Haul: Baby did a bad, bad thing..........

Whatever happened to Chris Isaak?  I love his music and the fact that he was a Cali boy through and through. 

As I was looking at my holiday shopping loot, his song was running through my mind.  Of course, I did not have a hot (have no idea if he is still hot, where the hell is he????) surfer singing in my ear.   Only the sound of guilt-waves crashing through my brain.

Oh yeah baby, mama went shopping!  And not just once, multiple times.  So what did I haul?


Josie Maran: holiday set from Sephora, and F/F sale from JM website



Korres Scrub/Facial set, Orgins Vita-Zing, sample scrub from Laura Mercier

 

Holy Armani Batman!



Wet-n-Wild, LM, Dior gloss, UD, Tarte



Swatches from Wet and Wild Palette and LM Eye Color Stick in Khaki



Armani swatches

I am not going to list everything because I am lazy.  I just felt like I needed to document/record this for posterity.  I am still on the fence about a couple of the Armani items (will do a separate Armani Blog/review later) and want to give them a few more trys before I decide.

Just a call-out to the ones that I am really pleased with:

- JM Argan Oil Balm - I have been carting this around for my dry, cracked fingers and cuticles.  Have definitely seen some improvement in texture.
- Dior Lip Maximizer/Plumper - I just love the Dior lip products that I have (balm, plumper, lipsticks and lip liner).  I am holding out on getting any of the glosses since they have a brush applicator of which I am not typically a fan - much prefer the doe-foot type.
- Korres Wild Rose 24-hour Facial - love the smell of this cream.  I think you are supposed to wear this overnight, but my skin is so dry I am using it under my primer.  My skin is staying soft all day, makeup is not slipping, and all is right with the world!
- Armani Sheer lipstick #30 - great nude lippie!

Taaaa Daaaaaa........Empties #1

Woot woot!  I have empties!  I realize that I started this blog to focus on reducing my cosmetics, but as we know from my last post, I am not really hitting my stride (ahem - discipline) yet.  But I need to feel like I am accomplishing something, and just seeing all these items headed for the recycle bin makes me feel sooooo productive.

Empties #1!!!!!!!!

The majority of these are completely empty.  However there are a couple items that I am tossing because they smell/look funny, and we all know that ain't a good thing when applying to your face/body.

So here are the items and quick thoughts on them:

Bliss Lemon + Sage Body Butter (super sized) - never again will I get such a large size!  Yes I know economically it makes more sense, but when you have the attention span of a gnat and want to move on, the never-ending size drives you bonkers!  That said, good hydration, love the scent - BUY

Kiehl's Rosa Arctica Eye Balm (sample) - love, just wish I had less eye creams so I could purchase right now - def BUY

Eve Lom Cleanser (sample) - Blech!  Hate the smell and consistency, felt like I was spreading super-thick Vaseline on my my face and the muslin cloth it came with was crap - NO BUY

Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes - my basic make-up wipe.  I do feel like I need to rinse my face after I use these, but I get a huge amount for little money at Costco.  Not totally in love, but will keep buying them - BUY

Chantecaille Nano Gold Energizing Eye Cream (sample) - holy schlamoley, this stuff costs $265 full sized!  Good thing I liked the Kiehls stuff better - NO BUY

Fekkai PrX Reparatives Shampoo/Conditioner (samples) - eh, ok?  I am not a hair goddess and I only wash my hair 2-3 times/week.  As long as it is clean, smells decent, and doesn't (unintentionally) turn my hair hot pink, I am ok with it.  Probably would not make special effort to buy it - NO BUY

 Befine Night Cream with Cocoa, Millet, and Rice Bran (deluxe sample) - good basic cream.  Used it this summer when it was humid and did not slide right off.  Better stuff out there. Not enough hydration for cold winters - NO BUY

Clairol Colorseal Conditioning Gloss - this came with my hair dye and I actually like it as an intensive conditioner.  I do not know if they sell it alone, but this tube lasts me a while and I have back-ups already.  However, this is due to the fact that my hair grows pretty fast and I have to do my grey roots pretty frequently, bummer - BUY

Origins Vita-Zing SPF 15 - bwaaaaahhhhhh, so sad I am done with this.  I held firm during the various F&F sales and did not repurchase this, but it was hard.  Love this stuff and will re-buy as soon as I get through my other SPF stuff - BUY

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 5.5 (sample) - coverage was good, did not cake or build-up on my skin - BUY

Lucy B's Roll-on Perfume Oils (samples/ Birchbox) - love fragrance oils, just seem to linger longer on my skin than typical perfumes - BUY

Heaven's Alchemy Fragrance Oil in New York - have had this in my travel bag for so long I cannot remember where I got it. eh - NO BUY

Josie Maran Argan Oil  - HG moisturizer especially for winter - BUY

L'Occitane Honey & Lemon Foaming jelly (deluze sample) - delish scent, just need a little to get lots of foam - BUY

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potuion (old packaging) - works terrific, but I did not finish since the paint (?) on the package started flaking off and getting on my lids.  Have a couple samples in new packaging, assuming performance is same - BUY

Giorgio Armani Regenessence Rejuvenating Eye Balm (sample) - little bit went a long way, only used it for a little time so could not see any difference.  Still like Kiehls above better - NO BUY

Alfred Sung Shi roller perfume - used to love this scent, have had it for YEARS and the scent has changed so I am tossing it.  Do not need any new scents - NO BUY

Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse Foundation - bought this last year, color texture, and application was fab.  However, brought this out again for winter and there is a layer of greasy oxidized stuff on top.  Yuck - NO BUY

Chantecaille Foaming Cleanser (sample) - it was ok, felt a little grainy and am not sure if it was supposed to. Eh - NO BUY

Skin79 Super BB Cream (sample) - used mostly this summer, decent coverage, but it did wash me out a bit. - NO BUY

Trish McEvoy Precious Pink Jasmine (sample) - really liked this, but it is pretty light and more likely to wear it for spring/summer - BUY

CoverFx Brite Prep Primer (deluxe sample) - this has some luminizing properties and I really liked it.  Need to get through all my back-ups - BUY

Whew - that was actually quite a bit!  I have a few more items that I am on the tail-end of and may not wait so long for #2.  I am glad that I getting through these (especially all the samples) so I can focus on what I really like and in which I am willing to invest.

Tag - A to Z of Beauty

I was watching some of my fave beauty "gurus" on YouTube today and saw this video upload:

and I decided I wanted to do it as well. 

The Tag is to pick your favorite beauty/skincare/haircare  brand (A to Z) and your fave product from that brand. 

I am not sure if I have something for every letter, but I am going to see what I can come up with!  Thank you Total Beauty for a comprehensive list of brands: Total Beauty Brands List

A - Almay, Get Up and Grow mascara - gives volume to my longish/sparse lashes
B - Burberry, Pale Barley eyeshadow - great basic for day and night looks
C - Chanel, Rouge Coco Shine in Fetiche - perfect all day, everyday color
D - Dior, Nude Concealer in Beige 002 - terrific coverage and no drying
E - ELF, Studio Bronzer in Golden - see previous post
F - Fresh, Sugar Lip Treatment in Rose - great color and moisture
G - Giorgio Armani, Maestro foundation - like my skin but better
H - Herbal Essences, shampoos/conditioners - smells fab
I - IT Cosmetics, Universal Brow Pencil - rocks!
J - Josie Maran, Argan Oil stick and oil- keeps it soft in dry Midwest winters!
K - Korres, Lip Butters - every night for soft/smooth lips
L - LORAC, Pro Eyeshadow Palette - great combop of both shimmer and matte
M - Maybelline, Color Tattoos in Bad to Bronze - great everyday shadow base
N - NYX, single eyeshadows in any color - super pigmentation and range
O - OPI, all colors - my go-to nail brand
P - Philosophy, Eyes Wide Open - for my puffy, not quite awake yet,  morning eyes
Q - Q-tips (not sure this is a brand vs. product name, but that is how TB had it listed) - love me some clean ears!
R - Real Techniques, all brushes - fave brushes of all
S - Skindinavia, make-up setting spray - makes the face last longer through the day
T - Tarte, blush in Exposed - great natural philosophy and pretty cheeks
U - Urban Decay, Primer Potion - lets my struggle for decent eyeshadow placement stay put
V - Visine, eye drops - reference P above
W - Wet n Wild, eyeshadows - ties with ELF cheek products for BEST Beauty Bargain
X - ????????? never tried Xen-Tan so I am out
Y - Yves St. Laurent/YSL, Glossy Stains - most innovative, trend-setting product of 2012
Z - Zoya, nail polish - 2nd fave brand behind OPI

Whew, done baby!

P.S. while I was writing this, my 8-yr old was doing "hair salon" on me......like it??????