All my garbage of the month! :D
1.
Sheet Masks Galore is Back!:
lapalette Moisture Keep Pocket Elastic Honeybee Mask: This is a really fantastic hydrating sheet mask. It has a very subtle honey scent.
lapalette Moisture Keep Pocket Nourishing Truffle Mask: I was afraid that I might not like this because when I eat anything truffle-infused I feel somewhat nauseous the next day but I really loved this mask! It's got a really lovely smell and left my skin feeling soft, supple, smooth, and hydrated. I would absolutely get this one again!
lapalette Moisture Keep Pocket Returning Snail Mask: I really liked this mask for its hydration properties. I like how large and well-soaked this
lapalette masks are.
Missha Pure Source Cell Sheet Mask in Lemon: This is a really refreshing, very lemony sheet mask. I liked it scent-wise but I feel it's somewhat astringent and would work best on an oilier skin-type.
no:hj Pearl Modeling Foil Mask: This mask was super funky looking and EXTREMELY saturated in serum. That said, it felt super nice and refreshing but I don't know that I'd get it again. It was somewhat too drippy for my liking.
Oozoo Bear Aurora Illuminating Mask: I really liked this one - it smelled nice and left my skin glowing and feeling refreshed.
Oozoo Bear Water-Bang Hydrating Mask: So I opened this one before breaking open the serum pack to see if it was dry inside and it wasn't, I think the serum just adds extra "juice" to the mask but, compared to the one above, it was much harder to burst the serum pack after opening the mask bit. Anyhow, this was refreshing and felt hydrating but I like the
Illuminating Mask better as I feel it has a more viscous, and thereby more hydrating, serum.
Sephora Collection Pineapple Face Mask: Alright so I'll start with the fact that the packaging on this is weird - there's two... what look like traditional sheet masks with some weird carboard-ish thing in the center that can't possibly be the mask... so I just put the two sheet mask looking things on top of each other. This smelled really good (like pineapple soda!) and left my skin feeling hydrated and smooth.
Trader Joe's Rich Hydrating Face Sheet Mask: This is a lovely smelling mask that left my skin feeling hydrated and refreshed. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's "richly" hydrating as it has a clear, not a milky serum but I did like it ok.
Peach Slices Firm Pomegranate + Honey Sheet Mask: This is a refreshing, hydrating sheet mask. I wouldn't say my skin felt mega firm after use but I don't particularly have saggy skin concerns so there's that. :/
Trish McEvoy Instant Solutions Hydrate and Glow Dry Sheet Mask: This is a reusable sheet mask (up to 3 times, it says) that, as its name implies, is dry. Personally I prefer masks that are soaked in solution because I feel like the serum actually does something... this being dry made it feel kind of gimmicky especially since I don't think it really did much to hydrate my skin, it felt tightening because you put it around your chin and strap it over your ears and it kind of made my face itchy but that's about it.
JMsolution Glow Luminous Flower Firming Mask in Rose: This is a really nice hydrating sheet mask that left my skin with a beautiful glow. It's got quite an intense floral scent.
2. Tree Hut Firming Sugar Scrub in Italian Mocha: As you all know, these are my favorite body scrubs as they feel really scrubby but aren't irritating - they leave my skin feeling really soft and smooth. I love that this one smells like a true intense mocha, it really wakes me up in the morning.
3. NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base: I've always been meaning to give this primer a try and it's truly remarkable. It really keeps my shadows from creasing all day long - even on the inner corner that I always complain about! I highly recommend this if you're looking for something high-end although I will say the wet n wild photo focus eyeshadow primer works just as well.
4.
REN Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic: I have to say that although I like the way this smells - there's a nice citrus note that some AHA products don't have! However, other than smelling nice it wasn't all that for my skin. I found myself breaking out A LOT when I was using this and although I get that some products are meant to make the skin purge I've had better luck with other products and the results I got from them so I will not be purchasing this.
5. Klorane Nourishing Shampoo with Mango Butter: Another product I really wanted to love because it smells nice. I think I'm pretty big on things smelling nice and I enjoy using products more when they have a nice smell. This smells like a straight up mango smoothie! Unfortunately I feel like it didn't nourish my hair at all and, in fact, it felt a bit dying. :(
6. Molton Brown London Bath & Shower Gel in Rosa Absolute: Alright folks so the store I work at - our customers absolutely RAVE about Molton Brown and how "great" their products are and half the time I'm extremely tempted to say "have y'all been to Bath & Body Works?" Peep that a full-size version of this body wash is $30. It works the same as any of my Bath & Body Works shower gels, it has SLS in it as foaming agent so it's not particularly better ingredient-wise. Perhaps they're upping the price due to the perfume notes they use, or because they're from the UK, and I'll give it to them that their scent selection is certainly more "adult" than Bath & Body Works but at 6 times the price I'll stick to my adolescent scents thank you very much.
7. Oribe Conditioner for Beautiful Color: This conditioner didn't really do much for the color of my hair and I can't expect it to because it's been 7 months since my hair was last color. However, it left my hair feeling VERY nourished and silky. The shampoo really felt really thick, silky, and luxurious and its scent is really luxurious as well. Personally I find the brand is very pricey but I would consider saving up for this or purchasing it if there was some sort of sale.
9. Bath & Body Works Honeysuckle Bouquet Scented Candle: This is a really beautiful honeysuckle scent that's mellowed out by a hint of vanilla. I really enjoyed using this candle.
10.
Oribe Cote D'Azur Replenishing Body Wash : This is a beautiful, luxuriously-scented, hydrating body wash. I liked it a lot! That said I think it's pricey for what it is and most likely will not be purchasing it.
11
. Clinique Pretty Easy Eyelining Pen: Ok folks, I'll be honest. When I first started using the pen I will say that I think using it was... pretty easy. That said, over time, I don't know what happened but I continued to struggle to make a line that was thin yet even-looking. It doesn't seem like the pen dried out or frayed any and I am tossing this more so because I've used it for three months and think it's hygienic to open up a fresh one because there's no good way of sanitizing it. :/
12. LUSH Dream Cream Body Lotion : While I found that this was a nice lightweight moisturizer for my legs it did absolutely nothing for my poor dry feet - it absorbed instantly and the feet were dry again. Unfortunately it's my feet that need the most TLC and since that's the case I won't be repurchasing this. It's also fairly unscented, which I am personally not a fan of. I understand the necessity of having unscented body creams for folks out there who are sensitive to fragrance or have conditions like eczema and dermatitis that are reactive. But personally if I'm not having an eczema flare-up I like something that smells nice too.
13.
Revive Moisturizing Renewal Cream: This moisturizer was just absolutely wonderful! It has a beautiful gel-crème texture that's very hydrating yet incredibly lightweight and easily absorbed by the skin. I found that it left my skin looking really supple and hydrated. Unfortunately, as much as I really enjoyed using this, its price point is entirely too high for my budget and unless I magically get some sort of windfall and run out of my other moisturizers I will not be picking this up,
14.
Clinique High Impact Lash Elevating Mascara: I will say the good thing about this mascara is that it layers beautifully without clumping very much. That aside, I feel like it doesn't give me that "high impact" look - I want a mascara to give me plump, voluminous, long lashes that are completely clump-free which I suppose is a tall order. This is also incredibly difficult to remove and no matter how well I wash my face I find mascara residue under my eyes in the morning after wearing this. I am genuinely looking forward to using a new mascara now that I've tossed this.
15.
Odacite Jojoba-Lavender Serum Concentrate Clogged Pores: I found that this serum is INCREDIBLE for making the pores seem smaller and - I could swear - less clogged. It also smells absolutely beautiful, it reminds me of the
Sky (it was lavender and mint) diffuser blend I had from
Muji years ago and I like it because I find the scent really soothing.
16. Oribe Cote D'Azur Restorative Body Cream: Like the body wash, this smells amazing and feels really luxuriously moisturizing. That said... the soles of my feet... geez, this works alright on them but not amazingly and again, it's pricey so I will most likely not pick it up.
17.
Femme Fatale Shadow Stair: This is quite a beautiful, unique nail polish - a purple-y-gray with a pinkish-red pearl and silver glitter - and one that I loved a lot. Unfortunately it's almost out and the last few times I've worn this it chipped horrendously so it's time to say goodbye.
18.
drybar Mai Tai Spritzer: This is a really nice salt spray in that it gave my hair texture without drying it out. That said, I just don't love the type of texture salt sprays give me because it's a bit gritty and I like for my hair to feel smooth. This was fun to use while it lasted but I'm glad to be back to slightly smoother, softer hair.
19. Clorox Disinfecting Wipes in Fresh Scent: My issue with these, other than their intense chemical scent, is the odd and inconsistent way in which they're soaked. They're very wet - especially the ones toward the bottom, and there's always a lot of the liquid solution left in the bottle even after the wipes are gone. I don't think I'll be restocking.
20.
Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub in Moroccan Rose : This is a great scrubby sugar scrub that smells of roses in a floral (aka not sweet) way. While I do prefer sweeter rose scents I think this one is nice and I really like the grit that the scrub has.
21.
Bath & Body Works Scented Candle in Limoncello: This is a really nice sweet, powdered-sugar-lemon scented candle. I find that it's a nice, refreshing, sweet lemon scent.
22.
Olay Fresh Outlast Purifying Birch Water and Lavender Body Wash: I will say I love the fresh, clean, watery scent of this stuff but I also find that it doesn't hydrate my skin very well. I used this predominantly for shaving my legs and I prefer a body wash that's more hydrating for that purpose.
23.
Bath & Body Works Mango Mandarin Shower Gel: One of my favorite
Bath & Body Works scents - this has a nice refreshing-yet-sweet mandarin note mixed with sweet juicy mango. Yum!
24.
Indie Lee Stem Cell Serum: I absolutely adore the lightweight, silky texture of this serum and how intensely hydrating it is - it left my thirsty skin feeling quenched and calm.
25.
Bath & Body Works Caramel Pumpkin Swirl: A great fall candle for when the weather gets chillier - this smells really sweet, caramel-y, and comforting.
26.
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder: Ok so I've tried a mini of this before but I totally get what all the hype is about (even though this has been around for ages, mind you!) but it sets makeup in a really soft-focus, smoothing way and has a pretty slightly brightening effect AND, although it looks yellow-ish in the container, it doesn't make me looked jaundiced.
27.
Duo Brush-On Lash Glue: I will say that I like this lash glue ok but I find that it's quite difficult to remove off lash bands and my natural lashes themselves. Looking for better lash glue tbh.
28.
Patchology Lip Service Gloss-to-Balm Treatment: Honestly speaking I don't love this product - due to its extreme minty-ness this left my lips feeling uncomfortably tingly - almost like a strong lip plumper would and while yes, it plumped my lips b/c it irritated them it also felt like it didn't really hydrate because of that tingling, plumping sensation.
29.
Oribe Conditioner for Brilliance and Shine: While I did find that this conditioner made my hair silky, was hydrating, and left my hair with brilliance and shine I also found that the shine wasn't anything more than what I get out of my typical shampoo and conditioner. Hence I won't be going out of my way to invest in this.
30.
Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream: I've had this in the past and quite like its lightly hydrating and depuffing qualities so I didn't mind getting a little sample packet of it with my
Ulta order.
31.
Clinique Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly: I think this is a really nice, lightly hydrating gel for oilier skin types. I was curious to try it since it launched as the yellow Dramatically Different moisturizers are such cult classics. Although my skin is on the drier side of things I find that this still gave me a decent level of hydration. Overall I like how it moisturizes the skin without being heavy at all and hence I think it will work on people whose skin is oily yet dehydrated and produces excess oil to compensate.
32.
Oleum Limoni: This is a lemon essential oil. While I like the oil itself and find that it has a nice lemony scent the dropper on this is absolute trash. I like to add a few drops into my diffuser for aromatherapy purposes but this just dumps half the bottle in at a time... not OK.
33.
Odacite Black Cumin - Cajeput Pimples Serum Essence: Quite frankly I found that this works just ok as a spot treatment for acne blemishes and personally, I really don't like the way it smells. I find it kind of warm and earthy (in a soil-like way) … personally I just don't like earthy smelling things very much.
34.
Bath & Body Works White Citrus Bath Gel: A really nice, sweet, fresh citrusy smelling shower gel.
35.
Ro's Argan Body Conditioner: I absolutely ADORE this stuff. It is a yummy sweet rose scented body cream that feels richly hydrating. Welp so after reading reviews I've realized you're meant to wash it off... :/ I've been using this as a moisturizer and I've liked it a lot that way. Kind of a pricey item to use and then wash off.
36.
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil in Zero: Honestly speaking I really didn't like this pencil, I get that the point of it is to be matte so that it makes lip-color longer lasting but I found that it left my lips feeling dry, tight, and crusty and didn't do a better job of making my lipstick stay on than any lip balm that I use. At the cost of dry lips I just don't think this is worth it.
37.
Oribe Shampoo for Beautiful Color: This shampoo was just alright to me and honestly left me with a really odd patch of dandruff at the back of my head that I wasn't the biggest fan of.
38.
Oribe Shampoo for Brilliance and Shine: As with the color shampoo this left me dandruff-y and didn't do a better job of making my hair shiny than the
Head & Shoulders that I typically use. :/
39.
Natural Republic Real Squeeze Aloe Vera Peeling Foot Mask: This is a really great peeling foot mask. For some weird yet miraculous reason I find that these do a good job of alleviation foot pain and, over the peeling process, getting rid of gross extra dry skin on the feet. That said, if you have thick calluses this may remove the top layers of them but not go all the way down to the "core" of the callus.
40.
Tata Harper Resurfacing Serum: I think this is a really nice, lightweight serum. It left my skin feeling supple and smooth.
41.
Ardell Faux Mink Lashes in 811: I am SO GLAD that these lashes are over and done with as I've been struggling through 3 packs of them since may. I personally am not a fan of the lash band as it's thick and difficult to maneuver and has crappy structural integrity in that, if you accidentally rip it when you're picking glue off it, it'll separate and the whole thing will fall apart. :/
42.
R+ Co Dallas Thickening Conditioner: While this conditioner is great for hydration, overall, I find the combination makes my hair more voluminous and tangle prone than "thickened."
43.
R+Co Dallas Thickening Shampoo: The shampoo, I would say, is the more tangle-inducer of the duo as I'm assuming the texturizing function that it has is supposed to make the hair look and feel thicker. Alas...
44.
Indie Lee Active Oil-Free Moisturizer: This is a really nice lightweight moisturizer. I find that despite its being light and oil-free that it still manages to provide hydration for my dry skin which is pretty impressive.
Disclaimer: I purchased all of the above with the exception of the NARS, REN, Klorane, Molton Brown, Oribe, Odacite, , Clinique, Urban Decay, Indie Lee, R+Co, and Tata Harper products.
