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!

NARS Boys Don't Cry High Voltage Blush: Review & Swatches

I have an enduring love affair with bright blushes. Blush is the one thing (other than nail polish, of course) that I feel virtually naked without. Or, more accurately, I'm so pale that I look like a corpse without it, but I digress. It's no secret that NARS makes some of the best, most beloved blushes on the market today and one of their new, limited-edition blushes, Boys Don't Cry, has been screaming my name. It's bright, it's bold and the fact that it shares a name with a song by one of my favorite bands, The Cure, sure doesn't hurt.

NARS describes Boys Don't Cry, part of their recent collaboration with designer Pierre Hardy, as a "pink grapefruit" shade, which I'd say is pretty spot-on. It's an intense coral with reddish undertones and it is all kinds of gorgeous!

Unblended (left) and blended (right).

 



This is an incredibly rich and densely pigmented blush. It looks even more vibrant on the skin than it does in the pan. The gold pattern is an overspray, so the blush itself is actually matte. The texture is very finely milled and blendable, which is essential when you have a blush as bright as this one. You'll definitely need to employ a light hand but so long as you only get a tap or two of powder on you're brush, the formula allows for smooth sailing from there.

At $41, this is pricier than NARS' standard blushes but it's also much larger. You're getting 0.45 oz. of product here--nearly three times as much compared to the usual 0.16 oz--so I think the price difference is well worth it for the amount of product you're getting. The large size, coupled with how little product you need to acheive excellent pigmentation with this blush, makes this virtually a lifetime supply of this shade. I can't imagine I'll ever hit pan on this--at least, not for many years to come! Here's one of my standard NARS blushes, Exhibit A (another must-have if you like super pigmented blushes), on top of Boys Don't Cry for reference.

 

Other than the obvious size difference and the addition of Pierre Hardy's name on the front, the packaging here is the same we've come to know from NARS: a sturdy, black, rubberized compact with a handy mirror inside. I like the look and feel of NARS' packaging, but as you can see from the older Exhibit A blush I used for the size comparison above, the rubberized finish attracts scratches and fingerprints like no other. That's about the only complaint I can muster up here though!

If you like bold blushes, you'll find a lot to love in Boys Don't Cry. It can be easily blended out into a subtler cheek color too if you prefer. It's a stunning shade and the formula is a prime representation of why NARS blushes are held in such high regard.