Empties #12

EMPTIES

As it's the end of the year there isn't much this month! But, I have been saving all my empties for the year so I will have a yearly empties post up in early January! 

DECEMBER 14 - DECEMBER 30

• Mecca Cosmetica All Set Makeup Perfecting Mist 45mL - I got this setting spray as my free birthday gift from Mecca this year (in a set with a primer), and I was pretty surprised with it to be honest. It's a good setting spray, keeps my makeup on all day, but the scent is a little off (smells like straight up alcohol), and the mist is heavy so if you're not careful you can ruin your makeup by drenching yourself. I also think this is quite expensive (and I know I didn't pay for it, but if I was going to repurchase), the 45mL bottle is the full size and it's $35. When I can buy a 60mL NYX setting spray for $15 that does the exact same job, there's no way I'm repurchasing this. 
• Artiste by Manicare Brush Cleaner 100mL - I liked this brush cleaner and would probably repurchase, but I can't find it on the Priceline website anymore, so I hope it hasn't been discontinued! This was really effective for spot cleaning and I just enjoyed using it, it lasted me a long time as well which was great. 
• Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation '010 Light Porcelain' - I love this foundation, it just works really well with my skin, doesn't cling to dry patches, doesn't dissolve or wear away grossly throughout the day, and has just the right amount of coverage. I have already repurchased this and will continue to do so! 
• Woolworths Select Nail Polish Remover Acetone Free 125mL - This is okay, but it's not super effective. I don't think I'll repurchase in the future because this just takes too long to remove the polish. 
• Woolworths Select Nail Polish Remover Nourishing 125mL - I didn't find this to be more "nourishing" for my nails at all, all the Woolworths brand nail polish removers are just sub-par and smell weird. Won't be buying again. 

Value of products used up: $74.50 

Iz 🦀

Sample Empties #3

SAMPLE EMPTIES

SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER

• Origins Original Skin Matte Moisturiser with Willowherb (foil packet) - I don't really know how I feel about this moisturiser, it's definitely targeted at people with oily skin so it didn't have the most amazing effect on my dry/combo skin. It tingled a little on application and felt cooling, had a gel moisturiser texture and sunk into the skin quickly and dried matte. Definitely had a matte appearance on the skin and although my skin felt hydrated and smooth, it was a little chalky almost like their was a film on top of my skin. This might be something I pick up if my skin gets oilier, but it is kinda pricey at $49 for 50mL. 
• Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm 15mL - I really loved this, it didn't irritate my skin or eyes at all and got all my makeup off without leaving a weird film or any residue on my skin. Will definitely be purchasing the full size!
• Too Faced Sweet Peach Creamy Lip Oil Gloss 'Pure Peach' 1g - I didn't like this, it wasn't sticky and I like the scent, but that's about all I like about it. I found that this didn't hydrate my lips and just made them flake really strangely. The colour looked absolutely terrible on me and it was a bit patchy and just looked uneven on my lips. This would also bleed on me and end up all over my face, it was just a frustrating product for me. I think I've realised that I don't like really pigmented glosses, I like something sheerer that gives your lips a wet look rather than any colour.  
• Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum (foil packet) - This sunk into my skin very quickly and didn't irritate it at all. One little sample isn't enough to see a difference in my skin, however this is something I'd like to try again in the future and see if it does make a difference. I know Drunk Elephant is expensive, but they are a brand I am interested in trying. 
• Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer (foil packet) x2 - I really enjoyed this primer, it felt nice on the skin, mattified and smoothed my skin to make a really nice base for foundation. I think this did help with the longevity of my makeup too ! I don't know if I can justify the price for the full size, but I will happily use the other samples of this that I have. 
• Too Faced Hangover Rx Replenishing Face Primer (foil packet) -  I liked this primer, it was very hydrating and sunk into the skin very quickly, the only thing I didn't really like was the scent, it was pleasant when I first applied it but as it began to sink in the scent changed and I didn't love it anymore. I would like to try a larger size of this because I don't think I can fully form an opinion based on the one time use I got from this packet. I think this might have made me break out so I don't think I'll be trying this one again.
• Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder Diffused Light + Mood Light (card) - I liked these powders, they really brought the life back into my skin once my makeup was finished and just gave a beautiful healthy glow. I don't know if I could justify buying a full size Hourglass product, but I did enjoy using this and the effects it had! 
• The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Cream (foil packet) - I really liked this, it was very hydrating and sunk into the skin very quickly and I feel like it made my skin look refreshed. I think I might buy the full size of this because it didn't irritate my skin at all, just hydrated and gave me an almost radiant look! The only thing I didn't love was the scent, it smelled a bit like a hospital, but not in a bad way - and I can get past that because it didn't linger. 
• The Body Shop Drops of Youth Youth Concentrate (foil packet) - I didn't notice a big difference in my skin using this, but it was moisturising so that was nice. I don't think this is something my skin really needs at this point in my life, but maybe in the future I'll give it another go. 
• Smashbox Photo Finish Radiance Primer (foil packet) - I don't know if this comes in other colours, but this was just way too dark for me. Besides that, the illumination came from glitter which I didn't like because you could see chunks of glitter through my foundation, this also didn't feel hydrating at all. I'd much prefer to stick with MAC strobe cream. Will not be purchasing the full size. 

Iz 🦀

Project Lip Products: Round 2

PROJECT LIP PRODUCTS

The colour scheme for this round:

Because it's finally summer I wanted some really fun peachy and bright shades but I've balanced it with some nudes so I have some variety, although swatched all together the colours are definitely similar tones. Either way, I feel like I have a good variety of liquid lipsticks, glosses, and traditional lipsticks to work with for this round and I'm excited to wear these colours! 

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER

PRODUCT	USE	THOUGHTS
Colourpop Ultra Matte Lip ‘What’s the Stitch’	Wore December 5th	As much as I love this colour, this didn't do too well throughout the day. Because it's such a bold colour it's really obvious when it wears away - which it did while eating, and badly. This also transferred onto my chin, which with a liquid lipstick is very disappointing. Because I wore lip balm underneath this, it never completely dried down and I think that's why it wore so badly, but I feel the lip balm is necessary for comfort. It's a tricky situation. I will be keeping this one because I love the colour, and this was my first time ever wearing it so I would like to give it another shot.
Colourpop Ultra Glossy Lip ‘Champagne Mami’	Wore November 21st	I love this lip gloss, it's just pigmented enough to give my lips a tint of colour, but sheer enough to look natural. It's super glossy and I love the little flecks of glitter - it just makes my lips look super plump. Not sticky whatsoever, very comfortable, and has a pleasant scent. Not super long wearing because it is a gloss, but very easy to reapply and wears away nicely.
Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick ‘Boho Nude’	Wore December 3rd	I'm not sure how I feel about this one. I like the colour, and I love how well this lasts, but I feel like the scent is starting to turn a bit which makes it unpleasant to wear. This was comfortable, but my lips did feel a bit dry by the end of the day - but I had blotted off my lipstick and not reapplied lip balm so that might not be the lipsticks fault.
Colourpop Lux Lipstick ‘Uno Mas’	Wore 29th November	I really love this colour! This formula is also very comfortable, but I find it becomes more matte throughout the day and can get a bit drying -  however this lasted really well! Did transfer onto my chin when eating, unfortunately. Other than that, I really enjoyed this.
JD Glow Cosmetics Lip Gloss ‘Peach Kiss’	Wore November 16th	This is a really lightweight gloss that isn't sticky at all, and is very pigmented. I don't love the applicator on this, it's a long skinny doe foot that is just a bit tricky to get a precise application with and I found that going over areas to build up colour or swiping over an area would lift product so it just looks a bit patchy. I think this would look better over a lip liner or lipstick, but on it's own it's a bit too patchy for me. I was surprised how much I actually liked the colour in the end, but before I had done my eyes it wasn't looking great so this definitely needs to be paired with the right things. As it is a gloss, it wears away pretty quickly, and because it can get patchy trying to touch up you sort of have to remove it all to reapply which is a pain. I do love how comfortable the product is though!
Colourpop Ultra Matte Lip ‘Buffy’	Wore November 27th	I love this colour because it's more yellow toned than my other browny nudes, I just think it's really interesting and beautiful! I screwed up my application a bit so I had to over-line my top lip so it looks a bit funny but I could have avoided that by using a lip liner. This one didn't feel too drying after wearing it for hours, but I did make sure to wear a lip balm underneath because these can get drying. Got a bit crumbly and started to wear away after eating, but was still looking pretty good! Decided to put a gloss over the top of it later in the day to make my lips look a little less flat and I liked the combo, but it was a lot.
Colourpop Satin Lippie Stix ‘Topanga’	Wore November 22nd	I love the Colourpop satin formula, and this colour is really beautiful. I don't love the look I created around this lipstick, but the lipstick itself is pretty. This wears nicely but will transfer when eating so I find it best to blot down! Looks really beautiful when blotted + leaves almost a stain behind.
Colourpop Matte Lippie Stix ‘Ink Blot’	Wore November 20th	I love this colour, it's like a nude brown with a hint of orange that is just so pretty - and for a matte, this is very comfortable (like, forget you're wearing lipstick comfortable). This did unfortunately transfer onto my chin while eating and wore away pretty bad, but had I been carrying it with me it would've been super easy to reapply. Love how small these lipsticks are because it makes them great for keeping in a handbag!
Jeffree Star Cosmetics Velour Liquid Lipstick ‘Watermelon Soda’	Wore November 24th for a party	I love this colour. I got this in my gift bag when I went to Princess Polly Live and it isn't a colour I would've picked out for myself, but I absolutely love it. This wore really nicely, even with eating oily food! It did fade a little and wear off a couple spots, but it still looked presentable by the end of the night! Didn't feel drying at all, but I did wear a lip balm underneath (although I find the JSC lipsticks can get drying even with a lip balm sometimes). Really impressed with this one!!
Estee Lauder Pure Colour Long Lasting Lipstick ‘Bois de Rose’	Wore November 19th, blotted down (this is such an ugly photo ugh.. sorry)	This is another one that has expired! Love that!!! I put this on and straight away noticed that the smell had changed so I blotted it down a bit but I could still smell/taste it, which was gross. I wore this for most of the day but I didn't check up on it throughout the day so I don't know how it wore, not that it matters because I'll be getting rid of it.

The bonus lip products I used this round were:

PRODUCT	USE	THOUGHTS
Jeffree Star Cosmetics Velour Liquid Lipstick ‘Queen Bee’	Wore November 22nd in my waterline	This didn't irritate my eyes at all when applying, and the colour is SO vibrant! I can't get an effect like this by using a typical eyeliner so I am very pleased with this. It was a little patchy, but really easy to build up so that's no big deal! Cracked a little bit in the waterline after drying, but held up much better than any eyeliner I've ever used. Did gather in my inner corner, but all liners do on me.
Colourpop Lippie Pencil 'BFF'	Wore November 24th under Watermelon Soda, shown on it's own	I like the Colourpop lip liners because they're so creamy and easy to apply, but I hate the packaging of them and don't know if they actually help with the longevity of my lipsticks. I need to test these out further to fully form an opinion on them, but I do like how comfortable they are.
Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss 'Snow Pink'	Wore November 27th over Buffy, pictured on it's own and over the liquid lipstick	On it's own, this lip gloss is a bit "nothing". It's cool toned and basically clear so it just looks milky on the lips which I'm not really a fan of. This feels thick, and isn't super glossy. It also takes several dips of the applicator to get a good a proper application because it picks up so little product, which is just frustrating. I would use this again because it's not sticky, but probably just as a topper not as a gloss.  (Excluded from above swatches because I decluttered this before taking my swatch photos because I forgot about them!)
Colourpop Ultra Matte Lip 'Aquarius 2'	Wore November 28th	I like this colour, but this lipstick is getting a bit old and starting to separate. The scent hasn't changed yet so I'm going to hold on to it for a bit longer still. The ultra mattes can get drying when wearing for long periods, but aren't too bad. I find that they take quite a while to full dry down and can feel a little sticky on the lips in the process of drying, which is a bit uncomfortable. This wears well, and is great for nights out apart from the slight discomfort.
Colourpop Lippie Pencil 'Brink'	Wore December 3rd under Boho Nude (Won't let me put my thoughts in the right box so I'm doing it here - I like this because it is basically the same colour as my lips, very creamy. Just a great lip liner!)
Lime Crime Velvetines Lip Liner 'Cake'	Wore December 10th under a liquid lipstick (shown on it's own)	I love how creamy this lip liner is without being so creamy that you can't get a defined line, it's also the perfect nude for me! This is very long lasting and comfortable and I'm very impressed with it! May buy some more of these in the future.

Items I'm decluttering:

• Estee Lauder Pure Colour Long Lasting Lipstick in Bois de Rose because it has expired - I also didn't love the colour on me. 
• Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in Boho Nude because the scent is unpleasant and I no longer enjoy wearing it, although I do love the colour.
• Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Snow Pink because it was too icy and sparkly for me, and I didn't love the way it felt on the lips, it just wasn't hydrating enough for me. 

The colours I've selected for next round are:

• Jeffree Star Cosmetics Velour Liquid Lipstick 'Leo'
• Colourpop Ultra Glossy Lip 'Fantasia'
• JD Glow Cosmetics Liquid Lipstick 'Busty Rusty'
• Urban Decay Cream Vice Lipstick 'Abstract'
• Colourpop Ultra Matte Lip 'Times Square'
• Jeffree Star Cosmetics Velour Liquid Lipstick 'Nathan'
• Colourpop Ultra Satin Lip 'Echo Park'
• Jeffree Star Cosmetics Velour Liquid Lipstick 'Yummy'
• Nars Audacious Lipstick 'Vibeke'
• Colourpop Creme Lippie Stix 'I Like It'

Honestly, I wanted some more fun summery colours but I used them all in this past round! So we're going with these instead. I was forced to go with my peaches and oranges this month because nothing else really screamed summer to me, so it's all a bit similar this time which is a shame.

Iz 🦀