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. 

Love It Or Leave It; Review 2.0: ColourPop Mint to be Pressed Powder Palette

Hello folksickles. As a makeup junkie and blogger you may have realized that I review a LOAD of eyeshadow palettes and I like to think of myself as being largely an eyeshadow junkie. In order to de-clutter a bit  I've decided to pick out a palette or series of eyeshadows for the month and have that be my monthly selection for those instances where I'm not doing a tutorial for the blog. Every month I'll do a recap on the eyeshadows - how I feel about them and whether I'll be keeping them or giving them away (and why :P) as well as if I think it's worth its price tag. 

ColourPop Mint to be Pressed Powder Palette

You can find a look I did with the palette here. These are the looks I created this month:

This particular look also has MAC Reflects Transparent Teal Glitter over the top

So as you can see I created some soft, yet colorful looks with this palette.  Although I wish there was a greater variety in terms of the depth of the shades here - I wish we had more of a contrast between light and dark shades to really give depth and dimension - I personally really love mint and loved wearing these eyeshadows so I will definitely be keeping this palette around. The quality is great here - everything is well-pigmented, applies smoothly, and blends easily. 

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

Disclaimer: I purchased this myself.

Lip Balm Review: Rebels Refinery Strawberry Mango The Pineapple Lip Balm

Today's lip care review is going to be on Rebels Refinery The Pineapple Lip Balm in Strawberry Mango.

Availability: This retails at $6 at rebelsrefinery.com. 

Would I buy this again?: No.

Notes: The balm has a sweet, fruity, candy-like scent, I don't know that I'd place it as specifically being a strawberry mango scent but I think it smells yummy. It feels nice going on but honestly I wouldn't say that it offers enough hydration if you're looking for something to help manage dryness. It more so keeps lips that are already hydrated staying soft and smooth. It wore off entirely in about two hours time. I wish this were more moisturizing because it feels nice going on and it smells nice but it just doesn't have lasting power.

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

Disclaimer: I received this as a birthday gift.

October 2022 Departures

Ok folksickles. Departure blogs will contain items that aren't empties but that are going to be given away for one reason or another. I'm working hard to curate my makeup collection and want it to include only the products that I think truly work well, that I reach for often and do what they're supposed to do. I can't believe there haven't been any departures since May but I guess I've been liking the stuff I've played with this year thus far.

1. ColourPop In The Limelight Pressed Powder Palette: So while I mentioned in my Love It or Leave It post that I liked the versatility and depth of color in this palette I also found the darker color here difficult to blend. If I am honest with myself I just don't see myself reaching for this palette after I'm done playing with it for my testing phase so I feel it's better for me to pass it along to someone who can make better use of it.

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

Disclaimer: I purchased the palette mentioned myself.

October 2022 Arrivals

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

1. up&up 100% acetone nail polish remover dip-it: My nail polish remover is getting really gross and since I was in Target I decided to pick this up and see how I like it.

2. Shop Miss A Haul: Honestly I decided to make this purchase because I wanted to try out their razors (which I don't mention on here because I don't really talk about shaving on here) but decided to also stock up on more of the Faux Mink lashes because I really like the Krissi pair that I purchased in my August haul. 
AOA Microfiber Washcloth Towel - 4 pc set
A+ Glam 3D Faux Mink Lashes - Jeju x2
A+ Glam 3D Faux Mink Lashes - New York
A+ Glam 3D Faux Mink Lashes - Paris x2
A+ Glam 3D Faux Mink Lashes - Dallas
A+ Glam 3D Faux Mink Lashes - Amsterdam
Paw Paw: 3D Faux Mink Lashes - Terry
Paw Paw: 3D Faux Mink Lashes - Krissi x2
Paw Paw: 3D Faux Mink Lashes - Brianna

3. Juvia's Place I Am Magic Concealer in J21: I'm running low on concealer and I remember this lasting a long time and me really loving it so I decided to pick it up again.

4. Rebels Refinery The Pineapple Lip Balm in Strawberry Mango: One of my friends got me this as a belated birthday gift and it smells absolutely delicious.

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

Disclaimer: I purchased everything listed above with the exception of the Rebels Refinery item.

October 2022 Favorites

Hey folksickles,

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

1. NYX Ombre Blush in Soft Flush: I've been playing with the blushes in my collection to see how they wear and how I like them and I just adore this blush so much! It's well-pigmented, gives a pretty flush to my skin that's flattering and looks really nice.

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

Disclaimer: I paid for the product mentioned above myself.

October 2022 Empties

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

1. innisfree 3 Jeju Color Picker Real Color Nail: I've just run out of this nail polish, it's very goopy and mostly gone so it's time to say goodbye. 

2. AOA studio A+ Glam 3D Premium Faux Mink Lashes in Amsterdam: These lashes are beautiful but unfortunately they're very fluttery and don't have a base that lets you glue them on easily or anchors them onto the eyes. This causes them to pop off at the corners constantly which annoys me.

3. : I love the scent of this mask and that it leaves my skin feeling soft when I wash it off. That being said, I don't love its texture, it feels like it leaves a bit of a balmy texture behind.

4. AOA studio 3D Faux Mink Lashes in Krissi: I really enjoyed this pair of lashes - it gives my eyes definition and oomph while still being a bit natural and fluffy-looking. 

5. Duo Quick-Set Striplash Adhesive: I'm gonna be honest that I don't find that this sets any faster than the paint-on lash glue with the brush. That being said, it works just fine for gluing on falsies. Mine is getting clumpy so it's time to replace it.

6. lune+aster Eclipse Volumizing & Curling Mascara: While I liked that this is a tubing mascara that can be layered and created quite visible results I also don't love that the formula is kind of clumpy. I usually remedy that issue with a lash comb but due to the tubing nature of this mascara, it managed to clog up my lash comb. Overall I'm happy to have played with it but I'm also happy to move on to another mascara.

7. Physicians Formula Eye Booster Waterproof Ultra-Fine Liquid Eyeliner: Now this is a product I'm sad to be moving on from because it's my favorite liquid eyeliner at the drugstore. I find that over time (as in, it took about a year of regular use) that I noticed this really did make a difference on my lashes - they're so much fuller and thicker now and while I will say I've gotten better at applying falsies over the years I hardly ever have lashes come off when I take my falsies off.

8. wet n wild photo focus Concealer: I feel like I used to love this concealer more than I did when using it now. Firstly the color was a tad bit too dark for me, which was an error on my own part. But additionally, the product is more sheer than I remember it being and required quite a bit of layering to get the opacity I wanted. I also feel like it was difficult to get a good amount of product out of the packaging and even having removed the wand wiper I can't get all the product out of the packaging.

9. beauty 360 100% Acetone Pro Strength Nail Polish Remover:  This works great for getting nail polish off fairly quickly. My jar has gotten really gross so it's time for a new one.

10. KimChi Chic Puff Puff Pass Set & Bake Powder:  I love this powder so much! It's beautifully finely milled and super silky, it sets the under-eye and face area beautifully while looking natural and not creasing. I highly recommend it.

11. GLAMGLOW GLOWSTARTER Nude Glow Mega Illuminating Moisturizer: I really like the glow this gives my skin but, that being said, while its hydration level is alright I personally would prefer something a bit more hydrating because this didn't do very much for my face eczema and it's becoming a real issue for me as we head into colder weather.

12. Soapology Lavender & Vanilla Shower Gel: I'm a big fan of this because it smells so good! It's a very floral lavender with a hint of vanilla that smells sophisticated, not overly soapy or sweet. I was genuinely impressed with it. This foams up beautifully and left my skin feeling silky smooth.

13. Kosasport Serene Clean Chemistry AHA Serum Deodorant: Honestly if you're looking for a "natural" or aluminum-free deodorant I would highly recommend this one. It kept me stench-free from day one! That being said, it does nothing to keep you from sweating so if you sweat profusely and would rather not, this may not be the product for you. Additionally, I am someone who shaves my armpits and if I accidently nicked myself I'd know it because the acid would sting. It wasn't anything intensely painful but it was unpleasant. This lasted me several months and is incredibly lightweight and nonstick which I appreciate.

14. GARNIER green labs Brightening Gel Wash Pinea-C: Honestly I don't like how this didn't foam up much and it was also a bit drying to my skin. I need something somewhat more hydrating.

15. #I DEW CARE Cake My Day Mask: This mask is great for hydration but I feel like it leaves behind a bit of a residue when you wash it off and therefore is best for the driest of the dry skin types or is best used only on super dry areas that need the extra boost.

16. berkley jensen unscented baby wipes: As I've said in the past I really like to use these wipes to wipe down surfaces, clean my makeup with, and to remove makeup swatches with. They're well-moistened and last a long time due to there being 100 per pack. 

17. Soap & Glory Drop in The Lotion: This has a yummy coconut scent to it but I honestly don't find it hydrating enough. It'[s just barely hydrating enough for my legs and, as you can guess, isn't hydrating enough for the soles of my feet. 

18. now essential oils 100% pure peppermint: I like to sprinkle peppermint oil around as a deterrent for creepy crawly creatures and to use it in my essential oil diffuser to help clear my sinuses.

19. AOA studio 3D Faux Mink Lashes in Elidia: These are a really pretty, large fluttery wispy lash.

20. Trader Joe's Brazil Nut Body Butter: This body butter smells absolutely delicious and does a wonderful job of providing hydration for my legs and soles of my feet. I feel like the more I used it the more I liked it. 

21. Dr Teal's Shea Sugar Scrub in Black Elderberry: I love these scrubs because they give me a good intensity of scrubbiness where they leave my skin smooth and feel invigorating. This has a nice tart berry scent to it. 

22. A+ Setting Spray: This was a fairly nice setting spray that did a good job of keeping my makeup in place. I did feel like I had to use a lot to get that refreshing sensation I like from a setting spray, but for it being under $2 I can't complain.

23. Dove refreshing cucumber & green tea Nourishing 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, slightly sweet scent to it. 

24. Boheme Haircare Nourish Shampoo: I felt like I liked this a lot when I initially started using it - this has a nice, spa-like, herbaceous scent and left my hair feeling soft, clean, and full. That being said, over time I felt like I noticed shedding and thinning in my hair and I'm unsure if this is to blame but I have to say I feel like it didn't contribute to any improvement of my hair's quality.

25. innisfree brightening & pore-caring cream: I like that this is a lightweight formula but it gives the skin a nice boost of hydration overall. That being said, I have an eczema patch on my face and this didn't hydrate that bit at all. Additionally, I don't find that it does anything for my pores.

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

Disclaimer: I purchased all of the above with the exception of the Soapology, Boheme Haircare, innisfree, and KimChi Chic  products.