Beauty Trash: July 2016

Another quarter, another round of my beauty trash!  I’ve changed the name of this re-occuring post to Beauty Trash from Used & Abused because it didn’t really click with me how inappropriate that could be perceived.  Eek.  Call me naive.   Anyway  I’ll get my repeats out of the way first thing, and then it’s on to new products I used up!

REPEATS

Batiste Dry Shampoo: Only 3 bottles this time – however I’m really loving the new Ella Henderson scent!  I’m hoping this isn’t limited edition and it sticks around permanently!

Repurchase?: Yes

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream: One of the only hand creams that I regularly repurchase and always have to have on hand.  I go through a lot of these in the Winter because when my hands get really dry, my eczema tends to flare up but this keeps it in check.  I absolutely love this stuff!

Repurchase: Yes

Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water: My favourite micellar water, hands down.  Full review here.

Repurchase?: Yes

be Delectable Super Smoothing Body Polish (Strawberries & Cream): This is my second “tube” of this scrub but the Strawberries & Cream scent is divine.  It reminds me of a Strawberry Shortcake doll (do you remember those?) More details on why I like it here.

Repurchase?: Yes

SKINCARE

CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion – PM: I really enjoyed this night-time moisturizer and it lasted me a long time – almost a year!  I appreciated that it included active ingredients such as Niacinamide and Hyaluronic Acid and I actually found I experienced similar results to one of my favourite moisturizers – Peter Thomas Roth’s 10% Glycolic Acid moisturizer.  It left my skin feeling moisturized and seemed to decrease the amount of redness I’d experience after washing my face.  The only drawback is that this does include parabens, which I’m not crazy about.  I haven’t repurchased it yet but I expect to at some point.

Repurchase?: Yes

Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer All Day Lotion: I’ve had this for a while and barely used it but unfortunately it’s expired so I chucked it.  I didn’t mind this but I don’t think I’d repurchase it – while it did its job as a sunscreen, it took a really long time to absorb and left my skin feeling a little greasy.  I had a really hard time trying to make this work under foundation so I wouldn’t repurchase it.

Repurchase?: No

Sephora Total Purify & Cleanse Gel: I loved this extra gentle face wash – my only gripe is that it didn’t remove my eye makeup very well.  My skin always felt so soft, yet clean after using this and my sensitive skin was just in love with it.  It had a light green tea scent that I found calming and soothing when used before bed.  I’m currently using some other cleansers but I wouldn’t hesitate to re-purchase this in the future.

Repurchase: Yes

Fresh Soy Face Cleanser: This was just okay for me; it was gentle and I had no issues with irritation but I wasn’t crazy about the light cucumber fragrance (I hate cucumbers and anything cucumber-scented).

Repurchase: No

Clinique Liquid Facial Soap (Mild – Dry/Combination): Another cleanser sample that I was just ‘meh’ about; it did the job but it didn’t do anything special and I found my face felt a little tight after using it.

Repurchase: No

Purlisse pur-delicate Gentle Soy Milk Cleanser:  This was a sample I received in a previous Luxe box; the first few times I used this I actually quite liked it – it seemed to take all of my makeup off easily, even eye makeup.  Then I stopped using it and went back to a few weeks later and it didn’t seem to work as well.  So I’m not sure what changed?  Regardless, it appears to be discontinued, not that I could see myself paying $36 for it anyway.

Repurchase: No

The Face Shop Character Mask – Moisturizing (not available online): This was also included in a previous Luxe Box and I was excited to use it because it looked hilarious.  And it was, but I didn’t really feel like it did anything but I haven’t found a sheet mask that has.  My skin felt moisturized for about an hour after and that was about it.

Repurchase?: No

Kirkland Daily Facial Towelettes (available in-store): I use these to remove swatches and clean my countertops and makeup vanity.  I do not put these anywhere near my face because these are beyond irritating to my skin.  Read more about it here.

Repurchase?: No

BATH & BODY

Frilly Lilly Shea Butter Creme (Argentinian Lemon): I picked this up at a local esthetics salon by the same name and at first I wasn’t sure about the lemon scent but it totally grew on me and I find it perfect for summer!  I also loved how it didn’t leave my hands feeling greasy or slick – it just moisturized them nicely.

Repurchase: Yes

L’Occitane Hand Gel Creme (Citrus Verbena):  Another hand cream that smells absolutely amazing!  This smells so fresh and clean and the gel formula is cooling and refreshing.  I’ve already bought another tube of this but I’m not going to lie, the $12 for 1 oz price tag kind of hurts given that this only lasts me a couple of weeks.  But L’Occitane has sucked me in so I’ll probably still keep buying them!

Repurchase: Yes

St.Ives Fresh Hydration Lotion (Naturally Energizing): I’m not sure if St.Ives is no longer carrying this particular scent as it’s not showing up on their website (just on Amazon) but if that’s the case I’m kind of disappointed because I really liked it.  I prefer body lotions that aren’t too thick but still really moisturizing and that describes this perfectly – except it’s in a handy-dandy spray format.  I’m using up some other body lotions right now but I will be picking up another one of these at some point.

Repurchase: Yes

Hawaiian Blend Aloe After Sun Lotion: I’ve had this for years and finally used it up – and I’m pretty sad about it.  This is such a great product to apply after you’ve spent a day in the sun, or if you’ve had a burn and need something to soothe your skin and prevent peeling.  I find that applying aloe vera gel helps cool your skin but doesn’t do much to moisturize it, which if you’re burnt, you really need.  I’ll definitely be picking up another bottle of this the next time I’m in Hawaii!

Repurchase: Yes

Bath & Body Works Twisted Peppermint Body Lotion (no longer available): Another oldie, I don’t even want to know how many years I’ve had this lying around for.  I finally decided to use it up and I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did.  This actually provides a pretty good amount of moisture!  Plus the cooling peppermint sensation was kind of nice too.

Repurchase: Yes

Ombra Aromatic Foam Bath (Eucalyptus): One of the first things I do when cold weather or the flu hits is go out and pick up this bubble bath.  It’s fantastic for soothing sore and aching muscles and the eucalyptus oil helps you breathe easier.

Repurchase: Yes

Cake Milk Made Supremely Rich Bath & Shower Froth:  I’ve gotten to the point now where I literally cannot live without this stuff – I always have a bottle on hand to replace the one I’ve just finished up.  I use this mostly as a bubble bath, but it works really well as a shower gel too.  They have various scents but this one might be my favourite because it’s so unique – it smells like whipped cream tastes, with a hint of raspberry.  Plus it leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth.

Repurchase: Yes

Rocky Mountain Soap Bubble Bath – Vanilla Ginger (no longer available): Can you tell I like bubble bath?  This was a Christmas gift and I enjoyed it I felt like I was bathing in gingerale.  The only drawback was that this was pretty liquidy so I used it pretty fast.  I wouldn’t purchase this regularly but it’s nice as a treat once and a while.

Repurchase: Yes

Mitchum Gel Anti-Perspirant (Unscented): This is the only anti-perspirant/deodorant that I’ve found that works for me; TMI – I tend to sweat a lot but I can actually wear this every other day and get away with it.  I’ve tried others and they just don’t compare.

Repurchase: Yes

Britney Spears Fantasy Perfume: Yes it’s Britney Spears perfume but it’s awesome.  Plus it’s super affordable and lasts all day.

Repurchase: Yes

MAKEUP

Smashbox Photofinish Primer (Blemish Control): I was a little afraid to use this because I expected it to be drying given that it contains salicylic acid; it wasn’t but I didn’t find it did anything to keep my oily t-zone under control.  If you have blemishes and dry skin, this might work okay for you but I have other primers that work much better for me.

Repurchase?: No

CoverGirl Oh Sugar! Lip Balm (Cupcake): My initial thoughts on this really haven’t changed much – you can read them here.

Repurchase?: No

Better Than Sex Mascara: I still really like this mascara but I might be falling slightly out of love with it.  While it checks every box (lengthening, thickening, volumizing, separating) the flaking and smudging are starting to drive me nuts.  I’m tempted to try the waterproof version to see if it’s any better.  I’m currently using up another sample size of this so I’m going to finish that one up before I decide if I should purchase it again.

Repurchase?: Undecided

LipSmackers Lip balm (Strawberry Coconut / Dr. Pepper): Technically these should fall under Repeats but I forgot to split them out in the photo, so they’re down here.  Full review on Dr. Pepper here. Strawberry Coconut performed the same but it didn’t have the tint that Dr. Pepper has.

Repurchase?: Yes

TOOLS

Beauty Blender: I’ve said before how I didn’t expect to love my Beauty Blender as much as I do.  I bought it because of the hype but I truly feel it does live it up to it.  I’ve tried other versions and I find that they work fine for the most part, but they’re just not quite as good as this. This one lasted me a whole year; make note that I didn’t use it every single day but I took good care of it and cleaned it regularly and thoroughly.  I know they recommend to replace it every 3 months but out of pure curiosity I cut my open before I threw it out and it literally looked brand new inside.  My personal opinion is that if you take good care of it, one can last you way past the 3 month mark.

Repurchase?: Yes

Sephora Eyelash Curler: I’ve been wanting to get rid of this eyelash curler for a while and it sealed its fate one day a few weeks ago.  I went to curl my lashes with it and one of the silicone covers flew off, causing my hand to slip and resulting in a handful of lashes being ripped out.  #ouch  That’s my biggest complaint about this curler – the silicone covers were always coming off.  I’ve since purchased a replacement (Tarte’s version) and I haven’t looked back.

Repurchase?: No

Wow that took a while, I think I need to do these more often.  What products have you finished using lately?

January Loves & Letdowns

Woo hoo it’s finally February!  And with that comes another month of Loves & Letdowns.  First off I’d like to rid January good riddance – what a crappy month that was.  I had pink eye and a virus for two weeks straight and I just finally started wearing contact lenses last week.  It’s been a long month and I’m glad to see it go!

Now on to my loves and one, lonely letdown for the first month of 2016:

LOVES

e.l.f Contour Palette: I picked this up back in September at the e.l.f store in New York and I hadn’t really used it that much since then as it was buried in the back of one of my drawers.  I re-discovered it early in January and realized how good it actually is.  I still find the bronzer shade a little orange but I use it a light hand and it’s wearable.  But I’ve really grown to love the contour shade, highlighter and yellow-toned “banana” powder to set my concealer.  While they are a little powdery, they blend easily and are just pigmented enough for my fair skin.

Buxom Full & Fabulous Mascara: Buxom and Bare Minerals were really having a moment with me this month.  This was the mascara I chose to use while my eyes were healing and I can’t say I was disappointed with this.  It gave my lashes some serious definition, separation and length.  The formula is a good balance between wet and dry, which is perfect if you like to build your mascara (which I do).  That said, I’d say you can only apply about 3 full coats before you’re just wasting product because it’s not making any kind of a difference.  So I would have preferred for it to add a little more volume and thickness but sometimes I can get a bit carried away in that area.  I also appreciate the fact that this didn’t flake or smudge throughout the day and I loved how long the brush was – it made it really easy to get those little lashes in the corners of my eyes.

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette: This was a birthday gift and I was able to use it a few times in December before my eyes got infected.  I just started using it again last week because I definitely did not want to risk contaminating this.  It is a beautiful palette!  I can’t get over how soft and blendable the shadows are and I love the cocoa scent.

 

Bare Minerals READY Eyeshadow 2.0 (Top Shelf): As mentioned above, when I was dealing with my eye infection the last thing I wanted to do was contaminate my eye makeup.  SO I dug through my makeup collection and pulled out this eyeshadow duo and figured I would use it (and only it!) until my eyes improved.  I didn’t expect much from it but I’m happy to report that this little palette blew me away! Each shadow is super buttery and soft and pretty darn pigmented, particularly the gold/bronze shade.  And they have some serious lasting power!  These were still going strong by the end of my 12 hour day – no creasing or fading at all! The only drawback I did notice was that there was definitely some fallout from these which was a little annoying (you can see how messy it gets in the picture above).  But ultimately it’s convinced me that I need to try some additional Bare Minerals shadows because I think they’re hidden gems!

Buxom Full On Lipstick (Brooklyn) / Full-On Lip Polish (Sophia): I received each of these in separate gift sets late last year but only started using the two of them together in January.  I love the formula of each of these – the lipstick is super moisturizing, very pigmented and the polish is super glossy, tingly and not sticky.  I wasn’t super crazy about the shades on their own – Brooklyn is a brownish/pink and Sophia is a very sheer pink.  But together they’re fabulous!  These are just small sample sizes but I’ve made a significant dent in both of them as I’ve basically been wearing these the entire month.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask: I already raved about this in my 2015 Favorites so I won’t repeat myself except to say that I’m still using this and I’m still loving it.  Totally buying the full size of this once I run out.

St Ives Fresh Hydration Lotion (Citrus & Vitamin C): I’ve had this for a while but have only started using in regularly the last month or so.  I really wanted to try out one of these aerosol spray lotions and I’m really glad I did!  I like the ease in which I can apply this – I can spray with one hand and rub it in with the other.  I also really like how lightweight the actual lotion is.  If I’m being honest I hate thick lotions that take forever to sink in, especially in the mornings when I’m getting ready for work.  This absorbs quickly but still keeps me moisturized throughout the day.  And it smells really bright and fresh!

Marc Jacobs DOT Fragrance: Normally I wouldn’t include a little fragrance sample in my favourites but this was a pleasant surprise!  This was a small little spritzer but I was able to ration it out over 5 days because this is a POTENT perfume.  Which in my mind is great, I hate fragrances that wear off throughout the day.  The scent is described as one containing red berries, dragonfruit, and honeysuckle and notes of jasmine, coconut water and orange blossom.  Ultimately its sweet, fruity and a little musky which is totally my preference when it comes to perfumes.

Hot Tools Hot Styler 1 1/2″ Thermal Hot Brush: I’m not going to say too much about this because I want to do a full review of it later on but I LOVE this tool!  It literally takes me half the time to round brush my hair with this as it does with a regular round brush.  And it leaves my hair much smoother.  Bonus – it’s currently on sale!

The Mindy Project: I started watching this at the beginning of this month and I’ve been hooked ever since.  I love finding shows that truly make me LOL because that’s rare (maybe I have high standards?) – I hate cheesy humour.  The Mindy Project isn’t free from the odd cheesy moment, but the majority of it is filled with inappropriate, non-politically correct humour.  Totally gained a new respect for Mindy Kailing through this as well; I used to watch the Office and while she had some funny moments, it pales in comparison to her performance here.  I may see glimpses of myself in her at times as well – not sure if that’s a good thing but it makes me laugh and I love it!

LETDOWN

Tom Ford Black Orchid: My second perfume sample that made it into this post but this one didn’t fare so well.  It’s my lonely letdown for the month.  This may be the most overpowering, heavy perfume I’ve ever tried and I hated it.  It’s super musky and warm and sweet. I really didn’t like it as soon as I applied it, but I gave it a chance to sit on my skin for a bit to see if it would change once mixed with my skin.  It didn’t, it just got stronger and more potent.  Not a fan!

What products did you enjoy (and not enjoy!) this month?  Let me know below!

Thanks for reading!

Review: St. Ives Pink Lemon & Mandarin Orange Scrub

Okay I can barely put into words how much I loooooove this facial scrub.  I’ve been searching for a gentle, yet effective exfoliator for a while now and when I came across this one I was skeptical at first.  But I’m convinced that this is truly one of the best drugstore facial scrubs out on the market right now.  And its super budget friendly!

A while back I was having issues with my foundation not blending well.  I noticed on the days that I exfoliated, it applied smooth and even.  At the time I was using a few different products to exfoliate but all of them were way too harsh to use more than once a week.

I happened to be in Superstore a couple of months ago and noticed that they had their St. Ives products on sale.  The Fresh Skin Exfoliating Apricot Scrub was actually one I had been using and while I liked it, I found the exfoliating beads too coarse for me to use any more than once a week.  The Even & Bright Pink Lemon & Mandarin Orange Scrub caught my eye, mainly because I find my skin can be a little dull sometimes.  I’m also pale, so I experience redness on a regular basis.  So I picked up a tube for $3 and off I went.

The next morning I gave it a try and instantly I was in love!  It has a super creamy texture and a really lovely citrus scent.  The exfoliating beads were small enough not to damage my skin but large enough to give it a good gentle scrub and leave it super soft!  Since then I’ve been slowly upping my usage to about 3-4 times a week. My skin is feeling and looking great with no irritation or dryness and a completely smooth palette to apply my makeup.

The only drawback is that I can’t say for certain that it’s doing anything to brighten and even my skin tone, so I wouldn’t recommend it for that purpose.  Also, as with any exfoliating product, make sure you keep it clear of the eye area.  I read a review of someone who got this in her eye and ended up with a scratched cornea. #ouch.  So avoid doing that.  Overall though, I am super stoked about my $3 purchase and it’s being added to my list of favorite products for sure.

In summary:

PROS:

• Gentle yet effective exfoliation
• Refreshing scent (not overpowering)
• Leaves skin smooth and soft (no dryness)
• Budget friendly!

CONS:

• No real evidence that it actually brightens or evens skin

COST: $3-$6 CAD, depending on retailer

WHERE I FOUND IT: Real Canadian Superstore; most drug/grocery stores

Happy exfoliating!

Maggie ❤