Empties: Nov and Dec.

I'm sorry, things got so busy I didn't have time to get to my empties post, but here it is for BOTH  Nov and Dec.!

Side Note: I'm hoping once we get into the new year, things will slow down with my retail job so I'll have more time to post, and things wont be as spastic as they are now.

So, back to the empties:

First up, is hair empties.

1. Salon Grafix Volumizing Dry Shampoo in "Clear" - I strongly disliked this dry shampoo. This one isn't actually completely used. I tried to use for two weeks before giving up and using another a different one. It does get rid of the oily look that my hair gets on day two/three, but the build-up in my hair was ridiculous. I'd use it once and my hair felt gross all day. I think some of that it because the white cast doesn't completely brush out. I will NOT be repurchasing this. Ever.

2. Fekkai Blowout Hair Refresher Dry Shampoo- I also didn't like this one. It was on the other side of the spectrum  compared to the last dry shampoo. I felt it did nothing to combat the oils in my hair, and would actually just it make it look dirtier.

'

3. Batiste Dry Shampoo in "Blush" - I knew there was a lot of hype around this product, and I saw this in my local Kroger's Grocery, so I picked it up (Even if it wasn't all it was craked up to be, after the Salon Grafix fiasco, I'd take anything..) I LOVE this stuff. It will make my hair look fresh no matter how oily it is! it doesn't leave a nasty buildup in my hair and the white cast brushes right out. While, I wasn't very fond of the smell, I will be buying this dry shampoo again (just in a different scent).

4. I just finished bottle number 2 of this Oganix Biotin & Collagen Shampoo. The conditioner should be gone any day now. I enjoy this shampoo, it has a great smell and it does well with my hair. I'm going to use another shampoo from their line now.

5. It's a 10 Leave in conditioner - I really enjoy this conditioner. It makes my hair super soft and gives it a weightless look. I have two big backups of the stuff.

Next in my little empties box are some perfumes I went through.

I enojoyed the Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black perfume. I went back and forth debating if I wanted to purchase it. I think I'm going to wait until I go through more of my body sprays and perfumes that I have though. I need to whittle down my collection via myself or decluttering...

I enjoy the Pink Friday by Nicki Manaj Perfume more than I thought. It was a nice sweet scent that had about a 5 hours lasting time.

Florabotanica by Balenciaga - I really loved this perfume. I didn't expect to as I have never been big on florals, but my taste must be changing because I LOVED this. and have since enjoyed more floral based perfumes. (But not too Flowery! I'm still not a fan of grandma perfume!)

Elizabeth and James Nirvana White - I did enjoy this perfume, but there was something about it that made it smell just good to me. Nothing about it blew me away like the black version did.

Bath & Body Works "Paris Amour" Body Spray - This is one of my favorite bath and body works scents. I've gone through two bottles of the body splash now, but I've still got a travel sized one left. I think I'm going to start using a different scent though so I don't grow too tired of it.

Next are my Makeup Empties. I was amazed because I actually had a fair amount of makeup empties.

1. L'oreal True Match blush in "Baby Blossom" - This was one of my project pan items that I just recently finished. As I stated in that post, This blush is alright. I enjoyed it but it's not my favorite formulation. There is a little product along the rime, but nothing usable.

2. Therapy Systems Concealer in "2" - I actually didn't hate this as much near the end of using it. I made it work for me alright, although I wont purchase it again. It had too much of an oily look to it for me, and the creasing on it was agravating. 

3. Urban Decay's Perversion Mascara - I LOVED this stuff. The gave me beautiful, full, long lashes that held a curl throughout the day. I'm so torn because its kind of expensive, but I think its worth it.

4. The Love & Beauty (by Forever 21) Sheer Lip Color - Once I got over the frustration of it having no pigmentation (this is no color; not sheer color!!) I enjoyed this stuff while I used it. It's nothing special mostly just a chapstick.

5. Maybelline Volum'Express Mega Plush Mascara - I really enjoyed this mascara for more natural/ subtle days. It gave my lashes enough definition to stand out, but still look natural.

Now on to Skin care:

1. Clean & Clear Advantage Oil-Absorbing Cream Cleanser - I think this cleanser did a good job with really cleansing my face. I enjoyed it. However, I found that the lid didn't like to stay closed, so I had to store it upside-down so it wouldn't slowly leak all over the counter/cap.

2. Benefit's it's potent! eye cream - I loved this when I first got it, but I was horrible at using it consistently. By the time I started using it again (and incorporating it into my routine) I think some of the effectiveness had worn off. I'm tempted to get this one more time and try it out to see how I really like it.

3. Simple Soothing Facial Toner - This was okay. I didn't find that it did anything for my skin.

4. Neutrogena Oil-free eye makeup remover - This is the remover I purchase over and over again. I find that it removes even the most stubborn eye makeup. I just wish it didn't leave an oily residue.

5. Bath and Body Works "Moonlight Path" Body Lotion - I enjoy the bath and body works lotions. And this scent is one of my favorites.

6. Bath and Body Works "Pumpkin Cupcake" Anti-bacterial Deep Cleansing Hand Soap - I love the B&BW soaps! They leave my hands feeling clean, but not dried out. I enjoy this scent, but only for a short period of time. I love it right as fall comes, but I'm done with it by Thanksgiving (But that's just because I'm ready for my more wintery/Christmasy scented soap by this point).

Lastly, the Candles!!!

The first one I went through was the White Barn (B&BW) Frosted Cranberry. I love this for a sweet wintery scent. It smelled good and made me think of Christmas.

The other candle I went through was the Bath & Body Works Sparkling Amber candle. I LOVED this candle and miss it SO much. There is no way I can describe this scent other than pure amazingness. I wish I had purchased like 10 of these.

That's all of my empties!

I wish you a wonderful new year and a Happy Holidays :)

(The remainder of Dec's empties - since we still have 10 days - will be included in January's empties post)

~Rachel

Project 10 Pan: Update 12

Only two more weeks until I'm calling this project done. I actually think I'm going to complete everything before then (SURPRISE! I really didn't think I would). On the last update, I'm going to post a picture of my 10 completely empty products and see how much my moneys worth was. (something that PrettyPistol86 on YouTube does throughout her 'use it up' series')

But anyway, onto THIS update!

If you haven't see my previous updates here's a link to those set of posts.

Now for real.

#1. The Love & Beauty (by Forever 21) Sheer Lip Color (No shade listed)
                                                       FINISHED ON 11-11-14


#2:  L'Oreal True Match Blush in Baby Blossom

12-4-14                                          12-7-14

Amount: I called this finished on Sun, the 7th. I was having to swirl my brush around SO much for so little products, I figured this is good as gone. And I couldn't be more excited!
Opinion: This blush was nice, I had decent quality, and is my favorite from the drugstore. But I got tired of it and have formulations in higher end brands that work better for me.


#3: Therapy Systems Perfect Concealer in the shade 2
                                                          FINISHED 11-15-14


#4:  Benefit's "It's Potent!" Eye Cream
                                                        FINISHED 11-12-14

#5. Lorac's Breakthrough Performance Foundation in Shade "SMS 1" 

FINISHED 09-16-14

#6. Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor in "Born With It"

                                                                  FINISHED 10-12-14

#7. MAC's Zoom Fast Black Lash

                                                                   TOSSED 10-19-14

#8. L'Oreal Lineur Intense in Carbon Black

                                                                   TOSSED 10-19-14

#9. Bath & Body Works' Honey Sweetheart Lip Gloss

12-4-14                             12-11-14

Amount: While you can't tell a huge difference from the picture. Trust me when I say there is a big difference here in person. I took the stopper out and now its just mostly the thin layer around the edges. 

Opinion: I really enjoy this lip gloss. It has a nice sweet scent to it that isn't overpowering. It adds a nice shine with subtle sparkle, and it goes well with any lip color (including no lip color at all). I will miss this item as it was limited edition and is no longer sold at bath and body works.

#10. Bath & Body Works' Travel-sized Body Lotion in Beautiful Day 

FINISHED 9-20-14

Thats all. It amazes me how fast these are to type now (lol I guess that happens when you have so little to report on)

I hope you enjoy reading, and I'll post again next week!

~Rachel

Project 10 Pan: Update 11

After two crazy weeks, I am back with a new update on the products I have left. I decided that I would continue this project until finish 6 by Christmas is done, and then I'll take anything I haven't finished from both of those and make a new project pan to complete. (That way were not sitting here waiting on just two products to disappear, and I'm still finishing the products I was trying to use up.)

If you haven't see my previous updates here's a link to those set of posts.

So without further adieu, here is my 2 week progress!

#1. The Love & Beauty (by Forever 21) Sheer Lip Color (No shade listed)
                                                       FINISHED ON 11-11-14


#2:  L'Oreal True Match Blush in Baby Blossom

11-19-14                                      12-4-14

Amount: I have now hit pan along the edge of the pan as well. There's really not alot of this blush left to go!
Opinion: I'm getting quite tired of this blush, but after hitting pan on the edge I had more excitement with it again. I can see more progress on it now after every use. I'm ready to go ahead and finish it up (although I think it's it an alright blush - especially for those on a budget) because I want to move on to use some of my tarte blushes.


#3: Therapy Systems Perfect Concealer in the shade 2
                                                          FINISHED 11-15-14


#4:  Benefit's "It's Potent!" Eye Cream
                                                        FINISHED 11-12-14

#5. Lorac's Breakthrough Performance Foundation in Shade "SMS 1" 

FINISHED 09-16-14

#6. Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor in "Born With It"

                                                                  FINISHED 10-12-14

#7. MAC's Zoom Fast Black Lash

                                                                   TOSSED 10-19-14

#8. L'Oreal Lineur Intense in Carbon Black

                                                                   TOSSED 10-19-14

#9. Bath & Body Works' Honey Sweetheart Lip Gloss

11-19-14                                      12-4-14

Amount: We are getting down to the wire on this now. I used this the majority of the two weeks (I didn't wear it on Thanksgiving, Black Friday, or the Saturday after because I wore a matte red for the "holiday-look" that I love). After this post, I think I'm going to take out the stopper to finish this because I'm having to go scrape the edge of the bottle multiple times now to get enough to use. (I also have to store it on its side)

Opinion: I still really enjoy this gloss. I've started wearing it more on its own for a nice glossy nude on my skin tone. I'm excited to be this close to being done with it, but I wish it was one I could repurchase.

#10. Bath & Body Works' Travel-sized Body Lotion in Beautiful Day 

FINISHED 9-20-14

See you next week with another update! (Maybe I'll actually finish both of these before my new Christmas deadline!)

~Rachel

Finish 6 by Christmas: 2-Month Update

Here is my second Finish 6 by Christmas update! I know I'm a little late getting this out, but work has been SO super busy (Especially with being in retail with Black Friday!) that my blogging time has taken a hit. The pictures were taken on the 24th, so my progress being shown is about on time.

If you haven't seen the start of the project or my first update: go check those out!

I'm excited to show you some progress so lets get started!

1. Rimmel Scandaleyes eye pencil in Black.

10-22-14                                        11-24-14

Amount: Still a ways to go, but I made good progress on it!
Opinion: I really enjoy this liner. It's very easy and creamy to apply, and it is a pure dark black (yay!). I find that when on my upper lid, I do need to set it with a powder to keep it from moving, but I think that's just my oily eye lid problem's fault. I LOVE this liner, and after I go through the rest of my black eye liners, I'll probably be repurchasing this one.


2. Rimmel retractable lip liner in Eastend Snob

10-22-14                                        11-24-14

Amount: The smallest little section left! This would have been gone for this update, but I wasn't worried about finishing it so I didn't use it as much.
Opinion: I like this lip liner and am enjoying having it. I wouldn't say its a holy grail product or one that blows my mind. But the color is nice and it has decent lasting power. The only CON I have is that it can be  little dry and crumble off if I don't have a lip balm on underneath when appling.


3. 9 perfume samples

10-22-14                                        11-24-14

Amount: Just 2 to go! - Elizabeth and James Nirvana White, and Nicki Minaj Pink Friday
Opinion: I enjoyed both Nirvana Black and Florabotanica (the two I used up since last update). I saved those for the end-ish time because I knew I enjoyed them. Desire is still running them for their money on which is my favorite though! I like Nirvana White, but it doesn't blow me away and make me fall in love with it.


4. Bath and Body Works body lotion in the scent "Moonlight Path"

10-22-14                                        11-24-14

Amount: It's GONE!
Opinion: This is one of my favorite (If not my top favorite) scent from bath and body works. I first got this scent for Christmas from my dad a LONGGGGG time ago, so I think some of the reason I like it best is for nostalgia reasons. But, It als has a wonderful scent thats not overpowering. I don't find it too floral or too sweet. It's just a nice well rounded scent that makes me happy. I can't buy any more lotion until I use up what I have, but I will repurchase this lotion eventually.


5. "It's a 10!" leave-in hair treatment.

10-22-14                                        11-24-14

Amount: All GONE!
Opinion: I really like this hair treatment. I find that it makes my hair super healthy looking and VERY soft. I won't be repurchasing it for a while, but that's because I have received two large bottles from family members that know I enjoy this product.


6. Be a Bombshell Smooth Criminal Powder

10-22-14                                        11-24-14

Amount: Somewhere between 1/3 and 1/4 left. (We'll see if I can finish it!!!)
Opinion: I love using this to set my face makeup. It helps give my skin a more flawless appearance and keeps my makeup in place for all-day wear. I will miss this when it's gone!! 


Overall I'm happy with my progress! I came o terms when I started that I  may not finish the eyeliner or the powder, so just seeing progress on those is good! The other two items I have to finish (the perfume samples and the lip liner) will definitely be gone by Christmas.

Until Next time!! 

~Rachel

Boxycharm Unboxing: November

I was so excited when my Boxycharm came in the mail. I checked the shipping update while I was at my second job, and saw that it was waiting for me at home. As soon as I got there (at like 1:00 am) I opened the mailbox to go look at it lol. It was a nice pick me up after a really long day!

If you haven't heard of Boxycharm before, it is a monthly beauty subscription box that costs $21.00 a month. You get 5 full sized beauty items and it comes sometime in the middle of the month. Normally the value is $80+. If you would like to sign up, here is my referral link. (I've heard that if you use a referral link you get off the wait list sooner).

Here is the little box that get shipped to you (on the other side is the shipping label):

Once you open it inside, you can see the card that display the theme & item list, and an "advertisement" card. The theme this month was Sparkle and Shine.

This is the glorious box full of products.

The first product I pulled out was the Kevin Murphy Color Bug in "Shimmer", which is a gold shimmer color that is supposed to add a golden sheen to your hair. It is used just like hair chalk. I haven't had a chance to try this yet, but once I do it'll be on my monthly box review. This item will be worth $25 (However I can't find where to purchase it besides Amazon...)

The next item I received was an OFRA blush in the color "Paradise Pink", which is a darker bright pink with some glitter in it. I received this in the clear packaging. (Everyone got the same blush color, but there were 3 variations to the packaging). This blush is worth $24.95, but is on sale $19.96.

Here is a swatch of the blush for you:

The next item I pulled out was the Mica Beauty Eye Primer. This primer costs an astounding $44.95. It is a pigmented nude cream product. I find it has more of a matte-satin appearance. I used this as an undereye concealer when I was desperate for one nearby one morning, and it worked well for that, I'll have to try it as an eye primer later, but if it keeps my eyeshadow from creasing than it's a phenomenal eye primer (I have crazy oily eyelids that hate eyeshadow)

The next product BoxyCharm sent me was a bellapierre cosmetics shimmer powders in "Exite". This can be used on the eyes or the face. This is a pearlized white with some pink/purple iridescent shimmer. On the bellapeirre website it retails for $14.99. I tried to get a swatch for you, but the coloring is very subtle, like a highlight that it was hard to show up on camera. I think I try this product both as a highlight and an eyeshadow pigment and get back to you on how it works.

The final item I received was the Tarina Tarantino Eyelicity Glitter Liner in the shade "Glitter Mist". Which is a translucent white liquid liner with iridescent pink glitter. This retails for $16.00 on the Tarina Tarantino website.

Here is a swatch for you (its not entirely in focus. I tried, but my camera wouldn't):

I'm excited to try some of these things in my Boxycharm. Right off the bat I'm enjoying the eye primer and the blush. And I'm looking forward to trying the other three products. 

The value of this box is $120.90!!! Which is over 5 times the value of the box. Even without the expensive eye primer (which i think the value of is inflated), this box still has great value.

As always, thank you for reading!

~Rachel

Project 10 Pan: Update 10!

I know this post is late, but my schedule has been a little hectic lately. The pictures and most of the typing was actaully done on Wed and Thursday. But, both days I fell asleep at the computer doing them. I will warn you that next week there will be no update. My time spent outside of work (which is a total or 60 hours between the two jobs) will be spent with family. (I work in retail and since it's black friday everyone's schedules are crazy long!)

So, on a more positive note, lets go into the progress I've made this week.

#1. The Love & Beauty (by Forever 21) Sheer Lip Color (No shade listed)
                                                       FINISHED ON 11-11-14


#2:  L'Oreal True Match Blush in Baby Blossom

11-12-14                        11-19-14

Amount: More pan is showing! Once this gets to be a lot of trouble to apply I will count this as done (Once it all looks like the sliver closest on the rim)
Opinion: This blush is just fine. It's my favorite drugstore blush; I just prefer my other blushes more.


#3: Therapy Systems Perfect Concealer in the shade 2

11-12-14                        11-19-14

Amount: FINISHED 11-15-14
Opinion: Disliked this concealer (even though I made it work for me), glad it's finally gone :)


#4:  Benefit's "It's Potent!" Eye Cream
                                                        FINISHED 11-12-14

#5. Lorac's Breakthrough Performance Foundation in Shade "SMS 1" 

FINISHED 09-16-14

#6. Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor in "Born With It"

                                                                  FINISHED 10-12-14

#7. MAC's Zoom Fast Black Lash

                                                                   TOSSED 10-19-14

#8. L'Oreal Lineur Intense in Carbon Black

                                                                   TOSSED 10-19-14

#9. Bath & Body Works' Honey Sweetheart Lip Gloss

11-12-14                        11-19-14

Amount Left: Just the very bottom of the tube there. I still think I'll be working on this for another 4-5, maybe 6 weeks. Lipgloss takes a while to get through.

Opinion: I really like this gloss. It has a nice sweet scent that's not overpowering. It has a lovely sheer light pink color with subtle sparkle that goes really well with many of my lipsticks.

#10. Bath & Body Works' Travel-sized Body Lotion in Beautiful Day 

FINISHED 9-20-14

Either next update (Dec 3) or the update after (Dec 10), I am planning on calling this project done. And whatever I have left from this project pan I will carry over into the next one. Until next time,

~Rachel