April Empties

I was able to use up my Nexxus Pro-Mend Split End Mender and I would not repurchase this. I didn’t notice a difference in my hair at all. I’d rather use something that helps with strength and detangling. My hair gets knots easily, because of how long it is getting. When my hair was at my collar bone, it was very rare to get a single knot in it. I am tempted to do a big chop at the end of the summer to start my hair afresh without all the bleach damage. I also know that my natural hair is light enough to use the brand SPLAT on it for fun colors. I know that purple works specifically on it, because I did that back in 2013 and it was fairly easy to use.

I am decluttering my Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in 45 Orchid Hush. I actually hit major pan and had intentions on using it up. The formula has changed however and it is super crumbly. I don’t enjoy it anymore, so I am throwing it out. This is the oldest bit of makeup out of my collection and I feel like I got my money’s worth. It just would have been nice to have used it up. I am not a fan of cream blushes in general. I’d rather use powder on my oily skin, but I did enjoy the just bitten color it gave my cheeks. Now, I can move onto the cream blush stain in my project pan.

I finished up my sample of the MAC Strobe Cream in Pinklite. I really enjoyed this luminous primer and I would purchase this once I am out of my current primer and run out of liquid highlighters to mix in with my lotion that give me the same effect. It does the perfect job of primer the skin, giving me moisture, and a glow that does not emphasize texture or bother my oily skin. It just gives me a nice lit from within glow that I am all about. I am a matte girl through and through, but there is just something about healthy glowy skin (NOT DEWY) that has been calling to my lately. It looks more youthful than a matte look. I’ve been reserving my matte look for long work days in the office and special occasions where I want my makeup to last. Otherwise, I have been rocking a healthy glow instead of a matte complexion.

I also had another sample that I used up of the Sephora Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover. I really enjoyed this bi-layer makeup remover that I used on my entire face. I would get another sample as a point perk, because it was really nice. If Sephora was cruelty free, I would purchase a full bottle for them too. I highly recommend it for removing all types of makeup efficiently.

Martin bought me this to makeup for me having to go coffee free for a few days and then, his Keurig was broken so I couldn’t even use it! LOL. We got a used Keurig from my mom, so we did manage to use up this Starbucks Breakfast Blend in Medium Roast. I really enjoyed the simplicity of popping in a cup and having a good cup of coffee and the fact that someone else thought of me. I have been eyeing their specialty packs on Amazon like the caramel and the mocha coffees. Seriously considering buying a Nepresso machine and keeping it in our room.

Used up another deodorant because you know, priorities. I still love this brand of deodorant, but I am currently using Secret. I went back to a full strength aluminum deodorant, but I will be going back to this one. It was just sold out at Walmart when I needed deodorant.

Last but not least, I was able to use up my MAC Cleanse Off Oil. It is just a baby sample, but another item out leaves room in my collection. May is my birthday month, so I have a ton of items coming into my collection this month from makeup to skincare. So, even tiny samples I am happy to be out of my collection. I really love cleanse off oils and balms. Once I finish off my full sized cleanser, I will replace it with an oil or a balm. I am more partial to a balm personally, because I feel like it gives my skin an added boost of moisture.

I was able to move out 7 items out of my collection, abide one was a declutter but I had MOSTLY used that one up as well before the texture changed. I writing this post on May 2nd and I feel like I will have maybe ten empties this month. I am mostly working on full sized items, but I do have a few samples and items that already have progress in them. I am trying to work through all of my opened products this year. I will only open a new product if I don’t have something like that opened. Next year, I plan on doing another inventory count and sticking with it. I just had/have so much going on this year that it just fell behind.

With Love,

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FITFABFUN Spring Subscription Box

I decided to try the Spring box of FITFABFUN with a $10 off coupon. I was able to chose 3 things in my box and if I think it is worth the value/money, I will get the annual membership. I like that it has a mixture of beauty, fashion, and lifestyle items. It will feed my beauty addition, but also add a few things our home needs and a few pieces to my wardrobe. If there is anything that I don’t like/need, they would make really good gifts. As long as this month, I get my $40 worth then I will continue the subscription, because it would still be worth it. I am really happy with my 3 picks and it was really easy to sign up for the box. The annual membership, you get to choose more items that go into your box, so I am looking forward to that if I decide to do that. Oh, and this is a quarterly subscription, so the next box that I would get would be in June/July. Plenty of time to decide if I want to get the year plan or just another month. This is something I always wanted to try, but could never afford before.

The Box:

The box is cute as hell and I will be keeping it to collect items for birthday gifts and such. It is the perfect size for things like that to store away in a closet. I can for sure see myself in the future repurposing more of these boxes as they are pretty, sturdy, and generally a good size to have around.

The box has a magazine insert in it that has recipes and articles, but also has the list of everything in the box and the breakdown of the prices as well. I will also be double checking the prices online to let you know how true to scale what they say you are getting in these boxes. The magazine is a nice touch and I will be reading/using it for sure. I like having light reading material sometimes.

Ciate London Extraordinary Translucent Setting Powder, $22

I am pretty darn excited about getting this one! I have a finishing powder, but now I have a setting powder that I can pair with my concealer or foundation if I want to wear those types of products or anything that really needs a setting powder to “set” it. Otherwise, on the day to day, I use my finishing powder to give my skin a soft blurring effect. I will be putting this powder to good use for sure and now, I will not be needing to buy any face powder for a long, long time. It is also a pricey brand that I wouldn’t buy unless on sale at Sephora.

OUAI Leave In Conditioner, $26

I was just talking with my boyfriend, Martin, that I recently finished up my current leave-in that was doing nothing for me and switched to using my expensive Moroccan oil and the wonders it was doing to my hair keeping it knot free. I am going to immediately start using this instead of my expensive oil and see how it compares. If it doesn’t hold up, I want to finish it up and go back to what works for me. I am willing to try new things, but my hair oil (even though expensive) does the job of detangling, moisturizing, and keeping it tangle free when I don’t wash my hair for days. I am excited to try a prestigious brand from this box. Already, this box is equal to what I paid for and I am very happy. I will give you the grand total at the bottom of this post.

Manna Kadar Champagne Body Scrub, $24

This is a huge and generous body scrub tub. It isn’t very pricey when you consider that VS sells their 8 oz tubs for almost the same price and you are getting more than double the amount in there. I will be setting this aside for when I finish my other two body scrubs from VS. I like to use a body scrub before shaving my legs and about once a week to keep my skin soft and smooth. It’s actually a “secret” of mine. It really works to give yourself baby soft skin and to keep your skin in its best condition. The best part? Most of these scrubs with oils hydrate the skin and seal in moisture. This means you don’t have to put lotion on your skin when you get out of the shower. I love skipping a step when I can, because time is a precious commodity.

Unplug Meditation Aromatherapy Diffuser, $55

We just used this last night and I am in love. It changes colors, so it is a pretty cool nightlight. I love the essential oil included. It is a sweet orange scent that is very uplifting. I filled it when we were settling into our room for the night and it diffused until we fell asleep. Don’t know how many hours it works for, but it was very nice. Only con is that it needs to be plugged into a USB port which is a pain. I will buy a USB charger/battery thing, so it can run on its own. Currently, I hook it up to my laptop at night. It isn’t ideal since I tend to knock things over and I don’t want to get water anywhere near my laptop.

Eleven By Venus Jump Rope, $15

Not sure that this jump rope is worth $15, but I will be keeping it as part of my exercise routine indoors that I need to get back to. May is a brand new month, my birthday month, the perfect month to get back to exercising again. This will be nice to rotate into my routine and get some good cardio going. I will be keeping this at my desk, which is in a corner of our living room where I will be keeping my exercise equipment/supplies as I collect them. I like having the extra space over here (next to a cement ledge), because it sort of extends the top part of my desk. I didn’t care for this item, but I will put it to good use and will use it.

Korres Wild Rose Vitamin C Brightening Sleeping Facial, $48

I thought this was a face mask, but it is more like an overnight treatment face cream? I am excited to try Korres, another high end brand that I have always wanted to try before. I will set this in my bathroom to alternate which my night time face oil, since one of the serums that I do use at night is more compatible with a cream than an oil. This will be a good pairing with that. This seems EXTREMELY STRONGLY of roses which I LOVE but may not be everyone’s cup of tea. I feel so fancy! I can say without a doubt that I am keeping the subscription right now. Not sure that I can afford to swing the annual membership for a bit, but I will as soon as I am able. That’s like paying for 3 1/2 instead or 4 boxes. Even saving $20 makes a difference, plus with the upgrade, you get to chose two more products in your box instead of 3.

Giadzy Copper Plated Measuring Spoons, $15

One can never have too many measuring spoons when cooking and these are a super nice pair and SO SHINY! I am reserving these for my dry ingredients, since these don’t separate. I am excited to have a plastic set for wet and a nice sturdy pair for dry. You really do need two pairs, because yesterday I had to use a TBS of oil and then a TBS of sugar. I had to wash and dry in between cooking. A second pair will just make things so much easier while cooking.

Dr. Brandt Skincare Needles No More No More Baggage Eye De-Puffing Gel, $42

I have a major problem with dark circles under my eyes (Genes) and my eyes are always a bit puffy in the morning. I am currently using a roller ball by ELF for $3 that I am enjoying for depuffing but it does nothing for my dark circles. I am excited to give this a try once I finish up my ELF morning treatment. This will be put in back stock until then, but at least I know that I don’t need to buy any day eye cream/gel anytime soon. My evening eye cream is getting low though. I have a few things on my list to get for my birthday that I limited myself to 4 stores: Lush, MAC, Sephora, and ELF.

That is everything that came in my box. So, I paid $42 with shipping and the value of this box was…..$247. I definitely feel like I got my moneys worth from this box and will use everything. I had nothing set aside for gifts, because I know that I will use everything. This was a very nice surprise! On future calculations, whatever I set aside for gifts will have a box total and a usage total of what I will actually use. I am very happy with my first box and I am looking forward to the Summer box in June/July.

With Love,

September Project 200 Pan

It is the end of October, so you know that I am finally getting around to telling you what I used up last September. If you have read my 15 to Jess post, then you know that I am up to 115 out of 200 items. I only have 75 more things to use up by the end of the year. Now, I know that this is very much of a stretch. I would have to use up (not including September) 25 items in October, November, and December. I really do not use up that many items in a month. I thought that I could do it, because in the beginning, I had so many minis. As the year went on, items started to decrease in numbers and I am very happy to have gotten rid of a bulk of the clutter. I am happy with my current number 115, but I want to still push for that 200. I’m not going to use things for the sake of an empty though. I am using my items and enjoying most of them.

MAKEUP:

116/200 I painted my toe nails this bright red orange from Julep in the shade Gloria from the Bombshell collection. I will be keeping this for the toes. It is more red than I like for my fingers. Painting my nails is a miracle which is why I’m counting it as an empty to motivate myself to paint my nails more. Next year, I am actually having 2 nail polishes in my finish 19 in 2019. This shade will not make it in there though since I can only use it on my toes. It is a pretty color though.

BODY CARE:

120/200 I am not counting Dean’s Shampoo/Body Wash as he goes through them pretty regularly. I finished off two of my dad’s body scrubs. He leaves a lot in there, because he doesn’t want to work hard to get the last bits out. I get roughly two weeks of body scrub out of each bottle that he wants to throw out. I count them, because I am not using my own body wash most of the month. My dad never liked this lotion. I finally finished this huge bottle. I used it at night after a bath/shower, because it is unscented. I like to use scented body lotion during the day. I FINALLY used up my Bio-oil from my pregnancy days. This did nothing for my current stretch marks, but it did help against stretch marks during pregnancy. I didn’t get any stretch marks until I started to loose the baby weight. That is how I got my original stretch marks from my teen days. Any time I lose a lot of weight fast, I get stretch marks. I really want to try a stretch mark cream and a cellulite one, because I have both thanks to Dean. 🙂

HAIR CARE:

124/200 Hair care was where it was at this month. I redid my grey hair, although it is looking more brown toned than the icy grey that I was getting before. This is the last time that I am doing grey, because I think I will need to lighten my hair again. I’m going to do a smoky blue and maybe a purple. Since I have this darker ash vibe, I still want to play with color and maybe I can be a bit more vibrant but dark at the same time. I finished a one time use foil packet of a hair mask and it was okay. I used up this scalp scrub that I did not understand and all it did was dry up my hair. The Infusium 23 I received from Influenster for review purposes and I really didn’t care for it. I am sad that my Aussie conditioner is done. It is my favorite conditioner, but they are not CF. No repurchases in this category for me.

SKIN CARE:

126/200 I got the little deluxe sized sample of bronzing face lotion from Danielle and I really liked it. It gave a natural tan look to my face and never looked orange or fake. I didn’t care for the Kiehl’s face gel. It wasn’t moisturizing enough and I don’t think it did anything for my acne. It also pilled up ANYTHING applied underneath it. I ended up using this on my legs and it helped with razor bumps. There are cheaper things you can purchase for that though than this moisturizer. I really want to try their midnight recovery oil/serum thing. I’m not turned off by the brand. I just don’t like this product.

MISCELLANEOUS:

I finished up two pens. Both my favorite: PaperMate Ink Joy pens, but the orange is the gel pen. I am IN LOVE with the gel pens. I will repurchase another pack once I’m down to my last few ones. They have lasted two semesters so far with only one causality out of 10 pens. We finished up a mini toothpaste from the dentist and a pack of 100 cotton rounds. I am currently working on a huge bag of cotton balls. We don’t use them and they just sit. Honestly, I don’t see much of a difference between the two. I might switch to cotton balls, since it is more cost effective.

126/200 That is not bad for the end of September and nine months into my year long pan project. October isn’t looking too promising, so I think ideally, I would want to hit at least 150 to 175. 200 is looking farther and farther away. I’ll be relooking through my collection. I think there is one more color corrector that I need to declutter, but I pretty much did most of my decluttering already of items that I am not a fan of. I might be resubbing to Sephora PLAY in 2020 if my 2019 project pan goes well. That was my favorite sub box and I have been keeping an eye out in case I wanted to buy any months after the fact.

With Love,

Ultra-Lightweight

Briogeo Rosarco Milk Leave-In Conditioning Spray

I feel like this did nothing for my hair. I sprayed a ton of this in my hair and once I used it up, I noticed that it did nothing for my hair. My hair was the same during and after. My hair is fine and thin so I don’t see how this could moisturize anyone’s hair unless you only want light moisture and you use heavy conditioners. It’s advertised as ultra-lightweight, but I feel that it is so light weight that it is as effective as water. I am not a fan of this one.

With Love,

Hair Care Collection 2018

I have a ton of hair care products in storage. I am obsessed with having healthy shiny hair, so I have a lot of different products that do different things.  I have fine, thin hair that is hella oily at the scalp and dry on the ends. I haven’t found anything that makes my hair less oily. I only wash my hair once to twice a week, so from what I heard it should be less oily than when washing it every day. If you know something the gets rid of oily roots, let me know. Dry shampoo only works so much.

I have two hair oils. The Moroccan Oil is a definite repurchase after I finish it up and open up the Ghost Oil. I love the scent of the M oil so much. I will see if I can finish the M oil this year, but I also have a few shine sprays that I need to get through as well. I have two thirds of it left and a little bit of oil goes a long way. Not sure if I can meet this goal this year, but I am going to try.

I have a love hate relationship with mousse. If it works, I love it. If it makes me greasy, I hate it. My hair has fallen out of love with TRESemme and it makes my roots greasy and crunchy. The Herbal Essence smells amazing, but I am not sure that I see any difference whatsoever. I just recently got the eSalon Above The Clouds Volumizing Mouse, so I can’t say too much about it yet. The Big Sexy Hair Root Pump I have yet to try. I would like to use up the TRESemme and the Big Sexy Hair can this year.

I have four dry shampoos here and I know that I can finish off the Drybar Triple Sec and my favorite, Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo. I have TRESemme Waterless Foam Shampoo that is just ehh…..I don’t care for it, so I’d like to use it up. I have been using Lush No Drought on the weekends as deodorant. I don’t like it for dry shampoo, but I’m going blonde, blonde. So, maybe I will then.

I have a backup matching set of Pantene Shampoo and Conditioner, A Deva Curl Melt Into Moisture Matcha Butter Mask, and a John Frieda Frizz Ease Daily Nourishment Conditioner. I should have no problem getting through all of these this year. I wash my hair once to twice a week, so it takes me longer than most to use this stuff up. Still, these are small containers, so it should be all gone by the end of the year.

I have two aerosol shine spray and one manual spray. I want to finish off the manual spray and then probably the Rusk spray this year. I have the Rusk Elixir Mist, L’Oreal Glass Shine, and Nick Chavez Starlet Shine Spray. I love these silicone hair coating products that give my hair shine and strength. I have an oil I want to go through, so hopefully I can balance out these products to use them up.

I have two leave in products that I like to use on freshly washed hair. I will probably only get through one of these this year, since I only use them 52 to 104 times a year. Hmm….maybe, I will get through both of them. We shall see. I have the Nexxus Pro Mend Split End Binding Leave-In Creme, Infusium 23 Moisture Replenish Leave-In Creme.

I have a few miscellaneous products. I will finish the B&BW True Blue Spa Malibu Wave Spray and the TRESemme hairspray. The TIGI Bed Head After Party Smoothing Creme will not be used up. I am trying to use up a lot of shine sprays and an oil. I won’t have enough time to use this one up too. I have plenty of hair care products for next year and this year will be a learning process of finding out what I really like in my hair.

I have a huge hair collection, because I like to invest in my appearance. First impressions are everything.

With Love,

Sephora July Play

I just got my play box in the mail yesterday and I am really excited to share what I got with all of you. I really like the variety of products in this box and that it isn’t all just one type of product. This is actually one of the best boxes that I got from Sephora and I know that I probably say that every time I get this box. I can already tell you that I give this box 5 stars, because I will be using everything. I really like it when I can use every sample in my box. It makes me believe that it was really made for me.

I love the bag this month. The pink checkered design is very cute and it actually looks like something a mature person might tote about. I thinking about putting cough drops in this bag for at work. It’ll make it look cute. I love the theme this month of Beauty Staycation. This bag has everything so you can look effortlessly beautiful at home or anywhere you go this summer. I just think all the items actually fit with the theme!

Atelier Cologne Perfume: Orange Sanguine

This perfume smells like fresh squeezed oranges. I’m glad to have gotten this sample since it smells nice, but I really prefer perfume samples with a sprayer. I just find it hard to dab on perfumes without spilling a little bit of it.

It Cosmetics Superhero Mascara = $6

I’m happy to have another mascara to sit in my drawer. It takes me a while to finish a mascara since I only wear it on the weekends/days off from work. I really enjoy using mascara and I don’t go by the three month expiration date. I use it for 6 months to a year or when I feel like the formula isn’t working like it used to. If I don’t like the mascara, it’s an empty. Mascara is the one makeup item that I will throw out if I don’t like it in my lashes. If it smears easily or gives me a ton of flaking, it has to go. I can deal with some flaking, but that is it. I prefer a dry mascara and not a really wet one. This has a lot of good ingredients, so I’m hoping it’ll be a good one.

BareMinerals Gen Nude Matte Liquid Lipcolor in Swag = $9

This is a my lips but better lip color and is a little more than half off the full size. I am very happy to have received this in my box and I love nude colors like this one. It is very effortless and I can just throw it on and now that it looks good. It is a forgiving color and perfect for my light skin, especially nowadays, I tend to pull more pink than yellow in my skin tone. I’m telling you, having a baby changes everything.

Briogeo Rosarco Milk Reparative Leave-In Conditioning Spray = $2.25

I like the scent of this brand’s products and I always use a detangling spray or some other similar product after I get out of the shower on my hair. My hair tends to get dry and tangle, so it needs a lot of moisturizing treatments. I am trying to get through two other sprays/lotions currently, so I am going to put this aside to try at a later time. I wasn’t impressed with this brand’s hair mask. It wasn’t moisturizing enough for a hair mask, but I used it as conditioner. Hopefully, this has enough moisture for me, otherwise I will just use it to spray down my hair before and after getting out of the pool.

MILK Makeup Cooling Water = $2

I am most intrigued by this product here by MILK. I am happy to finally have a MILK product. I am interested in trying this gel moisturizer during the summer. I’m not in love with the FAB moisturizer that they sent last month. It has too much of a sheen for my oil skin, but I think this one will be perfect for me. It is $24 for a little over an ounce, so it isn’t too expensive if I end up loving it. It won’t be enough moisture during the winter, but I will put it on my love’s list for next summer if I end up liking it.

Boscia Charcoal Pore Pudding Intensive Wash-Off Treatment = $9.50

I cannot wait to try out this mask! I need to make room in my medicine cabinet for this one, so I won’t be using it any time soon. I have a lot of minis in my morning and evening skin routine right now. Once I use up some of the stuff that I have in there, I’ll be able to add this in there. I love doing masks and I do a mask about three times a week if not four. I’ll use a 10 minute mask if I don’t feel like putting in too much time into it. I haven’t tried anything from this brand before, but their products are not too pricey. If I like this mask, I could see myself buying it. Only after I finish up most of my masks though. I have like 12 face masks in tube/jar form. I have a problem, I know.

The total value of my box this month was $28.75. That is almost three times what I paid for it! Each month is always an amazing value and I will be using everything from this box. The mascara won’t be used for a while, but that is from how slowly I use up mascaras. It’s not the makeup’s fault. On another note, I have some exciting posts going up this coming week. Stay tuned everyday for a new post in July. After July, I’ll probably go back to posting about four times a week.

With Love ❤