Empties and Tosses #10 // January 2015

A new year always requires some sort of effort to clean up my act when it comes to housing beauty products in my room. This year, I'm making an attempt to do monthly empties instead of having 4 posts a year in which I talk about 40+ products in each. 

Here's my rating scale: 

(>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ // worthy of dance party (repurchase)   

^u^ ^u^  // pretty great (maybe repurchase) 

-_- // indifference (will not repurchase) 

THE BIG GUNS (aka big full-size stuff) 

The Sapien Women Facial Scrub* ^u^ ^u^ looks like mud pie, smells like tutti fruity and was a nice physical exfoliating scrub that I kept in my shower. I liked the Sibu Beauty Sea Buckthorn Facial Cream* ^u^ ^u^ a lot more than my initial review might suggest - a go-to non-greasy moisturizer for both day and night. I was highly impressed by the CoverGirl Tru Blend Liquid Makeup in m3* (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ and it's one of the few foundations I've actually finished. The light-medium dewy coverage is great for transition months and m3 is a perfect match! 

THE LITTLE GUYS (aka samples and one-time-use) 

The Sephora Formula X Delete To-Go Nail Polish Remover* ^u^ ^u^ is a thick cotton pad soaked in acetone. It was great for removing polish but a little pricey and wasteful for my nail-polish removing tastes. The Glam Glow Power Mud Dual Cleanse Treatment -_- didn't really live up to the hype of its name. It was slightly tingly and felt like it removed all the gunk from my face but I could purchase a much less expensive mask with the same effect. The Cover FX Calming Primer (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ worked well for my skin's needs. It kept my pores looking minimized, makeup in place and oil at bay, everything I seek in a good primer. 

FACE STUFF

The Murad Clarifying Wipes for Blemish Prone Skin* ^u^ ^u^ were quite great at removing makeup and cleansing. Nothing outstanding but a good option, especially for noticeably less break outs. I'm finishing up a box of the My Beauty Diary Pearl Powder Mask ^u^ ^u^, which leave my skin feeling hydrated and brightened. The Choco Cacao Collagen Mask* ^u^ ^u^ has a similar effect as the beauty diary but smells slightly of chocolate! The Sisely Paris Black Rose Cream Mask -_- was only so-so. Generally, I'm not a fan of cream masks that aren't over-night masks because they don't get enough time to sink into the skin. At Sisely's price point, would definitely not repurchase.

HAIR STUFF

The Biotera Ultra Color Care Conditioner* -_- did absolutely nothing for my hair. The Likke Detox Scalp Care Gel* ^u^ ^u^ has an amazing tingly feeling when applied to the scalp. I couldn't tell if my scalp was actually getting a detox but it felt so cool. The John Frieda Frizz Ease Thermal Protection ^u^ ^u^ did exactly what it claimed in the packaging, tamed frizz and prevented my hair from breakage when using a blow dryer. 

TOSSES

I really liked the Lancome Hypnose Custom Volume Mascara ^u^ ^u.It was great for building volume. The Annabelle Big Show Mascara x 2 (one waterproof)* -_- was also great at building volume, however both the waterproof and non-waterproof formulas smudged and gave me raccoon eyes. The Almay Smart Shade CC Concealer and Brightener* -_- is a little thick and slightly cakey for my preferences. Initially, I had really liked the CoverGirl + Olay the De-Puffer Concealer* -_- but I stopped using it then restarted and it broke me out underneath my eyes (which was both strange and painful). I love the scent of the Nivea Lip Smoothie Cranberry and Raspberry  -_- as well as the slight wash of color, however, it's a bit old and Nivea's ingredients aren't the most natural for me to be dragging on my lips multiple times a day. The colour of NARS Lip Gloss in Turkish Delight  -_- just didn't work for me - too pale. Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in Champagne -_- must be 5 years old by now. Gross, right? It adds a frosty shimmer to the lips and I've only used it 4 or 5 times because of that. 

The TALLY: 

7 tosses

7 full-size

7 samples 

21 total 

Have you tried any of these products? 

Both press samples and purchased products featured. Press samples denoted with an asterisk (*). 

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