Weekly Empties (16)

I use Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips (link) about once a week and I'm happy with how these perform. I really don't see much difference among pore strips, but I buy Biore most often.

I used up a mini of Peter Thomas Roth Irish Moor Mud Mask (link) which came in my BeautyFix box. I didn't see much difference when using it, but it didn't have any scent, it didn't dry out the skin and lasted quite long.

I finally used up Sanitas VitaRich Serum* (link). While it was a mini sized one, it lasted for a very long time. At first I used it together with other Sanitas products, but when I ran out them, I put this serum aside for some time. I did use it once in a while for my undereyes or lips, but then I tried mixing a drop or two into my moisturizer and I loved it so much tat I ended up using it that way. It sank into the skin quickly, it didn't leave any oiliness or film on the skin, it was great both morning and evening and didn't interfere with makeup application. I wish it came in smaller size than 1oz as I would love to repurchase it and continue mixing into my face products.

Another product that I finished is Dermalogica Precleanse Balm (link). It's one of those balms that you massage into the skin and it melts away makeup. It was an ok product for first cleanse, but I'm not a fan of cleansing balms in general.

Quite often I don't include sample/mini sized moisturizers in my empties, but Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Exfoliating Moisturizer (link) impressed me enough to mention it. While using it my skin was very even toned, calmed, it didn't lack moisture and felt comfortable. It is a light product, but it gives enough hydration without clogging pores or sitting on the skin for a while. I will definitely consider purchasing it in full size in the future.   

Le Mini Macaron Nourishing Hand Mask (link) was nice, but I prefer hydrating one from this brand. The effect of this one wasn't as strong and as long lasting.

I through away the bottle of Olaplex Hair Perfector No 3 (link), so I'm including a new bottle in this photo. I think that says enough to figure out that I loved this product. I apply it to damp hair about once a week and keep it for an hour or longer. After washing the hair it is left soft, silky, smooth, hydrated, but not heavy. My hair is in pretty good condition, so it's hard to tell if Olaplex made a long term difference, but I love how my hair is after washing it and I also see stronger ends.

I don't really use brow gel, but I received Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel (link) as a sample or gwp, so I decided to use it. It was good, it applied easily and placed brow in place without looking hard or fake. If I got it again, I would use it, but it's not something of a must in my makeup bag, so I'm not going to repurchase it myself.

I don't use my Clarisonic regularly, so I stretched the use of its brush head. I mix and match my cleaning tools throughout the week and use Clarisonic, Foreo and silicone pad depending on my mood and laziness.   




* marks PR samples received complimentary

Weekly Empties (15)

Another post starting with masks. Biobelle makes great sheet masks and while it is not my favorite one by this brand, #primer Sheet Mask (link) is very good. It makes skin soft, smooth and hydrated.

I've heard a lot of great reviews about Montagne Jeunesse Strawberry Cream mask (link to similar one), but it's not available in the USA. While I was traveling in Europe, I saw it and had to get it. It smells nice, it makes skin soft and hydrated, but it isn't anything special.

I didn't need it, but I couldn't resist the pineapple, so I got Sephora Pineapple Nose Mask (link). I was a little disappointed that it is recommended to use it after a pore strip. I did that to maximize the results. The mask itself was very thin and somewhat messy. The directions tell to apply it and adjust if needed, but the more I tried adjusting, the more it moved and got messier. My nose felt very smooth and even afterwards, but I guess I was hoping this mask itself will do more than that. I satisfied my curiosity, but I'm not going to repurchase it.   

Pureology Hydrate Sheer Shampoo (link) is one of my all time favorite shampoos for my fine hair. I went through another mini size while traveling, but I have a liter bottle in my shower. It doesn't dry out my hair, it leaves hair feeling light, manageable, soft.

Out of all acids lactic acid is my favorite. I usually see results within a few days of using it. However, I've been using The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + HA (link) for a couple of weeks and didn't see as good results as with other products. I put it aside to use something else and I never reached for it again, so I'm just getting rid of it. This specific product didn't work for me, but The Ordinary has some other great products that I love and would repurchase.

While I love acids, I'm not that crazy about retinol products (retinols, retinoids, etc.). I tried using Oz Naturals Pro-Retaxinol 2.5 Retinol Serum (link), but I didn't see any results and never got back to using it. I just don't see how I could repurpose it, so it's going into trash.

Another product that caught my interest after hearing great reviews is Institut Esthederm Cellular Water Spray (link). This spray can be used on the face (or body) before/during/after skincare or makeup. It can be used throughout the day to refresh the skin. It didn't have any scent and it felt just like water. The mist is very fine and refreshing. I liked it, but it really wasn't any better than other face mists and for the price point I don't think it's worth repurchasing. 

I went through my lip products and have to get rid of two BellaPierre Mineral Lipsticks (link) in shades VaVaVoom! and Cat Walk. I've had them for almost two years and they're starting to change their smell. These lipsticks are really great. They are pigmented, apply evenly, not patchy on the lips, stay on well throughout the day, they taste/smell like chocolate (while they're good). VaVaVoom! is a beautiful bright red-ish pink that I loved wearing, but it's a shade that I don't wear often. Cat Walk is described as nude pink, but I think it's more of a light nude with peach undertone. It was a bit too light for my liking and peach tones are not my favorite, so I wore it only a few times. I would recommend these lipsticks, but I wish I could find them in actual store to be able to pick the shades easier.

Another lip product that is leaving my makeup collection is Dr. Hauschka lip gloss in 05 Cornelian* (link). Dr. Hauschka has great high quality products both skincare and makeup. This was a light nude lip gloss that worked great as a topper on lipsticks. My only complaint with is was taste that bothered me a little and sometimes made me pick other lip products instead. 




* marks PR samples received complimentary

Brand Review: Marin Bee

I always feel good when I use products that are not only good for me, but for the environment as well. One of such brands is Marin Bee (link). It is a cruelty free brand from California. The company pays a lot of attention to bees and their importance to the environment, so sales of their products support Plant Bee Foundation. The products contain natural and organic ingredients and are always free of parabens, PEGs, sulfates, phthalates and synthetic fragrance.   

One of the products I got to try is Honey Butter* (link) - a moisturizer that can be used for head to toe hydration. It contains shea butter, coconut and jojoba oils and is infused with essential oils. It has a thicker texture and is rich, so a little goes a long way. The cream applies easily and smoothly, it absorbs into the skin quickly. It leaves protective film on the skin, but it feels very natural and comfortable without feeling oily/greasy. This moisturizer can be used on dry or chapped skin, so it is great for hands, elbows, knees and feet, but I think it is not too heavy to be used all over the body. I use it that way after the shower and then use it as a hand cream throughout the day. It comes in two sizes, so you may pick a smaller one if you only want to use it as a hand cream or as a spot hydrator and pick a bigger one if you want to use it as a body cream.   

Another product that I received is Lip Repair* (link). It is a very hydrating and rejuvenating lip balm containing calendula, beeswax and pomegranate. This product had color, but since only a tiniest amount is needed, the it doesn't really show up on the lips. It can also be used as cuticle cream. The balm has a light beeswax taste, but it disappears very quickly and has just a hint of sweetness. It feels comfortable on the lips and makes the lips soft, smooth and hydrated. I use it not only as a base for other lip products or as a regular lip balm, but also as a lip balm-mask before bedtime.   

The company pays special attention not only to the ingredients, but to other aspects of the production as well. Their boxes are manufactured with wind power and soy-based ink. Inside the box you find an interactive leaflet that not only tells about the company, but also gives you a quiz and a picture for coloring. My order also arrived with a packet of wildflower seeds and while I don't have a green thumb, I will plant them, because reading about the company and seeing their efforts make me want to do something good as well.   




* marks PR samples received complimentary

Weekly Empties (14)

I love Pacifica face washes and I keep purchasing every new one that comes out. This time I finished Cactus Revive Milk to Foam Face Wash (link) and I loved it as much as other Pacifica's face cleansers. It removed makeup well, it was gentle on the skin, didn't dry it out and was easy to use. I used it to remove eye makeup as well, but sometimes it irritated my eyes a bit. It wasn't so bad that I would stop using the face wash though.

I also used up another Leaders 7 Wonders Kalahari Melon Moisturizing sheet mask (link). I love it and I will continue using these masks. 

Usually I'm not picky about my toners. I do expect more from acid based toners, but overall I rely on other skincare products to give me the results I seek. I've tried a few glycolic acid toners and wasn't impressed, so when I received DDF Glycolic Toning Complex (link) in my BeautyFix box, I didn't expect much from it. I used it for a few days at home before taking it with me on a trip due to a travel friendly size and while using it for that week I fell in love. This toner sometimes tingles the skin once applied, but the feeling is very mild and doesn't bother the skin. I tried packing as light as possible, so using this toner twice a day and applying eye cream and moisturizer was enough for my skin. My skin felt comfortable and didn't feel dry. In fact, it's been a while since my skin was so clear and even toned as when I was using this toner. I think this toner is amazing and I truly see the changes in my skin, so I already have it in my wishlist and will definitely purchase full size.

Last, but not the least I finished The Body Shop Shea Exfoliating Sugar Body Scrub (link), which I received as part of GWP. I used to use The Body Shop body butter all the time in the past, but I've never tried their scrubs. I'm not a fan of this shea scent, but the scrub itself was nice. It was gentle, it left skin hydrated, soft, but didn't leave an oily film on the skin. I would use this scrub again if I got it, but if I had to buy I prefer some others. 

Weekly Empties (13)

It's an unusual empties post as it's done on Tuesday instead of the usual Monday. Another different thing is that I skipped last week as I was traveling and had only a few finished products. Today I'm gonna review what I've used up within the past two weeks.

When Dermalogica came out with Sound Sleep Cocoon (link), I was very intrigued. I'm happy I got a chance to try a mini size as I wasn't impressed by the product. This gel-cream feels a little too oily/heavy on my skin and I would avoid using it every night so it wouldn't break me out.

Pretty recently I purchased a NuFace facial device and finished Gel Primer (link) that came with it. I already have a new tube of this and I continue using it. Usually I don't wash this primer off my face before continuing with my skincare, but oftentimes I will wipe my face with a warm damp washcloth and apply my skincare then. It works with NuFace device well and it suits my skin too. No matter if I remove it or not my face doesn't get irritated or doesn't get clogged.

I've talked about Alba Botanica Acnedote Scrub (link) so many times that no more reviews are needed. It's great, I love it and I continue repurchasing it. 

I've also used up Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Face Gels (link) and Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels (link). I loved them both and both gave me instantly visible results, but I think I will only continue repurchasing eye ones for now. That's because I get 8 eye patch sets in a package while I only get 4 applications in face one as it contains 4 smile line and 4 forehead gels.

Excuse my dirty BeautyBlender Royal Purple (link), because I didn't wash it before throwing it away. I love BeautyBlender makeup sponges and I've used a couple different ones, but only this purple wore this much this quickly. Usually when I get rid of my makeup sponge after 3-4 months it barely has any damage done to it, but this purple one started getting rips within the first month and started changing its texture. It felt different than any other BeautyBlender that I've tried. It still worked fine and did its job, so I used it until the end.

While traveling I didn't want to pack heavy, so I took samples of Bioderma Hydrabio Serum (link) and Hydrabio Gel-Cream (link) with me. I took them for convenience, but I fell in love and I'm thinking of repurchasing them full size. I layered them a few times, but ended up using gel cream both morning and night in my skincare routine and I would mix in a bit of the serum into my foundation. I'm currently using Kat Von D Lock-It foundation that is too thick for my liking, so mixing it with Bioderma's serum makes the foundation lighter, helps it spread easier and better. It still gives full coverage and the serum doesn't interfere with wear time or look on the skin.   

I'm starting to become a Fresh fan. This time I used up Soy Cleanser (link), which gave me everything I needed. It was gentle on the skin, removed makeup well and didn't dry the skin. It's a cleanser that can be used with or without makeup and I would gladly purchase full size in the future. 

Another product that doesn't need introduction is Leaders 7 Wonders Sheet Mask (link). They're great and I've been using them constantly since last summer.

I've heard great things about Botanics 3-in-1 Micellar Cleanser (link), but it didn't impress me. It was just an ok product and I would not repurchase it. It seemed that some days it worked better than the others even though I wore the same makeup. I used it up mostly as a toner.

I've been using Whole Foods Ultra Body Cream (link) since last October, so it's a very long lasting product. It smells nice, but pretty strong. The texture is somewhat thinner than I would expect for a body cream, but it's not lotion-like either. A little goes a long way and if you apply too much it will take some time to sink in, so it's better to work it into the skin little by little. It made skin soft, hydrated and th effect lasted, so I would consider getting it again in cold months.