Body Care BACKUP Collection 2019

I feel very good about this category. I don’t feel like I have an excessive amount here. I think I can empty this bin by the end of the year, if I don’t get any new products coming into this category and I might with my FitFabFun box. I feel like at the end of the year, I can condense the remaining products with my skin care bin. I am feeling more confident that I can get myself down to two bins by the end of the year. I had a goal to free up one drawer in my jewelry chest and I actually already freed up two drawers. That’s just proof that you can do anything if you set your mind to it. I have come a long way in not hoarding in the body care section. I used to have a TON of stuff waiting in the wings.

VS PINK Sweet & Flirty 2-IN-1 Wash & Scrub

Currently, this is the next shower gel that I will put in my shower once I use up my current one. If I have matching sets, I like to use them together. If one outlasts the other, I will use a shower gel, scrub, or body lotion that I don’t have a matching set of. This is to ensure that I use sets together, but also so that I use up stragglers and products that don’t have a partner. I do have the matching body lotion for this, so they will be used together until one of them dies. I no longer buy skin care/body care from VS since they are not cruelty free, so I would not repurchase any of them for that reason.

VS PINK Sweet & Flirty Body Lotion

I like the Sweet & Flirty scent and the lovely lavender bottles that they come in. I like that this lotion has a pump for easy of use. It is a good big size, so it will take me awhile to work through. I find that these lotions since in fast and don’t leave a greasy or sticky residue. I really like them. I just wish that they didn’t test on animals. It is such a shame.

Avon Foot Works Lavender Comfort Foot Soak

I only have a few uses left and this will most likely be used up this Summer. I tend to pamper my feet during the summer, because I wear sandals. I am looking forward to targeting the products that I discover only have a few uses left in June and July. I really want to knockout as many as I can this year. I want to hit that $500 mark, but I also want to use these products and enjoy them. I no longer purchase from Avon, because they are all pyramid schemes and scams.

Claire’s Ear Care Solution

I use this to prep my ears and earring to go into my ears. I have the standard ear piercing, but I also have my right ear cartilage pierced. This helps to soothe my ears after wearing earrings as my ears are very sensitive to any earring that I put in there it seems. Metal, gold, silver, platinum, it doesn’t seem to matter. My lopes are more sensitive than my cartilage, so it tends to get used more than my traditional piercings. This huge bottle is gonna last me a lifetime and I don’t mind.

VS Bombshell Wild Flower Smoothing Body Polish

I am currently more than half way through a different scent of the same body polish. I am really enjoying these. It leaves my skin so moisturized that I don’t need to follow up with moisturizer after a shower. I just pat dry with a towel and my skin is good to go. I wish VS was cruelty free, because I would buy more of these. I am glad to have an extra, because I think that I will be onto this one by July. I use a body scrub every other shower, so 1 to 2x a week. I like to also take baths and I never use a body scrub in the tub. I enjoy the flower scent of these. The one I’m currently using is floral and sweet. It is the perfect scent for me.

Smart Stuff Mineral Based Sunscreen SPF 30

I bought sunscreen, but it won’t be included here or in these counts. I bought a spray version (twin pack) for my son. I keep one in his diaper bag for going out to my mom’s, daycare, etc. The other one is in the bathroom water closet until the current bottle is used up. This is my own personal sunscreen that I need to use up. I am sure that I will finish this up with a few trips to the lake at my boyfriend’s mom’s house. I don’t have very much left. I just need some occasions to use it. I even keep sunscreen in my purse in case I plan on going out at work and my tattoo is exposed or I’m wearing a dress, etc. I should have no cataloged backups until the end of summer when all the bottles are pout in storage again. Who knows? Maybe we’ll use every last bit up.

Manna Kadar Champagne Charcoal Scrub

I got this body scrub in my Spring FABFITFUN box. Once I use up my VS scrubs, I will move onto this one. I am excited to try it and see how moisturizing it is. I know this brand is cruelty free, so depending upon the performance, I might purchase this one. I haven’t even opened it to smell it yet. I am getting so much better at not opening up products until I want to use them. So, this will stay super fresh until I am ready to use it. It is almost double the size of the other ones, so it’s a good value for the money.

B&BW Seaspray Body Splash

I am currently working on a VS body spray, but besides my glitter one, this is my last body spray in back stock. I am so happy to be almost done with these. I know myself that I do not enjoy using these. I use them as bathroom sprays. If I get more as gifts, that is fine and I will use them as bathroom sprays. I will not be buying more for myself, because I know that I do not care for them. I cannot wait to be out of these. It’s exciting.

Lush Bar Soap

I have long since forgotten what the name of this soap is. I enjoy the scent of it and once I am done with my current body wash, I will use this soap next. I enjoy bar soap every once in a while. I just don’t feel like they get me as clean as shower gel or body wash and leave a residue. I know the Lush ones don’t do that, which is why I enjoy them. This will be gone before the end of the year after sitting around in my collection for over a year. I should have used it up sooner!

AXE Dual Shampoo & Conditioner

This is a little throw away bottle that I keep for traveling to wash my hair. If I happen to take a shower at the YMCA after swimming or at the lake or the ocean, I’ll have this with me to use. I’ll buy one at Walmart every time that I run out. I enjoy the scent of axe products and its a two in one which is convenient for just doing a quick wash. I need to pick up a travel wet hair brush as well and I’ll be all set.

Week From Hell Hand Rescue

I’m waiting for my hand cream to be used up at work and I’ll bring these in. I like to take a mental break at work at my desk and rub lotion on my hands. I don’t necessarily have to have a hand cream. I sometimes use body lotion. I just have to be careful that it doesn’t leave my hands feeling sticky or greasy. I don’t like to type with greasy hands or sticky fingers. It feels so good to have my weekends back and be at the office again. I’ve had enough working from home and being isolated.

Gingy Assorted Body Lotions

I have 4 mostly full bottles left out of the set of 8, so I finished half of them. I think it takes me like 2 weeks of daily usage to finish a bottle. That is a two month supply of lotion technically. I have gotten out of the habit of lotioning everyday though, since I haven’t been going into work. Now, that I am again, I am going to slowly build that up again. My legs were in much better condition when I was doing that. I plan on wearing lots of dresses this summer, so I want my legs to look as nice as possible.

Julep Rock Star Hand Creme

Another hand cream to bring to work to use up.

Claire’s Glitter Mist in Sparkling Strawberry

Who doesn’t love a little glitter? I’ll get some use out of this over the summer on bare shoulders, arms, and legs. This will be something fun to use up. Hopefully, I can use this up over the summer. I would rather own a more adult glowy bronzing oil than straight up glitter, but I will use it up.

Hopefully, I am able to cut this collection down to half size by the end of the year. I just want to enjoy and use up what I have before buying more stuff to clutter my tiny apartment. As long as I have a healthy amount leaving my collection every month, I will be happy about all of the progress that I have been making towards decluttering my back stock bins. I will always have back stock, but the amount that I have is a bit ridiculous for my comfort standards. Makeup, I can get away with having a collection of, but skincare, hair care, and body care does not warrant the massive stock that I own. Here’s to a lighter New Year!

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,

5 Out: Product Reviews

It is that time again where I finally wrote about 5 more products in my collection. I am trying to do these posts twice a month, so I am writing 10 product reviews a month. I am behind though, because I have a basket of trash collected from this year that I still have yet to review. Next year when I am concentrating on 19 things instead of 200, I am sure that I will be going through a little less product. I will be working on mostly full and full sized items. Most of it will also be makeup which takes a while to use up. I can take the time next year to finish up the reviews from this year and keep up with next year’s empties. I still use up a lot of items throughout the year, but with having a set goal this year, I was motivated to use products every day and not skimp out most of the time. I am looking forward to enjoying my collection more next year instead of focusing on using up most of my mini products.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple Facial Cleanser

For a high end cleanser, this was too basic. I expected more from this brand. It didn’t even remove all of my makeup. My Aveeno cleanser did a better job than this one. This mini was overpriced at $10 USD. I do not recommend and I will not repurchase. You can do so much better at the drugstore or Marshalls. I have to say though that it is hard to find cruelty free at the drugstore. The ones that I know offhand for skin care are Alba, Elf, and Burts Bees.

Disney HSM Super Moisturizing Body Lotion

Nearing the end of its life, this body lotion started to turn on me, which is why there is a bit melted to the side. It hardened into the side of the bottle. This was a really light gel-like body lotion that was also very moisturizing. I enjoyed the light sweet scent that I couldn’t place. It didn’t really smell of anything recognizable. It didn’t smell like vanilla, just sweet. It is hard to describe. I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy it, but it is very good.

Manna Kadar Sheer Glo Shimmer Lotion

I enjoyed mixing this stuff with my moisturizer. It gave a very subtle lit from within glow. I am starting to mix all of my liquid highlighters in with all of my moisturizers for this glow that I am enjoying so much on my oily skin. You don’t need this particular one. Any liquid highlighter will do. This one gives a nice, healthy pink glow to the skin! I have yellow undertones, so it wasn’t too much pink for my complexion. If I ran out of liquid highlighter and I saw this at the store, I would repurchase it. I do recommend this, but it is very subtle as a highlighter. It is great for those of us that wear minimum to no makeup for a healthy glow.

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Light 2 Vanilla

I did not enjoy this under my eyes. I think it made my under eyes dry and did nothing for concealing my dark circles. Powder tends to cling to the concealer making it look like you have dry patches of skin. I used this all over my face as a foundation. It was okay as a foundation, but nothing special. I do not recommend it and I will not be repurchasing anything from Nars as they are no longer cruelty free.

Boscia Charcoal Pore Pudding

This did not minimize the appearance of my pores, but it did purify my skin and helped pull out acne. I would not purchase, because I have a few clay masks already that do the same thing. I would purchase from the brand again, but this mask is nothing special. i think I would try their peel off mask, because I have a ton of black heads and I think that type of mask would be more effective for my skin concerns. On the plus side, this mask was very easy to remove with a warm wash cloth.

With Love,

Project 200 Pan: April

April was a very light month when it came to empties. I know that I will have a bit more makeup next month, because I have a lip gloss on its last leg. I also hit pan on a couple of items this month that were very surprising to me, because they were my April makeup picks and one was completely brand new. I guess it just goes to show that I really loved using these two products last month.

The first thing that I hit pan on was this Marc Jacobs Lip Gloss in Sugar, Sugar. I recently got it for Christmas and only swatched it. At the end of April, I am already seeing side pan on this deluxe size. I am absolutely in love with this lip gloss formula. It isn’t sticky and it isn’t heavy. It feels perfect on the lips. It is my favorite lip gloss and I think the only formula that I would repurchase right now. I want to get a set of his glosses once I go through a few more in my collection. I’m not a fan of this nude though. It does nothing for me. My lips are too pigmented, so all you see is the gold sparkle.

I also hit major side pan on my Benefit cream highlighter in High Beam. I even had to remove the stopper to get more of the product out. I will not repurchase, because Benefit is not CF. I do love adding this in with my moisturizer for a glowy look. I am using glowy powders for the month of May and it looks more artificial on my skin. I love these cream highlighters more for a natural glow.

We left off at 38/200 or 19% of this project completed in March. Now, we are at 40/200 with the products that I have hit pan on. Let’s see which empties count towards this month’s total, shall we?!

I finished up another 2 deluxe sized makeup items: a highlighter and concealer. I would not repurchase the Nars due to the brand no longer being CF and I wouldn’t go out of my way for the Manna Kadar highlighter lotion either. 42/200

This body lotion was so light and gel-like. I absolutely enjoyed using it. It started to turn bad on me, that’s why there is still a bit of lotion stuck to the bottle. I mean, like literally melted on there. I don’t know what happened, but some of it turned colors and hardened to the side of the bottle. I’ve had this since Freshman year of high school, I believe. So yeah, never again will my lotions go like 10 YEARS before I use them. 43/200

I finished a sheet mask to watch tv one night and the serum in this packet is INSANE. I easily got 5 more applications (of the serum) out of the packet. I love these masks for moisturizing only, because honestly, I don’t see any difference between all of the variations. I do see increased moisture in my skin with every one though. Plus, how can you go wrong for like 50 cents a sheet mask?! I also used up this pore mask that really didn’t do anything to my pores. They weren’t smaller or cleaned of blackheads. I would not purchase that mask. It detoxified the skin, but that is it. 45/200

I am 22.5% done with this project now. I was hoping to be closer to 25% at the quarter of the year mark. That means that I am 2.5% behind so I need to catch up to that PLUS keep up with my regular pace. I need to keep at 5% every month and catch up on the 2.5%. Hopefully, I can do some catching up in May. This challenge of using up 200 products has been more challenging than I thought it would be. I am still keeping at a great pace and not falling too behind. I feel good about it. I know that I am using up my stuff. It gives me that push to apply body lotion when I feel too lazy after a shower or reapply gloss after I have eaten. I really am using this stuff up and it gives such a high when you finish something after laboring over it for MONTHS. Seriously, project panning is SO addictive. Next year, I want to do four seasonal project pans.

With Love,

April Empties

Another month checked of of my calendar and we are officially in my birthday month. I am super excited to be getting my birthday treats and having a great second Mother’s day. I cannot wait for the day that Dean makes me Mother’s Day gifts from school. Speaking of school, that will be a big topic for me next year in regards to Dean. I was discussing it with his EI Speech therapist and I realized that he won’t be in mainstream classes. Since Dean is nonverbal, he will have different goals than the other kids and after kindergarten, will be separated and put in the “special” classroom with the other children that have autism, down syndrome, and mental handicaps. Part of me is glad that he won’t be made fun of and the other part of me is sad that he’ll be segregated from neurotypicals. I have very mixed and raw feelings about this right now.

1. International Delight Amaretto Coffee Creamer

2. Dunkin’ Donuts Cinnamon Coffee Cake Coffee

3. MJCARE EGF Sheet Mask

4. Boscia Pore Pudding Mask

5. Goody Paddle Brush

6. Revlon Conditioner

7. Disney HSM Super Moisturizing Body Lotion

8. 9. Perfume Sample Cards

10. Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Light 2 Vanilla

11. Manna Kadar Sheer Glo Shimmer Lotion

12. 13. B&BW mini candles

14. Papermate Ink Joy pen in green

15. Tylenol

16. Equate Ibuprofen

That is it you guys. Really small empties post this last month. I am hoping that May will be a bigger month, because it is my birthday month. If I am going to be using some stuff and pampering, this will be the month for it. I am hoping to finish off a face powder and a lip gloss this month. Anything else will be a nice bonus, because I am not focusing on anything. I am just enjoying the stuff that I have and using it up will just follow naturally. I don’t want to use stuff up for the sake of using stuff up, you know?

With Love,

August Birchbox 2016

I got my Birchbox last Saturday, but  haven’t had the opportunity to write about it until now. I have to say, after not really liking my July box,  am loving my August one! Everyone gets two hair care products this month, since it’s about flawless hair this month. I’m very satisfied with my box. Two hair care products, two face products, and one beautiful eye shadow/highlighter. It really made my day! Here’s my box:

I really love the geometric pattern this month and all the high end brands.

Oribe Apres Beach Wave & Shine Spray, 1 oz for $4.50 USD

I am so excited to give this beach spray a try. Youtube raves about this product on a daily basis. I haven’t tried this out yet, but I plan to as soon as I wash my hair. Which will be Monday night, so Tuesday morning is when I get to try this baby out! If I am blown away by this product, I would consider purchasing it after I use up my sea salt sprays. I think  have a couple laying around somewhere. Anyway, I am very excited to try this!

Avene Cleanance Cleansing Gel, 0.84 fl oz $2.50 USD

This cleansing gel has a strong floral fragrance that I’m not really a fan of. I will use this sample, because I enjoy trying new things and don’t like to see things go to waste. I really like this brand, so I am willing to give this cleanser a try.Who knows? Maybe it’s a hidden gem underneath all that fragrance.

Bumble and bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Primer, 1 fl oz for $3.30 USD

I was in need for another detangler, so I am happy to have received one in my box. This is going straight to my bathroom counter to use Monday night after my shower. This might be my last Birchbox, since the company no longer allows you to gain points for reviewing the products in your box. As soon as I find a new box, I will let you all know. Anyways, I am super excited to be getting this brand and it will go to good use.

REN Flash Hydro-Boost Instant Plumping Emulsion, 0.34 fl oz for $10.50 USD

This has an interesting concept and smells very fresh. It is a moisturizer booster that you add a little bit of water to. It is supposed to plump up and hydrate your skin before you put on your moisturizer. So, it’s kinda like a primer for your moisturizer. I will use it at night, since I tend to do lengthier routines then and this would fit in nicely. I don’t think I would ever buy something like this though. I’d rather just buy a nice serum to put on before my moisturizer.

Manna Kadar Cosmetics Eye Shadow in Fantasy, 1 pan for $19 USD

This is a pink bronzy color that I actually really like as a highlight color. I would also use it as an eye shadow, but not as a blush. This is such a pretty shade that I’m sure that I will get a lot of use out of this full sized item. You can blend it in for a more subtle look, but this color still stands out after blending. Some highlights disappear after blending, but this one holds up.

Overall, I really loved my box, but am disappointed that I cannot earn points anymore. I will be cashing my points in with my September box and that will sadly be my last one.

With Love ❤