March 2023 Empties

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

1. Virtue Flourish Conditioner for Thinning Hair: I really enjoyed both this and the accompanying shampoo (which I am still working on) as they both really did make my hair feel thicker and more dense. This has a spa-like herbaceous scent to it that I really enjoy as well. 

2. AOA Studio A+ Glam 3D Premium Faux Mink Lashes in New York: I really love how big and full these lashes are and how big they make my eyes look, but they have the tendency to want to pop off the inner and outer corners of my eyes.

3. REVLON Colorsilk Beautiful Color After-Color Conditioner x4: So the woman my mom currently works for passed down a bunch of these post-color conditioners because apparently her daughter doesn't use them - which I think is criminal because boxed dye dries out the hair quite badly - but in any case I really like this! It's deeply hydrating and helps nourish my dry ends. I personally happen to think it smells nice too.

4. Fourth Ray Beauty Night Dew hydrating jelly mask: This mask does a fantastic job of adding a boost to my nighttime routine. While, as most things, it didn't really help my eczema patch much I did find that overall my skin was more hydrated and had a nice, soft texture while I was using this.

5. one+other Pro Strength Nail Polish Remover: I found that this did its job as a nail polish remover. 

6. exederm for eczema and dermatitis flare control cream: Unfortunately I didn't find this more helpful than something like just cortisone and that's probably to do with the fact that the main ingredient here is cortisone to begin with. Initially I thought it was better than just regular cortisone but over time the results were essentially the same. Suffice to say I will probably just use plain cortisone for my eczema going forward. 

7. Dr Teal's Shea Sugar Scrub in Cannabis Sativa Hemp Seed Oil x2:  I really love how gritty these scrubs are. This has an earthy, fresh, green scent to it that I didn't think I'd enjoy but I do. At least it doesn't have that signature scent one might associate with cannabis and I appreciate that.

8. Dr. Barbara Sturm Face Cream: I'm kind of unsure as to why I liked this so much in my original review of it. I've used up my second tube of it and it's alright at moisturizing and everything but it feels and acts very basic for something so pricey. My eczema patch has calmed down a little bit, but I would almost say it's the warmer weather that's helping and not this specific product. Although this is supposed to have skin regenerating ingredients in it, I really didn't see a difference. I felt like it was just okay. 

9. Skinfood Peach Cotton Multi Finish Powder: I really enjoyed the smooth finish of this powder and that it had a bit of a peach scent to it. That being said, the sifter here is not removable which makes me feel like there might be product left behind that I just cannot get to. 

10. Nutrius Brazilian Body Butter Cream: I had asked my mom to get these for me hoping that they were a dupe for the Sol Janeiro Bum Bum Cream and while the cream smells nice, it is no dupe. Unfortunately, I found this overall like a thin body lotion and I wish it were more hydrating. It hydrated my legs ok but really didn't do much for the soles of my feet. 

11. Marc Jacobs O!mega Lash Mascara: I am so glad to be done with this mascara because, it may be because it dried out, but it really didn't do anything noticeable for my lashes. In fact it hardly coated them at all because the formula would just stick onto the brush rather than to my lashes. 

12. Garnier Fructis Smoothing + Avocado Hair Treatment : I bought this on a whim because I needed a hair mask and ended up really loving this. It makes my hair very soft, smooth, and nourished-feeling while also smelling delicious. I love that its scent lingers in my hair.

13. Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara: Unfortunately it seems as though this mascara has also dried out to the point where it does nothing but comb through my lashes without doing anything for them. 

14. wet n wild Vitamins super nutrient face mist: I really enjoyed this mist, it smells yummy, kind of like Emergen-C or Fanta to me. In addition, I think it did a nice job with helping my skin feel refreshed and helping my makeup stay on. 

15. COSRX Aloe Sun Soothing Cream SPF 50 PA+++: As always, I am so sad to have run out of this. It is by far my favorite sunscreen that I've used for face because it's hydrating, fairly lightweight, and absorbs well. It doesn't have very much of a white casting either.

16. lune+aster Desert Moon Bronzer, Blush & Glow Palette: This was a really nice face palette that, while I wasn't sure that the bronzer here would work for me, actually created quite the natural, glowing, sunkissed appearance especially when all the shades were used in tandem. I quite enjoyed it and am sad to have finished it up.

17.  Quo Curl Effortless Mascara: Unfortunately, this mascara has developed an off-scent, it smells fishy, so I'll be discarding it.

18. AOA studio A+ Glam 3D Premium Faux Mink Lashes in Paris x2: These are beautiful, large, false lashes that really open up my eyes and make my eyes look large. That being said, I have trouble getting these to stick in the inner corners of my eyes.

19. Trish McEvoy Jet Black Lash Curling Mascara: Unfortunately, this mascara has developed an odd scent to it so I think it's best for us to part ways. 

20. Tarte Lights, Cameras, Flashes! Statement Mascara: This mascara has completely dried out.

21. up&up 100% acetone nail polish remover dip-it: This has gotten quite dirty so I've replaced it. 

22. Urban Decay Naked Skin Illuminating Beauty Balm: I've been using this as a primer because, on its own this doesn't have much coverage but gave my skin a bit of an orange tint because I assume it was meant to give a "bronze" effect. That being said, it worked well at holding my makeup on and smoothing out any texture on my skin. 

23. Dove gentle exfoliating sea minerals body wash: Honestly, I like to use these body washes for shaving and the exfoliating version isn't my favorite because it's a bit gritty. That being said, the exfoliating factor of this body wash is extremely mild and it still provides me with a smooth shave.

24. Freeman Deep Clearing manuka honey + tea tree oil Clay Mask + Cleanser: I really enjoyed using this as a mask because I found that it left my skin feeling genuinely deeply cleansed but without being tight or dried out. 

25. The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane: I enjoyed this retinol formulation in particular because I believe that due to it being in squalane oil, that it was generally well-tolerated by my normally sensitive skin. However, I have complained for nearly a year now of this horrid eczema patch on my chin and I wonder if perhaps the retinol hadn't been making the spot worse. I have purchased a bunch of gentle, hydrating products since the start of this year and I'll be taking a break from the retinol now that I'm done this bottle so we'll see if it was, in fact, the retinol that may have been causing or exacerbating the patch.

26. Freeman Anti-Stress dead sea minerals Clay Mask: This is another mask I really enjoyed using  because I found that it left my skin feeling deeply cleansed without being tight or dried out. 

27.  lune + aster Powerlips Lip Oil: Unfortunately, although I really enjoyed this lip oil and found it hydrating, it has developed a weird off scent/flavor and I feel like it's best that I discard it. 

28. YSL 5 Fuchsia Temptation Crème de Blush Cream Blush: Frankly I'm kind of shocked that I finished this blush because it very, very slowly and very, very gradually just came to an end. It was a really fun, bright fuschia pink that added a nice brightness to my cheeks. I really enjoyed using it.

29.  Dr. Bronner's Rose Magic Soap: I really like to use these soaps to wash my brushes with. I do find that this has quite an intense floral scent to it that I wouldn't pinpoint as being rose. 

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

Disclaimer: I purchased all of the above with the exception of the Dr. Barbara Sturm, Marc Jacobs, lune + aster, Quo, Trish McEvoy, tarte, Urban Decay, Freeman, YSL, and Nutrius products. 

REVLON COLORSTAY SHARP LINE Eyeliner Review

Today's eyeliner review is going to be on REVLON COLORSTAY SHARP LINE Eyeliner in 01 Blackest Black

I have this on the upper lash-line

Availability: This ranges from around $6 - $11.50 and is available at drugstores and retailors that carry Revlon. 

Would I buy this? No.

Notes: I'd say that this is a matte black. It's not waterproof and stays put nicely (about 8-11 hours). It glides on very easily. Overall it's a nice product but I HATE the applicator. I feel like it's difficult to control because it's a felt tip - it's not as flexible or as precise as a brush tip tends to be - and it's also very large and long which I suppose is good for some things but not for an eyeliner applicator unless you've got large eyes to begin with. 

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

Disclaimer: I purchased this myself. 

March 2021 Arrivals

Ok folksickles! I was hit with so many sales and such that I went a little nuts this month, not gonna lie. 

1. REVLON COLORSTAY SHARP LINE Eyeliner in 01 Blackest Black: Technically I was planning on getting a liner I already had but this is all that I was able to find at my local drugstore so I decided to give it a try.

2. DUO Brush On Striplash Adhesive: I needed to replenish on lash glue so I just decided to go for an old faithful.

3. Physicians Formula Eye Booster Waterproof Ultra-Fine Liquid Eyeliner Dramatic Wear Liquid Eye Pen: As it turned out, the REVLON pen from above is very difficult for me to work with so I had to go and pick up a tried-and-true.

4. Overtone for Brown Hair Coloring Conditioner in Pink, Blue, and Purple: Given that I haven't had my hair dyed in over a year and that I'm afraid to bleach it because it's very thin and fragile at this point and the person who I trusted with my hair moved... I figured I'd give these a try since I'm also hesitant to go back to box dye. I figured I'd have a play with them and see if they really do work on dark brown hair as their regular line shows up on the bleached bits of my hair and occasionally will catch onto the white hairs I've got but that's about it. 

5. The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density: As you all know I've complained about my hair being thin for pretty much forever so I figured I'd give this a try.

6. COSRX Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF 50 PA+++: Honestly my wife suggested this to me and I tried it in-store a while back, it's nice and lightweight and I'm paper white, as you know, so I figured I'd pick it up since I'm running low on sunscreen. 

7. Maya Chia The Straight A Serum Retinol Treatment: This was quite an investment piece but I decided to pick it up because my skin is very tolerant of it to the point where, when I had a sample of this, I was able to use it nightly. I'm in my 30s now so I feel like investing in my skin, when I have the ability to do so, is worthwhile and I might as well get a retinol I know I like from a brand that I know I like. 

8. Sonia Kashuk Essential Blending Crease Brush No. 273 x5: I picked up 5 whole brushes because I genuinely had so much trouble finding something similar at the same price point - these brushes are $6 apiece and I honestly feel like the quality of the brush at its price point is incredible. It's the PERFECT brush for my particular eye shape to lay down transition shades with or, essentially, for any type of blending crease work. 

9. wet n wild Crease Brush: I bought this on a whim when I was at Target just to see how it would compare to the Sonia Kashuk brush, because as you know, I LOVE that Sonia Kashuk Essential Blending Crease Brush No. 273 brush. Well, color me shook because this is just as good! I wasn't expecting anything from a brush that cost me under $2 but I am so impressed with the quality and efficacy of this brush! The only thing I don't like is the ergonomic groove it has for you to hold it because I like to move my hand around the brush handle just depending on whether I'm trying to pack color on or blend and I feel like that design isn't particularly conductive to how I use my brushes but alas, I can't complain at this price point!

10. Solinotes Rose Ea de Parfum: One of my friends suggested I give this a try because I love rose fragrances. It's a little bit more of a floral, herbaceous rose rather than the sweet rose scent I tend to gravitate toward, at least smelling it out of the vial. I'll have to wear this on my skin and see how that works. 

11. Skinfix eczema+ targeted body balm: You folx already know that I swear by this stuff for my bodily eczema so I had to pick up more due to some recent flareups. 

12. Skinfix Barrier + Lipid-Boost 360 Eye: This was available as a sample at sephora.com and I decided to opt in for it because I've been getting eczema on my eyelids and figured maybe this would be helpful. 

13. Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Cream: You already know my deep love for the scent of this so when I see it as a sample I usually grab it. 

14. wondergloss beauty Makeup Assassin: This has become an essential makeup remover in my repertoire because it genuinely removes the vast majority of my lash glue. Due to that being the case this product is something I will continue to repurchase.  

15. wondergloss beauty Pumpkin Latte Masque: Given that I was able to find this for relatively inexpensive on Amazon and am running low on masks I decided to give it a try. I also really love pumpkin lattes so it was a win all around. 

16. Glow Recipe Banana Souffle Moisture Cream: This was available as a sample at sephora.com and since I've been wanting to try out Glow Recipe I thought this would be a great way to do so. 

17. Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow pha+bha Pore-Tight Toner: (not pictured) Honestly this was another sample I picked up because I wanted to try the brand. That said, I found that it was just ok and didn't make a noticeable difference for my pores. I don't like how this smells, it doesn't remind me of watermelon at all, and it stung a bit. All around I wouldn't go buy this. 

18. Mario Badescu Deodorant: Ok so I'm sort of on a mission to find a natural deodorant that I like. I say sort of because I'm not on any sort of committed mission but I figure if I find one and it's not super expensive that'll be nice. So far my favorite has been Lume but given the lack of baking soda (I find anything with baking soda ends up giving me a nasty rash sooner or later) in this one and its nice scent I decided to pick it up, 

19. A'Pieu Air Mask Sheet Mini "Haul": I use the word haul in quotations here because my lovely wife bought these masks for me. She got me the:

Coconut Milk (not pictured)

Green Tea Milk

Banana Milk

Disclaimer: I purchased everything listed above with the exception of the masks my wife got me.