2014 Empties Part II

This part of my 2014 empties is going to focus on skincare. While I was taking photos I realized how many more cleansers than moisturizers I used up in 2014, which for me is a bit odd. Then I remembered that I mix most of my face creams with face oils (yes, even in the morning before makeup) and I have a nearly finished face oil in my bathroom right now (currently loving a drugstore one, actually - Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Oil - quite nice and much cheaper than the ones you can get at Sephora). Anyway, here's what I used up in 2014 (and a sneak peek - there will be a makeup/lip balm items empties post - including more than 1 foundation!).

 Several (7) packs of makeup remover wipes, starting from the left:

• 2 packs of Lumene Gentle Cleansing Wipes 25 count - I remember these being nice, but not much else. Gentle which means not entirely effective, but I usually use wipes for face makeup anyway and use my *broken record* Makeupforever Sens'eyes for eye makeup.
• Safeway Makeup-Remover Cleansing Towelettes (compare to Pond's) 15 count - Since I'm not a fan of the Pond's, I'm not sure what possessed me to pick these up, but my guess is I needed them in a pinch as I picked the smallest pack they sell. No other memories of these!
• Olay Wet Cleansing Towelettes "Sensitive" 30 count - Sensitive is in air quotes since according to a previous mini review, these made my eyes water, so I used another pad for eye makeup removal. Meh. I seriously hope I don't have another packet of these floating around as they were only ok.
• Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes 25 wipes - As it says in the linked review, I fell in love with these after getting them in one of the now defunct free Target beauty bags. Really like them but they are on the pricey side so I only buy when there is a particularly good sale and as I say in my review, they are much larger than your normal makeup wipe which is a bonus.
• Nuance Salma Hayek Detoxifying Facial Cleansing & Toning Towelettes 25 wipes - I've been buying and using up these towelettes since they first came out (I think I've gone through at least 6 of these since they launched in 2011 - which considering the price is quite a lot for me). I still like them and as I've said, I only purchase when they are on sale.
• Simple Kind To Eyes Eye Makeup Remover Pads - While I love the regular Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes, these suck. They just aren't effective. If I need another eye makeup remover to saturate an already "saturated" remover pad, then it's just not worth the money. The only redeeming thing is I didn't pay near full price as they came in a beauty box.

• First Aid Beauty Daily Face Cream 1oz - As you can see, I really enjoyed this, though it wasn't quite moisturizing enough for me, hence my mention of face oils above. I've repurchased. I was a bit scared of some of the ingredients but it didn't break me out and it actually wears well under makeup.
• Origins Drink-Up Intensive Overnight Mask - During a moment of sheer exhaustion, you can see my decision tree that mentions this product. Yes, I used it during the day and yes my makeup stayed on all day. What can I say? Dry skin does sometimes have its perks.
• Eve Lom Cleanser (original) and Morning Time Cleanser (both 50mL/1.6oz)- I found it slightly amusing that when I first reviewed this back in 2011, I was pretty convinced I would never buy it due to the price point; well every since, spacenk has satisfied my craving for this product by putting their holiday sets on clearance most years - though I think I missed this last one. Even though these jars were meant for travel - (being the smallest size they offer), which I completely took advantage of, it took so long to use them up! I'm currently trying to get through one of the regular sizes and holy moly, a little goes a long way. I'm not defending the price point, but it's not as bad as you think considering the amount you use and my dry skin loves these. Sometimes, I leave it on extra long when I have time as more of a mask. And since there's nothing worse than the dry air of a train or airplane for my skin, I'm keeping the small empty jar around for future travel. 

• Tatcha Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil - I really liked this deluxe sample, but I'm not sure if I'd spring for the full size as I tend to prefer balm cleansers and when it's not a balm cleanser, it's an oil cleanser with a pump - though to be fair, the full size may be a pump and not a pipette, in which case, I would consider a repurchase.
• Bliss Fabulous Foaming Facial Wash 2oz - This multi-purpose cleanser would not die. First of all, you need to use the smallest amount. This little deluxe size sample bottle lasted far longer than I thought it would. I am so glad I didn't spring for the full size when Sephora was offering it half price several months ago. For me, it's a little drying, but it's a nice product, especially if you're pressed for time since it's a cleanser and mild exfoliator in one. I'd probably recommend it more for normal to oily skin types though.
• The Body Shop Moisture White Shisho Make-up Cleansing Oil - Really enjoyed this one and I'm eager to try the newer Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil waiting for me in my cupboard. Would repurchase with a sale, definitely, even if there isn't a pump!
• Lierac Micellar Water - This cleansing water does a decent job of removing facial makeup but it doesn't nothing for anything remotely waterproof on the eyes. More convenient for some though since it's carried at various drugstores and with sales, it makes it less costly than some of the higher end versions.
• Soap & Glory Clean Mary Cleansing Milk - Honestly, this is quite old, but when I found it in the back of my cabinet, I was compelled to use it up. It smelled the same and didn't have a weird texture and didn't irritate my skin so I went with it. I have a sneaking suspicion that the Peaches & Clean that Soap & Glory subsequently put out is the newer version of this. This is a great morning time cleanser as it has both oils and natural exfoliators, so it gives a minor exfoliation without being too drying prior to applying moisturizer and makeup.

Whew, just 2-3 more of these to go before I can get back in the rhythm of regularly scheduled empties posts. Check out Part I here!

My Nighttime Skincare Routine

Today I thought I'd share what I've been doing as my nighttime skincare routine. I'm pretty happy with the overall routine. This is generally what I do on a daily basis but it can be altered depending on how my skin is doing. Lately I haven't needed to use any acne related products (knock on wood) so I didn't include any in this post. You'll notice that I spend the majority of my time making sure my face is clean and free of all makeup. I have found that double cleansing and using an oil/balm cleanser has resulted in much clearer skin as otherwise, the makeup and dirt has the tendency of clinging on to my drier flaky bits.

My first cleanse is concentrated on makeup removal. If I'm wearing a lot of eye makeup and/or waterproof mascara, I first apply the Makeup Forever Sens'eyes Waterproof Sensitive Eye Cleanser. This stuff is awesome. I basically compare every other remover to it as it dissolves eye makeup without a residue and it doesn't burn my eyes. While that is dissolving my eye makeup, I use a cleansing towelette. Right now I'm using the Yes to Blueberries Cleansing Facial Towelettes which I was introduced to from Birchbox last year. I like these a lot more than the Yes to Cucumbers version. They don't burn or irritate my eyes, they are pretty effective at removing makeup and they smell yummy. If I'm not wearing waterproof mascara, I've been testing out the Lierac Micellar Water which is pretty decent but does nothing for waterproof mascara, though it removes face makeup like a champ. If I use the Lierac, then I usually don't wind up using a towelette and remove all my makeup with it and a few cotton pads.

My next step is a cleansing balm. I could use this for makeup removal as well; however, since it's a pricey product, I tend to use less of it if I do a pass previously with another cleanser (hence the above step). Right now I'm using (and still loving) the Elemental Herbology Purify and Sooth Facial Cleansing Balm. I've proclaimed my love for this and cleansing balms enough already, but if you haven't tried it, you need to. In the back you can see muslin cloths. Between the balm and the cloth, I get a deep cleanse and also a gentle daily exfoliation. I have a few from The Body Shop and a couple from eve lom that came in a set I bought.

Next step, moisturizer. You can see that I don't use toners, I don't use fancy serums. I'm pretty low maintenance. For my lips, I've been using The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Lip Care Stick, an old favorite. For a bit of a departure, I've been using the Tarte Pure Marajuja Oil as my nighttime moisturizer. I actually use this during the day time as well if I am using a liquid foundation. I've really enjoyed this oil and between the balm cleanser and this oil moisturizer, my skin has never looked better. While I can use it around my eyes as well, I've been trying to finish this Lily B Ultra Eye Cream* which I received from Bloom. It's nice but I'm so bad about using eye creams and the Tarte works on that area just as well and it's only 1 step!

So there you have it. This excludes things like masks, spot treatments as I noted above and manual or chemical exfoliators which I tend to use in the shower. What's your nighttime skincare routine?

Disclosure: Lily B Ultra Eye Cream was received from Bloom for review.

Good CVS Deal - Lierac, Vichy, La Roche Posay

If you are a member of the CVS Beauty Club, you should have received an e-mail on May 14th (Title: See What's Free for Beauty Club Members) with 2 different coupons. One was buy 1 Salma Hayek Nuance Product get 1 free and the other was $10 off any prestige skincare purchase. CVS is also running a sale this week where if you purchase $30 worth of prestige skincare, you get $10 worth of Extrabucks back. If you get the general CVS e-mails, you should have also received a 30% off coupon May 9th (Title: 30% off Mother's Day Savings) on non-sale items which expires in the next couple of days. Put it together and you are looking at significant savings!

For instance, I bought the Lierac Micellar Cleansing Water which recently came out for $24. Then to bring me over the $30 mark I bought one of the mini bottles of the Vichy Thermal Spa Water for $8. Then CVS took $10 off from my coupon which brought me down to $22 (I believe they are now doing the percentage off coupons after dollar off coupons). Then my 30% off coupon brought my total down to $15.40. And I got $10 in Extrabucks back. These skincare brands have been coming out with coupons for their higher priced lines so that might be something to look into if you've been wanting to try some pricier items.

Basically, I got 2 items for $5.40 after the Extrabucks savings. You could of course use the $10 off coupon on a cheaper item and get it for free or close to free but I decided to spring for something more expensive as I'd been wanting to try it.

Happy shopping!

Review: Lierac Hydrofilia Fluid Body Cream For Dry Atopic Skin

I picked this up on a whim at my local CVS one day as it seemed right up my alley. The Lierac Hydrofilia Fluid Body Cream is specifically formulated for dry and atopic skin and promises "immediate comfort" and "prolonged hydration". If you didn't already know by now, I have dry skin. While the skin is dry on my face, it's even worse on my body (it's so dry when I pull on tights, I get a cloud of dry skin - sorry TMI and gross but true). The issue that I've had recently is that some lotions that say they are formulated for dry skin simply leave a film on top of the skin and don't truly hydrate it. The Fluid Body Cream is a great name for it, as it's thick but once on the skin, it becomes thinner and more fluid and rubs in quite easily. It sinks in quickly and doesn't leave a sticky residue like other lotions. The best part is it has done a great job of keeping my skin hydrated and I rarely have periods of intense itching when I use this.

The smell is a light floral and isn't offensive however the lotion is definitely fragranced so those sensitive to scents or fragrance additives should probably steer clear. I quite like this lotion, although for the price, I would prefer a few more ounces. It looks as though it was repackaged recently and now comes in a 4.97 oz pump bottle for $32.00 (I have the squeeze tube which was probably the same retail price but I got on sale).

If you suffer from extremely dry, itchy, flaky skin yet don't like super heavy, greasy and sticky lotions (who does really), I would consider giving this a try. I'm not sure I'd repurchase only because I tend to get tired of different lotions and potions, but I'd definitely consider it cause this stuff works (even with the crazy price tag).

Ingredients: WATER( AQUA). LECITHIN.GLYERCIN.BUTYLENE GLYCOL. GLYCERL STEARATE. PEG-100 STEARATE. CYCLOMETHICONE. ETHYLHEXYL ETHYLHEXANOATE. CHONDRUS CRISPUS (CARRAGEENAN). GLUCOSE. XANTHAN GUM. MINERAL OIL (PARAFFINUM LIQUIDUM). MENTHA PIPERITA (PEPPERMINT) EXTRACT. HYDROGENATED COCONUT OIL. PROPYLENE GLYCOL. STEAROXY DIMETHICONE. DIMETHICONE. POLYACRYLAMIND. C13-14 ISOPARAFFIN. LAURETH-7. CAMELLIA KISSISEED OIL. HYDROGENATED POLYISOBUTENE. TOCOPHEROL. PEG-10 RAPESEED STEROL. FRAGRANCE (PARFUM). PHENOXYETHANOL. METHYLPARABEN. ETHYLPARABEN. BUTLPARABEN. ISOBUTYLPARABEN. PROPYLPARABENBOTANICAL ORIGIN (D’ORIGINE VÉGÉTALE)