June 2015 Empties!

Another month, another pile of empties to share with you. I am so excited for July as it is my birthday month AND there are some exciting things happening at work.
Diving right in..

Kiss My Face Creamy Face Cleanser - Brianna, Iluvjesse444, raves about this cleanser, so I thought I would give it a go. It removed makeup well, but left me feeling a bit dry and the tacky texture wasn't my favourite. Worked fantastically as a shave cream though! Wouldn't repurchase.

HollyBeth Marigold Toner - I picked up this toner from The Truth Beauty Company when I was visiting my brother in Kitchener. What drew me to it was the use of calendula and lavender oils in a base of witch hazel. My thought process was that it would help with acne while soothing the skin. Unfortunately, it was too drying for me. Wouldn't repurchase.

Andalou Naturals Illuminating Toner  - review here - Not much to say here, besides that I am already working my way through another bottle. It is my absolute favourite toner of life.

Saje Konjac Sponge with Yam Extract - I have reviewed konjac sponges before and they don't tend to work well for my skin with the exception of in the summer, as my skin isn't as easily irritated or sensitive. I picked this one up in January, used it a couple of times, it irritated my skin, and so it sat in my skin care drawer until April. In April, I busted it out and have been using it ever since. It gently exfoliates, removes any makeup that has been left behind from my first cleanse, and the yam extract apparently works to brighten the skin. Already repurchased.

*Pure Daily Essentials Revive Hydration Mist *Canadian Brand* - review here - This was an okay mist, it left my skin feeling soft and hydrated but I was not a fan of the scent. Wouldn't purchase the full size.

*Pure Daily Essentials Makeup Remover *Canadian Brand* - review here - Loved this makeup remover! It was so gentle and smelled faintly of lavender, removed all of my makeup and left my skin feeling so soft. Would consider purchasing the full size.

*Zaya Rosewood Eye Oil *Canadian Brand* - review here - As I am lazy and cannot be bothered to use a legit eye product, this was my eye makeup remover (a lush one at that). It was gentle, removed all of my eye makeup, nourished the delicate eye area, smelled gorgeous, and was an absolute treat to use. If you are looking for an eye oil, I would 100% recommend this one without hesitation. Since I only used it to remove makeup, it's not one I'd repurchase.

Honey & Glow Lip Scrub *Canadian Brand* - I found this lip scrub months back at Anise Apothecary and was so excited at the limited ingredients list; honey, brown sugar, and olive oil. That's it. It worked really well at first, despite needing to be massaged between my fingers to separate the sugar granules. Over time though, it became too hard (you know how brown sugar and honey get) to use, so I'm tossing it. Considering the large container and price point ($8), I would recommend if you can use it up quickly enough. I've found a lip scrub that I like better though, so I will not repurchase.

Andalou Naturals Beta Hydroxy Complex Recovery Cream -  This was a major fail product for me, so I am tossing it. I love Andalou products but this one just did not want to work for me. It left my skin red and irritated with continued use, and even broke me out despite it being targeted for acne prone skin. Wouldn't repurchse.

Deep Steep Body Wash - review here - The Deep Steep body washes have been a staple in my shower for over a year. They are moisturizing, lather well with a loofah, smell nice, and are generally affordable. The tangerine melon scent reminded me of an orange freezie, which was alright but definitely not my favourite. I have since discovered Sudsatorium shower gels, which are even more affordable and the brand is Canadian. Would repurchase Deep Steep, but won't for right now.

*Zaya Belly Oil *Canadian Brand* - review here - Another amazing oil by Zaya. This body oil was so beautiful, warm smelling, nourishing, and all over beautiful. It lasted me a good 5 months, making the $50 price tag worth it. I would definitely repurchase.

*Poppy Jane Candle Co. in Sleep Tight - review here - I am SO sad to have used up this candle. It was so beautifully fragranced, comforting, packaged, and filled my room with its beautiful scent. If you live in the states, you must try these. They are worth every penny! Sadly, shipping outside of the USA is insane. Last time I checked it was more than the candles themselves. If they were to become available at a shop in Canada or shipping was more reasonable, I would repurchase.

Meow Meow Tweet Baking Soda Free Deo - review here - This is THE best natural deodorant that I have ever used. I am a stinky person and this gets me through most of the day, a reapplication is required with most natural deos. It smells like oranges, doesn't irritate my pits, and one jar lasts me months. Would loooooveeee different scent options though, wink wink nudge nudge. I've already repurchased.

John Masters Vanilla Orange Body Wash (sample) - review here - Love the smell of this body wash and how it fragrances my skin. Picked this up just to travel with and would definitely pick up another travel size just to have around.

Living Libations Wild Child Healthy Gum Drops *Canadian Brand* - review here - These drops worked to keep sensitivity away and freshen breath. I liked using them in a salt water mouth rinse and directly on my gums. Will be repurchasing.

Alima Pure Mauna Loa Bronzer - review here - Two and a half years later and I have finally used up this bronzer! It was the perfect medium matte bronzer for my skin tone. I loved it to warm up my skin in the winter, as a foundation in the summer (or after a beach vacay), to contour, as a crease colour, etc. Love and will likely be repurchasing.

LoveFresh Eucalyptus Spearmint Deo *Canadian Brand* (sample) - Anise Apothecary gave me this on my last visit, as I was thinking of venturing away from MMT, just to try something new, but this deo left my pits feeling super wet upon application. It smells nice but I can't deal with wet feeling pits.

John Masters Lavender Avocado Conditioner (sample) - Glam Goes Green gave me a sample of this to try. Since my ends are bleached and I am trying to grow out my hair, I figured a conditioner would be handy. Love this stuff! So much so that my boyfriend picked me up a full sized bottle.

*Tata Harper Lip Treatment - I got this from an event that I attended about a year and a half ago. It's a really expensive lip product but it worked really well. I enjoyed the slight reddish tint, packaging, and how soft my lips felt. There are more affordable brands, so I wouldn't repurchase.

FitGlow Mascara *Canadian Brand* - review to come - This was a lovely mascara that didn't smudge, flake, or irritate my sensitive eyes. It was volumizing, lengthening, and the pigmentation was great. Would repurchase.

*Kari Gran Mineral Foundation (samples) - None of the foundation shades match my skin, so I used them all as bronzers which was really nice.

Celebration Herbals Turmeric Ginger Lemon Blend Tea - This tea deserves an honorable mention because it was so damn good! Turmeric has many health benefits, one being that it fights inflammation in the body. Since I don't eat it as often as I should, I thought incorporating a tea would be beneficial. Little did I know that it also contained ginger and lemon, great for detoxifying the system. This tea was warming, comforting, tasty, body loving, and I am absolutely in love with it. I have already repurchased two boxes, one to keep at work and one to keep at home. Highly recommend.
What have you used up this month? *PR SAMPLES

December 2014 & January 2015 Empties!

Since I somehow forgot to do my December empties, I'm combining December and January (as the title suggests). I do have quite a bit, although definitely not as much as I expected. Trash talk time!

*Acure Balancing Rose+ Red Tea Toner - review here - I stand by my initial review, it was a bit too drying for my skin and would be ideal in the summer months or for oily skin types. Will likely not repurchase.

Andalou Naturals Illuminating Toner - review here - Best toner of life, seriously. I can't seem to find any other toner (high end or not) that works as well as this one does for my skin. It's hydrating, gives an instant boost of radiance, smells lovely, and is affordable. Already working through another bottle and have a backup.

Heritage Store Rose Water - I really enjoyed using this when my skin was super irritated and to set my makeup. I currently have a small bottle in my purse to mist when I'm feeling dry.

*Weleda Almond Soothing Cleansing Lotion - review here - This cleansing lotion was as lovely as I remember. It didn't remove makeup very well, but was gentle enough to use as a second and/or morning cleanse. Only issue is that I go through it extremely quickly. Would likely repurchase again.

*Wild Honey Apothecary Moringa Honey Mud - I won this little bottle from a contest that Anise Apothecary was having on Facebook, and wasn't all that impressed. I just find that regular honey doesn't work as well for my skin as manuka. It did leave my skin soft, but I wouldn't repurchase.

Andalou Naturals Lemon Sugar Facial Scrub - review here - This scrub smelled so weird. I couldn't stand using it on my face, so I used it on my body. Wouldn't repurchase.

*Mont Echo Sea Buckthorn Facial Mask - I have mixed feelings about this mask. It has incredible ingredients, like oats and calendula, but never left me wowed. Wouldn't repurchase.

Pangea Organics Japanese Matcha Tea Facial Mask - review here - I loved this mask, although I think I prefer it in the warmer months as it can be drying. It evened out my skin tone, brightened, and helped with any acne. Would totally repurchase.

*Gemstone Organic Ruby Creme - review here - This creme was amazing! When I first received a sample from the company, I couldn't stop raving about it. When I finished the sample jar, the company was kind enough to send me a full one. Not sure what happened but half was through the new jar, it started to smell funny and separate. I tried using it up on my body but the smell just kept getting worse. Not sure if I would repurchase.

The Body Del Radiance Enzyme Peel (sample) - I picked up this (one time use) sample from Husk and really enjoyed it! It contains manuka honey, probiotics, and a bunch of other raw delicious ingredients. It left my skin glowing and radiant! I'm considering splurging on the full size.

*Tres Pure Mini Face Cleanse (sample) - This came in the Petit Vour Limited Luxury FW14 box, from September, and was sooo nice. I mixed it with my cleanser, daily, as a gentle exfoliant and found my skin less congested and much softer. As we got into the colder months, it was a bit much for my sensitive skin. Since it's not easily available in Canada, I wouldn't purchase the full size.

Pelle Beauty Stellar Multitasking Face Oil (sample) - A blog reader came into the spa that I worked at and was kind enough to bring me a bunch of goodies, this was one of them. While it is a nice oil, it's too light for my skin and I don't enjoy the scent of neroli. Wouldn't purchase the full size.

*Province Apothecary Regenerating+Hydrating Face Serum (sample) - review here -  Still not sold on this face serum. It worked so well some days, and other days I felt as though it just sat on my skin. Wouldn't purchase the full size.

*Me & The Girls Moon Serum (sample) - review here - Great oil serum! Absorbed well and left my skin nourished and moisturized. I don't love it more than my Corpa Flora though, so I won't be purchasing the full size.

Myra Aso 100% Marula Oil - review here - Love, love, love! This oil worked so well in my hair and on my face. Already have another bottle on the go and a backup.

Tamanu Oil (in the Corpa bottle) - I had to transfer the oil into the Corpa Flora bottle because the original bottle kept leaking. How annoying! I don't find tamanu is working as well for my skin as it used to. I still highly recommend and will likely repurchase at some point.

*Odylique Lemon Butter Hand Smoothie - review here - This hand cream was a pleasure to use, despite not being fond of the lemongrass scent. It moisturized, without feeling greasy, and helped soothe eczema patches. Since the Andalou Sea Buckthorn hand cream works just as well, is less expensive, and easier to find in stores, I won't be repurchasing this one.

*Me & The Girls Moon Night Moisturizer (sample) - review here - I have to admit, I didn't use this on my face because it contains coconut oil, however, I did use it on my feet! It worked great to keep my feet supa dupa soft. Wouldn't repurchase though.

*Me & The Girls Moon Body Scrub & Foot Scrub (sample) - review here - Both of these scrubs were lovely. I enjoyed the fresh peppermint scent of the foot scrub over the lemony scent of the body scrub, but they had the exact same texture. Scrubs are one thing I never commit to, since I only ever end up using them on my hands, so I wouldn't purchase the full size of either. They are really nice though.

John Masters Blood Orange & Vanilla Body Wash - review here - oh-my-gosh, this body wash smelled so friggen good. I literally wanted to eat it! It lathered well and never left my skin feeling dry. Deep Steep is much more affordable, however, I certainly would repurchase this one just to switch it up.

Clean Well Antibacterial Soap in Spearmint Lime - Love that this hand soap contained no triclosan or other nasty bacteria killing crap. It also never dried out my hands, which is a bonus when you have eczema or are prone to it on your hands. Sadly, Clean Well is no longer available in Canada. Luckily, I still have 2 more bottles in my bathroom (lavender and orange vanilla).

Dr. Bronners Castile Soap in Peppermint - review here - This gigantic bottle took forever to use up. I use Dr. Bronners to clean my bathroom and alternate between peppermint and eucalyptus. Will be repurchasing soon.

*Zuzu Luxe Mascara in Onyx - review here - This was a fantastic mascara, but I found it got super clumpy too quickly. It's really expensive in Canada, so I won't be repurchasing right now.
*Pure Anada Pressed Foundation in Very Fair - review here - Great pressed foundation. Covered well and didn't really cling to dry patches, but it did smell a bit off (that's just the ingredients), the shade range is limited, and it constantly formed a crust on the top. While I love Pure Anada and their pressed shadows are my absolute favourites, the Zuzu Powder is much better and offers a wider shade selection (it's also more expensive though). Wouldn't repurchase.
What did you finish up this month?

*PR SAMPLE

November 2014 Empties

November was a shitty month for me, so I'm definitely glad that it's over. December is going to be busy and fun, with Christmas/holidays and all. Anyone else love this time of the year? This month I actually didn't finish as much as I expected to, however, I did get through a bunch of minis/samples. 

John Masters Scalp Shampoo - This is a new product in the JM range and what drew me in was the fact that it's supposed to help with oily hair and scalp. It smelled like spearmint gum, which was super refreshing and tingly on the scalp, as well as invigorating in the morning. I really liked that it left my hair and scalp squeaky clean without being irritating. Even though it barely lathered, meaning I had to use more product than usual, this bottle lasted me a good five months. This wasn't an everyday shampoo for me, it was a once or twice a week shampoo that helped clarify and refresh. I may repurchase, however, Myra Aso told me that I can mix baking soda with my normal shampoo to help clarify. If it saves me $20+ and actually works, that'll be my new clarifying shampoo.

Organic Matter Level 1 Shampoo - review here - I loved and still love this shampoo so much. It was gentle, virtually scentless (although I do love a bit more scent in my shampoo), non-irritating on my sensitive scalp, and left my hair and scalp clean yet conditioned. I've already repurchased.

Pretty Skin Repair Body Oil - This body oil is actually for stretch mark repair after giving birth, however, since I already have stretch marks I decided to give it a go. The scent was lovely, mild patchouli, and the oil itself absorbed really well into the skin. I've now gone through two bottles and have noticed that my stretch marks, while still there, are less noticeable. My only issue with this oil is the bottle and pump cap, it leaked all the time as you can probably see from the label. May repurchase at some point.

Essencia Wild Cornflower Floral Water - I picked this up on a whim, months ago, and have really enjoyed using it. Wild Cornflower is apparently great for reducing redness and soothing the eye area. As a compress, it can also help reduce puffiness around the eyes. That being said, I used this as a facial toner, as well as to remove any extra mascara that was left behind after cleansing. It smelled a little musty but was very gentle, non irritating, and pleasant to use. Would definitely repurchase.

*New Leaf Hand Soap in Hint O' Mint & Lovely Lavender - review here - As much as I enjoyed the scent and how well these cleansed my hands, the castile base was very drying. Will not repurchase.

*Meow Meow Tweet Baking Soda Free Deo in Grapefruit - review here -  LOOOOVEEEE. It is hands down the best deodorant that I have ever used, that doesn't irritate my underarms. I loved the fresh, citrus scent and how creamy the formula was. It kept me stink free almost the whole day. Already repurchased the full size.

*Organic Bath Co. Java Jolt Scrub (mini) - review here - Java Jolt is the perfect name for this little scrub. Although I don't drink coffee, I love the scent of it and this scrub definitely smelled like a cup of java. While the jar was too small to see if it actually helped with cellulite (as coffee, applied to the body, can), it was a great morning pick me up and fantastic exfoliant. I have not been disappointed with any of the Organic Bath Co. scrubs and I hope they become available in Canada soon! Would repurchase.

*Province Apothecary Cleanser + Makeup Remover - review here - My thoughts on this cleanser remain true to the review, it's fabulous! It removed makeup well and left my skin soft, all while smelling lovely. Would definitely repurchase.

*Province Apothecary Invigorating + Balancing Toner - review here - So...remember how I said in my review that I'd be picking up the full size? I haven't yet. Toner is my addiction and I love trying new ones all the time. This one, however, was really great! I love the blend of ingredients that make it purifying yet gentle. I WILL be picking up the full size at some point.

Those two little samples jars were of a peel by Suki and the gentle cleanser by Acure. Both were given to me by Lisa, of Glam Goes Green, The peel was fantastic for brightening and exfoliating. The Acure cleanser, although contained argan oil, didn't irritate my skin. My only issue was the scent, yuck. Both were only a couple of uses.

*Earthbody Brighten Cleanser + Mask - I received this little gem in the August Petit Vour box and truly loved using it. I mixed it with water, toner, honey, and apple cider vinegar and found it worked well regardless of which mixing medium was used. It pulled out impurities, helped dry up blemishes, and brightened the skin. May purchase the full size at some point.

Lady Gaga Fame Perfume - I finally finished up this bottle of perfume, that I had for two-ish years. While it was definitely not natural, it smelled beautiful. It was floral and sweet and sexy, all at the same time. I don't wear perfume often, but when I do I spray it on my clothes (not directly on skin) and it has to be a scent that I like (obviously). I have yet to find a mind blowing natural perfume and until I do, I'll continue using "toxic" ones. Go ahead, judge me! In any case, this is one that I'd repurchase in a smaller bottle. Desert Essence Coconut Hand & Body Lotion - I love me some coconut smelling products but, this smelled horrible. The coconut scent, while fake, smelled like plastic. Would never purchase the full size. What did you finish up this month? If you have a blog/YT channel, link your empties down below :) *PR SAMPLES