Monthly Archives: January 2017

Empties Roundup: January 2017

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Hey reader! It’s the first Empties Roundup of the year! This was an exceptionally good month for used-up products, and I’m irrationally excited. Let’s take a look! I know you want to see all these cut-up tubes.

Carol’s Daughter Sacred Tiare Restoring Hair Mask

I loved this stuff. It was very rich and really did lovely things for my dry, damaged, all-over-the-place hair. The gardenia fragrance was very strong also, which was probably my favorite thing about it. I’ve replaced it with the It’s a 10 deep conditioner, which I don’t like quite as much.

Organix Ever Straight Brazilian Keratin Therapy Shampoo

I’d heard good things about Organix’s keratin stuff, and I like their stuff in general, so I gave this a shot when I started straightening my hair. The plan was to just keep using my beachy wave shampoo until it was gone, but I’m glad I didn’t wait. My hair was a lot smoother after straightening with this shampoo compared to the beachy wave stuff. I might repurchase, but I also might move to that L’Oreal sulfate-free stuff everyone is talking about.

Formula 10.0.6 Best Face Forward Foaming Cleanser, mini size

I’d never heard of this brand before, but when I was vacation shopping last year, I found this in a travel set in Old Navy; it came with this cleanser, a small bottle of toner, some cleansing wipes, and a small tube of mud mask, all in a TSA-sized bag. I’d used most of this while I was travelling, and only recently pulled it out to finish it up. I liked it; it foamed, but didn’t make my face feel too dry after. I’d consider rebuying.

Evian Brumisateur Facial Spray

This marks the first time I’ve ever used up a press sample. I’m a little sad it didn’t last me until the summer, when I would like to use it for basic refreshment. In its last days, this spray served as a skincare refresher; I sprayed it on my skin when my skin felt dry, reviving my moisturizer a little. I may repurchase, but I’m also looking into other facial mists, so we’ll see.

Estée Lauder Perfectly Clean Foam Cleanser, mini size

This was another one that was in my travel bag that I just needed to finish up; in this case, the cap broke and the product was going to dry out if I didn’t. I like these really dense and foamy cleansers, but this one felt harsh and stripped my skin. No thanks.

LaRoche-Posay Anthelios 60, sample size

I was about to throw this away because I’d had it for a while and thought it was expired. When I saw it expired in February, I knew I had to use it up. I’m actually really impressed by it. I have bad sunscreen habits because every sunscreen I’ve used before now is a white, goopy mess, but this one was different. This one was light, had a pleasant smell, and absorbed into my moisturizer very quickly. I may purchase a full size.

GlamGlow ThirstyCleanse Daily Hydrating Cleanser, mini size

I got this in an ipsy bag, and I kept it in my travel bag until I ran out of cleanser in the shower and had to dig it out. I’ve heard so many mixed reviews of GlamGlow products that I didn’t have high expectations for this, but it wasn’t too bad. My skin felt clean but not dry after, which I liked. The tube, though, says it foams, which I did not find to be the case. I wouldn’t mind another one of these tubes, but I don’t know if I’ll actually buy one.

Sheet Masks: Utena Puresa CoQ10 Mask and The Creme Shop Drink Up Skin Hyaluronic Acid Mask

So it’s not a secret that I went on a huge sheet mask binge recently. It’s time to use some up! The CoQ10 mask was one I already had, and the penguin mask is new. Before I would just rotate all the different masks I had so I used a different one every week, but now I’m trying to listen to my face and give it what it wants. Also, I found out what I look like as a cartoon penguin. Verdict: frightening.

Skinfood Pore Control Fresh Apple Essence

These are from my Roseroseshop haul. Even though they’re packets, I’m reviewing them as a single entity. I liked this stuff; it had a nice scent and made my skin feel moisturized and balanced after application. I feel like it did help with my skin’s oil production a bit, since I notice a lot more oil since I’ve run out. I think I will purchase this in a full size in the future, but not this time; I’ve replaced it with the 3W Clinic’s placenta essence.

Miscellaneous Packets

More stuff from the haul! I only have quick notes about these. The Origins Drink Up Intensive mask was really nice to use; you have the choice of washing it off or wearing it overnight, and I chose the latter. It was still moist and sticky when I woke up, though I had some trouble sleeping with it on; I was afraid to roll over and soil my pillowcase with it. The Skinfood watermelon mask pack was awesome; it was strongly scented of watermelon, and made my skin feel soothed and refreshed. The Skinfood aloe sunscreen was also very nice; it was a lightweight sunscreen like the LaRoche-Posay. I’ve only used this packet, but I look forward to trying the others.

Pacifica Indian Coconut Nectar Hand Cream

This was good stuff. It was a lightweight lotion that absorbed quickly into skin and had a very nice fragrance. I don’t feel like it lasted very long though, because I was constantly reapplying. I replaced with Proclaim’s Coconut and Macadamia Oil hand lotion, though this is almost gone as well.

Trader Jacques Savon de France, Oatmeal Exfoliant Ginger Almond

So Trader Joe’s is still a bit of a novelty here; there’s one store across town. Boyfriend bought this for me on one of his solo trips there. It was a pretty nice soap actually. It was creamy, it foamed well, and lasted a pretty long time. It contained big pieces of oatmeal, which probably isn’t effective as an exfoliant, but I liked it anyway. I’ve replaced it with a tea tree patchouli soap I bought in Hawaii.

SheaMoisture Fruit Fusion Coconut Water Energizing Hand & Body Scrub

You know I love these scrubs. This was pretty typical of the SheaMoisture sugar scrub; it’s abrasive (but feels good) and leaves an oily sheen on my skin. I will always repurchase these.

JĀSÖN Gentle Basics Day Lotion

I bought this because it was on sale at Target. The lotion consistency was on the thin side and took a longer time than usual to work into the skin, but I did feel moisturized throughout the day. I’m not sure I’ll repurchase this, but it wasn’t bad.

NSpa by Nirvana Spa Exotically Creamy Coconut Body Mist

I have compeletely gotten out of the habit of using body spray. I used to be an addict like ten years ago, but I’d always forget about it and it was the last thing I used up in a Bath & Body Works buy — the lotion and shower gel would be gone long before — so I stopped buying it. I got this in a set as a gift; the shower gel is in my shower now, and the spray, when I remembered to use it, didn’t last as long as I thought it would.

Grand Hyatt Kauai Anara Spa Cocomango Massage Bar

This is the nicest hotel soap I’ve ever used. It had some dried leaves in it that exfoliated, and had those round nubbies on one side that feel really good when you wash with the bar itself. Those wore down pretty quickly, but the soap quality was very good, the scent was strong, and my only regret is that the hotel did not have more I could have stolen.

That’s the roundup for January! Be sure to tell me in the comments what you used up and if you’ve tried any of the products I emptied out. This was a good month for me and empties, I think next month will be good too!

I bought these products myself, except for the ones that were free samples.
And except the Evian facial spray. That was sent for a review unrelated to this post.
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Manicure Monday: Office Disco

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It’s Monday, and I have a new mani! Tact is Just Saying Not True Stuff, I’ll Pass by Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer is my polish, and originally I’d meant to wear it alone, just to enjoy the pretty holo goodness unabated. With such a soft shade, and on such short nails, I found the look a little too SFW, so I decided today was the day I tried hand-placing glitter. I did okay! All photos were taken in direct sunlight outdoors.

I love Tact. The green glow it has really takes it to the next level. It’s cool and silvery, it’s green and taupe and holo. It’s understated and elegant. Today, though, I wanted just a little more.

I didn’t expect hand-placing glitter to be the challenge it was. I knew it would be time-consuming, and I knew it took a steady hand, but I thought I’d have it under control. First I couldn’t find the right glitter; I wanted something as barely-there as my polish, but also large enough that I could place easily. I didn’t have anything like that, so I grabbed the big silver hexes. I started in the middle, and clipped the glitters that didn’t fit on the nail; these cut edges got caught on things and were pulled off, resulting in some bare spots. I also didn’t expect so many glitters to stack; I thought it was getting one, but there would be five more, and the extra glitters would fan out and ruin my clean lines. It was a learning experience, I keep saying to myself. The look isn’t bad, but I’m definitely going to practice this.

Shade photo. I love holo glitter in the shade!

While this wasn’t the look I wanted, I like it. I like how over the top the disco ball nail is while the others are tame. It’s fun. I can’t wait to play around with hand-placing a little more.

Tact is Just Saying Not True Stuff, I’ll Pass isn’t in stock, but other polishes are available from the BEGL shop. They’re open!

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Cover Girl’s Pinky Winky

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Hello, reader! For this week’s Swatch Saturday, I’m wearing another labelless vintage polish. This time, the shade label is there, but the brand label is missing. I’m pretty confident this is a Cover Girl polish, though. I’m also pretty sure this polish comes from around 2005. This is Pinky Winky; I used three coats with one coat of Dream Polish‘s Gem Glam top coat in the Melon Baller scent.

Pinky Winky is a frosty pale pink polish. Application was good, but I did have some issues with the product consistency. Of course, that’s to be expected with ten year old polish, and it’s my own fault for not thinning it out first. The polish went on well, but was thick and took quite some time to dry, even with quick-dry top coat; you can see some dings in the polish in the photos. I don’t know if this isn’t also the reason the tips show so much wear, but it could be. The polish dried with a glossy finish, but I used top coat for extra shine.

I quite like this polish, even though it’s a weird look for me. It’s probably not as weird as I think it is. It’s just so pale, so dainty. It’s pretty but I don’t feel like it suits me. It’s nearly the same color as my skin. I always wanted the perfect mannequin polish, the one that makes my nails seamless from my hands, but now I’m not sure I like. Be careful what you wish for, I suppose. I’d probably like it more if my nails were longer.

The following photos were taken in direct sunlight. The shimmer is very pretty out here, but the sun does overpower it a bit. It’s still pretty.

This polish is likely discontinued; Cover Girl polishes are sold nationwide.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s The One Worth Leaving

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Welcome back! It’s Swatch Saturday, and I’ve swatched the last polish in Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s Crooked Hearts collection. I’ve loved wearing every polish in this set; each one was a gorgeous shimmery marvel. This last one, The One Worth Leaving, is vampy magic. I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Dream Polish‘s Gem Glam top coat in the Melon Baller scent.

The One Worth Leaving is a wine polish with purple shimmers. Application was good, the product consistency was great and I had no issues. The first coat goes on a little sheer, but builds with additional coats. I like that it’s a little sheer, so that those shimmers get seen. After three coats, my shimmer didn’t seem as strong as it looks in the bottle, but it does pop up wherever the light hits it. It dries with a glossy finish; I used top coat for extra shine.

I enjoyed wearing this polish. I’ve talked before about my relationship with burgundy polish, and I mentioned Monday how short nails like this reminds me of my youth and my days as a nail biter. I get a nostalgia buzz from this polish, too; plums and berries and wines were among my favorites back then.

Outdoors, this polish warmed up to a deep and gorgeous red. You can see the translucence out here; you can see the actual specks of shimmer, not just the ones the light activates. These photos were taken in direct sunlight.

At publication time, the BEGL shop is temporarily closed, but I’m pretty sure The One Worth Leaving was in stock before the hiatus.

I bought this polish myself.

Skincare Haul: TJ Maxx

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I hear you already, reader. Another haul? Yeah, I’m a full-blown skincare addict now. Someone told me they sold a lot of Asian skincare stuff there, so I went to have a look. I was actually really impressed with their selection; I found a lot of high-end stuff as well. Also, for the first time, I did not even look at nail polish. I have traded one addiction for another. I’m scared for my wallet.

The best deals I got were easily the high-end products. I didn’t really even want some of this stuff, but the discounts were so steep I couldn’t pass it up, like this Estée Lauder serum; I have a sample of this I haven’t even used yet, but check out that price tag. 29 dollars for a product that retails for $95? Of course I bought it. I bought the Shiseido stuff out of curiosity, but I do plan to use it eventually. I did open the night cream and I’ve used it a few times — it’s so rich and makes my skin feel amazing. I know it’s a skincare no-no to start using many new products at once, but I couldn’t help myself. Also, I’m afraid that I’ll like these products, I’ll begin to depend on them, and then I won’t be able to find it at a discount again and I’ll end up paying $95 for another jar of this cream. Luxuries become necessities eventually, after all.

The sheet mask getting was good. I’m stoked about the Jeju Natural masks, since I actually bought a bunch of individual ones in my second Roseroseshop order. I was so happy to see them at TJ Maxx that I bought both boxes. I don’t know much about the Celkin and Kwailnara masks, but the value was good, so I grabbed them. I think I’ve heard about The Creme Shop in passing, like that they’re fake-Korean, but I’m not bothered by that. I’m looking forward to finding out what I look like as a cartoon penguin.

I had no idea SheaMoisture had professional products, and that kind of excites me. I found this in the foodie section — likely because the box says “cocktail” — and couldn’t pass it up. I love the idea of mixing my own product, like I’m a hair scientist. This has to be fun.

Some things got left out. I found a Too Faced face palette and some of their Melted lipsticks; the lipsticks were six dollars each, and the palette was ten. They didn’t make it into the photos because I’d already put them in the vanity drawers.

I’m pleased with this haul. I spent more than I wanted to, but considering what I saved on the high-end stuff, it’s like I bought those retail and got sixty sheet masks for free.

I bought these products myself. I was not paid to mention TJ Maxx in this post.

My First K-Beauty Haul

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This post was originally written for my other blog, but since it’s a relevant topic, I’ll cross-post it.

I said I was going to get a better skincare routine this year, and I meant it. As I run out of things, I am going to be replacing them with products from Asia. Recently, I found myself running out of facial cleanser and had a gift card burning a hole in my wallet, so I started browsing Korean skincare shops online to see what I could find. My goal was to buy what I needed and then spend whatever I had left on samples. I had $50 and I was going to give it all to Roseroseshop. Explore Korean skincare with me!

I started by replacing my cleanser. In accordance with the ten step Asian skincare regimen, I decided to buy both an oil cleanser and a foaming cleanser. I chose Goodal’s Double Bright Cleansing Oil and Secret Key’s Snail Repairing Foam Cleanser. I spent twelve dollars for both.

Now here’s the sucky part: shipping. Shipping costs, after all was said and done, ended up being half of my budget and roughly the same amount of my order. I had a $50 budget, as I mentioned before, but I was only able to spend about $20, because shipping was also around $20.

So I spent twelve dollars on the cleansers, and the rest was spent on samples. I’d heard samples were yet another advantage to Asian skincare, but I didn’t expect Roseroseshop to have such good deals on them. I got packs of multiples — sometimes packs of ten — for a dollar or less. These samples, of course, were likely the reason my shipping was so exorbitant, but that’s life. The samples were most of my order, and I couldn’t photograph everything. I’ll list it, though.

Etude House
AC Clean Up Toner and Gel Lotion (four bottles of each)

TonyMoly
Timeless Ferment Snail Toner and Emulsion (two bottles of each)

Skinfood
Gold Caviar Emulsion (four bottles)
Premium Lettuce and Cucumber Toner and Emulsion (four bottles of each)
Premium Tomato Whitening Toner and Emulsion (four bottles of each)
Watery Berry Toner and Emulsion (four bottles of each)
Yuja Water C Toner and Emulsion (for bottles of each)
Aloe Watery Sun Water Gel (ten packets)
Black Sugar Perfect First Serum, Light (ten packets)
Fresh Apple Essence (ten packets)
Freshmade Apple Mask (ten packets)
Freshmade Pineapple Mask (ten packets)
Freshmade Watermelon Mask (ten packets)

The following were included as freebie samples:
Missha M Signature Real Complete BB Cream SPF25 PA++
COSRX AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid
COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid
The Face Shop Dr. Belmeur Daily Repair Foam Cleanser
The Face Shop Real Blend Rich Cream Soap

I haven’t tried everything yet, but I like what I have used. The Goodal cleansing oil melted waterproof Maybelline mascara off very quickly. The Secret Key snail cleanser is very foamy and I feel very clean after. The Skinfood aloe sunscreen had a lovely scent and absorbed well. The Missha BB cream was a bit dark on me, but gave me good coverage.

My first haul isn’t perfect, but I’m happy with it. I feel very satisfied with my choices, and I can’t wait to really get into using the toners and emulsions. I’ve also placed a second order from Roseroseshop because I’m running low on eye cream. I can’t wait to brag about that, too!

So, have you used any of these products? Are you a K-beauty addict with advice? Let me know!

I bought these products myself.

Manicure Monday: Blast From The Past

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Welcome back, reader! Manicure Monday is a simple look this week. I’d actually planned something a little more intricate, but now that I’ve cut my nails down, I simplified it. I’m talking like there’s something wrong with just color and glitter, there’s totally not! For this look, I used Sephora by OPI’s It’s Bouquet With Me over Orly’s Rio Nights.

Originally, I’d planned a gray to purple gradient with Rio Nights. When I’ve got a multicolored glitter like this, I like to pick colors out and find cremes that match it, and that way everything is cohesive. With nails this small, though, there just wouldn’t have been room for it.

I love this mani, though. It’s making me all kinds of nostalgic. I was a hardened nail biter when I was younger — hell, until I was 23 — and this was what my hands always looked like back then. I liked wearing polish, but it was never a biting deterrent, so I always had these tiny little nails. I also feel deeply for purple glittery polish; the first nail polish that was 100% mine was a gift from my sister, and it was a purple glitter, right around the time unconventional colors and glitter polishes were getting popular in the late 1990s. I wore that polish until it was gone. This look channels that polish so hard.

I regret that I didn’t get any sunlight photos of this look. There’s been some inclement weather in the southeast, and the sun didn’t shine for more than five minutes at a time, and I could just never catch it. Also, when was the last time I wore a bow charm? It’s been ages!

The Sephora by OPI line has been discontinued; I actually found this particular one at Big Lots. Orly polishes are sold in stores nationwide. My bow charm is from Daily Charme.

I bought these polishes myself.

Swatch Sunday: Color Club’s Poptastic

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Swatch Sunday! I hope you like neons, because I got the neons. It’s just what I needed this weekend. This is Color Club’s Poptastic; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Dream Polish‘s Gem Glam in the Melon Baller scent. No white undies were used.

Homemade label; the bottles came without them and I had to make my own.

Poptastic is a neon pink creme. Application was good; the product consistency was a little thin, but I got good coverage with multiple coats. I had no issues at all with drying times. The polish dries with a glossy finish.

I’ve been wearing a lot of bright pinks lately, and it’s been so much fun. Neons just feel so good to wear, like I’m always thinking summer thoughts every time I look at my nails. I’ve had a ton of fun wearing this. It even looks good on my tiny pinky nail! Also, thanks to everyone who sent healing vibes, they totally helped. Also, bacitracin. It doesn’t look so bad now, and it stopped hurting.

Poptastic and other Color Club polishes are available on their website.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Sick Inside Wondering

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It’s Swatch Saturday! Today’s post is very late, but it is still Saturday somewhere. My polish today is Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s Sick Inside Wondering; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Dream Polish‘s Gem Glam top coat in the Melon Baller scent.

Let me address the bandage. If you follow me on Instagram, you saw the photo of the break I posted. I won’t post it here, but go there to see the gore. Long story short, I hit the nail, it tore off, it was very painful and it bled a lot, hence the bandage. I hope it’s not too distracting from the swatch; I went for the novelty Pac-Man ones, because I never get a chance to use them.

Sick Inside Wondering is a kelly green polish with blue shimmer. Application was easy; the product has the perfect consistency and went on with no issues. The polish dries with a satin finish.

I love green polishes, and BEGL makes some of the best. I love the shimmer in this; it’s a subtle shimmer that only really comes when the light touches it. This was my favorite from the collection when it launched; the green is vivid, and the blue shimmer cools it off. Allow me to remind you, again, that this is a Valentine’s day collection.

I have some outdoor photos for you, and like last time, I’ve taken photos of Sick Inside Wondering with its original finish and with top coat. The original finish is on the left, top coat is on the right. The shimmers stand out a bit more with top coat, but satin-finish lovers will enjoy the softness of it.

Sick Inside Wondering and other Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquers are available in their online shop, though currently they are on hiatus. The Pac-Man bandages were from Paradise Arcade Shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Manicure Monday: Pink Destination

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Hello, reader! It’s Monday again! For today’s look, I used Shinjuku Golden Gai and Plumeria from Elevation Polish. It’s so colorful!

When I heard Elevation was doing a collection based on Japanese landmarks, I decided I was going to buy it, even before I knew what it looked like. I couldn’t pass up a polish named after places I’d been in real life, could I? Of course, Shinjuku Golden Gai wasn’t one of them; I was a teen when I was in Japan, and the bars and clubs of this district were beyond my reach. This actually has nothing to do with the nail polish, I’m sorry.

Shinjuku Golden Gai is a gorgeous polish, though. It’s a warm neon pink with a cool neon pink flash, and the two together make such an awesome combination. The formula was so smooth and lovely to work with, also. It has renewed my love for hot pink polish.

I didn’t want to do glitter gradients two weeks in a row, but I also didn’t want to cover up my base polish very much. I pulled out Plumeria and used the lightest hand I could to sponge the polish on. I like the result. This was what I wanted last week’s look with Bridezilla to be, not the chunky mess I ended up with. I really love the round glitters and all the color they add, but you can still see the pink flash in the base polish. These photos were taken in direct sunlight. The warm pink leans orange out here, which I love. You can see the shimmers in Plumeria pretty well out here, as well as the pink shimmer in Shinjuku Golden Gai. I love this mani so much.

Plumeria looks like it might be discontinued, but Shinjuku Golden Gai and other Elevation Polishes are sold in their online shop.

I bought these polishes myself.