Beauty & Books: Face Masks

Monday, September 14, 2015

Empties: September 2015

Welcome to my trash! Let’s take a look at products I’ve completely used up, along with my quick review of them. Some products I have full reviews on and if that’s the case, I’ll link the full review for you to read.

1.Lather Ultra Light Face Lotion (1.0 oz.)

I received this in my April 2015 ipsy glam bag and rather liked it. A little goes a long way and it absorbs into the skin nicely. I found this to be moisturizing and I would consider re-purchasing. It’s a good under makeup moisturizer.

2. Caudalíe Vinosource Moisturzing Sorbet (0.33 oz, 100 point perks from Sephora.com)

Love, love, love this moisturizer! Unfortunately, Caudalíe isn’t cruelty-free so I will no longer be getting this product. This moisturizer is really good for my sensitive skin—I felt it calmed my skin and kept it moisturized. I love the smell of Caudalíe products too—a slight grape scent. Tip: Cut the top off of squeeze-tube products so that I to get every last drop!

3. Caudalie Make-Up Remover Cleansing Water (1 oz., deluxe-sample from Sephora.com)

This micellar water was included in a Beauty Battle that you can read here. I really liked this product and it has the same nice scent that the Moisturizing Sorbet does. It is gentle on my skin and removed makeup well.

4. fresh Rose Hydrating Eye Gel Cream (foil packet sample from Sephora.com)

This eye cream is okay. I don’t find it to be particularly hydrating like the fresh black tea eye cream. I have a few more foil packets of this that I will use up, but I wouldn’t purchase it. It was moisturizing enough, but nothing spectacular.

5. Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask to Clear Pores (0.5 oz.)

I got this charcoal mask as part of a sampler set around the holidays last year. I didn’t feel that this mask did anything for me. It didn’t clear my pores, it only made my skin feel tight. I’ve never been a fan of charcoal-based products so it could just be me (although my husband didn’t like it either), so I would pass on this.

6. Benefit Roller Lash Mascara (0.1 oz, deluxe sample size)

I don’t remember where I got this from, but I know it’s a great mascara. You can read my full review on this product here. This is one of the best mascaras I have ever tried. Benefit is not a cruelty-free brand so I wouldn’t re-purchase (and I also don’t buy high-end mascaras because why spend 30-ish dollars on something that you can only use for a few months, and there are great drugstore mascaras).

6. CoverGirl Full Lash Bloom Mascara

This is a rubber bristle brush, so it’s pokey when you are applying the product. The mascara itself, however, is pretty good. It fanned my lashes out nicely and didn’t clump or flake. You can read my full review here.

7. L’Oreal Magic Lumi Highlighter Pen in 860 Fair

This liquid highlighter is a twist-up pen with a brush tip applicator. Mine is in the color fair and it has the slightest salmon color to it—this helps cancel out darkness around the eyes. I used this mainly on top of my under eye concealer, or on its own, to brighten up my under eye area. I liked this product but, alas, will not be re-purchasing because L’Oreal is not cruelty-free.

8. Make Up For Ever Step 1 Skin Equalizer Redness Correcting Primer (0.16 oz., deluxe-sample from Sephora.com)

This is a fantastic primer if you need to cover up redness on your skin. It is definitely a pricier primer (1 oz., $36), and Make Up For Ever has questionable cruelty-free status, so I won’t be purchasing. BUT, if MUFE was cruelty-free I would probably be picking this up at Sephora’s sale in November. You can read my full review of this product here.

That’s everything I’ve used up recently. What products have you used up? Any recommendations?

Disclaimer: All products are purchased by me or my lovely husband unless otherwise noted in the post. All opinions are 100% honest and my own. I do not provide positive reviews for payment. Products that work for me may not necessarily work for you. This post is not sponsored.

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Monday, September 7, 2015

Project Pan: Foil Packet Samples

**If you are receiving this post via email, you may want to check out my actual site as the email throws off the formatting**

My Finish 5 By Fall Project Pan challenge features four makeup products so I wanted to start another project pan that focuses on other types of products. I have so many foil packets laying around that I want to use up so I figured a Project Pan would remind me to use them. Every time you order from Sephora you get three sample packets and if there is a special promotion going on you can get even more. Ulta also gives out sample packets with purchase, as do a lot of companies when you order from them. That being said, I didn’t pay for any of these samples. Most are one time use only, so this Project Pan should move quickly.

What’s a Project Pan, you ask? The goal of Project Pans (made popular by YouTuber Amber F) is to use up products or hit pan (read my Beauty Lingo Defined post here for a definition of hitting pan) on products. They help you use up products that you’ve had for a while or just want to finish up.

Here are the 10 samples I picked for my Foil Packet Samples Project Pan:

1. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo in Dark Brown

Anastasia is very, very popular for their brow products so I’m excited to get to try them. The samples are on a card so it should only last me a couple uses, but enough to get a sense of whether I like it or not.

2. NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation in Deauville/Light 4

I have a feeling this color will be too dark for me, so I’ll try this on a day I’m not going out. Even if the color is off, I should be able to get a sense of whether I like this product.

3. Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Buttercream in Sweet Lime

4. Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment

An iconic product in her line.

5. fresh Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask

I have two samples of this so I will be able to try it a couple times.

6. GLAMGLOW Supermud Clearing Treatment

This is supposed to be good if your skin is acting up and breaking out.

7. Nuxe 24 Hour Soothing and Rehydrating Fresh Mask

8. Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil

I have three samples of this and have tried in the past. It is too rich for me to use as a moisturizer so I will use it as a body moisturizer, on my cuticles and in my hair.

9. Agave Healing Oil’s Oil Treatment

This is supposed to tame frizzy hair and provide nutrients for your hair.

10. Perfumes: Victoria’s Secret heavenly and CLEAN Shower Fresh.

Neither of these samples are full so I’m counting them as one sample. Heavenly has notes of sandalwood, vanilla, peony and musk. Shower Fresh smells really clean and like a shower—yup.

I'm hoping to work through these pretty quickly--I've got plenty more samples/foil packets to use up! Are you Project Panning? Let me know!