My first empties post!!

It's here..it's finally here.  My very first empties post, so very excited.  I feel like it's been a chore trying to get this to this post, but now that it's here I've discovered the thrill of finishing something & I'm hooked!

My girl Gaby does a monthly empties post *show off*,  that I love so I will be stealing borrowing her format here.

Product: Bath & Body Works Shower Gel in Peach Citrus

Re-purchase:  No, not a scent that I miss that much & it really didn't linger long on my skin

What I'm using to replace it:  Let's be real, I don't just have one shower gel on the go at a time but currently in my shower is St. Ives Energizing Citrus body wash & Ulta's Beauty Smoothie go-go guava (which I also gave to one of the niece's who loves it!)

Product: Paula's Choice Skin Balancing cleanser

Re-purchase:  Yes

What I'm using to replace it:  I'm on my second container of this, very gentle cleanser, my face reacts well to it & does the job well.  I just wish it wasn't only available online, so I'm continuing to test others that are more readily available, that I will use in addition to this.

Product: Avon Beyond Color lip conditioner 

Re-purchase:  Yes

What I'm using to replace it: I've bought 2 more of these when they were recently on sale.  They have a bit of a nude colour payoff and have SPF in them.  I like to use these as a base for other lip products.  

Product: Reversa Anti-wrinkle fluid with glycolic acid

Re-purchase:  Plan to, yes.

What I'm using to replace it:  I have a love/hate with this lotion.  There are times when I think it does nothing for my skin & then others when I miss it.  Right now, I don't have it and I miss it.  If you don't like that stinging sensation that you often get with glycolic acid products, you won't like this.  

Product: EOS shave cream in Island Blue

Re-purchase:  No, this was a pain to use.  It often clogged up the razor & doesn't foam up so it can be hard to see where you've already shaved.  I do love the smell of this though!

What I'm using to replace it:  Schick Intuition Naturals, it's fragrance free, hypo-allergenic and contains Aloe & Vitamin E.  I love that it's an all in one kind of product, no fuss/muss with shave creams.  I only wish it had a bit of a longer life, I have to keep track of how many uses I get from one re-fill sometime.  

Product: Lancome High Resolution Refill-3X skin cream

Re-purchase:  If only

What I'm using to replace it:  This was a slippery slope getting this mini size in a gift with purchase, because it's expensive and I didn't want to love it.  Turns out I love it.  I don't care that it's expensive, I don't care the Paula Begoun doesn't approve, my skin & I adore this.  I don't exactly love the packaging because I know the product breaks down when it's in a jar.  But this moisturizer and my face love each other, there is no denying it.   Mr. J bought this for me as one of my gifts for Christmas this year.  I hate that I love it so, but I do.

Product:  Bronzer - Hoola by Benefit

Re-purchase:  Yes

What I'm using to replace it:  Let's just take a moment to celebrate this accomplishment shall we?  This is a huge box of product really & I finished it!!  After trying a few others, while also using this, I learned that this is truly my go to bronzer.  I love it so & I am already working on a new one.  

So there you have it, my first ever empties post and I was most surprised at how many products I'd re-purchase.  I was also surprised at how fun it is to do these posts.  I'm already busy squirrelling away things for my next one & am addicted to finishing things now.  

How about you?  What have you finished lately?  Have you tried any of these products?

Misses of 2011!

I think I like reading what didn't work for people, as much or more than I like reading what worked.  With that in mind, I thought I'd also post about my 'misses' for 2011...with some potentially controversial items thrown in.  

This is an easy one to start with.  I had read/seen somewhere a suggestion of 

using sand, like you get at the craft store, to stand your brushes in.  As you can see, the sand rubbed the coating off my poor ELF brush, leaving it all battered and bruised.  Sand is now gone needless to say. 

I was once convinced I loved my Kibio cleansing lotion.  Eventually my skin convinced me otherwise, this broke me out consistently & wasn't working for me.  But it took me awhile to admit it.

We've now broken up & I've moved on to Paula's Choice & others for my skin cleansers.

Perfekt skin perfecting gel.  Harumph.  You've may have remembered me complaining about this product here.  Eventually my whining paid off, as Sephora took this back for me!

Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo & Conditioner - This should be renamed.  It should be called 'Dry & Damaged'.  Look no further if you want your hair to look as parched & stiff as you've ever seen it.  Not sure what they put in this particular one but it was a HUGE miss for me.

Hard Candy Fox in Box blush.  Okay so I know this worked great for some people.  The one I got had tons of fallout as I swirled my brush around, as you can see from the photo.  This was also not a pretty natural blush colour..on me.  Sadly it was more clownish than blushingly beautiful on my skin.

Youngblood's bronzer.  If you are looking for a pale orange hue to your skin, with little bits of shimmer then look no further.   If that isn't what you were going for in a bronzer, then you may want to take a pass on this one.

Glamoflauge. Yes, I said it.  This was also hugely popular product and tough to find, at least here in Canada.  It was always sold out when I looked for it, which made me want it more.  I eventually got it in the States & couldn't wait to use it.  So I did.  And...meh.  It's a concealer alright, but really nothing special.  And in fact I find it a bit too thick.  I can't use it under my eyes for sure, and on any blemishes/spots it screams 'I'm wearing concealer'.  Maybe I'm doing something wrong but this just didn't work for me.

Lip gloss.  Nope no particular brand or colour...just lip gloss.  I have a mountain of it and rarely wear it.  I am often in too much of a rush *read lazy* when it's time to do my lips and just don't bother.  Plus half the time I'm drinking something in my car and by the time I get where I'm going, the gloss is on my cup rather than my lips.  Not a good look.  If you hear me say I bought another gloss in 2012, you have my permission to shun me a la Dwight Schrute.

So those were some of misses for the past year.  I'm sure if I thought longer I'd have more, but that can turn from fun to whiney real quick. What about you, what were some of the things you loved to hate in 2011?  I'd love to hear your list.

2011 Favourites!

You have no idea what has gone into this post.  I had a whole post on high/low favourites in most every category, bronzer, blush, etc.  but I wasn't really feeling it.  Then I realized that part of the problem was breaking it into categories, rather than just picking things I discovered and loved last year.  

So with that in mind, here is my 3rd try at this post.  

These are things I started to use/discovered in 2011 and have grown to love.  I hope you enjoy!

Bioderma Micellar water

Actually any micellar water.  I'm now using one from Vichy that I like just as much as the Bioderma.  I love this for removing eye makeup.  I wear contacts and this is one of the few things that doesn't irritate my eyes, while still removing my make-up.  It also doesn't dry out my skin & feels so refreshing.

IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores

This powder is amazing.  Hands down the best finishing powder I have ever used.  It gives you that soft blurry finish, minimizes your pores and doesn't look like you're wearing any powder.  Also doesn't give you that white cast like other HD powders.  LOVE & will re-purchase again & again!

NYC Creme Stick blush in Plaza Pink

I LOVE this little cream blush.  I warm it up by circling my finger over top of it and then just blend it on my cheeks.  I use this almost like a blush/highlight, because it does give a bit of a glow.

I definitely want to try a few more cream blushes but not until I use up what I have.  

In the meantime, for less than $5 this is a winner for sure. 

Benefit's Creaseless Cream Shadows

This particular one is Skinny Jeans but I also have Birthday Suit.  These are exactly what they are advertised to be, CREASELESS.  You can wear these on their own or layer powder shadows on top, for a completely different look.  I use them as an eye base/cream shadow and find my powder shadows last much longer, when layered over these.  Beautiful!!

ELF Mineral infused mascara

I tried this on a whim and I have to say it's a great little mascara.  I love the brush and I also love how it tapers at the end so you can get even the smallest of lashes. Didn't flake or clump on me and applied beautifully.  I will say they dry out more quickly than other mascaras I've used.  But all in all, for $3..I mean come on!  I still love my Clinique and other drugstore mascaras, but if you did a blind test with this mascara and other high end ones, I'd bet a number of people would choose this one.   

Kerastase

The line in general is one of my favourites.  This happens to be the Cement Thermique reconstructor milk, but I also have one of the serums and I just got one of their masks for Christmas.  I will be reviewing the mask soon because it is so amazing I can't barely stand it.  

What I don't like about this favourite is the price.  It is not my nature to spend this kind of money on products, but I have now fallen under the Kerastase spell and I can't help myself. 

Goat's Milk Soaps

This happens to be Winter from the Beekman brothers 1802 line, but any pure goat's milk soap will do.  I LOVE goat milk soaps.  For those of you who haven't tried them, they have so many benefits for your skin leaving it so moisturized and silky soft..without any harsh chemicals.  This particular one 

smells like winter heaven! 

AVON Ideal Shade Custom shade foundation

Despite the ridiculously long repetitive name, this one is an exact dupe for Origins VitaZing.

Exact.  I'm almost completely sure of it.

I wear this and often just finish it with a little of my LM mineral foundation for the perfect everyday look.  This is a great one to wear on it's own if you were going to be out in the sun but wanted some SPF (15), it evens out your skin, provides a little coverage but looks like you're not wearing anything!

Clarisonic Mia

Was there ever any question?  Much has already been said so I need not drone on.  Love it!

ULTA

Might sound strange but until this past summer I had never been to ULTA.  I'm now a fan and only wish there was one much closer to me!

Sigma F35 Tapered Highlighter & E25 Eye Blending

I got a few Sigma brushes late in 2010 and a few more in 2011.  These two have 

become two of my very favourites.  

The F35 tapered highlighter is perfect for highlighting and/or contouring. 

The E25 eye blending brush pictured is the travel size, I also have the full size version of this.  

This blending brush corrects every mistake you might have made like magic.  I love it so much I gifted it to all the women in my family this Christmas. 

Cod Liver Oil

I started taking this & thought my skin seemed improved.  Then I started attributing that improvement to my skin care, MIA, etc and became lax with taking my CLO.  I now know that my skin is at it's best when I'm taking this, a 'high quality, fermented Cod Liver Oil.  

So there you have it.  Things I discovered and loved in 2011. I didn't include any skin care because honestly that's a whole nother animal altogether.  I'll have to do an updated skin care routine, because much has changed for me in the last six months or so.  

I think I'll try to do a Things that didn't work list as well, because I definitely have a few items for that and don't we all just love to whinge a little!

How about you, what have you discovered & loved this past year ?

What's in the box?

Happy 2012!

Well that surprise box seemed to have caught the attention of my 'like minded roll the dice beauty product loving' girls.  Want to know what was inside?  *lifts the curtain*

Quite the haul isn't it?  I thought they previewed it & announced 2 or 3 products that were in it, but when I got it only the Nick Chavez hair infinity mist was revealed.

The rest were the 'surprises' I guess and were packaged separately.  Whichever.  For $25ish CDN, I still thought it was a great deal and so much fun to uncover everything inside.  

Here is the full list:

Nick Chavez body styling & touchable hold infinity spray *smells really good

Serious skin care Firm A Face instant invisible skin tightener

Elysee Facial Resurrection Serum *resurrection, a bit over the top maybe?

Strivection Tightening Face Serum *another tightener

Nailtek nail polish full size in Starlight

Consonant ultra firming eye cream

Ojon restorative shampoo & conditioner  *no longer stinky fyi, smells quite nice!

Elarlia Body Cream in Wild Orchid Tahitian Gardenia *mouthful, sounds stinky but it really isn't

Perricone MD Firming neck therapy *another tightener/firmer

Pur Radiance *not a blush like I thought but more of a face brightener?

Urban Decay All Nighter makeup setting spray *so excited to try this

The rest are small samples or packets:

Stila Sheer color tinted moisturizer in medium

Tan Towel

Elizabeth Grant Eye power pads *not a fan of Elizabeth Grant so not sure if I'll use these

Nicholas Perricone Bright Eyed eye cream

Prai pure prai creme royale for timeless skin  *umm, what?

Pink lipstick case with mirror

All in all, for $25 I would definitely do this again.  It was almost worth the price just for the fun of opening it up and seeing what was inside.  That said, I don't think I'd be happy with this if I were a 20ish something, as there are a lot of 'firming' products.  A lot.  I suspect that 'surprise' means surplus stuff we haven't unloaded but there is just something about getting a box full of unknown products that lures me in and keeps me coming back.

How about you?  What were some of the surprises you got this Christmas?

Mine was that Santa (who looks suspiciously like Mr. J) decided to ignore the Christmas budget.  Luckily for me but still.

I wish you all a healthy and happy 2012, may it bring you everything you wished for as it turned to midnight!

Tracy