I made a Beautyhabit order to replenish cleansers and stuff.
I bought two Pat McGrath Mini Matte Trance in the neutrals. I don’t own any of Pat’s lipsticks and I thought this would be a lower risk way to try them out (more minis!).
I was in K-Town and picked up a couple of sheet masks, Papa Recipe Eggplant Peeling Pads and two lip tints from The Face Shop. I did not need these things but it was after one of those days at work where you just wanted to buy stuff that you thought would make your life more comfortable.
Then there were the sales. I can’t really disclose everything because I would expose some gifts I bought for people. I didn’t buy that much (I bought more clothes). I ended up making a Paula’s Choice order to repurchase some old favorites. I bought a couple of things from Natura Brasil that I’ve been wanting. But as far as beauty, I did my damage earlier in the month.
Here’s what I emptied in November:
SKINCARE
I guess if there was a theme, it was French and Swiss stuff used to remove your makeup. I also sampled a lot of things that I really didn’t like.
Lancôme Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover – My favorite eye makeup remover. I don’t know why I keep buying other things.
- Repurchase? Yes.
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Facial Wash – I bought this for the summer because I wanted something that was basically more stripping. It was good for summer but too drying for me now. Time to go back to my old favorite.
- Repurchase? Maybe if my skin gets/feels oilier.
La Prairie Age Management Balancer – Can we just laugh at this name? I need to speak with the manager!! This is lactic acid toner that smells like fancy Swiss skincare. It was great for summer but too drying now.
- Repurchase? We shall see.
Replenix Ultra Sheer Sunscreen SPF 50 – You can read all about here.
- Repurchase? Maybe. I’m sort of stuck on one by Paula’s Choice right now.
Avène Hydrance Intense Rehydrating Serum – Seems super basic. I didn’t notice anything positive nor negative from using it.
- Repurchase? Nope. I can do better.
Avène Micellar Lotion Cleanser (3.3 oz bottle) – This is supposed to be OK for eye area but omfg it stings my eyes like mad. There’s just too much fragrance in it. It did OK for face.
- Purchase? No. I prefer something that doesn’t sting. Call me picky, I guess.
Odacité Ac + R Acai-Rose Serum Concentrate * – I really don’t understand how this brand has a cult following. It seems like a lot of people are doing this exact same thing but for less money. Idk. Review.
- Purchase? No.
Huxley Secret of Sahara Be Clean Be Moist Cleansing Gel (travel size) – This entire line smells amazing but I know I shouldn’t use skincare for its smell. It’s a bit too stripping for my skin type. It washes away easily.
- Repurchase? No.
Jurlique Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum (deluxe sample) – This smells so good like fresh rose petals. The texture is light and refreshing.
- Purchase? I’m honestly tempted just for the sensory experience. But I also know that I should’t buy skincare for their smells.
Valmont Prime Renewing Pack (travel size) – One of my favorite wash-off masks.
- Purchase? It is so expensive and I hate to say it, but yeah.
Valmont V-Line Lifting Concentrate (travel size) – This serum smells amazing like cardamom and evergreens. It has a light feel.
- Purchase? Lol, like I can afford this.
Estee Lauder Nutritious Vitality8 Radiant Overnight Creme/Mask (travel size) – I typically love everything Lauder but there was a learning curve with this. It is very sticky and suffocating if you apply too much…and “too much” isn’t that much. It really feels like it would cause breakouts or clog pores.
- Purchase? No. One of the few EL products that I don’t like.
belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb (travel size) – Total garbage. Strong, irritating fragrance. Once I stopped using, my eyes looked better.
- Purchase? No.
Korres Greek Yoghurt Smoothie Priming Moisturizer (sample) – Wth? This stuff has the strongest powdery fragrance. I mean, like super strong and lingers ALL DAY. I can’t remember how it made me feel other than like hurling.
- Purchase? No way.
Peter Thomas Roth Hungarian Thermal Water Moisturizer (sample) – Didn’t really have enough of this to form an opinion.
- Purchase? I have a travel size to try.
CosRX PHA Moisture Renewal Power Cream (sample) – I totally understand why this gets low ratings. It’s super thick and salve-y but it doesn’t moisturize. It’s a weird product, possibly even a “fail” product.
- Purchase? No.
The Sheet Masks:
Skinfood Real Tea Gel Sheet Mask in Rose – Skinfood’s hydrogel masks refuse to stay put on my face. This one has a faint rose scent. It’s a weird mask because there are dried rose petals suspended in the gel that make your face look like you are temporarily covered with liver spots.
- Repurchase? No. Their fit is awful for me.
Sephora Pearl Eye Masks – Very refreshing and relaxing hydrogel masks.
- Purchase? I’m tempted.
Jayjun Gold Snow Black Mask – Mainly exists for the novelty of looking like you are wearing gold foil on your face. I was surprised by how nourishing the mask was. It does have a cooling peppermint thing going on that I could definitely live without.
- Repurchase? I don’t know. I’m still deciding.
FRAGRANCE
I realize this is such a random collection of smells. I’m still trying to empty a lot instead of hoard it.
NEST Votive in Hearth – I adore this smoky, woodsy fragrance in the winter. It smells like staying in a million dollar a night chalet.
- Repurchase? Yes.
NEST Votive Wild Oats & Bourbon * – It’s a warm woodsy scent with some fruity undertones. Not my favorite from them but not bad either.
- Purchase? No.
Bernard Loiseau Persil Room Spray – This is ancient but still smells good. It smells just like parsley and apparently I like that for my home.
- Repurchase? No.
Estee Lauder Pleasures EDP (travel size) – I have never really liked this. It’s just sooo not me.
- Repurchase? No.
House of Matriarch Trillium * (travel size) – This got even better with age. It’s just so perfect and whimsical. Review.
- Purchase? I’m tempted.
Samples I’d purchase or at least be tempted to purchase:
Arquiste The Architect’s Club * – Tend to get compliments on this one. Review
Armani Si – I have so many samples of this right now. Review
Melissa Flagg Clementine Perfume Oil – Discontinued but if it ever came back, I’d buy it. Review.
Samples I wouldn’t repurchase:
Montale Santal Wood – An aquatic sandalwood, sort of bro-y.
Wiggle Little Five – Review
Harvey Prince Yogini * – Review
Sweet Anthem Ella Perfume Oil * – This smelled amazing in my oil diffuser. Review.
BATH/BODY
I was surprised to see that I didn’t empty much in this category. It’s the time of the year where I need a lot of oils and butters.
Huxley Velvet Touch Hand Cream – I love how this brand smells (grass and lily-of-the-valley). This is a thicker hand cream that isn’t sticky.
- Repurchase? Maybe.
Soap Distillery Elderflower Liqueur Body Oil – Smells like honeysuckle and has a nice blend of oils.
- Repurchase? Yes, I like this indie line. This was a seasonal scent and I want to try others.
BuonaMici Olio Bagno Tonificante – I bought this at Eataly on sale. For something bragging about olive oil, it sure has a lot of mineral oil. Anyway, it emulsifies slightly and has a lovely fresh olive blossom scent.
- Repurchase? Nah.
Nature Republic Hand Sanitizer in Camellia (travel size) – I love the smell of this one. It’s like a white tea floral.
- Repurchase? Yes.
Sol de Jainero Brazilian Bum Bum Cream (travel size) – As I’ve already said, I feel like I’m the only person in the world that doesn’t like this stuff. I thought I’d give it another try. The sweet scent is just too much for me.
- Purchase? No.
HAIR
It was a sad pitiful month for hair empties.
Psssst! Instant Dry Shampoo (travel size) – This was the only stuff you could buy like this when I was in high school. And it was too light for me then and it is too light for me now. It does a good job with volume.
- Purchase? No. I just can’t with these ashy-looking dry shampoos.
Kérastase Maskeratine Smooth-In-Motion Masque (sample) – Didn’t notice anything differently from this than using something like Garnier Whole Blends.
- Purchase? No.
MAKEUP
It was all about the eyes.
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow in Sin – This is a pretty champagne shimmer shadow stick that also looks good as a highlighter.
- Repurchase? No. Discontinued.
Avon True Color Kohl Eye Liner in some shade of green I can’t read – This is a dark green that I can smudge for a softer look.
- Repurchase? No. Discontinued.
MAC False Lashes Mascara in False Black (deluxe sample) – A very natural looking mascara for something with such a dramatic name. Washes off easily, maybe a little too easy for most folks.
- Purchase? Nah. I liked it. Didn’t love it.
Total: 41. 18 full-size. 12 travel/sample size. 11 samples.
This was more than I expected to empty in November. I have a feeling that December will be a big month for empties since it seems like I’m running out of everything at once.
What about you? Which products did you empty in November? 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, Saks, Sephora and Amazon contain affiliate links. Thanks!
You’re not the only one who doesn’t like the Bum Bum cream. I find the scent to be very strong and very sweet. I had the smaller container and used half at the beginning of the year, put it away (couldn’t stand the scent anymore) and used the rest up this fall. I had the matching spray which I gave away to a cousin.
Nice to know I’m not alone 🙂
It is such a strong fragrance (I can see how people like it, but it’s not for me). I had a pair of jeans that I washed TWICE and it still smelled like it! That’s how strong that stuff is!
What type of oil diffuser are you using? I just completed cataloging my perfumes and I have a lot of unlabeled decants and a bunch of old vintage fragrances and a trillion samples that I wouldn’t wear but wouldn’t mind smelling as an environmental odor smell around my house. I am toying with the idea of adding a few drops of them to a humidifier type diffuser with the idea that if it’s a thinner liquid than an essential oil type product that it would not wreck anything or burn down my house or cause any kind of explosion. Thoughts?
OK, so I am using an ultrasonic Muji one that I have had for a few years. They say not to use perfume oils in it. At first I thought it was because they only wanted you to buy their EOs. I now realize it’s for a few reasons. I don’t think non-oils do as good in them (however, I have put plenty of perfumes in them). I don’t know if they “build up” because you have to clean these despite which type you use. This is probably awful advice and I’m by no means “advocating” someone do what the brand says not to, but I have had that diffuser for years and have used non-oil based fragrances. Also, I haven’t had any weirdness from it…like any visits from the fire department! But, like I have said, I’m sort of not playing by the rules and I can’t say you that everyone should be dumb like me. Oh, I do only have these things running when I’m around (just as I would a candle). So, let’s say there is something weird happening. I am at least there with access to a fire extinguisher!
Now some other thoughts – Not all scents are meant to be diffused in the air. I know that if you make home fragrances, the dilution (and which aromachemicals/naturals) is different than if you made a personal fragrance. I guess some things can cause more respiratory distress if in a candle/diffuser/etc. A perfume hasn’t went through the same regulations as a home fragrance has and vice versa. I’m only a hobbyist so I don’t know what the actual risks are. AND FINALLY I have found that most oils (even made for a diffuser) and perfumes just do not work in a diffuser. So many florals get ruined. So many things that don’t smell like musk suddenly just smell like white musk. It’s weird but something about diffusing really “destroys” a perfume. So, when I find one (even a regular-made-for-diffuser oil) that works, I cherish it. It’s been my experience that oil-based ones work the best. So these days, I only stick to oil-based things mainly because the alcohol-based ones n water smell awful.
I really need to do a post on using up samples. One thing I do with those that I like enough but don’t love is pour a vial in the bath. It’s quite luxurious!
What kind of oil diffuser are you using?
A Muji one.
Ha I agree with you on the Belief line generally being garbage. I’m so sick of the scent of the line after using their minis off and on for months. I’m working on the aqua bomb moisturizer right now, as my last of their products, and while the scent is grating, it’s an ok enough moisturizer to use up. Also, I need to save my other sample of PTR Hungarian Thermal Water Moisturizer for summer. It didn’t impress me at all when I used it last month, but maybe it will perform ok in warmer months.
Heh Pleasures was one of my favorite perfumes when I was 14 or so, but I can’t imagine wearing it now. It seems like it was only right for me at that time.
I didn’t make many purchases in November, at least not expensive ones, because my boyfriend was in the hospital at the end of October for appendicitis and again at the end of November for an abscess due to the appendectomy. Also, my mom and grandma visited around Thanksgiving. The only thing I bought during Black Friday weekend was a single t shirt from Jungmaven. Otherwise, I bought a partial bottle off eBay of the original Gucci EDP, a couple indie perfumer sample sets (Chris Rusak, sixteen92), some samples from Luckyscent, and a travel spray set of vanillas from Sylvaine Delacourte that were buy two get a third free.
I didn’t empty that much compared to other recent months:
TonyMoly I’m Red Wine Pore Care Sheet Mask – It was just fine
Leaders Coconut Gel Mask with Tomato – One of my favorite sheet masks
Peter Thomas Roth Irish Moor Mud Purifying Black Mask travel size – I love all these PTR masks and have backups of most due to a sale a few months back
Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask travel size
Peter Thomas Roth 24K Gold Mask travel size
Peter Thomas Roth 24K Gold Pure Luxury Cleansing Butter sample – Not sure how I feel about it. Made my skin burn a kitty in place when it was on, and it left me with a bit of gold shimmer. I prefer the Malin & Goetz Facial Cleansing Oil I tried last month.
Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Pink Juice Moisturizer deluxe sample – It smelled fun, but I didn’t notice any difference when I used it.
Clinique Smart Custom-Repair Serum deluxe sample – I enjoyed it but don’t plan to purchase it.
Andree Putman Preparation Parfumee sample – This had more of a hawthorn scent than I remembered, and I really love hawthorn as a note. I probably won’t seek out more any time soon though.
Ann Gerard Ciel d’Opal sample – Like not love, and I have a travel size still.
Auphorie L’Histoire Oubliee de Dunhuang sample – Nice big powdery perfume
Serge Lutens Arabie decant – Still debating an eventual bottle purchase
D.L. & Co. Historical Collection Opium Den Candle – Really nice candle that is sadly discontinued. You can still find it some places, but I probably won’t repurchase.
Paul Mitchell Neon Sugar Cleanse Wash + Prep Shampoo – I used this from Jan or Feb until Nov so I am pretty sick of it. It was a little too clarifying for me since I don’t put much product in my hair.