Beauty Empties Edition #2

It's been a while since I've done an empties post but the time was right. The bag I use to hold all of these empty packages was so full it looked like it was ready to burst!

1. L'Oreal Ideal Moisture Day Lotion for Dry Skin: I used this throughout the winter when my skin was incredibly dry. I usually have combination skin but last winter my skin got so dry it was flaking. I loved how moisturizing it was on my skin! It was a very heavy moisturizer but it was great. And the SPF25 didn't leave my skin with an ashy cast. I'd repurchase for use in the winter or when my skin is going through a dry spell.

2. Essence All About Matt Finishing Powder: The powder itself was really great quality, truly translucent with this wonderful pore blurring effect. It mattified my skin right away but the packaging was incredibly fragile and it didn't stay matt all day. Wouldn't repurchase.

3. Dove Pistachio & Magnolia Body Wash: My favourite body wash of all time. I love the delicious warm, sweet, nutty scent and how soft and hydrated it leaves my skin. I adore this body wash!

4. Dial 7 Day Moisturizing Lotion for Dry Skin with Shea Butter: Not my favourite lotion. Had a generic lotion scent. Had a generic lotion feel. I didn't feel like it hydrated my skin that deeply. Wouldn't repurchase.

5. Rimmel Scandaleyes Xtreme Mascara: The brush on this mascara is absolutely fantastic (its in the same vein as the Maybelline Lash Sensational brush and the L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly brush) and helped to get my lashes looking long, think and defined really quickly. I didn't feel the need to build a lot of coats. Sadly this mascara dried out and got clumpy within a month.

6. Freeman Golden Grain Brightening Face Mask: This is an okay product. The gel was hydrating while it was on but didn't boost the brightness of my skin at all. It didn't help with the formation of dark spots either and that's mainly what I purchased for. Wouldn't buy it again as I've found nicer hydrating masks.

7. Freeman Charcoal and Black Sugar Polishing Mask: This is a fantastic scrub that really worked well to keep my skin soft and keep my blackheads under control. As a mask it didn't really stay on my face, but as I scrub I loved it and can't wait to repurchase this mask and get it back into my life! Once I stopped using it my blackheads returned in full force.

8. Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream: This is so soothing on my skin. My skin is eczema prone so this really helped when I was going through a really horrible spell of eczema. It also works really well as a facial night cream that hydrates deeply without clogging. Love this stuff.

9. The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Butter: This body butter was really nice. It was very hydrating on my skin and had a divine melted butter consistency and it smelt like chocolate but still wasn't overpowering. I'd definitely repurchase this.

10. The Body Shop Blueberry Body Scrub: This caught my attention immediately because I thought it was so neat that it looked like blueberry jam. After a while the smell became cloying and I couldn't wait to finish this body butter. Wouldn't buy this again.

11. L'Oreal Sublime Soft Micellar Cleansing Water: My first micellar water and still remains one of my favourites. Click here to read my review. I still love this stuff!

12. Life Brand Clear Action Dual Action Moisturizer: This is Shopper's Drug Mart's dupe of the Clean and Clear dual action moisturizer. I much prefer the Clean and Clear one even though both seriously skimp on moisture and don't include SPF. I don't know if my tube was old or something but it smelt sour. Definitely not repurchasing despite the fact that it did help the acne spots I have, I've found spot treatments that work better.

13. Dove Clear Tone Deodorant: I found this on clearance at Wal-Mart and I know now why it's been on clearance; it doesn't work. It did a good job of keeping my armpits dry and smelling fresh but it didn't even the tone of my underarms at all. I didn't expect it to work so I wasn't surprised. I won't buy these again because they don't work.

14. Maybelline Baby Lips Christmas 2015 LE Ruby Star: The cool red colour of this lip balm was the only thing I liked about it. It was too greasy for my liking. Click here to see my original review of both Ruby Star and Winter Flush.

15. Maybelline Baby Lips Christmas 2015 LE Winter Flush: Didn't like the colour or the greasy feel. I reviewed this at the same time as Ruby Star.

16. Nyx Soft Matte Lip Cream in Addis Ababa: I liked the mousse like feel this lip cream starts off with but then it quickly dries down. I actually liked how sheer this product was because then the colour wasn't too garish. Wouldn't repurchase as I didn't wear this lippie a lot.

17. Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipstick in Untainted Spice: Probably my favourite permanent nude lipstick ever. The colour is the perfect nude for my NW45 skin (It's nude but it's got enough colour to look almost MLBB). It doesn't make me look dead at all, and it looks surprisingly natural. Sadly the formula makes my lips feel numb so I stopped using the lipstick.

18. Essence Colour & Go nail polish in Sweet As Candy: I love this nail polish. It's a nice sheer pink that's great for a natural look or for using as a base for a French manicure.

19. Essence Colour & Go nail polish in Space Queen: My favourite glitter top coat. It also looks incredible over Sweet As Candy. It thickened up after a year which is definitely a first for any nail polishes I own. I really like this polish and would most likely repurchase.

20. Maybelline Baby Lips Electro Strike A Rose: Smells exactly like those sour rocket candies I hated getting in my pillow sack as a child during Halloween. The colour was really pink, cool and pigmented which made me really not like it at all as I didn't like the way it looked on me. Wouldn't repurchase.

21. Revlon Nail Enamel in Cherries in the Snow: I bought this colour mainly because I knew it was a vintage Revlon colour. I actually only like it on myself in the winter because during the winter my skin is paler and the polish doesn't look as bright and as shocking. I didn't wear it a lot and for that I wouldn't repurchase it.

Freeman Feeling Beautiful Diamond Mineral Rinse Review

 

 

Freeman has been knocking it out of the park with their fantastic face masks. Totally curious I picked up the Diamond Mineral rinse to see how well it would work for my skin. And I had never experienced a mineral rinse so I was excited to see how that would go as well. The mask claimed it had diamonds in it and true enough diamond powder is listed in the ingredients!

Claims from the website: Dazzling skin is a girl’s best friend! Our delightfully indulgent mask with Sparkleberry Extract helps fight off environmental assaults to enhance skin’s look and feel over time. Dazzling Diamond Dust flecks glisten as you wear this clarifying clay mask…plus, they polish away dullness to reveal multi-faceted radiance! Unique mask rinses clean for a lasting, super-cool finish. Perfect for all skin types.

This mask trial size packet retails $1.99. You can squeeze two to four uses out of this mask if you store it well which makes it a good value. I've only used it once and I believe I have enough for one to two more uses.

This mask is a creamy white. It's a little softer then the usually stiff, paste like Freeman masks and has scrubbing granules in the mask. Going on the mask feels very cooling and minty. It pairs nicely with the scrubbing action. It's got a berry scent with a slightly artificial lean to it but it's not unpleasant.

When the mask was dry I could see the diamond dust specks glittering on my face. After rinsing I noticed that the mask had a good exfoliation, comparable to an actual mask. It's not too rough so it doesn't make my skin red, it just leaves me with soft skin. It's less abrasive then Freeman's charcoal and black sugar mask (which totally obliterated the clogged pores in my nose).

I wouldn't recommend using this mask before going anywhere, unless you like having random specks of diamond dust on your skin. It's not like I turn into a discoball, but when I turn my head the light will catch a piece of glitter and I'll get annoyed.

In short; I like this mask. I like the minty fresh tingle, the exfoliation, how soft it and fresh it leaves my skin feeling. I feel like this mask is the first successful two in one mask from Freeman. With the clay and pumice in this mask, it functions both as a mask and a scrub whereas with the other two in one mask was more suited to one function (In my opinion, the charcoal and black sugar mask was best suited for scrubbing). While this mask doesn't replace a scrub or a clay mask, it's a nice weekly treatment on it's own merits.

Likes:

1. How soft and fresh it leaves my skin
2. Moderate scrubbing action
3. Says it has diamonds in it and it really does
4. Combines the function of a scrub and a clay mask

Dislikes:

1. Diamond specks are difficult to remove

A

Freeman Feeling Beautiful Sweet-Tea and Lemon Peel-Away Clay Mask

This mask allured me on the premise alone. A peel off clay mask? How could that possibly work? As soon as I saw it in stores I snatched up a tube just to see what it would be like and it's easily become one of my favourite Freeman masks.

Claims from the Freeman website: Charm skin with a little southern comfort in the form of Sweet Tea spritzed with a squeeze of refreshing Lemon! Our peel-away clay mask delivers the cleansing, oil-absorbing benefits you expect from clay…plus the all-over toning and refining perks of an easy-to-peel-off mask! Antioxidant-rich Tea and Lemon Fruit Extract calm for the ultimate in toning and soothing benefits. Perfect for normal to combination skin.
This mask retailed for about $4.29 at Wal-Mart. Thankfully this mask unlike the Honeydew and Chamomile sleeping mask made it into stores.

What I love about this mask is that its a hybrid of a clay mask and a peel off mask. You get the oil absorption of a clay with the more tightening of a clay mask. It is really and truly a hybrid of both with a high concentration of Bentonite clay.

The mask smells really nice. It's got a very subtle iced tea fragrance with a hint of lemon. It's not strong but it's very pleasant. At first this mask smelt exactly like the Cucumber peel off mask but the more I smell it the more I realize it's got a scent all it's own.

The mask is a creamy orange colour. Unlike Freeman's peel off masks, this one has clay in it and it shows. The mask is very runny but also thick a bit like glue in consistency. It makes it a little difficult to apply and spread but the thickness insures the mask doesn't run all over the place once you apply it. This makes it very easy to target specific spots.

As with most clay masks, I don't apply it all over my face. I just apply it where I feel I get especially oily - my nose and forehead - along with my cheeks which have large pores. On the face the mask feels wonderfully cool. No stinging. As the mask dries it hardens a little which reminds me a bit of clay masks but not as tight. When the mask is ready for removal, the edges lift up a bit and then you pull gently from there. There were a few little spots where the mask didn't peel away but that came off when I rinsed my face with warm water.

Heads up: this mask hurts a little when you pull it off. Considerably more so then the Cucumber Peel off mask Freeman offers. I think it might be due to the clay. But it's not enough to bother me or to make my skin red so I'm fine with it. I find that when I apply a thicker layer it comes off with less pain but the caveat there is that I have to wait longer for it to dry.

The results are worth the slight pain. When I peel off the mask my skin looks mattified, smooth and poreless. I love how velvety my skin looks and feels after this mask.

I like this mask more then I like traditional clay masks because I feel like clay masks leave my skin much drier then this peel off mask does. In addition to that, I have to rinse so much longer to make sure I get all of the clay off of my skin.

I really enjoy using this mask and I can see it's going to become a weekly staple in my skincare regime. I definitely would repurchase this mask!

Likes:

1. How easy this mask it to apply and remove
2. The matte, soft and poreless look this mask gives my skin
3. How innovative this mask is
4. How affordable this mask is

Dislikes:

1. It's a little painful to remove

A

Freeman Feeling Beautiful Banana-Oat Instant Smoothing Mask Review

I have undying faith in Freeman and I couldn't resist this latest offering. With the promise of exfoliating AHAs and moisturizing banana and oats I had to get it. And I was curious as to what sort of texture this mask would have as well!

Claims from the Freeman website:
Whip up a little skin nourishment with our sensational facial smoothie! Deliciously-fragrant Banana-Oat blend smacks of softening ingredients for gorgeous skin. Highly active Alpha Hydroxy Acids rapidly exfoliate dull skin cells and reveal a softer, smoother, more radiant complexion. Antioxidant-rich Bananas nourish freshly exfoliated skin with minerals and antioxidants to keep bumpy skin issues away. Soothing Oat works double-time to nourish and keep skin calm, cool and collected. Perfect for all skin types.
Directions: Apply to cleansed face. Avoid getting product in the eyes, mouth, and nostrils. Leave on for up to 7 minutes, or rinse thoroughly as soon as skin feels sensitivity. Rinse thoroughly with warm water and pat dry. Follow immediately with a moisturizer.

This mask also comes with a lot of warnings! I get the feeling I'm dealing with something very powerful and also a little dangerous! On the packaging and on the website Freeman says "[w]arnings: Prior to first application, perform a patch test on the inside of your arm, 24 hours prior to applying to your face, to check for potential irritation. Do not use on skin that is sunburned, irritated, sensitive or within 24 hours of waxing. Not recommended for users of any topical or orally-prescribed acne, Vitamin A derived, skin exfoliation medications. Slight tingling, mild itching or some temporary skin redness are normal reactions to a highly-active exfoliant. Rinse off immediately if product causes discomfort, discontinue use and consult a physician. This product contains alpha hydroxy acids that may increase the skin's sensitivity to the sun and the possibility of sunburn. Use sunscreen and limit sun exposure for one week after use."

This mask retails for about $4.99 at Wal-Mart.

The texture of the mask is that of a gel with a yellowish translucent colour. It smells really nice. It smells like juicy tropical fruit with a strong banana note but it's a little too tangy to be straight up banana. It's pleasant but not overwhelming.

The first time I used this mask I applied it all over and it burned my face quite a bit! So I rinsed it off and my cheeks were visibly red.

I tried the mask again later on, only applying it to areas where I needed exfoliation like my cheeks, my forehead and the top of my nose. Thankfully there was no burning but there was a slight tingling sensation all over. I only planned on leaving it for seven minutes but after three or four my face felt like it was on fire.

So I rinsed it off and applied a moisturizer and sure enough my cheeks and forehead were bright red. My skin did feel very soft though! When I woke up the next morning all of the redness was gone and my face did look very smooth so the mask did live up to it's claims of smoothing skin. Freeman did say that some redness is normal when using highly active exfoliants so I'm not too worried.

I will say that I don't like how it feels and looks like the mask is irritating my skin but I do like how smooth it makes my skin feel. I wouldn't use this in the day, only in the night because I wouldn't want to walk around with red skin. I wouldn't repurchase this mask because there are easier and more gentle ways to get smooth skin without all the drawbacks.

Likes:

1. The smell
2. How smooth it makes my skin feel
3. It doesn't dry out my skin
4. It's affordable

Dislikes:

1. How it makes my skin red
2. How it feels like its burning my face
3. The increased sensitivity it may cause in my skin

B-

Beauty Empties!

Finally I've finished enough products for an empties post! I don't finish enough products to do this on a monthly basis so I'll show you guys what I've finished after I've accumulated a decent amount of stuff.

1. The Body Shop Vineyard Peach Body Butter: As with most of the Body Shop's delicious body butters, I enjoyed this one immensely. It smells exactly like ripe peaches. Right down to the fuzz. Only thing is I wished the body butter wasn't as stiff as cold butter, a little more like room temperature butter. I won't be repurchasing this body butter, despite how much I like the smell.

2. Equate Sensitive Skin Facial Wipes: I've repurchased this product three times over and plan to continue purchasing it in the future. Not only is it amazing effective at removing makeup without the need to rinse but it doesn't sting my skin like other facial wipes do. Not to mention it's inexpensive!

3. Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion: Bought this during a bout of my eczema. Didn't really like it. I found it to be thin and the moisture didn't really penetrate into the dry layers of my skin. Won't be repurchasing this product.

4. Taylor by Taylor Swift: Got this perfume as a graduation present and I finally finished it! I feel very proud of myself because I hardly ever finish anything. I liked the smell in store but it didn't jive once it was on my skin. Every time I smell it I'm transported back to first year university and I really don't need to be reliving that time period. Definitely not repurchasing.

5. Satin Care Ultra Sensitive: Ugh. Used this twice and the pump broke and it's rather full of product but there's no way to get it out. Oh well. It irritated my skin every single time I used it so I'm not bent on getting to the product anyway.

6. Clean and Clear Brightening Facial Cleanser: This is my second and final bottle of this cleanser. It smells like tropical fruit, gets makeup off well and plays nicely with a facial brush but it doesn't do what it said it would; which is brighten dark spots. I didn't really expect it to anyway. I found it drying too. Won't be repurchasing this cleanser again.

7. Johnson's Baby Lotion: This lotion was actually reformulated but it was just as nice as I remembered the original being. If not even nicer. It calmed my sensitive skin down on days when it didn't need extreme moisture. Definitely would repurchase.

8. Dove Sensitive Skin Body Wash: I bought this body wash thinking it was unscented BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS ON THE FRONT OF THE PACKAGE but if you check the ingredients there is parfum. I was so turned off when I noticed that. It did clean and hydrate my skin just the way I liked it, but I don't like misleading products. Will not repurchase.

9. Freeman Feeling Beautiful Avocado & Oatmeal Face Mask: I really liked this mask. It resets my skin when it gets clogged, removes excess oil and softens my skin. I adore this product and I would certainly repurchase it.

10. Dove Pistachio & Magnolia Beauty Bar: Dove makes excellent soap bars that have set the standard for all the other soap bars I try. This bar wasn't an exception. It's virtually a solid bar of body wash and leaves my skin feeling so creamy, not tight and dry. And the scent is heavenly; sweet and indulgent. I've got these bars stock piled!

11. Avon Banishing Cream: I've had this for three years and it took me forever to use it. When I did I found it didn't work at all, even when paired with sunscreen. It did make for a really nice thick moisturizer for me to put on the drier spots on my face like beneath the bridge of my nose and around my mouth. As misleading as it was, I liked how hydrating it was so I'd repurchase it for that.

12. Clean and Clear Deep Cleaning Cream Cleanser: I liked how this was more hydrating on my skin. The menthol in this cleanser irritated me because it's rather cold in Canada right now and I can't deal with the tingling in addition to that. Sometimes I felt this cleanser burning certain areas of my skin. I will gladly part ways with this cleanser.

13. Bath and Body Works Mr. Hedgehog Anti-Bac: I really liked this sanitizer and I think it's so adorable. It smells like green apples which are my uncontested favourite fruit. Great for getting clean on the go.

14. Nyx Sugar Cookie Butter Gloss: Absolutely adore this shade! I can't extol the virtues of this lip gloss enough. Thank goodness I bought a back up because I cannot be without this shade in my arsenal. Check out my original review here.

15. Bath and Body Works Endless Weekend Preview Eau de Parfum: I really loved this scent and I can't wait to buy a full sized bottle of this scent once I've finished off my other scents. It's smells like a happy, warm summer afternoon. It's carefree and sweet.

16. Rimmel London Scandaleyes Lycra Flex Mascara: One of my favourite mascara releases. If I wasn't constantly trying new mascaras I would buy this again. Previously reviewed here.

17. Burt's Bees Honey Lip Balm: No. Absolutely never again. I can't express how much I dislike this lip balm, because I've exhausted myself in the first review.