Hey everyone! I am a big fan of cleansing oils and they do a great job at removing my makeup at the end of the day! I wanted to take the two that I currently have in my bathroom and put them to the test!
Tatcha Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil: This was great to use and the packaging feels very luxurious! It did a great job at breaking down and removing my makeup. It broke down my liquid lipstick as well as my longwear, waterproof foundation no problem. You want to massage the product into the skin for 10 seconds and then rinse off with warm water. The directions advise you to use a quarter sized amount of product. It has a very light scent to it that is rather pleasant.
L'Occitane Shea Butter Cleansing Oil: I was actually very impressed with this product! I love that you can lock the pump when you are traveling or just not using it. I did have to use quite a bit of product to take off my makeup but that didn't deter me from using it because this product does a great job at removing everything on my face! It felt skin-like when almost every trace of makeup was gone and barely any makeup came off on my makeup wipe that I use after cleansing my face. It has a nice light shea butter scent to it and I would agree that it is a silky formula. It does in-fact transform into a milky lotion while you are cleansing your face and you are supposed to massage the oil into your face first. Then you go in with the warm water to get that milky lotion consistency.
There is 5% shea butter in the formula and this is a great foolproof makeup remover. It is perfect for those long days or long nights for when you want to grab a product that will do the work for you and effortlessly remove your makeup. It easily breaks down eye makeup, removed my long wearing liquid lipstick instantly and took off both my drawn on brows as well as my longwear, waterproof foundation with ease. This is definitely one that you can count on and it did not make my face feel greasy afterwards. I am extremely oily and my face felt fresh as well as clean after using it. There was no excess oil whatsoever and my face did not feel tight. This would be a great product for those of you with dry skin out there! The only con is that there is an extremely short shelf life on this bottle as well as the full sized version which is 3 months. Basically, you have to stick to using this product fairly regularly and not leave in the back of your cupboard otherwise, it will expire resulting you to throw it out. Where To Purchase & Size You can purchase Tatcha on the Sephora website and it comes in two different sizes. The travel sized version is 0.8 oz/24 ml that retails for $18 and the larger size has 5.1 oz/150 ml of product going for $58. The Shea Butter Cleansing Oil is sold at L'Occitane and you can purchase a 200 ml bottle for $28 either online or in-store. Which Product Wins? I honestly enjoyed using both of these and they are equally as effective. They do most of the work for you and I could use these interchangeably. I would be happy to use either one but if price is your main concern, just know that Tatcha one is most expensive but they do have an amazing program in place. Tatcha has partnered with the Room To Read Girls' Education program and if you purchase a skincare item from the brand, your purchase will go towards a good cause to help these girls have a brighter future.
Until next time,
STAY CLASSY
Berrz
FTC: This blog post is not sponsored and all opinions are my own. The L'Occitane Cleansing Oil and the Clinique Pep Start were free gifts. All prices are in CAD dollars unless stated otherwise. Some links are affiliate.
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Hey everyone! I stopped in at my local L'Occitane store yesterday and wanted to share with you what I received inside my little gift box!
They are having a promotion for those who signed-up online to receive their newsletter (there was an 8 day window from February 1st-9th.) If you already received your email, you can redeem your own box in-store that contains 3 travel sized items! The best part is that you were able to refer friends as well as family members to spread the love! They also gave me a unique code for $10 off my next purchase of $35 or more which was unexpected but appreciated. I posted my unique code here for whoever wants to save $10 off their next order. The first person to use it gets it!
I have used their Shea Butter Hand Cream before which I really do like and their Divine Cream is luxurious as well as great for the skin. I have never tried their Cleansing Oil and I am excited to try that out! This is honestly a great incentive to be a subscriber to their newsletter and in-case you didn't know, the 30 ml hand cream alone retails for $12 on the L'Occitane web site!
If you already received the email, make sure to redeem your free gift by February 28th because that is the cut-off date. There are only a certain amount of gift boxes allotted per store as they operate on a first-come basis so keep that in-mind! You can only redeem your gift box at the location you pre-selected and you need to show ID (driver's license, health card, etc) in-store. They will ask you a few simple questions while you are there such as your date of birth as well as your phone number, and then you get a free beautifully packaged gift! It is one per person and each person has a unique gift code. You can either print off the email or show it to the sales associate on your mobile device. I redeemed mine in Canada as this is a Canadian offer and I'm not sure if the USA is doing this as well.
Until next time,
STAY CLASSY
Berrz
FTC: This blog post is not sponsored and all opinions are my own. Some links are affiliate.
Smile Brilliant: Use code beautybyberrz for 5% off your entire order MagicLinks: I use MagicLinks for all my ready-to-shop product links Uber: Get your first ride FREE using promo code: amandab9033ue
Hope's: Get 15% off your first purchase *LOOK AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE FOR YOUR AUTOMATIC CODE!
Hey everyone! This is going to be a rather large empties post as you can see that I have gone through quite a few products this month. Get a snack and a warm beverage and let's get started!
Face
Yves Rocher Smoothing Cleansing Milk - I like using this in the morning. It really doesn’t do a good enough job at removing my makeup (in my honest opinion,) and this really helps to hydrate my skin. I found an interesting article for you to read on the different botanicals.
Aveeno Ultra-Calming Makeup Removing Wipes - I really did thoroughly enjoy using these! They did a great job at removing my makeup and were gentle on the skin. Also, the cloths were very soft on the skin. I will definitely be repurchasing these wipes in the future! My only complaint is that when there were 2 or 3 makeup wipes left, the closure to open and close separated from the pack. This is turn slightly dried out those last few wipes but not severely.
Dr. Jart+ Brightening Infusion Hydrogel Mask - I have an entire review on this hydrogel mask, but I found it nice to try-out once, and it will not be replacing my go-to sheet masks from The Face Shop. This mask is: on the more expensive side, it is slippery on the face, you need to lie down when it is applied and it is great for people with dark circles or those with an uneven skin tone.
Teeth
Colgate Total Whitening Toothpaste Gel - I think that I am going to stop featuring these in my empties because it is just getting repetitive at this point and it really isn’t even my favourite toothpaste.
Equate Flosser Picks - These did the job and did not break when I was using them. They are very inexpensive and you can purchase them at Wal-Mart.
Hands
Bath & Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in Oh Snap! Jolly Gingerbread - I have featured this several times in the past and I really enjoy using this scent around the holidays.
Other/Miscellaneous
Nature’s Bounty Hair Skin & Nails Gummies with Biotin (80 count) - You already know how much I love these gummies and I talk about them quite frequently. I have an entire dedicated blog post to this fabulous product for you to read.
Cotton Rounds (100 count) - These are made with 100% pure cotton and I purchase these at Wal-Mart. These are my go-to and my current favourite cotton rounds with the exception from the ones sold at Target.
Bath & Body Works Scent Portable in Caribbean Escape - I have purchased this scent in the past and I really do enjoy it! It brings me back to my time spent in Jamaica! This is a pleasant and nostalgic scent for me that I will continue to repurchase for years to come.
Samples/Promo
Makeup
Makeup Forever Ultra HD Fluid Foundation Sample Pack (4 shades) - In my last Project 10 Pan (Round 5,) I feature a deluxe sample in the shade 117=Y225 (marble,) and the verdict was that it was a great match for my skin tone, however, it made me feel too greasy despite blotting as well as powdering throughout the day. I only like it mixed with another foundation. I used the lighter shades mixed in with another foundation and the darker shades were used for contouring. Shades included in the quad were: 117=Y225, 127=Y335, 128=Y415 & 177=Y505.
Too Faced Shadow Insurance - I used this products years ago and it didn’t work for my eyelids at all. The tube I had actually went bad and it started leaking everywhere. Now, I was hesitant to try this out again but I did and I received good results this time around! I don’t know if they reformulated this product but my shadows did not crease on my eyelids and I am very happy about that because the old tube I had would crease on me in a matter of minutes!
Skin Care
Kate Somerville EradiKate To-Go - I had never used anything from her line before and I was going in with an open mind. I do love the concept behind this product, the name is very clever and the packaging was fun! I understand where they were coming from with this product but it didn’t WOW me. It was easy to snap the swab at the blue line, but the pink product reminded me of ointment that my mother dotted on me with a cotton puff when I was a child when I had the chicken pox. I also expected a form of liquid to come out after I snapped it but that didn’t happen. In my opinion, the cotton swab is too hard to put on a pimple and on acne prone face. Again, I wanted to love this product and it is great for taking when travelling, but I did not like it sadly.
Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil - I have used this product in the past and I really enjoyed it! I like to apply this before bed but you can also mix it in with your moisturizer if your skin is very dry. I received this in my Sephora Sample Bag that I redeemed online using the promo code: PARTYON after spending over $35 CAD. Check out my Challenge Video that I created using all Sample Sized & Travel Sized Products!
Face Masks/Sheet Masks
Pure Derm Sheet Mask - This lovely smelling face mask is infused with Collagen and Vitamin E. It made my face feel soft and smooth after use! Fresh Vitamin Nectar Vibrancy-Boosting Face Mask with A Vitamin Fruit Complex - Let me start off by saying that if you favour a face mask that goes on smooth, then this is not the one for you. If you are allergic to citrus, please do not use this mask because it contains lemon and orange! There was a cooling sensation on my face when I did wear this mask. I also want to mention that it is recommended on the back to remove this product with a wash cloth. I tried using just warm water and my hands, but when the mask dries on your face, the chunks are hard to get off. You really need to use a warm wash cloth to remove everything completely off your face. It can get a bit messy as there are chunks that can be hard to spread, but I quite enjoyed using this face mask. My skin felt fresh, smooth and very soft after-use. I am not completely sold on purchasing the full size because I am not a huge fan of the chunks in the product, but I did thoroughly enjoy using my sample from Sephora!
Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask - This helps clear pores and it advises to use this once a week. This is for all skin types and helps with: dryness, dullness, uneven texture and also, it helps with your pores. They use Bamboo Charcoal which acts similarly like a magnet to help draw out anything clogging your pores. Another key ingredient is White China Clay that absorbs environmental toxins. Lastly, it contains lecithin which is a fat essential in the cells of your body. You can find lecithin in foods such as egg yolks as well as soybeans. Lecithin helps dissolve impurities in this particular face mask and flushes out: dirt, debris as well as environmental toxins which can make the face look less radiant thus clogging pores. This mask is more on the messy side and I recommend applying it with a brush because it goes on thick! I also suggest removing it with a warm washcloth.
I want to address the obvious that this sample is not opened in my photo but I will be using it either tomorrow or the following day and it will be used up before December 1st. I am quite busy and wanted to get up this Empties Blog Post while I can!
Moisturizers/Eye Creams
Philosophy Renewed Hope In A Jar - This was also a sample that I received from Sephora. It was one of the 3 free samples with every order that you can pick-out for yourself. I feel like it did do a good job at hydrating my skin and I applied it in the morning before I applied my makeup onto my face. It did not break me out and it did not leave my skin more oily than it already is.
Tarte TarteGuard 30 Moisturizing Sunscreen Lotion - I did enjoy applying this on my face and I love that there is an SPF of 30! The product does go on white but it sheers out when you massage it into your skin. I am going to look into purchasing a full bottle of this product! I also do like the packaging!
Juice Beauty Green Apple Age Defy Moisturizer - I have never heard about this company until I received a sample of their moisturizer! I am going to take a guess and say that they are an American company because we don’t have any green apples in Canada and the ones that are for sale in the stores, are Granny Smith apples imported from the USA. The scent of this is rather unique and I quite like it! I used this in the morning before I applied my makeup and it absorbed quickly into my skin. The formula felt luxurious and this is more on the thicker side. I want to say that I do have extremely oily skin and I can’t give credit to this product alone, but when using this in conjunction with other beauty items, my face was not oily! I did not have to do my regular blotting and powdering my shift half way through the day!
Tatcha Supple Moisture Rich Silk Cream - This is a gel cream that claims to work on: normal combination and dry skin. It doesn’t state that it works on oily skin. You only need a dime size amount of product for your entire face. A little goes a long way. It is extremely lightweight, does not feel heavy whatsoever, it absorbs well, it feels luxurious and it had a pleasant smell to it! The full sized version retails on the Sephora web site for $180 CAD for 1.86 oz/55 ml of product. Yes their products can be costly, but there is a great reason behind this! They have a partnership called ‘Beautiful Faces, Beautiful Futures’ which allows them to send a girl to school upon purchasing one of their skin care products. Ingredients in this cream includes: green tea extract (which is a powerful antioxidant,) Okinawa red algae extract (good for long-lasting moisture retention as well as texture improvement,) and also Japanese rice bran extract (an age old multi-tasking ingredient that is a great antioxidant which offers nourishing moisturizing benefits. I received this in my Tatcha Kyoto Cleanse Set that I purchased on the Sephora web site which I featured in my latest haul!
Olay Eyes - Ultimate Eye Cream - This is great for people who have: dark circles, wrinkles and puffiness. I only get puffiness underneath my eyes sometimes and this product didn’t completely eliminate that, but it did help. This is the second sample of this particular product that I have tried out and I still am not sold on it. It is a standard eye cream in my honest opinion.
Cleansers/Makeup Wipes
Nivea Creme Care All-in-One Facial Cleansing Lotion (x2) - This product claims to be able to take off your makeup and I would disagree with that. I was really working this product into my skin and it just helped loosen the makeup - it didn’t remove it well. I feel like this is a similar situation with my Yves Rocher Smoothing Cleansing Milk as I like to use it in the morning and not at night to remove my makeup.
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleansing Cloths (x2) - I seem to keep getting these as samples but I am not complaining because you already know that I like this product very much and have bought it in the past. These are great wipes for taking off your makeup and as it suggests in the name, they are very gentle!
Sephora Express Eye Makeup Remover Wipe (x2) - I received these as samples and they were very gentle on my eyes as they did not irritate or burn my eyes. The wipe was thin enough and not thick. In my opinion, it was the perfect size as you can unfold it all the way if you wish. However, it did not fully get off my eye makeup underneath my lower lashes. I was going over it quite a few times and it wasn’t coming off which was annoying. I had to go in with a Q-Tip and my YSL Eye Makeup Remover to fully get everything off.
Hair
Schwarzkopf Omega Repair with Omega Oil Shampoo (x2) - The scent of this was lovely and more importantly, I love how it worked on my hair. The formula is described as rich which I would have to agree with and they use Ultime-4-Complex which includes a combination of: pearl essence, panthenol, refined protein and keratin.
Schwarzkopf Omega Repair with Omega Oil Conditioner (x2) - I wasn’t aware but this product was developed with Claudia Schiffer! This was a great conditioner for me hair and this product is targeted to those with damaged or depleted hair.
Body
L’Occitane Milk Concentrate with Almond Milk - I have used another one of these samples in the past and I love how it feels on my skin! It is very moisturizing and nourishing!
Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion in Cocoa Butter - I have tried this product in the past and I honestly wasn’t a fan. Now that I’m trying it again, I like it slightly better but not enough to go out and purchase the full sized version. It smells great and it is moisturizing but I do have psoriasis and I need to be careful when choosing skin care products especially for my hands.
Carprina Fresh Goat’s Milk Soap with Shea Butter (x2) - I received two samples of this product and I really did enjoy using it! My skin felt very smooth after use and it did not irritate my psoriasis! I felt very skin afterwards and left a nice subtle smell that lingers for a awhile after.
Fragrance
Versace Bright Crystal Eau De Toilette - I have used one of these samples in the past and I really liked the scent! The notes are: Yuzu, Iced Accord, Pomegranate, Peony, Magnolia, Acajou, Lotus Flower, Musk and Vegetal Amber. The main groups of notes consist of: flower, fruity and musk.
Marc Jacobs Decadence Eau De Parfum Spray - This scent is described as: sultry, luxurious and indulgent. Marc Jacobs really did a great job at advertising this product because I specifically remember last year when this was all over the tv commercials and I seen a lot of in-store demo-ing to show this product off that was mainly done in department stores such as The Bay.
Revlon Love is On Fragrance - I really wasn’t expecting anything much from this scent but I actually really enjoyed it! I will be looking out for the full sized version in stores!
Food/Beverages
Starbucks Hot Cocoa Double Chocolate - My friend gave this to me and it is very indulgent! On the packaging, it tells you to make it with hot milk. The only thing that I didn’t like is that even though I kept stirring it throughout I was drinking it, there was a lot of the powder leftover at the bottom. I would just go to Starbucks to purchase their hot chocolate instead of buying their mix.
Ozery Bakery Morning Rounds Muesli - I tried these out in the past and they weren’t my favourite. This time around, I put my morning round in the toaster and it made a world of difference! I absolutely love these now! It is filling and very flavourful. I did not add anything to it and I will definitely be purchasing these next time I am at the grocery store! I ate mine in the afternoon with a bowl of soup!
Nutri-Grain Fruit & Nut Medley in Harvest Blueberries & Mixed Nuts - This was an awesome snack! It was chewy and soft! The flavours were delicious and I would definitely purchase a box of these bars! This was one of the items included in my SampleSource Fall Box.
Also, I have decided to start taking multiple photos and breaking it up into categories (like I do with the subtitles,) for easy visual reference. Meaning that I would take a picture of all the skin care items that I used up that month which would be followed with my opinions and I would do that for every single category.
Until next time,
STAY CLASSY
Berrz
FTC: I purchased some products and others were given to me or were samples. All opinions are truthful and I am not paid to speak about any of these products. Some links are affiliate.
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Hey everyone! Here is a closer look at all the products that I finished up this month!
Face
OXY - Emergency Acne Vanishing Facial Cleanser - This is formulated with 5% benzoyl peroxide lotion and claims to ‘rapidly kill acne bacteria to quickly help heal acne blemishes.’ This consistency was too liquid-y and I felt that it rand right through the spaces between my fingers even if they were closed. It did have a rather strong smell to it and I did have to really moisturize my skin afterwards because this was rather drying. Also, it is medicated and there is an expiration date on the back of the bottle towards the bottom so keep an eye-out for that!
Biore - Deep Cleansing Pore Strips (8 count) - You already know that I love using pore strips. I have recently heard that they may not be the best solution for your skin, but I will continue to use them because I love the results that it gives my pores! It also gives instant gratification by seeing all the blackheads and whiteheads that have come out of your pores to achieve a deep clean!
The Face Shop - Blackhead Out Dual Nose Strips - Here is the thing about this product, I tried to make it work but it did not work for me! Step 1 tells you to wash your face and then apply the ‘blackhead out nose strip’ for 10-15 minutes. I felt that it was too thick and kept moving around on my nose, not really sitting well or adhering well to my skin. I left mine on for 15 minutes and when I took it off, you are supposed to use cotton swabs to remove blackheads. I felt like some of my whiteheads, (I don’t get blackheads often,) loosened but they did not come right out like I imagined they would.
Now during step 2 was where I had the most trouble. The directions tell you to clean the bridge of your nose and then go in with the ‘pore tightening nose sheet.’ I peeled off the backing and applied to to my nose for 20 minutes. I peeled it off and I felt that nothing had happened. I generally apply the Biore Pore Strips to a wet nose and tried using the other side of the strip that was not sticky to my wet nose making sure to leave it on for about 15 minutes but nothing happened! I was disappointed in this product and felt that I had wasted both my time as well as my money on it. Would definitely not recommend this item. I have loved everything I have purchased or received from The Face Shop in the past and this product really caught me off-guard!
The Face Shop - The Solution Moisturizing Face Mask (1 single-use face mask) - The hot weather has really been drying out my skin lately and simply applying moisturizer has not been cutting it for my lately. I wanted another option to bring moisture back into my skin and this really did it for me! I felt as though my skin drank up this face mask and there wasn’t much essence to pat into my skin face after removing the sheet mask. I also liked that it is marketed as a ‘light-as-Air Sheet’ that is only 0.21 mm and is semi-transparent. It really fit my face better and I have found other sheet masks that I have used in the past too thick and this was really ideal for me to use!
Hands
Bath & Body Works - Deep Cleansing Hand Soap in Boardwalk Vanilla Cone - I could be wrong, but this may be the last back-up I have of this scent! I know I have featured this scent a lot in my previous blog posts. This is the old bottle and formula. Bath & Body Works has completely re-done the packaging and the new formula is now green.
Bath & Body Works - Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in Honolulu Sun - To be honest with you, I had high hopes for this scent just based on reading the description alone which said that it consists of: ‘fresh island coconut and pacific palm.’ I didn’t really smell either of those fragrances and got tired of the scent half-way through the bottle.
Other/Miscellaneous
Nature’s Bounty - Hair, Skin & Nails Gummies with Biotin (80 gummies) - This product needs no introduction because it is a staple in my beauty routine. My nails are currently extremely strong and growing fabulously mainly due to this inexpensive product!
Sally Hansen - Hard As Nails Hardener - I can’t tell you how many of these that I have gone through and this product really works! I will continue to purchase this product for as long as they make it or until I find something better which is highly unlikely!
Bath & Body Works - Scentportable in Watermelon Lemonade - I have been using this product for years in my car but I have always forgotten to show you the label! This is a nice refreshing smell that is perfect for summer time. The only thing that I dislike about these scentportables is that the scent doesn’t last for more than 3 weeks for me and in the summer months, they can get quite warm to the touch in my car.
Jelly Belly - Minnie Mouse Special Edition - I received this as a gift for my birthday and I absolutely love the packaging! There are delicious flavours inside such as: Berry Blue, Birthday Cake, Bubble Gum, Coconut, Cotton Candy, Cherry Passion Fruit and Strawberry Cheesecake!
Gillette - Venus Swirl Razor - This came with one razor and two refillable cartridges. I wanted to try it out because there was a lot of hype about it. I had seen numerous commercials and it happened to be on sale when I walked into Wal-Mart that day. The packaging also caught my eye because it said that it was new, had a flexi - ball (which I was intrigued about,) and it mentioned on the packaging that it ‘contours better to tricky areas for a flawless shave.’ I liked the idea behind it but I felt that there was so much going on with this razor and the razor head was too large for my liking. It is great if you are shaving your legs like it showed on the commercial, but I epilate my legs. It is also good to shave your armpits with but overall, I still love my BIC Soleil razors because they are small, disposable and get the job done!
Samples
Cetaphil - Gentle Skin Cleansing Cloths (25) - I have used these in the past and they are an amazing product. They are durable enough to take off all of my makeup and they do not break while I am doing so. The cloths themselves are soft and gentle enough for sensitive skin. I will definitely purchase a pack of these when I run out of my current makeup wipes.
Caudalie - Vinoperfect Radiance Serum - I have been hearing a lot of people talking about this brand lately and I was glad to have finally been able to try it out. This is an oil-free formula that should be used on the face, neck and décolleté. It is complexion correcting and helps reduce dark spots, acne marks as well as acne scars. I feel like I would have to test out this product more to really be able to speak about it more. However, I tried searching it online on Sephora Canada and it told me that this item is restricted in Canada. I don’t know what is going on with this product and I feel like I would either have to find another retailer here that sells the product or I would have to purchase it in the USA.
Dr. Dennis Gross - Alpha Beta Glow Pad for Face (1 individual towelette) - This product is an ‘anti-aging exfoliating self-tanner with active vitamin d.’ It has potential but I recently got a natural tan from being outside and when I applied the towelette onto my face, I didn’t see any difference at all. I would say that it works best on more lighter-complected people.
Dr. Dennis Gross - Alpha Beta Ultra Gentle Daily Peel - I really did enjoy using this product because I loved how it made my skin feel after the fact. There are two steps to this process where step 1 exfoliates & smoothes the skin and then you go in with step 2 which firms and lifts the skin.
Hourglass - Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation Mattifying in shade Shell - I really loved how skin-like this foundation felt! The shade wasn’t too far off from what I would be in this foundation. I applied it with a beauty blender and it did transform from liquid to powder! I was impressed overall.
Urban Decay - Eyeshadow Primer Potion 24-Hour Eyeshadow in: Original, Eden, Minor Sin and Anti-Aging - Of course the original is a cult favourite which dries invisible and keeps even the most vibrant colours in place. Eden is more of a nude matte formula which I enjoyed using. The third one is ‘minor sin’ which is a shimmering formula which has a slight pink tint to it which I enjoyed. It transformed my nude shades from the Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette to more purple-toned shadows which I found to be very cool! Tip: I accidentally squeezed too much product out of this same shade and I just used my fingers to use it as a base for my highlighter on my face which worked out perfectly! Lastly, the anti-aging formula was nude shade and helped to colour-correct as well as to blurs any flaws. I traveled with several of these primers and thought that this was a genius sample pack!
L’Occitane En Provence - Dry Skin Hand Cream with 20% Shea - This is great to put in your purse or take on-the-go. I do have dry hands due to my psoriasis and this really gave me the kind of moisture that I was looking for that my hands really needed. It is a great product.
Colgate - Total Clean Mint Toothpaste (x2) - This was a very standard and basic toothpaste to use. It is great to travel with and keeps your breathe smelling fresh.
Until next time,
STAY CLASSY.
Berrz <3 FTC: Not sponsored. Some links are affiliate.
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Hey everyone! Welcome to another edition of empties! As always, you can see all the products that I have used up for that month as well as my thoughts on each one!
Face
Bioré Deep Cleansing Charcoal Pore Strips (8 Count) - This get the job done but they are messy and leave a back residue on my nose. I prefer the white coloured strips.
Hair
Big Sexy Hair Root Pump - This is a 'volumizing spray mousse' that I picked up a while back in Buffalo. I enjoyed using it and it doesn’t leave any greasy or white residue which I appreciate. I definitely would consider purchasing the full sized version.
Body
Shea Moisture African Black Soap with Shea Butter - I have heard a lot of talk about this brand and was excited to come across it when I was in NYC! I wanted to specifically try the African Black Soap because I have psoriasis and that is what it targets along with: eczema, acne, oily skin and other skin problems. It is messy to use in the shower because pieces of the soap that got wet tend to fall off. I purchased the largest size at Ricky’s for $6.99. I have found it to dry out my psoriasis which is one step in the right direction to clearing my psoriasis! It also mentions on the packaging that there is not any of the following: parabens, phthalates, parrafin, gluten, propylene glycol, mineral oil, synthetic fragrance, no animal testing, PABA, synthetic color, DEA, sulfates and it is cruelty free. I am interested in trying out other products from their line! Maybe not in a solid form next time.
Satin Care Ultra Sensitive Irritation Defense Shave Gel - It is free from dyes and it is fragrance free. I do not have sensitive skin but wanted to try it out anyway. I can’t speak to all the claims because like I said, I have normal skin that is not sensitive but it was gentle on the skin. I would not repurchase because it did not benefit me tremendously and I like a shave gel that has fragrance.
Hands
Bath & Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in Sweet Tangerine - It smells exactly like sweet tangerines! I enjoyed using it but it wasn’t one of my favourites and I am not about to rush out to repurchase it. I would need some time to miss this scent, then go out and repurchase.
Bath & Body Works Anti-Bacterial Deep Cleansing Hand Soap in Kitchen Lemon - This scent has been around for years and it is one of my favourites to keep around the kitchen to get a nice deep clean.
Samples
Crest Pro-Health Multi-Protection Mouth Wash - This was a basic and very standard mouth wash that didn’t stand-out in my opinion. It is alcohol free and the scent is in ‘Refreshing Clean Mint.’
Nourish A Spa Line Refreshing Mouth Wash in Mint - This is great to travel with but this was again, a basic mouth wash that didn’t really capture my attention.
Listerine Zero Antiseptic Mouth Wash in Mild Mint - I really enjoyed using this product! It was my favourite of the three and I feel like it really did kill most of the germs that cause plaque in my mouth! I want to purchase the full size version of this bottle now! The taste is nice and not overpowering at all. It does claim that it is “less intense” which I would have to agree with.
Clearly Anti-Reflective Lens Cleaner - This was a standard glasses cleaner that didn’t really wow me.
OrganiQ Spa Anti-Oxidant Body Lotion - This had a nice scent to it and was quite hydrating. It absorbed quickly into my skin which is another plus because it didn’t make me feel sticky at all. It is “infused with lemongrass extract and certified organic shea butter.”
Neutrogena All-in-One Make-up Removing Cleansing Wipes (2 packs of 7) - I had forgotten how much I enjoyed using these wipes! They really do a good job at getting everything off! They are gentle on the skin and have a slight fragrance. There are 7 in each package which is great to travel with if you are going away for a week because you get exactly enough wipes (give the fact that you aren’t sharing them!)
L’Occitane Light Comforting Cream with 5% Shea - This sample lasted me quite a long time and I used it on my face. It is a nice thick cream that gave my skin the moisture that it needed!
Bioré Pore Penetrating Charcoal Bar - The bar is made with natural charcoal and it claims to “deep cleans and gently exfoliates for 2.5x cleaner pores.” I’m not sure about the last part but it does deep clean and makes my face feel squeaky clean! I am still not 100% sold on it because I do not think that it practical for me to use a bar of soap in the morning before I go to work. My preference is still a liquid, cream or gel cleanser that I can pump or squeeze out. It does work well though and I would consider purchasing if it was in a different formula.
Bioré Daily Makeup Removing Towelettes (5 wipes) - I received these at an event that I was attending and was excited to try them because I have heard of them but never tried them! I really like using these wipes because they smell great, take the majority of my makeup off and I look forward to using these at night! I would definitely purchase these!
Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation in 200 Soft Beige (3 samples) - This was a decent foundation but not my favourite. The coverage was buildable, it did not oxidize on me and it was nice to use. It claims to have an “anti-fatigue effect and adds a radiant glow.” It didn’t see any of those results personally.
Kat Von D Lock-It Featherweight Primer Base & Lock-It Foundation in Medium 54 - I found the foundation to be too dark for my current skin tone but I made it work anyway. The coverage is nice a full, it was not cake-y and did not make me break out. The primer is nice and smooth. I found it to glide onto my skin! I enjoyed trying out both of these products from her line and do not have anything negative to say about either one.
Garnier Whole Blends Repairing Shampoo & Conditioner in Honey Treasures - This is a new product from Garnier that ‘heals and protects’ the hair. It is made with no parabens and with natural extracts. What is inside is: royal jelly, honey and propolis extract. I did enjoying using this duo but would have to try-it out more to really give a true opinion.
Garnier Whole Blends Hydrating Shampoo & Conditioner in Coconut Water & Vanilla Musk - The first thing I noticed was the smell because it smells incredible! I love anything vanilla and this really caught my attention! It claims that it ‘quenches and softens’ the hair. I did feel that my hair was a little softer after one use. I am definitely interested in purchase the larger version!
Other
Johnson’s 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner - I mainly picked it up because it was a product from the line that I had never seen before and they claim that it is an improved formula. I used it to wash my makeup brushes and I appreciate that it both cleans as well as conditions them. I would repurchase!
Food
Jelly Bellies in Pancakes & Maple Syrup - They did such a good job with the flavours that it actually tastes like you are eating pancakes with maple syrup! I thoroughly enjoyed it and would love to have it again sometime soon!
Jelly Bellies in Cocktail Classics - It was fun to try flavours such as: margarita, peach bellini, pomegranate cosmo, pina colada, strawberry daiquiri and mojito. I wouldn’t care to purchase again but it was fun to try once!
Until next time,
STAY CLASSY.
Berrz <3
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