Skincare Backstock Collection 2019

I am doing an updated skincare backstock update for 2019. This is all skincare not currently in rotation. I do have a bunch of skin care out, don’t you worry. This bin contains face masks that have been in and out of rotation, but masks tend to last longer. They are in backstock until I get some older ones used up first and then, I’ll add these ones back in. Back stock is anything that is not currently in my skincare rotation. I need to keep myself accountable with what I have and use that up before deciding to buy new skincare. There are only a couple of categories that I have only one item in use of. I am allowing myself to purchase anything that doesn’t have a replacement in backstock. I have three backstock bins that I am hoping to consolidate into two by the end of the year. Without further ado, these are all of the products waiting to be cycled into rotation.

CLINIQUE Pep-Start Daily UV Protector

This will be added shortly to my summer project pan, because it needs to be used up this year. I don’t like this sunscreen as it makes my oily skin oiler. It has some sort of emollient in it that leaves a greasy residue that never absorbs all the way into my skin. It might be made for drier skin types. It is slightly tinted. I am confident that I will be able to use this up during the summer as long as I wear it everyday.

ELF Daily Hydration Moisturizer

I plan on pulling this one in when I am done with my mattifying moisturizer, which I feel doesn’t do much. I bought two moisturizers when I previously did an ELF haul. I feel good having a backup for a daily moisturizer. I haven’t found my holy grail yet. I think I will try PIXI or a brand from Sephora unless this one blows me away.

Beauty 360 Brightening Radiance Facial Mask

I haven’t even opened this one yet, so it will remain unopened for the rest of this year more than likely. I have other masks opened in backstock and I will go through those before this one. I am excited to try this one. If it is a sleeping mask, it might get opened this year. This is the only sleeping mask that I have in backstock at the moment. I don’t need to buy masks for a looooong time. I am well stocked with every kind.

SOO AE Donkey Milk Sleeping Mask

So, this is just a sachet packet. I will probably use it up this year, when I want to take a break from sheet masks and do something a little different. Right now, I have two sleeping masks open though. This won’t be utilized for a while. I am looking forward to trying it out though. I love what masks do for my skin. I have oily skin, but if I keep it hydrated, it tends to be more combination. Also, as I am getting closer to my 28th year, my face seems to be getting drier. I am taking that as a good sign. I would love to be combo instead of an oil slick in my t-zone.

Too Cool For School Egg Mousse Soap Facial Cleanser

I started using this, but then decided to work on my deluxe size cleansers. They were piling up! I am down to my last two deluxe sized cleansers, so I will be picking this back up again sometime this year. After, I want to move on to cleansing balms, because I love the moisture that it gives my skin after getting all the makeup and junk off. I used to be a fun of foaming cleansers, but I find them really drying nowadays.

VS Let’s Glow Sheet Mask

I have one last sheet mask from VS. It’s a brightening mask, which I usually use in the morning, so I am waiting for the right time to use this one. I enjoy sheet masks a ton. I usually do one every Saturday night, but sometimes, I’m just way too tired to mask. I try to at least do one every month for a tiny bit of me time.

Drunk Elephant Beste No 9 Jelly Cleanser

I was told that this smells like cantaloupe. I haven’t opened it yet, so I have no clue. lol. I plan on using this next after I use up my current cleanser, which isn’t too far away. I really do not need a backstock of any product. I would much rather order a new one when I’m almost done with my current one. I am working towards the goal of having 1 backstock bin for when I do order and add on items to meet the minimum free shipping. This was part of my free birthday gift, so I feel good about having it in backstock. IT’s everything that I deliberately bought that I feel bad about.

The Ordinary Alpha Lipoic Acid 5%

I totally forgot that I had this serum in my collection. I don’t feel like I need a serum until I’m 30 and it’ll be an anti-aging one. I am using up all in my collection and not repurchasing until then. I no longer support the brand and just want to use what I have up at this point. This isn’t a serum that you can use everyday either. You can only use it a few times a week, so it will take forever for me to use up.

The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution 10-Minute Exfoliating Facial

This is an exfoliating peel face mask, which is unique in my collection. I am not a fan of physical exfoliation on the skin, but I love chemical exfoliates which are gentler on the skin. I am currently using a peeling gel in the shower, so I would not add this in until I use that one up. This is only meant to be on the skin for 10 minutes at the most, so it is great to apply in the shower once I have conditioner in my hair. I can apply this “mask”, clean my body, and then rinse. I would use this 2 to 3x a week at most, because my skin is on the oilier side, I feel like it can benefit from more frequent sloughing of dead skin cells. If your skin is normal or combo, I would suggest 1 to 2x a week. This is unopened and will stay in backstock until I finish my current peeling gel.

The Ordinary Retinol 1%

I totally forgot that I had this. I am actually taking this out of backstock and putting it in my current skincare collection in the bathroom. I put this away during the winter, because it was too drying on my skin. Now, it is getting warmer and summer out. I am pulling it back out to use at night and I am going to try to use it all up this summer. I use this at night. I usually alternate between using a sleeping mask and an oil. Now, I will alternate with this as well at night. Even in the summer, I cannot use this daily and I can only use it 3x a week at most. It has 2/3rds to 1/2 left, so I think I might be able to do it.

Roloxin Lift Instant Skin Smoothing Masque

I am decluttering this to my mom to use, because I do not have wrinkles that need filling.

MJCARE Sheet Masks Variety

I have 8 more of these sheet masks left that I want to use up. I enjoy wearing sheet masks and I try to do them once every week or so. It’s hard sometimes to try to find the time to mask. I have been reserving them for Saturday nights after a clay mask while doing my homework that is due on Sundays. Sheet masks aren’t a necessary in my skincare routine, but I do enjoy using them. They are very indulgent, but I usually snag them when they are on sale for a dollar or two.

ELF Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloths

I have three packets in storage and one currently in use. These were $5 for a 2 pack with a total of 40 wipes, which I thought were a good idea. They are moist and effective at taking off makeup and cleaning your face at the end of the night. I sometimes use this in the morning instead of my micellar water. I like to have these one hand for lazy nights when I am too tired to wash my face and do the whole big routine. I won’t need more for quite some time.

The Sharing Co Sheet Masks

Again, I have more sheet masks. I love sheet masks though. Seeing all of these is making me kick myself in the butt that I need to mask more often or at least commit to once a week. I cannot wait to use these up and enjoy them.

Valentia Skin Detoxifying Clay Mask

I received this in PR and have used about half of the jar. I put it away for now to work on my oldest clay mask first. This is a good mask, but it is very messy. This is one that I reserve for when I know that I’ll be taking a shower to rinse it off. I have a few other clay masks that I need to use up before this one. It gives great results, but it is just a really messy removal process that is a pain in the butt. I am good with masks for a while though. I am glad to have so many to choose from, but my back stock is excessive.

L’Oreal Pure-Clay Mask

Again, another clay mask. This one only has a few uses left in it, so I will probably use this one up next after I use up the one that I am currently using. I really like this mask and find that it reduces oil production for a few days. It is not cruelty free though, so I will not be repurchasing this. My best friend bought me this for my birthday and I really appreciate it. I love this mask and I would accept it again as a gift anytime. I am sure that this will be featured in an empties post somewhere in the near future.

Valentia Ultra Plumping Hydration Mask

Another half way used up face mask. This one is a hydration mask that I am received in PR. This is very similar to a sheet mask as its made to hydrate and plump the face. I really enjoy this mask, but it requires rinsing. I would much rather use a sheet mask or a sleeping mask than get another one of these hydration rinse off masks. I will use it up, but I would not purchase a product like this.

Freeman Avocado & Oatmeal Clay Mask

This mask is almost used up as well. I use this 5 minute mask in the shower. Once I use up all my “shower” face products, I would get another Freeman’s 5 minute face masks to keep in my shower to deep clean my face. With the steam and warm water, they penetrate deep, work fast, and I see results. I thoroughly recommend these masks. Ideally, I still want a “shower” mask, a regular clay mask, sleeping mask, and sheet masks in my collection. I currently have too many. I probably have enough to last to the end of this year.

It is surprising to me that I have 21 face masks including sheet and jar masks. This post does not include the two masks that I just got from my best friend for my birthday, but they will be included in my inventory counts spreadsheet. I need to start masking more than once a week. This is the inspiration that I need to enjoy what I have instead of trying to hoard them. I don’t need to. I have a life where I can buy whatever I want within reason. If I use up all my masks, I can buy new ones. I could even buy a $30 one. I’m not gonna restrict myself, but I want to use up what I have. Otherwise, it’s wasteful. I’m not going to go out and buy a nail polish when I have over 40 at home.

With Love,

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May Empties

I may be late sharing my empties, but I never knew how much I had to share in a month until I cut down my schedule to about 15 posts a month. I’ve been having to switch around the format of my posts and so this one is coming up later in the month than what I like. I basically sit down two Sundays a month now and write posts. I now have two Sundays a month free for classes. I only work on my blog for about 4 hours a month. That only includes writing the posts, not taking the pictures and coming up with the ideas. I am happy with this new pace of my blog. It makes it so I can be a well-rounded person and have time for everything that I want to have time for. It is nice to know that when life gets hectic, I generally have a week or two already planned out on my blog.

You hear about these every month, so I am cutting out the drinks that I purchase without fail every month. You know that I love them or else I wouldn’t have featured them for over a year here on my blog.

1 Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo

2 Hair Teasing Brush

1. MJCARE Sea Weed Sheet Mask

2. Alba Botanical Acne Dote Deep Clean Astringent

3. Borghese Clay Cleanser

4. GlamGlow Super Clean Cleanser

5. Philosophy Purity Face Mask

6. Clinique Pep Start Eye Cream

7. Derma E Hydrating Day Creme

1. VS Coconut Mango 2-in-1 Wash & Scrub

2. Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter

3. Equate Pain Relieving Cream

1. Dr. Brandt BB Cream

2. ELF Color Correcting Powder

3. Buxom Plumping Lip Gloss

4. YSL Black Opium Perfume

5. 1. Perfume Sample Cards

19. Physician’s Formula Cushion BB Cream

1. 719 Walnut Avenue Honeysuckle Jasmine Hand Soap

2. Fresh Breath Brushing Gel

3. Equate Cotton Rounds 100 ct

4. 1. PaperMate Ink Joy Blue
5. 1. 1. B&BW Mini Candles

6. Avon Mini Emery Board

Well, I had a lot more empties than I had originally thought. I cannot wait to do my progress update on my 200 pan goal. I have been working on my pictures and I hope you can tell a difference. I think it looks more professional and I have added a bit of brightness to the pictures themselves by staging some lightening. Since I have a bit more time, I thought that I would put more effort into the picture taking themselves. I have a feeling that my empties will be slowing down, because I am running out of mini things. I still have a whole bunch of samples that I need to get through though. I hope you enjoyed looking through my trash today. Reviews are to come. 🙂

With Love,

Miscellaneous Collection 2018

This is for my pile of random stuff and samples. I also threw in some things that weren’t big enough to have their own category. I still have a bunch of makeup categories to go through after this and then, I won’t worry about this until next year. It has become such a big thing for me that I am not going to go through this again in a few months. Once a year should be plenty enough for a makeup collection.

I have an ear wash solution here to soothe my earlobes after I wear earrings and my foot soak for the rare foot bath. I’d like to get through the foot soak this hear. I also have a plastic thingy for when I Nair my legs. I am actually a fan of shaving now. Funny thing.

I have my little collection of still good sunscreen to use up this year. The Supergoop! is almost used up and after that, I will use the Clinique on my face. I need separate facial sunscreen or else I get really bad breakouts from using just any sunscreen on my face. I need to buy some sunscreen for my son. I like him to have a really high SPF spray. The other two bottles, I use on my body during the summer. I only use SPF if I am going out in the sun. If it is a day at the office, I don’t apply sunscreen.

My dad uses black hair dye over his grey and white hairs. I use his conditioner packets for shaving cream. I have a back stock of these, because I don’t shave as often in the Winter. It is finally getting warmer out, so I’ll be needing to shave twice a week to wear skirts and dresses. I cannot wait for the pool to be ready! I need a good tan right now.

My collection of sample sized perfumes. I want to be done with them all by the end of the year. I am so glad I quite my Sephora subscription, even if the bags seem to be better after I left. I would rather spend $120 on makeup that I want. Speaking of which, I will have a Sephora Wishlist up sometime in May. I want so much; hence the wish list.

More samples from online orders and some that my friend Danielle gave me. I want to use all of these up this year as well. I am pretty sure that I can do it as long as I remember to. I love trying out samples and new things. I just have to remember to use them. I usually keep a sample in my beauty cabinet now for when I feel like using them. It has gotten me to use them more, so the new spot is working.

My last pile of samples in my sample storage bag. I have already gotten through some of these and I plan to go through everything this year. I have a big project pan going on and I am going to go through as much samples and deluxe products that I can towards me 200 goal. Although most of the samples don’t count, face masks and the bigger foil packets will as long as it has 0.5 fl ounces. I actually even forgot that I had a few of these things, so I am happy to be reminded.

That is all of my random crap that I wanted to show you, because I want to use most of this stuff up this year. I hope you enjoyed this post and me blogging almost every day. I have been enjoying my blogging time and I am sure that I will find time to post at least twice a week when college is in session.

With Love,

Skincare Collection 2018

So, moving along with my series, here is all of my backup skin care products waiting in the wings to be used. Everything I am currently using is not a part of this inventory, only back stock of items that tend to be dust collectors for a while. I have a few bits that will need to be bought throughout the year, but for the most part, I am covered and won’t need to buy much skincare this year.

Serums

I only have this Lior Gold Wrinkle Remover Serum to use up before I can buy more serums. I currently have 4 serums open, so it might be a whole while before I get to use this bad boy. I love using serums for different reasons, so I have 4 or 5 open that are all different and I use base on how my skin looks that day/night.

Masks

I have four unopened masks here and I have 5 open masks currently in my collection. As soon as I have room in my beauty cabinet, I will put one of these beauties in there. Like the serums, all of my masks are different opened and unopened. I have hydration masks, plumping masks, pore clearing masks, resurfacing masks, and acne masks. I really want to try the peel one, because I don’t have an exfoliating masks open at the moment. I really want to open the L’Oreal one too. I just love masks! I try to mask every other day. I usually mask 2 to 3 times a week, 4 if I happen to be really good about it.

Moisturizer

I have a few deluxe sized eye creams now in storage from my last two Play boxes, but this is all the full size items that I have in storage. I have already cracked the oil open, so that is no longer in storage. I will be in the market for a face cream in the summer. I like to use oils at night and a light weight cream/gel during the day. I have oily skin so I could never use an oil during the day. I feel really good about this category. I’m hoping that next year I won’t have any serious back stock of most of these categories. I am really being strict with myself on only having one backup, so I’m not buying anything until I crack open the last one in each category.

Sunscreen

I have my two facial sunscreens, a sample body sunscreen, and the Smart Stuff sunscreen that I like to put in Dean’s hair and on my body. I will be using up my serum. I think it only has a couple of uses left and the Clinique will be used up this summer. Summer is the only season I use a dedicated SPF. The rest of the year, I use daily moisturizer with SPF in it and if my current moisturizer does not have spf, I make sure that I use a sunscreen on top. I only use body sunscreen in the summer though or if I am going to be outside for a long period of time with exposed limbs.

My skincare stash is much smaller than last year, so that makes me really happy. I am hoping to be all downsized in skin care next year, but we shall see. I want to try the minimalist lifestyle that works for me, which I want to be less of a consumer and more of a thoughtful one. I have been using up extras, consigning clothes, and decluttering junk. Already this year, my house looks different. More organized and clean. More appealing to the eye and less of a sore. There is still so much to do, but buying my own house in the next couple of years should help that. Not buying extras is helping, too. My kitchen needs more organization. Any tips?

With Love,

Sephora Play: January

I am super late to the party in showing what I got for my January Sephora Play box. I thought better late than never and I love knowing the cost breakdown of my boxes. I got box #587 and I have yet to see anyone else get the same box as me. This happens 1/2 the time with my boxes. So, I might be lucky with getting some rare boxes and I do like and will use everything inside my box this month. I have learned so much about my makeup preferences and what I like through this subscription box. I now know to give reds away, because I never look like myself in them. I also know I have too many eye pencils. I prefer lighter shadows eye shadow anything black or really dark does not go with my deep set hooded eyes. I know how to do eye makeup for my eye shape. It’s been a really great 2017 learning about myself in beauty terms.

I like the theme of January, even if it is very overdone. Everything in my box is supposed to enhance or renew a better version of you. I have two makeup items that are very natural looking to enhance your features and I have 3 skin care products. My bonus product is a hair product and I am so happy to not have another perfume sample to use up this month. Those little tubes stack up fast!

Gloss Moderne Clean Luxury Masque

I never heard of this brand, but I am happy to have another hair mask to try. I love doing hair masks once a month when my hair starts feeling a bit dried out. I hope it does a good job of moisturizing. Not all hair masks are created equal.

Boscia Exfoliating Peel Gel 1 fl oz $6.80

I was in need of a good exfoliant, so I am happy to now have a decent sized sample in my collection. I have dehydrated oily skin, but in the winter, I tend to get flaky on the areas of my face that are usually oily. I am also getting closer to my 28 birthday (I will be turning 26 this year) and I hear that every 7 years, your skin changes a lot. It is definitely being more dry lately, but I think it is because of the cold weather. I need to drink more water to try to balance out my skin more.

GlamGlow Supercleanse Cleanser 0.5 oz $3.20

I love GlamGlow, but they are not cruelty free. I will not buy any of their amazing products, but I will continue to use what gets sent to me. I love the Youthcleanse clay to foam cleanser, so I have high hopes for this one as well. I will use this once I am done with my current cleanser. I only wash my skin at night with a double cleanse, so this would be good for the first cleanse to get rid of dirt and makeup. I usually follow up with a more moisturizing cleanser or a face mask.

Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream 3 ml $5.30

This eye cream is so expensive when you get so little. I will never have to buy eye cream again, because I keep on getting them in my boxes. I like getting eye cream in boxes though. It helps me determine which ones I would actually buy. I will spend the $30 or $40 on eye cream as long as there is 0.5 oz of product in it. Night eye cream actually works on my fine lines and wrinkles. For the day, I want something really moisturizing to keep my concealer from looking dry and flaky. Eye cream also lasts FOREVER, because you only need a little dab of it for both eyes.

MUFE Artist Face Color B302 Blush $5.75

The top swatch is the blush that I will be using as an eye shadow. It is a nice peachy color that would look pretty in the Spring on the eyes for a simple glow. It is so buttery smooth and pigmented. It also blends out like a breeze. I will look into getting some eye shadows from this brand. Hopefully, their eye shadows are just as good as their blush.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss Kristen 0.07 oz $8

I love this medium brown nude on me. It isn’t too dark and it looks very classic on my lips. It looks like I am wearing liner, but that is just my regular lip color on the edges. It looks so beautiful on me. It is a thick feeling gloss that isn’t sticky. I really love this gloss formula, but I have way too many glosses to buy any more.

The overall price of this box is the lowest I ever got at $29.05, but I absolutely love the variety that I got and look forward to trying out everything. I love it when I get more skin care than makeup and I really hope next month continues that trend.

With Love,

December Sephora Play!

The last box of the year and it came on December 23rd. Seriously. I usually get my box from 10-20. I feel like it took FOREVER! Okay, I’ll stop complaining. lol. I really do love the Sephora Play subscription that I get every month. Some months are better than others, but overall, I think you get good bang for your tenner. I might not use everything immediately, but I am happy to try everything that I can. I am rotating through my makeup collection and making it a big priority next year that if I don’t love something, I give it away. If it is too old, throw it out. If I’m not loving it, it isn’t worth the effort to use it up or pan it.

I love the bag! It is very cute, but I really don’t have a need. I usually just donate these bags away to be recycled and proceeds goes towards a local charity. I’m actually going to be using my card, because I am hitting up Sephora. I want to buy something during the 20% off sale and possibly cash in some points.

Drybar Triple Sec, 0.35 oz for $2.17

This is a 12th of the full size, so to me it seems like a tiny sample. I would have at least liked to have seen a half of an ounce for a hair product. This will probably only be a couple of uses. I have to use a lot of dry shampoo to soak up the second day oil in my hair. It gets oily super fast. I think it smells nice and I cannot wait to use it once I use up my Not Your Mother’s dry shampoo. So far, I really love the Amika Perk Up dry shampoo for my hair. I don’t have to put a ton in and it really works.

Stella McCartney perfume sample

I love that this is a natural rose scent. I’ve been really into rose scents lately. I would love to receive a foil packet instead of a perfume every other month though. I haven’t gotten one yet and I would really like to. I have too many perfume samples at the moment since I’m trying to work through a bottle of perfume.

Clinique Pretty Easy Liquid Eyelining Pen, 0.34 g for $7

I’m going to say that this is a third of the full size, since I cannot find how much is in a pen anywhere. I look forward to using this when I don’t currently have an eye liner open. I am trying to use up a black and glitter eye liner. I’m pulling it out in January, so we shall see if it is still good or not. I’ll be blogging about my makeup clearing journey, so you guys won’t miss a beat. Subscription bags are great, but if I don’t like it, I’m not going to be keeping them around anymore.

Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour in Matte Au Natural, 1 g for $17.40

This is more than half of a full size! It is pretty close to a full size and way more than half. I am very pleased with the amount of product in this one. This is a nude color that I will be using all of the time. I actually prefer to work with cream shadows, so I am excited to try this out in my January rotation. If it wears nicely on my eyes, I will be very happy. Eye shadow creases on my hooded eyes like crazy, especially creams. I had a hard time getting rid of the swatch so I have high hopes for this one. I would work this on the lid and crease and pop a bright eye shadow on the lid.

Caudalie Vine[Activ] Energizing & Smoothing Eye Cream, 0.16 fl oz for $13

This is a third of the full size of eye cream, so I am happy that it is a really decent sized eye cream sample. It takes me a while to go through eye cream. I almost never need to buy it, because these samples carry me throughout most of the year. I am curious about this brand, but I feel like the beauty world is over it. I’d like to try more of it. I really love the beauty elixir, but I can buy a Smashbox Primer Water for less and get more. I feel like they are overpriced and trying to be luxury.

MUFE Artist Rouge Creme Lipstick Fuchsia Pink, 0.04 oz for $7.34

Another generous size for being a third of the full size. This lipstick is super soft. While I love the purple pink color, the bullet is already being smashed around inside of the tube. I would not buy a full size of this. I will be pulling it out in the spring and summer, but this really isn’t a winter color. I would have appreciated a soft pink or a winter berry.

$46.91 is the total value of this box. I would give this box 3 out of 5 stars, because of the great value and I’m not excited for the lipstick and the black liner. I am excited to see what the next year brings to the Sephora Play! box. I have been really happy with the items that I have received this year. I plan on going through my collection soon and getting rid of the samples that I didn’t enjoy.

With Love,

Sephora Birthday Haul

I indulged in a little Sephora birthday haul and The Ordinary Skincare. My skincare order hasn’t come in yet, but my Sephora white and black stripped box is here. I’d thought that I will share some Summer staples that I bought for my birthday and in preparation for summer. I’m so excited about these products, even though they can seem really basic. I am a skin care junkie, so most of the haul is skin care and freebies. It doesn’t take me that long to go through skin care items. I never need to really put them in a project pan, because I love taking care of my skin. Let’s get started on the haul!

3 Free Samples W/Every Order

Every online Sephora order gets three free samples. These are not the samples that I chose, but I am still excited about them. I have heard about these before and they aren’t makeup which makes me happy. Drunk Elephant is an expensive brand, so I’m glad to have a sample to try of one of their night serums that I am sure only has one use in it. Youtube is on fire about the Aqua bomb and I look forward to trying it out. I like wearing my hair natural, using no heat tools at all. I have no time! The Deva Curl is a brand that I’ve heard a ton about. Their products are meant to use on natural hair with no heat styling. I love products geared towards no heat styling and this is a generous size.

Clinique Pep-Start Daily UV Protector Broad Spectrum SPF 50

I paid $19.50 for 1 oz of sunscreen. Yes, it is expensive, but it will last me all summer. I like the yellow tint to blur out imperfections and IT DOESN’T SMELL LIKE SUNSCREEN. I love that it has no scent and I have yellow undertones so I don’t mind the tint. I cannot use drugstore sunscreen, because it breaks me out. Clinique is a brand that I like and all of their skincare has been agreeable to my skin. I thought that I would give them a chance and it really wasn’t that expensive compared to other brands. I need the protection especially in the Summer, if I really like it, I’ll keep buying it to use it in the Winter time, too.

Barre To Bar Supergoop! Beauty Set

I bought this little sunscreen set for $25 and it was worth every penny. I got the Lip & Cheek tint that I’m on the fence about. It might be a little too red for me. We will see…. I’m excited to try my first setting spray! I hope it works, because I can see myself repurchasing this over the Clinique. If I can just spray over my face and my makeup still looks nice, I would use this instead of a traditional SPF product. I can see it working well to use on Dean as well, for facial application. I wanted to try the serum as a different form off sunscreen with some added benefits. I don’t like traditional sunscreen on my face. I’m trying to find safe alternatives that aren’t too expensive. The BB cream is a good match for me right now and was just an added bonus to this little kit. I have two BB creams that are too dark to wear in public right now, so now I have on to wear out. I think I got my money’s worth with this kit. Hopefully, the products work enough for me to repurchase something. It has to be really good for me to repurchase.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple Facial Cleanser

I bought this as a back up cleanser for when my GlamGlow runs out, which I cannot tell when. You cannot see through the packaging. This is a cult favorite product that I wanted to try out and if I don’t like it, I can always use it to wash my brushes. I bought this for $7 for 3 ozs. It is a good size to try out and I am excited to do so. I don’t mind having a little back stock of skin care as long as it’s reasonable. Skincare is something that I naturally just go through, because I do many steps every night to deep clean my skin. I really enjoy doing it after a long day. It’s something I’m never really lazy with. I haven’t liked anything from Philosophy before and I think it’s a little overrated as a brand.

Free Deluxe Samples

Origins is a brand that I have tried once or twice, so when I saw that Sephora had this duo as a free deluxe sized sample, I ordered it. I ran out of my day eye cream, so I thought that it would be nice to try out. After I use up the eye cream, I plan on using the face cream as an eye cream as well. They both have a very light scent that I don’t mind. This will last me awhile using these items as eye creams.

Sephora Free Birthday Gift

I chose the free birthday set from Tarte, which includes an amazonian clay 12 hour blush in paaarty and a tarteist creamy matte lip paint in birthday suit. I have been wanting to try Tarte out forever, so I thought that this would be a nice way to try out the brand with a couple of their best selling items. These nude colors speak to me and I’m excited to wear them. I also think that these are really generous sizes for a free birthday gift. Sephora’s birthday gifts are just getting so much better!

That concludes my birthday haul from Sephora. I still have my birthday present from D to haul and my purchase from The Ordinary when it decides to come in. They are having such high demands right now that shipping and processing of the items are being delayed. I won’t be buying from Sephora again until possibly the November sale or maybe a small haul in October if I need a few things before then.

With Love ❤

The Final Verdict: For Garnier Moisture Rescue

For Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream For Normal/Combo Skin

What it is: A light hydrating gel that treats acne/oily faces without leaving a greasy film or leaving the face over moisturized.

Key Ingredients: This gel-cream is made with grape seed oil, but the rest of the ingredients list could irritate the face, if you are sensitive to alcohol, artificial coloring, and added fragrances. I, however, did not find this at all drying or irritating to my skin and it is very sensitive to unnatural ingredients.

How it feels/smells/looks: The gel is light and smooth with a refreshing fragrance reminiscent of summer days by the pool without that harsh chlorinated smell. The gel itself is tinged green and leaves the skin with a cooling sensation, which is perfect on those hot summer days.

Why I like it: This gel leaves my face hydrated without making it a greasy oil slick and the nice fragrance is just the icing on the cake. I did not notice any acne benefits when I use it, but I know that it does not make my acne worse. The cooling sensation is an added benefit. This is a summer holy grail staple for me, which I will be repurchasing in the next few weeks.

With Love,

Selena Hannah xoxoxo