September-ish empties 2018

It’s probably been about a year or more since I wrote an empties post.  When I started to think about getting back into blogging, I started collecting the empties here and there.  I’m sure there are a lot of items missing from here, but I tried to hang on to the products I wanted to talk about.  I’m also still debating whether to only include full size products or beauty box subscription products too.   I’m sure I will change my mind a 100 times.

So what did I use?   Fragrance?  Make up?  Hair?

I will probably say a little something about each of the products.   So left to right, we have:

Simple Eye Make Up Remover Pads – These are pretty great and really affordable at just under $7.00.  One pad removes almost all of stubborn eye make up.

Calvin Klein Beauty – This fragrance is really light and fruity/citrus.   It is really great for work and I would get a lot of compliments.

100% Pure Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream – I buy this eye cream on and off and I still like it.

L’Oreal Elvive Total Repair Shampoo – I really like the Total Repair line.  I think it’s the best drug store shampoo and conditioner.

Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb – this is my favorite go to evening and special occasion scent.

Simple Cleansing Wipes – My go to, I use them as a make-up remover and also as a cleanser in a pinch.

Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet – this was an okay moisturizer.  Not remarkable but not terrible.

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray – one of the best setting sprays on the market, it just punches your wallet a little too much.

Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse – good product.  Recently reviewed on the site.

Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion – One of Holy Grails.

DermaE Purifying Daily Detox Scrub – I really like this line and this was a good scrub.

Drybar Bay Breeze Shot – this didn’t wow me, that’s all.

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray – I have no idea how to use these sprays so they are sort of lost on me.   I can’t even give an actual review 🙂  but, I didn’t end up with the feeling this product changed my life somehow.

Have you Lovelies tried any of these?  What did you think?  What were your Empties for September?  Link to your blog in the comments 🙂

Thanks for reading!

xoxo Anna

Play! by Sephora September 2018

It’s been a long time since I did an unboxing 🙂

In September Sephora filled the bag with Olehenriksen, Boscia, Too Faced, Sephora Collection, Marc Jacobs Beauty, and Philosophy.

Here is the details:

C What’s New by Olehenriksen

Succulent Solution by Boscia

Radical Reviver by Too Faced

Buildable Breakthrough by Sephora Collection

The Berry Best by Marc Jacobs Beauty

On The Rose by Philosophy

All of these products are new to me, so I am excited to try them.  The Marc Jacobs lipstick shade looks amazing, and perfect for the Fall/Winter seasons.

For those who don’t know, Play! by Sephora is a monthly beauty subscription by Sephora.   It’s $10 a month plus tax.   AND the 10 dollars you spend on the subscription counts toward your points if you are a Beauty Insider.  Isn’t that a nice deal?

Let me know if you lovelies have you used any of these products!

Thanks for reading!

xoxox Anna

Review – Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Ultimate Hydro Gel

I have been receiving a lot of moisturizers through my beauty subscriptions.  I like skin care and I especially like moisturizers because I am pretty obsessed with not aging.   A few months ago, I received the Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Ultimate Hydro Gel.

For those who are unfamiliar with the brand, Dr. Jart+, it was one of the first Korean beauty brands to have mainstream name recognition.   They have a wide variety of products, the brand was developed by dermatologists in Korea,  and it is one of the few brands of SPF that doesn’t make my skin revolt.

You Lovelies are probably curious about this particular products though.  Okay, on to what I think of Water Fuse.

What this is: it’s a super light, super absorbent moisturizing gel.  It spreads on the skin really easily and sinks in quickly.   It doesn’t sit on top of the skin.  It doesn’t make skin oily   My skin does tend to be on the dry side.  For daytime use, especially if you have dry skin.  I don’t think this would be enough for overnight use unless I lived in Florida and decided to go camping.  Because humid weather makes us dry girls not dry 🙂

*as you can see I have used almost all of my sample size 🙂

Texture: light in color, very wet to apply.  It does feel like gel, as the name implies.

Scent:  minimal

Cost: average, for 1.7 fl oz of product, you will pay $39.00 USD at Sephora. At that price it’s a bit more than you would pay for a quality drug store brand.   But it’s also not so expensive that you would think twice about buying it.  This is your face, after all, no?

Availability: I think that Sephora may be the only store/website to carry the line in the States.  I looked on the Dr. Jart+ website and for purchases, it directed me to the Sephora website.

Would I buy this?  Yes. It’s a great product with an okay price point.

Few more notes:  This didn’t replace any moisturizers in my collection, but I do use it when I want something lighter on my face, but want to avoid feeling dry.

Have you tried any Dr. Jart products?  Did you like them?

Thanks for reading!

xoxo Anna

Review – Air Repair Complexion-Boosting Moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid

Birchbox introduced me to many amazing products this year, and the Air Repair Complexion-Boosting Moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid is one of them.  I actually wished this sample was bigger, that’s how much I enjoyed this moisturizer.

$21.00 USD for 2 Fl Oz of product

From Birchbox:

We’ll admit it: Our case of wanderlust shows no signs of abating. We could, however, do without the dulling effects travel (and stress and dry weather and…) has on our complexions. That’s why we never go anywhere without this intensely rejuvenating face cream. It’s packed with antioxidants and humectants to hydrate and revitalize skin, so that even at our most jet-lagged we’re still rocking a radiant complexion.

HOW TO USE

Gently massage onto face and neck after cleansing. Use as often as needed. For a more intensive treatment, apply liberally and let absorb into skin for 10–15 minutes. Remove excess with warm, moist washcloth.

My Thoughts:

I never had to use it as a mask, my skin has been pretty okay so far.

However, I loved this as a moisturizer.  This was my daytime moisturizer.  It absorbed beautifully and created a nice canvas for additional product application. Whenever my skin started to feel drier, I reached for this and my skin was back to normal or better.

I used to most often after camping and other outdoor activity.  It worked so well.

I’m really impressed with hyaluronic acid!  I think this ingredient works amazingly to hydrate skin.

Will I purchase?

Possibly, or I will look for another hyaluronic acid product.  However, I don’t think this is too expensive to buy and use when your skin really needs it.

Have you tried Air Repair or another hyaluronic acid moisturizer?

Thanks for reading!

~Anna

Review – Clarins Multi-Active Jour

My November Birchbox gave me a chance to try a lot of new to me products, and I was excited to see something from Clarins.  Clarins Multi-Active Jour retails for $53.00 USD.

From Clarins:

 Helps visibly minimize fine lines and boost radiance. Fights the effects of daytime stress. Encapsulated Teasel extract delivers targeted revitalizing and anti-aging action to where your skin needs it most. Myrothamnus extract visibly smoothes, tones and de-stresses.

My thoughts:

This day cream is heavily perfumed.  It smells like roses/flowers/women’s fragrance.  The fragrance doesn’t linger, but you can definitely smell it as you apply the product.   If you are sensitive the smells, you may have an issue with this.

Overall, I think this is a good day cream.  It works  well as a moisturizer even in winter.  During very long cold spells, you may need something more hydrating.

I can’t say anything about it’s wrinkle removing sensibilities.  This was  a generous sample, but not enough to actually get down to the actual claims of the product.

One thing I really loved about this, it leaves your face completely non-grease.  Even hours later, there are no oilies on my skin.  Is this worth the $53.00 price tag?  Not sure, but it’s a huge deal for me.

Pros

Non greasy

Absorbs easily

Matte finish

Cons

Price, but only slightly.  This is expensive, but it’s a day cream and it will last a long time.  If you have oily skin problems, this may be a nice investment instead of buying oil control products.

Have you tried the  Clarins Multi-Active Jour?

Do you like it?

Thanks for reading~

Anna

My favorite products of 2016!!!

Hello Lovelies!  Welcome to Friday and the weekend!!!  Also, 9 days until Christmas, excited?

I was debating whether to include items I discovered prior to 2016, but still use and love them OR only include new to me products of 2016.

I chose the new to me, because my list would otherwise be HUGE.

After I made my selections and took the picture, I was happy to see a good mix of high end and drugstore products!

Poor Klorane didn’t make it into the group shot because I used it up!  And I don’t have a replacement because I have been trying to love the Simple wipes.

Also, I will list a couple of almosts and why they ultimately didn’t make the list.

Pond’s Rejuveness Anti-Wrinkle Cream. Drugstore brand and this pot is HUGE.  It’s not even a pot, it’s a bucket of moisturizer.  My previous review is on the link.

Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colour.  This is really new to me, and I haven’t even done a review yet, but I love this. I’ve been using it almost every day since I received it in my Sephora Play.

L’Oreal Magic Lumi.  I bought this a while ago, and forgot about it.  Two weeks ago I found it in my collection, and I decided I really like it.  Review coming soon.

Etude House Wonder Pore. Not quite drug store, not quite high end.  In a league of it’s own – the Korean cosmetic brand.  Here is my review.

Kat Von D Tattoo Eye Liner I just found this in my eye liner stash.  It’s amazing.  Possibly the best liquid liner I’ve ever used.

Simple Micellar Cleansing Water. I’m so into this still.  Here is my review.

Etude House Tint My Brows Gel.  Awesome product. You get to dye your eye brows at home. Here is my review

Anastasia Brow Wiz  I’m a fan of Anastasia Beverly Hills, and this is another awesome product from the line.  This is a recent purchase for me.

Klorane waterproof eye make-up remover.  This is the best eye make-up remover I have ever used.  Here is my review.

I hope you enjoyed my list! What are your favorites of the year?

Thanks for reading!!!

~Anna

Review – Soap & Glory Hand Food

Every time I look at this package, I think it says Hand FOOT.

Alas, it is a hand cream, not a foot cream.  And what a wonderful hand cream it is!

Here is what Soap and Glory says:

NON-GREASY HYDRATING HAND CREAM

Contains shea butter, macadamia oil and marshmallow . Scented with our Original Pink™ fragrance. The most astonishing hand cream ever? You decide!

My thoughts

It smells so nice.

It’s very hydrating.  I usually reach for this when my hands are dry and shriveled.  Within seconds of layering this one, my hands feel smooth and hydrated.  Best of all, the hydration lasts through a few hand washings.

Coincidentally, this does work really nice on the feet too 🙂

Will I repurchase?

Yes!  It’s super affordable and available at my local Walgreens.

Have you tried Soap and Glory?  Do you like it?

Thanks for stopping by!

~Anna

Review – Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation Moisturizer

It feels like I have been getting moisturizer samples a lot lately.  I’m actually not complaining, especially since we are coming into a harsh season, Winter.  Protecting your skin is a must.

 $38.00 USD for 1.7 oz

From Ole Henriksen’s website:

So sheer in texture, this luxurious oil-free cream feels light and silky as it penetrates the skin and helps fade discolorations such as freckles, age spots and sun damage without the use of chemicals. Instantly nourishes and retexturizes the skin, smoothes facial lines and provides intense free radical protection to prevent further damage.

BENEFITS

Actiwhite™: Prevents and corrects discoloration and evens skin tone with an effective combination of pea extract and sugar
Vitamin C: Stimulates collagen production
Fruit Acids: Retexturizes and smoothes lines
Sandalwood, Geranium, Licorice and Chamomile Extracts: Soothes, replenishes, balances and purifies the skin
Vitamin E: Heals, restores and nourishes the skin

MY THOUGHTS

I really enjoyed using this sample. I won’t say that this is some extreme special moisturizer, but it’s a very good moisturizer.  It is non-greasy, yet it doesn’t leave my skin dry.  I used it during the Summer to Fall transition weather, with fluctuating temps.  It help up very well, adjusting to my skin’s needs.

It’s not really scented, it has “a” scent, but it’s just sort of faint and nondescript.  Some can call it chemically.

As to how well it holds up to all the anti-aging claims, I don’t think the sample is large enough to see an actual difference in skin texture.  If you recall, I had to use the Pond’s cream double the time recommended by the brand to see any difference in my skin. Here is the link to that review.

Could it in theory make a difference?   Sure, but you would probably need to use this for about 8 weeks to see an improvement.

Would I purchase this?

For the price, no way.  This is a high end cosmetic price point.  I think there are less expensive products on the market that will do the job in that same time frame.

Are you a fan of Sheer Transformation?

Thanks for reading!

~Anna

Review – Hustle Butter Luxe

Cost $25.00 for 30ML Hustle Butter Luxe

I wasn’t very excited about this cream and I’m usually wary of products that are marketed as “multipurpose”.    I’ve let it languish on my shelf for a couple weeks, routinely bi.-passing it in favor of other moisturizers.   Until I decided to give it a try.

First up, here is what Birchbox says:

BIRCHBOX BREAKDOWN

Don’t go without this newly revamped face and body balm, packed with super-nourishing hyaluronic acid and algae. Originally developed to heal tattoos, this multipurpose cream primes, moisturizes, and heals any skin. What’s more, the rich formula works equally well as facial moisturizer, makeup remover, hand cream, and even as a sunburn healer when you (oops!) forget to slather on the SPF. This is one powerful balm that never stops hustling.

HOW TO USE

Dab it on whenever and wherever you need moisture and protection.

My thoughts:

Initial reaction was surprise and tiny alarm because this stuff is THICK.  Like coconut oil in solid form thick.  Like you sort of have to work to dig this out of the pot, thick.

But, okay, I dug it out.  Examined it.  And decided that it would be okay as a night time under eye cream.

And…

BOY WAS I RIGHT!

This stuff is amazing!  AMAZING!!!!

Pros:

It leaves my skin so hydrated.

It hasn’t clogged any more.

It’s got a great price point at $25.00 especially since a little does go a long way.

You can put it on elbows and hands and cuticles.

Cons:

NONE

Have you tried Hustle Butter Luxe?  Do you like it?

Thanks for reading!

~Anna

New Purchases – Soap and Glory and Simple Micellar Water

A local Walgreens drugstore (thanks Park Ridge, Illinois!!!) has an entire display of Soap and Glory brand.  I was super excited to see this.  Of course, I wanted to buy everything.  However, reason prevailed and I bought one item.

It cost me around $5.00.  With winter coming, I am happy to have this in my beauty collection.

My second purchase was from the brand Simple.

I’ve been wanting to try micellar cleansing water for while, and then this appeared right in front of me.  So of course, I had to buy it.  I heard good things about this brand from other beauty bloggers, so I’m confident I will like this.  It’s marketed as a natural brand, and I like that.  I think I paid less than $10.00 for this bottle.

I can’t wait to do full reviews on these two!

Thanks for reading!

Anna