Beauty Empties #3

 

    I didn't have to wait long to accumulate these empties! Usually I keep my empties for more then a month to make sure I have enough to show you guys but this is just for September. Looks like I had a very productive month.

1. Softsoap Spring LE French Macaron Body Wash: I mainly bought this because I'm in love with French Macaroons (isn't everyone?) but this doesn't smell anything like macarons. In fact it smelt exactly like Softsoap's usual Milk and Honey body wash. It's a nice body wash - moisturizing, creamy, doesn't dry out your skin - but I wouldn't purchase this again.

2. L'Oreal Sublime Soft Micellar water: I review this micellar water every time I have an empties post. I definitely adore this micellar water and I can't wait 'til it goes on sale so I can stock up!

3. Olay Essentials Sensitive Skin Lotion: I was using this lotion as a night cream and I didn't really like it. It was hydrating but didn't afford me the deep hydration I want for night time.

4. Clean and Clear Brightening Cleanser: I said I wouldn't buy this cleanser again but there it is! My mom accidentally bought it and she lost the receipt so we didn't bother trying to bring it back. I like how well it removes makeup but it's a drying cleanser that's full of extra additives for those colourful bursting beads that don't do anything. This cleanser doesn't brighten my skin at all. I'm not repurchasing this.

5. Sephora Sleeping Masks (Honey, Lotus and Rose): These are absolutely fantastic. At five dollars a pop and a generous size (I get 7 uses out of each mask) these are my favourite skin care pick me ups. I love how fresh and hydrated my skin feels when I wake up. And they don't stain my pillow or make my face sticky! I've even noticed a slight decrease in my t-zone oil thanks to these. These all had similar effects on my face; nice dose of hydration and a boost of evenness and radiance the next morning.

6. St. Ives Even and Bright Scrub with Pink Lemon and Mandarin: This is a nice scrub with a nice smell. I like a more abrasive scrub to really buff away dry skin and clogged pores. My skin always looks more even after I use this scrub, but the effects are temporary and very fleeting.

7. Degree Women Dry Spray in Clean: Great spray deodorant. It didn't feel like it was working - I'm used to my stick deodorant - but it really works. It kept me dry and smelling great. And it lasted me nine weeks - and I used it daily - so it served a good purpose.

8. Thayer's Unscented Alcohol-Free Witch Hazel Toner: Great toner, horrific smell. Smells like Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB cream which smelt sour and acidic. I loved how hydrating and refreshing this toner is. I loved it so much I purchased the Rose Petal version of this toner to use.

9. Mane 'n' Tail Carrot Oil Crème: This is such a nice leave-in conditioner. In the summer my hair was texturized and I used this to hydrate my thirsty hair. It smells so delicious; exactly like carrot cake. It's got this hydrating, light texture that didn't weigh down my strands or cause them to revert. But lately I haven't been able to find the crème in stores but when I do find it, I will repurchase it!

10. Clean and Clear Deep Action Cream Cleanser for Sensitive Skin: It's a nice cream cleanser but nothing revolutionary. Didn't leave my skin as dry as a foaming cleanser but didn't leave my skin as comfortable as well as my current cleanser (Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Foaming cleanser). I won't repurchase this.

11. Now Solutions Sweet Almond Oil: This oil was a gateway oil for me into the world of oils. I bought this back in 2014 and it's lasted me until now. This is an excellent oil that feels so silky on the skin and didn't break me out when I used it on my face. I used it as a moisturizer on my extra dry bits, as an all over body moisturizer, as a moisturizing treat for the bath, as an ingredient in my DIY leave-in conditioner sprays, and the list goes on. Definitely going to repurchase a bottle of this stuff.

12. Maybelline Dream Wonder Liquid Touch Foundation in 90 Coconut: I bought this foundation in the winter and it worked well for me because I was paler then I am right now. I reviewed this foundation here. I liked how light this foundation was and how well it blended in but it really dried out my skin with prolonged used because of the alcohol denat in there. Wouldn't buy it again.

13. Hask Hair Oil in Keratin (Silver Cap) and Monoi (Peach Cap): These saved my hair this summer. I used this as a daily treatment when my hair was out of braids and texturized. These vials of oil might look small but each one last me a full month (I used the monoi oil up to three times a week). You don't need a lot of oil to work it through your hair and that's what makes these vials last so long. I definitely loved the monoi oil more - smells exactly like pina colodas! - and it's not as drying as the Keratin protein one (which is good for strengthening but you're not supposed to use high protein hair products too often).

14. Bath and Body Works Pumpkin Pecan Waffle Nourishing Hand Cream (Fall 2014 LE): This was a great concept but I didn't realize how weird it was going to be to walk around with hands that smelt strongly of maple syrup! The texture on this hand cream was so rich and creamy but the smell drove me up the wall. This would've been better as a candle.

15. Live Clean Baby Shampoo and Wash: I picked up this little sample size to wash my makeup brushes and it did a fantastic job. Had a great smell and rinsed my brushes clean and left them soft. I don't like it as much as my Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo but it's a nice option.

16. Nyx Retractable Lip Liner in Cocoa: One of my favourite lip liners. I've got four of these stocked up. The tawny colour is just perfect for altering lipsticks. Love this colour and I love this formula. It's pigmented and glides on so creamy with a lovely matte finish. I will buy this liner as long as Nyx makes it.

17. Bath and Body Works Caribbean Escape Pocketbac: I really like the fresh, coconut smell of this pocketbac. I love having this on the go and using it to keep my hands clean.

18. Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes Mascara: This is my Holy Grail mascara. This is the fourth tube of this mascara that I've used. I love the small wand and how easy it is to maneuver on my lashes. The formula is so dark and smooth. This mascara just makes my lashes so plush and long.

19. Maybelline Baby Lips Crystal in Pink Quartz: My favourite baby lips ever. I love the slight pink flush and soft pearly shine it gave my lips. The smell is delicious too; like juicy raspberry. I wish it had SPF in it (and was a thicker and less greasy) then it would be my Holy Grail lip balm.

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.

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.

Nyx Butter Lip Gloss Review

I bought my first butter gloss online last year because I wasn't even sure if Nyx was sold in Canada or where to find it. Cherry Pie was my first. After that I fell hard and bought six more in that same year. Now they're all available at Target Canada.

Claims from the Nyx website: Buttery soft and silky smooth, our scrumptious new Butter Lip Gloss tastes as sweet as a sugar cookie—and makes your lips look downright luscious. Swipe it on alone or over your favorite lipstick for creamy sheer to medium coverage that melts onto your lips and is never sticky.
Price: $8.99 at Target Canada

This gloss has no taste at all, so I don't know what Nyx is talking about with the whole "tastes as sweet as a sugar cookie" line. It does smell completely heavenly though. Coverage is medium to sheer with some shades like Sugar Cookie running sheerer while others like Cupcake are very pigmented. The gloss doesn't feel sticky on the lips at the outset but as time wears on it begins to feel a little tacky.

Right now I've got six (in the order pictured above):
1. Peaches and Cream
2. Cupcake
3. Sugar Cookie (loved it so much I bought two tubes)
4. Cherry Pie
5. Praline
6. Gingersnap
7. Devil's Food Cake

I really really love them and I'd buy them all if I could.

The formula is lovely. Very moisturizing, glides on like butter. Lasts about four hours before needing a touch up.  It smells like vanilla cupcakes! Of course the smell disspates but it's so lovely I wouldn't really care if it never disspated.

I love the packaging and the slimness of the tubes (but they still have quite a bit of product in them at 8ml each). And the cream finish on all of them makes them so easy to wear.

I've included this picture to show you how the shades compare with one another.

A slightly cool toned red with a cream finish. Fairly pigmented. My first love and one of my favourites.

A neutral chocolate brown with a cream finish. Very pigmented. Such a wonderful nude gloss for those of us women of colour. I cherish this gloss because I know Nyx is the only brand that makes a nude gloss in a colour so deep. I wanted this shade as soon as Nyx announced their new shades.

A bold, cool toned fuchsia with a touch of lilac. Is a little sheer like Cherry Pie. This shade is a great shade to just throw on and add a pretty pop of feminine colour to the lips. I love the way it looks against my skin tone. I've actually finished my first tube because this was a shade I reached for so much.

A slightly milky, very bright pink with hints of coral. It's one of the most pigmented butter glosses out there. I thought it would be a warmer version of Sugar Cookie but its definitely different. I'm not a huge fan of this shade because of how pigmented it is! Generally I prefer semi-sheer lip colours and this one is just very pigmented. Stains my lips after the gloss has worn off.

A slightly milky, cool toned pink. Doesn't apply peachy on my lips (mine at least) at all. It's a sheerer and cooler version of Cupcake. I actually like it a lot because of how subtle it can be.

A blackened red with a slight hint of plum. Super pigmented and very gorgeous. I love how vampy this gloss is! Stains the lips after the gloss has worn off.

A chocolate brown with a hint of peach. Lighter then Gingersnap. So what's the difference between Gingersnap and Praline? I can't tell the difference myself with the tubes so I have to look at the names. Praline is peachier and lighter. Out of the two I prefer Gingersnap as an everyday shade to just throw on by itself. Praline is very nude on my skin, so nude I wouldn't wear it on my NW45 skintone without a smokey eye or at least some colour on my cheeks.

Likes:
1. The delicious scent!
2. How moisturizing these feel on my lips
3. Wide variety of colours in the range
4. Budget friendly
5. Slim, portable packaging

Dislikes:
1. Cupcake is too pigmented (For those of you who love highly pigmented products, this won't be a problem at all!)

 A