I hardly used anything up in October, so I skipped an empties post, but I think I more than made up for things in November! I've got a lot of things to talk about, so I'll try to keep things brief. If you have any questions or want more details on anything, let me know in the comments.
BODY
Acure Fragrance Free Ultra-Hydrating Body Lotion
I've gone through many tubes of this lotion in the last few years, raved about it multiple times on the blog, and even got my sister hooked on it, but I'm pretty sure the formula changed along with the packaging. I mentioned it in my most recent iHerb haul and a few people have agreed with me since. The ingredients are only slightly different, but it feels like a completely different product - not nearly as hydrating and with a very watery feel as you rub it in.
Repurchase? I've got one more tube to use and then I doubt it, unless Acure goes back to the previous formula.
Andalou Naturals Shea Butter + Sea Buckthorn Hand Cream
I like this hand cream, but I don't love it. The clementine scent is nice and it's a good one for your desk, in that it sinks in quickly and doesn't leave you with greasy hands, but I feel like there are better products out there in terms of long term moisturization.
Repurchase? I'm not sure. I still have a tube of Andalou's Shea Butter + Coconut Water Hand Cream to use before I decide.
Mamma Oceania Skin Nourishing Soap* [Review]
Mamma Oceania soaps are beautiful hefty bars of soap, handmade here in Toronto. The soaps are free of palm and canola oils, have no added scent ingredients, lather up nicely, and each bar lasts a good long while. The Skin Nourishing bar is made with rosehip, banana, and kelp and - as is common to all the soaps in the line - feels lovely and gentle on the skin.
Repurchase? Yes, once I've used up some other soaps.
Rocky Mountain Soap Co. Juicy Orange Facial Bar
Rocky Mountain also makes soaps without palm oil, though theirs do contain canola and cottonseed oils, which I don't love. That said, they're another Canadian company, their scents are nice without being overpowering, and the soaps feel good on the skin. I can't speak to how the Juicy Orange works as a facial bar as I used it strictly on my hands and body, but I did enjoy it.
Repurchase? Maybe.
Ellovi Mint Chocolate Butter (sample)
I have mixed feelings about this product. I loved how it smelled and am tempted to buy the larger size for that reason alone, but in terms of its performance as a body butter, it had a very similar feel to moisturizing with straight coconut oil, which I don't find heavy or hydrating enough to use on a consistent basis.
Repurchase? I'm not sure.
SKINCARE
Ursa Major Fantastic Face Wash* [Review]
I remember liking this when I first reviewed it, but when I started using it again in October, I really started to love it. Now, I'd go so far as to say that it's one of my favorite cleansers. It's a traditional foaming gel wash but not stripping or drying, and it also offers gentle exfoliation from sugar cane and fruit extracts. It smells gorgeous too - a mix of woodsy trees and spearmint.
Repurchase? Yes! I just ordered a larger bottle in the Black Friday sales.
Shea Terra Argan & Green Coffee Around Eye Serum* [Review]
This is a great serum in terms of hydration, but it didn't do a lot for my dark circles. I ended up using probably 1/2 to 2/3 of the bottle as a makeup remover/oil cleanser and hair oil. It worked great for both, but I wouldn't buy it specifically for those purposes.
Repurchase? No.
La Mav Anti Dark-Circle and Ultra-Firm Eye Gel* [Review]
This eye gel has quite an impressive ingredients list, but unfortunately it didn't live up to its name for me. If your under eyes are less problematic than mine - aka minimal darkness and puffiness - I do think it's a nice product and the gel consistency is mind-bogglingly good. It feels incredibly light going on and sits super well under makeup, but it actually leaves my under eyes feeling more plump and hydrated than many richer, heavier creams and oils.
Repurchase? Not right away.
Dr. Alkaitis Organic Soothing Gel (sample)
I find the Soothing Gel a bit too drying to use all over my face, but I like it as a spot treatment for any breakouts or blemishes. Now that I've been using it for several months, I feel like it's become less effective in that regard, so I may take a break from using it for a bit.
Repurchase? Not right away. I've still got a couple more samples.
Kaia Naturals Pure Moringa Oil
This small vial of Kaia's moringa oil comes with their Bamboo Tapioca Beads. The oil didn't make a huge impression, so it isn't something I'd go out of my way to get more of - and I don't think Kaia sells the oil by itself anyways - but I do really like the actual Bamboo Tapioca Beads.
Repurchase? The Bamboo Tapioca Beads, yes.
Bare English & Co. Sweet Peppermint Lip Balm
Another local Toronto product! I like the Bare English lip balms a lot, but this scent was just so-so for me. It had a prominent coconut oil smell alongside the mint, and I didn't love the combination of the two.
Repurchase? Probably not this particular flavour, but the Bare English lip balms, yes.
Shiro Cosmetics Longcat Intertube
Shiro stopped making the Intertubes a while ago, which is a shame because they were a great formula! Longcat was a clear balm with white/silvery sparkles and it made a fantastic rich lip treatment.
Repurchase? Not possible.
Triumph & Disaster Gameface Moisturizer (samples)
This was an okay moisturizer. I started out using the samples on my face, but I ended up finishing them up as a body cream.
Repurchase? No.
Suki Eye Life Renewal Cream - Day (sample)
I actually threw out most of this sample. All the reviews and photos I've seen show this eye cream as a pale yellow color, while my sample came out of the packet an orangey-brown. I figured it was very likely the vitamin C having oxidized, so I didn't want to use it.
Repurchase? No.
MAKEUP
Silk Naturals Brightening Concealer #2 (sample)
I really like this concealer, which is supposed to be a dupe for Anastasia's Banana Powder. It's a yellow powder that does a good job brightening up under the eyes and has a bit more coverage than Silk Naturals' Sleep in a Jar, which I've used and loved for years.
Repurchase? Yes, I plan to buy both this and the lighter, #1 shade in the future
Benecos Brown Kajal Liner
Benecos' liners are so frustrating! They're inexpensive and I love the creamy formula, but the colors are never what I want them to be. This one was a very warm-toned, almost orangey brown and I just didn't love it.
Repurchase? No.
Pollen Cosmetics Saddle Up Eye Shadow (sample)
Pollen Cosmetics isn't around anymore, unfortunately, but Saddle Up was a great matte mid-toned brown, perfect for the crease.
Repurchase? Not possible.
Brija Cosmetics Perk Blush (sample)
Perk is a subtle pink blush with some shimmer. It's pretty, but I often felt like I had to pack on a lot of product to get the color I wanted, making it a little too sparkly for me. Other days I loved it and felt like it was perfect as is, so I'm a little conflicted.
Repurchase? I don't think so.
Bare Minerals Universal Light Frame & Define Brow Styler
I love this pencil for my brows, mainly because Universal Light is a perfect color match for me. The twist up style is also convenient (no sharpening!), but I'd strongly advise against screwing the pencil up all the way to check how much product is left, as, in doing so, I somehow managed to break the mechanism in mine, wasting probably 1/3 of the product.
Repurchase? Yes, I already have.
Physician's Formula Organic Wear CC Curl + Care Mascara
Physician's Formula mascaras are very hit or miss for me and I didn't like this one at all! It wasn't very noticeable on the lashes, plus it smeared and actually seemed to crumble off in chunks by the end of the night. My lashes have a natural curl also, so I'm not sure how it does in that regard.
Repurchase? There are other Organic Wear mascaras I'd buy again, but the CC one, definitely not!
Jane Iredale Black Ice Longest Lash Mascara
This mascara, on the other hand, I really liked. It's a fiber mascara, which is something I haven't seen anywhere else in the green beauty world, and it does a fantastic job adding volume as well as length. I also didn't have any issues with smudging or flaking. I don't love how pricey it is ($33 USD/$42 CAD), but it's a great mascara.
Repurchase? Maybe.
Total Products Used Up in October + November
Skincare: 5 (Lip Balms: 2 )
Bodycare: 4
Haircare: 0
Makeup: 4
Skin/Body/Hair Samples: 6
Makeup Samples: 3
Total Products Used Up in 2015
Skincare: 37 (Lip Balms: 10)
Bodycare: 38
Haircare: 10
Makeup: 15
Skin/Body/Hair Samples: 68
Makeup Samples: 32
*Press sample
Contains affiliate links
April was another good month for empties. I'm still keeping to a low-buy and working to finish things I already have in the hopes of (at least somewhat) streamlining my products, so it's nice to actually see some progress. This latest batch includes staple products that I've featured many times before, some new things I've never written about, and even a few makeup items!
Kinky-Curly Spiral Spritz [Review]
Kinky-Curly's Spiral Spritz is great lightweight gel. I think this is the fourth or fifth bottle I've gone through, and while I sometime need something with a little more hold to get me through the summer humidity, it's fantastic the rest of the year.
Repurchase? If you saw last month's iHerb Haul, you'll know I already did!
Acure Organics Moroccan Argan Stem Cell + Argan Oil Conditioner [Review]
This conditioner - and it's matching shampoo - are firm favorites of mine. My hair needs a good amount of moisture and the Argan Stem Cell + Argan Oil Conditioner does the trick with just a small amount of product.
Repurchase? Yes, I already have.
Earthpaste Wintergreen Toothpaste [Review]
I've been experimenting with other glycerin-free toothpaste options, but Earthpaste is still always on hand as my fallback. I've tried all the flavours now, and the Wintergreen is my favorite.
Repurchase? Yes, I already have.
Trilogy Line Smoothing Day Cream
Every since finding this $50 moisturizer for a steal at $12.99, I've been periodically stalking Winners for more Trilogy products. No luck so far, but I'm still optimistic. The day cream boasts a lot of great ingredients and I enjoyed using it, but it didn't have the magical line smoothing properties I was hoping for. It's a great moisturizer, but I didn't notice a difference in my fine lines in the three months it took to go through this tube.
Repurchase? Maybe.
Odylique Lemon Butter Hand Smoothie* [Review]
This is a nice hand cream. It has a rich, buttery consistency right out of the tube, but easily melts into the skin and is absorbed quickly. Ingredients like calendula and aloe vera feel very soothing, while avocado oil, cocoa butter, and sea buckthorn extract deeply nourish the skin. I liked the lemongrass scent initially, but it did wear on me a little towards the end of the tube.
Repurchase? Probably not. I'm pretty smitten with Andalou's hand creams right now.
Body Lotion Minis
With the intention of not hoarding samples, I used up all my lotion minis this month. The Honest Face + Body Lotion is unscented and very fast-absorbing, making it the perfect purse hand lotion, but it's not something I'd want in a larger size to use at home or all over my body. Weleda's lotions are pretty thin in consistency, but they do a great job moisturizing nonetheless and I love the scent of the Sea Buckthorn range. Nourish Organics' Coconut & Argan Body Lotion isn't available anymore, which is a shame as I really enjoyed it. Nourish's other lotions - from what I've tried - are a lot less rich and really don't compare.
Repurchase? Maybe the Weleda Sea Buckthorn. The other three, I don't think so.
Bare English & Co. Vanilla Almond Lip Balm
Bare English have become one of my favorite lip balms these last several months. The Vanilla Almond scent reminds me of marzipan and was just okay, but the actual lip balm formula was great, as always.
Repurchase? Other flavours, yes. This particular one, probably not.
Young Living Tranquil
Tranquil is a mix of lavender, cedarwood, and roman chamomile essential oils that smells just incredible. If you have any trouble falling asleep or turning your mind off, it's a great blend to have on hand. The rollerball also makes for very easy application.
Repurchase? Yes, I already have.
Acure Organic Argan Oil
I always run a small amount of oil through the ends of my hair after washing and pure argan oil is one of my favorites. Acure's, which is both high quality and affordable, is great not only for hair, but also face and body. I like to mix a pump or two into face masks, and also sometimes use it on my cuticles or other dry spots.
Repurchase? Yes, after I work through a few other oils.
John Masters Organics Citrus & Neroli Detangler (sample)
John Masters' detanglers are lighter conditioners and they just don't do a whole lot for my hair. The Citrus & Neroli did smell good though.
Repurchase? No.
Revolution Organics Freedom Lip Gloss in Innocent
Revolution Organics' lip glosses are like a lip treatment and gloss in one. They aren't the absolute glossiest product out there, but they're completely non-sticky and give a lot of moisture and a sheer wash of color.
Repurchase? Not currently available, but if the glosses are re-released, I definitely would.
Alima Pure Satin Matte Foundation in Neutral 1 and Beige 1 (samples)
Alima Pure is the mineral foundation of the green beauty world, but I have to say, I wasn't overly impressed. Both colours were a fine match for my skin - especially Neutral 1 - and the foundation looked good when I first applied it, but it disappeared off my face very quickly. By lunchtime, my skin was shiny and I could see a good amount of redness coming through on my nose and cheeks, and by about 3PM, I might as well not have been wearing foundation at all. I don't have oily skin and foundations lasting throughout the day is not something I usually have a problem with, so it was surprising.
Repurchase? No.
Vapour Organic Beauty Concealer in 010* [Review]
Vapour's concealer is brightening, but has pretty sheer coverage. The sheerness means you often need to build up a few layers to get decent coverage, but it layers nicely without getting cakey. It does have a tendency to settle into lines under the eyes, but the luminosity is great in that area, so as long as you don't mind minor touch ups throughout the day, it does the job.
Repurchase? Maybe.
Cheeky Cosmetics Eye Shadow in Pink Champagne and Moonlit Rose (samples) [Review]
Cheeky Cosmetics is a lovely Canadian mineral makeup company and their eye shadows are both smooth and pigmented. I used Pink Champagne as an inner corner - and sometimes even face - highlight and Moonlit Rose was a great mauvey-pink lid and crease shade.
Repurchase? No, but only because I have other similar colours in my stash.
Earth's Beauty Satin Rose Blush (sample)
Earth's Beauty was one of the first companies I tried when making the switch to natural makeup, but it's not one that's ever impressed me very much. Satin Rose is a pretty pale pink, but the blushes have an arrowroot base that makes them sheer and slightly chalky. They also only last a few hours on the cheeks.
Repurchase? No.
Darling Girl Cosmetics Hope Blush (sample)
Darling Girl's eye shadows have been favorites for years, but this was my first time using one of their blushes. Hope was a beautiful bronzy-peach that gave the skin a very natural, luminous, sun-kissed look. It looks like it's been discontinued, but if you're looking for something along the same lines, Ecco Bella's Bronzer in Hibiscus gives a very similar effect.
Repurchase? No longer available.
Total Products Used Up in April
Skincare: 2 (Lip Balms: 1)
Bodycare: 3
Haircare: 3
Makeup: 2
Skin/Body/Hair Samples: 5
Makeup Samples: 6
Total Products Used Up in 2015
Skincare: 13 (Lip Balms: 5)
Bodycare: 15
Haircare: 4
Makeup: 7
Skin/Body/Hair Samples: 29
Makeup Samples: 8
*Press sample
Contains affiliate links
After being really good with my beauty spending for most of the year, I went a little crazy in November and December and bought a whole bunch of things! I don't usually do hauls, but one of my blogging goals for 2015 is to film more videos and I thought this was as good an opportunity as any to get started! Please excuse the um's and overuse of 'really' and 'awesome.' I tell ya, this video business is a work in progress!
For those of you that aren't interested in videos but still want to see what I bought, I snapped a few photos and will link to as many things as I can below.
The Honest Company
Shampoo & Body Wash
Conditioning Detangler
Conditioner
Nourish Organic
Deodorant - Fresh Fig
Body Wash - Lemon Thyme, Coconut & Argan with Hibiscus, Wild Berries
Body Butter - Unscented
Hand Wash - Fresh Fig
Iherb
Acure Tropical Citrus Castile Soap
Kinky Curly Spiral Spritz
Earthpaste Wintergreen Toothpaste
ELF Studio Stippling Brush
Balanced Guru
Calming Masque
Antioxidant Masque
Tone It Lightly
Tone It Deeply
Raw Skinceuticals
Rosacea Herbal Gel Masque
Winners
Physician's Formula Organic Wear Lash Boosting Mascara
Sibu Beauty Sea Buckthorn Purifying Mask
Deep Steep Peppermint Vanilla Foaming Hand Wash
Shoppers Drug Mart
Physician's Formula Organic Wear CC Mascara
Bare English & Co. Lip Balm - Vanilla Almond, Sweet Peppermint
Just a small spot of shopping, right? Clearly I have a particular fondness for face masks and body wash and may have gone a little overboard on those fronts. At the very least, I'm set for a good while!
Contains affiliate links
