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