Since it seems that this range is going to stick around for a bit, I felt it appropriate to share a review and some swatches today. Now, I am not certain if this collection is Limited Edition or intended to be a part of L'Oreal's permanent range - which would be lovely! - but I am awaiting L'Oreal's response to my e-mail on the matter. We'll see! *fingers crossed*

* EDIT* - L'Oreal responded to my e-mail (quite quickly, I might add!) and this collection IS permanent!

To give you my uncomplicated and flat out honest opinion, I think this collection is a wonderful idea. The aim of this collection was to present a neutral nude shade for all complexions, ranging from the fairest of the fair to the deepest of the deep and anywhere in between. The USA version of this collection as explained by the brand - I'll touch on the difference between the US and UK collections in a moment - features Freida Pinto (honey skin tone), Jennifer "J-Lo" Lopez (medium-olive skin tone), Doutzen Kroes (fair-light skin tone), Eva Longoria (light-medium skin tone), Julianne Moore (fair skin tone) and Liya Kebede (deep skin tone) as "spokeswomen" for each individual shade which bears their names. In the UK, instead of featuring J-Lo, the website features Cheryl Cole for "brunettes with fair complextions" (which, uh, hello? ME!) but I'm not entirely sure if this is exclusive to the UK as I've seen it on some US based blogs - I included this in my inquiry e-mail to L'Oreal and I will update with an answer. L'Oreal UK's website also includes an interactive poll where you can enter your hair color, skin tone and  desired look for L'Oreal to suggest a shade for you. According to my brown hair and very fair skin for a touch of "softness" I was suggested Julianne's Nude - ironically, one of the ones that I do not have. Remember though - the questionnaire is meant to be used as a guideline; Wear what you want because you like it, not because it is what you are "supposed" to wear!

The three shades I have in my collection as of right now are Doutzen's Nude, Jennifer's Nude and Freida's nude - but in all honesty, I want to haul the entire collection. #dontjudgeme

Doutzen's Nude is the lightest of the bunch by far - it is a very sheer blue based baby pink, and was sadly a miss for me. It doesn't really appear in the actual bullet or in the swatch, but this has a shimmer to it that wasn't really all too flattering on me - it gave more of a silvery cast on the lips rather than a sheer pink. It was kind of a let down for a couple reasons; one, being that when I saw this I thought it would be perfect for my skin and two, I LOVE The Victoria's Secret Angels and since she is one of them - well, you get the picture.

Jennifer's (J-LO's) Nude - Does anyone else feel weird calling J-LO by her actual name? I feel like I've always known her as J-LO so she doesn't seem like her name would be Jennifer. Either way, this is my FAVE out of the three. It's literally lovely - a rosy toned medium nude - and it literally goes with ANYTHING. It has a semi-opaque creamy finish, but not as opaque as the average Colour Riche shade (such as Fairest Nude). This has become one of those "staple shades" in my collection (A la MAC Blankety), if I'm not sure what to pair with a certain look - this shade usually completes and polishes it.

Freida's Nude - This is actually the shade that I anticipated the most - these were launched in the UK before here in the States and everytime I saw swatches I swooned over this one. Don't get me wrong - I love it. It's a mauve-y nude shade for goodness sake, of course I like it! But - this one does have slight textural issues like Doutzen's Nude. Not nearly as sheer, but the fine micro-shimmer isn't the most comfortable on the lips. Otherwise, the hue of this one in and of itself is divine!

Overall, the formulation of these really does stay true to L'Oreal's Colour Riche line - the cremes are amazing while the shades with a bit of frost have a slightly uncomfortable wear (though some perform better than others as Freida's Nude wore more comfortably than Doutzen's Nude). Out of these three, you immediately need Jennifer's Nude and I would probably pass on Doutzen's Nude - there are so many translucent baby pink shades available on the market with more lip loving formulas.

I will update this post as soon as I receive a response from L'Oreal, but in the meantime...I may just haul the rest of the collection! 

Mascara Madness Masterpost - June 2014

I used to be the kind of person that never  had more than one or two mascaras in their collection at a given time; obviously that ship has sailed. I've had these photos on my computer for nearly a month now, and in the name of getting rid of old mascaras, I present you with some mini reviews!

Milani Total Lash Cover - 

What it claims: 3 part brush is meant to define, build and curl.

What it actually does: My lashes have a natural curl to them, so I'm not the best to ask, but this delivered on the define front as I found this did not look clumpy. However, the building aspect is out the window; this deposits a lot less product than you'd expect and isn't very dramatic. The tip of the brush does not have any bristles, so it was difficult to reach inner lashes.

Anything special?: In all honesty, the brush looked cool - before you use the brush, you can see that it is divided up into different colored sections that are all supposed to serve a different purpose.

Wear time and transferring: This didn't transfer on my oily lids but after a whole work day my lashes look a little lackluster.

Removal: No real issue, I use my normal removal process.

Will I repurchase?: No. It was cheap, and I think I now see why.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Lycra Flex - I received this as a sample for review purposes.

What it claims: Fullness and volume with flexibility. 

What it actually does: There is a volumizing effect to this and in all honesty, it doesn't feel quite as crispy as the average mascara, but it still isn't the most lightweight in my collection. The brush is an average bristled mascara wand, but in a very large size. This thing is HUGE.

Anything special?: The infusion of Lycra is meant to make lashes volumized but flexible. 

Wear time and transferring: I had no issues with this wearing off or transferring on me.

Removal: This didn't take any extra work to remove, it was quite easy.

Will I repurchase?: If the wand was smaller, absolutely. I do like the formula but the wand is too big for my liking. 

CoverGirl Bombshell Volume by LashBlast - 

What it claims: Side one volumizes to add 10x the volume, while side two intensifies.

What it actually does: I normally don't like the smaller, rubber bristled wands like side one, but that wasn't what bothered me. 10x the volume is a very large stretch though, and I'm not entirely sure what side two is doing when it "intensifies".

Anything special?: Dual brushes meant to be layered for more volume.

Wear time and transferring: This transfers like CRAZY on me. Horrendously. 

Removal: Since most of it has already transferred to the rest of my eyes/face, they'res not much left to take off, but it does remove easily.

Will I repurchase?: Absolutely not.

Revlon ColorStay 3D Volume Mascara - 

What it claims: Volume and dimension to lashes.

What it actually does: This doesn't make extreme claims, so it is pretty true to the claims it does make. This does not clump at all on me and something I really like about this one is that the wand does not remove an unnecessary amount of product.

Anything special?: Not really - might have a better wiping mechanism than other mascaras.

Wear time and transferring: This may be a little less intense by the end of the day but there was no transferring on me.

Removal: Removal was easy, no issues there.

Will I repurchase?: This is 50% off at CVS right now which leads me to believe that it is being discontinued, so probably. This is my sister's all time favorite mascara.

Benefit They're Real - 

What it claims: Length, curl, volume and lift.

What it actually does: I don't find much lift and lenth to this, but it does add volume. However, this can get clumpy very quickly and is painful to my lashline to apply.

Anything special?: Domed tip for inner lashes and staggered bristles for volume.

Wear time and transferring: This does not transfer on me and still looks very similar to application at the end of the day.

Removal: This takes a bit stronger of a remover to take off completely, but nothing too irritating.

Will I repurchase?: Probably not. Too much work and it agitates my eyes.

L'Oreal Voluminous Volume Building Mascara - 

What it claims: Resists clumping and provides 5x the volume.

What it actually does: I don't thing 5x the volume is too far of a stretch. I posted a selfie on instagram wearing this and was asked if I was wearing false lashes. That's a great feeling. The wand does, however, dispense way too much product.

Anything special?:  Not really.

Wear time and transferring: This did not transfer and still looked the same at the end of the day as it did at the beginning. 

Removal: No issues with removal, an average thickness formula.

Will I repurchase?: Probably. I really like the way this made my lashes look.

L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara - 

What it claims: Brush design extends outer part of lashes out for a wispy effect.

What it actually does: It does just that. I adore this mascara, but I will say that it did have to grow on me. It takes some getting used to because the asymmetry of the brush is only on one side so it forces you to either flip the brush in the opposite direction or force yourself to be mascara ambidextrous - which I am SO not - but once I got the hang of it, I fell in love. My lashes look incredible with this!

Anything special?:  The wand is asymmetrical on one side; having a scoop of longer prongs. The rest are short bristles.

Wear time and transferring: This will last me all day with no issue whatsoever and has never transferred on me.

Removal: If I let my remover sit on my lashes for a few seconds, this removes without an issue.

Will I repurchase?: Abso-FREAKING-lutely.

L'Oreal Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara - 

What it claims: Complete lash cover and 15x volume.

What it actually does: How does one measure 15x volume? I'm not sure if I'm getting that much volume, but I'm definitely getting volume with this. I can definitely, however, vouch for the total lash cover ability of this. This gets every single lash with no issue and isn't too huge of a brush.

Anything special?: The wand itself is very flexible, and the bristles are sporadic - in a good way. 

Wear time and transferring: I found no transferring and get a whole day's wear out of this.

Removal: Same with all of my other L'Oreal mascaras; no issue, just allow remover to sit for 3 or so seconds.

Will I repurchase?: YAS. I'm just as enthused with this one as the Butterfly mascara. L'Oreal is doing something right, I tell you.

Maybelline Lash Discovery Mascara - 

What it claims: Lengthens, defines and will not clump.

What it actually does: Actually, that's exactly what it does - minus the length. I use this on my lower lashline 9 times out of 10, but I have used this on my upper lashes and it definitely separates them and will not clump at all. This is definitely a more natural look, but it has its place.

Anything special?: The wand is teeny tiny.

Wear time and transferring: Will not transfer, which is very important since I wear this on my lower lashline - but this doesn't have an overly stellar wear time.

Removal: Very easy to remove.

Will I repurchase?: I definitely would - this is perfect for bottom lashes.

Maybelline Volum' Express The Rocket Mascara - 

What it claims: 8x the amount of volume, smooth lashes and no clumps.

What it actually does: Volume? Yes. Smooth lashes? - what the heck does that mean?? - And no clumps? Pfft. This clumps before I even put it on my lashes, I swear it! The rubber bristles are very, very short and the wand itself is actually quite thick. Not my cup of tea.

Anything special?: "Supersonic brush" and "fast-glide formula". Whatever those mean. Umm??

Wear time and transferring: Once it's on, it's not going anywhere. At all.

Removal: A bit difficult to remove, actually. It takes a bit more work than I prefer.

Will I repurchase?: No. Maybelline needs to scrub the launch of this Rocket.

...I had to...I'm from Florida...

Maybelline Volum' Express Pumped Up! Colossal Mascara - 

What it claims: 16x the volume and an "extra shot" of plumping formula? More mascara being applied possibly?

What it actually does: Well, clumps my lashes, basically. I tried so hard to like this since I love the original Colossal, but I can't even make this semi-work for me by wiping off the excess mascara on a tissue. NOT. OKAY.

Anything special?: A "double shot" brush, which is probably their way of saying a brush that picks up and obscene amount of product.

Wear time and transferring: This did transfer on me, but not to the worst degree I've seen. It still is pretty intense - and clumpy - by the end of the day.

Removal: A little difficult, kind of like I applied too many coats.

Will I repurchase?: I wish I kept my receipt, actually. I would have returned it. For shame!

Maybelline Illegal Lengths Mascara - (can we tell when my camera died and I had to continue taking photos after the sun went down?)

What it claims: Dramatic length and no flaking.

What it actually does: It has spoken true on its claims. This is a wonderful lengthening mascara that still provides me with a bit of volume as well and I LOVE the shape of the brush. This separates and coats very evenly.

Anything special?: 4mm lash extensions. 

Wear time and transferring: No transferring and no loss of dramatic look (which is often a side effect of these kinds of mascara because of flaking). This one is just very well executed.

Removal: No issue in removal whatsoever. The waterproof of this one - which I've accidentally purchased in the past - is another (painful) story.

Will I repurchase?: I have before and I will continue to as well. I just thoroughly enjoy the brush shape - everything else is just gravy.

Maybelline Volum' Express The Mega Plush Mascara - (i.e. the most difficult wand on earth to photograph!)

What it claims: Full volume without the hardness and weight as well as complete coverage.

What it actually does: It is very lightweight and kind of attributed to a fluttery effect. Not so much for the total lash coverage though - this is one of the lesser dramatic mascaras in my collection.

Anything special?: 40% less waxes and a flexible brush (though not nearly as flexible as L'Oreal's Miss Manga)

Wear time and transferring: No transferring occurred with this one but it was one of those disappearing acts that wasn't quite as full as it was by the end of the night.

Removal: Quite easy, I had no issue with this.

Will I repurchase?: I like the fluttery effect, but I'm a bit on the fence about this one.

Get ready to see some empties coming up soon...because a few of these are old enough to be added to the box. I've already added some replacements - Maybelline Colossal (original! OMG), Maybelline The Falsies and Revlon Bold Lacquer have already been through a bit of testing and I do have a few other recommendations to try out. I will say my standout mascaras from this list are definitely L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly, Miss Manga and Maybelline Illegal Lengths - and outside of this list Maybelline Colossal (original, OMG) and Victoria's Secret Triple Drama are some of my other favorites. I'm sensing a pattern here.

Because 9 times out of 10, I'm just really not feeling these rubber bristle brushes!

May Favorites!

So May was most definitely the month of makeup for me. I don't know what it was - maybe (finally) having a predictable schedule coupled with discovering some pretty great items, but a lot of my favorites this month are things that are actually quite new to me. Though I will say, on the lipgloss front - I've rekindled some old flames. I've been a gloss and bronzer hoarder this month and the looks I've put together lately definitely show that!

Eyes - 

- Wet N Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Single in Brule: Everyone talks about this, but I didn't think I needed a single matte, beige shadow since they'res almost always one included in most eyeshadow palettes. I was wrong. I needed this. You need this. Everyone needs this. I'll be doing a separate review for this because it literally warrants one.

- L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara: I fell in LOVE with this recently. I've had it for a short time already, but I feel like it's one of those mascaras that work better after you have it open for a couple weeks. This makes my lashes look phenomenal - I really like the way it makes them look more wispy and separated. Literally, there are no clumps whatsoever.

- L'Oreal Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara: Did I buy this for the packaging? Absolutely. I am SO IN LOVE with the way this makes my lashes look - it gives me great volume without clumpiness and does not transfer whatsoever. 

- Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Demolition: I wasn't completely enamored with this when I got it as part of a set with Zero (surprise - I can't get away from that darn liner) and Rockstar (which I wanted for like ever!). It is a matte finish liner so it doesn't perform as well on the waterline as I needed, but this is great for smokey looks!

Lips...make a cup of tea - we're gonna be here a while...

- Revlon Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon: I'm not entirely sure how long I had this in my collection before I started really appreciating it, but I've really been reaching for this a whole lot this month and it's not a far stretch to say that this has become my "summer red". It's glossy and bright enough to be a more casual red for the daytime (I wore this was to a 9am doctor's appointment...it's fair game to say I'm a morning person now...) but has great pigmentation.

- Maybelline Color Elixirs in Luminous Lilac and Luxe in Lilac: I reviewed these earlier this week and if you can still get your hands on these, do it! I love the formula of the Color Elixir range and I just keep collecting them more and more.

- Maybelline Color Sensational High Shine Gloss in Mirrored Mauve: This is one of my favorite gloss textures in the drugstore (or in general, for that matter) but I'm finding that they're not sold everywhere they used to be. I'm really hoping that they're not getting phased out, but I may or may not have all but a few already. By the way, if I have any Florida readers (Woo!), I've seen these at Publix for as low as $6 and change.

- Maybelline Color Whisper in Lust for Blush: Last Maybelline today, I swear! I've recently rediscovered this one and I feel like I under appreciated the Color Whisper formula. I find it incredibly comfortable to wear and this shade works with nearly everything...not to mention I don't look totally crazy wearing this at 6am with little more than blush/bronzer and mascara.

- Milani Brilliant Shine Lipgloss in Bare Secret: Everyone was raving about this gloss formula and I'm happy to say, I've jumped on the bandwagon. They'res something about the texture that just really, really works. I also really appreciate this shade because it's a darker take on a nude gloss so it doesn't pull to warm on my skin.

- NYX Butter Glosses in Tiramisu and Eclair: I'm trying to lose weight and I swear, sometimes wearing one of these is close enough to eating something that would tank my diet. I don't know how they made them smell so good, but I am impressed! Scent aside, I really like this formula, and the fact that the lighter shades don't sink into lip lines. I may or may not be hoarding these as well...

Cheeks - 

- Maybelline Master Hi-Light Bronzer in Light Bronze: 9 times out of 10, I wear bronzer in lieu of blush rather than to actually make myself appear more tan. I just really like the look of it - its just something I'm into lately. That being said; I love this formula and texture and Maybelline needs more colors in the range.

- Wet N Wild Color Icon Blush in Pearlescent Pink: Again, everyone said I needed it and I didn't think I needed it. Update - I needed it. This has a lovely texture, is an easy color to wear and amazing color payoff.

- Physicians Formula Sexy Booster Sexy Glow Blush in Natural: I've been loving me some Physicians Formula as of late - I caught a BOGO at Target earlier this month and now all I want is for Physicians Formula to go on sale again. I love this blush - it's super pigmented but has a natural looking sheen and smells (yes, smells) amazing.

Skin - 

- La Mer The Oil Absorbing Lotion: It very much bears mention that this is a sample size that I received a voucher for in a magazine. If I become extremely famous or win 3 consecutive lotteries, I'd consider purchasing a full size of this, but $240 for a moisturizer that doesn't really mattify my skin that much is wayyyyy to steep. What I like about this is the way it feels on my skin - I can get the luxury to this, because my skin eats this stuff up. It feels incredible. It even smells expensive. Let's just say, I'm using this sparingly. 

- Kat Von D Lock It Tattoo Concealer: I've had a decent skin month, but when I did get happen to get spots, they were stark contrasts from the rest of my skin. This stuff covers anything. The cool thing about it though, is that it's so incredibly easy to blend and really doesn't cake up.

Nails - 

- Out The Door Fast Dry Top Coat: Team Out The Door for LIFE. I love this so much more than Seche Vite - the texture is so much thinner but still dries quickly and leaves a high gloss and I feel like my polish stays on for a bit longer which is nearly impossible for my nails. LOVE.

- CoverGirl Outlast Glosstini in Rogue Red: This is so worth the three coats to reach opacity. Trust me. I love the dimension to this - and the fact it's on clearance at CVS right now!

Brushes - 

- ELF Studio Flawless Concealer Brush: This guy is besties with my Kat Von D concealer. It's like I photoshopped my blemishes off of my face in real life...

- SOHO Pro Contour Blush Brush: This has been my bronzer brush of choice this month; I feel like it distributes the perfect amount of product without going overboard and blends in the process.

Fragrance - 

- Victoria's Secret Very Sexy Now 2014: If you ever want to know what a grown up, sexy, tropical fragrance smells like; it's this. This has Coconut, Quince and Gardenia and is literally unlike anything else I have in my collection.

May has been...Positive. For the most part. I'm definitely feeling my work schedule - I enjoy working early mornings and having the rest of the day to, as I put it, "be a person". I feel like the consistency has done me good; I feel happy and healthy. Other than that, not much else has changed this month. I guess no news is good news? Maybe!

What were you guys loving this month?

Empties #1

The entirety of the time I've been writing this blog I've had the intention to include empties posts but never really actually compiled anything - I'd always forget to hold onto things. Needless to say, now I have a pretty little pink "empties box" and every time I fill it to the brim, you'll be seeing an empties post from me. Yay! Lets (dumpster) dive right in!

Makeup - 

- Seche Vite Quick Dry Top Coat: This is my second bottle of this...and the second bottle that got too goopy to use before I even finished 2/3 of it. I don't feel that I should have to buy the thinner to make this thing work for me - a product shouldn't need another product to make it work. I also didn't like that this isn't 3 Free so I will not be purchasing it again. I recently replaced it with Out The Door which is 3 Free, but I've yet to try it.

- L'Oreal Magic Smooth Mousse Foundation: I picked this up on clearance a long time ago and although I really did like it, its just too old and I need to toss it. Sadly, its been discontinued for a while.

- Urban Decay De-Slick Makeup Setting Spray: In all honesty, this didn't keep me any more matte than I started out as; but I really liked this for refining the texture of my makeup when I applied it too cakey. I have a mini of this that I'm working through that was a gift with purchase, but after I'm done with that one I probably won't repurchase. I'm quite interested in trying the Ben Nye Final Set instead.

- Flower Easy On The Eyes Longwear Eyeliner in Aubergine: I reviewed this just over a year ago (click here to read my thoughts) and it had a really nice formula, but to be honest...the packaging sucked. It was very flimsy. Fast forward a year and it is literally so dried out that it was abrasive to my hand to even swatch it. No thanks, I don't think I'll be getting another one of these.

- Maybelline Eye Studio Master Shape Brow Pencil in Soft Brown: This was my holy grail brow product. Emphasis on the was...Maybelline has broken my little heart and reformulated this. Now the reformulation isn't awful, but it's just not the same. Not to mention I have to sharpen it every single time I use it, which is really annoying. I'm almost through another one of these and I bought a backup on sale, but I have an uncertain future with this one. I've also just switched to the Anastasia Brow Wiz in Caramel, and I can definitely see the hype.

 Skincare -

 - Freeman Facial Brightening Rose Paper Mask: Can I just start off by saying that sheet masks are so weird looking. And huge! I doubt anyone has a face that big! I love the rose fragrance, but this was highly synthetic in my opinion. This was also a huge mess and left my face feeling too sticky. I wont be purchasing more of these.

- Freeman Acai Facial Purifying Clay Mask Travel Size: I actually really liked this one because it made my face look so clean and even without being irritating. However, my sister is highly allergic to Pomegranate which I'm fairly certain this has in it and I don't want to run the risk of her using this on accident or anything of the sort, so if I purchase this one, its going under lock and key.

- Montagne Jeunesse Green Tea Peel Off Masque: In all honesty, this one was quite forgettable. It did the job but wasn't life changing. 

- Freeman Cinnamon & Moroccan Lava Clay Mask Travel Size: I think this one is fairly new because there isn't a full size of it yet but I really hope they make one. I LOVE this. It doesn't irritate my skin and makes my pores look so clear. I'm really sad to see it go.

- Boscia Luminizing Black Mask: This is probably the deepest cleaning peel off mask I've ever used. I picked up this sample size in a kit on Black Friday and hoarded it as long as I could. $34 for a mask is painful, but maybe...

- The Body Shop Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask: This is definitely the heaviest duty of the clay masks, having both Kaolin and Bentonite Clay and while I really, really liked it, its a bit much to use as often as I use masks. I'd use this one every two weeks to a month depending on my skin, and thus it dried up before I could use it all...which actually makes me feel pretty decent about the fact that I'm putting something fairly natural on my face. The next time The Body Shop runs a great sale I might pick this up again.

- Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash Redness Soothing Cream Cleanser: I have a lot of redness in my skin both genetically and due to breakouts and while this wasn't a holy grail, it didn't make matters worse. I'd probably repurchase it.

- Garnier + Clean Blackhead Eliminating Scrub: I've actually already repurchased this twice if I'm not mistaken. I have oily skin and I feel like this does help keep oil a at bay for a bit and I really like the texture of it, as the charcoal granules are quite small.

- Clinique Liquid Facial Soap Mild: I've tried this so many times, but I'm just too cheap to purchase it on a regular basis. I really actually enjoy it - the fragrance is quite tolerable and faint and its not too watery of a texture. This was a sample size, but if the price was a bit lower, I'd use it more often.

- Olay Fresh Effects Shine, Shine Go Away: How many times have I purchased this? I've honestly lost count, but I really, really like it. It has kaolin in it which fares well with my skin and makes it a really great morning cleanser to give me a matte canvas to start with, without drying my skin out. Right now I'm trying a cleanser with rice protein in it as a mattifying agent, so I'll soon have a comparison between the two.

- Absolute Makeup Cleansing Wipes in Vitamin C Extract: I use these mostly for eye makeup and swatch removal. I firmly do not believe in spending a whole lot of money on makeup removing towelettes and my mom finds whole 5 or 6 packs of these for $5 or less. It beats spending $6 for one pack from Neutrogena.

- Mario Badescu Ceramide Herbal Eye Cream Sample: I'm quite torn on this. While it was definitely moisturizing for my eye area without making my lids more oily - and had an impressively short ingredients list to boot - it simply didn't keep. I use eye cream every night and it turned to a weird consistency before I used it all. Maybe it was the sample jar packaging? I'm working through an Ole Hendrickson eye gel right now, but I may consider this one in the future after a bit of research to see if this was an issue across the board.

- Garnier Moisture Rescue Refresh Gel Creme: This was my daily moisturizer for literally years as it efficiently hydrates my skin without making it more oily than it already is. I'm using a mattifying day creme from Boots Botanicals right now that's a completely different texture, but I would repurchase this one - I'm just not sure which I like better right now.

- Mario Badescu Oil Free Moisturizer SPF 30 Sample: I really liked this because it didn't make my skin more oily and had a decent SPF, but I had the same issue with this as I did with the other Mario Badescu sample as it didn't keep. Not only did it not keep, but it literally fused itself shut!

Body - 

- Bath and Body Works Eucalyptus Spearmint Body Wash: This was limited edition packaging, but is still available in the Aromatherapy line. I've been using this fragrance for years and I'm still not tired of it. I literally have almost every form; body mist, rollerball, lotion, bath soak, candle, scentportable, etc. I love, love, love it!

- St. Ives Oatmeal and Shea Butter Body Wash: Since I've been eating so much healthier and losing weight, I've found myself much more sensitive to smells than before and I have no idea why. Needless to say, I'm a pain in the butt when I have to buy things like shampoo and body wash because I have to smell everything and I'll probably hate a good half of it.This was one that I liked, but the formula was just so-so. It wasn't as nourishing as I anticipated.

- Caress Emerald Rush: I believe this is new for the spring. I'm definitely not a stranger to Caress' line, and I do prefer some of their other fragrances to this (my all time fave is Scarlet Blossom, which I can't find anywhere this time of year!) - I really like the White Tea note to this, as it reminds me of a discontinued fragrance that I loved from Victoria's Secret called White Tea and Sage - but I wasn't too keen on the Gardenia. It didn't smell like Gardenia to me, and pulled to waxy citrus-y scent that didn't impress me. I have Daily Silk in my shower right now, which if I'm thinking correctly, was the first one I used from the brand.  I'm fairly certain that these do have sulfates pretty close to the beginning of the ingredients list, but they don't dry out my skin. I honestly really like the range of fragrances in this line.

- Victoria's Secret Perfect Body Pink Sea Salt Body Polish: Before you listen to me swoon over this, keep in mind that it's discontinued. This was a mini size I got in a kit. This scrub has the most lovely texture, and has the exfoliating agents suspended in a body butter like base that turns into a milky consistency with water. I could use this every single day and not have my skin feel irritated or over exfoliated at all because of it. The full size is a good four or five times larger than this sample size and when it went on clearance, I didn't just buy one or two, but three of these!

- Aveda Personal Blends Bath Salts in #2 Key Element Water: I've been receiving a free Personal Blends item during my birthday month for the past few years from Aveda and I hope they didn't do away with the fragrance because this smells divine. Its a mix of Rose, Geranium and Eucalyptus and is unlike anything I've ever smelled before. I'm hoarding a small bit of body wash in this scent for a rainy day and I also have it in the lotion and the perfume spray. If Aveda ever does (or has) decide to get rid of this, I will RIOT! 

- The Body Shop Honeymania Bubble Bath Melt: Honeymania is one of my favorite fragrances from The Body Shop - right up there with Shea and my oh so beloved Almond. I actually really liked this product. In the bubble department, its not in Lush Bubble Bar territory but it still provided a good amount of bubbles. What really impressed me was how crazy fragrant this was. It engulfs the entire bathroom in the Honeymania fragrance and lingers on the skin afterward. I really liked this, but I went through it so fast that I'll probably wait for an offer to repurchase.

Haircare - 

- Pantene Pro-V Volume Triple Action Mousse for Fine Hair: I have fine hair, but I have a lot of it, so this provided enough hold without being too overly crunchy. I'm trying something new at the moment for the sake of trying something new, but I've repurchased this before a good two or three times.

- Tresemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo: This is awful...literally awful. I purchased this because it was in a two pack so I could give one to my sister and we both threw them away before using even a fourth of them. This only absorbs oil for a very short amount of time and then you're left with greasy hair with a nearly gummy finish to it. Not okay. 

Miscellaneous - 

- Publix Brand Baby Shampoo: I wash my brushes with baby shampoo and I just buy the generic to save money. This time it was Publix - shout out to my fellow Floridians who shop at Publix!

- BioTrue Contact Solution: Remember when I had an allergic reaction from trying a new contact solution? After that nightmare I vowed to never use anything else but BioTrue. If you wear contacts, this will speak to you; BioTrue, to me feels like the solution that your contacts are originally in when you first open them. 

- Acuvue Oasys: If my memory serves me correctly, I've always been an Acuvue wearer and they get better with each new release. I could probably count on one hand the times since I've used Oasys lenses that I've felt the whole "wow, my eyes feel dry" sensation. I don't feel these when I'm wearing them - which is part them being really great and part the fact that I've been wearing contact lenses for nearly ten years now (Man, I'm getting old!) but it still impresses me since I have a slight astigmatism. 

- Yankee Candle Island Spa Tart: I have such a collection of tarts that I'm trying to burn though some of them before I allow myself any more - in my defense, I used to work for the brand! Island Spa is a great summer fragrance with mandarin orange and lemon verbena. Its citrus-y without being too sweet and I really like it. The soft teal color was a nice touch as well.

- Yankee Candle Black Coconut Tart: This one says that it is Coconut, Cedarwood and Island Blossoms, but I swear that there has to be a touch of Tonka Bean in it. I like that this isn't your average Coconut fragrance that smells like a mixed drink, it has a sophisticated air to it.

- Yankee Candle Turquoise Sky Tart: Oh, Turquoise Sky. I found myself really obsessed with this last spring and stocked up. I still have a couple left and I'm still not tired of it. It's a perfect fresh fragrance with notes of sea grass and musk. And I know I said that I'm trying not to buy more tarts, but I made the mistake of going on Yankee Candle's website to look up fragrance notes and I may or may not be feeling a mighty need for some (or all) of the new fragrances. Darn it...

If it could have taken me any longer to finish this post, I swear we'd be in some post apocalyptic world where my empties are the least of our concerns, but finally we've hit the end of my first empties post! Later this week I'll have my April Favorites posted, maybe actually before the first of the next month for once? 

We can only hope. Have a great day/night/what have you, everyone!

February/March Favorites!

Since I was definitely out of sorts the whole month of February, not much liking of basically anything was happening during that time - plus, its a short month right? I decided to just combine the two and make a supermonth!

And apologies for not being able to think up a good name for said supermonth. Farch sounded...odd. Mebruary? Maybe?

These are the things I've been loving within the last two months!

(I'm from Florida...you'll have to deal with my citrus bowl in the background. I've been on a tangerine binge lately since I've been eating so healthy as of late. They're my go-to snack.)

In terms of eye products I've been rediscovering old flames and trying to create looks with them that I've yet to try, so I'm all over the place. As many of you know, I have quite oily lids, so primer on its own simply does not cut it for me - so a eyeshadow base is necessary for me. These are two somewhat new acquisitions; the MAC Prolongwear Paint Pot in Stormy Pink - which is a matte, pink-ish taupe that is the me-est me color that has ever existed, and the Maybelline LE Color Tattoo in Nude Compliment - which is again...a taupe, but the range really lacked that! I love this under Pewter from the Lorac Pro, MAC Satin Taupe, yadda yadda. I could go on for hours.

Although I've been trying to "shop my stash" this month to rediscover old flames, I was really enamored with new items, which make up three of the four in this group. I purchased MAC Viva Glam V in either late January or early February and it stayed in my purse for a majority of the time since. I get the hype on this one now. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Primrose - I feel like I underappreciated this shade when I initially purchased it. I bought this a couple years ago when I was initially getting into MAC lipsticks, so I was used to the huge amount of color they impart and this kinda wasn't doing it for me. I was recently swatching all of of my Super Lustrous Lipsticks for an upcoming post (hint, hint!) and I really just fell head over heels for this one. Its about time. I feel like no one else was as in love with this shade as I am, but I just really adore the L'Oreal Colour Riche Extraordinaire in Purple Prelude. We all know how I feel about purple lippies and this is a great addition to my collection because it's purple without being purple, if that makes any sense. It just goes so well with my skin tone and is very comfortable to wear. I have two other shades from the line as well. Last, but very much not least is the Milani Lip Intense Liquid Color in Violet Addict. I held off on this for so long because I have so many colors in the bright violet family and I thought this would be too similar. After I watched EmilyNoel83's video  about this line, I was sold. It's a lot more pink than the packaging lets on, but not so pink that its a fuchsia shade. Not to mention, it was super comfortable to wear and doesn't feather.

I've been a fan of the understated cheek color within the last month as well. I really enjoy the texture of the Maybelline Face Studio Master Hi-Light Blush in Nude because it has such a fine glow to it. For a drugstore highlighter/blush, I expected this to be super chunky and awful but it is literally so great! I'm quite fair, so I wear this as a blush (while most find it too light) and just pack it on. I really wish Maybelline would extend their shade range for these! Something strange also happened earlier this year. I've owned bronzer's previous to this, but they've been a once in a while thing and I wasn't confident in them. Long story short, I was wearing Ruby Woo from MAC and I forgot to wear blush, so I tried this Victoria's Secret Baked Mineral Bronzing Powder in Glowing on just to put some life back into my face. It is the lightest shade in the range and has a moderate shimmer, but I wear this in place of a blush at least once a week and I adore it. Now, this next one is so old that it doesn't even have a label anymore. (props if you guessed it right though!) I've had a rekindling with the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Translucent and I'm revealing more and more pan each day. The last product in this group, Maybelline SuperStay 24HR Foundation in Classic Ivory is another rediscover. I adore the coverage of this one because it looks like skin and it covers my redness remarkably. However, the shade is ever so slightly a bit too dark for me. I can make it work, but it is definitely one of those that I have to apply in good lighting just to make sure. There is a shade coded as "light 20" whereas this is "light 30" but I'm not certain if it is lighter than this one or if it just has a pinker undertone than this one, which would defeat the purpose of neutralizing my skin a bit. I also don't know if this foundation is on it's way out because, to put it blatantly, the color selection of this one on the brand's website sucks!

There has been an effort made to do my nails so far this year, I swear. It seems useless at times, seeing as I have to open more cardboard boxes in a single day than some people do in an entire lifetime, cute manicures don't last too long for me. While I haven't been too on board with the textured nail trend, there are a couple that sneak in sometimes, and L'Oreal Too Dimensional? is one of them. The color is very unique, as it is a base of a nearly navy blue with silver shimmer and gold shimmer that peeks out every so often. It is very pretty. The next one is nearly impossible to capture true to color in photographs I was wearing Butter London Wallis not too long ago and tried to Instagram it to no avail. It's literally GORGEOUS.

As someone with oily skin, facial oils completely freak me out. I receive the Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil as a 100 point perk from Sephora and thought "what the heck, why not?". However, I tend to get patches of dry skin around the sides of my chin and occasionally right under my nose (I don't even know...) and this works as a great spot treatment for that. I don't use it everyday, but I don't have a need to either. I use it at night occasionally and by the morning the dry patches are gone and do not return for a good week or so or until I'm a little too harsh on my skin - which I've been known to do. The struggle of oily skin is real!

Thanks to this thing right here, I was able to go on an extra "Back2MAC" trip. I'd been wanting to depot my MAC blushes for some time now to save some space (minus my one and only special edition packaging one of course!) and I caved and got a Large Duo MAC Pro Palette. I don't understand the hype about the Z-Palettes now, because this was only $8. I now have this and two Single palettes, one for my MAC shadows and one for my Urban Decay shadows.

This is what it looks like open - I like the idea of the double sided for blushes because if I finagle it right, I may be able to fit 14 in here. And, although the MUA at MAC warned me about depotting blushes, I'm glad to report no issues! 

Usually during the early spring months, I find myself wearing Floral fragrances nearly exclusively. So far this spring has been different and I'm quite weirded out by it. The Jergen's BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream in Light wasn't something I initially was going to purchase because I have so many lotions already, but my mom has a light/medium skin tone and purchased this shade and found it did nothing for her skin. So she gave it to me and I fell in love with it! It's just a touch glowy and smells so nice and warm and sweet without being vanilla-y. This next fragrance is sadly discontinued, so I apologize, but I've worn it at least once a week for the past two months. Victoria's Secret Dream Angels Forever again, is a warmer fragrance and definitely nice for the winter months, but the thing about it is that it lasts FOREVER on my skin. I can spray this on at 5am and still smell it a bit over 12 hours later. That is some lasting power!

My goal for April, beauty wise, is to find some more products to rediscover - because it seems that I'm having luck with that so far! I'll have more for you guys in a few days!