Beauty Trash – December 2016

If my overflowing bin of empties doesn’t prove to you this post is long overdue, the fact that I took photos for this post back in OCTOBER will.  As is the fact that my bin is almost full yet again.  It goes without saying that it’d be in my best interest to set a more regular schedule for my empties posts.

Let’s start off with…

MAKEUP

MUFE Mist & Fix: I haven’t tried many setting sprays and I don’t make it a habit to use them unless I’m in humid weather, but this is a good one!  It actually keeps my makeup intact no matter what the weather and it has a nice fine mist.  I haven’t repurchased this but at some point I’ll probably pick up the travel size just so I have it on hand.  Repurchase?: Yes

NYX Butter Gloss (Tiramisu): One of my favourite lip glosses ever – these smell great, aren’t at all sticky and are very reasonably priced! Repurchase?: Yes

Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation: Another drugstore favourite!  I love this foundation, although I’ve purchased a replacement and haven’t been wearing it much since I discovered IT Cosmetics CC Cream.  I’d still recommend it though! Repurchase?: Yes

Barefoot Venus Lip Bliss (Spearmint): I received this in a Luxe Box and at first I wasn’t sold on it – but it really grew on me.  It’s one of those balms that work best once the heat of your lips has warmed up the tube a bit.  I’d love to get another one of these but they’re not sold at shops that I frequent.  Repurchase?: Yes

Lip Smackers Strawberry Cheesecake Lip Balm: I don’t know what it is but the other LipSmacker flavours just don’t compare to the Dr.Pepper one.  Which is sad because I can’t seem to find the Dr. Pepper ones anywhere *sob* Repurchase?: No

elf Instant Lift Eyebrow Pencil: For the price, I don’t really think you can beat these eyebrow pencils for their price ($2 US). They last a good amount of time too – I bought this last August!  My only issue is that the lightest shade (Taupe) is a little too dark for me when my hair is blonde – they need to expand their shade range.   Repurchase?: Yes

Hard Candy Stroke of Gorgeous Felt Tip Eyeliner: This is described as a 12-hour wear eyeliner and I can tell you that it doesn’t mess around in that department.  And therein lies the problem – it is impossible to remove, even with waterproof makeup remover.  As a result, I can’t recommend it.  Repurchase?: No

Essence Waterproof Eyeliner Pen: Not a bad eyeliner for the price but I don’t find it black enough; for some reason I keep buying them though?  Repurchase?:  No but probably yes.

Essence Eyeliner Pen: I wouldn’t recommend this one – the tip gets roughed up really easily and the formula doesn’t last at all.  I’d recommend the waterproof version over this one.  Repurchase?: No

L’Oreal Brow Stylist (Blonde):  Yes I’ve gone through three of these, so I obviously like them.  The only problem is how quickly I go through them – if I am to do my brows several times a week, I find I’m using up one a month minimum.  Still cheaper than a Brow Whiz though, which I’ve yet to try.  Repurchase?: Yes

MASCARA

Mascara gets its own category this time around, because I went through so much of it!

NYX Proof It Waterproof Mascara Topcoat:  I picked this up last year to take with me on beach vacations.  Yes, I’m one of those people who wears mascara to the beach pool – don’t judge.  I liked the idea of putting this on top of any mascara and it becoming instantly waterproof.  For the most part, it worked well, although it seemed to work better with some mascaras rather than others.  Repurchase?: Yes

CoverGirl LashBlast Plumpify Mascara: Add this to the long list of CoverGirl mascaras that don’t work for me.  The wand on this is huge, clunky and leaves huge clumps on your lashes.  Hated it.   Repurchase?: No

Kiko Endless Sky Volume Effect Mascara: Cute packaging, just okay mascara.  It didn’t do anything to thicken my lashes which is really what I’m looking for.  It also seemed to dry out fairly quickly.  Repurchase?: No

Tarte Lights Camera Lashes Mascara: A good all-around mascara and it held up well under humid conditions. Repurchase?: Yes

Tarte Tarteist Lash Paint: I loved how black this mascara made my lashes!  And it really did give my lashes some good length – I only wish it would have thickened them more.  However, I’d like to give it another go.  Repurchase?: Yes

Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara:  I.hated.this.  I’m not sure I’ve ever tried a worse mascara – it said it was black but it came out more gray on my lashes.  It offered nothing in terms of length, thickness, volume and left my lashes stick straight!  I might as well not even have bothered to put it on.  Repurchase?: No!

Benefit Rollerlash: I didn’t expect to like this mascara but I did – I don’t think it lives up to it’s claims of curling your lashes on it’s own though.  It definitely doesn’t remove the curl from your lashes once you’ve already curled them and I found the formula pretty nice – it was pigmented and I experienced minimal clumps.  It gave me some respectable thickness too.  Repurchase: Yes

IT Superhero Mascara: This is the best mascara I tried all year, by far!  No clumps, no flakes and it made me look like I was wearing false lashes!  I want a full size of this stat!  Repurchase?: Yes

Buxom Full & Fabulous Mascara: Another just-okay mascara that dried out pretty quick.  Repurchase?: No

YSL Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils: I think this is the first YSL product I’ve ever tried; I don’t think I’d ever pay $37 for this because I basically use it as a lash primer.  It makes my lashes ridiculously long and it has a really thin formula which makes it perfect as a base for a more volumizing, thickening mascara.  I’ve gotten a few samples of this at Sephora but I don’t see myself purchasing the full size of it.  Repurchase?: No

Urban Decay Perversion Mascara: The only thing I loved about this one was how black it was – it’s probably the most pigmented mascara I’ve ever used.  Other than that, it smudged so badly that I gave up using it after a week of use.

SKINCARE

Peter Thomas Roth Anti-Aging Cleansing Gel:  This is not sensitive-skin friendly; I used it once and it sucked all the moisture out of my skin and left my skin a flaky, irritated mess.  Because it kills me to throw out product, I repurposed it as a body wash but I’m glad to be done with it.  Normally I’m a fan of PTR but this was just too intense for me.  Repurchase?:  No

Neutrogena Make-Up Remover Cleansing Towelettes:  I was disappointed when my Olay Cleansing Cloths failed me so I began the search for their replacement and I ended up with these.  These are awesome!  They don’t dry out, even when you get to the very bottom of the pile and they’ve been sitting in my drawer for a month.  Even more importantly is that they remove my makeup effortlessly and work well with my uber-sensitive skin (no breakouts!).  I’ve already bought several full-sized replacement packs!  Repurchase?: Yes

Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream: This is a decent face cream that does a pretty good job of moisturizing skin, however I wasn’t fond of its cucumber scent (even though it’s fairly light) and it made me realize that I won’t ever buy moisturizer in a jar again – it just doesn’t seem hygienic.  Plus the glass jar was not travel-friendly.  Repurchase?:  No

O.R.G. Mineral Face Peel: This was a sample that was provided in a Luxe Box; it’s one of those peels that you apply to your face, rub in, and your skin balls up and is removed.  I’ve tried the Peter Thomas Roth version of this product and I found this worked just as well – I really enjoyed how smooth my skin felt afterwards.  And while I appreciate it’s claims that this is less abrasive than other peels on the market, I hated that it was in spray form.  I wasted a bunch of this as a result of the sprayer being pointed in the wrong direction and I even sprayed it in my eyes one morning.  As a result, I’ll stick with the PTR version in a tube instead.  Repurchase?:  No

Vichy Normaderm Corrective Anti-Acne Treatment: I received several products from Vichy’s Normaderm line this past summer from Chickadvisor (read my full review here) and I’ve been using the line since.  I use this treatment as my morning moisturizer and I love the way it makes my skin feel in addition to loving how it has helped heal active breakouts and prevent new ones.  I’m on my second bottle of it!  Repurchase?:  Yes

Simple Cleansing Micellar Water:  Another product I received courtesy of Chickadvisor (review here); my opinion hasn’t changed much from that original review.  I think this is a decent micellar water but it’s not my favourite; that honour Sephora’s Triple Cleansing Water.  Repurchase: Maybe

BATH & BODY

Please ignore the bottle of Cake Bubble Bath – I accidentally included it in this photo!

Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration After Sun Ultra Moisturizing Lotion:  This is a great after sun lotion – it’s cooling, soothing and smells great!  Repurchase?:  Yes

L’Occitane Citrus Verbena Hand Cream Gel: This is a great lightweight hand cream in a gel formula for the warmer months – it smells super refreshing and it’s cooling as well.  The only drawback is that I go through a tube really fast and it’s not cheap!  Repurchase?:  Yes

L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil:  Love, love, love this stuff.  I use it every time I shave as well as a body wash and it leaves my skin feeling so soft, smooth and silky.  I keep a bottle in my shower and travel with this small bottle – I can’t be without it!  Repurchase?:  Yes

L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream: This is an intense hand cream that can leave your hands feeling greasy but it works.  I usually only buy this if my hands are in dire straights but given how dry our climate is here, that can happen several times over the winter.  It’s a good one to put on just before you go to bed.  Repurchase?:  Yes

Life Cocoa Skin Lotion: This is a pretty basic body lotion – it smells nice and did moisturize my skin after I used it but I didn’t notice any lasting effects.  In addition, it’s one of those lotions where if you happen to be wearing clothing that is dark and accidentally touch it, it leaves white streaks behind which I hate.  As a result, I’ve moved on to better things.  Repurchase?:  No

Jergens BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream: This is my go-to body cream before I head on a beach vacation or once bare leg season begins.  It gives my skin a hint of colour and also assists in camouflaging those little imperfections.  I’ve purchased the Light shade in the past but I think my next tube will be the next shade up so I can get a little more colour from it.  Repurchase?:  Yes

Rocky Mountain Soap Lavender Bath Salts: They were a nice addition to my bath but I didn’t like the pieces of lavender they added to the salts – while the scent was nice, they just looked a little unappealing.  Repurchase?:  No

NAIL PRODUCTS

Quo Nail Polish Remover:  I’m a fan of Quo’s nail polish removers – I find both the acetone and non-acetone versions (above) work really well and they don’t dry my nails out.  Repurchase?:  Yes

Orly Nail Lacquer Thinner: This did a decent job as far as a nail thinner goes – no complaints.  Repurchase?:  Yes

Onyx Professional Remover (Moisturizing Formula):  When I first bought this and tried it out, I liked it.  Then as time went on, it seemed to become less-effective.  I prefer Quo’s version.  Repurchase?:  No

Sephora Nail Polish Corrector: This is old, like REALLY old.  But it lasted a surprisingly long time and I like having these around for when I do a crappy at-home manicure (which is most times), they make it really easy to clean up around your cuticles.  Unfortunately Sephora doesn’t seem to make these anymore.  Repurchase?:  If I could!

REPEATS

Batiste Dry Shampoo: 5 empty cans this time around!  Review here.  Repurchase: Yes

Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water: My favourite cleansing water – 2 bottles down. Read my previous review here.  Repurchase?:  Yes

Marc Anthony Strictly Curls Styling Foam: I have stick-straight hair but I love the volume this mousse gives it!  Read my previous review here.  Repurchase?: Yes

First Aid Beauty Triple Repair Cream: My go-to hand cream in the colder months or when my eczema flares up.  Read my previous review here.  Repurchase?: Yes

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara: This used to be my top mascara but lately the smudging and flaking has really started to get on my nerves and it’s no longer much of a favourite.  Read my previous review here.  Repurchase?: No

Bare Minerals Skin Rever-Upper: I really like this as a light, everyday moisturizer in the summer but it’s no longer carried by Sephora here in Canada.  Read my previous review here.  Repurchase?: If I could!

Olay Gentle Cleansing Cloths: Another item that I’ve fallen out of love with – these used to be my go-to makeup removing wipes but the last package I bought dried out before I got halfway through it.  Luckily I’ve found it’s replacement that I actually like better – more details on that below!  Read my previous review here.  Repurchase?: No

Cake Supremely Rich Bath & Shower Froth: This one and Milk Made are my two favourite scents.  Read my previous review here. Repurchase?: Yes

Thanks for reading!