josie maran

Empties Part I

I have been saving empty products FOREVER. I hate hoarding trash, but I don’t think there is a better way to share what products I’d buy again, what I regret and what just didn’t work. I have SO many saved up stay tuned for Part II next month!

FullSizeRender 29.jpg

First up are two brands of makeup removing wipes. I have a preferred brand that I love, but wanted to give these a try. The Ole Henriksen brand felt great but I couldn’t get past the smell. It wasn’t bad – but it wasn’t good. I want to try another scent to see if I like those better. And the yes to blueberries were TERRIBLE. Smelled horrible and didn’t work. I couldn’t even finish the pack of 8.

FullSizeRender 27.jpg

I also was not a fan of the BareMinerals Prime Time. It definitely didn’t help hold my makeup. I did love the NYX Shine Killer though! It was GREAT and filled my pores so makeup didn’t sink in. I’d absolutely put that on the re-buy list. The ology body wash smells amazing and is so natural. I’ve bought this a few times and fall in love with it each time. I usually find mine at Walgreens. The Origins Ginzing Eye Cream is great too. That sample lasted for so long! The Urban Decay setting spray is a cult favorite, and I was so sad to be out. If I didn’t have my Model in a Bottle I’d definitely grab this again. And Serge Normant can do no wrong – this hair spray got used up so fast! I bought more products to try from the line.

FullSizeRender 28.jpg

You’ll have to roll with me on these – some of them are SO old! I finally did a mascara clean out, and these are just a few that went in the trash. Instead of going through them one by one I’ll pick out a few. The Josie Maran Black Oil is amazing. I’ve blogged about it before – it does wonder for my lashes. The Lancome eyeliner (second from right) has been holy grail status for me. So sad it’s out of commission. The Roller Lash mascara went in the trash pile after 2 uses. I couldn’t stand it! Super disappointed since everyone raved about it. The other products are great, but not worth detailing nor picking up again.

Have any of you used any of the products above? Thoughts?

VIB Sephora Haul -UPDATE

This weekend I was at the mall, and found myself in the Sephora inside JC Penney. I had totally forgot to check there before thinking my sale shopping was over. I came across two sets, that I believe are exclusive to these Sephora’s. SO glad I went and checked it out!

I picked up the Sephora Favorites Beauty Unmasked – and I couldn’t resist the group of products they put together for this: FullSizeRender 26.jpg

I also picked up the Sephora Favorites Skin Wonderland, and again, the group of products is amazing. I had been thinking I hadn’t picked up any skin care items, and now I rounded out my haul! Can’t wait to try them out!

FullSizeRender 25.jpg

Review: Sephora Sun Safety Kit

When I first heard this was being released, I was so incredibly excited. I love sets like this, and appreciate the chance to test out products before I make a big purchase. [Note: This is the full kit, not the one from JC Penney which was smaller]. Now that I’ve had time to play with some of the products, I want to offer my mid summer opinion. Those I know or have tried are in bold.

The Sephora Sun Safety Kit includes 16 products:

– 0.2 oz AmorePacific Natural Protector SPF 30

– 0.3 oz Clarins UV Plus Anti-Pollution Broad Spectrum SPF 50

– 0.5 oz Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 30 in Light Medium

THIS IS MY FAVORITE. Okay, so I got a little excited, but I’ve been using this as a foundation because it covers so well and I absolutely love it. It makes my skin look flawless, and it is definitely full coverage.

– 0.25 oz Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare™ Dark Spot Sun Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Sunscreen

– 0.17 oz Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45

– 0.08 oz Fresh® Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15

I LOVE THIS. I had never tried a Fresh lip treatment before, and generally don’t wear lip balm type products. This has the BEST smell, and I always through it in my bag to head to the pool or beach. Can’t be beat.

– 0.5 oz Josie Maran Cosmetics Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 47

I love the consistency of this, but haven’t used it enough to have a strong opinion.

– 0.34 oz Korres Yoghurt Nourishing Fluid Veil Broad Spectrum SPF 30

– 0.17 oz Murad® Invisiblur™ Perfecting Shield Broad Spectrum SPF 30

This felt pretty great when I applied it. I’ve never tried a Murad product before this. Anyone have any thoughts?

– 0.1 oz Ole Henriksen total truth™ eye crème SPF 15

I used this every night before I picked this bag up, and am thrilled to have another sample.

– 0.5 oz Origins VitaZing™ Broad Spectrum SPF 15 Energy-Boosting Moisturizer with Mangosteen

I am a huge fan of Origins face creams, and this one is just as good as anything I’ve tried.

– Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer All Day Moisture Defense® Lotion SPF 30

– 0.6 oz Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream SPF 50+ WetForce Broad Spectrum Water Resistant (80 Minutes)

– 1.69 oz St. Tropez One Night Only in Light-Medium

Can’t wait to try this! I’m a little afraid it might transfer, but St. Tropez is a favorite brand of mine.

– 0.34 oz Supergoop!® City Sunscreen Serum SPF 30

Supergoop! is always great. It does its job, but this doesn’t make me jump up and down.

– 0.34 oz Vita Liberata Passion Flower & Argan Dry Oil Broad Spectrum SPF 50

– Travel bag

I threw this out after I unpacked it. It is large, and could definitely store a lot of stuff, but I just didn’t have room for it.

16 products for $32! I’m working my way through the other products. Who else picked this up? Thoughts?

IMATS and VIB ROUGE SALE HAUL

I’m so excited to share my IMATS and Sephora VIB Rouge sale haul (and a few products from CVS too)!

Brands:

Becca, Marc Jacobs, Bite Beauty, Nest, Milani, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Model in a Bottle, Esquido Mink Lashes, Z Palette, Tarte, Stila Cosmetics, LA Girl, Buxom, Benefit, Makeup Forever, Josie Maran, Smashbox, Korres

Get to Know Me: Daily Routine

I thought the best way to give readers insight into my personal taste would be to highlight my daily routine.

One of my absolute “must haves” is my Clarisonic Plus. I’ve had it for several years now, and while its not quite working properly, I just can’t let it go! The bright fuchsia color adds a nice pop to my white bathroom counter, and I can’t rave enough about this product. It keeps my skin clear, and feeling soft – so great that I have to bring it with me when I travel. (That is actually hard because the plus has a massive charger) The other perk to this version of the Clairsonic is that it has a brush head that you can use on your body. This is PERFECT for the summer and scrubbing off self tanner. The face wash that I reach for daily is the Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash. The scent is so enticing and along with the Clarisonic the results leave my skin in the best condition I’ve ever seen.

Every morning I use Origins Refreshing Eye Cream which helps with the puffiness under my eyes which I have pretty regularly.

The following is the rest of my routine:

Smashbox Photo Finish Light Primer

e.l.f. HD Lifting Concealer

BeautyBlender

Make Up Forever HD Foundation Shade N118

Smashbox Contour Palette

Anastasia Brow Wiz – Taupe

Anastasia Clear Brow Gel

Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner

Josie Maran Argan Black Oil Mascara