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!

August Favorites!

Let's just heave a sigh that its now over. August wasn't too much of a vast improvement over July, between school and work and just all around feeling icky. Needless to say, I'm trying to approach September with a better and brighter attitude and renewed creativity. And a new camera battery. *Cue Hallelujah chorus*

But fall is approaching - and you can see it in the drugstore. I can't wait to break out my berry and vampy shades!

For how little I actually got excited about this month, I actually have a decent amount of favorites - and most of them are new ins! Retail therapy? Probably.

Can we count my desk as a whole as a favorite?? I've had it for about 2 months now but I love it! I needed a workstation - badly.

Eyes:

The two palettes are:

- Too Faced Pretty Rebel - I was actually pleasantly surprised with this one. I was able to get several cohesive looks out of this, which is the test of a great palette - I wasn't having to reach for a different browbone shade, etc. There really lacks a dud in this one, and some of the shades are really out of this world. I reviewed this one here.

- Bare Minerals The Power Neutrals - If its Bare Minerals and 100%, we all knew it was a must have for me. I like that this is a cooler toned neutral palette. Did I need it, since I already have the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette? Not really, but I can't get over how great of an eyeshadow formula Bare Minerals has on their hands. I reviewed this here.

The four singles and primer are:

- Darling Girl Brocade - This is a one and done shade. I applied it dry all over my lid and into the crease and then applied it with mixing medium to bring out the golden shift on the inner two thirds of the lid. I will likely be wearing this a lot this autumn, its incredible!

- Maybelline Pomegranate Punk - I've been feeling this kind of shade lately, reds and cranberries and burgundies. I used this as a base under LORAC Garnet from the LORAC Pro Palette and oh my everloving goodness was it lovely. I use at least one color tattoo as a base at least 6 out of the 7 days in a week. I love them!

- MAC Patina - I overlooked Patina for so long, thinking it wouldn't flatter me. I'm in love with it because its warm, but not so warm that I can't use it all the time. Very unique shade, and I now see why this is raved about so much in the blogging/youtube community.

- MAC Brun - I've been wanting this one for some time now. I needed a really dark crease/liner/whatever else shade for when Copperplate just wasn't enough (gasp! Don't freak out, Copperplate is still one of my all time faves!). It has great pigment and works with almost everything I put it with. I'm slowly building my MAC palette to a one and done palette - but since I moved my Urban Decay shadow's into their own palette, theres still a lot of room to fill up!

- Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy - This lives up to it's hype, I'll tell you that. I don't know if it is the thicker and stickier texture, but this stuff is like glue. I'm glad I finally tried this. I am in desperate need of doing a post about mixing mediums!

Lips:

From left to right - 

- MAC Pink Plaid - I've probably featured this before, but this has been the only lipstick I've really wore this month. Its a medium cool pink on my skin and looks polished without being overly bright - which I just wasn't feeling this month.

- Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Rose - My birthday is in December, so I just recently ran out of the clear version of this that I got from Sephora for my birthday. I really love the formula, so I've been using this one to moisturize my lips. Its kind of been a copout, since it does have the light tint in it, I've just been kind of choosing this in lieu of an actual lipcolor.

Cheeks:

Minus Illamasqua Katie (which shouldn't surprise anyone) this - Tarte Fantastic - is one of the only blushes that I've actually worn more than once this month. This was part of a holiday set, but Tarte does make very similar shades in the permanent range. I've been doing a "shop my stash" of sorts with my blushes, and wearing ones that needed a little love.

Face: 

I, for some reason have been hoarding foundations this month, and theres been a whole lot of testing going on. From left to right I have:

- Maybelline Superstay - I actually really like this so far. The formula is matte without being cakey or accentuating my pores. So far, so good.

- Wet 'N Wild Coverall - I can't believe how much I like this versus how cheap it was! $3.99! I'm okay with that! So I got the pressed powder that goes with it and I've been mostly using it as a setting powder, but it gives enough coverage for me to wear it alone with a primer if I'm, say, running to the grocery store or something of the sort. Love!

Brushes:

We all know I hoard brushes, so these are all new ins. From left to right these are;

- Ecotools Sheer Finish Kabuki Brush - My sister absorbed my other duo fiber brush, and I was in desperate need of a new one, so I picked this up. I'm normally not much of a Kabuki person, but I really like it. Its soft, easy to hold onto, and kind of makes me feel like I'm sitting at a vanity putting on makeup in a black and white movie. 

- Sonia Kashuk Synthetic Buffing Brush - I love my Real Techniques buffing brush, don't get me wrong, but this one is a little bit bigger and thus, faster. I use this on larger areas and my Real Techniques on smaller areas most of the time. 

- SOHO Contour Blush Brush - I got this at Walgreens on sale, and its not listed on the website, so I'm assuming its been discontinued. I really like angled brushes for applying lesser pigmented blushes, because I feel like the flat side of them picks up the product evenly rather than the regular dome of a blush brush. 

- Ecotools Deluxe Fan Brush - This is the believable highlighting brush,  my friends. If I try to highlight with my ELF fan brush using anything else but something like NARS Albatross, nothing is going to show up. This is dense enough to pick up some product, while still being thin enough to deposit product in the right areas. I've used it across the whole cheek with a very pigmented blush for something more understated as well, and it works great. All around great brush.

- Ecotools Angled Eyeliner Brush - This has a great amount of density to be used in the brows without being too thick. I personally like the Real Techniques Eyeliner Brush a lot, but for people who found that one too big, this may be the answer.

- Ecotools Concealer Brush - Its brush cleaning day today, don't judge me. I primarily use this for cream or pigment eyeshadows, as you can see by the war between Maybelline Waves of White and Fyrinnae Wizards' Wedding Cake on it. I love these kind of brushes for cream shadow purposes, especially in terms of bases, because of the larger size.

Hair:

I've become so lazy with my hair now that it is finally long enough to put into a tiny little bun. Its my curse. However, when I've actually been styling it, I've taken to the Got2B Ultra Glued Invisible Styling Gel. Seriously, where was this stuff during my younger punk days. It has the most strong hold I've ever come across and accentuates my layers in a really awesome, spiky manner. It also smells like lemongrass to me, which is a win in and of itself.

I've also heard everyone and their dog rave about Aussie 3 Minute Miracle - so I figured that since I have a little bit of volume to spare thanks to my shampoo and all around shorter hair, that it wouldn't weigh me down too much. It actually did nothing to weigh my hair down, but did everything to improve my hair. I used this a week ago and my hair still is in wonderful shape after several washes. I definitely get the hype!

Skincare:

I've been all about taking better care of my skin this month, and I've already seen a difference in it! These aren't my extensive day to day products of choice, but rather the ones that really stuck out to me and are new in my rotation. From left to right these are;

- Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil - I've been using this in two places; the furrow of my brows to stave of frown lines and on the sides of my chin where I have hormonal dry skin. In terms of frown lines, its definitely more of a precautionary measure, but for my dry skin it has definitely made a huge difference.

- Make Up For Ever Sens'Eyes Waterproof Sensitive Eye Cleanser - This has such a strange consistency but it doesn't irritate my eyes in the least and gets off every single bit of makeup (even my Maybelline Illegal lengths, which I accidentally bought in waterproof and is a pain in the tush to get off!)

- Mario Badescu Strawberry Face Scrub - I received this as a sample and I thought I was going to hate it at first. Basically, its strawberry seeds suspended in a creamy cleanser. Turns out I'm in love. It exfoliates my skin without being too abrasive and the cleanser itself just feels and smells wonderful.

- Olay Fresh Effects Va-Va-Vivid Powered Contour Cleansing Brush - I noted how much I love Olay Fresh Effects Shine Minimizing cleanser, and this brush came with a sample size of it! I really like that the brush does more to buff the cleanser into the skin rather than being a harsh exfoliator.

Nails:

From left to right:

- Essie Mochachino - I don't care how much of a fall color this is, its stunning. Its kind of a brownish taupe with shimmer and its literally at all time favorite status by now.

- Essie The Girls Are Out - This polish has a phenomenal formula. Its nearly opaque in one go and the shimmer is there, just kind of subtle. Very pretty.

- China Glaze Refresh Mint - This is on the bluer size of the mint spectrum, which sets it apart. Its on my toes as we speak.

Fragrance:

From left to right these are;

- Bath and Body Works Caribbean Escape - It wouldn't be a favorites post without a Pocketbac! This one has been on my desk all month, so its been getting a lot of use. This one is very fragrant! Funny fact, I have these stashed everywhere. One in my bag, one on my desk, one in my car and one on my nightstand. Germaphobe? Maybe.

- Victoria's Secret Bombshell Forever - This fragrance has a touch of boysenberry in it, which makes it really different! Its fun and fruity without being obviously fruity, if that makes any sense.

- Bath and Body Works Sexy Dahlia Rush - This has been a great transition into fall fragrance. I've definitely been enjoying it.

Phew! That was a lot! To be honest, I'm very excited about what this autumn will hold makeup wise. I've seen a lot of awesome collections popping up, so I can't wait!