It was my birthday month and people are nice. I received some lovely bath/beauty gifts. I also graduated with Masters of Science! So, May 2018 was a very busy month for me and also a very happy one.
I bought a full-size perfume! I bought Diptyque L’Ombre Dans L’Eau. I also bought a leave-in conditioner from Suave, which actually works and I can’t get over how cheap it is, and a L’Oreal conditioner.
A new store opened in K-Town, L’OVUE. I ended up buying a couple of cheap masks, a water drop cream and a gift set from Huxley of travel sizes.
I was sick with the a cold that turned into a secondary issue that made me feel terrible (still recovering). Bored out of my mind and fevery, I ended up making a Borghese order. I used to love that brand back in the day and its been years since I’ve used their products.
Here’s what I emptied in May:
SKINCARE
I emptied some old favorites and a lot of cleansers. I traveled so I was able to empty some travel size skincare.
The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA – Stuff like this has to be used religiously to see results. I didn’t use it religiously so I didn’t really see any brightening results. I like how it feels.
- Repurchase? Yes. I need to give this another try and actually use it every single day.
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Cleanser – My HG cleanser.
- Repurchase? Yes. However, I switched over to the one for oily for the summer.
MAC Gently Off Eye & Lip Makeup – It smells like rosewater and doesn’t leave a greasy residue.
- Repurchase? It’s something I eventually come back to.
Mamonde Petal Spa Cleansing Oil in Rose – This stuff smells amazing, like Damask roses. But, that’s also an issue. The scent is too strong to get near eyes and if you get it on the lips, you’ll taste it all day. It emulsifies and does a good job of removing makeup.
- Repurchase? Probably not but I did find it “luxurious”.
Glamglow SuperCleanse Clearing Cream-to-Foam Cleanser (travel size) – I usually hate Glamglow products but I didn’t mind this. It smells like licorice tea. It was too drying in the winter but in the warmer weather, it was better.
- Purchase? No. It’s not for skin type.
Darphin 8-Flower Nectar Oil Cream (travel size) – I love Darphin despite it having tons of potentially irritating fragrance oils. This smells like a natural perfume and has a great texture.
- Purchase? Probably not, but it is luxurious.
Estee Lauder Advanced Time Zone Eye Cream (deluxe sample) – It’s a nice feeling cream but I didn’t notice much from it other than moisturization.
- Purchase? No.
Nature Republic Ginseng Royal Silk Essence (travel size) – It’s an essence with gold flakes that leaves my skin glittery and I ain’t mad.
- Purchase? Only if it is on sale. It feels more like a novelty product.
Elizabeth Arden Prevage Anti-Aging Daily Serum (travel size) – I love how this stuff feels. Leaves my skin looking glowy.
- Purchase? If I had the budget, I would.
The Face Shop The Therapy Essential Tonic Treatment (deluxe sample x 2) – It’s OK but mostly smells like a perfume from the late 90’s.
- Purchase? No.
Omorovicza Instant Perfection Serum (sample) – Basic HA with a scent that smells like herbs/lavender. Absorbs fast.
- Purchase? No. I can do better for the $.
Bioderma Sensibio H20 (sample, not pictured) – I get why people like this. It works.
- Purchase? Probably.
RéVive Glycolic Renewal Peel (sample) – Didn’t use it enough to know but I did feel like my skin looked more smooth the next day.
- Purchase? No. It’s too expensive.
Sheet Masks that I wouldn’t repurchase:
Tonymoly Pureness 100 Caviar Mask Sheek – A basic sheet mask.
Mamonde Camellia Lifting Flower Essential Mask – Another basic sheet mask.
PACKage I Love Myself Mask – Another basic sheet mask except this time with a motivational “face tattoo” printed on it.
FRAGRANCE
The theme for May was orange blossoms/neroli. I’ve been craving fresh, citrus scents. I’m still craving these sort of scents.
C.O. Bigelow Lemon & Orange Blossom Fragrance Mist – Longevity is weak, so I used it as a room spray. It’s a bitter neroli and lemon, very fresh. Review.
- Repurchase? No. I’ll just use orange blossom water next time.
NEST Fragrances Bamboo Candle (votive) – This is a fresh, dewy floral that I like in spring/summer. Review.
- Repurchase? I already have a full-size.
Perfume Samples I wouldn’t purchase:
Annick Goutal Nuits d’Hadrien EDT – Review
Atelier Cologne Grand Néroli – Review
Tauer Cologne Du Maghreb * – Review
Dior Cologne Royale – Like it but it is too $$$ for a cologne.
BATH/BODY
Peaches and herb. That was my theme for my May bath/body empties. You’ll see a lot of peach-scented stuff and European herbal stuff.
Balea Dusche & Olperlen – It smells like peaches. I love a good peachy soap.
- Repurchase? I wish we had DMs here! (I bought this in Hungary).
Urban Outfitters Gourmand Rêves Champagne Body Souffle – This is an OK lotion with a strong scent that is like sugar cubes and lemons. I expected more “champagne”.
- Repurchase? No.
Bioderma Atoderm Shower Oil – I love this stuff. It’s an emulsifying shower oil with a light, fresh floral scent.
- Repurchase? Yes.
Kappus Violet Lilac Soap – I love how this smells! It’s a spring bouquet.
- Repurchase? Yes.
Ziaja Cocoa Butter Hand Cream – It’s a nice hand lotion that smells like “cocoa butter”.
- Repurchase? Probably not. I’m hung up on L’Occitane.
L’Occitane Almond Delicious Hand Cream (1 oz, travel size) – I am OBSESSED with the L’Occitane almond line. This smells amazing and feels great.
- Repurchase? Yes! I want the bigger size.
L’Occitane Aromachologie Relaxing Shower Gel (travel size) – I didn’t even know they made this. It has a light, all-natural lemon/lavender fragrance making it perfect for “the whole family”.
- Repurchase? Probably not because I like stronger scented stuff. But, it’s nice.
Kneipp Eucalyptus Bath Oil (single use) – Blasts open your sinuses and turns the water a cool green shade.
- Repurchase? No.
Kneipp Dream Away Valerian & Hops Bath Oil (single use) – Smells like lemon balm and turns the bath a bold shade of Curaçao blue.
- Repurchase? Probably not but I do like this one occasionally.
Kneipp Soft Skin Almond Blossom Bath Oil (single use) – No color and feels more like a traditional bath oil. Has an unusually indolic, funky floral smell that I loved.
- Repurchase? Yes.
Nature Republic Bath & Nature Body Wash in Peach (sample, not pictured) – Not bad.
- Purchase? Nah, I can do better.
HAIR
Nothing very exciting here but I did empty full-size products and that is an accomplishment.
John Frieda Frizz Ease Miraculous Recovery Deep Conditioner – I get better results from the original conditioner.
- Repurchase? No.
Yves Rocher Raspberry Rinsing Vinegar – Over the past year I’ve been really into hair vinegars. This one is cheaper than the other French stuff and smells like raspberries. It does an OK job at making my hair more glossy/shiny.
- Repurchase? idk. I like it but I like the more expensive stuff better. For the price, it’s perfectly fine.
Pantene Hydra Scalp Care Dandruff Shampoo – Glamorous, I know.
- Repurchase? Probably. Or some sort of dandruff shampoo for my glamorous life.
MAKEUP
It was a slow month of makeup empties. And the theme seemed to be “Urban Decay”.
Urban Decay Perversion Mascara (travel size) – I really like this as a “daily” mascara. It’s not super dramatic but it looks good. Dumbest name ever though.
- Repurchase? I may (however, I’m super stocked on mascara samples right now).
Urban Decay All Nighter Liquid Foundation in 1.0 and 2.5 (sample) – This is a dry, matte foundation. So, not something I’d usually wear. However, I made it work with a few drops of Squalane oil. Cons – needs some finessing and oxidizes like mad. Pros – wears FOREVER.
- Purchase? Probably not unless I’m in the market for long-wearing.
Total: 39. 16 full-size. 14 deluxe samples/travel size. 9 samples
This was more than I expected considering that I traveled, etc. But, I was running low on some full-size daily use things. I’m also going through my stash before I buy a full-size of toner or eye cream. My input is still higher than it should be but I was proud of myself for not buying myself any makeup in May! It’s baby steps, right?
What about you? Which products did you empty in May? Did you buy anything new?
Disclaimer – If there is a /*/ next to an item, it was provided by PR/the brand. All other items were purchased by me or are samples/gifts with purchase/subscription box products.
*Nordstrom, Sephora, Saks, Wal-Mart, Yves Rocher, Amazon and Elizabeth Arden contain affiliate links. Thanks!
Congrats on your graduation! And happy birthday !
I’m really tempted by the Huxley travel size set. Do let us know how it is. But I have too much skincare in progress to take the plunge.
I emptied a staple, Paula’s Choice Resist 2% BHA. I like the consistency better than their regular 2% BHA. Everything else is still in progress. But I haven’t bought much recently either so yay us!
Thank you!
I know one shouldn’t buy skincare for the fragrance, but the Huxley stuff smells amazing. The hand cream is like a modern lily-of-the-valley. If Huxley made a perfume in their scent, I’d buy it.
Good job! I didn’t do great but it was a birthday month. I am trying so hard to buy less makeup unless it is something that I absolutely need (AKA ran out of). I absolutely don’t need any skincare right now but with a season change, I feel like my routine needs some revamping.
Congrats on your achievements in May!
Haven’t bought much. I did get Perfumers Workshop Tea Rose, and its ok if I spray, sprint through the mist, and use a dab of something deeper. Its not bad, but I’ll be giving someone a decant sooner or later.
Thank you!
It’s been ages since I’ve had a bottle of Tea Rose. I remember liking it. But, I like rose everything. I do remember towards the end of the life of that bottle, it became a fancy room spray. At the time, I was craving more complex florals as a personal fragrance. I can see it layering well, especially with woodsy or leathery things.
Congratulations on getting your Master’s degree! That is fabulous!
I have been enjoying the Nest Bamboo candle too. It has been surface-of-the-sun not here, so I haven’t wanted to even think about fragrance much, other than rosewater, although I am sampling Week-End by Parfums de Nicolai.
Thank you!
I like the scent of Bamboo because it’s watery/fresh without smelling like some sort of household cleaner.
I need to rotate my fragrances for all the fresher summer stuff. However, it’s been strangely cool here…like I’ve had to wear boots and jackets. I’ve been wearing patchouli and ambers!
Congratulations on your graduation!
I am also here to say that the Suave leave in conditioner is miraculous, especially for the cost. My hair dresser scoffed when I told her how well this worked for me and told me that it would eventually wreck my hair but she doesn’t have to deal with such dry hair that she is forced to cut it with a paper scissors as she sits at her desk at her place of employment because the split ends she spies from the corner of her eye make it too distracting to do any actual work.
Brands I have tried that did not work as well as Suave: Davines, Oribe, Fekkai, Aveda, KMS, Redken, Alterna, L’Oreal Professional line, Kerastase, Klorane, Kenra, Bumble & Bumble and more that I am blocking out of my brain since the above listing of products cost well over $500.00 total and it hurts.
Thank you!
Yeah, I hate when stylists say stuff like this. My disclaimer – I am not one. I haven’t been trained in any of that stuff. I trust that sort of advice comes from a good place. Now…I just hate the thought that something that costs more is better, etc. Why? Because I have tried products at all price points, from VO5 to Oribe. There are duds at all prices. There have been good things at all prices. Many of the product ingredients are very, very similar. I don’t even want to add it all up because it’s sickening.
I have the perspective you do. I have to be the one to wake up in the morning and fix my hair. I know what makes it more manageable and easier to style. And this cheap Suave makes a HUGE difference. Will it wreck havoc on my hair later? idk (and I’m skeptical). I just know it makes it feel good and actually look healthy. It’s hard for me to believe that a product like this could be any worse than bleaching, perms or using heat tools daily! Hair is dead anyway. I just want to preserve it for as long as I can, lol.
Congrats on graduating and belated happy birthday! It’s nice to have a time when so much good stuff is going on. Great buy with L’Ombre dans L’Eau. I love that perfume so much.
I have that NEST Bamboo candle on deck to use really soon. It will be my first time with that one, but it smells so good and strong unlit that I think I’ll love it. A lot of your bath and body stuff sounds really good, especially the peaches, the almond hand cream, and the almond blossom bath oil. I have that Kneipp almond blossom in a shower gel that I haven’t used yet, but I’m hoping for some indolic funky flowers.
I emptied a lot last month. I think June will be a lot fewer things:
The Saem Natural Green Tea Sheet Mask – just fine
Leaders Balancing Recovery Coconut Gel Sheet Mask – really liked
Leaders Daily Wonders Pore Gone for Good Pore Refining Sheet Mask- really liked
SK-II R.N.A. Power Eye Cream deluxe sample – meh
Amore Pacific Moisture Bound Rejuvenating Eye Treatment Gel sample – hated the smell for my eye area, it was so strong and perfumes
Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream sample – think this worked well
Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Cream travel size – a little too thick for daily use
Pacifica Kale Detox Deep Cleaning Face Wash – liked it more than I thought I would
Prada Candy Kiss sample – yum
Annick Goutal Musc Nomade sample – like but don’t know if I need
Aedes de Venustas Cierge de Lune sample – love and have a decant to use
Serge Lutens Bois et Musc sample – good stuff
Ava Luxe Hong Kong Garden sample – love, but it’s discontinued. I have a small bottle of extrait to use still.
Fiele Fragrances Cedrus decant – really liked and the bottle is a good price
Guerlain London decant – great bright rhubarb scent
Diptyque Tam Dao decant – good reliable sandalwood
Serge Lutens A la Nuit decant – I think my decant went off, so I tossed the last couple ml. I have a bottle to use next.
LAFCO Honeysuckle & Bergamot Candle – loved
Paul Mitchell Ultimate Color Repair Conditioner – liked, prob won’t repurchase
Acure Ultra-Hydrating Conditioner travel size – meh
Acure Ultra-Hydrating Shampoo travel size – hated
I was pretty good on purchases. I bought only one perfume, a discontinued partial bottle of Bruno Fazzolari Seyrig from another perfume nerd. And I bought a trio of Smith’s Lip Balm in tubes (rather than their standard tins). I did spend a lot of money on clothes though…
Thank you! It was a busy month.
The NEST is such a fresh fragrance. I have a full-size that I have not lit yet. I like the smaller size too because sometimes you don’t have the time to burn a candle for a long time but still want to burn a candle.
This looks like it’s going to be the 2nd summer of everything peaches and almonds. I want the Almond Shower Gel but will probably sniff it in person first. I hope it smells the same as the oil.
What a month of empties! A few things – I like that Leaders Pore mask a lot. It’s one of the few sheet masks that I’ve used that actually seems to do something. I’m also using the Clinique Pep Start eye stuff and really like it. I think I’ll end up buying it. It feels really good and isn’t too expensive. I have been using it under the eyes before concealer and it works great. Amore Pacific – OMG, their stuff can be so fragrant. I had sampled a cream from them that made me eyes burn so badly (too much fragrance). LAFCO Honeysuckle – I miss that! I had bought that candle when we first moved here and I loved it so much. They have that scent in their body products too…like I need that, but still.
Not bad! I haven’t done too much damage on clothes because the weather hasn’t really changed here. I forgot to mention that I bought a pair of Pumas from the Puma x MAC cosmetics collection. They’re really cool. I also bought a pair of yellow culottes because why not?