Dec 31, 2012

November and December 2012 Empties!

I think I finished a grand total of two products during November. Rather than writing an entire post about two products, I decided to wait and see how much I could finish off in December. I finished quite a few hair products, which is good because I have too many hair products to begin with. I have also started counting sample sized products because I've accumulated quite a few samples that I would like to finish up.

Finished:

LUSH Seanik Solid Shampoo Bar: this was good, but I've found something that I like better.

LUSH Jumping Juniper Solid Shampoo Bar: this was also nice, but I want to try other clarifying shampoos

Aussie 3-Minute Miracle: the ingredients in this are honestly not too good, so I will be moving on to something else as a deep conditioner.

Evian Facial Spray: water in spray can... not much I can say about this. It was useful to have around, but I might as well buy a spray bottle and fill it with water instead.

Grandpa's Thylox Acne Treatment Soap with Sulfur (thankfully I kept the box): I ended up using this on my face and body just to finish it up. I'm glad I tried it, but I won't be repurchasing.

Bath & Body Works Paris Amour Body Splash (3 ounces): I'm working on finishing all of my Bath & Body Works body splashes because I've found a few different fragrances I prefer.

Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets: I have one more package of blotting sheets and then I am done with all of my blotting sheets, which I couldn't be more thrilled about.

L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream (Fair): Initially I loved this, but as time went on my skin began to become irritated by this, so I won't repurchase.

Olivella Daily Facial Cleansing Tissues: I thought I would love these, but they made my eyes water just as much as the Yes to Cucumbers cleansing wipes, so I have something else I want to try instead.

Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes: I'm not sure why I had these, but I decided to finish them because I had them and I needed a makeup remover.

Willa Naturals Start Fresh Foaming Facial Wash: this was a basic cleanser. I liked it, but I won't purchase the full size.

Willa Naturals Clear Face Moisturizer: I liked the concept of a clear moisturizer, but it didn't work the way I had expected. I definitely won't buy the full size, but it might work for somebody with normal skin.

Expired:

Rimmel Lash Accelerator Lash Growth Serum: this was nice, but I would go through phases when using it. After of owning it for about a year, I decided it was time to let go and admit to myself that I'd never finish it.

Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara: I loved this mascara. Everything about it was perfect, in my opinion. It lengthened my lashes, didn't flake, and application was a breeze. I'm not sure if I will repurchase this or not, though. I'd have to look at the ingredients, but once I finish the mascaras I currently own, I want to try something from the Physicians Formula Organic Wear mascara line (they have four now!)

Rimmel Volume Accelerator: I loved Rimmel's Lash Accelerator mascara, but I hated the Volume Accelerator... the formula was clumpy, the brush was just big and ineffective. I won't be repurchasing this.

Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes: I know that Maybelline Great Lash is one of those "love it or hate it, but most people hate it" mascaras, but I'm always willing to give the different versions a chance. I really liked this one because the brush/applicator was great, but the ingredients aren't quite so nice, so I probably won't be repurchasing it.

Maybelline Great Lash Big: and this was a version of Great Lash that I didn't love. It was difficult to separate my lashes, so once I was finished applying my mascara, it looked like I had about six eyelashes on each eye. Not a pretty look.

Samples:

Nexxus Pro-Mend Split End Treatment Shampoo, Nexxus Pro-Mend Split End Binding Conditioner, and Nexxus Pro-Mend Targeted Leave-in Treatment Creme: these were nice products, but the shampoo is not sulfate free and the ingredients overall are not the best, so I won't be purchasing the full size.

LiQWD Silk Professional Deep Conditioning Treatment: just another deep conditioner to me. I am trying some homemade deep conditioner recipes, so I'm not buying the full size.

Benefit Stay Don't Stray: this took a long time for me to finish. It's not my favorite primer, so I won't be purchasing the full size.

Derma E Tea Tree & E Antiseptic Cream: this was pretty nice. I might purchase this somewhere down the line, but not right away, since I'm not sure if it will truly be necessary for my skin care routine (less is more, trust me).

Lulu Organics Lavender & Clary Sage Hair Powder: just a dry shampoo, it smelled nice but it wasn't life changing... I've decided that I will probably never like dry shampoo and I will be one of those people stuck washing my hair every day just because I hate how my unwashed hair feels.

Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse BB Cream: I really liked this, but the color is a little too dark and I could tell it was. I don't think anybody else did, but I also happened to use up the entire sample during Christmas break, so my family probably wouldn't have noticed/cared anyway. I may or may not purchase the full size. I'll keep the bottle as a reminder that I did like this, but I've got enough base products to finish as it is.

Overall I'm very pleased with myself for finishing as much as I have. I can only hope that I manage to finish half as much in the next few months

Dec 30, 2012

What I Got for Christmas: 2012 Edition

Since quite a few people are showing what they got for Christmas, I thought I'd show you all what was under my tree this year! I also thought this would be especially interesting since I won't be buying very many beauty products in 2013. But, I digress. Here is what I got for Christmas this year:


Real Techniques Your Eyes/Enhanced Starter Set: this set contains five eye brushes and a "panoramic case" that functions as a brush stand and a case for traveling. The brushes in the kit are: Base Shadow Brush, Deluxe Crease Brush, Accent Brush, Pixel-Point Eyeliner Brush, and a brow brush.

Real Techniques Your Base/Flawless Core Collection:  this set contains four face brushes and a case. The brushes are the Detailer Brush, Pointed Foundation Brush, Buffing Brush, and the Contour Brush.


OPI The Top Ten: this set contains some of the most popular OPI nail polish colors.These colors are: Alpine Snow, Bubble Bath, Tickle My France-y, Kiss Me On My Tulips, Red Lights Ahead... Where?, Big Apple Red, I'm Not Really A Waitress, You Don't Know Jacques!, Vampsterdam, and Lincoln Park After Dark.


Bare Minerals Cool As Ice Lip Gloss Collection: this set comes with six of the Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie mini lip glosses. The colors in this set are: Hot Ticket, Dare Devil, Fashionably Late, Socialite, Gutsy, and Rebel.


Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette: this palette came out recently and has taken the beauty world by storm. It contains six neutral eye shadows (all with matte or satin finishes). The colors are: Venus, Foxy, Walk of Shame, Naked 2, Faint, and Crave.


Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette: this was Urban Decay's cooler-toned answer to the original Naked palette. It features 12 colors (Foxy, Booty Call, Tease, Suspect, Verve, Busted, Half Baked, Chopper, Snakebite, Pistol, YDK, and Blackout), a dual-ended brush (crease and shadow), and a mini lip gloss in Naked.

Pink Sugar Eau de Toilette Roller Ball: I have a tough time sticking to one perfume. I only wear the LaVanila Pure Vanilla for special occasions, but other times I do like to switch it up. Pink Sugar is sweet and it doesn't give me a headache (I can't even list all the fragrances that DO give me headaches), so it's a winner in my book.

For non-beauty related things, I got a Nook HD and a new (digital) point-and-shoot camera. I think what I got most excited about was the nice stack of cookbooks I received (one in particular was very special to me for different reasons). My boyfriend gave me a bottle of honey (we both really love honey) and a Stormtrooper tank top (if you don't know what a Stormtrooper is... it's a Star Wars thing).

Just a little side note: I am in no way trying to make it seem as if I am bragging. Normally I try not to put any disclaimers like this on my posts, but I know that hauls (particularly birthday/Christmas hauls) can be seen as controversial. But this is a beauty blog and I did focus on the beauty products I received.

What did you get for Christmas?

Dec 29, 2012

New Year's Resolutions: 2013 Edition

Since 2012 is coming to a close, I thought it would be a good idea to write a post on my resolutions for 2013! I honestly can't remember what my goals were for 2012, but since I don't remember it's fair to say that it doesn't really matter, right? ;)

Alright, so here we go:

  1. Buy fewer unnecessary products. I posted about this a while back and called it Project Minimize 2013. This entails finishing the products I have before I buy anything, but I am allowed to buy things I don't need... as long as I put it on the list on the official Project Minimize page. The catch is that I'm not allowed to buy more than 12 unnecessary items in 2013. Technically I am allowed to cheat once per month, but I wanted to be lenient enough that if I have a month where I don't buy anything, I can just buy two items the next month - that's a long-winded way of explaining it, but hopefully it all makes sense. If I use up all of a certain type of product (like body wash), I am allowed to purchase a backup without putting it on the list. Something that will pretty much never make the list is mascara since it expires so quickly, but I can already predict that a tinted moisturizer or foundation will end up on the list early on.
  2. Drink more water. I know this was a resolution last year and I didn't really start it until November. By "more water" I mean at least one glass at each meal and I also hope to eliminate other drinks. I've already stopped drinking soda.
  3. Drink less coffee and caffeinated drinks. I don't want to cut coffee out completely because I love the taste, but for now I am looking at trying some coffee alternatives (the two I have found are Cafix and Teeccino - I'm not sure if I will try them or not).
  4. Improve my blog. This includes the layout and the overall work I put into my blog. I want it to be the best that it can be so I can really help people out and share my love of beauty and my newly found interest in lifestyle and health.
  5. Stress out less. I don't really have any plan for this, but I do want to reduce my stress level.
  6. Try something new. And I don't mean "new (insert beauty product here)" - I want to do something exciting that is not in my comfort zone. I have time to figure out what that will be.
That is everything I could think of, but I think a simple list will be easier to follow through with.

What are your goals for 2013?

Dec 21, 2012

Challenge: Going Dairy Free

I am aware that my blog has strayed a little from makeup, but since the problems I have with my skin seem to be a never-ending battle, I have decided to see how my diet affects my skin. Naturally this is a long process because my skin will not show results immediately, but I feel like it is worth taking the time and worth sharing just in case there is somebody out there dealing with the same thing.

The first thing I have decided to eliminate from my diet is dairy products (specifically milk since that seems to be the biggest link to acne for some people - I'll probably cheat occasionally for some cheese). I really wouldn't consider myself lactose intolerant since I don't have noticeable problems digesting lactose, but since dairy is a common cause of acne for some people and for a lot of people skin issues come from something within, I figured I could at least try to go a month without it. I know that there have been problems linked to soy products, so I won't be using soy milk instead. I plan to try coconut milk (I'll probably try So Delicious brand, unsweetened - some reviews I have read claim that it tastes a lot like cow's milk). I might also try almond or hazelnut milk and see how I like them.

I'll be honest, I've been trying to do this for the past week and it has been difficult, but I want to stick it out until January 31. I will try to do follow-up posts if I notice anything significant. If I don't notice any changes, I will be eliminating the next thing from my diet (I haven't decided what that will be). Even if my skin isn't "perfect" by the end of 2013, I hope that my skin will look healthier.

What are some of your goals for the new year?

Dec 20, 2012

Project Minimize 2013!

I apologize once again for my absence. As I tweeted the other day, I recently lost a close family member and I have been taking time away from the internet. But now I am back to talk about the biggest resolution I will have for 2013.

Six months ago I set out to go roughly three months without buying anything I didn't need. Well, the way I went about it was all wrong. I still ended up buying things and my collection grew. I did end up throwing out expired products and I gave away products I didn't use, but I still feel as if I have too much "stuff" lying around. So, I am creating a page (which you will find above in the navigation bar very soon) that will keep track of this little project.

I have actually noticed that a lot of people are suddenly becoming aware of how much they have spent on all of the makeup and beauty products they own and they want to change that, which I think is great! However, there isn't any "one size fits all" requirement for how much makeup any person should have because makeup has a different meaning to different people. I have fun creating new looks, but I don't do makeup on other people and I don't think my skills are at a level to where I would be comfortable using it on other people, especially for any important event. So, for one person who uses very similar makeup looks every day, I have too much. I don't want to reduce my makeup collection to the point that everything fits in a makeup bag because to be honest, I like variety... but I also don't want to have five similar taupe eye shadows, six foundations, and more than one concealer. And again, the same goes for fragrances and hair and body care.

If I do get any makeup for Christmas, I will mention that in a haul, but from this point on, I will not be buying makeup (etc) for myself. I also cancelled my monthly subscriptions to Ipsy and Birchbox. They are great concepts, but I wasn't getting enough products that I loved. I might be interested in resubscribing next year, though.

I will add more details in the corresponding page, which will be in the navigation bar for the next year... even if I fail at this resolution. I can't say for sure when the page will be up, but I will try to have it available as soon as possible?

Do you have any beauty-related resolutions for 2013?

Dec 11, 2012

More Posts: Coming Soon!

I've got to be honest... I have hardly looked at my blog in the past week. I've gained some followers (thank you so much!) and I haven't lost inspiration to write my posts, but I have been busy taking my final exams and just wrapping up the fall semester. In a few short days I will be back home and posting more consistently.

Until then, have a great week!

(PS- sorry this post was so short)

Dec 5, 2012

November Hits and Misses! (2012)

I am not sure why it has taken me so long to write this post, but every time I have started to write an introduction, I've just managed to find some sort of distraction. Before I ramble too much about my life as a college student, let's get to the post!


Almost everything I have loved this month was something that I either discovered or rediscovered toward the end, but since I did love and use these items beginning in November, I have decided to include them.

I've mentioned the NYX Butt "Naked" Eyes palette before (probably in my birthday haul from a little over six months ago). I took this home with me for Thanksgiving, but I began using it again when I became bored with my old eye shadow routine. This palette has 15 eye shadows, 4 blushes, one bronzer, and two highlighters (one is a golden white and the other is peachy). This palette is great for travel since it has every basic color I would ever need. The only downside is that since the bottom section (with the blushes, bronzers, and highlighters) sometimes fights my greatest attempts at sliding it out and the section has separated itself from the top part before. 

The next item is something I think I mentioned in my foundation routine. I bought the Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Powder Foundation a while back and only recently started using it every day. I've already hit pan. What I like is that the coverage can be very light when used with a brush or medium when used with a makeup sponge (frowned upon, I know, but makeup sponges are useful). I won't be repurchasing this once it is finished because I have other powders to finish and once I finish every powder I own (ambitious goal of mine for the next year), I want to use something more natural. I haven't set my criteria for future makeup purchases yet, but I know at the very least I will be selecting items that are paraben free.

The next item might not be a surprise if you've been following the beauty community for a while. I only just bought the Tangle Teezer in November, but I cannot describe how useful it has been. My hair is long and has quite a lot of split and damaged ends, so my hair is definitely prone to tangles and knots. I can't say much about this other than that it works for me and I'll definitely be asking for another for Christmas so I can keep one at school and one at home.

The next favorite I have is China Glaze Purr-fect Plum from the On Safari collection that was released a few months ago. I have seen these in some Ulta stores recently, but I think they are sold out at Sally Beauty Supply. The only thing I dislike about this nail polish is that it chipped within a couple of days, but that tends to happen to me with most China Glaze nail polishes.

Something that falls into a similar color family to the China Glaze nail polish I just mentioned is the Bare Minerals Moxie Lip Gloss in Dare Devil. I received this in the November Ipsy/MyGlam bag and it was probably my favorite item in the bag. I never actually would have considered trying this color on my lips if I hadn't received it because I don't tend to be adventurous with lip colors/products.

I don't have any products I was disappointed with this month, so I will leave the post with a (highly predictable) question. What were your favorites in November?