April Monthly Favorites

I feel like the month of April was so long that I can't remember everything that I liked. There was just so much crap that I used in the beginning of the month and I don't know where March ended and April started. I've either used these things for most or all of the month or closer to the end of the month because it was so long. I also feel like I had a lot of no makeup or minimal makeup days, so that isn't helping. 

I've been in a pretty consistent skincare routine, so I'm getting bored of posting the exact same things that I use every day in every week or every month. That means maybe I'll post a skincare routine and maybe a daily makeup routine or something. I don't know if that would be interesting at all.

Shisheido Perfect Whip Foam: This has been my cleanser of choice lately, even though I've been trying to use up some others. Recently I decided to push this into the back of my cabinet because I really do need to use up things. I really like how thick this cleanser is and I prefer to use this with my Clarisonic because it's harder to lather up with my hands.

Lioele Multi Seaweed Gel: I had a sample of this eons ago and after I chose to purchase a full size, I stopped using it. So it sat in a box for a few months until I rediscovered it a little over a month ago. I've slowly started replacing my Clinique gel cream with this in the mornings. I'm actually finding that I prefer this over the Clinique one and this was only about $12 and there's a lot more product in the tub. This absorbs into my skin much quicker and I feel like it will be a summer favorite.

Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator Ampoule: Yes. This again. It's my favorite ever. Blah blah blah. What else can I say about it other than this one is almost gone?

MAC Prep+Prime Skin Base Visage: I've honestly continued to use this because there isn't another primer that I can even reach for right now. Everything else is still sucking the moisture out of my skin, but this is just a standard. I'm actually surprised that I haven't run out of this yet. In a couple weeks, I'm sure I'll need to use an oil control primer and I don't want to have to save this for next year because I'm sure the expiration is coming up.

Skin79 Super+ Triple Functions BB Cream in Green: I've been favoring this one over VIP Gold because I've been using other foundations this month. Mainly this has been an under eye concealer and brightener because it's on the lighter side. Now that the weather is warming up, I've been using slightly darker bronzers and don't need my foundation to be so light.

Illamasqua Skin Base in 02: This is not something I can use on its own. The foundation itself is too thick for my skin and I prefer to mix it into my MAC Face and Body when I want a little more coverage. I also have this in a darker color that I'll probably end up using in a month or so.

MAC Face and Body Foundation in N1: Yup. This one is back. We had a enough warmer days that I could wear this foundation, but then it got cold again. I really love this foundation, so I had to toss this in the post. I can't wait to wear this foundation on a regular basis, but I may have discovered that VIP Gold from Skin79 is perfect of its own for a light makeup day. 

It's Skin Under Eye Brightener: When I needed a little under eye pick me up, this is what I used. I've been using this instead of my Maybelline one and I think I actually prefer it. I think I say that every time I switch up products though. Maybe it's just because this blends a little better into my foundation because of the texture.

MAC Sideshow You: This blush was from the Simpson's Collection and it was the only other thing I purchased from it. I was really feeling this blush color and out of the three blushes, this is the one I wore the most. I definitely wore more blushes than these three, but Sideshow You overshadowed most of them.

Tarina Tarantino Feathers: When I wanted just a light pop of color with a bronzed look, this is the color I would go for. The color is nicer on my face than it is in the pan and it blended in nicely with my bronzer.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat: This was a new item for me and I'll probably do a collective haul at some point. I really like this blush, but I've only been using it for the past maybe week and a half. I received this before my Sephora items, so I felt fine including this if I didn't include the Sephora stuff.

NARS Laguna: I have to say that by the time the end of the month hit, I had stopped using this bronzer in favor of Estée Lauder. I really like this bronzer, but now I think I have a couple that top it. I love that it is included in every one of my NARS blush palettes just so I don't necessarily need to pack an additional bronzer. It blends out so nicely and it isn't orange, so I can use it with my Ita brush and contour.

Estée Lauder Amber Bronzer Sienna Earth Powder: I really needed to start using this powder because I had neglected it for a long time. Although it leans a little orange when the color is blended together, it looked nice on my skin. The packaging is also really sturdy, so this is a bronzer I wouldn't mind traveling with.

Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess 01 Light: This is seriously a huge bronzer. I really like the color of this powder and the shimmer isn't overpowering. I was glad to know that I wasn't getting a matte bronzer when I ordered this online. I know I have too many bronzers, but I really love this one even though I only used it during the last bits of April.

NARS Miss Liberty Highlighting Blush: This is basically a glitter highlight. The base adds just a slight touch of champagne color, but it is packed with multicolor shimmer particles that obviously don't show up in the photo of the pan. I rocked this for the beginning of the month until I bought the newest highlighter in my collection, which sadly isn't the newest when I'm writing this.

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Beige: I wasn't going to buy this, but Nordstrom had Bobbi Brown on sale for 20% off, so that was good enough for me. I probably wouldn't buy a shimmer brick for full price, but 20% off is great. I love this highlighter. I might have to compare it to my other highlighters because I feel like I go for the same colors. I use the top two colors the most, but when you swirl them all together, it gives such a beige golden glow. It's the perfect companion to bronzer. One of the girls I work with told me that my highlight was like "Wah-bam," so at least someone agrees with me.

Darac Beauty Sifted Blur Complexion Perfector: I use this powder to set my under eyes and my entire face. You can tell that I've plowed through the powder when you compare the photo to last month's favorites. I'm trying to not use so much powder, so I may try to cool it with this one. There's another powder that will definitely be in my favorites next month that I've moved on to for setting my under eyes.

I also need to do a Bath & Body Works haul, but there's just so much stuff that I need to photograph because I spent an absolute ton of money. I know I didn't even need half of the things I bought, but the Forever Sunshine lotion in the picture is already almost gone. For real. I'm trying to consistently use lotion after showering because the weather is getting nicer and I don't want dry skin if I can wear short sleeves. 

I've been loving Beautiful Day and Love & Sunshine body mists. I keep one in the bathroom for reasons and one in my gym bag so I don't smell like socks after working out. I like the little body mists because I can carry them around and not worry about a bottle breaking. I also like that they're cheap and the scent isn't too strong. The last thing I want is to smell like Versace when I'm dead lifting with a bunch of guys. That's not exactly the image I'm going for. 

I also bought a bunch of hand sanitizers, mainly to keep in my apron pocket at work for after I handle money or for a quick fix after wiping down tables. I also keep one in my bathroom so that my hands are always clean while I'm doing my makeup or skincare. I do bring my phone in the bathroom with me, so I want to make sure my hands aren't germy because I definitely touch my phone and don't want to immediately touch my face. Honolulu Sun is the one I keep with me at work and it smells like a Piña Colada. It's almost gone!

I've also been keeping a small lotion in my apron pocket because serving dries my hands out. I've always meant to keep lotion on me, but I don't have a ton of smaller ones that absorb quickly. I have five different scents in the Aloe Gel Lotion, but Kauai is my favorite and I even bought a backup because I feel like I'm going to finish that off quick.

Vera Wang Preppy Princess: I wore this mostly in the beginning of the month when it was still chilly out. I kind of feel like the scent is a little too strong for warmer weather, so I started wearing other scents. I do like this perfume a lot, but I'll probably get even more use from it during the fall and winter. 

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh Sunshine: I definitely prefer this limited edition release of Daisy Eau So Fresh to the original. It's a little less floral and a little more fruity, which is my preference. The only fault I find in the perfume is that it doesn't last long at all. This is definitely one I have to carry around with me, although I've been really bad about that lately because I need to fill all my atomizers and that takes time. I love everything else about this perfume though and the bottle is so pretty.

Escada Born in Paradise: I can just tell that this isn't the last time this scent will be in a favorites post. I can pretty much guarantee that this will be in at least one more post because this perfume is the perfect summer scent. It smells like coconut and it actually lasts a pretty decent amount of time on my skin. I like that it sort of matches my trend of island scented lotions so it makes it easier to pair other things.

Versace Bright Crystal Absolu: Still my most used and most loved perfume, and not just by me. The picture isn't a very good indicator, but I've used quite a bit of this perfume. There's a guy I work with that associates me with expensive perfume, this one being the one he likes on me best, and calls me Gucci Girl even though I've told him this is actually Versace. I did just finally buy a Gucci perfume though, so I guess I don't need to correct him anymore.

February Monthly Favorites

I wasn't prepared to do this post, obviously. I threw away one of my favorite products because it was empty and completely forgot to include one of the blushes I wore all month. Oh well. It's not super important. The world won't end because I don't want to take more pictures of my things. Besides, I feel like most of these things are repeats anyway. 

Missha Pomegranate Fermented Cleansing Foam: I bought this during the Missha Thanksgiving sale, but I tried to use up the chocolate cleansing foam first. I went back and forth with those these month and I really liked this cleanser.

Benton Aloe BHA Skin Toner: This is my holy grail toner. My only problem is that sometimes it is difficult to get at a good price on eBay and the shipping takes a few weeks. I usually have to order something else with this in order to get a good deal, which is what I ended up doing this time around. This toner has been absent from my skincare because I've been trying out other ones, but I always go back to this one.

Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence: Another one of my favorite Benton products. Benton makes really nice skincare with great active ingredients that usually aren't found in American products. I use this after my daytime ampoule for a little added moisture. I really like this in the summer because it's nice and lightweight.

Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator Ampoule: I feel like this has been a staple in my favorites posts. This is my holy grail ampoule and night treatment and I will always repurchase and currently have a backup ready to go just in case I run out.

It's Skin Power 10 VC Effector: I love this stuff, but I feel like every time I post about it that my bottle is almost empty. I've gone through almost two of them and I just ordered another and two different varieties from the same line. My bottles don't last as long as the Missha Time Revolution and sometimes I don't even use this every day.

Mizon Returning Starfish Cream: This is a new item that I haven't posted about before. I bought this to replace my Tony Moly cream that I had been raving about. This cream is nice and thick, but feels like a gel when you rub it in. I really like the texture and my skin hasn't been flaky since I started using this on a nightly basis. 

Skin79 Super Plus BB Creams in Green and VIP Gold: I've been using these two BB Creams again all month. I'm actually starting to get worried that I'm going to run out soon. I hate that you can't tell how much is left, but compared to another one from this brand that I don't use as often, they're starting to feel lighter. I might start mixing these with something else.

MAC Skin Base Visage: I've really been enjoying this lately, but I think there's another primer that I want to start using instead. I just dug through some makeup that I forgot existed, so I might try to rotate some things. I noticed that this makes my foundation or BB cream pill up a bit if I don't let my moisturizer set under the primer or even let the primer set. It does work pretty well though, and I think it's almost gone.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser: I've been going back and forth with this concealer, but it's my favorite. I haven't included this in a favorites post for a couple months because I've been trying new things, but I keep going back to this because it blends perfectly.

Skinfood Salmon Dark Circle Concealer: This is one of the other concealers I've been going back and forth over. It really depends on how long it takes to do my makeup. If I have time to really let my moisturizer set in and then apply primer and foundation and then let that dry down, then I'll use this. I actually prefer the coverage and color of this concealer to the Maybelline, but that one is lower maintenance and it blends better. This is just so creamy that sometimes and blends away my foundation and I'm left with a ring of blotchy concealer around my eye area and it looks bad. 

beautyblender Sponge: I've been loving my beauty blenders even more now that I've been setting my makeup with them. I've always dipped the point into powder and set my under eye area, but lately I've been dabbing my entire face with a beauty blender covered in powder. I found that sometimes I didn't hit all the areas I needed to set with a brush and that my foundation would do this weird peeling thing if I half assed it with my setting powder.

For these, I'll be going clockwise starting at 12 o'clock and ending in the center.

theBalm Mary Lou-Manizer: I can't stop with the golden highlights. I feel like I'm really going to be using this one and the Bobbi Brown one all summer too. Sometimes this can be a little heavy if I use the wrong brush, but this highlighter looks so good with a light hand.

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Copper Diamond: I've been using this nonstop since I purchased this around the holidays. I'm so glad I love this as much as I do because it was definitely a pretty penny. I love this highlighter so much and I really hope that Bobbi Brown releases other nice ones so I can add another one to my lineup.

MAC Adored Mineralize Skinfinish: When I wasn't feeling a golden highlight, I would spring for this powder. This skinfinish gives a opalescent pink glow and I really liked using it in conjunction with Pink Sprinkles, which is the pink MAC blush included in this picture.

MAC Extra Dimension Bronzer in Aphrodite's Shell: I think I've used this pretty much consistently since purchasing it almost a year ago. I really like this color for a pale girl bronzer, although I do tend to use a darker color in the summer. I think I'll be using this for a couple more months and transition into a darker bronzer color.

MAC Pink Sprinkles: Originally, I bought the other Simpsons blush color because I liked the packaging, but I did want this one too. I'm glad I got both blushes because the other one will be a nice color in the summer, but this one is nice year round. I'm really finding that I love the blushes I've purchased and I enjoy rotating them every month.

Estée Lauder Nude Nuance: I didn't use this blush after slipping it into a palette because I broke it when I was taking it out of the plastic clam shell packaging. I was so pissed that I just really never used it. Well, I love blush. It's definitely the shade that I've been loving, like the NARS blush below that I've been using. 

NARS Luster: I've really been loving this blush from the Joie De Vivre palette. This shade is one of those that looks like nothing in the pan but really transforms on your cheeks. I was going to reach for Angelika, which is one of my favorites and right next to this one, but I reconsidered. Then I found that I wanted to use this blush instead of trying something new.

Versace Bright Crystal Absolu: This has been my favorite perfume since I purchased this bottle. I feel like I've already put a little dent in the bottle, so I may try to use different scents during the next month. I've accumulated so many because I have a problem, so that won't be difficult. I'm going to try to use my other fragrances because I don't want to run out of this one! 

Escada Moon Sparkle: I've also been loving this scent. It's so nice and fruity, but it doesn't last as long as I'd like. I feel like I've also made a dent in this one, too, so I might try to avoid wearing this one too and save it for summer.

Vera Wang Princess: I'm actually shocked how much I've used of this perfume already. I didn't realize that I wore it nonstop this month after finally getting my bottle. I can't believe it took me so long to finally purchase a full size bottle and I also keep a small atomizer of purple liquid to touch up. I love this so much, but I don't think of it as a summery scent, so I don't think I'll wear it once it starts warming up. We'll see! Maybe I won't avoid this perfume and see what happens, considering I've already worn it once in March already!

Perfume Wish List

Okay, when I get obsessed with something, I get into this spree of can't stop, won't stop. Do I think I have plenty of perfume to last me through the year? Yes. Are there still bottles that I want? Absolutely. Especially working in food service where I definitely need to look and smell great all the time, there's just not a limit.

I purchased decanted samples of these scents and I want to eventually get a couple of these in full size bottles. I am going to leave a few alone and pass the list on to Shaun, because he was interested in buying perfume for my birthday and Christmas but I never had anything I wanted.

DKNY Be Delicious Fresh Blossom: If I could go back in time, I would have tried Red Delicious before buying it and realize that I like this one a hundred times more. I do still like Red Delicious and I'll definitely continue to wear it, but there's a bottle of this unboxed on Fragrancenet.com for $32.99 and I'm really considering getting this one because it smells great. The notes include Apricot, Cassis, Grapefruit, Smooth Skin Accord, Blond Woods, Jasmine, Rose, Apple, and Muguet. I don't even know what half of those notes smell like on their own, but I like them together.

Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia: I was really bummed when I couldn't find Gucci II anywhere, so I decided I was going to see if there were any other Gucci perfumes I wanted to try. There's an entire Gucci Flora line, but the Gorgeous Gardenia one sounded the best to me. Notes include pear, red berries, gardenia, sugar, frangipani, and patchouli. I really like the smell of this one, but it's pricey. This is $50 on frangrancenet.com, but it's over $100 retail for the 3.3oz bottle. This is one I'll probably save for a later date or get a smaller bottle.

Gucci II: I'm lovesick over this stupid perfume and I haven't even smelled it yet. I almost don't want to talk about it. This is probably going to be a blind buy and I think the scent has been discontinued. The notes include a blend of tart, tangy fruits, cassis, blackberry and a mix of red berries, orange, violet, jasmine, freesia and peony. I want this so bad. I am currently bidding on a bottle through eBay, but I know what I'm willing to spend. If someone beats my bid, then I'm definitely not spending more. It's possible that I would settle for a tester bottle without that large glass cap.

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh Delight: I got samples of both this and the regular edition of Daisy Eau So Fresh. I ended up not really liking Daisy Eau So Fresh, but I do like this version. This was a limited edition release, so I'm sure this is going to be hard to find. If I decide to buy this perfume, I may end up getting one without a box or a bottle that has been used. I don't see an issue with purchasing perfume that someone didn't like and they used a little bit of it, especially if it ends up being a good price. The original has top notes of grapefruit, pear and raspberry with middle notes of rose, jasmine and apple blossom. The Delight version has notes of sweet, run-ripened apricots and blood oranges and high notes of pink pepper and white tea. 

Admittingly, I did blind buy a limited edition bottle of an Eau So Fresh, but I think it was the Eau So Fresh Sunshine. It was an unboxed bottle, but the picture looked like the sunshine edition with brighter flowers. When it comes in the mail, I'll find out which one to cross off my list. If they end up smelling similar, then I definitely don't need both. 

Hugo Boss Boss Femme: This is just such a random perfume choice. I noticed that a lot of the scents in the pink bottles were what I was looking for, so I clicked on this one. The notes were Tangerine, Apricot, Freesia, Jasmine, Fleur de lys, Blackcurrant, Rose, and Lemon Wood. Now that I know what I like in a scent, I decided to try this one out. As this perfume is a bit heavier and expensive, I'll probably end up filing this one away for a bit. I feel like I have plenty of perfumes to wear in the winter, so I might ask for this for Christmas next year. It's only $35, but that's only for a 2.5oz and many of the other ones are 3.3oz for that price or a little more.

Versace Yellow Diamond: I should have known this was coming. I'm so hooked on Versace Bright Crystal Absolu that I had to try another one of their scents. I really like this and it isn't that expensive. This is an EDT, so not as strong as an Eau De Parfum. It's listed as $42 on fragrancenet.com, which is more than I'd like to spend on perfume now that I have as much as I do. This is also another scent I'll end up saving, but maybe not until next year. I think this would be a nice spring scent, so I might wait until I have a coupon. The notes include lemon, mimose, pear, freesia, bergamot, water lily, neroli, guaiac wood, musk, amber. I think it smells fresh and nice.

Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream: I'm conflicted on this one, which is why I made sure to leave it at the bottom. It was the first Marc Jacobs perfume that I wanted, but now that I have a bottle of Daisy Eau So Fresh, I don't know if I can warrant purchasing this one. As an Eau De Toilette, it's too expensive. The cheapest I can find it is $55, and that's without a box. I'm still leery about purchasing tester bottles because I like having the fancy caps on my perfume. This is another scent that I will file away, and it I happen to find a bottle on eBay that is half full, I might splurge if the price is right. The notes are blackberry, wisteria, coconut, lychee, pear, and grapefruit, so it is right up my alley. I'm not even sure why it's so expensive.

Perfume Diary #1

Okay. This is something I want to do now that I'm starting to get into fragrance. Since I barely have time to blog about things I buy and swatch, this is perfect to actually write down my thoughts on products I've been using.

I recently sprung for my first designer fragrance, Bright Crystal Absolu by Versace, and have started exploring other scents that I might enjoy. I also purchased Red Delicious by DKNY and while I like Bright Crystal Absolu more, I do like the smell of Red Delicious.

Because I've ventured into trying scents, I decided to get a few decants online and order full size bottles of the ones I like the most. I hauled a bunch of 3ml decants from myperfumesamples.com and I've smelled about half of them and worn a couple just around the house.

I've come to realize that I most enjoy fruity floral scents, which I'm sure I knew all along.

In this entry, I want to discuss my initial thoughts on a couple.

Marc Jacobs Honey: I actually thought this would be one of my favorites, but now I'm not so sure. I'm going to wear this out of the house, but I also don't think this is really the most appropriate for winter. It opens as a floral and as it hangs around, never really transforms into the fruity floral that I thought it would be. The honey note turned out to be honeysuckle, which would be nice if there was something else to balance it. As it turns out, I'm not a fan of straight floral scents and this does kind of remind me of grass.

Miss Dior EDT by Dior: The first notes listed on the site was mandarin and tangerine and there was a strawberry sorbet note listed. I was fine with jasmine and violet as floral notes because I do like fruity floral perfumes and this is a popular fragrance. However, I think the patchouli and musk really overpower everything else in the fragrance. I don't know if I'm brave enough to even wear this outside, seeing as I've only sprayed this on my shirt and really didn't care for it. I know scents have to transform with your body chemistry, but this is the only one that I have sprayed on my skin. This just smells too strong for my taste.

Escada Moon Sparkle: I was most excited about this perfume because KathleenLights talked it up in her perfume collection video. I don't think this would have been something I would have selected on my own because I've never heard of Escada. All the other brands of fragrances I've heard of, but I think Escada is smaller and I don't believe their  perfumes are high end. Apparently, they release limited edition scents and then discontinue them. This one is from 2007 and is apparently still circulating. I believe this is supposed to be one of their more popular releases. Anyhow, it was only my list to try because of that video so I did a search for it not expecting it to be available. The fragrance notes listed were strawberry, raspberry, black currant, red apple, citruses, sweet pea, freesia, musk, jasmine, rose.  I really liked the idea of this scent. It was one of the first scents I tried on and I loved it immediately. I definitely leans more fruity than floral, but it's balanced nicely. I had no doubts about this fragrance other than it's an EDT (eau de toilette) and I was worried it wouldn't have staying powder. I was wrong and I loved the scent so much that I found it online and purchased a brand new bottle for $37 to add to my budding collection. I normally wouldn't be so rash about a purchase and I want to try out my new scents more before making another purchase, but I'm worried about the availability. I don't want to shell out an arm and a leg for perfume. My bottle is still on the way, but I'll probably do another post after it arrives.

January Monthly Favorites

I feel like most of these items aren't new at all, but I think some of them have actually not been featured yet. There's actually a few staples that are missing from the month's list. I don't have a favorite concealer, toner, or mascara. I'm almost out of a couple of these things and I think I might be able to do another empties post even though I just posted one!

Missha Flower Bouquet Skin Fresh Cleansing Oil in Cherry Blossom: I talked this up last month and I haven't been using anything else to take off my makeup. I think this will only last me about another month, so it's a good thing I decided to buy a couple different cleansing oils from Missha.

Missha Creamy Latte Chocolate Cleansing Foam:  Another item from last month's post. I've been using only this cleanser for the most part and I'm starting to get to the point where I'm worried about running out.

Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief: It's been awhile since this showed up in any posts, which is strange since I haven't stopped using it. This is my last step of my morning skincare because my primer and makeup just apply better after this. It's definitely one of my favorite gel type moisturizers.

Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator Ampoule: I can't say enough good things about this ampoule. It's my favorite and my holy grail ampoule. I will forever continue to purchase this as long as Missha makes it.

It's Skin Power 10 VC Effector: I just about killed this bottle, which is why I'm glad I ordered another one when it was half gone. I'm thinking of trying a different type in the line, but for now this is my go to in the morning.

Mizon All In One Snail Repair Cream: This is an oldie but a goodie. When I ran out of my Benton Steam Cream, this was sitting in my cabinet and I decided that I needed to use it again. This is a nice light cream, so it's different than the Benton. I think I may end up using both now.

Tony Moly Intense Care Snail Cream: I've been using this to combat my dry winter skin. This jar is almost empty and I have something different to replace it with. I did enjoy this cream quite a bit, but it was pricey and it is now time to move on. I hope I won't miss it too much because I really did love it.

MAC Skin Base Visage: I needed a moisturizing primer to deal with my dry skin. Ever since I ditched the Smashbox primer, my skin has stopped peeling under my makeup in my dry problem spots. I definitely can't use this in the summer because it makes me a little oily and my makeup slides around, but this has been perfect for winter skin. 

Skin79 Super Plus BB Creams in Green and VIP Gold: These used to be two of my favorite BB creams and also my first two Skin79 ones. VIP Gold gives a little more coverage but tends to pull a little grey on me. I usually mix these two together because the Green one is moisturizing and is closer to my skin tone, so it tones down the grey from VIP Gold. I've used this pair for over a year off and on and the canisters are much lighter than my other two Skin79 BBs, so I'm wondering how long before I run out.

ElishaCoy Time Capsule BB Cream: This BB cream gives me more coverage than the Skin79 and it doesn't pull grey on me. That said, it gives my skin more of a makeup feel because it does cover more. I like my face to look more natural, but if I have something to cover than this is what I've been using.

Covergirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm in Marble: I had to look this up online to see what it was because there's only a color label on the bottom. I was going through some drawers of makeup and found this balm and figured I would use it. Turns out, I really like it and it's discontinued of course.

NYX Butter Lip Gloss in Tiramisu: I wanted to try these glosses but I'm not a huge fan of lip gloss. I always end up buying them and then they get stashed away, like my MAC lip glasses and Revlon lip glosses. I actually like this just for moisture because it isn't sticky. This color barely shows up and I wear it around the house and sometimes to bed because it's just a film on my lips. The fact that it smells like cake doesn't hurt either. I had to restrain myself from buying 5 more when Ulta had them on sale.

MAC Fluidline Brow Gel Creme in Dirty Blonde: I've been more into natural brows and not my usual red ones. I generally coat my brows with red powder and then top it with this because the color looks nice. I've always loved the formula of this gel and I feel like I can get a much better, sharper shape with this than a powder.

(MALIN+GOETZ) Mojito Lip Balm: I got this in my Ipsy bag earlier this month and immediately loved it. I've been wondering if I should get a full size, but that tube won't have the slant tip applicator and some of the ingredients are a little sketchy looking. For now, I just really like this gel based balm.

MAC Blackline: I don't remember where I was digging when I found this liner, but I forgot how much I love it! It's black, but it's also gold. And magic. It doesn't wear as well on my waterline as the Noir liner does, but I do prefer this when I'm looking for a bit of flair.

Clockwise from top: Sea Me Hear Me, Mighty Aphrodite, Copper Diamond, Mary Lou, Aphrodite's Shell

MAC Sea Me, Hear Me: I bought this back in I think June or July when the Alluring Aquatic collection had been out for a month or two. I ended up having non-buyers remorse and got this from a seller in a facebook group. I'm so glad I bought it, because I loved this shade this past summer and I recently decided that it was a good color now. I might rotate my blushes because I noticed that I don't use some of them, but this was great this month and I really love the color and packaging.

MAC Mighty Aphrodite: This blush has been with me for years. I think it was one of the first MAC blushes and I bought because it was from the Wonder Woman collection. I just remember that I was living in Salem at the time and didn't own a lot of makeup, never mind a lot of MAC. That was one of my favorite MAC collections of all time and this is one of my favorite blushes. I tried rotating through my shades this month and kept going back to this one.

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Copper Diamond: This was included in last month's favorites, and for good reason. I really love this highlighter. I try to wear something less intense with a darker blush or bronzer combo, but I've also started with my excuse to not wear this every day because I don't want to ever hit pan on it. You only need a tiny amount though, so I don't think I'll plow through this highlight.

theBalm Mary Lou-Manizer: Another intense highlight that I loved last month and into this month. I think this one is a bit more opaque than Copper Diamond, but it also blends out a little better. I think I like Copper Diamond more than this one, which I guess I should considering that it cost three times more than Mary Lou here. A little goes a long way and it doesn't take much to look like the 90's disco ball glitter trend threw up on your face.

MAC Aphrodite's Shell: I think I have to dig through my favorites posts and see when I haven't included this bronzer. This shade is just effortless. It's the perfect pale skin bronzer and I never feel like it gets too heavy, no matter how many times I swirl my brush in the pan. I have a few bronzers, but I always go back to this one. I don't know why I bothered to buy other shades. Probably come summer I'll use the others because most of them are too dark for the winter. No one looks sun kissed with three feet of snow outside.

NARS Devotee: I had to include this hot mama again because I used the crap out of this highlighter this month. I really do wear a full face of makeup five days a week, so I need a little variety. I feel like three highlighters isn't overkill in a post when you think of how often I wear makeup. I may need to update my picture of this pan because the hetchmarks have started fading more. I think this may be my favorite NARS highlighter of the four I own.

NARS Goulue: This month I left my Guy Bourdin palette on top of the stack and used this blush and Devotee quite a bit. I did think this was too dark for my liking at first, even though I was sure this would be my favorite blush in the palette. After learning to go lightly with this shade, I think it really is my favorite in this palette.

Tarte Breathless: I wanted to continue getting use out of my holiday cheek palette, so I picked this color to try out and I kept going back to it for a more natural cheek. This is generally a blush I would wear with a dark lip so that my face wouldn't compete with my lips. It does look kind of like face powder in the pan, but it totally transforms on the cheeks.

Versace Bright Crystal Absolu: I found it. This is my perfume. I've been trying out different scents because I really want to wear perfume and not just lotions that smell like candy. I found a sample of this that had been tucked away from a Nordstrom order and I just kept going back to that little spray. Well, I realized that I had been spritzing it on every night to go to work and that my sample was almost gone. I almost died when I realized that the 3.2oz bottle was $110 online, so I did some digging and found it for $60 on Overstock.com. I used a 10% off coupon and with my SwagBucks points that I collected over the holidays, I managed to score a $25 gift card. This sounded like a great deal to me, so I scooped up this bottle and one other perfume that isn't quite a favorite yet that I'll talk about in a haul. This is my first "grown-up" perfume purchase and I seriously can't tell you the last scent I bought. I used to really like the Britney Spears perfumes. I think I have a small bottle of a Hilary Duff perfume from high school and also a teeny tiny bottle of Vera Wang Princess that is so small it doesn't even have a sprayer. I think this will be a favorite for a while and it has definitely been a gateway drug into finding more perfumes that I like.

Empties #3 | Products I've Used Up + Mini Review

Wow! It's been forever since I've done an empties post. I think I may even have a couple more things that I missed, but I can't find them. I know I have a few more things on the way out, so maybe I'll motivate myself to do another empties post sooner next time.

Mizon Collagen 100 Ampoule: After Missha discontinued the ampoule that I used during the day, I turned to Mizon for this one. I definitely don't like it as much as the Missha one, but this was okay. It's a little thin and can be high maintenance if I don't let my toner dry down a bit. Would I repurchase? No. I've tried another Mizon ampoule and that one was better, but I've found my new Holy Grail daily ampoule so I won't be buying any other Mizon ones.

Secret Key Multi Cell Night Repair Ampoule: This was the ampoule I decided to try for nighttime when I was running low on my Missha one. I do really like this as a cheaper alternative, but as long as I have the Missha one, I won't be reaching for this one. It's a good thing I used it up or the bottle would just be sitting there. Would I repurchase? Sure I would. But not until I can't get Missha Time Revolution on sale or at all.

Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator Ampoule: This is an actual Holy Grail product of mine. I'm on my third bottle and I have a fourth ready to go when that's gone. I use this every night and I'm so glad I bought two during the last sale. Would I repurchase? I feel like this is a no brainer. Of course. I'll be so sad if this is ever discontinued.

PDC Naturina Aloe Essence Toner: I was in the market to try out some new toners, so I ordered a bunch a few months back from SaSa. I did end up using this mainly to take off my cleansing oils in the end because this was nothing special. It was cheap, so there's that. Would I repurchase? I might. This was pretty cheap when I bought it, so it was a good toner to just use with cleansing oils to take off my makeup. It is currently not for sale on SaSa right now, though.

Nature Republic Soothing & Moisture Aloe Vera 90% Toner: I did really like this toner. I go through a lot of toner because I use it a few times a day. This one was cheap on SaSa and I like Nature Republic as a brand. Would I repurchase? Maybe. I still have a ton of toners to use up right now.

Hera Age Away Intensive Cream: This cream is from a set of sample size products from Hera that I ordered on eBay. I liked this cream for nighttime, but it's definitely not something worth the price point. ($103 from KoreaDepart) Would I repurchase? Hera isn't my favorite luxury Korean brand and this cream definitely isn't worth that much money to me. I probably wouldn't even buy a small size again on eBay.

Etude House Collagen Moistfull Firming Eye Cream: This is the eye cream version of the cream from my last empties post. This was a nice cream, but I feel like I have better eye creams with more benefits. Would I repurchase? No. I have eye creams that I like more than this one.

Alpha Hydrox Retinol ResQ: This is just my nightly retinol treatment. Nothing fancy to see here. I do like this, but I feel like other retinols that I've used almost sting my skin so I feel like they work better. Would I repurchase? I'm almost out of another tube, which I think is my third or fourth from this brand. I may switch back to Roc, Neutrogena, or StriVection, but I haven't decided yet.

Skinfood Peach Sake Silky Finish Powder: I feel like I've been using this powder forever and I thought I would never run out. The container is large for a loose powder, especially when you compare it to the Innisfree one that is next to it. I really liked this for all over my face, especially under my eyes. This just made my face feel so smooth and nice. Would I repurchase? I probably will at some point, but I've been really loving my Innisfree powder right now and I don't need both.

Paintbox Soapworks Avast! Sorbetto: I feel like this sucker lasted for a long time, but I did lose it after vacation. This is my favorite scent from Paintbox Soapworks, so I'm always bummed that it is only available in the summer. I love the Sorbetto scrubs. They're the best. Would I repurchase? Yes. I'll always repurchase this scent and I'll definitely keep buying the scrubs.

Cocoa Pink Coco Mango Body Butter in Hearts on Fire Gelato: This was the first body butter from Cocoa Pink that I ever used. My first purchase totally won me over this company, which is why I own so many body butters. This is just one of the best smelling lotions I've ever used. It's a hazelnut gelato scent that has a touch of espresso in it. Would I repurchase? This is one of those things where I want to say yes, but I do have so many body butters that I need to use up more of them before I repurchase certain scents. I wouldn't be opposed to buying a conditioner in this particular scent though.

Cocoa Pink Argan Therapy Creme in Black Cherry Upside Down Cake: I never remember if I like the Argan Therapy Creme or Shine Sweetie better. Both conditioners are pretty nice. This scent was sampled to me in a past order and I liked it so much that I ordered conditioner and shampoo in the same scent. Would I repurchase? I grew tired of the scent, so no on that. I also decided that I like the Junkett Creme Conditioner better, so also no.

Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Powder: This is my favorite translucent setting powder at the moment. I'd really have to think about whether I like it better than my Skinfood one, but they both do the job. This powder is finely milled and has a really scent to it. Would I repurchase? Yes. I'm already on a new jar.

My Beauty Diary Strawberry Yogurt Amino Acid Cleanser: This used to be my favorite cleanser and I would use it every morning. It smells so nice and I really liked that it has small exfoliating beads in it. The only downside is that it's in a tub and that it doesn't lather well with my Clarisonic. Would I repurchase: I want to say yes, but I don't think I'll end up buying this again. I have so many cleansers to use up and I've found others that I like better.

Alpha Hydrox AHA Souffle: I feel like I go through this product quite a bit. I know there was another tube in my last empties post. I had been using this chemical exfoliator twice a day, but my skin is a bit drier now that it's winter. I've been using it just at night right now. Would I repurchase? Absolutely. I'm actually trying to figure out which online retainer to order my next tube from.

Benton High Content Steam Cream: I love this cream so much. It makes me a little oily in the warmer weather, but it's perfect for winter. I used to pair it with all my other Benton products, but I've been out of a few of those for some time now. I'm just getting around to reordering all my favorites. Would I repurchase? There's already a tube of this on the way to me as I type this.

MAC Face and Body Foundation in N1: I think you already know that this foundation has been my favorites for months. This is also the first foundation that I've ever completely used up. Enough said. Would I repurchase? There's already another bottle in my makeup cabinet, but I won't be using it until my skin is less dry.

Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant Mascara: This was such a nice mascara. I was totally suckered in by the brush and I fell in love. I feel like this might be the best high end mascara that I've used so far. Would I repurchase? I know I said that I would never buy this, but a small tube is $12 and I think I can swing that. I do want to use up a few more mini mascaras first.

Versace Bright Crystal Absolu: I don't like getting perfume samples. I have a ton of them from online orders and I hardly ever smell them, never mind use them. Well, Shaun was going to buy me perfume for Christmas and I didn't have an accurate answer for him on what I might like, so I broke into my sample drawer. This was the only one that I liked and I used the hell out of it this past month. Would I repurchase? I went back and forth on that answer when I decided that I liked it. A full 3oz bottle is a whopping $110 on Sephora and department stores, but I did find a really good deal through Overstock.com. Spoiler alert. I bought it.

My Beauty Diary Sheet Masks in Strawberry Yogurt and Pearl Powder: I should use these masks more. My skin really needs the extra moisture in the winter and I love putting on sheet masks. It's like marinating your face in serum. Would I repurchase? I have a box each of these masks and a two more boxes of different ones. I won't need to buy more any time soon.

Tony Moly Egg Pore Nose Pack: I just really felt the need to use a pore strip at one point. I know there's a couple more empty packages somewhere, but I may have thrown those away. I got this one in one my eBay orders, but I have other brands that work just the same. Would I repurchase? Maybe. I have a billion different pore strips and don't need to buy any right now.