It’s time for Part II of my Beauty Trash – included in this post is everything I’ve used up in skincare, fragrance and body care!
SKINCARE
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel
This is my favourite new cleanser from the drugstore; it removes my makeup with ease and doesn’t leave my skin feeling stripped, tight or dry. I just opened up my second bottle after trying out a couple different cleansers and I’m so glad I’m back to using it!
Repurchase?: Yes
Ole Henriksen The Clean Truth Foaming Cleanser
This, on the other hand, I wasn’t much of a fan of. I find that foaming cleansers always seem to dry my skin out, as did this one. I didn’t find it cleansed my skin all that well either. Wouldn’t recommend.
Repurchase?: No
Sephora Collection Micellar Cleansing Milk (Coconut Milk)
This product appears to have been discontinued which is a smart move on Sephora’s part – this just wasn’t a good micellar water. First of all, it smelled like cucumbers (which I hate!) not coconut and it was horrible at removing residual makeup! This doesn’t hold a candle to their Triple Action Cleansing Water.
Repurchase?: N/a but no!
Caudalie VinoPerfect Radiance Serum
Ugh I wish I didn’t love this serum as much as I did! I wasn’t crazy about the scent (very earthy) but I liked the results I saw with it – my skin felt refreshed, smoothed and hydrated but not greasy. I didn’t really see much for brightening and evening of tone so that was kind of disappointing. Ultimately I just don’t think I can get past that almost $100 price tag!
Repurchase?: Maybe
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Serum
Given my success with the Hydro Boost cleanser, I figured I’d give the serum a try and I was equally as impressed with this! I used it at night and I liked how smooth and plump my skin felt the next morning; it compelled me to look into trying a serum with more concentrated amounts of hylaronic acid (i.e. The Ordinary).
Repurchase?: Maybe
Di Morelli Vitamin C Serum for Face & Eye
I received this in a Simply Beautiful Box late last year; I found this to be a solid Vitamin C serum. I really liked that I could use it on my eye area and that it made a noticeable difference in the brightness and evenness of my skin. I also like that it’s a Canadian brand and that they don’t test on animals. As mentioned, I have placed an order for some of The Ordinary’s products and that includes a vitamin C serum; I definitely see this as being a good option if that fails to work out for me.
Repurchase?: Yes
Neostrata Acne Clear Blemish Spot Gel
Love this stuff; read my review on it here.
Repurchase?: Yes
Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment
I bought this a while back thinking it was the Advantage Mark Treatment and wondered why it didn’t work as well. The Mark Treatment is awesome and if you can find it, snatch it up! I can’t see to find it anywhere around here.
Repurchase?: No
Etivial Aqua Surge Eye Gel
I picked this up in the clearance section of Shoppers and thought it would be worth a try. You can file this under “Eye Creams that do nothing”. This temporarily moisturized my under eye area and that was about it. It did have one of those metal rollerball applicators which was nice to de-puff in the morning but unfortunately that’s the only thing I liked about it.
Repurchase?: No
Bioderma Sebium Global Acne Treatment
This is supposed to be a good moisturizer for those with acne-prone skin which is me but I personally think it’s more suited for those with oily, acne-prone skin (which most acne products are – it’s annoying). It’s very much a matte moisturizer and that did not work for me at all – my skin is dryer side. If I was going to go back to using a moisturizer that’s formulated for acne-prone skin I’d reach for Vichy’s Normaderm Pore Tightening Lotion.
Repurchase?: No
Neutrogena HydroBoost Gel Cream
Another good product from the HydroBoost line; this is just a good basic moisturizer. My only complaint is that I do find I have to be careful which foundation I pair with this or it can make me greasy (thanks to the SPF).
Repurchase?: Yes
Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet
I found this to be a pretty lightweight moisturizer – it was okay but lately I just find that my skin needs more than this.
Repurchase?: No
Philosophy Take a Deep Breathe Oil-Free Oxygenating Gel Cream
This was a nice moisturizer, the little tube lasted me two applications but nothing about it made me want to run out and buy the full-sized version.
Repurchase?: No
La Roche-Posay Hydraphase Intense Legere
I enjoy this; it was super thick gel-like serum and I definitely felt a huge difference after applying it – it felt like I gave my skin a big drink of water. This has been added to my list of products I will eventually pick up.
Repurchase?: Yes
Neostrata Glycolic Renewal Smoothing Lotion
My skin loves glycolic acid and particularly loves this lotion; read more about why I love it here.
Repurchase?: Yes
Tata Harper Repairative Moisturizer
This came in a Sephora Favourites set I picked up last year; I did not enjoy this and I can not believe that this retails for $138! First of all, I hated the scent – it’s very herbal and earthy and I ended up using this on my neck because I just couldn’t stand having the scent that close to my nose – it made me nauseous. It’s also very thin and watery and I did not feel it moisturized my skin at all. Hard pass.
Repurchase?: No
Ole Henriksen Nurture Me Moisturizing Creme
What I loved most about this moisturizer was the scent – it straight-up smells like an orange creamsicle and I love that. That said, I would repurchase this for the scent alone because that would be dumb. It moisturized my skin but didn’t do anything life changing – overall it was just a good moisturizer.
Repurchase?: Maybe
This was another high priced product included in that Sephora Favourites skincare set – the full-size of this retails for $160 which is mind-boggling. Again, this was highly fragranced although I could stomach this one, it was kind of perfumey. The moisturizer itself was nice – it left my skin feeling smooth and soft but it definitely didn’t give me the type of skin I would expect to have for using such an expensive moisturizer!
Repurchase?: No
Laniege Water Bank Moisture Cream
Now this on the other hand, I was impressed with. This is a thick cream that really just drenched my skin with moisture – I loved using this in the Winter when my skin is drier than normal because it just instantly rehydrated it. I’d definitely consider picking this up once Fall/Winter roll around.
Repurchase?: Yes
Out of all of the sheet masks I’ve tried, I’ve liked Karunas the best. This one claims to hydrate, detoxify and renew and I can’t say I saw long-term results after only one use but temporarily after my skin felt very soothed and brighter.
Repurchase?: Yes
This should really be back in my repeats so oops! I’ve bought so many of these because I absolutely love them! Whenever my skin is feeling dry or dehydrated, I open up one of these and use it overnight and my skin is transformed by morning!
Repurchase?: Yes
This was a one-time use peel that I received as a sample; I believe I received it from Sephora but they don’t seem to carry this anymore which is unfortunate because I saw results with this after just one use! After applying this and letting it sit for just 1 minute, my skin looked brighter, smoother and glowy! If I ever come across these I’ll be stocking up on these!
Repurchase?: Yes
Origins Clear Improvement mask
I like using this mask as a spot treatment for breakouts – it’s much too drying and intense for all over my face. If you have oily skin, I could see this working well as an all-over mask.
Repurchase?: Yes
This mask is kind of like the one above, but a lighter version. It’s not as drying so I can use this all over my face but I would only use it once or twice a month. As such I don’t think I’d go out of my way to repurchase this again.
Repurchase?: No
FRAGRANCE
This is my favourite Nest fragrance I’ve tried; it’s the perfect mix of warmth and sweetness! As such, I have a larger size of this on my wish list, once I get through some of the perfumes currently in my collection.
I wasn’t as crazy about this one; it was floral with a touch of sweetness so it was wearable for me but not one I would consider repurchasing.
Repurchase?: No
This would be my second favourite fragrance I’ve tried by Nest – I’d describe this one as spicy and sweet with a touch of floral. At this point I’m not sure I like it enough to consider a large bottle of it but I think I’d like to test it out a little more, so if I see a sample of it, I might use my points for it.
Repurchase?: Yes
BODY
Jergens Natural Glow Firming Daily Moisturizer
If you’re not big on self tanners, you might want to take a look at this moisturizer. It gives my skin a nice tint that can be built up if I use it regularly but I don’t have to worry about streaks or unevenness – I just rub it in well and go.
Repurchase? Yes
This is my go-to polish remover because it removes polish perfectly without killing my nails.
Repurchase?: Yes
I’ve fully transitioned to natural deodorant because of this product; first of all it actually works, secondly it doesn’t irritate my skin, thirdly it’s completely unscented and lastly, I don’t have to worry about any residue/white marks/etc on my clothes or skin after applying it. So good!
Repurchase?: Yes
Marc Anthony Coconut Oil & Shea Butter Hand Cream x 2
I bought this hand cream (twice) because it fits well in a carry-on liquids bag. Honestly, I’m not really crazy about the scent (very synthetic coconut) but it’s not a bad hand cream overall. I probably won’t repurchase again this unless I need a hand cream to throw in my carry-on and there are no other options available.
Repurchase?: No
Saje Healing Hands Soothing Hand Lotion
Normally I’m a fan of everything Saje but this was a miss. This lotion is so thin and watery and I really didn’t find that it moisturized my hand at all. 🙁
Repurchase?: No
Island Soap & Candle Works Pineapple Paradise Shea Butter Body Cream
Similar to the lip balm I mentioned in my Part 1 Empties post, I pick up one of these body lotions every time I’m in Hawaii. I use it primarily as a hand cream – it’s thick and ultra-moisturizing and smells amazingly of pineapple!
Repurchase?: Yes
I didn’t really find this hand cream all that effective and I didn’t like the scent either – it’s super strong and sickeningly sweet.
Repurchase?: No
What products have you used up recently?
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