Sampling About, Using up my Sample Packets

March 16, 2020March 15, 2020 littlebeautyloves7 Comments

At the beginning of the year, I thought about doing another Project Pan, but after looking at my beauty items I thought the one thing that seems to add to the overflow is my collection of sample packets. Now, I loved collecting samples whenever I went shopping at any beauty related store because I always thought it was a great way to try out products or to carry something easy to dispose of while on vacation. After years of collecting, I just find that a LOT of this stuff isn’t being used up so I figured why not just pull them all out and focus on using them up over the next few months and just clear them from my collection.

Now, I’m currently working from home for the next few weeks due to the rising fear of COVID-19 so I figured I would put extra focus on these items. It’ll be a good way for me to focus on something fun during this time and maybe I can provide some updates along the way of what I use up.

On a serious note, my work decided to promote social distancing and asked those who can work from home do so. I just wanted to take this opportunity to ask you to stay safe and pay attention to your local government’s update. There is a lot of information out there on COVID-19 and I encourage you to read creditable sources on what to do in your area so that we can protect the most vulnerable in our communities.

On to my Samples! I’m going to divide these into a few categories so that it’s easier to follow. I’ll include how many I have of each so that as I use them up I can update the counter.

Makeup and Makeup Prep

Smashbox Original Primer x1
Elizabeth Arden Cleanser x1
YSL Primer x2

Benefit Concealer x1
Philosophy Cleanser x1
Glamglow Cleanser x1

Body Care

Josie Maran Body Butter x2
Nivea Care Cream x2

Nuxe Body Oil x1

Hair Care

John Frieda Hair Care set x1

dpHUE Scalp Scrub x1

Moisturizer

Teology Matcha Cream x1
Tatcha Moisturizer x1
No7 Skin Paste x1

Glamglow Moisturizer x1
Jowai Youth Concentration x2
Biotherm Gel x1

Serum and Other Creams

Neostrata Night Serum x1
Neostrata Eye Cream x1
Shiseido Ultimune x1
Shiseido Serum x1
Vichy Mineral 89 x1
Marcelle 2in1 serum x1
Elizabeth Arden Serum x2

Clarins Double Serum x5
Biotherm Elixir x2
Kose Sekkisei Gel x1
Kose Sekkisei Mask x1
Lancome Genifique x1
Filorga Serum x1

I can’t wait to use all these products up!

Lots of Love,
Dal

FabFitFun, Spring 2020 Edition

March 12, 2020March 12, 2020 littlebeautylovesLeave a comment

FabfitFun (“FFF”) is a seasonal subscription service with beauty, skincare, fitness, health, jewelry and other items. The box comes with a magazine that shares articles on life, health, beauty etc. as well as details on all the products in the box. The boxes are valued at over $200 US.

For prices and membership breakdown head over to my first FabFitFun post here

I am an annual member so I get to chose 5 out of the 8 items in the box and while I think I got some good items I wasn’t really excited with the selection this season overall. I’ll get more into that below. I’ll include a note if this was something I chose or if it was an item that the FabFitFun team chose for me.

On to what I got!

ReVive Light Therapy Glo Wrinkle and Anti-Ageing Light Device
MSRP: $68.00 USD
I chose this item

This multi-wave light helps to stimulate collagen and elastin. I was pretty intrigued by this product and wanted to give it a shot. Compared to the other options which included a tote bag and a sweater coat this one sounded the most interesting. I’ll have to try it out for 3-4 weeks and maybe give this a review on the blog since the device is new to me.

Murad Rapid Collagen Infusion
MSRP: $78.00 USD
I chose this item

This treatment minimizes the look of lines and wrinkles and is formulated with collagen. I never say no to skincare, especially if it can improve the look of my skin. I took a look across a few websites including Sephora, Ulta, and Murad and generally the reviews are pretty positive for this product. I hope it works well!

Cosmedix Pure C Vitamin C Mixing Crystals
MSRP: $54.00 USD
I chose this item

Now here’s where I started to get a bit unsatisfied with the selection of items I could choose from. There was a coin necklace, a weighted sleep mask, a mask set, body scrub and this item. I wasn’t really drawn to anything but ended up picking Cosmedix Pure C.

The Cosmedix Pure C is 100% L-Ascorbic Acid which you can add into your night time serum or moisturizer to boost their results. This is meant to brighten the skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. I kinda did a process of elimination when choosing this item but after reading a bit more about it I’m happy that I picked this. I think it’s an interesting concept and will give it a try.

Aria Beauty Luxe Detangling Electroplated Brush
MSRP: $35.00 USD
I chose this item

From all the options I chose a brush. I didn’t care for the body oil, or tea towels (although now I wish I picked these instead) or a hair remedy. It looked very luxe in the photos and the price suggested it would be fancy. Having it with my now, it feels really lightweight and not very special. The bristles feel a bit flimsy too. I like paddle brushes so I’ll use this but it doesn’t feel as good as others I have. I got one from Winners that was $14.00 CAD (so like $10 US) that feels heftier than this. This is a meh type of product.

Lovescript Body Wash
MSRP: $28.00 USD
I chose this item

Again, another product that I chose because I didn’t really care for the other options (sensing a trend here?). I love body wash so I know I’m going to like this, but really, $28.00?! I have great body washes that cost me less than $10.00 so I don’t know what is so special about this product. It doesn’t claim to have any special ingredients or do anything, other than to lather up. Anyways, I’ll test it out and see how I like.

This Work’s Deep Sleep Body Cocoon
MSRP: $40.00 USD
FFF chose this item

Now, this was a product I wanted and was really excited I got. I love products that have some aromatherapy ingredients to help me relax at the end of the night. I love the Aveda Stress-Fix lotion and the Deep Sleep Body Cocoon sounds like it’s very similar. This has Shea Butter, Crambe, Camelia and Sativa oils that help to nourish the skin and Lavender, Chamomile and Vetivert to help you calm and relax before and while you sleep. I’ve very excited about this.

Chich & Tonic Silicone Straws
MSRP: $15.00 USD
FFF chose this item

I’m not really into silicone straws. The texture feels weird to me and I feel like I can taste silicone on my lips when I use them. I also find that little fuzzies like to cling to silicone. Basically, I don’t like them. I’d rather use metal straws. I will hold on to the brush cleaner since I can definitely use that and I’ll keep the straws for a picnic because the colours are so cute but they won’t be used daily.

Purlisse Watermelon Energizing Two Minute Polishing Peel
MSRP: $35.00 USD
FFF Chose this item

This face mask contains watermelon, antioxidant blackberry, cranberry and elderberry, for anti-ageing and natural radiance. It also has glycolic acid to smooth the skin. It has a physical exfoliant using pumice (a type of volcanic rock) as the scrubber to remove impurities. I don’t mind physical exfoliants but I know that not everyone does. Hopefully, this isn’t irritating but I’m pretty happy to get this in my box to try out.

My Thoughts

So there is my Spring FabFitFun Box, some items I’m really excited about while others are just so-so or downright blah! I guess next time I’ll try to choose more wisely so that I get items I know I’ll enjoy. My sister received the Spring Box and she opted for travel packing bags that I thought were really useful. Next time, I won’t opt for hair tools that I can easily buy somewhere else. The skincare items are good though!

Total Value: $353.00 USD ($482.00 CAD)

Do you subscribe to FabFitFun? What did you receive in your Spring 2020 Box?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Bye Bye Empties, February 2020

March 5, 2020March 4, 2020 littlebeautyloves12 Comments

February was a fun birthday month for me. I spent a week celebrating with family and friends. The weather was cold but not so much in comparison to the years before. We had a few snowstorms but it didn’t stick in the city. Towards the end of February, I went up to Blue Mountain Ski Resort with my company for their annual ski trip. That was a lot of fun. I don’t ski but I do enjoy hanging out with everyone from my office. It was very snowy and beautiful up there. Now it looks like spring is around the corner with rain and milder temperatures.

When I looked at my empties for this month I was surprised that I used up so little items but I thought I’d share regardless. On to what I used up for February!

Skincare

Vasanti BrightenUp! Glow Boosting Serum. I reviewed this on the blog back in July 2019 which you can read here. I used this to the last drop and enjoyed it so much! This has a very light texture that isn’t oily and absorbs quickly into the skin. It left me feeling hydrated and I feel like after some time of use it really kept my skin radiant. I would repurchase this.

Haircare

Marajo Anti Frizz Smoothing Serum Capsules. This is an item I received in my December 2018 Boxycharm, and like I said when I first received this the capsules had too much product for my short hair. I’d use only about half the capsule and the rest I would toss out because there wasn’t a way I could store the open capsule without the oil getting everywhere. I really wish they would put this into a pump or tube to make it easier to control how much oil you use. Plus it’s very pricey for only 10 uses ($18 US). Otherwise, this was a really good product. It smoothed out my hair without weighing it down. It did tame my frizz and worked exceptionally well when I styled my hair. I won’t be repurchasing this because of the waste in the product and because it is expensive for me.

Body Care

Dial Coconut Water Hydrating Body Wash. I can’t recall where I got this from but this body wash is amazing! I loved how it smelled, how it lathered, and how hydrating it is. I even used this as a bubble bath and it was perfect. Sometimes you don’t need a fancy body wash to do all the things you need. I would repurchase this.

Aveeno Positively Radiant Body Lotion. This is an item I reviewed back in April of 2018 which you can read here. Since I’m always rotating my beauty products around, this took a bit of time to use up. I really enjoyed this. Although the consistency is thick is absorbed quickly into my skin and left me feeling super hydrated. I especially loved this after shaving because it would gently moisturize my skin. I would repurchase this.

~~~

There you have it! My little collection of empties for February. Looking at the items, a lot of them were full-sized products that usually do take me a few months to get through so I’m pretty happy with what I used up. I imagine March will have more empties because I have a lot of smaller sized items that I am using up this month.

What items did you use up in February?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Makeup Eraser & ProCIV Reusable Pad Review

February 13, 2020February 13, 2020 littlebeautyloves6 Comments

I received the Makeup Eraser in my Winter FabFitFun box. I had seen a lot of great reviews about this product so when I got it I was very excited to give it a try. Another item I had seen good reviews about that I wanted to share is the ProCIV Makeup Remover Pads from Amazon. I figured since they were both reusable cleansing products I would share my thoughts in one post.

Makeup Eraser

First, let’s talk about the Makeup Eraser (check it out here). I have only been using this for about a month and a half but it’s seriously become a staple product in my face cleansing routine. It has a long oval shape with soft fabric on both sides of the cloth. It’s large enough that I can use it 4-5 times before I need to wash it.

How I use this

I only need to use a small section of the cloth each time I use it so I mentally divide it into quarters and use each side on a different day. I might be able to use this a 5th or 6th time if I go back into the areas in between the quarters I did not use. I use this at the end of the day by dampening the cloth with warm water and gently rubbing it on my face. At first, I was worried I would tug at my skin too much but I’ve started to become comfortable with applying the right pressure to remove my makeup without tugging my face.

The cloth has different textures on each side. One side has short fibres for removing makeup and the other side has long ones for exfoliating.

I use the short fibre side to remove all my makeup and cleanse my face and then flip to the other side to help exfoliate my skin to ensure everything is deeply cleansed. What’s great is that I don’t need to use any other products with this it does a good job on its own and I don’t have to rinse my face afterwards either.

Washing it

I don’t wash this between uses but I make sure that I hang it to completely dry so that it doesn’t start to smell. At the end of the week, I’ll just throw it into my washing machine with my other clothes and wash them all in a normal cycle. I then hang it to dry, I don’t put this in my dryer. I’ve machine washed this about 4 times now and the fibres and cloth have held up pretty well! Any dark makeup stains are completely lifted and the cloth itself remains soft and sturdy.

My Thoughts

I’ve been using this at the end of the day because it’s so quick and convenient for removing makeup. With there being dual sides, I can flip between the two fibre textures to cleanse my face and exfoliate it in one step. I might still use some makeup remover around my eyes if I’ve got a lot of makeup on around there but for the most part, it takes off all my other makeup with ease. I really enjoy this and extremely happy I received it in my FabFitFun box. You can find it at Sephora or on the Makeup Eraser website and I would highly recommend picking one up.

ProCIV Makeup Remover Pads

Another reusable item that I’ve been enjoying lately is the ProCIV Makeup Remover Pads I ordered from Amazon (check them out here). This came as a set of 16 and while there is an option to get all white pads, I went for the set with blue/green pads only because I know that white clothes tend to stain quicker for me when I use them to remove dark makeup such as eyeliner or mascara. There are a bunch of different sellers of similar products on Amazon but this one had high reviews so I figured I would try it.

How I use this

These are made with bamboo fabric which is soft. It has a double layer of thin fabric that’s been sewn together on the edge. It’s gentle by not flimsy. I would soak an area of the pads with micellar water and use one side of the pad to remove eyeliner and mascara and the other side to remove makeup on my face. These pads are great for removing face mask residue too.

What I personally like about the ProCIV Makeup Remover Pads is that they are large, about 3 inches in diameter. The pads are really large that I could easily use it to remove makeup from all over my face. I’m happy I chose a set that came in multiple colours because I could designate each colour for something different, ie blue cloth for eyes, green for face, white for nail polish removal etc. Currently, I’m only using this for my face but I could see how these could easily do everything I use my current cotton pads do.

Washing it

I keep the clean pads in a glass jar. I use one pad each day to remove my eye makeup and lipsticks/glosses. The set came with a draw-string mesh bag that I use to collect all the dirty pads into and then at the end of the week I throw the bag and its contents into the washing machine. After the wash, I’ve put these into the dryer and they come out great. The pads hold together well and I don’t see any changes in the fabric itself. They’ve gone through the washing machine a few times now since I’ve purchased them and they are still the same.

My thoughts

I’ll be honest. I was a bit skeptical about these pads because you can’t always trust the quality of the items you purchase from Amazon. I was nervous they might not be soft or would fall apart after a wash or two but they’ve been amazing so far! As much as I love my thick cotton pads that I purchase from Shiseido and Muji, I really wanted to make an effort, especially for 2020, to reduce my use of disposable one-time use items and go for reusable ones. These have completely replaced those cotton pads with ease. I would highly recommend them!

So there you have it! A little review of the Makeup Eraser and the ProCIV makeup Pads. Have you tried either of these products or something similar from other brands? What other reusable beauty products do you use?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Bye Bye Empties, January 2020

February 7, 2020February 7, 2020 littlebeautyloves10 Comments

I took a break from my Instagram during January. It was great to take a small step back from social media and focus on myself. I feel like with the weather (which is really grey and snowy) and with the new year, I felt like I just wanted a refresh. After a large December empties and declutter, January had much less used up items.

Here’s what I used up!

Skincare

Nivea MicellAIR Skin Breathe Micellar Water. This was gentle and effective, removing my mascara and eyeliner with ease. As well as using micellar water to remove my makeup at the end of the day, I used it in the mornings to rinse my face before I applied makeup. This worked super well. I would repurchase this.

Caudalie Grape Water. This mist lasts forever!!!! I have had this bottle for a couple years and over that time I’ve been making an effort to use it every day. I’ve finally used it up! The mist is very fine and it disperses evenly on the skin. I would use this after washing my face, before applying serum or moisturizer. I also used it on top of makeup as a re-hydrating, finishing spray. Some people swear by this product and say that it helps hydrate their skin. I personally thought it was OK. It wasn’t super hydrating and I would have to follow-up with moisturizer if I was going to keep my skin from feeling extremely dry. It just left my skin feeling wet. I’ve used face mists that work a lot better than this and cost me a lot less too. I won’t be repurchasing this.

Body Care

Being by Sanctuary Spa Hibiscus & Coconut Water Shower Burst. I am obsessed with shower gels and soap bars. I think of all the bath items, these are things I get most excited about. I mean, if you got me a basket full of Bath & Body Works shower gels I would be the happiest person! I enjoyed that this was a foaming wash. The scent is really fruity which is not my favourite. I also like my shower gel to double as bubble bath and this, unfortunately, does not. I won’t be repurchasing this.

Hair Care

Head & Shoulders Shampoo Deep Moisture. Another Head & Shoulders shampoo in the empties bin! It’s my favourite shampoo and if you’ve been here before you know every few months I use one up! I already have one open and would repurchase.

~~~

There you have it, my little collection of empties for January. I am happy that at least I used up items that were large bottle sizes. After December and my big empties and declutter post, there wasn’t much left to use up in January.

What items did you use up in January?

Lots of Love,
Dal

FabFitFun Box, Winter 2019 Edition

January 30, 2020January 30, 2020 littlebeautyloves7 Comments

I subscribed to FabFitFun because I wanted to try something different than the monthly makeup subscription boxes I had before.

Membership Breakdown

Annual Membership

When I signed up I chose the annual subscription option. If you sign up for the annual box you get select status. As part of select status, you can get early access to add-ons and the ability to customize some items in the box prior to shipping. You also get early shipping. The annual membership costs $179.99 USD plus shipping and taxes (shipping is $8 USD to Canada each quarter, you are billed for 4 quarters in advance). You save $20 by signing up for the annual subscription (which in my case covers some of my shipping costs). I prepaid for the boxes and shipping for 4 boxes in one invoice.

Seasonal Membership

For the seasonal membership, you pay $49.99 USD plus shipping. You purchase each box individually but this is a great way to just test out a box without committing to the annual subscription. Seasonal members don’t get access to select status.

For annual and seasonal members the contents of the boxes are valued at $200+ USD.

Annual Access Membership

If you don’t want the box but want access into the other perks of FabFitFun there is also an annual access membership for $79.99 USD. This membership gets access into FFF’s digital perks which include FFFTV, FFF Community, early access to member-only sales, and early shipping.

All FabFitFun members get access to FFF TV, FFF Shop and sales. Membership also includes access to the FabFitFun Community.

On to what was in my box! I’ll include a note if this was something I chose or if it was an item everyone received in the box.

ban.do Bluetooth Shower Speaker
MSRP: $35.00 USD

This is a water-resistant speaker with up to a 32-foot range. I like the floral pattern on this speaker. I put it into my shower and used it a few times now. It has a loud, clear sound even with my shower running. I like that I can skip songs, adjust the volume and answer calls while in the shower. It’s a really great device that I might not have purchased for myself but I like that I have it

I chose this item

Karuna Face For All Face & Eye Mask Set
MSRP: $42.00 USD

This included 6 face masks and 1 eye mask. I haven’t tried any of these masks just yet but I do like having them for when I have a pampering day or when I want to prep my skin before wearing a full face of makeup. I feel you can never go wrong with a face mask and I like that this has a variety of them including anti-ageing, purifying, hydrating, exfoliating, etc.

I chose this item

Vooray Sidekick Crossbody Bag
MSRP: $17.99 USD

This is a water-resistant small crossbody bag. I really enjoy bags like this in the summer because I can easily carry around my essentials. One thing about me is that I don’t like carrying around large bags. This has one large compartment that I can keep everything in. I chose this partly because I liked the bag and because I thought it would be fun to get something different than skincare or makeup.

I chose this item

Ahava Salt Bag
MSRP: $17.00 USD

Sea salt helps ease muscle tension and leaves you with soft skin. Again, another great item for pampering. For a bag of sea salt, this is pretty expensive but I decided to get this because I wasn’t really interested in the other items being offered.

I chose this item

Cuccio Somatology Calm + Clean Epsom Salt Hand and Body Wash
MSRP: $39.95 USD

I love me some new hand/body wash. This has a relaxing blend of lavender oil, pro-vitamin B5, and shea butter. I think this would make a great body wash because it has the added hydrating benefits which I love since I have dry skin.

I chose this item

Drybar Prep Rally Prime & Prep Detangler
MSRP: $23.00 USD

This lightweight detangler uses biotin, vitamins B and C, and seaberry oil to protect hair against heat (up to 450 F) and leave hair soft and conditioned. I heat style my hair so I like having a product that is meant to protect it. I like Drybar products so I’m really excited I get to try more from this brand.

Everyone received this item.

MakeUp Eraser
MSRP: $20.00 USD

This reusable makeup remover removes makeup using only water. I’ve been using this for the past few weeks since receiving it so I’ll share a review of it soon.

I’ve always wanted to try this item because it does get a lot of good reviews. One side has sort fibres to remove makeup and the other side has longer fibres to exfoliate the skin. You just wet it with water and use it to wash your face. I like that this is large so I can use it multiple times before I need to wash it. It’s machine washable.

Everyone received this item.

R+Co Television Perfect Hair Shampoo and Conditioner
MSRP: $64.00 USD (for both)

I love getting shampoo and conditioner sets because they are great to travel with or as a gift. I’m excited to try these and see if they actually give me TV hair, haha!

Everyone received this item.

My Thoughts

These are awesome items! I’m so happy with the variety of products I received. Some other customizable options for this box also included; a beanie and arm warmer set, a candle, blanket, slippers, lash serum, necklace, makeup palette and monthly planner.

What was great for me is that I was able to customize 5 of the 8 items in the box which meant that I got products I knew I would personally enjoy. That’s what really set this subscription apart from others for me. While I love a good surprise box, I also like being able to choose what I know I will want for the season.

Total Value: $258.94 USD ($342.27 CAD)

Do you subscribe to FabFitFun? What did you receive in your Winter 2019 Box?

Lots of Love,
Dal

FabFitFun Box, Starter Box

January 20, 2020January 20, 2020 littlebeautyloves8 Comments

I recently subscribed to FabFitFun. I always see advertisements for this and I’ve watched a few unboxings on YouTube that I thought I might as well sign up and try it for a year.

FabFitFun is a seasonal subscription service. The items in the box range from beauty, skincare, fitness, health, jewelry etc. I figured this would be a great way to get other items rather than just makeup like I was receiving in my other boxes.

FFFStarter2020_LBL (1)

When I signed up there was a promotion to receive a second box of surprises worth $150US ($195CAD). I figured that was a better deal than just receiving $10 off the box (their usual promo). Unlike the Winter Box, I didn’t get to choose any of the items so I didn’t know what I was going to get in the box.

Today’s post I’ll focus on the Starter Box and then in my next post I’ll share what I got in the Winter Edition Box.

FFFStarter2020_LBL (4)

What I really enjoy is that both the winter edition and this box included a magazine. This has a lot of great little articles as well as descriptions of what you received in the box. I enjoyed reading this!

On to what was in the box!

Grown Alchemist Hydra-Repair Day Cream ($60.00CAD)

FFFStarter2020_LBL (5)

This is a facial moisturizer that hydrates the skin without leaving residual oil or shine on the skin. I had to go into the website to figure out what this was because the packaging didn’t have too much information. I enjoy moisturizers so I’m happy to receive one in this box.

Moroccan Gold Series Leave-in Mask ($50.95 CAD)

FFFStarter2020_LBL (6)

This leave-in mask seals in moisture, protects against heat and UV damage, detangles hair and seals split ends. I have a lot of hair items so I ended up passing this along to someone else. I do think this would have been a good product to try because I do have dry hair and I’m always styling my hair but, again, I do have a lot of hair masks and serums so I thought it didn’t make sense to hold on to it.

Spongelle Black Orchid Body Wash Infused Buffer ($20.88CAD)

FFFStarter2020_LBL (7)

This was a limited edition product made exclusively for FabFitFun. These buffers have a built-in body wash and are infused with extracts of yuzu, edelweiss and vetiver root. I like the idea of a body wash infused buffer. I can see this being very handy to travel with.

FFFStarter2020_LBL (9)

I haven’t tried this yet but I hope that it lathers up well. I like that the sponge looks like a flower and feels like it could be very soft. I wasn’t able to smell it but looking at reviews a lot of people seem to enjoy it!

Yumi Kim Wunderlust Makeup Travel Case ($65.35CAD)

FFFStarter2020_LBL (8)

I was most excited about this item in the starter box. It’s a travel makeup/toiletries bag that has three internal zippered sections to keep everything contained and a hook to hang on a doorknob or hook.

FFFStarter2020_LBL (10)

I have a few different travel bags that I enjoy using but I really how this is all compact while still being able to carry a lot of items in one place. I like the compartments to keep everything organized. Two of the compartments are deeper so that I can put in bottles and larger items, and a smaller zipped compartment for little tools or items that would normally get lost in the large compartment. I can’t wait to use this for an overnight stay. I wonder if it will completely replace the 2-3 separate bags I carry now.

Thoughts

Overall, for a free box that came with the purchase of the Winter Box, there are a lot of good products in here that I’m happy to try out. What I love about this box is that it had a variety of different items that I will use.

Total Value: $197.18 CAD ($150.88 USD)

Are you subscribed to FabFitFun? What do you think of this subscription box and service?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Bye Bye Empties, December 2019

January 4, 2020 littlebeautyloves7 Comments

December is always a fun month for me. Everyone is in the holiday spirit and I get to enjoy time off from work to spend with my family & friends.

I wanted to start the new year fresh so this month I not only used up a lot of products but I also went through what I have and did a declutter. Any opened item that I had not been using over the last year or smelled like it was getting old was tossed out. I no longer have the desire to build a huge makeup collection or hold on to items that aren’t doing anything for me. While I love trying new things if those items no longer bring me joy months afterwards what is the point of keeping them. By having a no buy this year I really felt like I was using up what I had and paying attention to every item I keep in my stash. Anyways, it’s so refreshing to start the new year with more space! I’m debating if I do a no-buy or low-buy for 2020.

On to what I used up!

Skincare and Makeup

Consonant Come Clean Makeup Wipes. These were really good makeup wipes. They do a great job of gently removing makeup around my eyes and face. The cloth is very sturdy and soft too. I’m reducing my use of makeup wipes and moving towards more re-useable options (makeup eraser and reusable cotton pads) but I still have a few packages of this left so I will use them. I like to keep makeup wipes on hand for extremely lazy days or travelling but I’m not going to be using them as often as I have been in the past so after I finish up the other packets I have I will refrain from repurchasing this unless I’m going somewhere.

Delectable Everything Balm. I used this whenever my hands or cuticles felt really dry, over my lips, on my face, on my hair. It really is a good balm for anywhere on the body. I enjoyed the cupcake scent that wasn’t too sweet or overpowering. I currently have a balm that is very similar to this from Dr. Lipp so I won’t be repurchasing this anytime soon.

Sunday Riley Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment. I did not enjoy this at all. I have pretty resilient skin but this was very harsh and made it feel itchy. The moment I put it on I felt I strange sensation on my face. I’m not sure if maybe I might have some aversion to an ingredient but this, unfortunately, was a pass for me. Lucky it was only a sample size so I got to test it out but I won’t be purchasing this.

They’re Real Mascara (Sample Size). This will always be one of my favourite mascaras. Sample size or full, I use this up so easily. It separates and coats each lash with a deep black colour and helps fan out my lashes for a fuller look. I would definitely repurchase this. I actually have one as back up!

Haircare & Body Care

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Beautiful Brown. While I don’t use dry shampoo too often because my hair is dry naturally I still enjoy it every once in a while if I need to make my style last one or two more days. I enjoy the Batiste brand because I enjoy the scent and feel like it doesn’t weigh my hair down or make it feel extra greasy after a day. This particular one had a brown tint which I really didn’t care for. I actually just like the original so I won’t be repurchasing this particular one.

Hadaka Butterful Marula Butter Cream. I started using this towards the end of summer in rotation with other body creams I have and fell in love with it. It has a citrus scent which I enjoyed and the texture was very light and creamy. It absorbed into the skin so nicely. I would repurchase this.

Decluttered Items

I wanted to share in pictures some of the products I decluttered from my collection. I won’t go into each product in detail but a lot of these items are not empty, they just either smell old now or I know I haven’t been using over the past year.

A lot of these are are all mascaras, eyeliners and lipsticks. There are a few body care items here too.

All are items that shouldn’t have been in my stash for more than 3-6 months after being opened but a lot has been with me for 2-3 years!

It was about time to just toss them out. This was good because it was just taking up room in my makeup box and making it harder to find the stuff I actually do enjoy.

So these are my empties for December! Clearly, including the items I decluttered here makes me feel pretty good about what I’ve used up or tossed out. All in all, having a no-buy for 2019 really helped keep my stash manageable and helped ensure I focus on using what I have.

What items have you used up for December?

Lots of Love,
Dal

Favourite Products of 2019

December 31, 2019 littlebeautyloves9 Comments

This year there were a lot of products that I enjoyed and I’m going to share a few of them here. For 2019, I was on a no-buy and that allowed me to really use up a lot of products that I have in my collection and figure out what I enjoyed. I also had a monthly Project Pan so that I could focus on using up some products in my stash too. I did a lot of decluttering and had lots of empty products. Overall, I was able to reduce the amount of makeup and skincare I had which really felt so good. It’s interesting because a year or two ago, I was obsessed with collecting and buying new beauty items and wanted to grow my collection. I think I started to find last year that I wasn’t as excited with new makeup as I was with re-discovering what I had.

Jacklyn Hill x Morphe Eyeshadow Palette

I did a full review of this product which you can find here and I also featured this in my Project Pan for March which you can read the round-up of here. I even used it for my pretty pink makeup look. What I love about this palette is that I can open it up and create so many easy day looks, some elegant or smokey evening looks and some fun colourful looks. The shades work well all year long because you have some nice neutrals, pinks, oranges, blues, greens and even a purple.

The formula is also pretty good. I was creating a blue eye shadow look with my Alyssa Edwards x Anastasia Palette and I couldn’t get the blue in that palette to work so I ended up creating the looking using mostly the Jacklyn Hill palette because that blue was so much easier to work with! I don’t get bored with this palette either. I loved this in 2019!

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit – Volume 4

I could go on and on about how I love how this palette looks on my skin so if you are curious about my thoughts on this take a look at my reviews here and here It’s so finely milled that it really takes on a second-skin effect rather than looking like powder on the face. I was hesitant at first to purchase the palette because it is very pricey and the only way I justified getting this was during the Sephora VIB Sale. This is one of the only palettes where I wear all the different pans of products. The face powder, highlight, bronzer and blushes all work so well together and work well on me. Plus, I’ve been using this almost daily for the past two months and I don’t see a dent in the pans! It’s really not cakey or powdery.

Garnier Skin Active BB Cream 5 in 1 Miracle Skin Perfecter

I really love BB Creams. I am not really picky about what I use as long as it’s light in texture and is moisturizer. This one from Garnier works so well. You can read my review of this here. The texture feels whipped so it’s very light and airy on the skin. It helps even out my skin tone without being super heavy. It’s moisturizing too. Since receiving this in the summer I’ve worn it almost every day. I wore this a lot for work because it gave me enough coverage without looking overdone. I also enjoyed it on days that I was just running some errands because it helped me look awake without it being too much makeup that would feel like it clogged my pores. It was just a solid product that really was versatile for me this year.

Physicians Formula Super BB Instaready Bronzer

Lastly, I wore this bronzer so much this year and it’s almost completely used up! This started off in my Project Pan in 2018 when I had chosen 18 products to use throughout the whole year. I broke it, put it back together and then continued to use it. You can see a review of this here. I found that I was reaching for this bronzer time and time again. This shade is light so it works with my skin tone and my love of more natural-looking makeup. I also like that it’s cool-toned so it didn’t look orange against my skin and also doubled as a contour.

I love the formula because it’s finely milled and doesn’t have a lot of fall-out so I don’t have to worry if I go a bit heavy-handed with this. It is super easy to build up to my desired look. I originally was trying to use this up so I could move on to other bronzers but I think I might just repurchase this one instead because I know it works perfectly on me. Why change something that isn’t broken, right?

All in all, these are some of the products I was loving in 2019. I did have other products I liked but I didn’t want this post to be too long so I focused on items I know I couldn’t go without in my collection and that I genuinely used all the time.

What are some of your favourite products that got a lot of love in 2019?

Lots of Love,
Dal

PS. Wishing you a happy new year!

Project Pan Monthly: November Roundup & December Items

December 12, 2019December 12, 2019 littlebeautyloves2 Comments

I got good use out of my Project Pan items in November. I picked products that were very common for me to apply every day and that made it pretty easy to be consistent with using them often. I used my items about 27/30 days in November.

In case you didn’t know, this is my Project Pan objective;

Project Pan Monthly

Each month I choose 4 items to use, sharing reviews of those products if they aren’t already on the blog. At the end of the month, I’ll share an update of how well I did and then list the items for the next month. The products are chosen from these categories;

One Eyeshadow Palette
One Lip Item (lipstick, lip balm, gloss, etc.)
One Face Item (foundation, highlighter, blush, bronzer)
One Random Item (can be another item from the categories above, or be something else like mascara, liner, skincare, body care, fragrance, etc.)

November Round-Up

I used the Dose of Colors Baked Browns eyeshadow palette every day that I wore makeup in the month of November. The palette has a lot of fallout so when you look at the pans themselves it appears as if a lot was used, but it’s mostly because the shadows were very soft. I enjoyed putting a few looks together with the palette but I did get pretty tired of it by the end of the month only because it doesn’t have the greatest variety.

Now, one thing I really enjoyed using in November is my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette Vol.4. This is a fantastic face palette that has everything I need in one place with a great mirror. I had two options for face powder and blush so I didn’t get tired of it and the finely milled powder sat wonderfully on my face. The shades work well with my complexion too so it was easy to constantly want to reach for this.

My Urban Decay Lipstick and CoverFX Custom Enhancer Drops did not get as much use this month. I think for both I used them in the first week and then stopped. I might have used the lipstick one or two times after that but definitely not the drops. I think the CoverFX Custom Enhancer Drops is starting to really get old so the formula is a lot thicker than it used to be and isn’t blending well on my face. So I think I will toss it out. The Urban Decay Lipstick is still good and I’ll likely wear it from time to time in December when I do a festive makeup look.

My December Items

One Eyeshadow Palette – Anastasia Beverly Hills x Alyssa Edwards Palette
One Lip Item – Weir’s Lane Lavender Lip Balm
One Face Item – Laura Gellar Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminator
One Random Item – NudebyNature Perfecting Primer

I am so EXCITED to be switching to a colourful palette this month and using the Alyssa Edwards Palette by Anastasia Beverly Hills! I’ve already started using Headliner, Inspire, Unicorn Tribe, The Supreme, H.O.E and Beast from the palette. I’ll need to come up with a few looks to put up for the Holidays on my Instagram!

This month I also chose to include a lip balm, well because of Winter and dry skin!

Lastly, I decided to include the Laura Gellar Illuminator because the pan swirl and shade is so beautiful that I had to use it! The Primer is in there so that I can use it with the palette and since I’ve been enjoying adding primer around my nose to keep my makeup from coming off in that area. Plus the primer smells like lemons and I love it!

How is your progress been for Project Pan this month? What are you hoping to use up for December?

Lots of Love,
Dal