because it's more hydrating than the other Dove scent variations and leaves my skin feeling extremely silky post-shave.

2. Odacite Mood Cleansing Ayurvedic Bath Soak: Overall I found this to be a nice soak and used it to soak my feet in when I gave myself pedicures. That being said, the scent is too herbaceous for my persona taste. 

3. The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG: This works nicely to depuff and refresh the under-eye area while giving it a very gentle boost of hydration.

4. the Crème shop 3D Faux Mink Lashes in Boujee: I loved these lashes so much! They bent to my eye shape nicely and are fairly easy to work with for a faux mink lash, in my opinion. Plus they looked beautiful on and had a nice, eye-opening effect. 

5.  Dr. Teal's  Shea Sugar Scrub in Citrus: I really loved this scrub. It has a very nice, scrubby texture to it without being greasy so you don't have to worry about slipping and falling in the shower which is obviously an anxiety-inducing, non-fun activity. If you like sweet citrus scents I think you'd love this! it smells so good without being cloying. In my personal opinion, it's a great scent to wake me up in the morning. 

6. REN Clean Screen SPF 30: I'm unsure if it's because my product has aged but, honestly, this felt absolutely awful on my skin. I felt like I had this very heavy cream sitting on my face but it would dry to this matte finish that left my skin feeling tight yet somehow also wet and sweaty. It was quite bizarre and due to the heavy feeling of it I was very turned off.

7. Virtue Curl Shampoo: I feel like this shampoo lasted me forever! This foams up beautifully and leaves my hair feeling clean while, in my opinion, helping to increase how curly my hair was and helping the curl pattern look neat and pretty.

8. MAC Oil Control Lotion: I've held onto this longer than I'd like to admit and kept it around because it smelled fine. It no longer smells fine and smells quite foul to be honest. I am discarding it.

9. the Crème shop 3D Faux Mink Lashes in Crème de la Crème: Frankly, I had high expectations for these lashes because the Boujee pair I talked about above worked so well. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case with these. They are beautiful in the packaging but their bands are thick and don't bend to my eye shape so I was constantly fighting with them to glue onto my eyes and not to pop off either at the corners or leave a gap in the center. They look beautiful on but the application process is generally disappointing and I won't be getting them again. 

10. Korres Elasti-Smooth Body Butter in Cashmere Rose: This body butter smells amazing, lasted for quite some time, and leaves my skin feeling super nourished and hydrated. It even did a pretty decent job on the soles of my feet, which is a rare find. I'm so sad that it has come to an end as I thoroughly enjoyed using this while I had it.

11. Layered Fragrance Body Spray in Rose Muscat: I'm absolutely shook I went through this as fast as I did because I usually don't go through fragrances quickly and I used less of this than my typical perfumes because it's so potent. This literally smells like Moscato wine with just a hint of rose which, while I enjoyed it, I probably won't be repurchasing just because the scent is so intense.

12. Ivon Cuticle Pusher: I purchased a three pack of these because my cuticles were starting to look raggedy and they do a really nice job of getting rid of the dead skin but I feel like they're not as invasive as literal cuticle nippers and are easier to use.

13. Shiseido Prepare Eyebrow Razor L Shaped: To be honest I use these mostly on my upper lip and to quickly trim any hair that wants to hang around my face and be unsightly. They do a great job but the blade on this has become dull over time.

14. e.l.f. Cosmetics Total Face Sponge: I really enjoyed using this sponge because it doesn't absorb as much product as other ones tend to do. That aspect makes it easier to blend out product with this sponge, create a fuller coverage, and it's also easier to wash the sponge. It seems like a lot of people enjoy using it from what I hear on Youtube and, in my opinion, it's definitely worth checking out.

15. Dr. Teal's Shea Sugar Scrub in Black Elderberry: I have really enjoyed these scrubs! Because they're a sugar scrub, they have a great level of grit but they're not greasy so you won't be slipping and sliding all over your shower floor or tub grasping at the walls for dear life. This particular one has a nice sweet-tart berry scent to it.

16. Rock Creek Soaps Loofah Soap in Sweet Sunshine: This technically has a pineapple and mint scent, although honestly it just smells of pineapple juice to me and I'm not mad about it. This smells absolutely delicious and was a joy to use back in March when it was cold because its scent makes me think of summertime. It's still a joy to use and I'm shocked that this piece of soap lasted a good three months. It does a wonderful job of lightly exfoliating the body by having the loofah as part of the soap, smells amazing (as I've said), and leaves my skin feeling super soft and smooth. I really loved having it!

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

Disclaimer: I purchased all of the above with the exception of the Odacite, Rock Creek Soaps, and REN  products. 

Eye Serum Review: hey HONEY Open Your Eyes Lifting Eye Serum

Hello folksickles. Today's review will be for hey HONEY Open Your Eyes Lifting Eye Serum.

Availability: This product retails at $37 for 15 ml (0.5 fl. oz.) and is available at ulta.com along with their physical store locations (I would give your local location a call before going there to make sure it's there and in stock) along with qvs.com and heyhoney.com.

Would I buy this again?: I'm not sure.

What is this product designed to address?

According to heyhoney.com this is what the product is and what it does:

This light fluid revitalizes the appearance of your entire eye contour to deliver a bright, rested look. It wakes your eyes up by reducing puffiness, providing hydration, and tightening the skin, effectively minimizing the appearance of fine lines for a visibly lifted effect.

Does it contain any special/beneficial ingredients?

Squalane: Moisturizes and softens skin, has anti-inflammatory properties, helps soften the look of fine lines; has a similar composition to the oil skin naturally produces to keep itself moisturized - therefore this tends to feel light and is non-comedogenic.

Honey: Has moisturizing and antibacterial properties.

Green tea: Has anti-oxidant and de-puffing (I'm assuming due to it having caffeine in it) properties.

Centella Asiatica (Gotu Kola): Has anti-inflammatory, hydrating, antibacterial, and collagen-boosting properties.

Safflower Oil: Is non-comedogenic and has hydrating properties.

Mallow Flower Extract: Has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties.

Linoleic Acid: Has hydrating properties.

Soybean Oil: Has antioxidant and hydrating properties.

Vitamin E: Has antioxidant properties.

Glycine: Helps promote moisture retention, collagen production, and skin repair.

Retinyl Palmitate: This is a gentler alternative to retinol and has anti-aging (due to speeding up cell turnover) and antioxidant properties.

Niacinamide: Has anti-inflammatory properties.

Urea: Has hydrating and skin-smoothing properties.

What is the texture like?

I'd describe the texture as a slightly gelatinous, viscous liquid that melts into something watery-feeling and feels refreshing when applied. 

Is it scented?

This has an extremely faint, floral honey scent.

My overall experience/comments on the product:
Full disclosure, this review is a first impression as I've only used this product twice so far. The applicator feels so nice on my puffy, irritated eyes (hello allergies!) and the product provides a nice, lightweight hydration to the eye area. My eyes were less puffy than usual, which is a plus, because given my allergies I'd say puffiness, brightness, and smoothing crepe-y-ness is what I'm looking for an eye cream to do at this point and this hits most of those issues. I love how it has an abundance of soothing, anti-inflammatory ingredients.

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

Disclaimer: This was provided for testing purposes. I am under no obligation, nor am I being compensated, to mention it on this blog.

March 2022 Arrivals

Ok folksickles! Look at me for a change, pretty much only buying essentials. 

1. IUNIK Propolis Vitamin Sleeping Mask: I've been running low on my sleeping mask and I really like to use them as a layering step to add extra hydration to my skin as, like I've mentioned in the past, my skin is dry but cannot absorb heavy, thick, hydrating products so I notice that layering lightweight products works better for me. With that being said, I heard that this sleeping mask is fairly hydrating and since I was able to get it on Flip Fit with a 30% discount I thought why not.

2. DECEIM Mini Haul: So, funny story about this, these are the same items from my January Arrivals and the reason for that is I originally placed an order at DECEIM at the very start of December, hoping to buy my friend some Christmas gifts, and also to get some things I wanted to try for myself. Well, the middle of December rolls around and my order appears to be stuck somewhere at the shipment center and wasn't moving so I emailed DECEIM and they sent me a replacement order. I thought that was it. Ha, well, I guess now in March the shipping center came across my package and thought to themselves "oh, well, she might want this stuff." So in short, I received my order from December just a week ago as of writing this post. I know 100% that this was my December order because the packing slip had my order date on it.  

The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG

The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane 

The Ordinary Buffet Serum

3. Rumi Seven Days Matte Water Nail Polish in 18: This is such a pretty red with golden sparkles that I could just not pass it up!

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

Disclaimer: I purchased everything listed above.

January 2022 Arrivals

Ok folksickles! Look at me for a change, pretty much only buying essentials. 

1. DECEIM Mini Haul: So I have a friend who came to me speaking of her skincare woes and honestly I knew The Ordinary would have something for her but while I was on there ordering her Christmas gifts I decided to pick up some things that I've been meaning to try myself:

The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG - My friend Donna swears by this and I want to try it as a booster serum for my Trader Joe's Supreme Hydrating Eye Cream because, while I love the texture of the eye cream and that it hydrates, I feel like this will give it depuffing and brightening qualities.

The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane - Ok the reason I went with the 0.5% is because my skin tolerated the Maya Chia The Straight A Advanced Gentle Retinol Treatment Facial Oil with no problem and while I'm unsure of the retinol concentration in that one, I figured 0.2% might be a tad bit low and the 1% might be too high given that I haven't used retinol in a few months since my Maya Chia ran out. But as you folx know I love my The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane so I figured this would be a good marriage of the two. As much as I loved the Maya Chia it's not in my budget right now so I figured I'd try a more budget-friendly option.

The Ordinary Buffet Serum - I hear great things about this serum and I remember when I tried it out on my hand once, my hand felt like a baby's butt so I've been meaning to try this for years. I figured it would make a great daytime serum in conjunction with the retinol at nighttime.

2. Physicians Formula Eye Booster Waterproof Ultra-Fine Liquid Eyeliner Review x2 : Quite frankly I needed to replenish on eyeliner and this is my very favorite at the drugstore so I had every intention of looking for it but when I saw they were having a buy one get one deal, well, I just knew I should grab two because what a deal! I feel like I lucked out.

3. Duo Brush On Adhesive: So I typically replace my eyeliner and lash glue (and mascara) at the same time just to remember to switch all those eye products I use frequently at the same. Hence I picked up another tube of this. The brush on my current one is starting to fray a bit so I'm excited to use this new one.

4. Kosassport Chemistry Deodorant in Serene Clean: I'm running low on deodorant and one of my friends suggested I give this one a try. Frankly I am a little afraid of this containing AHAs mostly because I shave my armpits and I'm not looking for my poor pits to burn when I put deodorant on. That being said, I decided to give it a go. It smells really nice!

5. Garnier green labs Smoothing Milky Wash Hyalu-Melon: Cleanser is another thing I've been running low on so I decided to give this a try. 

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

Disclaimer: I purchased everything listed above. 

Eye Serum Review: The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG

Hello folksickles. Today's review will be for The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + ECGC.

Availability: This product retails at $7.50 for 30 ml (1 fl. oz.) and is available at sephora.com, ulta.com, target.com, kohls.com, and deceim.com along with their physical store locations.

Would I buy this again?: I think so.

What is this product designed to address?

According to sephora.com this is what the product is and what it does:

What it is: A concentrated serum with high-solubility caffeine and green tea cathechin to visibly reduce eye-contour pigmentation and puffiness.

Skin Type: Normal, Dry, Combination, and Oily

Skincare Concerns: Dark Circles, Puffiness

Does it contain any special/beneficial ingredients?

Again, according to sephora.com:

Caffeine and Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG): Help to reduce the look of puffiness and dark circles underneath the eyes.

What is the texture like?

I'd describe the texture as a gelatinous, viscous liquid that feels refreshing when applied. 

Is it scented?

I will preface what I'm about to say that I only smell the product when I smell it from the bottle or the back of my hand; I don't smell anything when I apply this to my eye area. That being said, this smells truly bizarre - I'm getting a coffee bean scent, which is expected, paired with a scent that I can only describe as being that of a shoe repair shop - they all have a very distinct scent and I cannot tell you if it's leather, glue, shoe dye or some sort of combination but I get that note here and it's... odd!

My overall experience/comments on the product:
I've only used this consistently now for about a week so I would consider this review as more of a first impression and nothing super thorough although, as I've said many times in the past, I am happy to come back and give an update if anyone wants one. If not, an update will show up whenever I'm done with this in an empties post. Also, this has shockingly low reviews on sephora.com but at this being a mere $7.50 for a whole ounce of product I was willing to try it out. Personally, it works for me, at least thus far. I notice a reduction in the puffiness of my eyes and they appear somewhat brighter to me. That being said, I don't have significant under-eye circles so the brightening effect might be more of a placebo affect. That being said, puffiness is something I do frequently contend with and I find that this does a good job of minimizing mine. In addition, this feels refreshing when I put it on but I like to layer an eye cream over the top of this just to give me that extra hydration. In my opinion this is a nice companion to an eye cream that might be giving you the hydration but not the anti-puffiness and brightening effects you're after. 

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

Disclaimer: I purchased this myself.

Eye Serum Review: Indie Lee I-Awaken Eye Serum

 Hello folksickles. Today's review will be for Indie Lee I-Awaken Eye Serum

Availability: This product retails at $48 for 15 ml (0.50 fl. oz.) and is available at sephora.com, jcpenney.com, bluemercury.com, macys.com, ulta.com, credobeauty.com, thedetoxmarket.com and nordstrom.com along with their physical store locations as well as at indielee.com and dermstore.com

Would I buy this?: Probably not. 

What is this product designed to address?

According to sephora.com this is what the product is and what it does:

What it is: A hydrating, antioxidant-rich daily eye serum that addresses dark circles and puffiness, leaving skin with a refreshed and firmer appearance.

Skin Type: Normal, Dry, Combination, and Oily

Skincare Concerns: Dark circles, Puffiness, Dryness

Formulation: Serum

Ingredient Callouts: This product is vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free.

What Else You Need to Know: Rejuvenate, nourish, and visibly restore the delicate eye area with this lightweight blend of soothing botanicals and powerful humectants. The fast-absorbing, moisturizing formula smooths and protects against environmental stressors leaving you with a perfect canvas for makeup application.

Clean at Sephora

Clean at Sephora is formulated without a list of over 50 ingredients, including sulfates (SLS and SLES), parabens, phthalates, and more. For the full list, check out the Ingredients tab.

Does it contain any special/beneficial ingredients?

Again, according to sephora.com:

-Horse Chestnut, Mountain Ash Bud, and Witch Hazel: Address dark circles and puffiness.

-Chamomile, Arnica, and Cornflower: Help soothe the delicate eye area.

-Hyaluronic Acid: Helps to promote long-lasting hydration.

What is the texture like?

I'd describe the texture as a quick-absorbing gel cream. 

Is it scented?

This doesn't really have much of a scent. 

My overall experience/comments on the product:
I haven't been using this for very long so far, but overall I find that it just gives me some lightweight hydration and very slight depuffing. I guess I'm personally looking for something a bit more cream-like and intense in terms of both depuffing and hydration. 

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

Disclaimer: This was provided for testing purposes. I am under no obligation to mention this product on this blog.

February 2021 Empties

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

1. m-61 PowerGlow Peel x6: These towelettes are seriously no joke when it comes to resurfacing the skin, they really give the skin a nice radiance. I used them on top of my eczema hands and I found a big difference in my skin texture - usually it's rather dry and scaly but these really help to smooth the skin down without being irritating - they do tingle for a few minutes after application though. 

2. Dove pampering shea butter & warm vanilla Nourishing Body Wash: As mentioned in prior posts, I use this mostly to shave with and I find that this particular formulation is very hydrating and makes easy work of letting my razor glide across it. It has a soft, sweet scent but I'd say it leans a little more towards a shea butter scent with a hint of vanilla versus being a heavy vanilla scent. 

3. One Love Organics Skin Savior Multi-Tasking Wonder Balm: Unfortunately mine has started smelling horrible so it's time to part ways. 

4. Kat Von D NaYeon Studded Kiss Lipstick: This has also developed an odd scent so I shall be throwing it away. 

5. Urban Decay Rock Steady Vice Lipstick: Unfortunately this has also developed a funky odor.

6. L'Oreal 502 Plum Adagio Colour Riche Extraordinaire Lip Color: Another victim of funky smell.

7. Tree Hut Firming Sugar Scrub in Mocha & Coffee Bean: You know this is another product that I adore and keep repurchasing because it's really scrubby and works well to make my skin softer and smoother as well as to give me a closer shave. This scent is delicious and really helps to wake me up in the morning. 

8. Indie Lee I-Awaken Eye Serum: I find that this serum did a great job of hydrating and depuffing my under-eye area but I didn't really notice a difference in terms of brightening.

9. Oribe Gold Lust Transformative Masque: Frankly I wasn't expecting to like this mask at all, as in the past the Gold Lust line has been too heavy for my hair and most of my hair right now is currently virgin. That said, this left my hair really hydrated, shiny, and healthy-looking without weighing it down or making my hair greasy. It has a really nice scent to it as well. 

10. Colourpop Faux Mink False Lashes in Amor: These are very natural looking falsies that were just a  wee bit longer than my natural lashes. I think they're ok but I wouldn't go out of my way to get them again as I personally like more intense looking falsies.

11. m-61 PowerGlow Peel Extra Strength 20% x2: So this is the update to the PowerGlow Peel mentioned above with a whopping 20% glycolic acid (the original has 7%). Mind you these frightened me greatly given that even the original makes my face tingle so when I first applied this I was half-way prepared for my face to melt away. I was pleasantly surprised that this is, in fact, not terribly scary and leaves my skin baby's bottom smooth. After I applied, I did experience a sunburn-like sensation that was intense for about 5 minutes and completely disappeared within just about 10. I HIGHLY recommend following this up with hydrating and anti-inflammatory products such as squalane oil, which is what I did, to minimize potential inflammation and skin irritation. 

12. Bumble and bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Primer: You folks know that I love this product! It smells wonderful and provides a nice extra boost of hydration to the hair without weighing it down. I love this product as a leave-in, heat protectant, UV protectant, and to help hydrate my ends. 

13. beauty360 100% Acetone Pro Strength Nail Polish Remover: This did a really good job of taking off my nail polish quickly but alas it has gotten all gross on the inside with all the polish it's taken off so it's that time to replace it. 

14. Ariose Monde Ocean Bliss Bubble Bath: So even though the gift set my friend gave me included a shower gel... I decided to use this as a secondary bottle of... shower gel. Now at first it worked fine but then, after a few uses, it ironically lost any ability to foam up... Needless to say I was left rather unimpressed.

15.  Dove renewing peony & rose Nourishing Body Wash: This body wash smells SO GOOD! Just a beautiful sweet floral rose scent that you KNOW I adore. I use this for shaving and it does a wonderful job of helping my razor glide and leaving my skin silky smooth.

16.  dermalogica neck lift contour serum: Honestly I wasn't expecting much from this and I was pleasantly surprised. My neck genuinely felt firmer when I was using this. I mean I don't feel like I have significant elasticity problems but I did feel a difference. 

17. Trader Joe's Mango Tangerine Scented Candle: I am sad for this candle to be gone. It smells absolutely delicious. A really nice blend of citrusy and sweet. 

18. Bath & Body Works Blueberry Maple Pancakes Scented Candle: This is another one I'm sad to have used up. It's such a cozy, comforting scent especially when it's cold outside. 

19. NARS Audacious Lipstick in Bette: This is a pretty berry-toned lipstick. It was nice while it lasted.

20. wet n wild Rose photo focus Water Drop Primer:  This is a really nice, lightweight, refreshing-feeling primer that has a pretty rose scent. I really enjoyed using it. 

21. Odacite Bioactive Rose Gommage: This does a great job of leaving my skin soft and smooth but I personally feel like it doesn't give me results amazing enough where I feel like it justifies purchasing it at its price point.

22. RAW SUGAR sugar scrub in Pineapple + Maqui Berry + Coconut: This scrub smells absolutely incredible and is very scrubby in a way that I like. However, it leaves an oily/waxy residue on the skin that's difficult to remove and personally I really like to use body scrubs right before I shave to get rid of dead skin and help perk up the hairs up and away from the skin so having a waxy residue to shave through is just a pain. 

Disclaimer: I purchased all of the above with the exception of the One Love Organics, Kat Von D, Indie Lee, Oribe, Bumble and bumble, dermalogica, Ariose Monde, Odacite, NARS, and m-61 products. 

Eye Serum Review: demalogica biolumin-c eye serum

Hello folksickles. Today's review will be for the dermalogica biolumin-c eye serum

Availability: This product retails at $70 for 15 ml (0.50 fl. oz.) and is available at sephora.com, ulta.com, macys.com, jcpenny.com, ulta.com and bluemercury.com along with their respective physical store locations along with dermstore.com, and dermalogica.com.

Would I buy this?: Probably not.

What is this product designed to address?

According to sephora.com this is what the product is and what it does:

What it is: A lightweight, antioxidant-rich vitamin C eye serum that brightens, hydrates, and firms the delicate under-eye area.

Skin Type: Normal, Dry, Combination, and Oily

Skincare Concerns: Loss of Firmness and Elasticity, Fine Lines and Wrinkles, and Puffiness

Formulation: Lightweight Serum

Ingredient Callouts: Free of sulfates SLS and SLES, parabens, formaldehydes, formaldehyde-releasing agents, phthalates, mineral oil, retinyl palmitate, oxybenzone, coal tar, hydroquinone, triclosan, and triclocarban, and contains less than one percent of synthetic fragrances. This product is also vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free, and comes in recyclable packaging.

What Else You Need to Know: This BioLumin-C Vitamin C Eye Serum is formulated with antioxidants and botanicals designed to target the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, puffiness, and discoloration without irritation. Its powerhouse ingredient, vitamin C complex, combines the brightening benefits of vitamin C with an anti-wrinkle peptide to illuminate and firm the look of skin. It is also formulated with tremella mushroom arjun tree extract, poria mushroom, and papain to help hydrate, reduce inflammation, and gently exfoliate for a radiant glow.

Does it contain any special/beneficial ingredients?
Again, according to sephora.com:

-Vitamin C Complex: This stable form of vitamin C enhances the skin’s ability to fight free radical damage and blocks environmental pollutants.

-Salvia Hispanica (Chia Seed) Oil: Helps to depuff the look of eye bags and combat the appearance of eye wrinkles while nurturing the delicate area.

-Tremella Mushroom Extract: Hydrates, firms, and restores the look of skin's glow.

What is the texture like?

I'd describe the texture as a watery gel. It feels very cooling on the skin.  

Is it scented?

This has a scent that, it's going to sound weird described, but I like it - it smells citrusy, nutty, and milky.

My overall experience/comments on the product:
I really like the cooling effect this has because that really helps revive tired eyes and reduce puffiness. I also like that, despite being a very lightweight product, this is hydrating. I will have to use it longer-term to tell if it has the brightening properties that it promises.

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

Disclaimer: This was provided for testing purposes. I am under no obligation to mention this product on this blog.

September 2020 Empties

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

Sheet Masks Galore:

Saborino Night Mask in Chamomile Orange: Alright, I know you're used to me using a bunch of sheet masks and the reason I haven't been reviewing them the way I used to is because there's a whopping 28 masks in this container. Now, it's designed to be used for a minute before bed but that's not how I do so I decided to see what would happen if I used them as I normally do with a sheet mask - as in, after whatever treatment mask I'm using, for about 20 minutes. This approach still worked great but seeing others' reviews the one minute thing works. I just think it's a waste because the mask remains moist for the full 20 minutes, why not give your skin that time to make friends with the serum. These masks aren't my favorite because they're a bit small and thin. That said, if you have a more petite face and perhaps more combination or oily skin, these might be up your alley. They're a great deal.

A'pieu Air Pocket Sheet Mask in Coconut Milk: Ugh you know I LOVE these masks so much. In comparison to the above mask, this is so much thicker and more silky (the sheet mask itself). It left my skin feeling super silky and hydrated.  

A'pieu Real Big Yogurt One Bottle Yogurt Sheet Mask in Blueberry x2: This mask is hydrating and leaves my skin feeling super refreshed (the serum here is thick but watery), soft, and smooth. That said, the mask itself is this thin, almost gelatinous material that isn't my favorite. 

2. Anastasia Beverly Hills False Lashes in Domina x2: Damn Anastasia Beverly Hills and their being in hot water because I genuinely love these lashes but I cannot find it in me to continue giving money to brands that constantly get themselves in controversies and don't take steps to publicly apologize and make things right. Anyway, like I said, I really did love these lashes and I'm sad to have used up the two pairs that I had. They gave my eyes a really pretty fluttery flirty look. 

3. Bath & Body Works Shea & Vitamin E Shower Gel in Love & Sunshine: This has a really pretty citrusy floral scent that's light and refreshing. I really loved it for my morning showers. 

4. dermalogica biolumin-c eye serum: This is a lightweight yet hydrating eye serum that did a nice job of giving my under-eye a radiant appearance. I feel like it truly did brighten up the area and help with darkness over time but that said, my under-eye area is hardly ever significantly super dark so I can't say how effective this would be for someone suffering from really bad darkness. 

5. Jack Black Face Buff Energizing Scrub with Vitamin C & Mint: This is a scrubby scrub so if you like to really feel the exfoliation or you have a lot of texture on your skin - whether from dry, flaky conditions or hair this is a really good option to really refresh and smooth out your skin's texture. 

6. beauty 360 Original Nail Polish Remover:  I feel like initially this worked pretty decently but at this point it's taking forever to remove even simple nail polish so it's time to toss it. 

7. skinfix eczema Targeted Body Balm: You know this is my go-to product for treating my eczema patches. While this can take up to a month of consistent use to get results I find that it completely clears up the patches which I'm all about. 

8. Peter Thomas Roth Hair to Die for Hair Treatment: Honestly I feel like this worked just ok and I'm unsure if it's because I've held onto the bottle for ages before I finally used the product. Anyway, it's meant to help with hair thickness and growth and I find that it sort of enhanced the thickness of my hair in the areas I was putting it in but not by a lot - not enough where I feel like I could justify purchasing more. 

9. Fourth Ray Beauty Clean Slate Foaming Exfoliator: This is a decent exfoliator that foams up on contact with water. By decent I mean that it makes my skin feel soft and smooth the way an exfoliator should. That said this has an incredibly strong, lingering, anise/licorice scent that I am not a big fan of. I will not be purchasing this again. 

10. Shop Miss A Paw Paw Microfiber Wonder Blender Sponge: This is a decent makeup sponge - it's soft and does a great job of blending out foundation, concealer... essentially all face makeup with the exception of powder - it's great for laying down powder on the under-eye area and under the nose though. I'm not sure that I felt that the microfiber gave me better coverage or enhanced blending in any way. 

11. berkley jensen Unscented baby wipes: These are great multipurpose wipes - as I always say, I like to use them to wipe down surfaces, especially when I'm cleaning my makeup, but I also use them to disinfect when I go to the laundromat by sprinkling them with alcohol. I love that they come with 100 wipes so a package lasts a good while. 

12. Softsoap Citrus Splash & Berries Moisturizing Body Wash: This is alright for shaving the legs - it smells wonderful but isn't as hydrating as I personally like. 

13. WISHFUL Yo Glow Enzyme Scrub: This is one of those scrubs that you're meant to apply to dry skin that will then cause both excess dead skin and product residue to come rolling off the skin. I find that it works ok but is extremely fragranced to the point of, to me, being unpleasant to use.

14. Skinceuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2: This is a really nice, intensive moisturizer.

15. Tree Hut 24-Hour Intense Hydrating Shea Body Butter: I really loved using this body butter - it's hydrating and leaves my skin feeling super soft and silky; it smells really nice too. I wish it was more hydrating on the soles of my feet but I feel like I say that about everything. 

16. Sugarpill Liquid Lip Color in Trifle: Frankly this color is pasty on me and gives me zombie lips, under normal circumstances I would've passed it along to a friend but it smells like wet paint - I think it just went bad but... it's just nasty. 

17. innisfree Nourishing Cream with Canola Honey : This is a really moisturizing cream that I enjoyed using at nighttime. It smells nice and leaves my skin baby soft. 

18. love beauty and planet sulfate free shampoo scrub: I wish this stuff was more intensely scrubby - it was very gentle in a way that I felt was fairly ineffective and has a gelatinous texture that I can only describe as being odd. I really wanted to love this but I doubt I'll be picking it up again. 

19. Oribe Priming Lotion Leave-In Conditioner Detangler: This is a great hydrating styling cream/leave-in conditioner. I felt like it added a nice boost of moisture to the ends of my hair while also leaving my hair more smooth and sleek/preventing fly-aways. 

20. Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel with Sunscreen SPF 15: While I wish this had a higher SPF level I really liked its lightweight gel texture and how it doesn't have that heavy, sticky feeling that traditional sunscreens tend to have. 

21. Bath & Body Works PocketBac in At The Beach: Well, folks I've been a loyal user of hand sanitizer but nowadays I don't even need an explanation of why I have it. This has a coconut-y scent to it. 

22. Creme de La Mer the moisturizing cool gel cream: This is a nice, lightweight, fast-absorbing version of the La Mer cream and is my favorite formulation because it provides me with lots of hydration in a way that my skin absorbs - I hate when things sit on my skin and I feel like the traditional Creme de La Mer does just that. 

23. Maya Chia Supercritical Omega-3 Chia Face Oil: As you may have seen in last month's favorites I absolutely LOVE this face oil. It smells beautiful, feels luxurious when you're applying it, and leaves my skin looking radiant and feeling buttery. I think it's a worthwhile item to look into if you want to treat yourself to a genuinely wonderful face oil. 

24. innisfree intensive hydrating serum with green tea seed: While I wouldn't describe the degree of hydration this gave me to be "intensive" I find that it did give a nice boost of hydration to my skin, especially when used in combination with the face oil I mentioned above. 

25. Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet: This is another lightweight moisturizing cream. I will say that it's got more of a cream texture and isn't gel-like. That said, it's thin, hydrating, and quick-absorbing which I appreciate. 

26. Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub in Tropical Mango:  You know I love these and have been using them for years - my #1 body scrub because it's super scrubby but isn't oily so you won't be slipping and sliding all over your shower or tub. This has a really yummy mango scent to it.

27. Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub in Pomegranate Acai: Yes, another one! You know I love these and have been using them for years - my #1 body scrub because it's super scrubby but isn't oily so you won't be slipping and sliding all over your shower or tub. This has a scent that's reminiscent of sweet tarts.

28. LUSH American Cream Shower Gel: The girl at LUSH gave this to me to try out with my last purchase and... it's alright, it was very bubbly and left my skin feeling clean and soft, the little tub lasted me three uses. That said, it's an overall floral scent with a powdery note and the powdery note is something that I don't love. It was nice to try but I won't be purchasing it.

29. Lume Deodorant in Jasmine Rose: I've raved about this before so this should be nothing new - this is a really great natural deodorant. Be aware though that it won't stop you from sweating and there is about a week long adjustment period during which you'll smell... sweaty. It smells nice though and I would recommend this to someone who's looking for a natural deodorant and has sensitive underarms. 

30. Face Values Pure Castile Soap in Coconut: This doesn't really have a coconut scent but I purchased it to wash my brushes with and it does a good job of leaving them clean and soft. That said, I still use my beautyblender soap for brushes that I've used cream products with, as that soap breaks down cream and liquid makeup better than this does.

31. Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub in Moroccan Rose:  You know I love these and have been using them for years - my #1 body scrub because it's super scrubby but isn't oily so you won't be slipping and sliding all over your shower or tub. This has a really pretty soft floral rose note to it.

32. Maya Chia The Eye Achiever Multi-Correctional Eye Serum: Due to this being oil-based I found it to be super hydrating. This also gave my under-eye area a beautiful radiance and luminosity. 

33. Maya Chia The Straight A Advanced Gentle Retinol Treatment: Folks when they call this gentle they aren't playing with you. If you are looking to invest in a retinol and you have skin that's sensitive and/or dry... well this is it. In the past I'd avoid retinol because my skin would always be iffy - I'd get inflammation or flakiness when I used retinols in the past but not so with this. It does everything a retinol should - makes your skin radiant, smooths the skin's surface, it's supposed to help your skin look more youthful and over time help clear out the pores also (I can't say that happened as the pouch didn't have much applications in it). I was able to use this nightly without any adverse effects. 

Disclaimer: I purchased all of the above with the exception of the dermalogica, Jack Black, WISHFUL, Skinceuticals, Oribe, innisfree, Neutrogena, La Mer, Maya Chia, Caudalie, and LUSH  products.