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! :)

November Empties & Mini-Reviews

Lush Herbalism Cleanser: Lots of Lush empties for me this month! This is my HG cleanser and I've gone through many containers of it by now. I did a full write-up on it HERE.

Bed Head Rockaholic Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo: This is one of the best dry shampoos I've tried--shame it's so pricey. It does an excellent job of de-gunking your hair and adds great volume too. I go through dry shampoo super fast, so I stock up on this when it's on sale.

Lush Charity Pot Hand and Body Lotion: A nice rich (but not too greasy) body lotion. I bought this on a whim, because I liked that 100% of the selling price goes to various charities supported by Lush, and wound up really enjoying it. I used it for quite a while and then suddenly my boyfriend decided he hated the smell. It just smells like cocoa butter to me, so I told him he'd have to live with it. :p

Lush D'Fluff Strawberry Shaving Soap: This is a creamy soap that creates a light, conditioning lather for shaving. I will definitely purchase another pot of this! A little goes a long way, but without gumming up your razor. Plus it has a delicious strawberry scent!

Lush Yummy Mummy Body Conditioner: The concept of limited edition skincare is always a frustrating one for me. I don't mind it as much with color products, because it takes me forever to use up a lipstick or eyeshadow. I get that Lush has to make room for new goodies each season, but it sucks when you fall in love with a skincare product that's no longer available! Lush's body conditioners are like an in-shower body lotion. You leave them on for a minute or two, then rinse and enjoy your ultra soft skin! This one has organic cocoa butter and almond oil, making it super rich and creamy. The scent is divine! It smells like strawberries and honey to me. I absolutely adored this product and I hope Lush brings it back next spring!

Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion for Dry Skin: I was using this a ton until I fell head over heels for Yummy Mummy, then finished it off after Yummy Mummy was done. It's formulated with shea butter and that's the only real scent it has to it. It's not as rich or as fragrant as Yummy Mummy, but I still enjoyed it and will likely re-purchase.

Mally Volumizing Mascara: I have a tendency to hang on to mascaras way too long and I finally had to force myself to chuck this one, because it was getting super dry and past its prime. This is easily the blackest mascara I've ever used. I love how thick and dark it makes my lashes. I suggest layering this over a lengthening mascara if you have short, stubby lashes like me, because it really gives more thickness than length.

Clinique Turnaround Concentrate Extra Radiance Renewer: I've tried quite a few brightening serums and this is one of the best! I've always felt I have a naturally dull complexion and after a couple weeks of using this, I noticed my skin seemed more vibrant and glowing. Clinique recommends wearing their serums over a moisturizer and while that's the opposite of everything I've been taught, I followed the directions and it definitely worked! I'll have to get another bottle of this!

Mario Badescu  Facial Spray With Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater: I can't live without a good facial mist, especially in the wintertime! I'm a big fan of the Mario Badescu line in general. They make wonderful products and I love the philosophy behind the line where they don't spend money on advertising and excess packaging, so they can provide high-quality ingredients at a budget-friendly price point. Almost all of their skincare products are less than $30! I was turned on to this spray by a co-worker who swore by it as a setting spray and it works great as a post-skincare mist too! It feels very soothing and refreshing on the skin.

October Empties & Mini-Reviews

Phew! I had a really productive month for empties! I actually found that having this post to do really helped motivate me to work through products, which is good because I have a lot of beauty-related stuff at home! So hopefully you guys are enjoying these posts too. :) We have a ton of ground to cover, so let's get to it!

Lush Oatifix Mask: This just might be my new favorite Lush mask! I adore Cupcake, but this one is amazing! Look for a full review shortly, but my quick take is it really helps soften, smooth and soothe skin. Plus it smells ridiculously yummy, since it contains bananas, vanilla and ground almonds! I am always so tempted to have a little bite, but I'm sure it wouldn't taste anywhere near as good as it smells. :p

Philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleanser: My HG makeup remover! I've gone through at least half a dozen bottles of this and always have a back-up on standby. Read my full review HERE.

Philosophy Homemade Honey Buns: I love Philosophy's shower gels. I always have either a Lush or Philosophy one in my shower. They have such a rich, creamy lather and come in lots of great scents! I prefer the food ones, myself. I believe this was a Christmas scent of Philosophy's last year? It smells like honey and warm dough with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Sadly it doesn't appear to be returning this year.

Bed Head Rockaholic Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo: This is my absolute favorite dry shampoo. A co-worker recommended it to me after I told her I felt dry shampoo did nothing for me. I've never found one that de-greases hair as well as this and it's got a nice scent to it as well. I try to stock up when it goes on sale, because otherwise it costs like $22 and I tend to go through dry shampoo very fast. If you feel like dry shampoo hasn't worked for you in the past, definitely try this one!

It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Lite: I love It's a 10! I use this every day before I blow dry as a detangler and heat protectant. It's great for eliminating frizz too and is absolutely weightless on my hair. I only bought the Lite because I found it on crazy low clearance (I think I got a two-pack for like seven bucks?) but normally I use the original in the blue bottle. 

Exuviance Brightening Bionic Eye Cream: I swear there is like a portal to Narnia or something inside this bottle, because I'd been using this eye cream forever, yet it never seemed to run out--not that I'm complaining, mind you, I love it! This has Vitamin K for treating dark circles. When I use this regularly, I need little to no undereye concealer. Awesome stuff!

Lush Marilyn Hair Treatment: I've really been meaning to do a full review on this, because it's one of my very favorite hair products from Lush. I'm bleach blonde (naturally brunette) and sometimes I need a little help between color appointments. That's where Marilyn comes in! This is a natural brightening mask that uses linseed oil and chamomile infusion to brighten and condition blonde hair. The packaging mentions that Mediterranean women have been laying out in the sun with chamomile in their hair for ages to help lighten their locks, so I like to follow their example and lie outside with a good book while I let Marilyn soak a while. It gives my blonde a nice boost that lasts a few days, plus it leaves my hair feeling super smooth and silky! This product and AG Sterling Silver Purple Shampoo are my must-haves for blondes!

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara: I have to admit that the first couple times I tried this, I hated it. It was really clumpy on me. But then after I had it set to the side for a while, I decided to go back to it and it seemed like the formula had dried down a bit (in a good way) to where it was more manageable to use. While I think the naughty name is a big part of why this mascara is so popular, it is really good. For extra impact, I like layering it over a lengthening mascara like Benefit Roller Lash.

NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base: Urban Decay's Primer Potion is my HG, but this comes real close! The only thing I don't like is the tube-style container. I feel like you waste so much product with these! Although this is "empty," I'm sure there's a lot more still in the tube that I just can't reach with the wand applicator.

Milani Infinite Liquid Eyeliner in 03 Eternal: This isn't so much an empty as it is completely dried up. I went to use this and found it was all gummy and the brush is completely splayed and hardened to a point beyond saving. Bummer. I remember liking this but I wouldn't repurchase based on how quickly it went bad. I also bought this in a blue shade at the same time and that one still looks fine.

TonyMoly I'm Real Avocado Mask Sheet: Face masks are one of my favorite ways to relax and I love that the TonyMoly ones are becoming more easily accessible in the US! TonyMoly is one of the brands at the forefront of the Asian beauty trend and they make some fantastic masks. The avocado one is for nourishing and brightening skin. I dunno if it really brightened all that much, but it definitely made my skin feel soft, hydrated and supple. I'm super oily most of the year, but we're getting into the short time where I'm a bit more dry. So I needed an extra dose of moisture to help keep my skin feeling smooth and this did the trick! I would buy one of these again next time I'm looking for a little beauty treat.

Dr Teal's Pure Epsom Salt Soaking Solution: This stuff is my jam! I work a job where I'm on my feet all day, so I get sore legs and feet a lot. I love popping a couple scoops of this into a hot bath to help soothe my muscles. It really works and a huge bag is only about five bucks.

Up & Up Nail Polish Remover Dip-It: I need to write a full review on this because it's fantastic. I bought it after reading a review on Nouveau Cheap and now I'm on my third one! One of these puppies will only set you back three bucks at Target. This isn't like those remover tubs that have the worthless sponge inside. Instead, it's got little plastic bristles, almost like a mascara wand. You just dip one finger into the acetone at a time, rub your nail against the bristles a few times and then you're done! I love how fast and mess-free it is, plus it's great at removing glitter. The mixture inside the tub is pure acetone, so it's drying by nature, but that's my only gripe.

 Pixi Skintreats Glow Tonic Exfoliating Toner: I'll admit I bought this after hearing so much hype about it online. And I will say that the product itself is wonderful. It's an alcohol-free toner with glycolic acid (fantastic anti-ager with resurfacing abilities), witch hazel and aloe vera. I loved the way it made my skin feel and it did seem to help brighten my complexion. But my one beef with this product is the container is so small! I go through toner pretty fast and this 3.4 oz bottle only lasted me a little over a month. It cost $15, which isn't a terrible price by any means, but I can buy an 8 oz bottle of Mario Badescu Glycolic Toner for the same price and it will last me a lot longer.  Still, it's a great product and worth checking out if you don't mind the small size.

Boscia Balancing Facial Tonic: This is a skincare prep spray with lavender, jojoba oil and willow herb. I like the actual product a lot--it's super refreshing and feels very calming on the skin--but the delivery system needs a little tweaking. The spritzer releases more of a direct spray than a fine mist, so you have to be careful not to hold it too close to your face, otherwise you'll get doused. Other than that, this is lovely! I've used it as both a facial mist with my skincare and setting spray with my makeup and it works wonderfully both ways!

Review: Lush Veganese Conditioner

I have had a really hard time finding a conditioner that my hair likes. Even ones that claim to be "lightweight" always wound up making my hair look greasy and feel oily. So for the longest time, I just gave up altogether on using one, because I was tired of wasting my money. But since I color-treat my hair, I had to admit that even my naturally oily hair needed a conditioner.

So I decided to give it one last go by ordering Lush's Veganese. Based on past experience with conditioners in general, my expectations for Veganese were pretty low. So I was shocked when I fell in love with it!

Unlike most conditioners, Veganese is formulated without lanolin, which is what makes it vegan, since lanolin comes from sheep. But it also makes Veganese very lightweight. In place of lanolin, Veganese uses agar gel (which comes from seaweed) to soften and condition the hair. Lush formulated it not only for their vegan customers, but also for their Japanese stores, where their customers were telling them they wanted a light conditioner for naturally straight and oily hair.

With Veganese, I only apply it on the ends of my hair; from the ears down is my general rule of thumb. As soon as I rinse it, my hair feels softer and smoother almost instantly. Veganese also contains lemon oil to add some nice shine, not to mention a light, citrus-y scent that I could catch whiffs of throughout the day.

I recently had to say goodbye to my beloved Veganese, since I needed something a bit heavier now that I've gone bleach blonde and my hair can handle extra moisture. I've bumped things up to another Lush conditioner, American Cream, which is lovely too. But I figured I would share my thoughts on Veganese if you too are looking for a good conditioner for oily hair. Even if your hair feels greasy, it still needs moisture and protection to keep it healthy! So if you feel like you've tried everything, try Veganese! It's a fantastic product and one that I would recommend in a heartbeat!

Review: Lush H'Suan Wen Hua

Lush H'Suan Wen Hua: I can't pronounce it, but I like it! This strengthening, ultra-nourishing hair mask is great for anyone with dry, damaged or brittle hair. H'Suan Wen Hua is a hair treatment mask that uses protein-rich organic eggs to condition and protect hair; bay leaf infusion to stimulate and tone the scalp; bananas and extra virgin olive oil to moisturize and rosemary oil to add shine.

One of the first things I noticed about this product is it smells absolutely amazing! I'd read some reviews that mentioned the smell being funky, so I was prepared for the worst, but honestly I really loved the way it smelt! It reminds me of bananas and cinnamon. If you like the scent of Lush's Sympathy For The Skin (another favorite of mine), I think you'll enjoy this as well!

So anways, back to what the mask does! But first, a bit of background on my hair: My hair is neither fine nor thick. It's naturally straight and goes a bit past my shoulders. I'm a bleach blonde, so my hair can always use some extra lovin' to keep it feeling strong and healthy, especially after I've just had a color touch-up. However, I hate anything that makes my hair feel greasy or sticky. If I'm using a conditioning product, I don't want it to be anything that weighs my hair down or leaves any type of residue behind. (I rarely use product in my hair. It's a texture thing.)

I was a little worried H'Suan Wen Hua would weigh down my hair and make it look limp--or worse, greasy--but I was pleasantly surprised and very pleased with the results! I started with by working the product through my dry hair, applying it all over. I didn't use a ton of product, just enough that my hair felt damp, but not wet. (A single pot of H'Suan Wen Hua would yield about seven or eight all-over treatments with my hair, although of course your mileage may vary depending on your hair's length and texture. You could also extend the life of your pot by just using H'Suan Wen Hua as a spot treatment on problem areas.) Then you're supposed to let it sit for at least 20 minutes. Afterwards, rinse it out, then follow with shampoo and whatever your regular hair routine is.

As soon as I rinsed it out, I could tell right away that my hair felt amazing! It was so smooth, silky and soft! Seriously, my hair has never felt this soft before, to the point that I was touching it throughout the day like a creeper because I couldn't believe how perfect it felt. I could feel it was more conditioned than usual (if that makes sense), but it wasn't heavy or greasy at all. While blowdrying, my brush slid through effortlessly and my hair looked so smooth and tamed that I would have sworn I flat ironed it if I didn't know better!

The effect lasts 2-3 days, probably longer if you don't shampoo your hair. I shampoo'd after two days and still noticed smoother, sleeker texture on the third day, then it kinda gradually dwindled off from there on out. My hair also smelled crazy good for several days. I would catch little whiffs of cinnamon here and there and I loved that!

So to sum it all up, H'Suan Wen Hua is a great multi-tasking hair mask that conditions, strengthens, smooths, softens and adds shine. I love that you get the good stuff, without any of the grease. My hair has never felt or looked as healthy as when I use this mask! Whether you want a mask to help with the regular upkeep of your hair or you're in need of a total re-set button for your locks, this stuff should do the trick!