I tried to no buy this month. And I was doing really well but then some things happened. I’m sure you’ll understand. For example, friends where in Paris offering to bring me back special things. I couldn’t resist. I FINALLY bought Serge Lutens La Myrrhe. This also included some other perfumes. That exchange range! Ooops. I have no regrets.
I also went to an event with Roxana Illuminated Perfumes at NY Aromatherapy Institute. I’ve been meaning to buy Figure 1 Noire for years now. And it didn’t get any easier than this. So, I bought it and I was able to smell the entire line!
I did pretty well on the color cosmetics front. I was bored waiting in the drugstore and ended up buying a new Revlon HD Ultra Matte Lip Color. I should have read reviews because frankly, it sucks. I usually love Revlon lip product so this even difficult for me to process. First off, the scent is gross. Like cherry and vanilla but it comes across like a children’s oral antibiotic with metal shavings. Most lip product scents do not bother me but this one is shockingly terrible. The lipstick is a lie. It’s not matte or long-wearing. It’s like a creamy liquid lipstick with a slightly glossy finish that needs reapplied throughout the day. It moves and it loves to take a seat on your teeth. But, the shade Love is one of those “perfect” for me reds. Like people kept being like “Your lipstick is amazing”. Oh, why did they complicate my hatred of this product?!
I also needed an oil-based cleanser and bought Boots Botanics Organic Hot Cloth Cleanser which so far I really like. I could live without the added citrus oils and their fragrance but the formula feels awesome. It comes with a really crappy muslin cloth. Just use a washcloth. Why are people so washcloth adverse? Anyway, moving on to the Empties…
Here’s what I emptied in October:
SKINCARE
Skin Food Peach Sake Pore Serum – With the summer and humidity, I bought this. Most of the time my skin is dry but in the summer it was “greasy” from all the perspiration and layers and layers of sunscreens. This is a lightweight powder-finish serum with a fresh peach aroma. Maybe I’m not the best person to provide an opinion on this because I’m not really oily, but this stuff works. I applied it just to my T-Zone and it worked like magic. PLUS I didn’t have to follow with powder. Powder “ages” my skin. This mattified without looking cakey or “old”. Anyway, highly recommend this stuff to anyone that likes a matte finish look.
- Repurchase? I may. I don’t need it now but will probably buy it again next summer. It’s a rather affordable line and I love everything that I’ve tried of theirs.
Banila Co. Tea Party Rose & Jasmin Foam Cleanser – When I was in Hong Kong, I bought more foam cleansers than I probably should have. But, how could I resist this? TEA PARTY! And it was like $3 USD. I used it with my Clarisonic and it foamed OK. It’s a thicker foam cleanser that rinses off easily. The aroma isn’t really rose or jasmine. It’s a rather strong, generic floral. I do not recommend this to dry skin types. It made my skin feel tight. But, in all fairness 95% of foam cleansers do that to me.
- Repurchase? No. I bought better foam cleansers on that trip.
Neutrogena Fine Fairness Deep Whitening Sheet Mask – I bought these in Hong Kong and I wish I bought more. I love them. After using them, my skin always looks awesome. Name is dumb.
- Repurchase? I hope I can!
TonyMoly I’m Real Sheet Mask in Makgeolli – This one is for dull skin. It’s a mineral oil based serum mask and the serum looks like skim milk. The scent is a lactonic floral. The mask is larger and easily fits my fat head. What is makgeolli? It’s rice wine.
- Repurchase? Yeah.
TonyMoly I’m Real Sheet Mask in Lemon – I don’t usually like lemon skincare products but this came in a set. It’s a serum mask and the cotton is thick. The scent is what irks me. It is lemon and reminds me of dish soap. I didn’t really notice any differences in my skin after using it. Oh, and this mask left a sort of sticky/tacky residue.
- Repurchase? No.
Mamonde Flower Essential Sheet Mask in Camellia Lifting – This is a very hydrating lotion mask. To my surprise the aroma isn’t tea. It’s powdery and not what I expected. The mask moisturizes and made my skin feel softer.
- Repurchase? Probably not. I like it but I’m not going to go out of my way to buy it. There are others in the line that I like better.
Mamonde Flower Essential Sheet Mask in Shiny Peach Blossom – I want shiny skin. It’s my goal so I picked up a few of these. It’s a lightweight lotion sheet mask. The aroma is a delicate floral peach which I really liked. The product does as it says. It immediately made my skin look shiny. The next day it was so glossy that I didn’t even have to use highlighting products.
- Repurchase? Yes. So far it’s my favorite from the line. Keep in mind, I like glossy, glossy skin.
Clarisonic Refreshing Gel Cleanser (travel size, not pictured) – This f’d up my skin. It’s really fragrant and smells like Oribe hair products. It is full of exfoliating acids. I was stupid and did not read the ingredients before using. It came with my brush so I just assumed to use it with the brush. HUGE MISTAKE. It left my skin red/irritated, tight and begging for moisture. It hurt my face, like my face burned like a mutha’fuh. I thought it was too much when paired with a brush. I used it a week later and without the brush it dried my skin out so badly. It was demoted to a foot wash. No kidding. And then it even dried out my feet. No kidding.
- Purchase? No. Keep this stuff away from me. And if you have sensitive skin, I’d think you don’t want this on your face either.
Boscia Oil-Free Daily Hydration SPF 15 (deluxe sample, not pictured) – When it comes to skincare, I always forget Boscia. And I have no reason for that. I like a lot of their products. This isn’t really for my skin type but I used it anyway. It’s extremely lightweight, almost drying. I ended up using it over another moisturizer as like a matte finish SPF on cloudy days.
- Purchase? No. Not for my skin type and too low of SPF for me.
Jadience Vitality Anti-Aging Serum (sample, not pictured) – This is a serum with Asian herbs. I liked how it made my skin feel but the aroma grosses me out, like lemongrass and ginseng. It’s also a little tacky/sticky.
- Purchase? No way.
AHAVA Dead Sea Osmoter Face Concentrate (sample, not pictured) – I have no idea what a Dead Sea Osmoter is, but this is a gel-like serum for providing moisture. I wish I had more of the serum so I could form a better opinion. It has a light fragrance. It has a lot of aloe vera and glycerin and that’s what it feels like. It did moisturize without feeling heavy like some oils can. If you have dry skin but hate the heavy feel of some moisturizing products, this may be worth sampling.
- Purchase? No. I don’t think so.
Eve Lom Age Defying Smoothing Treatment (sample, not pictured) – These are those little single use capsules that you sometimes see with higher end serums. I used it for about half a week each night. They have a velvety texture because it’s ‘cone based. It almost feels like a really good makeup primer. It has that silky/velvety feel of silicones. This will make skin feel smoother. I think of these like a “night primer” in that it makes skin feel silky smooth but also has a lot of good anti-oxidants and moisturizers. It has a heavier feel than a lot of serums but it does “lock in” moisture. Or so I thought.
- Purchase? Probably not because of price. BUT I like how they made my skin feel. I also remember how much I like these sort of serum capsules.
Summary – I tried to make it a habit to use at least 4-5 samples this month. I like trying new things but I also like using consistent skincare. But, it’s a season change and a lot of my summer products aren’t cutting it right now. But, as you can see, I used up some “summer” products so I actually need to buy new things for the new season. There goes that no-buy!
FRAGRANCE
Malin + Goetz Tobacco Candle – This is a rich, dark pipe tobacco. It’s one of the few candles that I keep repurchasing.
- Repurchase? I probably will.
Histoire d’Eaux Maladie d’Amour EDP (sample, not pictured) – This is a butch bubblegum, like cedar and fruits. It’s fun. Full review here.
- Purchase? Probably not.
Neil Morris Aegean EDP (sample, not pictured) – It’s like lavender musk. Full review.
- Purchase? No.
Roxana Illuminated Perfumes Figure 1 Noir Parfum (sample, not pictured) – I love this patchouli. So dirty, so patchouli. Full review.
- Purchase? I did! I bought the solid perfume this month 🙂
Indult Isvaraya EDP (sample, not pictured) – This is an indolic jasmine with a juicy plum over a patchouli. It’s my favorite from the line. Full review here.
- Purchase? I don’t know. I like it but I have sooo much stuff.
Summary – My goal for the next few months is to use up samples of perfumes that I really like. I think I’ve became some sort of sample hoarder…or archiver. It’s not my job to archive all these samples. I want to use this stuff and enjoy it. And I did. I’m going to make a habit of this.
BATH/BODY
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream – Love this stuff. It’s the best moisturizer for my skin. And it’s fragrance free. Review here.
- Repurchase? YES!
Palmolive Health Radiance Bar Soap with Habba Saouda – I love bar soaps and sometimes I get this burning desire to use the corporate stuff. I was at a Middle Eastern market when this desire hit. I picked up a pack of these. Yes, I bought Palmolive soap. I was so curious about habba sawda which is Habbat Al-Barakah which is nigella (which is black cumin). I also loved the goth-y looking floral packaging. I couldn’t resist. What’s it like? A corporate bar soap with a fresh, clean fragrance. The bar is a pretty shade of purple. It’s made in Turkey.
- Repurchase? I have like 4 more bars left. Oddly, I like it. It does not smell like nigella. This is a huge plus IMHO.
Kiehl’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve (2.5 oz) – Overall, I like this thicker cream that moisturizes without feeling greasy. It’s heavy enough for nightly use yet absorbs quickly which is good for daily use. My complaint is that it is fragranced and I wish it weren’t. It smells herbal like rosemary.
- Repurchase? No. And that’s because of the fragrance. If it were unscented, I’d repurchase.
Summary – I didn’t use up that many in this category this month. And that’s because my shower is overloaded with shower gels right now. I usually only have one item (soap or shower gel) in there but now I have like 4 bottles of shower gel. This is really unlike me.
HAIR
OGX Tsubaki Blossom Conditioner – I bought this in Nashville because I needed shampoo and conditioner. And I was at a drugstore. The scent is floral with a bit of white musk. As a conditioner, it’s OK. I need much more moisture and it didn’t leave my hair feeling any softer than any of their other formulas. And when it comes to tsubaki, I’m sticking with Shiseido. It smells better and works better for my hair.
- Repurchase? No. It’s not like a hate this product. It was good for the money. I’m sure it’s great for some people but I need something richer.
TonyMoly Haeyo Mayo Hair Nutrition Pack (sample, not pictured) – It smells like coconut and lemons. It’s a thicker conditioner but I wouldn’t call it a deep treatment. I like it and its campy mayo packaging.
- Purchase? I may. I like the camp factor of it.
Summary – When I had short hair, I rarely used up products. I thought when my hair was longer, I’d use up more. But, in reality, I don’t. With longer hair, I wash it less frequently because it can’t take frequent washings.
MAKEUP
Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lip Liner in Wild Clover – I find that cheap lip liners or as good (or even better) than the more expensive stuff. Like this one. It’s a perfect mauve for me. It’s long-wearing. It’s made in Italy. And it retails for like $3. You can see it in use here.
- Repurchase? Yes. But, I’m certain I already have a few back-ups of this one because I feared it being discontinued.
Lancôme Le Crayon Poudre in Natural Blonde – This used to be my favorite brow pencil but there are so many things on the market these days. There are a lot of excellent products for brows. Le Crayon Poudre is like a powder in pencil form. It does give a very natural look IF you are filling in thinner spots. I like it but I like this one by Hourglass better. Also, I think Lancôme should step up their game and expand the colors (no reddish ones, no black or gray ones). You can see it in action here.
- Repurchase? I’ve repurchased this many times in my life but I’m moving on. The competition is tough in this price range. Especially when there are brands like Anastasia Beverly Hills that really know the brow market.
Benefit They’re Real Lengthening Mascara in Black (deluxe sample) – This is a good mascara and I see why it has a following. It seperates, lengthens and doesn’t clump. It doesn’t flake. My only real issue with this mascara is that it’s difficult to remove! It’s like it’s waterproof. I’m using it here.
- Purchase? I like it but I like cheaper mascaras too. But, this stuff is pretty good.
Summary – I used up some pencils. Off topic, I was in the drugstore and noticed there have been a lot of new mascara launches. Have you tried any of them? Are they any good? I was tempted to buy a L’Oreal that had a primer on one end (I usually like those) but I didn’t feel like spending money at the time.
Total: 25. 13 full-size. 3 travel/deluxe sample. 9 samples.
So, I failed my no-buy after 3 weeks. Oh, well. I did use more samples which was a personal goal.
What about you? Which products did you empty in October? Did you buy anything new? Throw anything out?
*Sephora, drugstore.com, Amzon, AHAVA, Nordstrom and beauty.com contain affiliate links. Thanks!
Haha, I did exactly the same thing this summer with the chance to buy an exclusive Serge Lutens in Europe at the current exchange rate: La Myrrhe! I’m sure in the end you won’t be sorry–this one is so beautiful.
Whoo! It’s so much cheaper than buying the bell jars at Barneys!
It’s one of my favorite perfumes and it’s ridiculous that I didn’t have a bottle.
No buys are really difficult! I bought a small compact of the solid Illuminated Perfumes Figure 1 Noir last week. I layered it with Voleur de Roses for Halloween. It went really well with my dead flapper costume!
It’s like whenever you make a goal for yourself. “I’m going to cut back on sugar” and then all you crave is sugar and your coworker brings in a dozen doughnuts. It never fails. This is what happens every single time I make a no-buy “official”.
That sounds so good! Now that I have both, I’m going to copy your idea 🙂
I have an OGX (callled Organix in Canada) conditioner — the Moroccan Argan in the turquoise bottle. It’s an okay conditioner, but I will NEVER buy it again, nor any other OGX product. I find their containers impossible to use. The conditioner is thick so it doesn’t come out readily and since the bottle can’t be set upside down (unlike most conditioners these days), I have to squeeze the container to get any out. It maybe just a case of weak hands, but I think it’s the heavy plastic and the fact that it flattens in the middle that make using two hands neccessary, well actually three hands, because I need one to hold whatever comes out. Hate it. Not even going to finish the bottle.
Rant over.
This is good to know. I have arthritis so stuff like this occurs to me a lot. I often blame me instead of the product because I assume that I have weak hands, especially first thing in the morning in the shower. I really struggled with squeezing it out. It did take two hands which is really annoying. I put it upside down because we have one of those over the shower organizer things that is wire (feel like I could have said that in less words, but really don’t know what those things are called). BUT you have to watch it because the weight of the product will push the cap off when it is stored upside down. I used most of it but I think I had a lot leak out…
The shampoo which is a thinner consistency is still a pain to squirt out. It always “sucks back in” or whatever when I squeeze.
You’d think they would have had this figured out by now 😉 That’s another reason why I like the Shiseido. It comes in packaging with pumps which is much easier for me to use.
I’m laughing because I have a nearly used up bottle in the forgotten corner of my tub that I have given up on. It’s too much work to get the last bit out but I feel bad just tossing it. You’re right though, the vacuum that bottle creates is something else! And now I have validation that it’s not just me being inept!
Ooh, one more thing, those lids are hard to open when my hands are wet. They just need to redesign the whole thing!
They do!
I always assume when I have problems opening products that’s me. BUT it is nice to see my struggles aren’t just mine 🙂
So I started triyng Pureology because I was asked to be a hair model (aka hair experiment) for a Pureology conference. I got a free hair dye and free product to try. Liked it, but like you said had a few issues with it so didn’t go buy it on my own when I ran out. Didn’t really like the smell, felt like it may have extended my color a little but not enough to off-set the price, thought I’ve definitely used better hydrating conditioners. All-in-all, totally agree Ali.
I want my face to by glossy too, I’m always piling on the creams and oils and mists!
Acquiesse make an amazing cinnamon tobacco candle, so good, still pining after the one I used up last year, but working my way through some other candles before buying it again.
I think I’m on the verge of finishing up some Solstice Scents burnishing glaces, been sploshing them in the tub every now and then.
Your skin is gorgeous. It’s glossy and radiant 🙂
Ugh, I’m trying to stop buying candles until I use up the too many that I have. The deal is that I love them. Even when I’m not burning them, I like to pick them up for a quick sniff, lol.
Should I even google this? 😉 It already sounds like something I want!
Oh you! 😉
Yer I know the feeling I have a few almost finished ones that are lingering around the place purely for my sniffing pleasure. I kept a lip balm for over 10 years simply for the smell – Perfumeria Gal Violette (only tossed it last week because I felt like a creepy hoarder) I think I would repurchase simply for the smell alone LOL
The glaces are like a body mist but are kind of oil/silicone based so they make your skin feel like silk, some of the scents are a bit hit or miss though.
That Violette balm does smell amazing though. And the packaging is so cute. I don’t blame you at all for keeping it around!
These sound really good. So much of the online scent stuff is hit or miss. But, I always think that they aren’t terrible just something I may not have bought if I sniffed first (like with Haus of Gloi). It’s usually that it isn’t to my taste or I had a different expectation via the note list or description. It happens. I’ve actually been meaning to try SS perfume oils for years now.
If you haven’t tried it, see if the Middle Eastern market has Nablus olive oil soap, one of my favorites.
Oh, thank you for the rec! I will keep an eye out for it!
Oh and for the hands Weleda Skin Food plus I’m green with envy that you have La Myrrhe
The last time I was at Whole Foods, I *almost* bought a tube of that. With winter coming up, I want all the heavy duty hand creams.
I’ve wanted it for years. I always said that if I made it to Paris, I’d buy it for myself. But, I haven’t made it there yet. Cost and exclusivity kept me from it. I had a chance to get it so I’m happy that I did 🙂
I don’t think anyone can blame you for getting Serge Lutens! Lucky you! I tried a no buy month for October but I think I ended up buying more than I usually do. And it seems that November is already a bust as I have made some purchases in the few days of this month. Of course, I have to take advantage of the upcoming sales, too. Also, now that it’s cold I totally want to light candles now. I had to stop myself from purchasing the diptyque holiday candle set. I’m kind of done with make up though. I think I realized that I have everything I need, unless something new is utterly amazing. I was walking around ulta like “eh” the other day. Basically I’m done with face paint but would like to light some fires!
November is going to be hard. There are a lot of sales/promos. Plus, there are a lot of limited edition items and gift sets.
I was just going through my stuff and I’m holding back on makeup. I have everything it seems. I feel I can create any look. I really never, ever need another color product (just the skin stuff like concealer or foundation and mascara). I *do* want the NARS blush set but I don’t need it at all.
“Basically I’m done with face paint but would like to light some fires!” – OH YEAH! LIGHT ‘EM UP!
[…] – My skin has been behaving. I did a few Korean sheet masks, you can see those in my Empties. I bought a Boots Cleansing Balm. I like the greasy texture a lot but not wild about the orange oil […]
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