Empties #6 | Products I've Used Up + Mini Review

Lots of big empties! I know I have three hand sanitizers that I used up recently, but I think they got lost in my move. I did pack up these empty things so I could take pictures and then throw everything away. I am on a mission to use up a bunch of products, so I'm sure I'll start doing a project pan style clean out.

I also feel like I'm sick of talking about empties so I'm going to attempt to make this short and sweet.

Bath & Body Works Sweet Magnolia & Clementine Shea & Fruit Body Scrub: I tend to use scrubs in the shower more often than soap or regular body wash. As I showed in my haul, I bought a ton of scrubs. I really like spring and summer scents, so I tend to hoard those so I can use them in the winter. I think I prefer the crushed coconut body scrubs that I'm using right now, but this was nice. I'm not sure if the beads are the kind that never break down though. Would I repurchase? I wish they made a candle in this scent. I'm thinking of getting this scent in the lotion during the next sale though.

Bath & Body Works Forever Sunshine Triple Moisture Body Lotion: I used this up pretty quickly because I try to use lotion when I get out of the shower. I liked the scent and I like how quickly Bath & Body Works lotions absorb because then I don't feel wet or sticky after putting on lotion. Would I repurchase? Not in this scent. There's a few different ones I want to buy instead.

Skinfood Milk Shake Point Eye Makeup Remover: When I stopped using the Missha cleansing oil that took off all my makeup, I needed to use a separate remover. I really like this one. It didn't sting my eyes and got everything off. Would I repurchase? Not anytime soon. I really like this, but it's something I generally have to order from Korea and I'm using a Missha cleansing water that does remove my mascara.

Secret Key Snail+EGF Repairing Toner: I don't think I've ever talked about this toner before because there was never a lot left in this bottle. This is one of my favorite Korean toners and I was sad that it was almost gone, so I never used it again. I was on a mission to finish up some products and this only had a few more uses in it, so I sadly killed it. Would I repurchase? Someday. I still want to use up a bunch of things and I have to order this from Korea.

Neutrogena Oil Free Moisture with SPF 35: I used this every day for almost a year. I'm surprised this moisturizer lasted so long. It's nothing special, just a moisturizer with SPF. I liked it, but I'm not sure I would want to go through another one. Would I repurchase? I get bored using the same things all the time, which is why I have a million things. I have a Paula's Choice SPF moisturizer that I'm currently using and I don't think I need another.

Etude House AC Clinic Daily Acne Foam Cleanser: This was one of my favorite cleansers that I kept with only a handful of uses in the bottle. This only took about a week or so to finish up. I really liked using this again. Would I repurchase? Definitely! But after I use up some other cleansers. I think I have ten or so to finish.

Philosophy Purity: I hated this. I know this cleanser gets rave reviews online, but it isn't pure and it smells. I'm so glad I didn't purchase the large size of this cleanser when I bought the baby bottle on sale. I ended up using the rest of it to wash my brushes and it didn't even work that well for that. Would I repurchase? Absolutely never.

Missha Time Revolution Night Repair Science Activator Ampoule: This lasted a crazy long time. I bought this in November during one of the Black Friday sales. I didn't think my other ones lasted quite as long, but I won't complain. This isn't exactly a cheap item. Thankfully I had a backup that I finally cracked into or I would need to reorder. Would I repurchase? Definitely, but I'll wait until the next 30% or 40% off sale.

Cocoa Pink Junkett Creme Conditioner in Caramel Popcorn Balls: This took forever to finish, which isn't a bad thing. The conditioner I'm currently using will probably take less time because my hair is longer now. I was using this conditioner when my hair was a lot shorter. Would I repurchase? I'm beyond sick of this scent now, which is great because I have a lotion in this scent. I also recently purchased two more of the Junkett in different scents, so I won't need to buy any in a long time.

Mizon Returning Starfish Cream: I loved this cream. It was my holy grail moisturizer this winter because my skin was so dry. I loved being able to slather this all over my face before going to bed. I used to apply a sleeping pack, which is a Korean style night moisturizer, but I didn't need to use any this winter. Would I repurchase? Definitely, but not until the cold weather because I don't need that much moisture now that it is so hot out.

I'm going to be super brief with my sample packets except for a few. 

Holika Holika Pig Nose Clear Black Head Strips: It's a blackhead strip. You wet it, it dries, it rips crap out of your nose. Great. Would I repurchase? Nope. I have plenty of these and others.

Holika Holika Aqua Fantasy Cream: I really love this, but the full jar is pricey, so I bought like 25 samples. I was using this on a daily basis and then we moved. I had more than three packets, but I don't know where those went. Would I repurchase? Nah. I have other things I use, and the jar is expensive. I don't want a ton of samples hanging around anymore.

Sephora Age Defy Under Eye Cream: This was nice. Then I forgot the packet was open and it completely dried out. Would I repurchase? If it were on sale and I was looking for an eye cream, maybe.

Laura Geller Spackle Bronze Tinted Primer: I didn't really care for this. It was okay. Would I repurchase? I would probably never buy a full size of this and I have plenty of other primers.

Nesura Deep Pore Charcoal Nose Strip: I actually liked this one. The only downside is that the strip is black and sometimes leaves black gunk around my nose after I peel it off. Would I repurchase? I have plenty of nose strips. 

Bobbi Brown Extra Repair Moisture Cream: This was really thick and nice, but it had a weird added fragrance smell. I don't think this is something I would want on my face all the time. Would I repurchase? Nope, but I'd use another sample.

Innisfree Apple Juicy Liquid Foaming Cleanser: I have a ton of cleanser samples, but I never use them because I have so many full size cleansers to work through. I had to stay overnight at Shaun's sister's apartment with him and didn't want to drag a full bottle with me, so this was good for two face washes. I like the smell of the Apple Juicy line, since I have a cleansing cream as well, so this was really nice. Would I repurchase? This is one that I would consider after I use up a bunch of other cleansers. 

L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara: I talked about this in a recent favorites post. I really liked this mascara, mainly for the brush. It's possible that this is my favorite drugstore mascara. Would I repurchase? I have a lot of samples left to use up, but I will definitely be buying another one of these. There's also another version I might want to try too.

Shiseido Facial Cotton: I love these. I didn't think it was possible to love cotton squares, but these are fantastic. The ones I used to buy from the drugstore would pill up and leave cotton particles all over my face while toning or using something like a liquid exfoliater These cotton squares are perfect and end up costing less than the drugstore ones. I think there's 165 in a package for $10 and I usually buy a 30 or 60 pack of drugstore ones for $3 or so. Would I repurchase? Ha. That's a trick question. I'm currently into a new bag of cotton and then have another backup. I can get these at Sephora or online at Nordstrom where they're on sale from time to time.

Bath & Body Works Candles in Oceanside, Mango Dragon Fruit, Caribbean Escape, Love and Sunshine, Watermelon Lemonade, and Cherry Blossom Sangria: Bath & Body Works are the only candles I burn because they smell so good. The trick is to buy them when they're 2 for $24 or 50% off. I would never buy one of these candles for $23 a piece. That's too expensive. I tend to rotate them so that they all burn up at the same time. Would I repurchase? I currently have 8 candles that I'm working through right now, but it's time for the Semi-Annual sale where most of them are between $11 and $12 each, so I'll definitely be a buying a few more before the sale ends.

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.

What's In My Bag | Christmas Vacation | Makeup

Here's the makeup portion of my bag from my Christmas trip. Obviously this is more exciting than skincare, so I will go into slightly more detail even though I'm sure I've talked about most of these things at least once.

I've talked about everything in this picture. The Smashbox primer is the only thing I use under my makeup. Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer is in my favorites post every month, along with my MAC Face and Body Foundation. I haven't needed to use my Innisfree concealer stick lately, but I took it with me just in case. My Beauty Blenders are the only way I apply my foundation and concealer. Both these MAC powders are pretty much my holy grail powders - the studio sculpt and mineralize skinfinish natural. 

I rarely talk about the brushes that I use on a day to day basis. I use a mix of Sigma, MAC, and Real Techniques brushes for daily makeup. I use a bronzer/contour brush, a blush brush, a highlighting brush, and brush to blend my blush and contour out, and a powder brush to set my makeup.

 
I brought my favorite mascara and eyeliner at the moment, the Make Up For Ever Smokey Extravagant mascara and the Noir black eyeliner. I've been loving my Shiseido lash curler and Inglot Pearl 450 for my brows. I also have my MAC brow brush that I use with that color.

I took along mainly nude lipsticks because I didn't want to have pink and red while in a casual family setting. I wore all five of them, two of them are Tarte, two are NYX, and the last is the Make Up For Ever lipstick from the birthday set from Sephora.

I didn't want to have to think about my blush colors, so I just brought along two NARS cheek palettes. I figured there was plenty of color choices between the two of these so that I could have some variety without going nuts over 25 different blushes. I also forgot to add my Innisfree powder in my last picture, so here it is.

And then I also forgot about these because they were hanging out in my purse. I've been loving this NYX Butter Lip Balm, so I had to pack that. I've been back and forth with my Supergoop! CC Cream. I really like it for light days, but I think I'll really start wearing the hell out of it once warmer weather hits.

Beauty and Skincare Haul | Korea | Japan | Taiwan

I've been hoarding a few of these products for a couple months now. The top picture of items is from one order from SaSa, where the bottom ones are sort of a mish mash of things from KoreaDepart and eBay. I thought I had more, but it's possible that those are just sample sizes that were included or the fact that I have a Missha haul I want to do separately because there's so much Missha.

As many of these items are still in the packaging, I can't really say whether or not I like them. Mostly this post serves as a show and tell and I'll try to do a hauled it but how was it type post like I say I'm always going to do.

This is my recent SaSa haul. Out of all the online retailers, SaSa is my favorite. In addition to the Korean brands they carry, they also have brands from China, Japan, and Taiwan. Most of the time they offer free shipping to the states over $29, which isn't difficult to spend. I decided to try out a bunch of new things during this haul. I've never used anything from these brands before.

I picked up two items from Mentholatum from their Acnes line. I use the cleanser at night. It smells really nice and it isn't too foamy. I just wish the tube was a little bigger. I feel like I'm going to run out quick! I also got a moisturizer which has an SPF of 15. I've been using this when I work in the afternoon and will probably only see 20 minutes of light instead of wasting my SPF 35 moisturizer.

From Shiseido I purchased a cleanser called Perfect Whip which seemed to have pretty solid reviews online. I've only used it once because I'm hooked on my Missha cleanser, which I'll talk about in a different post. I also purchased an eyelash curler because my Missha one was starting to get a little loose and creaky around the hinges. I love this thing. It took a little getting used to the different shape, but I'm convinced it's the best curler I've used so far.

I did buy a curler from Shu Uemura, but I haven't tried that out just yet. It was the most expensive item from this haul, though, so I'm not going to let it go to waste. Thankfully, it isn't something that's going to go bad if I don't open it.

Something new that I've never tried even from American brands are oil blotting sheets. I purchased these from two different brands, Hakugen and Katani. I've used the Katani ones a couple times and I like them. I don't really see a huge different between these papers and using a napkin, but I guess these are supposed to just take off the oil and not the makeup. I do notice that when I blot with a napkin that I can see my powder products, which isn't the case with these. I've yet to use the Hakugen sheets because I feel like I'm going to love those and they're no longer for sale at SaSa so I can't repurchase them. I have to add that the Katani ones have little pandas on the sheets and I think that's a cute added bonus.

I purchased more sheet masks from My Beauty Diary that I haven't used yet. I don't know why, but I've sort of fallen off the sheet mask train and the only explanation I have for that is that I generally wear sheet masks for a minimum of 20 minutes and I don't have time for that when I'm getting home at midnight. 

From Sulwhasoo, I have an sample size of the Ginseng eye cream. I haven't tried this yet because I've been using other eye creams that I bought around the same time. I'm sure if this is anything like the Ginseng face cream that costs approximately two thousand dollars, I'll love it. (Complete exaggeration. The face cream is $220 and the the eye cream is $180)

I picked up two Nature Republic eye creams. One is tagged as wrinkle improvement and the other is brightening. I've been using the wrinkle improvement one and I like that one. I've used the brightening one a few times, but I'm committed to using up a few things and not having 15 eye creams open at the same time. 

At one point, I was obsessed with my Tony Moly Latte Art Milk-Cacao Pore Pack. Some time between using up my last container and purchasing this one, I started using the Queen Helene mask. It isn't that I like that one better, but I haven't touched this new one just yet.

My Innisfree Pink Beam Mineral Pact was featured in one of my favorites post. I really love this little guy, but I haven't been setting my under eyes because they tend to get drier in the winter. This gives a nice gleam on my cheeks but isn't as intense under my eyes.

Last in this bunch is my Skinfood Black Raspberry eye cream. This was also in a favorites post. I really like the scent of this cream and also how moisturizing it is. I've been using this off and on since purchasing and it's already half gone!

These two guys are just hopping on for the ride because I just received these in the mail. I don't know how long it will be until I do another Asian or Korean haul, so I thought I'd just toss these in this post.

I've been missing my Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Powder. I really didn't know how much I actually loved this until I ran out of it! Nothing compares to this powder. I'm psyched it came in the mail so quickly since I ordered it on December 1st. 

I'm almost out of my Mizon ampoule that I use daily, so I thought I'd try something new. I probably have less than a week of uses left in my Mizon one, so I'm glad this arrived even quicker than my Innisfree powder. I got this It's Skin ampoule in the brightening formula with vitamin C because your skin gets dull in the winter. This ampoule seems really nice and thick, so I can't wait to try it out.

Mentholatum - Japan

My Beauty Diary - Taiwan

Hakugen - Japan

Katani - Japan

Innisfree - Korea

Nature Republic - Korea

Shiseido - Japan

Shu Uemura - Japan

Skinfood - Korea

Sulwhasoo - Korea

Tony Moly - Korea

It's Skin - Korea

November Monthly Favorites

I feel like my favorites this month consists of mostly cheek products and skincare. There's also a few repeats from previous months. This month also flew by and I think that's because I posted my favorites so late last month.

ElishaCoy Vita Capsule Cleanser - I love using this with my Clarisonic. You can see from the way the sun is shining through the bottle that it's almost gone. I really like this cleanser. It was one of my first cleansers I ordered when I starting using Korean beauty and skin care products.

Mizon Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule - My skin starts getting drier when it gets cold out, so I make sure to add an ampoule to my day and night routine. This is between a liquid and a gel that is similar to like an argan oil meant for your face. I just pat it into my face and it absorbs quickly. I really like this one, but I have a different one coming in the mail to replace this one when it runs out.

Secret Key Multi Cell Night Repair Ampoule - This is my night ampoule. I really like this, but it pales in comparison to my Missha ampoule that I'm going to start using again when I finish this one. I just like that it leaves my skin feeling moisturized at night after using it. 

Indie Lee Brightening Cleanser - I got this in my Ipsy bag last month and it's basically the only thing I've used from that bag. I really liked using this in the morning because it made my skin tingle. I wouldn't buy it though because I'm sure it's pricey. It was nice while it lasted though.

Nature Republic Herb Dressing Gold Honey Cleansing Cream - I usually stop using makeup wipes in the winter because I need the extra moisture. This is basically a cold cream where your makeup dissolves but it leaves it feeling moisturized.

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer - I somehow overlooked this last month. This is the only face primer that I've used for the last two months. I really love this and I'm sorry I didn't jump on the bandwagon sooner.

MAC Face and Body Foundation in N1 - I think you're tired of reading about how much I love this foundation. I've already repurchased because I'm almost out. I haven't been using anything else, but I just started mixing in my Supergoop! CC Cream.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser - This is another product that keeps going strong! I tried to use other concealers under my eyes, but nothing compared. I'm addicted.

Beauty Blender Sponge - I'm a convert. I love this sponge so much more than I ever liked my Real Techniques one. This is just perfect and the only way I apply my foundation now. I can ever get past the price because I bought two of the pairs for 20% and I'll probably get the mini ones with my Sephora gift card.

Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Powder - This is the only translucent powder I've used to set my makeup and I hadn't realized how much I loved it until it was almost gone. Now I have to use something else while I wait for another container of this to come from Korea.

Bath & Body Works Triple Moisture Body Cream in Pumpkin Latte & Marshmallow - I jumped on the pumpkin train late, so I'm really glad to have picked this up. I wasn't even going to buy lotion when I went to get some fall candles. I use this at night mostly because the tube is too big to carry around. I'd even consider buying other scents in this formula.

MAC Studio Sculpt Powder in Light - Still loving this to initially set my makeup so my foundation doesn't move around under my blush and bronzer. It just looks so natural. If I'm not doing a full face, I just set my foundation with this and I'm good to go.

Noir Eyeliner in Black - This is just perfect and I love it. Best black eyeliner I've ever used! Enough said.

Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant Mascara - I wanted to hate this mascara. The brush is huge and I'm sure it costs $35 for a full tube. Probably not that much, but close. I don't even want to look it up. But I love this mascara. And I hate that I love it because...it's expensive.

Darac Beauty Sifted Blur Complexion Perfector - It took me a little while to like this powder, but now I use it all the time. I mainly use this powder to blend out my blush and contour because it's a very finely milled powder that doesn't seem to add any extra color.

NARS Ita Kabuki Brush - This brush seriously changed my makeup life. No matter what brush I used, I could never contour. The NARS Ita makes it so easy to contour that I can't imagine not having this brush. I'm glad I got it for a discount because I definitely don't think anyone should pay $55 for a brush. 

Vincent Longo La Riviera Sun Face and Body Bronzer in Beauty Sin - This has really been the only bronzer I've been using all over my face. I don't think contouring is for an every day face, so when it's early I just bronze up my face with this because it isn't super dark.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Achiote - I didn't think I was going to get much use out of this blush because I thought it was a summer color, but I was wrong. I found myself reaching for this blush almost as much as my NARS palettes this month.

Benefit Hoola Bronzer - I've been using this to contour a lot, but I noticed that it was really patchy on me today and I had to do some clean up before leaving the house. I guess you could say I have a love hate relationship with this bronzer because it makes my contour look really nice...but only on one side of my face.

Deep Throat (top) Final Cut (bottom) Laguna (Right)

NARS Blushes in Deep Throat and Final Cut: I've been reaching for this palette a lot this month too, and these are the two blushes that have gotten the most use. Deep Throat is also in another NARS palette that I use and I know I've dipped into that one as well.

NARS Laguna Bronzer - When I wasn't using Hoola to contour, I was using Laguna. The main reason I even bought this palette was for the jumbo size of Laguna, even though I already had two smaller Lagunas in other palettes.

Albatross

Devotee

Hungry Heart Duo II

NARS Highlighters in Albatross, Devotee, and Hungry Heart Duo II - I'm lumping these together as one because I've used them equally for the most part. I'll swatch them all in my NARS palette post because I know they all look similar, but they're different. I think I used Devotee and Albatross the most but mostly because I didn't have Hungry Heart as long as those two.

Orgasm

Angelika

 NARS Blushes in Orgasm and Angelika - My Joie De Vivre palette came with both of these blushes and I received that one first. I thought I was going to hate the sparkle in Angelika, but it's very minor and most of it comes off the brush before application. Orgasm is supposedly a cult favorite and it's a good thing I like it because I have three pans of it thanks to my palette addiction.

I know there are others that I used this month, so I'll just lump NARS blushes into a category of their own. 

October Monthly Favorites

Favorites post! I feel like I had a lot of favorites again this month, and some of them are repeats because I haven't stopped using them. I'm sure I'll have a few different ones next month because I've used up a few products in this post. 

Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque - I've only been using this for two weeks, but I love it so much that I had to include it in my favorites. Two weeks is long enough, don't you think? I've used this four or five times and have also used this as an overnight spot treatment. It smells so minty and awesome and I bought it on sale for less than $4. The best part is that my nose just looks so clean. I can't think of any other way to describe it. 

Baviphat White Grape Lifting Yogurt Cleansing Foam - I thought I was going to kill this cleanser because it was running low in the beginning of the month. I've used this pretty much every day and night and there's still a teeny bit left in the tube. I'll probably cut the top off to get the remaining at some point. This is just the creamiest cleanser and I love using it with my Clarisonic.

Nature Republic Soothing and Moisture Aloe Vera 90% Toner - I bought this a couple months back in a SaSa order where I purchased a ton of toners. I replaced last month's favorite toner with this for no particular reason. I had just noticed it was sitting in my travel makeup bag from vacation in August and I left it on the side of the sink so I could use it. It's probably my most moisturising toner and I love it.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner - Yep. Another toner. I was having some skin issues earlier in the month and I swear by tea tree for clearing up my skin. I used to hate this toner because I was spoiled by my holy grail tea tree toner by Lush. I wouldn't use this all the time because it has the tendency to dry my skin and I always follow it up with another toner.

Baviphat Lemon Whitening Sleeping Pack - I use this every night before I go to bed. Sleeping pack is just a Korean name for an overnight mask. It has the consistency of a thin lotion and it smells like lemon. The whole purpose of this product is to lighten the darker spots of the skin. Since I was breaking out near the time of the month during last month and this month, I've been consistently using this to lighten my darker scarred spots and I feel like it speeds up the healing.

Paintbox Soapworks Avast! Sorbetto - Sorbetto is a body scrub from Paintbox Soapworks and my favorite scent is Avast! The scent notes include coconut milk, cardamom, coffee beans, and musk. This is a repeat purchase for me as I bought the entire scent line last year as well. This scent is from the summer seasonal offerings from Paintbox Soapworks, which is an indie brand that sells only on Etsy. I also have the soap, solid scent, and lotion in this scent. Sorbetto is my favorite type of scrub, indie, drugstore, or high end.

Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief - I got two mini sizes of this gel lotion with a gift set last month. I've already finished one of the minis and I did purchase a larger size because I love it. I use this every morning after my SPF because I feel like it helps everything absorb into my skin better and my foundation primer doesn't pill up as much with this underneath it.

Clinique Turnaround Overnight Radiance Moisturizer - This also appeared last month and I've yet to stop using it. This moisturizer is usually what I use after my AHA and retinol and before my sleeping pack if I'm really tired and don't have time to use a bunch of products. If I'm using other things, it's usually sandwiched in there somewhere. 

Alpha Hydrox AHA Souffle 12% Glycholic Acid - I seriously credit this little product for turning around my skin. AHA is supposed to be really important in skincare and since I've added this, I've seen a difference. I always make sure I have enough on hand and it's the one thing I don't mind buying advance backups for because I know it will get used. I use this every morning and night and try to limit other acidic products because I like this the best.

Skinfood Black Raspberry Eye Cream - I usually use more than one eye cream just because. This is the cream I use after my Clinique eye cream because this is much more moisturizing. I like the herbal smell it has, which I suppose is weird because it's labeled as black raspberry. Skinfood has always made some nice skincare and I haven't found anything from the brand that I like more than this.

MAC Face and Body Foundation in N1 - Yes, this little baby is still going strong. It does provide lighter coverage than I need sometimes, which is why there are a couple other foundations sitting next to this one. It's perfect, really. I wish they still made the 3oz bottles because I'm going to need to repurchase this soon. I haven't found anything makes my skin have a nice finish like this one does. So worth the $27 because it contains more than all the other foundations I own.

Illamasqua Skin Base in 2 and 3.5 - I bought shade 2 to mix into my MAC Face and Body, but it's a bit lighter than what I was looking for, so I also bought shade 3.5 to mix in. I can use shade 3.5 by itself or mixed with Face and Body and the finish is really nice. I don't get the same effect as the Face and Body, but if I just mix in a little then it doesn't mess around with the finish. When I do a paler face in the winter, I'll probably add in more of shade 2, but I've mostly been using shade 3.5 and I love them so far.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser - You can actually see how much of this I used from last month and it looks like a lot! I seriously haven't used anything else under my eyes and I love the way this blends out.

Clinique High Impact Mascara - I've had a love/hate relationship with my eyelash curler this month because the pad keeps coming out of the base. I actually don't mind my eyelashes with this mascara even if I don't curl them. That's saying a lot because I don't usually go without curling my lashes if I'm going to wear mascara.

Innisfree Mineral Stick Concealer - I seriously swear by this concealer stick. I don't even know why I stopped using it. I think when we moved that it somehow got lost in the packing and I magically discovered it. This just blends into my skin like magic and I love it more than my expensive concealers.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Eye Pencil in El Dorado - I don't know what it is, but I've been really loving gold eyeliner on my lower lashline. I'll wear a black liner in my lower waterline and draw this around the tear duct and under the lashes and it just gives a little bit of shine without being super noticeable. The best part is that this fades gracefully after many hours and the shimmer doesn't get all over my face.

Noir Eyeliner in Black - Hands down, best black eyeliner that I've used. I pulled Urban Decay Perversion out of my makeup bag when I got this in my Birchbox. This liner seriously lasts all day on my waterline and clings to my lower lashline like nobody's business. The best part? I don't know where it goes! There's always a little less liner on my waterline when I get home, but it doesn't settle under my eyes like Perversion did. It's perfection.

Tarte Pin Up Girl Blush Palette - For the most part, when I was going to wear blush, this was what I reached for. The three colors that I wore the most were Embraced, Bashful, and Irreplaceable, which are the top two colors and the second to the bottom. I wore all the colors, but those were the ones that got the most use.

MAC Aphrodite's Shell Bronzer - I think at one point I said I stopped using this for another bronzer, but I couldn't go without it. You can see that my wave pattern is fading even more. I just really love this bronzer. It's the perfect color for me when I don't want to be too bronzed, and it is getting colder out and the time for pale skin is now.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Bronzer in Park Avenue Princess - This was the bronzer that I kept using in place of Aphrodite's Shell. I love this bronzer, but I think it's a little dark for the winter. I wish I had bought this sooner so I could have used it this summer. I've used it a lot this month, but I think it's shifting to the back of my organizer already because it's a little too dark at the moment.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed - The pattern on this blush is already starting to fade away, which is saying a lot. It takes a ton of uses to make that go away. I love this color. It's been the perfect fall nude cheek this month. I have accumulated a lot of other blushes recently, though, so this might fade away if I go for a brighter cheek.

Inglot Eyeshadow in Pearl 450 and DS 494 - Since dyeing my hair a darker burgundy color, I had to find something new to color in my brows. I love this little three pan palette because it holds my shadow colors that I used to shade in my eyebrows and a highlight shade that I barely use. I first go in with the purple, DS 494, and define the shape and then go over it with Pearl 450 to color match my hair. My brows last all day with these colors and always look nice.

MAC Studio Sculpt Powder in Light - There used to be a really defined pattern in the powder when I first bought it, but you can barely see it anymore. I use this to set my foundation in place so that when I use blush and bronzer that it won't move around underneath. I love this because it doesn't even look like I used a powder to begin with.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light - I've been trying to use this more because my powder has unglued itself from the pan and doesn't like to say in there. I do like this for a lighter makeup look and it sticks to the areas of blemishes that don't like to hold foundation. I just like it because it helps my makeup look more flawless.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade - This is probably one of my favorite highlighters ever. I had a couple other MAC ones, but I hardly ever use them unless I'm in a rush and grab the wrong one. It doesn't show up in the swirled colors, but rather just a nice glow. I love it.

Innisfree Pink Beam Mineral Pact - I'm sad to say that I dropped this a week or two after I got it, but the powder was soft enough that I was able to press it back into the pan for the most part. This is what I use to set my undereye concealer. It's meant to be used as a highlighter, but it doesn't show up too pink under my eyes and it just brightens them. If I'm running late, I'll also add it to my cheeks, but I like it mostly for a glow under my eyes,

September Monthly Favorites

I have no idea if this is a lot of products for the month because I've never really done a favorites post before, but these are all the things I've loved this month. There are a few more things I wanted to include, but since I just started using them within the last week or so, I didn't think it was fair. If I continue to like those things then they'll definitely be included next month.

First up, I have blushes and bronzers. 

MAC Aphrodite's Shell - I've used this bronzer almost every day this month. This was something I regretted not picking up from the Alluring Aquatic collection...and then I bought it for $10 less on a buy and sell group on facebook. This is by far one of the better bronzers that I've used and I've kind of gotten the hang of bronzing thanks to this.

MAC Sea Me, Hear Me - Once again, something I regretted not buying from Alluring Aquatic and then purchasing elsewhere. I used this the beginning of September and most of August. I love the color and sheen of this blush. It does have to share the spotlight since I have enough blushes to not use the same one every day.

MAC Pink Sprinkles - I bought this Simpsons blush after Sideshow You and ended up using it more than Sideshow You. Even though I did love both the Simpsons blushes, I feel like this one was a better color for the month. I love all my blushes, so it's hard to pick favorites since they can't all be in a post.

Estée Lauder Peach Nuance - Admittedly, I didn't use this too much this month but I love it so much. I loved it the minute I opened the package. Is love at first sight a thing for a blush? I realize I've only owned this for like, 2 weeks, so I'm completely jumping the gun on this one. But it needed to be here. Because it's fabulous.

Sigma F50 Stippling Brush - I'll be frank about this one. I got this brush for free. Sigma sent me it as a free when I ordered three eyeliners that I dislike so much and can only locate the most hated one. I don't own any other Sigma brushes, but I've always wanted to buy some. Anyway, this is the most perfect blush brush in my life. I had been using an angled blush brush, but I decided to go back to this one when using a super pigmented blush. It's great at diffusing out the color so that it's perfect. I want to buy a million or another one, but it's $26 so...no. I'll just wash this a bunch. It doesn't hold color since the hairs are so wispy.

MAC Face and Body Foundation in N1 - Let me first say this: I have not used another foundation since buying this. I've tried mixing it with other foundations and BB Creams, but I haven't used anything else. It's not heavy on the skin and it gives a nice, natural finish. Everything else I've use makes my face look like I have makeup on and it breaks up at some point during the day. I've currently been mixing in Illamasqua Skin Base, but I can't consider that I favorite since I've only used it three times. The only downside to this foundation is that I think I'm going to plow through it. It's on the watery side so I have to use a bit more to cover my face. But you get 1.7oz and the standard foundation is usually 1oz, so I think that will balance out.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser - This is the pink brightening shade. Sometimes I'll use this alone and other times I'll dab it over another under eye concealer. I don't think it really covers up, but it does a good job concealing darkness and brightening. It doesn't settle in my eye creases and if I'm feeling brave, I don't have to set it with powder. I also like the foam applicator. It's supposed to be antimicrobial and I prefer this to the brush style clicky pens. 

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer - This is what foundation dreams are made of. I also have a Maybelline version of this primer, but I feel like this is just better. The Maybelline one will pill up on my skin a little bit if I use it too close to when I applied moisturizer, but this one doesn't. I'll probably buy another or a larger size when I run out, but it seems like it's going to last a long time. I just love that it makes my face feel smooth and that smoothness translates into my foundation also feeling smooth.

Tony Moly Panda's Dream Goodbye Dark Eye Corrector - This isn't a concealer, although I thought it was when I purchased it online. It's a white lotion based primer, similar to the feeling of MAC's Prep+Prime. I do like using this under my eyes for a little more slip and moisture during the under eye concealer process. I feel like my concealer holds up better when I use this.

Innisfree Mineral Stick Concealer - This is something I rediscovered when I was going through my makeup organizer. I was starting to fall in love with MAC's Studio Finish concealer when I found this and I like it better. It's a perfect match for my skin and it covers dark spots really well. It's also less messy than a liquid concealer or a cream concealer. I also love this to carve out my uneven bottom lip when I wear a dark lipstick. 

It's Skin Babyface Soft Bright Eye Stick - This is another concealer I rediscovered by accident. I was rushing to pull my Innisfree stick from the organizer I have my concealers standing it and this one came out instead. I didn't really have time to look for the other one, so I just used this. It also covers up dark spots well and I think it's neck and neck with my Innisfree one because I can also use this to brighten. It isn't straight pink like the Maybelline, but it's just pink enough to match my skin.

MAC Dirty Blonde Brow Gelcreme - This is basically the only thing that I put on my brows every day. I'll comb my brows into shape with a spoolie, apply this with light strokes with my 208 or 266, and then comb out the extra product. Sometimes I'll top this with a red powder if my hair is really bright or with a tinted brow gel if I just need a little more hold. This is excellent. I'm surprised I hated it at first, but now I'm in love.

Baviphat White Grape Lifting Yogurt Cleansing Foam - I was going through a box of skincare when I rediscovered this cleanser. I really like using this with my Clarisonic because it's nice and creamy. I'll sometimes mix this with a light salicylic cleanser, but I mostly just use it on its own. I'm sad that it's almost gone, but I have so many cleansers I need to use up that I can't repurchase right now.

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion - This is seriously my knight and shining armor. I just dab this on any breakouts I have at night and they're usually reduced in the morning. The only downside is that this is pink, like calamine lotion, so it's definitely not discrete at all. It also isn't a miracle worker, but it does help. 

Clinique Turnaround Overnight Radiance Moisturizer - I've used this every night since getting it and I love how moisturizing it is. I'm also wondering if this is what cleared my skin up this month since I haven't really been using any acne products, but I don't think that's what the purpose of this moisturizer is.

Paintbox Soapworks Clean Slate Emulsifying Facial Scrub - I only use this in the shower a couple times a week because it's a little rough and I don't like taking it off with a washcloth because of the sugar grains. It's basically a polish for your face and it leaves my skin nice and soft after I use it. It also has really great ingredients like tea tree, and I love tea tree.

Anosa Tea Tree Herbal Toner - Speaking of tea tree, here's another. I use toner twice a day and I prefer and recommend Asian style toners. American toners are drying and strip your skin. These toners just add that little bit of extra moisture and don't dry out my skin.