October 2022 Empties!

 

 

 

It's been a few months since I did a beauty haul post! I would like to say with that three months of no posting I finished a million and one things but, I didn't. I did end up buying a million and one things though.  Not surprising, I finished a lot of basic items along with skin care stuff.

I finished a couple of bars of soap and a few were a lot better than the others. I enjoyed the OffCourt's exfoliating body soap scent but, I felt like the grit was a bit too rough on my skin. I  think my skin is too dry to use something this rough.  The Soap Distillery's  Bourbon soap smelled refreshing and provided a generous lather. I would get this bar again or try another scent. I like that it didn't dry out my skin. I was quite disappointed with the Nopalera Catcus soap because it was $14 a pop and it didn't lather very well. It wasn't very moisturizing and overpriced considering it was meh. I bought six bars of Humble bar soaps from Amazon and found their scents to be nice and the bars provided decent lather. I don't remember the cost but, it was cheaper than Nopalera and worked 100% times better than it.

I always liked Babor concentrated capsules and bought two additional ones: Collagen and SOS Calming.  The Collagen capsules worked great and I felt and notice a difference with my skin texture after using it for a week. The SOS calming smelled terrible almost like vomit and I didn't notice a single different thing about my skin while using. I will be avoiding repurchasing that one again.

Is there anything you finished this month that you enjoyed?

October 2021 Empties Part 2!

 

 

It's a day away from November! I can't believe how quickly time flies.  I finished a few things this month but, nothing really worth repurchasing again.

I tried a few masks from Facetory and thought they were all pretty good. They fit my face well and were a good value for the money. The company is no longer doing their $1 mask Mondays but, they usually have very frequent sales so, hopefully I can still snag some deals. 

I bought a few beauty items from TJ Maxx last month and most of them were great. I loved the lemon soap and it was creamy and provided a great lather. I got a tiny bottle of a royal icing mask but, didn't list the name as an empty because I am unable to locate the brand online. I am guessing the brand went out of business and sold everything to the closeout store. The Naturally LeLa Mask was interesting. It was made of all natural food grade ingredients but, it felt more like a home made recipe than something mainstream.  Most of the mask got stuck in the bottom of the bottle and it was hard to spread. It didn't really notice my skin being any different after application. 

I got a travel size container of the Naturopathica calendula cream. I like that it was thick and creamy but, it wasn't noteworthy enough for me to repurchase again. I seen many celebrities rave about the Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream and I was excited when I got to try a sample. Honestly, I didn't care for it. Maybe I applied too much cream at once but, I found it to be too thick and greasy. I kept getting breakouts after application. 

Is there anything you finished this month that you loved?

Here is everything I finished -

Facetory Moon Velvet Moisturizing Cream Mask

Farm Skin Fresh Food for Skin Blueberry Energizing

Bling Pop Face Mask Aloe

Dove Sensitive Skin Body Wash

Honey Jarret Super Beau'tea Mask Rose

Generex Malegum Purifying Soothing Mask

Coastal Collection Lemon Soap

Naturopathic Calendula Essential Hydrating Cream

Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream

Neuma neuMoisture Instant Fix

The Beautiful Factr. Dual Probiotic Capsule Core Ampoule

Beauty Protector Protect & Volume

Feel Daily Hemp Oil Facial Cleanser

Glamglow Mud to Foam Cleanser

October 2020 Haul Part 2!

 

 

This is one of my bigger hauls this month because October is my birth month! And it's one of the greatest months, if I may say so myself. And there is no better way than buying way more stuff than I can possibly use to celebrate my birthday. I got so many lip products I don't even know where I am going to store it...let alone wear them all. However, this has never stopped me before...

I am excited to try the Ole Henriksen Phat Facial. I used to get facials more often before COVID but, now I rely on more store bought products to keep my skin in line. The mask is supposed to mimic getting a facial with exfoliating acids. I can definitely go for some glowing skin after spending so much time under a mask.

I had good experiences with Elemis products and I am excited to try their moisturizer and jelly mask. I have tried their clay mask from this product line and my skin was noticeable different. I am hoping with the jelly mask and the moisturizer my skin will be revitalized because it has been looking a bit dull lately.

I heard of the brand Byroe but, I haven't tried any of their products yet. I got their tomato serum which looks interesting. Because I am getting older, the weather getting colder, and I have dry skin I been trying to hydrate and moisturize more often. 

And of course I can't wait to try all of the different lip products! I got a few from Stowaway Cosmetics, Fenty Beauty, Stila, Urban Decay, Hank and Henry, and a few others. Have you tried any of the products?

October 2020 Haul!

 

 

Wow! I can't believe that is almost October already.  It feels like the year went by so quickly and I did absolutely nothing. 

I got a few more face masks as that's seem to be the only thing I actually use. I got a new sleep mask from Oh K! that I am excited to try. I bought some more masks from Facetory that I am excited about. I love the I am sorry for my Skin, Dr. Althea, and 23 Years old masks.

I keep buying more lipsticks like a lunatic but, admitting my addiction is the first step. I got a few MAC lipsticks that I am excited to wear - Red Rock and Sweet Sakura is my two favorite. I got two Milk Kush lip balms that I am constantly eyeballing. I heard so many great things about it. One is a regular balm and other has color (Plushberry). I also bought a Charlotte Tillsbury lipstick (Very Victoria), Illamasqua lip polish, and Ciate Watermelon Burst Hydrating Lip Oil that looks so amazing.

I found a new brand - Earth Harbor and I bought a few products from them. I like their minimal packaging and it reminds me of the Herbivore packaging (I also bought their Jasmine body oil to try out). I bought their Mermaid Milk moisturizer, the Glow Juice enzyme mask,  and three of their ampoule (Marina, Aurora, and Helios).

Oh boy, I have so many good goodies this month! I got a few K-beauty items such that I am excited to try. I got natural soap from Pure Foret and a beautiful bottle of body lotion. It's the item that shaped like an abstract work of art. Oh, I got a new container of moisturizer from Glam Glow. I find some of their products to be aggressive and drying but, I read so many good things about this moisturizer. I hope it works for me. 

Have you tried any of these products? What did you think?

Self October 2014

Boost Your Strength

1. Maximize Cardio - on the treadmill, add an incline for 60 seconds intervals. Or hit the rowing machine for three minutes between weight training moves to raise your heart rate.
2. Plank - standard planks and rotating side planks strengthen your core, which can make you less prone to injury. Plus, you use a strong core in every activity, athletic or otherwise.
3. Do diagonal moves - exercises like chopping wood [using a medicine ball or weighted pulley] involve rotational strength and work muscle groups in one efficient action.

Boost Your Power

1. Just jump - try 12 to 24 inch box jumps (5 reps is enough to make fast-twitch muscle fire). Or opt for simple squat jumps - and do as many as you can for 30 seconds straight.
2. Play power sports - soccer, boxing, or tennis, for example, require total body strength and precision. Their targeted movements will help increase your power.

Boost Your Endurance

1. Mix up your cardio - alternate between classic cardio and more high-intensity exercises to increase your aerobic capacity. So in addition to Spin class or running a 5K, include CrossFit or sprint intervals.
2. Try rhythmic breathing - during yoga or a run, practice breathing through your belly. This forces you to use your chest less so you can take in more air. As you learn to breathe more efficiently, you’ll be giving your muscles the oxygen they need to last.

Boost Your Flexibility

1. Do active warm ups. move like front leg kicks, high knees and butt kicks target major muscles groups and improve circulation to those areas. This makes muscles and joints more limber and ready to work out.
2. Try foam rolling. It targets areas that are especially tight, like the glutes, quads and hamstrings. Research shows that rolling relaxes the soft tissues surrounding muscles and can increase anxiety.

Boost Your Recovery

1. Vary your workouts. Don’t jump the StairMaster every time you exercise. Changing your activities from day to day avoids repeatedly stressing the same muscles.
2. Mix it up - alternate active recovery like walking, a light jog or a swim with restorative options, like soaking in a hot tub or icing an overworked area
3. Get more sleep - Stanford University researchers found that when basketball players slept approximately two extra hours a night, their free throw accuracy increase by 9 percent.

Boost Your Agility

1. Do drills - learn to use the agility ladder and do shuttle runs. These activities increase agility by getting your body familiar with sudden movement.
2. Sprint - building leg strength improves agility because leg muscles tend to be key to moving quickly. Start with one 30 yard sprint, then recover about 60 seconds. Repeat four more times.

Better Homes and Garden October 2014

Create a fall window box

1. Ornamental kale - position 1 - 2 large ornamental kale or cabbage plants toward the front of the planter.
2. Mums - place 2 - 3 mums behind the kale. Add potting soil around the mums and kale to secure the plants. Position sheet moss around the planter for a polished look.
3. Pumpkins and gourd for the finishing touch, nestle an assortment of small pumpkins and gourds on each end.

Maximize your eyes for your type

Deep set - blend a shimmery taupe shadow onto lids and inner corners. To bring eyes forward, draw eyeliner just above the roots of your lashes.

Wide set - make sure your shadow color is as intense on the center of your lids as it is on the outer corners, and concentrate extra coats of mascara on the center of your lashes.

Closet set -  start your liner near the center of your eye (instead of the inner corner) and gradually widen the line until you reach the outer corner. Blend highlighter onto the unlined part of your lash line.

Downturned -  apply liner across the entire length of the lash line, then flick the end of the line upward, cat-eye style. Smudge shadow up and out toward the tail end of your brow.

Self October 2013

Experts say the omega-3 fatty acids may suppress inflammation. Go for salmon, tuna, halibut and sardines which has the highest level of omega-3.

Refresh your hair - just dip a brush into face powder, dust onto your part and fluff with fingers. It will instantly absorb excess oil that’s weighing your hair down.

Shrink a pimple - concealer hides redness, but you still have that bump. To flatten it, dip a swab in acetone nail polish remover [it dehyrdates] dab on the spot, then wait a few minutes before cover-up.

Tips of Shiny Hair

Brush with greatness - Natural bristles [like boar] boost shine better than synthetic ones. They distribute moisture evenly and won’t strip it out.

Polish your style  - the straighter hair is, the more it reflects light.  Spritz on heat protector, blow dry smooth, and run a  flatiron from roots to ends. Then glide a bit of shine - enhancing oil all over.

Wanna glow up?  Do a mask with natural oils weekly or use this DIY glaze - Mix ½ cup aloe vera juice and ¼ cup avocado oil. Leave on dry hair 30 minutes, shampoo, shine on.

Having a Hell Day?

Salmon, to fuel creativity  for that afternoon brainstorming session. It’s rich in DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid that sharpens thinking  by delivering key nutrients to your brain cells.

Bell peppers, to boost confidence before a big presentation. They supply mega vitamin C, which has been linked to lower stress levels.

Turkey, to hit a deadline the bird has vitamin B6, which helps convert carbohydrates to energy, as well as tyrosine, an amino acid that ups levels of dopamine and norepinephrine - brain chemicals that keep you focused.