Product Empties July 2021

Hey guys! It’s been a couple of months but today I’m going to be sharing some of my product empties. I always like doing these posts because I’ve finished the product so I have a good idea of what the product is like. So let’s get into it.

The first product is perfume! Back in the spring, I got into wearing perfume daily. I never wore perfume much and found all my perfumes were just sitting unused. So I made it my mission to use them more and because of that, I finished the True Religion Hippie Chic. I’m 90% sure that this perfume is discontinued because it’s only available on Amazon and eBay. Which is fine with me because I wouldn’t repurchase it. This was the first perfume I got as a teenager and while it’s a good teen scent it’s not as much my thing anymore. The notes are Red Apple, Raspberry, Pomegranate, Hibiscus, Lily-of-the-Valley, Star Jasmine, Wood and Musk. It’s much fruitier than what I typically go for. It was good for when I was a teen but now I like other scents.

The next product is the Cetaphil Extra Gentle Daily Scrub. I’m currently on the hunt for my favourite exfoliator. I liked the Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser and I’ve been comparing everything I tried to that one. I like an exfoliator that has something physical to it, but not necessarily St. Ives level of physical. That’s why I liked the Murad one because it was slightly physical but also chemical as well. This Cetaphil one was just too gentle for me. It says that there are micro-fine bamboo particles but I didn’t feel any. It wasn’t bad, like my face still felt clean after using it. But it was more similar to using a cleanser than an exfoliator. Still on the hunt for my favourite but it might be the Murad one.

I think the next product has been discontinued or at least renamed. I finished the Tarte Ready, Set, Radiant Skin mist and I can’t seem to find it anywhere. But on the Tarte website, they have the Rainforest of the Sea 4-in-1 Mist which sounds similar. Either way, I’m not sure I would repurchase it. The mist isn’t the finest and sprays droplets everywhere. I also found that the formula is more hydrating than setting down makeup. Then I read somewhere that it’s good to wet the face before applying hyaluronic acid and decided to try this mist and loved it for that use! Since the mist wasn’t fine it got my face wet quickly. It also provided extra skincare benefits on top of the hyaluronic acid. And finally, it has a cucumber scent that is nice while applying skincare. The reason why I wouldn’t repurchase is I think I can get a mist for cheaper than this that would do a similar job.

Taking a step away from skincare, I had a deluxe sample of the Drunk Elephant Sili Body Lotion. This lotion is meant to restore dry, dull and irritated skin. It was a thin liquid but was quite hydrating. It was easy to spread all over the body and sank into the skin easily. The scent was pretty basic. There is no added fragrance so it just smells like a combo of the marula and shea butter in the lotion. If you don’t like overly fragranced body lotions, then you’ll love this. I, on the other hand, love scented body lotions so I won’t be picking this up again because the scent was pretty basic.

Another body product, this one I did not like, was the Quo Vanilla Brulee Salt Scrub. I was looking to try a new body scrub and saw this one. I wasn’t able to smell it so I just bought it on a whim. I thought it would be a nice vanilla scent but no it just smells like straight-up salt and vanilla extract – not very pleasant. I also find that the scrub melts away easily so I can’t get a good scrub in before it dissolves. Was not a fan and will not be repurchasing.

The next product is a sample of the Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash. This cleanser should be right up my alley because it’s meant for oily skin to remove makeup, impurities and surface oils. But I found it was a little too aggressive. My face always felt tight after I used it. It also has a strong mint scent, which isn’t my favourite. I always had to hold my breath while using it. Overall not my favourite and I wouldn’t purchase a full size.

If you’ve read any of my product empties posts, then you’ll know I love the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser. Sephora usually has the deluxe sample as a point perk so I always have one kicking around. And for a good reason because this cleanser is gentle but effective. This is a great second cleanser to use after removing makeup because it’ll get rid of any leftover makeup and cleanse the skin but not strip it. And I love the light cucumber scent. You need to try this cleanser if you haven’t already yet.

A product that I haven’t finished but will be throwing away is the Wander Beauty Lift Off Purifying and Brightening Peel Off Mask. I know that peel-off masks were big a couple of years ago and I had this one kicking around because I got it in my Boxycharm. I decided to use it the other day after not using it in months. It broke me out so badly. And not just around my chin, where I normally get acne. I had small pimples all over my face. I know for sure it was because of this mask. It might be expired but I believe my face just doesn’t like peel-off masks so I decided to get rid of it.

Now one of my favourite products that I have already repurchased is the Ole Henriksen Balancing Force Oil Control Toner. I can’t live without this stuff. I do notice a difference in the texture of my skin when I don’t use it. The toner evens out my face and helps keep the oils at bay. If you deal with texture skin and oiliness, you need this toner in your life.

Now for a drugstore product, I have the NYX Dewy Finish Setting Spray. I’ve mentioned this spray quite a bit on my blog because it’s so good. It helps melt all the product into the skin and makes me look dewy but not oily. And it’s also so affordable, it’s only $11. This is like my third bottle and I see myself buying more in the future. I purchase the Radiant Finish to test it out and see if it’s any different compared to the dewy.

And the final product is my BareMinerals Translucent Powder Duo. If you’ve been keeping up with my project pan then this powder is probably familiar to you. I finished the matte side of the powder and don’t like the glow side so I decided it was time to just toss it out. It feels pretty good to finish a makeup product up because that doesn’t happen very often. Unfortunately, the powder has been discontinued so there isn’t much point in me giving a review since you can’t purchase it. But I just wanted to mention it since I’m proud that I finished it!

And those are the products that I finished recently! Let me know in the comments if you guys have tried any of these products before and what your thoughts were on them.

xoxo

Lea

Beauty Wishlist for Sephora Sale 2021

Hey guys! The semi-annual Sephora sale is coming up. So this year I thought it would be fun to share my wish list. I will not be getting all of these products because my cart would probably be $1000s if I did. But I thought it would be nice to share some of the products I had my eyes on for two reasons. First to see if anyone has tried the products and if you recommend them. And second to maybe inspire you and show some beauty products that you haven’t see before. So I’ll be sharing some makeup, skincare and body care. Let’s get into it!

The first thing on my wish list is the Fenty Beauty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint. I have both the Fenty matte and hydrating foundation and love both of them. So I just know I will love this skin tint. This foundation is lightweight with light-to-medium coverage and a natural finish. It sounds right up my alley lately. I have been into lighter foundations so this just makes sense. There is a really good chance that I’ll be getting this foundation unless they sell out of my shade before I can pick it up.

Next, I’ve heard quite a few good things about the Benefit The POREfesssional Super Setter Pore-Minimizing Setting Spray. This setting spray sounds like a dream: sets makeup, smooths skin, natural-looking and hydrating. Sign me up! I see Allana Davison using this like crazy. And with a 4.6 rating on Sephora, it sounds like a good spray! I haven’t purchased a new setting spray in a while so seems like a good product to pick up.

Even though I have so many primers, I want to try the Laneige Glowy Makeup Serum. I’ve tried quite a few Laneige products and their moisturizers are some of my favourites. And it also sounds perfect for me! This serum primer gives that glowy look while also keeping oil at bay and helps makeup last longer. There is a difference between dewy and oily. I want dewy skin, not oily skin. It sounds amazing and I want it.

I’ve had my eyes on Tower 28 products for a while, specifically their ShineOn Milky Lip Jelly Gloss. I was going to purchase their gloss during the last sale, but the shade I wanted (Cashew) was sold out. I’ve heard so many people rave about the glosses and I want to try them for myself. There is a good chance that I’ll finally pick it up during the sale.

The final makeup products I have my eyes on are the Rare Beauty blushes. I haven’t decided which formula I would prefer, the Soft Pinch Liquid Blush or the Stay Vulnerable Melting Cream Blush. It’s hard for me to decide. Because it seems like Liquid Blush is more long-lasting, so that would be nice for days when I’m wearing more makeup and want my blush to last. Whereas the Cream Blush seems to be more natural and would be nice for everyday makeup, especially going into the summer. I do know what shades I want. If I got the Liquid Blush I could get the shade Love, and if I got the Cream Blush I could get the shade Nearly Apricot.

Now let’s talk skincare. I have heard so many good things about Youth to the People. I do need a new cleanser so there’s a good chance I’m going to be picking up the Superfood Antioxidant Cleanser. I know this is great for oily and acne-prone skin aka my skin type. I just like testing out hyped products to see if it’s worth it. So as long as it doesn’t sell out I’ll be getting this.

Another Youth to the People product I’ve heard a lot of hype about is their 15% Vitamin C + Clean Caffeine Energy Serum. I feel like everyone and their mother has been raving about this serum. This serum is meant to brighten the skin, reduce hyperpigmentation and even the skin tone. You know, everything that a vitamin C serum does. Honestly, if I didn’t already have three open vitamin C serums open I would get it. But I’m going to wait until I finish up some products before purchasing this. (Side note: I didn’t realize how expensive it was until I was getting the pictures for the post organized. Wow it’s expensive!!!)

A brand that I love is Ole Henriksen, and because I love their products I want to try the Lemonade Smoothing Scrub. I find that my skin can get really clogged and textured quite easily. Using exfoliators help with this. And I do enjoy something that has a bit of a physical exfoliation it in. One of my recent favourites is the Murad one that is both a physical and chemical exfoliator. This Ole Henriksen one sounds similar with sugar and AHAs to both physically and chemically exfoliator the skin. It sounds like a product I would enjoy using.

A product that I’ve seen a lot of hype around is the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops. This is a hybrid between skincare and makeup. It can be used before moisturizer when doing skincare or right before putting on makeup as a primer. The Dew Drops can also be used mixed into foundation or over top of makeup as a highlight. To be honest, it seems quite similar to the Laneige Glowy Makeup Serum, so I probably wouldn’t purchase both.

And the final skincare product is a new sunscreen. My current one is almost empty and it might even be expired. So it’s time for a new one. I’ve had my eyes on the Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen for a while. I believe it finally launched in Canada last year but was always sold out. I struggle with face sunscreens. They either have a white cast OR break me out. I’ve heard many people say this is the best sunscreen out there so I’m willing to try it out myself.

There are two more products on my wish list. The first is the Summer Fridays Summer Skin Nourishing Body Lotion. I love body lotion. If you’ve read any of my product empties you’ll know that I use body lotions religiously year-round. Since I’ve finished a few I am allowing myself to purchase another one. Since we’re going into the warmer months I don’t need something as thick as body butter, so I think the texture of this lotion would be perfect. There are mixed reviews on the scent, so that makes me a little hesitant but I think I’ll still get it.

And the final product on my wish list is the REPLICA By the Fireplace perfume. I asked for this for my birthday but told my mom she could also just wait until the sale to be able to get it for a cheaper price. So I’m unsure if I’ll be getting it before or during the sale – I guess we’ll know on Sunday when it’s my birthday. Either way, I’ll be getting this perfume. I’ve sprayed this on myself so many times, and every time I get compliments. When I was working at Sephora, one of my coworkers also taught me about layering scents, using a vanilla perfume to tone down By the Fireplace and I loved it. The nail in the coffin though for me was when I was watching Kathleen Light’s zodiac perfume video and she said this was the perfect scent for Aries. I said to myself “this is a sign I need to get the perfume”. So I will be getting it.

And this is my very long Sephora Sale wish list. As I said, I won’t be getting all the products on this list. Please let me know if you’ve tried any of the products to help me narrow down the list.

xoxo

Lea