Emptying out... is this happening?

I'm home for summer from my first year of art school!  The last two days have been spent sleeping in until noon and thoroughly enjoying not having anything to do (for the time being, anyway).  Haha.  My boyfriend is here this week so we've been busy doing stuff, but I will definitely get back into blogging ASAP.  So excited! :)
I actually may have a few more things to add to this in the next few days.  For now, though, these are the products I've used up recently.  I don't know about you guys but for some reason I love reading these 'empties' types of posts on other blogs!

Pond's Classic cold cream- 

I've been using this all school year- since August I believe!  Can you believe I just ran out?  This has surprisingly become my favorite eye makeup remover.  There were a handful of days where I would try an oil-based liquid remover (like the Lancome one pictured above), but for the mass majority of the year this has lasted me. 

Repurchase?  Yes!  Between it's efficiency (removes makeup quickly and doesn't tug) and being cheap/long lasting, I'll definitely be using this from now on.

What I'm Using To Replace It:  A new jar that I just got yesterday! 

Lancome Bi-Facil eye makeup remover-

This came with a GWP that my mom got back over spring break, and she gave it to me.  I thought I'd give it a fair trial because I've heard decent things about it.  Personally, I found I needed a lot to get all my makeup off, and I had to tug at my eyelids at the same time.  

Repurchase?  No, it didn't work for me.

What I'm Using To Replace It:  Same as above, Pond's Classic cold cream

Nivea Express Hydration body lotion sample-

I got this with my Target Beauty bag sample pack.  I love the idea- that it's lightweight and absorbs quickly- but it didn't really moisturize for a long time.  Nice for a simple lotion but I'd rather try something else.

Repurchase?  No.

What I'm Using To Replace It:  Aveeno Daily Moisturizing lotion (favorite basic lotion)

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Daily Scrub-

I didn't totally clean this one out, but I found something else I like better (that my skin liked better, too!) so I haven't used it in a long time.  It was nice, but I think I'm done trying Neutrogena's skin care products (besides their oil-free moisturizer for sensitive skin- LOVE that).  They either break me out, or slightly irritate my skin.  This scrub was just a little too harsh for me.

Repurchase?  No.

What I'm Using To Replace It:  Aveeno Positively Radiant scrub (LOVE THIS.  Review in the near future!)

Mario Badescu Flower & Tonic mask sample-

I received this sample in my sample pack back in January but hadn't used it much until recently.  It's a thick, green mask that I used about once a week.  My skin feels so soft after using it, and I'm seriously considering buying it in a full size if I can't find a cheaper mask.

Repurchase?  Yes!

What I'm Using To Replace It:  Clinique Skin Calming Moisture mask (This was my sister's from years ago, I think it's discontinued but I'm not sure, I'm sorry!).

Bare Minerals Mineral Veil-

Ugh, I was so depressed when this ran out.  I didn't think my skin needed a powder, but this just makes my Bare Minerals foundation look so much smoother and glowy.  I love the radiance it gives my skin!

Repurchase?  Yes!  Unless I find a cheaper alternative.

What I'm Using To Replace It:  NYC Minerals Natural Veil (I think discontinued).

I've been doing some major spring-cleaning in terms of makeup/bath/body products lately, but that just means dumping stuff that I haven't used in awhile.  I always feel so accomplished when I actually finish something, haha.

What have you guys emptied recently?  

I'm still alive! Things I'm loving lately

Hi everyone!  I cannot apologize enough for my lack of posting lately.  I've been so swept up with school and friends, and I also lost a lot of my interest in makeup/experimenting with it.  I think when other things comes up, it really takes a backseat to what's important.
When I went home for Thanksgiving, though, my spark was ignited (my problem then was that I forgot my camera)- I wanted to buy makeup and actually try out different looks again.  So I know when I'm home for Christmas break I'll get back into posting more frequently.  I have a solid five weeks of break starting the end of next week, so you can bet the anticipation is killing me!  I'm going to be really sad to leave school, though- I've found such amazing people here to call my friends.  It's a great feeling to have people who genuinely care about you, and it's been just what I needed.

With that said, this post is long overdue.  My makeup routine has changed drastically over the last month or so, getting simpler and simpler every day!  But I still have my favorites that I resort to when I'm lacking the ounce of creativity left in me.  ;)
First off, I want to start out with the skin care products I've been using the last couple of weeks.  My skin is pretty sensitive and runs on the dry side, depending on the weather- but growing up, I've never had a problem with acne/breakouts.  Ever since starting college this semester, however, my skin has broken out almost every week.  One pimple would clear up, and then another would form, all in my T-zone.  This was SO frustrating!  Mainly because I'm not used to having actual "breakout" areas.
Anyway, over Thanksgiving break I purchased both of the following products and I've been using them ever since- so, almost two weeks now.  My breakouts have almost completely cleared up and my skin feels like normal again.  Hallelujah!

Aveeno Positively Radiant moisturizer spf 15 and Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Daily Scrub.  

I think this Neutrogena cleanser is what has helped my skin.  I was using the Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Power-Cream Wash, but never noticed much of an improvement in breakouts.  This scrub, on the other hand, has exfoliating beads that are still gentle enough to use twice a day (which is recommended).  I follow this with the Aveeno moisturizer, and even though it has SPF, I use both day and night.  I just love it.  I'm thinking I may need something a little more moisturizing for colder days, though, so if anyone has any recommendations for that, I'm all ears!

Onto makeup, which is going to be short but sweet:

(Everything else I'm using on a daily basis right now I've mentioned countless times on here)

Maybelline Mineral Power powder foundation in Light 2-3- I think I've told you my obsession with this foundation before, but my laziness has made me obsessed again.  It's so easy to just buff onto my face and go.  After using this type of foundation, I honestly don't know if I'll ever be able to do liquid- it takes me so much more time/effort.  ;)  I'm curious as to how Bare Minerals works- if you've used it or have any recommendations, please let me know in the comments!  I'd love to hear.

Rimmel eyeliner in Black Gold- This is a gorgeous antique gold eyeliner that I've talked about before.  It doesn't stay in place the best, so I need to top it with some kind of powder, but the color is so pretty that I put up with it.  

Maybelline eyeshadow quad in Time For Wine- You all probably know my favorite eyeshadow color to wear is either champagnes or purples/berries.  I love using the two purples in this quad in my outer corner- so pretty!  I really don't recommend this palette for its quality.  The pigmentation isn't the best, (in fact, the other two colors hardly show up on me at all- see swatch), so if I want more color I use this:

Dark shimmery purple from my Coastal Scents 88 Matte palette- This is a really pretty eggplant purple that works well when I want a little more color.  It goes great with my green eyes!  I've also been using the matte black shadow from this same palette for lining my eyes, and a matte cream for highlight.

Swatches:

(L-R: Maybelline Time For Wine quad, Rimmel Black Gold eyeliner)

*I forgot to swatch the Coastal Scents shade, I'm sorry!

Lastly, this is the kind of eye look I've been doing pretty much daily the last few weeks.  So simple and neutral (Using the Maybelline eyeshadow quad and Rimmel eyeliner):

 (Please excuse my eyebrows...)

Thanks for reading, everyone!  And definitely expect more frequent posting to happen in a couple weeks.  Finals are full-speed ahead now!

<3

Review: Neutrogena Healthy Skin Blends sheer highlighting blush in Fresh

I wasn't sure how to shorten the full name of this blush, so I decided to just spit it all out.  I'm so happy to finally own one of these!  I purchased mine at ULTA on clearance the other day, and have had a few chances to play around with it.

(Click on pictures for bigger/better quality)

I got mine in the color Fresh, which is a combination of bright pink, rose, and baby pink colors.  They all blend together to give a nice light pink pop.

What Neutrogena claims: (Via neutrogena.com) 

Healthy Skin Blends sheer highlighting blush provides sheer illuminating color.A sweep of the brush illuminates your face for a naturally healthy look. This dermatologist-developed blush is made up of a collection of shades that blend together for sheer color with subtle shimmer and natural-looking results, regardless of your skin tone. Multi-vitamins and a botanical conditioner soften and smooth skin.

Price: Between $11-13, depending on where you go.  I got mine on clearance at ULTA for $5.49, which is about 50% off Target's price.  It has 0.2oz of product.

I want to talk a bit about the pigmentation first.  These claim to be sheer, so they're not for people looking for a highly-pigmented blush.  I didn't realize that when I bought it but now it makes sense why it isn't as vibrant in swatches as it looks in the pan.

These are buildable, though, so you can achieve a stronger color payoff based on how many layers you apply.  I love my blushes to be buildable.  I think I look silly with too much color on my cheeks, so this was a total pro for me.

Here are a few pictures to show you the pigmentation:

Above, lightly swatched

Another layer added

So this blush really leaves it up to you how much color you want, which I think is great.

I never talk about packaging, so I also wanted to touch on that here.  It is a little bulky because it's large, but it feels sturdy and definitely not cheap.  I hate having to mess with a lid that won't close or keeps separating from the hinge.  The only reason the packaging is bulky is because Neutrogena includes a brush- and I threw it away.  It's not terrible, but nothing I'd ever use in place of my ELF or Walmart blush brushes (Which are really soft, btw!).  

Here's what it looks like on my cheeks:

This is one light application.  I'm a huge fan of sheer blushes, so this is awesome for me.  And I didn't have a pink blush this "bright" looking, so it's a nice addition to my collection!

I also love that this has those baby pink colors in it so it works as a highlight as well.  I'm all for products that do everything in one!

Pros:

- Sheer but buildable pigmentation

- Mosaic colors so you get a nice blend

- Come in a variety of colors (6 in all)

- Feels like a quality product/you get what you're paying more for

Cons:

- A little pricey for drugstore

- Bulky packaging

- Not recommended for those who want a really pigmented blush

Have you given these a try?  Let me know how you like them if you have!  

Finally- A (mini) Haul & Swatches!

I'm so excited to finally have enough new products to (just barely) qualify as a haul!  I've only bought random makeup products here and there since being at school, so this has been long-awaited.  And I must clarify that I'm sure to many of you this isn't even "haul" material, but for how cheap I am it's the closest I get to an actual haul, haha.  Each item I'm really excited to finally have.

I got the makeup products from ULTA (as a little birthday present to myself!), and the body spray from CVS.
I will being doing individual reviews of the three makeup products, but I've included some swatches for now.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Blends blush in Fresh 20, NYX eyeshadow palette in Champagne & Caviar, NYX single eyeshadow in Flamingo, Essence of Beauty body spray in Dreamsicle

NYX Flamingo, Champagne & Caviar

Swatches of the palette and Flamingo (Click to enlarge!)

Swatch of Flamingo

I wanted the Champagne & Caviar palette for the longest time, but I hadn't seen it in person (There are no ULTA stores where my parents live).  When I first went to the ULTA here I wasn't in love with it, but this week NYX products are BOGO 1/2 off so I decided to just buy it.  The pigmentation looks lovely so far!  

As for the Flamingo single eyeshadow, the color is really understated but just gorgeous, in my opinion (although I am a sucker for purples with gold sheen).  The pigmentation isn't crazy, but I think it will make an awesome all over lid color for when I want a little color.

Neutrogena blush in Fresh

The only reason I got this was because it was on clearance for $5 and some change, and I've always passed by these in drugstores and been curious.  Speaking of clearance, ULTA currently has a bunch on clearance!  I was quite surprised.

This is a pretty vibrant pink in the pan, but it's buildable and sheer- one layer will give you a nice subtle pink, and another will be more of a pop.  I have a review in the works and I'll explain more then.

Essence of Beauty Dreamsicle body spray

The darn security label wouldn't come off!  That's so not cool in my opinion.

This smells like a 50/50 bar, though, it's yummy- I really wanted the Pixie Tangerine body spray, but the EoB displays are so picked over at my CVS locations and I can't find it.  This was my second favorite.  I used my $3 in Extra Bucks that I got via email for my birthday- thank you CVS!

My total cost for all of this was only around $18 (although I bought it over the course of two days).  For the makeup, the NYX products were BOGO 1/2 off like I said, and then I printed the coupon off ulta.com for $3.50/$10.00.  The blush was on clearance, and then the EoB body spray was originally $5.99 but after my $3 in Extra Bucks I only paid $3.00 and some change.

Thanks for reading!  <3

Review: Neutrogena Moisture Oil-Free for Sensitive Skin

Before I start this, I just want to note that I've been hesitant to review skin products.  It's mainly because I don't know much beyond the basics when it comes to skin care- I know what works for me by trial and error, and I go from there.  So, just keep in mind that this is a review based on my experiences with this product.  It may or may not work for you depending on your skin type!
The main reason I chose this skin product to review for you is that I'm on my second bottle.  I like it!  It takes me a good several months to use up one bottle, so it clearly doesn't irritate my skin or do anything bad to it (For the last 6 or so months I've been using it, anyway).
Like the title says, I'm talking about the Neutrogena Moisture Oil-Free moisturizer for Sensitive Skin.  :)

You can find this at most drugstores and grocery stores for around $7-10, 4 oz.

It comes in a box, where the ingredients are listed.  Since I've had this for a few months I don't have the box anymore- here is the list of ingredients via drugstore.com:

Water, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, Petrolatum, Cyclomethicone, Soy Sterol, Isopropyl Isostearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG 10 Soy Sterol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG 100 Stearate, C12 15 Alkyl Benzoate, Carbomer, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Diazolidinyl Urea, Ethylparaben, Methylparaben, Propylparaben

Although my skin type changes a little with the seasons, it's consistently on the sensitive side.  After I wash my face at night my cheeks get a little rosy, and my face gets irritated by certain lotions/cleansers.  This was my reason for trying this the first time- I figured I needed a basic moisturizer that conditioned my skin; no bells and whistles.

The consistency is that of a creamy, thin lotion.  I really like it.  It feels light and one pump is all I need to cover my face.  My skin doesn't tense up after it's applied, nor does it feel irritated.  There is no scent to it which I think is good considering it's for your face.

(This picture looks terrible, sorry!  I didn't realize that until I uploaded it here.)

I really like that it's fragrance and alcohol free (One of the listed ingredients is "Cetearyl alcohol", which, according to its Wikipedia page- OK maybe this isn't the best source but I like Wikipedia, ha- is an "emulsifying wax".  Not alcohol as in rubbing alcohol.  

This doesn't have SPF in it so I use this primarily as my nightly moisturizer, unless I'm wearing foundation/TM that has SPF.  I do really like how it works with my sensitive skin, though, and for under $10 I think it's a keeper for me.  

Have you tried this moisturizer?  Do you like it like I do?  My sister uses the Healthy Skin Face lotion (again from Neutrogena) and really likes it- I've also heard good things about it.  It's a few dollars more expensive so I've stayed with this one.  :)

Thanks for reading!  

Mini Target Haul & Swatches

I decided to take back the Pixi by Petra Eye Beauty palette that I posted about yesterday.  I tried them on my eyes last night and found the following: 1) the colors were very sheer, and 2) they felt like they weren't long-lasting.  I know that's hard to tell from only 5 minutes, but they were powdery and just didn't seem to "stick" to my eyes well.
This is now the second time I've returned an opened beauty item to Target, and they've been super friendly and helpful!  They haven't given me any problems.  I just got the money put back on a gift card so I could spend it there (about $15.00).


So guess what I found!  Those ELF Beauty Books!  This is the Super Target I went to today, so the regular Target in my town doesn't carry these yet (I went there yesterday).  But these were just sitting on an aisle display right near the beauty products, not advertised or anything.  I'm glad I saw them.
I was really lemming the "Eye Bright" Beauty Book from swatches online, but when I saw it in person, there were really only a couple colors I loved.  I decided to get the "Neutral Eye" edition because I'm loving plums/raspberries/golds/neutrals lately.
That was $5, so with the rest of my gift card I bought the Sonia Kashuk large crease brush and a Neutrogena Nourishing eyeliner in Plum Drop.

First I'll show you swatches of the ELF Neutral Eyes (Although I'm sure you've now seen these a million times, sorry!):

(The light nude on the bottom left reminds me a little of MAC Naked Lunch)

Top Row:

Middle Row:

Bottom Row:

These eyeshadows are just as pigmented, rich and creamy as the reviews I've read have said.  They even seen more pigmented than the eyeshadow quads, to me anyway.  I think I might just head back to Target (Again, for maybe the 100th time this week LOL) and get the Eye Brights edition just because the quality is so nice.

Swatches of Neutrogena eyeliner:

I finally used up the $3.00 off Neutrogena coupon I've been hanging onto.  This one swatched nicely for me, and it passed the rub test!  It's not rubbing off with just my finger, thank goodness.

Sonia Kashuk large crease brush compared with MAC 224:

Finally I have a stiff, shorter crease brush!  I've been wanting one that applies eyeshadow better for awhile, but haven't wanted to fork over the money.  This Sonia Kashuk one (on the left) was only $5.99, and since I had my gift card, I figured it was the perfect time.  It fits into my crease perfectly. 

That's it for my mini haul!  Thanks for reading, everyone.  Have a lovely day.  

<3

Wednesday Weekly Favorites: Glow-y Summer Goodies

This week was a sort of continuation from a couple weeks ago when I went a little lighter with my makeup.  I've been very into making my skin/makeup look as healthy and clear and glow-y as possible this summer, and these products have helped me in doing so.

MAC 252 Large Shader brush- OK, this is one of the two products that doesn't go along with the theme.  For my 13th birthday, my mom took me to a MAC counter to learn how to do my makeup, and she bought me two brushes; this one and the 224 tapered brush.  Ever since I came across ELF's brushes, I haven't really used this.  Actually it's been longer than that.  I haven't used this brush in a looong time.  But anyway, I got it all nice and clean last week, and decided I needed to put it to the test again.  Surprise, surprise- I love it!  Like you've probably heard, it's great for "packing-on" color to the lid area.

Wet 'n' Wild Walking On Eggshells eyeshadow trio- This gives me such a pretty, shimmery eye that I love to wear during the summer.  The colors are soft and pigmented, and I feel like the combination of shades help brighten my eyes.

ELF Tinted Moisturizer in Light Beige- I bought one of these awhile back, fell in love with it, purchased a back-up, and then fell out of love with the first one before I even finished it.  Last week I opened the back-up to see if the consistency was any different since it was "new".  It was a little thicker in texture than the one I had been using for months, and I think that made all the difference.  I've been using it ever since- I'm back in love with this product!  It gives me light coverage that's not sheer, and doesn't go on super shiny like other TMs can.  Plus, the color is pretty much a perfect match for my skin.

ELF Shimmering Facial Whip in Lilac Petal- I talked about this here, when I compared it to my other favorite highlighter, Benefit High Beam.  I'm just trying to use this up, but I really do think it's a quality product.  I wear it on top of my tinted moisturizer or foundation, but under my powder so it doesn't look too shimmery.

Maybelline The Colossal Volum' Express mascara- You all probably know how much I love this mascara by now.  I did a review of it here, so you can see why!  It's my current HG mascara.  Covergirl Lash Blast gives me great volume, but this one gives me great volume AND length.

Neutrogena Acne Stress Control face wash- The lovely Jamie at Maquilagem Masstige recently recommended this face wash for dry/sensitive skin.  I've been using it for about two weeks now I think and it's been working nicely for me.  It doesn't irritate my sensitive skin or leave it feeling tight, and I really think it has helped reduce the redness in my face (It has green tea and cucumber in it).  My skin usually gets a little red after cleansing, but it hasn't been so noticeable since using this.

That's it for this week!  Any of these products that you like as well?  Let me know!

:)

My current favorite body washes & a deal!

Hey everyone.  Sorry about the lack of posts yesterday; I worked during the day, then drove to my boyfriend's house (He lives in a town an hour away from me) for the night.  It was a busy day/night, but today is my "relax" day.  It's been sooo nice so far!

For this post I wanted to share with you three of my current favorite body washes.  Body wash is something I never used to buy or use, but now it's a part of my showers that I look forward to!  I tend to use an awful amount of it at once (Like, instead of using a quarter-sized amount for my entire body, I probably use 2 quarter-sized amounts for both my arms and legs.  Lol), but I can explain.  For one, I love using a lot at once.  And two, I grow tired of a scent before I can use up the entire bottle of it.
Anyway.
These three each have a different consistency, which is partly why I chose them.  They each smell pretty different, too (But wonderful nonetheless).  You can find them all at your local drugstore.

St. Ive's Oatmeal & Shea Butter, Softsoap Body Butter Coconut Scrub, Softsoap Juicy Pomegranate & Mango Infusions

(Top to bottom- Softsoap Pomegranate/Mango, Softsoap Coconut scrub, St. Ive's Oatmeal/Shea Butter)

St. Ive's Oatmeal & Shea Butter is a moisturizing body wash, designed for dry or irritated skin.  I love the creamy consistency of this, and the smell is very neutral in comparison to the other two.  Can I just say that the combination of oatmeal & shea butter is maybe my most favorite soothing smell?

Softsoap Body Butter Coconut Scrub was referred to me by the beauty girl at Walgreens.  I was looking for a good daily exfoliating wash, and she directed me to this one.  If you like coconut, I'd highly recommend this.  It smells divine, and it's exfoliating but still creamy (Not like one of those thick body scrubs that is basically all exfoliant).

Softsoap Juicy Pomegranate & Mango Infusions is the body wash that got me into body washes.  It has "moisture beads" in it that remind me of exfoliating beads, but don't have that scratchy feel.  This smell wakes me up when I take showers in the morning.  The texture is more of a gel than cream, but it's a nice change from the other two.

Lastly, I wanted to share a pretty good deal on Neutrogena, but it has to do with ShopKo.  Unfortunately I don't think there are any ShopKo locations in the South or East coat, so this wouldn't be something everyone could take advantage of.  

This week ShopKo has Neutrogena eyeshadow, liner, and mascara BOGOfree.  Allyou.com's coupon page has a $3/1 coupon for any Neutrogena product.  If you combine that with the BOGO deal, you could get two products for very cheap.  I'm not too sure how much ShopKo marks up its Neutrogena products, but I'm going to head over there today and find out.  I'll update this and let you know!

Thanks for reading everyone.  Hope you're having a good last day of your weekend.

Super-Mini Grocery Store Haul

Today I was getting groceries with my mom at our local grocery store, and I decided to pick up a few things:

Herbal Essences Set Me Up Mousse

-I trimmed my bangs the other night, and while browsing some Youtube videos about how to style bangs/hair, I learned that mousse could be my new best friend.  I have deep side bangs, and a tip to keep them from "separating" during the day is to comb mousse through them when they're wet.  I decided I should try using something in my hair, since I never do these days.  I used my mom's Paul Mitchell mousse, and it worked great!  Hopefully this has a similar effect.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture for Sensitive Skin

-I love this as a night/day moisturizer.  It tames my fairly sensitive skin, and leaves it feeling nice and smooth/soft.  It's more than I'd like to spend (About $10, depending where you buy- I bought it for $10.99 at the grocery store), but it's 4oz and lasts me a few months.

Cover Girl Aqua CG Smoothers makeup

-I've been on the hunt for a new, light foundation (Note: I've never been a big foundation-wearer, so I'm pretty new to it).  The grocery store we went to only sold Cover Girl, so my choices were limited, but I thought this might be worth a shot.  My past experiences with Cover Girl have been pretty good, so I'm interested to see how this will perform.  My first impression of it is that it feels thicker than it looked like it would, but that might be just because I'm not used to wearing foundation.  The closest thing I usually wear to it is tinted moisturizer.  Anyway, it looks like it might settle into my laugh lines after a few hours of wear, but I'll update you once I've given it a full day to set in.

I hope this isn't too all over the place; I'm writing in a hurry because I'm going out of town to see my boyfriend tonight.  My ELF order should be arriving here towards the end of this week, so I'm excited for that!  I think it's so exciting for me because I hardly ever order things online, haha.  Oh well.

Hope you're all having a great first day of June- mine has been filled with rain and thunderstorms.  :)