September Empties | 2016

Hey everyone! Welcome back to another Empties post! I used up more products than I thought I did this month so let's dive right into it!

Face

Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips For The Face (8 count) - I really like to use these on my nose specifically. They are my favourite pore strips that Biore makes. They are wider and are more effective in my opinion. They are my favourite pore strips at the moment and I highly recommend that you check these out at your local drugstore!

The Face Shop Blackhead Out Charcoal Nose Strip - You get one single-use nose strip in the package and I do like these more than the Biore Charcoal Nose Strips, but the Deep Cleansing Pore Strips from Biore are my current favourite! This gets the job done but I feel like you can get a box of 8 pore strips from Biore much cheaper than buying one of these nose strips at The Face Shop for $1 a piece.

Rue Beaute Hello Sunshine Make Up Wipes (25 count) - I only bought these because of the packaging to be very honest with you. I had asked the sales associate about these wipes when I was in the store and she knew absolutely nothing about them because she had never used them. I picked them up because they were only $3.99 USD. There is a weird smell to the makeup wipes and there were other patterns on the packaging of the other make up wipes they carried in the store, but I don’t know if they are all the same wipes inside. If I ever buy these again, I will only use them for removing swatches on my hands and arms. 

The Face Shop Face Mask with Rice Extract - As you know, I have been on a sheet mask kick lately and have been buying a lot of my friends sheet masks as well. These three sheet masks: Rice, Lotus and Lingzhi Mushroom are all designed with air pockets within the sheet to bring natural moisture and nourishment to the skin. This particular sheet mask has brightening properties when applied to the face. They use a Natural Squeeze-and-Extraction Process that you can read more about on the back of the packaging of the face mask.

The Face Shop Face Mask with Lotus Flower Extract - As you can probably tell, I enjoy trying face masks that are different and have unique ingredients in them. That is why I picked up this Lotus sheet mask rather than a honey or avocado one. This sheet mask is a hydrating one. It did not smell too strong like I imagined that it would and was very pleasant to use.

The Face Shop Face Mask with Lingzhi Mushroom Extract - This is a firming sheet mask and it is meant to improve the resilience of sagging skin. They use an Oriental Herb Extracting Process which is explained on the back of the packaging. 

Teeth

Colgate Total Toothpaste in Clean Mint - You have seen this product before and know that it is a paste that doesn’t do anything outstanding to my teeth. It is a very standard toothpaste.

Colgate Total Whitening Toothpaste - Again, you know the drill with this toothpaste: it is a gel and it is a basic toothpaste that doesn’t particularly stand-out to me.

Body

Bath & Body Works Triple Moisture Body Cream in Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin - This is the old packaging and I do like this scent in small doses, but I feel that it was hard for me to finish this tube. The smell is quite strong and at times it can be overpowering. You can only really wear it in the fall and for part of winter. I will not be repurchasing this scent unfortunately. 

Soaps

Bath & Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in London - This has to be one of my all-time favourite Bath & Body Works scents and it is in the top 5 for sure. It smells incredible and is described as, 'Golden Shortbread, Candied Bing Cherries & Toasted Almonds.' This scent is very comforting, reminds me of the holidays and good times in general. I was sad to finish this soap and was using it when just foam was coming out. I need to repurchase this ASAP! I also love the design on the bottle.

Bath & Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in Oh Snap! Jolly Gingerbread - You have definitely seen this before and it is not the last you will see of this scent! It is a staple in my household that everyone enjoy using and smelling this delicious gingerbread scent!

Bath & Body Works Deep Cleansing Hand Soap in Boardwalk Vanilla Cone - You have seen this multiple times in the past and this is another popular hand soap in my household. This is the old packing and formula as they have changed it to a green formula and have re-done the design on the bottle.

Caffeine

President’s Choice The Great Canadian Maple Flavoured Coffee (12 single serve coffee pods) - I purchased this at The Real Canadian Superstore (RCSS) and it is such a great coffee! It really makes the entire kitchen smell incredible and when opening up the front door, this is the first thing that you smell! I used this in my Keurig machine and just so you know, the pods are 100% compostable. Another great use for the pods after you use them is to take out the leftover coffee grinds and put them on your plants or flowers!

Teavana Caramel Chai Rooibos Tea - I purchased this tea and the Oprah Chai at the same time when Teavana was having 75% off select teas. I also tweeted about this. My mom loved this loose leaf tea more than the Oprah Chai. 

Teavana Oprah Chai Black Tea - This was my personal favourite and I remember being in Michigan when this tea was making it’s debut and people were going crazy for it! I love chai teas in general and this has a nice flavour to it. There is a bold infusion with a little spice to it! 

Other

Nature’s Bounty Hair, Skin & Nails Gummies with Biotin (80 count) - I feature these all the time and you already know how much that I love these gummies. They are a staple for me and you won’t find me without these!

Johnson’s Baby Bedtime Shampoo in Calming Lavender - I use this shampoo to deep clean my makeup brushes and I have been using this for years. I alternate between this one and the yellow one. I try to stock-up when they go on sale.

Bath & Body Works Scentportable Fragrance Refill in Island Margarita - I love this scent in general and it smells amazing in my car! I have received many compliments from friends and family members that enter my car! 

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge - I have a blog post where I cut open this sponge and show you what it inside of it. I have been using this sponge for 8-9 months and it held up through many washes and through lots of use! It is a great sponge to use to apply creams, liquids and powders. I would definitely recommend that you check it out as it gets the job done and is not as expensive as the beauty blender. I purchased mine at Wal-Mart and you can try looking at CVS, Rite-Aid, Walgreens, Duane Reade, Rexall or Shoppers Drug Mart depending on where you live. 

Samples/Promo

Pure Silk Rich & Luxurious Shave Cream in Raspberry Mist - It claims to be moisturizing with aloe. I would agree with that statement but it claims to be a rust-proof can and I would have to disagree with that. The part that connects the can to the nozzle did rust around the perimeter and created a ring of rust inside the cap. Other than that, I do like the actual product inside (it was a thicker white formula that came out of the nozzle,) and the scent was incredible! I received this as a sample at CVS when I was in The States.

The Body Shop Oils Of Life Intensely Revitalizing Sleeping Cream (2 samples) - I received both of these in-store as samples and I had read some negative reviews on the web site about the scent of this product and that it irritated people’s skin. I was slightly hesitant to try it out but I am glad that I did because I have absolutely no complaints about the smell and this product worked wonders on my skin! It made it very soft the next day and more radiant. There was absolutely no irritation to my skin. There are 3 Precious Seed Oils inside from around the world and there are also 7 Powerful Essential Oils.  

Peter Thomas Roth 24K Gold Pure Luxury Lift & Firm Hydra-Gel Eye Patches (1 pair) - I received this in the Skin Saver 4-Piece Kit from Peter Thomas Roth as a bonus item. I had no idea that these were included inside until I opened up the box and read the little text at the bottom of the box. I had heard many people raving about these lately and was excited to try them out! They are definitely luxurious because they “are infused with pure 24K Gold and Colloidal Gold to help lift and firm the appearance of the delicate eye area in just 10 minutes.” 

I do not have much puffiness under my eye area and I do not have many wrinkles or Crow’s Feet. I did feel a cooling sensation and my under-eye area felt refreshed as well as more awake but, I can’t justify spending that kind of money on the full sized product for a problem that I do not have. Maybe in the future but right now, it is not practical for me to go out and purchase this.

The Face Shop Brightening & Soothing 3-Step Programming Kit (2 kits) - I had mentioned that I would let you know how I liked this 3-Step Mask Kit in another blog post and I am here to let you know my thoughts! First of all, let’s talk about the obvious: THE PACKAGING! I absolutely hate how wide it is and how much space it takes up in a drawer. Now, I thought that the 3 steps were going to be inconvenient and time consuming but I was wrong. The 3 steps are very easy to follow and doesn’t take up much time at all. You first go in with a jumbo cotton swab that is soaked with Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) to exfoliate and clean the skin. You just simply pat or wipe it on your face from the centre out and make sure to focus on your problem areas but don’t go too close to your eye or mouth area. 

Secondly, you go in with the Soothing Serum after step 1 aka the peeling agent has completely soaked into the skin. You just apply an even layer to the skin again, making sure to apply from the centre out. The last step is to apply the sheet mask that has moisturizing properties to it as there is both aloe vera and hyaluronic acid. It will then help your face look more radiant and healthy. I agree with it and even those these two kits were included with my order at no additional cost because it was part of a promotional offer, I really enjoyed using it and would purchase them with my own money in the future! 

Clif Organic Trail Mix Bar in Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter - I received this as promo when I was outside in the GTA. I do like to eat Clif bars in general and my favourite kind is the Chocolate Chip one and I also like the White Chocolate Macadamia Nut bar. These particular bars are: Organic, Non-GMO, Gluten Free and a great source of Fibre. It tastes great and is 190 calories if you eat the entire bar. I do want to try the Clif Organic Trail Mix bar in Dark Chocolate Cherry Almond next! 

Dove Dry Spray 48 Hour Protection Anti-Perspirant in Cool Essentials - I have quite a few things to say about this dry spray. First off: it failed to deliver and I found myself reapplying this product 2-3 times a day. I really don’t sweat a lot under my armpits but I felt the need to refresh myself because during the hot summer days, it is much needed! It certainly did not last for 48 hours and not even for 8 hours! I do like this smell and I would not use this product again. I did shake it before I used it every time and it was very convenient to throw into my bag or purse. It is good for sharing and great if you are on set and can use it on your different actors or models for the time being. I do like Dove deodorants in general but this one I did not like. Luckily for me, I did not purchase this product because it was part of a promo.

Smile Brilliant Teeth Whitening Gel & Desensitizing Gel - As you most likely already saw, I do have an entire blog post dedicated to Smile Brilliant along with my results and the process. If you are interested, feel free to read it and if you are reading this before October 7th, 2016, make sure to enter my contest that I have in collaboration with Smile Brilliant! I really like the idea they have of each person having custom whitening trays designed for them in order for each person to have a unique experience when whitening their teeth. I also love that they included a desensitizing gel because most whitening products do not come with one and that can leave my teeth feeling very sensitive the next day to hot & cold foods. I have no sensitivity the next day after using the Desensitizing Gel! My teeth also became much whiter after using their Teeth Whitening Gel. Check out my blog post if you don’t believe me!

Until next time,

STAY CLASSY.

Berrz <3

P.S. This blog post is not sponsored but some links are affiliate links. 

Smile Brilliant - Use code beautybyberrz for 5% off your entire order
Third Love - Use code BRABLEMS for 15% off your next order
Uber - Get your first ride FREE using promo code: amandab9033ue

Shop Hope's Online - Get 15% off your first purchase
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Coastal Scents - Get $5 off your next online purchase
Ebates Canada - Get cash back on your online purchases
Ebates (Everywhere else in the world) - Get cash back on your online purchases
Hautelook - A flash sale web site you don't want to miss out on! 

April Empties | 2016

Hey everyone! Long time no talk! I didn't have enough items earlier in April to do an empties blog post so I waited a few extra days until I finished up some more items.

Hair

Selsun Blue Anti-Dandruff Shampoo - This one with the red label is my least favourite to be quite honest with you. There is only 1% of Pyrithione Zinc which is less than other formulas. I find it to be not as effective to battle my oily/dry scalp.

Oral Hygiene

Equate Flosser Picks (90 Count) - I purchased these at Wal-Mart and they did the job well! They are affordable and do not break while using! I definitely recommend these!

Colgate Total Whitening Toothpaste - I am really not a huge fan of this product but what I do like about it is that it comes in the gel formula. It is inexpensive and I have stocked up on these so I must get through them!

Face

Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream for Combination/Oily Skin - This is an item that I purchased at The Body Shop when they sent me a 50% off coupon which I used on this item. I found it to be hydrating but it did not help with my skin type. I would not repurchase this. I did like that it absorbed quick into the skin and I used it in the morning before I applied my makeup.

Hands

Bath & Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in Oh Snap! - I have mentioned this before and I really can't get enough of the packaging! I am a huge sucker for packaging and aside from that, the gingerbread scent is absolutely heavenly! 

Bath & Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in Vanilla Bean Noel - I have been using this scent for years and love a great vanilla scent!

Bath & Body Works Deep Cleansing Hand Soap in Perfect Beach Day - This scent is amazing! On the side of the bottle, it is described as having the following inside, "watery melon, young coconut and sparkling bergamot." I already want to buy another bottle of it! You need to smell it for yourself!

Body

Bath & Body Works Body Lotion in Carried Away - I have known about this scent for quite some time and have repurchased it many times. At first, it can seem rather strong but it wears nicely throughout the day. The notes are: raspberry, white jasmine and vanilla. It is perfect to wear around Valentine's Day!

Johnson's Baby Soothing Vapour Bath - I am a huge fan of Johnson's baby products and wanted to try something new out. I wasn't a huge fan and the formula is quite liquidy. I will go back to my other favourite products from the same brand!

Face Masks

The Face Shop Character Mask - This particular one has brightening properties and it is a fun mask to use! I found my skin to be tighter and very subtle after use! It is paraben free and I will want to use this again in the future!

Life Brand Hydrating Facial Sheet Mask with Hyaluronic Acide & Konjac - It claims to be hydrating and to also smooth the skin. I would have to agree and it was very affordable at Shoppers Drug Mart. They have many different ones to choose from!

Life Brand Brightening Facial Sheet Mask with Ouija & Scutellaria Extract - I have been on a sheet mask kick lately if you haven't been able to tell! This one promotes radiance and brightens your skin. I say that their claims are true and that it is a very easy product to use! You only leave it on for 10-15 minutes.

Samples

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleansing Cloths - I used up 4 of these and they are such great wipes! I will definitely purchase a pack of my own once I am out of wipes!

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleaner for Face & Body (All Skin Types) - I finished an entire bottle of this product a few years back and I forgot how much I liked it! It helps break-down my makeup and does not irritate my eyes!

Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion for Body (All Skin Types) - Same deal, I went through a bottle of this awhile back and it really absorbs quickly into the skin after a shower! My only issue with these two packets is that you HAVE TO use scissors to open them and I didn't have them close-by which led to much frustration to get it open.

The Face Shop Verbena Soothing Body Cleanser - I was given two free samples at the store with my purchase and the scent was very light as well as refreshing! It was extremely pleasant to use and I enjoyed these samples very much!

L'Occitane Milk Concentrate for Body - This was a great body lotion that I even used on my face! It is lightly fragranced and absorbed quickly into the skin with no sticky feeling being left behind.

Lionesse Gem Skin Care White Pearl Day Moisturizer - This is apparently a $200 skin care item if you buy the full-sized version. It does feel luxurious and did not make my face break-out but I don't like it enough to drop $200 on it.

The Body Shop Oils of Life - It says that it is an intensely revitalizing facial oil. I wouldn't use the word "intensely," but other than that, I would have to agree. I used it at night and my face felt fresh in the morning when I woke up.

The Body Shop Drops of Youth - Youth Cream - I REALLY enjoyed using this cream! It wasn't too thick and really penetrated into my skin. It was so soft the next day and I am wanting to purchase a larger size when I go through my other skin care products! I can't say enough good things about it!

Kaizen Naturals Whey Protein in Vanilla Bean - I want to give a shoutout to this company for sending me a sample of their product! I previously had a bad experience with another brand of protein powder and was skeptical to try another one. I am certainly glad that I did because this one tasted like a vanilla milkshake! I just added the entire packet to my water and stirred for 20-30 seconds are directed on the back. Some benefits are that it is: gluten free, there are no artificial colours or flavours, it is sweetened with Stevia, from grass fed cows and there is low temp filtration. There are 24 grams of protein, only 120 calories and only 1 gram of sugar which is amazing! I had a great experience using it and am excited to see which other flavours they have!

Miscellaneous

Nature's Bounty Hair, Skin and Nails Gummies with Biotin - These vitamins really need no introduction because I speak about them all the time. Basically, they are my holy grail and help my hair as well as my nails grow long & be strong!

TUMS Antacid Ultra Strength 1000 mg in Peppermint (72 Count) - I have been using TUMS for over a decade and always have some in my purse. They have helped me on numerous occasions as well as my friends! I can't be without them.

Secret Scent Expressions Antiperspirant in Va Va Vanilla - This is in my top 3 favourite deodorants of all time and it is vanilla scented! I can't say no to that!

BIC Soleil Twilight Razors (5 Count) - These are incredible and really help me get a close shave! The only downfall is that they dull very quickly and I find myself replacing them quicker than I would like to. 

Until next time,

STAY CLASSY.

Berrz <3

P.S. THIS BLOG POST IS NOT SPONSORED. SOME LINKS ARE AFFILIATE LINKS.

Uber - Get your first ride FREE using promo code: amandab9033ue

Shop Hope's Online - Get 15% off your first purchase here
*LOOK AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE FOR YOUR AUTOMATIC CODE!

Coastal Scents - Get $5 off your next online purchase
Ebates Canada - Get cash back on your online purchases here
Ebates (Everywhere else in the world) - Get cash back on your online purchases here
Hautelook - A flash sale web site where I get most of my footwear and accessories from!