February Emties

EMPTIES

• Dr Barbara Sturm Calming Serum (SAMPLE)  - I think this did help reduce redness and irritation, and it did sink into the skin very quickly. However, this spelled like children's paint and that concerns me. If I was to buy the full size of this it would cost me $332 and that is just ridiculous. If I need my skin to be calmed I'm sure I can find a cheaper serum or just use a face mask. 
• 16Brand Sixteen Garden Toks Peppermint Tea Mask Pack ($2.00) - This is my favourite sheet mask for a few reasons, it's cheap, it's effective, fits my face well and actually adheres to the face, and it smells good. I find that this really hydrates my skin and genuinely see results from it, this would be the perfect mask for daily use, but I like to use one once a week or so just to give my skin a boost. I don't use sheet masks, or any face masks for that matter, as regularly as I should but if I was to get into the habit of masking more frequently, this would be my first choice. 
• Lush Sleepy Body Lotion 10g (SAMPLE) - I love the Sleepy scent, especially in the lotion (I think the body wash smells more like lavender and the lotion has more tonka). I think it does help me sleep or relax at least, but I don't like how greasy this feels on the skin. It's not really a hydrating body lotion, it's just a bit greasy and takes a while to sink in. I have used up a full size tub of this in the past, but I don't think this is something I would repurchase. 
• Tony Moly Mini Peach Lip Balm ($12.00) - I think the packaging for this lip balm is so cute and it smells delicious, but it wasn't the best lip balm I've ever used. It was hydrating but could feel greasy on the lips at times. It was a really interesting texture that was almost gritty, it felt like a cleansing balm honestly. I felt like I had to use a lot of this to hydrate my lips, but it didn't heal my lips when they were really dry and chapped, and that's what I need a lip balm to do. This isn't something I would buy again, but I did enjoy using it for the most part. If you don't have very dry lips, this might be great for you, but I need something a little stronger.
• Neutrogena Makeup Remover Night Calming Cleansing Towelettes 25 Pack ($7.99) - These have been my go to makeup wipes for a while now, but I feel like my skin is starting to not react as well to these as it once did. My skin is very sensitive so I think I just need to switch up the kind of wipes I'm using every few months or so. Ideally I would like to use a cleansing balm, but they're pricey and a lot more effort. These wipes are starting to irritate my eye area a bit, and make my skin feel a bit dry. That being said, I am using different products on my face than my old routine so it may be the change in makeup that's making my skin react. Unfortunately at the moment the only concealers I have a quite drying, which isn't ideal. I'll stick it out with these wipes a little longer because I have backups, but then I think I'll try something else.
• Malin+Goetz Vitamin E Face Moisturiser 3mL (SAMPLE) - This absorbed really quickly into my skin but I did notice a slight tingling feeling which is a little concerning. It had a very light almost tea tree scent so that could be why I had that sensation, I can't see anything like that in the ingredients but I don't know a whole lot about skincare either. It wasn't a heavy moisturiser at all and did leave me feeling hydrated, but I just don't think it was anything special. If I'm going to buy a "luxury" moisturiser it's most likely going to be the Origins Ginzing Moisturiser because I feel like it does something regular moisturisers don't. 
• Soap & Glory Mini Hand Maid Antibacterial Hand Cleansing Gel 50mL ($4.00) - I really love this, I feel like it's really effective and it sinks in really quickly and doesn't leave a sticky feeling on my hands which is great. I also love the scent of this and will absolutely be repurchasing mainly for the scent. 
• Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Glace Perfume 15mL (SAMPLE) - I really loved this perfume, it's fresh and fruity but also has a vanilla undertone, it's really pretty and I loved it for Summer. I think I would definitely buy this perfume in the full size because I really enjoyed wearing it and didn't get sick of it! It didn't feel too young for me which is a problem I notice with a lot of fruity scents. 
• Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask 0.17g (SAMPLE) - I'm so glad I didn't buy the full size of this while I was at Sephora last because I didn't enjoy this. It was too thick for me and I found it very sticky on the lips, and that stickyness didn't really go away. It was definitely hydrating, but I didn't like the way it felt on my lips because it was so thick. It also has a heavy vanilla fragrance that you can taste and I hate that, I know Bite products are made with food grade ingredients, but I still don't like the taste/feeling of lip balm in my mouth. 
• Sephora Collection Colourful Face Mask 'Grape' ($6.00) - This was okay, I didn't love the scent but it was hydrating. I don't think this really did anything for my skin and would rather keep buying the 16Brand masks instead. 
• John Frieda Frizz Ease Dream Curls Shampoo 250mL ($15.99) - This continues to be the only shampoo I will use because it just works so well for me. I see a noticeable difference in the definition of my curls when I use this compared to other products, and I just can't see myself giving it up anytime soon. 
• MAC Strobe Cream 'Pinklite' 30mL ($25.00) - I absolutely loved this, I got it in a Beauty Loop box last year and just fell in love with using this as a primer. This makes my skin look so healthy, even if I wear a matte foundation/powder over the top, it just gives this beautiful luminosity or sheen to the skin that is stunning. I will absolutely repurchase this, the full size is definitely on my wish list. I feel like this makes my foundation look like skin, and helps it meld into my skin rather than just sitting on top of it. It's just the best. 

Total value of products used up: $73.00

Iz 🦀