June Empties | #2

So this is my second empties post ever! Basically, this empties installment is from April-June. I do an empties quarterly because I don't have many empty products for just one month. Ironically, this quarter had a lot of empties! 

Makeup Products: 

Eos Lip Balm

I did not like this at all. It did not hydrate my lips like other lip balms I have used. Tossing it even though it is not entirely finished.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Compact Makeup

Regret, regret, regret. I bought this to have as a touch up at school, but the product would never show up on my skin. It never worked for me. Tossing this out as well. 

Stila Smudge Pots in Bronze

This was originally my mom's. She used it as a gel eyeliner and it looked lovely. I rediscovered it in her makeup collection and used it for a bit. Unfortunately, it dried out. 

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray

This was alright. It was my first setting spray so I did not know what to expect. Although it did the job, the price of the fullsize is pretty steep.

bareMinerals Matte Foundation

This did not keep me matte at all. At first, it looked great, but about an hour later, I was really shiny. It made me just as oily as the original formula. Although I love the concept of a powder/mineral foundation, I can't bring myself to repurchasing one. Hopefully I can find a good one. 

Covergirl Cheekers blush in Natural Rose

This was another regret. I bought it to use at school if I needed some retouching. This did not show up on me. Plus when swatched, it was way to powdery. Not purchasing that item again. 

Eyeko SkinnyMini Liquid Eyeliner in Black

A very nice liquid eyeliner, but it dried up on me after many good uses. 

Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara

Thank God this was a mini size,  because it did absolutely nothing for my eyelashes. It looks like I did not have any mascara on, even after piling it on my eyelashes. Terrible. 

Estée Lauder Sumptuous Mascara

A good mascara that does add some volume to the lashes, but it dried out so I have to throw it away.

Face Products:

Clinique Acne Solutions

The first few weeks it worked for me, but after it just made my face really dry and I broke out even more. I did not finish all of it, but have decided to throw it away.

pHisoderm Facial Wash

I really enjoyed this facial wash. Unfortunately, I do not know where to find it, but if I see it again I would repurchase it.

LUSH Cosmetic Warrior face mask

This was my first LUSH purchase. Cosmetic Warrior was alright, I want to try the other ones though! They have so many to choose from.

LUSH Cosmetic Lad

I got this face lotion as a sample when I went to LUSH. It is very light and absorbs quickly in the skin, but I would not buy the full size.

Clarisonic Sensitive Brush Head

I really enjoy using my Clarisonic Mia. I have been using the Sensitive brush heads and I like how it works.

Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil

I loved this little sample that I received! I was so sad when I finished it, but I recently got another sample. Unfortunately, I realized it did not fully moisturize the dry areas of my skin. I am not sure if I would repurchase the full size of this.

Epiduo Face medicine

I got a sample of this acne medication. It has benzoyl peroxide and adapalene. I purchased the full size since my dermatologist recommended me to use it for my acne. Hopefully it works well.

 Teeth Products:

Crest 3D White Whitestrips

These strips really helped my teeth get whiter. I would definitely repurchase them again.

equate Dental Floss

I am not picky with floss, so any brand will do. This one is a generic brand and it works just fine.

Colgate Total Toothpaste

This toothpaste was alright for me. I usually alternate toothpastes every time anyways.

 Hair Products:

It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in Product

I have had this bottle for years. There was a time I used it often, and then I stopped using it for another point in time. It did not feel like a miracle. It was just a normal leave in product to help smooth the hair, control frizz, and add shine. There were other claims it said it did, but I did not notice much of a difference.

Organix Biotin and Collagen shampoo

My friend told me that these shampoos and conditioners were good. I decided to try it out, but did not like the shampoo. It did  not thicken my hair or make it look fuller. Will not repurchase.

 Body Products:

Hollister Malaia Fragrance

At first, I thought this fragrance was strange and different (at least for me when I first smelled it back in 2008), but I love it. It has such a cute bottle, and I love the little bulb you squeeze to spritz the fragrance, seems vintage like. Whenever I finish most of my other perfumes, I will consider repurchasing.

Neutrogena Micro-mist Airbrush Sunless Tan (Deep)

The concept of an airbrush sunless tan sounds nice, but you have to make sure you pay attention to where you are spraying so that it does not come out streaky and blotchy. Also, I looked more yellowish than tan with this product. Will not repurchase.

Olay Ultra Moisture Body Wash with Shea Butter

I love buying body washes at the drugstore because they have alot of product for a good value. Although I do enjoy splurging a bit with other shower gels at Bath & Body Works and the Body Shop, it is nice to have a different wash every once in a while.

True Blue Spa Super Rich Body Cream (Vanilla Almond)

This stuff moisturized my legs really well. It is very thick and the moisture lasts a long time on my legs. Not sure if I will repurchase just yet because I have other lotions to use up first!

Bath & Body Works Forever Sunshine body lotion

I am not a fan of the body lotions because they do absolutely nothing to add moisture to my legs. The moisture it gives is very temporary. Others may find it perfect for them since it is lightweight, but I prefer a more moisturizing cream.

Soap & Glory Righteous Body Butter

I used up a sample of this product. It did well moisturizing me, and the scent is lovely, although on the strong side. I bought the mini version for my birthday and is in my stash ready to use up.

True Blue Spa Super Rich Foot Cream (mini)

These foot creams are great! They have shea butter in them. I love applying it then putting socks on my feet at night. It is a great follow up to a foot scrub.

True Blue Spa Smoothing Foot Scrub (mini)

This foot scrub was alright. It was a mild scrub, nice for a daily exfoliation. It has walnut shells in it. True Blue Spa has another foot scrub that I want to try.

 Other products:

Bath & Body Works Scentportables in Fresh Cotton

This is the old packaging but I love placing these car fresheners in my car or my closet at home.

equate Nail Polish Remover

Again, since I'm not picky with a nail polish remover, the generic brand it perfect for me.

Bath & Body Works Anti-bac Hand Sanitizer

These are perfect for a car or a purse. They come in handy more often then you would think.

OPI Ski Teal We Drop

I borrowed this color from a friend of mine because I loved how it looked. It is a dark teal color leaning a little more on the blue side. It applied smoothly and at one coat, it is very opaque. In the picture above, I only have one coat on.

First Impressions: June 2013 Ipsy Glambag

I got my first Ipsy Glambag this month and I absolutely love it! 

This month's theme was "On the Wild Side". The cute animal print bag with the bright lime stripe said it all! 

Inside my bag I got 5 full size items:

- Starlooks Lip pencil in Tickle Me Pink

- NXY blush in Mauve

- J.Cat Beauty Sparkling Creme Palette

- Cailyn Cosmetics Line-Fix Gel Liner in Iron

- J.Cat Beauty Eyelashes

L-R: Tickle Me Pink, Mauve, Iron

Overall, I think it was a great experience and can't wait for the next months to come!

Join me on Ipsy and subscribe to the Glam Bag! For just $10/month, you get 4-5 beauty products delivered to your door in adorable themed bags. Check it out here: http://www.ipsy.com/?refer=u-hegnncwyvbh511ba

Please follow on Bloglovin!

The time is getting closer to the "end" of Google Reader, which allows us to see our blog feed when we log into blogger. Whether it is truth or rumor, I would like all my lovely readers to follow me on Bloglovin so that I don't lose you and that you can continue reading my posts. 

I am also in the process of looking through all the blogs I love to follow them on Bloglovin! Hope you do the same! Love you guys!

Click on the animation below to follow me on Bloglovin <3

REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask

I have seen a lot of hype around this product, and decided to try it out. I have been testing this product for the last two months and have come up with some thoughts about it.

REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask is a potent bioactive complex that reduces fine lines and dramatically improves tone, firmness, and radiance.

I had read many reviews that this mask helped skin have a glow as well as reduce post acne marks. I am someone who is prone to these post acne marks and want to find something that can diminish the appearance of them. This mask is on the pricy side, so I hoped it would work. It turns out to be a good value because the price of the mask is pretty much the price you would pay to have just one facial, where as the mask can be used multiple times. The directions say to use it once weekly. My chosen day to use it were on Sundays.

This mask seems to be marketed as a natural product because it uses bio extracts such as glycolic, lactic, citric, tartaric acids extract of passion fruit, grape, pineapple, lemon, Omega 3 and 7 papain.

My experience. 

I tried it the first night I bought it. When I put it on my face, I could not stand the scent. I know many people love the scent, but to me it smells like medicinal orange popsicles and it bothers me. The directions say to leave it on for 10 minutes. The first five minutes were bearable, but after that my skin started itching. I figured it itched because it was my first time using this mask. 

I tried it a few more times, and I still experienced the itchiness. I can get over the smell, even though its not my favorite. If a product works, I will somehow get use to the smell. After several uses, I experienced some breakouts. I am still not sure if it was just my skin having a rough month or if it was caused from this mask. 

I did however notice that it did give my skin radiance after I took it off, which is a good thing. Unfortunately, I did not see any change in my post-acne marks. 

Pros:

- Good value, considering the many uses you get from it for the price of one facial

- I do see some radiance after removing it

- Uses bio extracts and other natural ingredients to aid in the exfoliation process

- No parabens, sulfates, mineral oils, petrolatum, etc.

- Dermatologist tested and approved

- Does not test on animals

Cons:

- The scent

- Caused my face to itch

- Did nothing for my post acne marks

Verdict

For me, I do not think it worked. Just because it did not work for me, does not mean it won't work for you. I was hoping it would reduce the acne marks, but for someone who just wants a gentle exfoliation to bring back radiance, I think it is great. Still not sure if I will be using this again or giving it away.

Mani Mondays | China Glaze Oxygen

Hello beauties! Last week I took a break from nail polish and gave my nails a chance to breathe. This week, I decided to use the Chine Glaze Oxygen. It is a sheer whitish polish, but I used 3 layers to build its opacity. It also looks a bit milky. But I wanted something simple. I love having whitish nails, it makes a manicure look clean and fresh.

Tarte Aqualillies Cheek and Eye Palette + Tutorial

 I remember seeing the Tarte Aqualillies collection for the first time and I was so excited! The packaging is what really drew me to it. I would have to say that this collection got me into liking teals with bright corals! Perfect for summer right?!

This palette was inspired by the Aqualillies synchronized swimming team. 

Then I saw the inside of the palette. Gorgeous neutrals! Plus a little splash of blue eyeshadow. Another thing that drew me to this beautiful palette was that it included a blush, bronzer, and highlighter. This was AWESOME! A 2-in-1 product! Perfect for travel and having everything in one palette. ALSO it is waterproof! I'm telling you, this is a great product especially for the summer, haha. It can be found at Sephora and Ulta. It is currently unavailable on the Tarte website.

Below are the names of the cheeks and eyes:

Top left is Champagne and it is the highlighter

To the right is the bronzer, Park Ave Princess (matte)

Below is the blush, Captivating

Then below that from left to right are the eyeshadows: Hammock (matte), Bikini (shimmer), Barefoot (shimmer), Parasol (shimmer), Sundeck (matte), and Poolside (shimmer).

I have yet to use Poolside because I like to stick to neutral shades, but I will try it soon!

To watch my YouTube video for the tutorial, click below!

Summer Candles: Bath & Body Works

Since last year, I have been collecting candles. Its ironic because I use to hate candles, mostly because we only had the stick candles growing up and I had a bad experience with a tea light candle. When I discovered Bath & Body Works had candles (one of my favorite stores), the collecting had begun. I didn't care much for the spring candles because they are all floral, and winter candles are good, but I love summer and fall candles the most. 

Tropical Spice

An exotic blend of cinnamon bark, spiced rum and Tahitian vanilla.

I have not seen this candle this year, and its a shame because it smells really good when it is lit, and want to get a few more.

Mango Beachwood

An exotic, sweet island blend of juicy mango and pineapple, combined with cedarwood and creamy tonka bean from the tropics.

Rio Glow ~Sizzle & Samba~

A tantalizing blend of tropical mango, papaya and guava as vibrant as Rio's Carnival. Samba till sunrise!

This candle was new this year for the Destination Candle collection.

Pink Sangria

Hello Pink Cocktail! Enjoy this pretty and refreshing mix of zesty mandarin, crisp apple, watery pear and sugared berries.

Watermelon Lemonade

Quench your thirst for long, summer days with this refreshing mixture of watermelon ice, sparkling water and freshly squeezed Meyer lemons.

This candle was new this year. At first, I did not like it, but after smelling it in the mini candle, I loved it.

Caribbean Escape

Dive into this blend of tropical melon, raspberry nectar and lemon mellowed by creamy coconut milk and raw sugarcane.

This candle is soooo sweet smelling when lit. I think this is a very popular one.

White Palm

Like a warm Caribbean breeze, refreshing white palm leaves and dewy greens combine perfectly with sweet peach blossoms.

I have not seen this candle this year. It has a very clean and fresh scent, not the typical fruity summer scent.

Summer Boardwalk

Like memories of the best summer spent at the beach -caramel-glazed popcorn, warm taffy-apples and salted, sweet cream.

Beach Cabana

Relax in the cool shade with sweet jasmine, orange blossom and a hint of musk.

Mani Mondays | Nail Care Routine

I have just developed a routine to hopefully keep my nails and hands looking pretty and soft. The problem with me is that my hands get very dry, which in turn make my cuticles dry, which can lead to my nails being brittle and weak and eventually break. So, to avoid all that, I thought up this routine, and hopefully I can stick to it!

First, I remove any nail polish I may have on my nails with a non-acetone nail polish remover.

Next, I use the True Blue Spa 60-Second Manicure Hand Scrub to exfoliate my hands.

Thirdly, I put C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve on my cuticles and nail beds to moisturize them.

Finally, at night, I apply True Blue Spa Super Rich Hand Creme to my hands. 

The only thing I will use nightly is the hand creme. I have become lazy with it, so I need to get back into it, but overall, this is my new nail care routine! 

What routine do you do?

Tarte Aqualillies Amazonian clay Liner

Hey lovelies! I've had a busy week! I've also been thinking of what to blog about haha.

When I first saw the Aqualillies limited edition collection by Tarte, I was in love with the packaging. I looked up many different first impressions and reviews of the collection, and was sure that I wanted the cheek and eye palette and the black eye liner. This eye liner is the same signature Amazonian clay waterproof liner that Tarte sells, but with a limited edition packaging for the Aqualillies. I also liked that it came with an angled brush. The normal liner comes with a straight brush. The angled brush makes application much easier for a potted liner newbie like me!

Upon watching many of the reviews, I saw that it applied buttery smooth with great pigmentation. I have to say that this is very accurate. The eye liner stays on all day without smudging, is waterproof, and glides on perfectly.

I believe this eyeliner will last me a while, and will possibly repurchase whenever it does run out!

Mani Mondays | Tarte Aqualillies Inspired

Ever since I saw the release of the Tarte Aqualillies collection, I fell in love with the theme and colors! I could not wait to get my hands on the palette. I loved the minty turquoise with the hot coral patterning. I found it to be my favorite color combination! (Thanks Tarte!)

For the month of June, I am doing things that focus around the Tarte Aqualillies collection theme, hence why I decided to do my nails in that way.

I used the SpaRitual Last Tango for the base of majority of my nails and some accents. For the ring finger, I applied Revlon Minted. For the gold accents, I used Petites 24k Gold. I used a dotting tool to make the design.

My Monthly Makeup Bag | June

JUMP RIGHT IN THE WATER! It is almost summer, (just a few more days before it is official); but where I live, it is definitely hot and summer-like. 

For this month, I wanted makeup that was kind of pool inspired. I wanted bright, corally, fun colors.  As usual, there are some products that you will see again from prior months. So here is the run down of what I will be using for June:

L'Oreal True Match Foundation

Bobbi Brown Corrector

Tarte Aqualillies Cheek and Eye Palette

Blush, bronzer, luminizer, and eyeshadows are all in this palette! So excited to use it

Tarte Amazonian clay finishing powder

Tarte 360 eye primer

Tarte Amazonian clay waterproof eyeliner

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! mascara

Covergirl Eye Enhancers in Brown Smolder

For eyebrows

Anastasia Clear Brow Gel

Tarte Lipsurgence in Joy

Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya

Don't Spend 60! + Giveaway winner!

Hey everyone! It is weird that I post on a Saturday, but thats ok! So for the past few months, I have caught myself spending a little bit more money on beauty items than I need too. So, to slow myself down and save money, I decided to do a 60 day spending ban.

It took me some thought and contemplation to finally decide to do this. Reason being because 1) I want to buy a new camera, 2) I need to teach myself self-control, and 3) I need to use up what I have.

So for the next 60 days, I am not allowed to buy any more beauty related items. It will begin June 1, 2013 till July 31, 2013. (technically 61 days!) I chose to do 60 days because it is my first time doing a ban, and 100 days just seemed to darn long.

Exceptions:

- I run out of something and have no back up (i.e. moisturizer)

- Beauty Subscription boxes (I just signed up to one for $10/month)

- If I receive beauty items as gifts, its ok

- If I need to buy a gift for someone

Other than those exceptions, I will not be buying anything. If I succeed, and don't purchase any beauty items (high end or drug store), during the ban, I will reward myself with the Nars Hungry Hearts/Orgasm blush duo. If I change my mind about what I want at the end, I will let you all know! But for now, this is what I want.

(picture from ebay.com)

Finally, the announcement you have been waiting for!!! The winner of the True Blue Spa giveaway is Christina D. Congratulations! =)

I have emailed the winner. They have 48 hours to get back to me. If they still have not responded to my email, then I will choose another winner.