October 200 Pan

In September, we left off at 126/200 and now, we get to see our total for October. If I finished 10 items this month, it would be a lot. I don’t even think that I have that many empties. I am not discouraged though, because I still have two months until the end of the year and I think that I will still be able to knock off a few more things. I won’t make it to 200, but over 100 is more than I ever thought that I could do. I am still so proud of myself. When I see room in my backup stash, it makes me so happy to soon have that space back to store other things besides products collecting dust. On a side note, I am in my element right now. I have written so many blog posts to try to keep ahead of the curve and I just had so many ideas. Now, I feel a bit emptier and less stuff is on my mind. But anyway, I am happy to see that my backups are not squished together anymore, but have plenty of room. I will not fill up that space though.

SKINCARE:

130/200 I have four items here and I am counting all of them. I have a full pack of the Aveeno Baby hand and face wipes complimentary of Influenster and they were very nice. They are expensive, but if you have the money, they are the perfect morning face wipe. I finished two deluxe sized eye creams. One was my day gel and the other was my night cream. I also used up my month’s supply of Curology. I just got my 2 month supply bottle. I will be reviewing this on my blog soon, so stay tuned. Sneak peek, I LOVE it.

MAKE UP:

132/200 I also finished up 1 lip balm and I decluttered this Nude Stix lip crayon that left white residue around the inside of my mouth. It also wore terribly and flaked away. Not to mention that the color was all wrong for my skin coloring. Not too bad on the lip front with two more out of my collection. Maybe, I can get one or two out again by the end of the year. I go through lip products and I have a good stash of them. I enjoy buying the Sephora Favorites kits to refresh my supply. I rarely buy a full size. I mostly go for mini sets, because they are the better deal and I love trying new lippies.

HAIR CARE:

133/200 I finished up one deluxe sized can of dry shampoo and two packets of hair conditioner that I use to shave my legs with. These conditioner packets come with my dad’s hair dye and I use them. I have separate conditioner that I like to use for my hair, so these are perfect for using for shaving where I don’t care what kind it is. I am going to be buying pricier hair care that is CF, so I will not be using my expensive conditioner on my legs. If I ever use up my back stash, I will buy a cheap conditioner to use for my legs. I have one more can of dry shampoo and then, I will attempt to use up my Lush one again.

BODY CARE:

135/200 Wow. I actually did have ten empties! That really surprises me! I am pleasantly surprised. I used up my B&BW Sweet Pea Body Spray. We used this as a bathroom freshener. Dean really stinks up the house when he goes number 2. I have been going through all of my sprays this way. I am consistently going through 1 a year. I used up one last year and now, this one for this year. I am currently working on a VS one in the Fresh and Clean scent. It is a rarity that I use up a body gel, but I used up this no name sweet pea one that Danielle gave me.

MISCELLANEOUS:

I broke one of Dean’s bubble wands. We salvaged the fluid and poured it into two other wands. I didn’t do it on purpose. It just snapped from use. The other is a pencil that I used up. Remember those plastic pencils with the little lead refills? I still have a few of those hanging around from my middle school/high school days.

135/200 is what I wanted to have done at the very least, so I am very satisfied that this is what I got done in October. I have a masking challenge going on in November and December, so that will be boosting my empties a little bit. I also have a few odds and ends on their last legs as well. I think I might have 15 to 20 empties in the month of November. Now, that might be a generous prediction, but I believe it might come true. At the very least, I want another 10 to be a productive month. I have two skin cares on their last legs, two body lotions, and a few makeup bits and bobs. Hopefully, I can make this prediction come to life. Wish me luck!

With Love,

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My Last Sephora Play! February

I cancelled my subscription tom Sephora Play! because I have a ton of makeup that I need to use up and it was sending me repetitive products two months in a row. I decided that I would rather just buy my own beauty products when I run out than keep getting samples that I might not enjoy. I feel like when I am choosing my own products, I do a ton of research and almost always love it or like it at the very least. I plan on subscribing to Audible. The first month is free and after that, $14.99 a month for any audiobook that they carry and the book is mine forever on my account. I plan on downloading the books to my computer storage, in case they ever go out of business. I plan to listen during my workouts and $15 isn’t really too much to spend a month on a book any way. I used to buy 2 books for $20 practically every month.

Sephora Collection Rouge Matte Lipstick in Rebel Chic 1g $2.33

This lipstick is currently being discontinued at Sephora since the full size is on sale for $7 now. It is a nice wine berry color that looks really good sheered out. It is actually a wearable color for me, but it takes a bit of blotting.

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Let’s Go Crazy 1.8 g $20

This is 75% of a full size. I am very happy with the brand and color which is a bright pink. It is the perfect Summer color. I wish I would have gotten a lipstick and a gloss or something, instead of just two lipsticks. I will use this for sure, but probably after I finish my Kat Von D Pool Party Liquid Lipstick, that is a color that I would buy in a full size once finished. Nars has some controversy about not being cruelty free now. Not sure I would actually buy anything from them.

Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour in Rosegold 1 g $17.40

Again, this is 3/5ths of the full size. It is in a pretty shade that I will get a ton of use out of, but will not purchase as it is not CF. It is a very decent cream eye shadow and I love using it for day looks. I like simple eye looks and this takes 5 minutes for both eyes to be done. I love doing my makeup on my days off and work at home days. The only day that I do not wear any makeup is on Sundays to give my face a breather. I still wear lipstick though!

Perfume Sample: Atelier Cologne….AGAIN

Seriously this is like the fourth time this brand has been featured in my bag. I want a sprayer, not a dabber! I have to use up one of my reusable sprayers, so I can dump these dabbers into there. Some of them do smell good layered. I just hate having these sitting in my samples stash. Number one thing I hate about beauty boxes has got to be the perfume samples. If I want one, I would get one at the beauty counter.

 PTR Firm X Peeling Gel 15 ml $7.20

I think peeling gels are a gimmick, plus I got a peeling gel in January. Plus, I got a caviar stick in January in a different color. This box is SO repetitive. I really don’t care about peeling gels. I will use it to use it up, but I would not purchase one myself. I like liquid chemical exfoliates and physical ones best. I have never saw improvement in my skin when using a peeling gel. I just don’t see the hype.

Belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb 5 ml $9.60

Again, in January, I got an eye cream too. This is the reason why I cancelled. I had two months in a row with the same type of products in it. I also decided to go CF and Sephora itself isn’t CF. It sends CF and non-CF products. I didn’t want to buy anymore non-CF items anymore when I can help it. Right now, I have one non-CF product in my shower right now. Most of my skin care, hair, and body care are CF. My makeup is still a mix of things, but I no longer buy non-CF. I make mistakes sometimes, because I am human. I am making a conscious effort though to be CF, a minimalist, non-consumerist, and just overall a more healthy person.

I have a LOT of changes going on in my life right now. I am going back to college, my work dynamic is changing with working from home and doing Saturdays, blogging regularly, Dean and all of his needs and challenges such as school worries, my dad’s impending foot surgery, learning how to drive by getting my permit again, and trying and failing to keep the house in order. I am in the midst of consigning a ton of clothes, because I have been exercising and losing more weight. Also, Dean’s closet got cleaned out and I have those clothes as well. I am going to be dividing the clothes into seasonal piles and try to get as many done as possible.

Also, I found a whole plastic tote filled with my old slimmer clothes. It is like finding money or getting extra makeup that you didn’t pay for in your Sephora order. I am so happy and will be trying on all these “new” clothes to see if I can add more clothes to my closet. Let’s be honest, I don’t have much that really fits me anymore and I am constantly consigning and thrifting. I love losing all of this weight and getting down to my pre-pregnancy size, but I don’t have to cash to buy much clothes replacements. Hence, where the consignment money comes in to buy new clothes. The circle of life.

With Love,

 

 

Super Youth

For OZ Naturals Super Youth Eye Gel

I was super disappointed when I used up the last drop of this basic eye gel. I used this in the morning to depuff my eye area and this was great for that. It was cooling and didn’t irritate my eyes at all. I have another morning eye cream to use up, but I will be repurchasing this one. It is so cheap on amazon, around 10 USD, and filled with all natural ingredients. I didn’t notice a difference in my dark circles, but mine are herititary. I don’t think anything really can help it. I like using a basic eye gel in the morning and an eye treatment cream at night. Next time I buy my dogs Greenies, I will add this to my cart. I need a back up. Also, I love the pump!

With Love ❤

I received this product in exchange for an honest review

G’Mornin’ Eye Cream!

For *OZ Naturals Super Youth Eye Gel

What it is:

An eye gel that delivers dramatically radiant and youthful eyes, eliminates dark circles and puffiness, and soothes and softens the eye area.

Key Ingredients:

Organic Aloe, kosher vegetable glycerin, plant stem cells, cucumber hydrosol, organic jojoba oil, botanical hyaluronic acid, silk amino acid blend, wildcrafted periwinkle, organic licorice, frankincense, vitamin E, matrixyl 3000, and peptide complex. It is also 75% organic.

How it feels/smells/looks:

The eye gel is thick and clear. It feels amazingly cooling on the skin and I love the slight cucumber scent. The gel takes a few minutes to skin in, but it feels like I put on an eye mask. It is that cooling. It is easy to blend into the skin and one pump is enough to use on both eyes.

Why I like it:

I have been using this product every morning since I received it in the mail. I have only been using this on my eye area, but the box does state that you can use this product all over the face to target fine lines, wrinkles, and puffiness. I have used this underneath my makeup and I have to say that you do have to wait about 5 minutes or so for the gel to dry down. It is still slightly sticky/tacky, which I found helped my concealer stay on longer than it usually does. I find that it works similar to a primer in that aspect. It felt very soothing on the skin, but I did not notice any softening. That area is pretty soft to begin with on my face. I cannot make any comments on how it performs with wrinkles, since I’m only 23. It did make my eyes look less tired though and brighter. My eyes were less puffy (I sometimes cry in my sleep) and I think I see an improvement in my dark circles. I’ll have to use this product longer to be certain though. Overall, I really enjoy using this product and feel like I am getting more results than not using anything. I will be looking forward to trying more products from this affordable brand.

With Love <3

*I received this product in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Amazon Haul

Heya Aspiring Gurus!

I recently teamed up with two different brands to deliver all of you honest reviews on their products. While I was checking those products out with some coupon codes, I decided to pick up a couple of things for Serena. I also recently went bra shopping, so stay on the lookout for another mini haul as well. Without further ado, here’s my little haul and my first impressions of everything that I got!

Greenies Teenie, 130 ct for $21.39 USD

Remember in a recent post I mentioned how these worked so well for Serena’s teeth, but were way too expensive? Well, I could not believe how cheap they were on Amazon! Either Amazon is giving me a great deal or the price of Greenies went way down from the last time that I bought them, which was a couple of years ago. These treats are made for small dogs. It came in a big cardboard box with two resealable bags of treats in it. It is an upgrade from the last time I bough a box and the treats were just loose inside them like other treats. I hope these work just as well as last time. I keep mine in the fridge, so Serena takes extra long chewing them and getting that stubborn plaque off her teeth. She is getting one a day for a month and then, I will go on from there and check back in with all of you on her progress.

*Valentia Ultra Plumping Hydration Mask, 4oz for $25 USD

I used a free coupon code provided by the company to redeem this product to review for all of you. Face masks have to be my favorite beauty product to try out. I have had moisturizing sheet masks, but I have never tried a plumping mask before. This mask is supposed to boost collagen production, increase skin radiance, reduce fine lines, and secures skin moisture. My face needs some TLC since having a baby and neglecting my face and needs. I’m just getting back into a facial routine and I will be using this to try to whip my skin back into shape. It does not say how many times a week I can use this product, but since it is a hydrating formula, I would think that I can use it three times a week. I cannot wait to try it tonight! I will be giving a first impressions review sometime this week on all beauty products in this post.

*Valentia True Glow Eye Cream, 1.18 fl oz for $25 USD

These products look so luxe and the boxes are gorgeous with the gold accents. I like that it is in tinted glass with an easy to use pump. I hate dipping my fingers into pot products. I like that it is tinted orange, because I feel like it helps to minimize my dark circles. This eye cream is supposed to reduce wrinkles, nourish and hydrate, tighten the eye area, brighten dark circles, and restore radiance. While I cannot comment on the wrinkles, I look forward to using this eye cream at night, where I can use some thing a bit thicker.

*OZ Naturals Super Youth Eye Gel, 0.5 fl oz for $17.49 USD

Another eye product,  yes, but this is for morning use and the other was for evening. I feel like gels are lighter for day time use and this one even says that you can use it under makeup. It is suppose to eliminate dark circles and puffiness, soothe and soften the eye area, and give dramatically radiant and youthful eyes. I am excited to be trying natural products that is good for my skin and safe to use while breast feeding. This gel is clear and thick, so I feel like it’s going to do a good job. I cannot wait to use it tomorrow!

Buddy’s Paws Digestive Enzymes, 8 oz for $19.70 USD

I bought this for Serena, because I also think that her bad breath issue could be a stomach issue. She battles constipation from swallowing her food instead of chewing it, so this will at least be good for that if it doesn’t do anything for her breath. This product contains prebiotics and probiotics, which is great for the digestive system. It is a powder supplement that I am giving her once a day at 1/8 of a teaspoon, since she only eats 1/2 cup of food a day. I mix it into her 1/4 cup of dry or wet dog food. Her first treatment is tonight, so we shall see!

Well, that is it for my haul! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. If you have tried any of these products, let me know your thoughts on them in the comments section below. Thanks for participating!

With Love <3

*Disclaimer: Valentia and OZ Naturals sent me these products for free in exchange for an honest review of their products. All opinions are my own and everything else was purchased by me with my own money.