May and June Empties (2013)

May was a bit of a slow month empties wise, but in June it picked up quite a bit and I already have some products nearing their end for July! Hooray for progress. It's been exceptionally hot in the DC area which has sucked even more of my energy than normal. My interests lately have involved sleeping and iced tea. Too bad my husband has refused a move north of the Mason Dixon line (he's from Georgia). Anyway... onward!

Joico K-Pak Deep Penetrating Reconstructor - This smells just like banana laffy taffy and is free of silicones. This is a protein treatment that I used once per week. I liked it but don't think I'd repurchase. It's rather expensive and my hair usually needs moisture over protein. Although, I'm tempted to try other products from Joico if they all have this smell. It's delicious!
Philosophy Raspberry Sorbet 3in1 - As I've gotten more into body washes, I've found myself enjoying the Philosophy ones over some of the other brands. They are on the thicker side and they seem to produce more lather. Plus, this Raspberry Sorbet scent is the perfect refreshing scent for summer. Between this and the K-Pak, I smelt like fruit salad!
Natural Hand Soap Crimson Berry - This is a hand soap that I picked up at TJmaxx for $2. It smells like cranberry and lasted me for several months. For $2 it wasn't bad and it didn't dry my hands out. Quite pleasant actually. My only complaint is the packaging was uncovered paper and it got quite warped as you can tell from the picture.

Yes to Blueberries Cleansing Facial Towelettes - I've really enjoyed using these Yes to Blueberries wipes. They smell tart and fresh and do a decent job of removing makeup. I'd definitely repurchase with a sale.
Makeup Forever Sens'Eyes - Waterproof Sensitive Eye Cleanser - You are probably tired of me talking about this makeup remover, but it truly is awesome. It seemed to take forever to finish this full sized bottle and I have one that I just cracked open since it is awesome and I won't be without it.

Aveeno Smart Essentials Daily Detoxifying Scrub - I believe I received this in the now defunct free Target beauty bags. This was a pretty decent scrub and it was very gentle. I used it in the shower and it was a nice bright citrus. Even though it was soap free, I feel that it dried my skin out just a bit but not too bad for a free sample. I would not repurchase.
Avene Thermal Spring Water - A must have in the warmer months! I tend to get over heated and love to spritz myself with this after I've walked in the door from the heat. I have another one ready to be used!
Sircuit Skin Fixzit Blemish Drying Serum - Ever since I first tried and saw the miraculous results back in 2011, I always have a bottle of this in my cabinet. I've had a few breakouts recently, and this cuts down on the time frame and tends to heal them overnight. Love love love this stuff and won't be without it.

MAC Studio Fix Powder - Yes, it is a makeup product! I hit pan on this back in December. I figured I maybe had a month left, try 6! This stuff is really a workhorse. I know people tend to deter us dry skinned folk away from powder foundation but it can look really nice if you are well moisturized and it's super easy and no fuss. I'll repurchase and I'm dying to try some of the lighter shades they came out with. This was sometimes a bit too dark in the winter (NW15).
La Roche Posay Nutritic Lip Balm - La Roche Posay was a bit naughty with this product. You think you are getting more than your standard lip balm stick, but it is exactly the same size! It's just the plastic tubing that is bigger! I wound up getting this on clearance at CVS and it was only ok. I felt like it only felt moisturizing right after application; after it quickly wore off, my lips were dry again. I kept this stick at work and finally whittled it down after many trying months. Not worth the higher price tag.

Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil Shampoo - This wasn't bad but it is not worth it's normal retail price and as with most shampoos. I found this pretty drying, even though it claims to remove build up without drying hair. Meh. Wouldn't purchase.
Essie Apricot Cuticle Oil - Apricots are some of my favorite fruits, but I found the scent of this oil a bit overwhelming (and cloying). I wouldn't purchase.

So there you have it! Not too shabby. Would have you finished recently?

Review: Softsoap Bar Soap in Coconut Scrub

The Softsoap Bar Soap in Coconut Scrub came in the Influenster Holiday Vox Box as I previously mentioned. Due to numerous CVS sales including this product, I already had a decent sized stash of them but I figured I'd review them either way as they are inexpensive and readily available at least to those in the states.

As some of you may know, I am a bar soap kind of gal. I find it much easier to use and like that it doesn't require something like a loofah in the shower as I have limited space (also the bars are significantly smaller than body wash bottles). My favorite kind of soap is one with some scrubby bits in it as it can do double duty. Unfortunately, the Coconut Scrub soap doesn't have tons of scrubby bits so I wouldn't truly classify it as an exfoliating soap but it's still nice. It is very creamy and quite soft. This is kind of a double-edged sword, it lathers up beautifully, it's non-drying but due to the soft texture, it needs to be kept far from water so it doesn't disintegrate.

The coconut scent is very light and pleasant and it doesn't leave my skin dry or tight, nor feel like it is coated in a film after showering. All in all, it's a nice soap for a very reasonable price. You can get a pack of 4 soaps (each weighing 4oz - they didn't skimp) for just over $4 making them around $1 each.

Disclosure: This was received for review purposes and I have also bought quite a few myself.

Review: LUSH Spice Curls

Some of you may remember my review for the LUSH sugar scrubs (found here). To recap for those of you who didn't or don't want to click on the link, I wasn't a big fan. The scrub disappeared after barely 1 use, it stained my shower and made it slippery. It was money wasted (down the drain) as far as I'm concerned. So I was poking through my LUSH soap stash and found Spice Curls and decided to give it a go.

I've since discovered that this particular soap has been discontinued by LUSH which is a shame because it's a fab scrub! As a soap it kind of sucks. It doesn't truly lather, it's gritty, I'd be kind of afraid of using it to clean my uh lady bits because it's quite pungent (cloves and cinnamon are two main notes). But as a scrub this thing rocks and it's been sitting in my shower for a few weeks and hasn't completely dissolved (cough-unlike-lush-scrub-cough). My only complaint is the orange-red base does tend to drip and coat things but I discovered if I store it on top of another piece of soap it doesn't cover my white soap dish in red.

So if you can manage to get your hands on this, I'd give it a try if you like firmer scrubs. Fab on elbows and legs, not so great on more sensitive parts like arms. I know I'm going to be on the lookout for this as I'd like another bar!

Long Overdue Review: Good Enough To Eat Soap

Several months ago I learned that my favorite soap maker had closed up her shop and was not planning on continuing making soap. I had been used this small brand for years - seriously, I first bought her soaps my sophomore year of college to battle my seriously dry flaky skin after a few unfortunate experiences with other "popular" e-tailers. I found the prices very reasonable, the product was amazing - unlike other e-tailer soaps where they would literally stick to my skin in the shower, hers produced a rich moisturizing lather which didn't involve slathering myself in heaps of lotion after wards (I could even shave with them!). I especially liked the ones that contained exfoliating ingredients since they were much more gentle than exfoliaters I could purchase in the store.

Well, to say I freaked out was an understatement. I furiously e-mailed said soap lady asking her if she had any plans to reopen Sparta Soap: nope. So then I asked her for recommendations and asked a few other knowledgeable etsy-lovers as well. BTW- Thank you Phyrra for your help!

Here's what I discovered - soap was expensive on Etsy! I searched and searched for reasonable shop owners that didn't seem to be repackaged soap or merely poured glycerin. Now, here's the thing. While I enjoy supporting small businesses, the idea of spending upwards of $7 on a piece of soap (including shipping) seems a bit ridiculous to me. That's just as bad as buying LUSH and I have a store nearby. Granted, LUSH soap is ridiculously overpriced and seems to melt away in seconds in the shower but I admit, I do like the smell of the products.

Anyhow, I finally found Good Enough To Eat which seems to offer organic soaps at a very reasonable price. I'll admit, I was fairly hesitant as no one had recommended this particular shop, but I took the plunge... in February.

Well, it took me till very recently to try this stuff.

The shop offers a variety of different "flavors" textures, butters and other items. The highest priced soap item in the shop is a very reasonable $3.75 (most range from $2.75 to $3.00) and are 4oz. Each soap comes individually wrapped with the name, ingredient list and contact information. The order arrived quickly, wrapped in tissue paper with an invoice.

I bet you're wondering what I thought of the products, huh? Well, the first time I showered I was pleased to see a rather rich lather form, the scent was divine - the one I used first was the Oatmeal & Honey soap which has fine granola in the base. I usually shy away from honey scents as some of them can be a bit overwhelming and honestly, disgusting. Not this one. This is actually really pleasant. My skin didn't feel dry the first time I used it, but it did feel a bit tight. I was a bit worried after that but the sensation has dissipated as I've continued using the soap. One of the best things about this soap is I can shave with it! The lather is thick and moisturizing enough so that I can even use it on the delicate skin underneath my arms. And no razor burn. Oh yeah, and it exfoliates - double duty.

And a perk, though admittedly my bathroom is tiny, having the soap on the dish scents up my entire bathroom!

So, I'm quite happy I took a shot with Good Enough To Eat soaps and I'll definitely be reordering if the shop owner forgives me for waiting this long to leave feedback on Etsy. =x

Disclosure: I bought the above soap(s) with my own hard earned cash.