January Empties & Mini-Reviews

IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Finishing Powder: This is the jumbo size of Bye Bye Pores and it took me foreeevvverrr to finish. Not that I minded; it's one of the very best finishing powders I've ever used. After I used this up, I tried using some Dermablend Setting Powder I had sitting around from before I used BBP and there's just no comparison. BBP is so finely milled and mattifying, yet it never looks powdery or heavy. It keeps shine down all day and smooths out the skin flawlessly. I went out and bought another container of BBP after only a few days with the Dermablend.

Urban Decay Primer Potion: Holy shit, I finished an eye primer! Yes, it's a mini that probably came with a palette, but even one these seems like a lifetime supply! This is my HG shadow primer.

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment: This is a nice lip balm but honestly with how much hype it gets (not to mention how pricey it is), I expected more. It's not bad at all, but I didn't think it was anything to write home about. I prefer the Jack Black lip balms any day.

Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab Top Coat: I've written of my love for Gel Lab many times. You can read my full review HERE. The review is on the old formula but I've tried the new Gel Lab Pro and it's even more fantastic!

Pur Minerals Big Blink Mascara: I've gone through a couple tubes of this now and I think it's woefully underrated. It reminds me a lot of Benefit They're Real. You get very nice volume from Big Blink, without any clumping. Plus it has argan oil in it to help condition your lashes.

Urban Decay Subversion Mascara Primer: I had to force myself to get rid of this, because I've been continuing to use it way past its prime. This is one of the best mascara primers I've tried so far. I can totally see a difference in how thick my lashes look when I use it and it really helps you get the most "oomph" out of your favorite mascara. My only complaint is I wish it went on black instead of white, but otherwise this is some good stuff!

Philosophy Purity Made Simple (2 deluxe sample sizes): Another Nailed HG! You can read my full review HERE.

Anastasia Brow Wiz in Dark Brown: Seriously, how many HG products did I run out of this month?! I love Brow Wiz because of how much control the fine tip gives you and the amount of "give" with this pencil is just right--not so stiff that it feels waxy it not so creamy that you apply too much. I also appreciate the included spookiest on the other end. (There's usually scrap over it but I lost mine somewhere.) The hype for this product is SO well-deserved. I already had a back-up ready and waiting in the wings so I wouldn't have to go without my Brow Wiz!

Tony Moly I'm Real Avocado Sheet Mask: I've purchased this mask a few times now and I think it may be my favorite of the I'm Real line. I'm a big fan of sheet masks in general for how handy they are as a travel buddy or a quick fix. This is great for when your skin is dehydrated or dull-looking. It provides a nice dose of hydration and nourishment to help put your complexion back on the right track.

First Aid Beauty Vitamin Hydrating Mist: If you're a fan of facial mists and you haven't tried this one yet, definitely give it a look. I loved how refreshing it felt on my skin and the citrus smell is to die for! I used it primarily as a makeup setting spray and it looks so pretty and dewy over makeup. I wish they made larger sizes of this because I went through the 2 oz bottle pretty quickly.

No7 Beautiful Skin Quick Thinking Wipes: I only keep face wipes around in case of a night where I'm absolutely too tired to do my whole skincare routine. I'm acne-prone and my skin does NOT appreciate it when it's denied all its usual washes and serums and creams. These No7 wipes are some of the only ones that don't irritate my sensitive skin. (The Neutrogena, Yes To Cucumbers and elf ones all made my face  burn, especially the Neutrogena.) I try to use these very, very sparingly so the last few wipes are usually sort of dried up by the time I get to them, which is a little annoying. But I like that these don't enrage my skin like so many other wipes. I recently got a Make Up Eraser and I'm seriously impressed with it so I think that'll be filling my "face wipe" role for the foreseeable future, otherwise I'd get another pack of these.

Bath & Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar Bubble Bath: I love baths. I love vanilla-scented things. It's pretty self-explanatory why I got this. I love the Bath & Body Works bubble baths. They're strongly fragranced and produce tons of long-lasting bubbles.

Simple Micellar Water: Meh. I wanted to try this after reading so many positive blog reviews. I thought it'd be a good alternative to using face wipes, but it actually took way longer to remove all my makeup and didn't make my face feel any cleaner than the wipes. It would take several cotton large pads saturated with Micellar water to do what one wipe did. I wouldn't mind that if it made my skin feel more thoroughly cleansed, but it didn't. I resorted to using this as an eye makeup remover so that I wouldn't waste this whole bottle and while it worked adequately well for that, I was disappointed by this product overall.

Tony Moly Angel Glow Ring Hair Mask: This mask contains both a cream solution to put on your hair and a hair cap to put on over the mask. It's supposed to make your hair soft and shiny. I'll get to whether or not it did that in a second, but before I go any further, HOLY SHIT THIS BURNS. I am a bleach blonde so I've got a pretty high threshold for stuff irritating my scalp, but a few minutes after I put the cap on, I started to notice a weird tingling sensation. This quickly developed into a full-on burning feel, to the point that I had to rinse the mask out sooner than I would have liked. I was not prepared for how intense it felt and I have no idea if my reaction is a normal one, but I was not about to risk a chemical burn on my scalp. That said, my hair looked and felt ridiculously silky after this mask, but I would be too scared to ever try it again.

Wow, that's one looooonnnggg empties post! So I won't drag it on any longer. :) If you've tried any of the products I finished this month, I'd love to hear your thoughts on them!

December Empties & Mini Reviews

Another month, another set of empties! I hope you all are enjoying this addition to Nailed, because I'm having a lot of fun keeping track of my empties. I started blogging about them in an attempt to motivate me to finish more of the products in my ridiculously huge stash and I feel like it's really working. I've already surprised myself with how much I've been able to get through! Here's what I finished up this past month!

Philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleanser: This is desert island, HG, must-have... Whatever you want to call it, I just NEED this fantastic makeup remover in my life no matter what! You can read my full review HERE for more details on Purity's awesomeness.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara: I've really come around on this. At first I thought it was kinda clumpy but I got the hang of it after a while and quickly became obsessed with the volume this mascara gives! I feel like the formula performs better after it dries up a teensy bit in the tube. It's a little too "wet" before that and would gum up my lashes. This mini came with my Stardust Palette and I found it completely dried out waaaayyy quicker than my full-sized tube did. I would definitely re-purchase a full-sized one again.

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara: Delivers everything it promises: length, lift and definition--even with my straight, stubby lashes. It is strictly a lengthening mascara though, so you'll need to layer a more volumizing mascara over top if you want more dramatic lashes. Makes a fantastic partner for Better Than Sex.

Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus: It's hard to draw too many conclusions from a sample size, but overall I enjoyed my trial run with this serum. It's got a nice, smooth texture that makes my skin feel soft and supple, plus I love that it can be used for both face and eyes.

Algenist Firming and Lifting Cream: This moisturizer is rich without feeling greasy or heavy. Lack of volume isn't really a concern of mine (I have a super round face) so I can't comment on it it really lifted or plumped my skin, but I did enjoy the feel of it. A good choice for the winter months. I've used several other Algenist products (I got this one as a gift with purchase) and have liked them quite a bit, especially the Complete Eye Renewal Balm.

Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation in Light 44: This stuff will cover anything! I've repurchased it several times because I love the full, flawless coverage it gives and how long it wears. I had a little trouble with the texture when I first used it, because it is quite thick and it dries fast, but applying with a Beauty Blender made a huge difference and helped me fall completely in love with this foundation. I don't recommend it for dry skin, as it's extremely matte, but if you have oily skin and want/need serious coverage, give this a try! I always get a lot of compliments on my skin when I wear it, which makes this acne-prone girl feel good!

MAC Pro Longwear Foundation in NW15: Another favorite foundation. I wish it had slightly more coverage (just my preference), but I adore the longevity and smooth finish of the formula. I'd describe it as a medium-buildable foundation, so you can layer it to full coverage if desired. 

IT Cosmetics Brow Power: I used this pencil exclusively until I discovered the magic of Anastasia Brow Wiz. It's still a fantastic product, but I've come to prefer the skinny tip and more precise application of Brow Wiz to the wider, oval-shaped stick of Brow Power. This is a great pencil for filling brows--it'll even fill in and stick to areas where you have hair--but the wider tip makes it a little trickier to shape your brows. I'm a big fan of the IT line in general and find most of their products to be excellent quality and this one is no exception; I just found something I like better for me.

Jack Black Lip Balm in Natural Mint: No, this line has no relation to the actor. They do make a fantastic lip balm though! This is one of the very few I've tried where I feel like my lips are being nourished and hydrated, not just covered in gel that will leave my lips feeling parched again in a few hours. The mint gives it a very cooling, soothing feel on the lips too.

Redken All Soft Heavy Cream: A great conditioning treatment for dry, brittle hair. I like to do a mask of this and Redken Extreme mixed together to help keep my hair healthy after bleaching it.

Elizabeth and Janes Nirvana Black Dry Shampoo: I knew I'd love the scent of this, because Nirvana Black is one of my very favorite perfumes, but I didn't expect it to be such an amazing dry shampoo too! Really de-gunks and de-greases. Why don't more fragrance brands make dry shampoos? It's a pretty clever idea. The scent is a woodsy mix of sandalwood and vanilla--very sensual yet cozy too. 

Bath & Body Works PocketBac in Heirloom Pear: I always have one of these clipped on my purse. This one smells like pears... Yep. That's pretty much it.

So there you have it: December is in the books! I'm off to a pretty slow start with January empties so far, so I don't think I'll finish quite as many products as I did this past month.

What was your favorite product you recently finished? I'm always looking for new recommendations, so feel free to let me know in the comments section! :)