August 2015 Empties

New month means new pile of trash to sort through and see what was garbage and what was gold. Plus, these posts make me feel better about buying new stuff. These are proof that I'm actually using stuff up. See honey, I'm not a hoarder! Hoarders don't use up stuff. So there! Anyways, let's dig in!

Now not all of these are actually empty, a couple of items were just awful and needed to be tosses. I'll divide this post into things I always repurchase, things I loved, things I'm meh about, and things that should be purged off the face of the planet. 22 items this month, so not actually a bad month overall as far as empties are concerned.

You should all know by now that I love my Kirkland wipes, Beauty Protector spray, and the Clean Freak shampoo/conditioner is my new holy grail. Seriously, these are all amazing. Go check them out.

Ah, my items that I was sad to see go. The Maybelline Dream BB Cream is awesome and so affordable. I bought a new tube when I had a week left, so you know this one is a keeper. And for under $10 it is two cheap thumbs up! The Vasanti BrightenUp! is my favorite but expensive face scrub. If I ever become an unpoor beauty blogger this is #1 on my list of things to buy a full size of. And #2 on my list of things to buy when I'm not so poor is the Supergoop! CC Cream. It gave me such a nice matte finish and my face just looked so nice. But alas it is more than I'm willing to pay right now for a foundation. Lastly is my beloved Eyeko liquid eyeliner pen, which lasted soooo long I'm seriously amazed. And I may actually buy another one if my cheap dupe testing doesn't pan out. But at like $14 it is a bit more than I want to spend right now on an eyeliner.

Queen Helene has been around forever and it's just kind of meh to me now. Teenager me loved this company but I'm just super bored by it. This actually dried up, I think I only used it a handful of times to be truthful. But I paid like 20 cents for it so I don't feel bad about tossing it. I bought a ton of these Ulta body washes on massive sale and I'm sooo bored of them. They're great products, but I really need some more variety, I'm tired of these scents and bottles. The little bottle of conditioner was a free item with a birchbox order and honestly I only opened it because I ran out of my regular conditioner and had no time to go to the store. The Ulta mascara was so meh I have nothing else to say. And lastly the Temptu liquid highlighter. I liked the liquid aspect of it but the color was very tanned skin specific so really only usable in July and August.

Ah, the items that should be burned off the face of the earth. Top left is that awful cigarette smoke cleanser I've already talked about in a previous post, so I'll skip more complaining about that. The amika "undone" spray was just weird and didn't make sense. Like is it a hair spray? A dry shampoo? Beach spray? Nobody knows but it fails at all three. The Cetaphil wipes have been talked about already so I'll skip them this time. But they sucked. The ELF Lock and Seal pissed me off so bad. Like the tip of the bottle split so it leaked horribly if I laid it down and just was way more work than it was worth. Oh and it really friggin hurts to get this in your eyes. The Benefit push up piece of crap liner has also been talked about, but to reiterate is a total piece of crap and I'm pissed at Benefit about it still. The two Ulta products are just cheap crap and are getting tossed so I have the space they were occupying back. And lastly the one that is controversial, the GlamGlow whatever mud cleanser. This still is soooo over priced and really, can someone explain to me why people are nuts for this brand? $70 for a teenie little jar of "mud", it's ridiculous. This stuff actually made my skin super sensitive and I didn't see any improvements at all. Ridiculous.

So that's my trash, was it wonderful? Have I angered you by hating on a fave? Should I give something a second chance? Let me know down in the comments.

July 2015 Empties

Wow, am I late on posting this! Sorry guys, the weekend left me drained and I really am struggling to find the energy to do everything I need to do at home and this blog right now. Hopefully after injection number 2 in a few weeks I'll start to feel better and get my energy back, but for right now I'm just wiped. Anyways, let's talk trash. I had like 24 empties for July, which is pretty darn impressive! There were a lot of repeats and things I really don't feel like talking about so I'm just going to talk about a hand full of items this time. Maybe for August I'll do a video instead, getting my video space all set up actually, just need to get a tripod now and maybe an external light. But that's a conversation for later, onto my empties!

That is a mighty fine pile of trash if I do say so. A lot of makeup was finished in July, which is always exciting, especially when it's things like lipstick and eyeshadow. I've been attempting to finish up all my extra hair stuff so I'm glad to see a few bottles in the pile.

Of this picture nothing is really a repurchase except maybe the brush. I love the ELF studio brushes but they always fall apart after a year. For $3 they are a great price but it gets annoying to have them pop apart mid-use all the time. The sunscreen is a hubby favorite, I find it to greasy for my skin but I'm sure I'll buy more of it anyways. The Marcelle BB cream was crazy heavy for a BB cream, made my face look cakey and awful. I had to mix it with my Maybelline BB cream just to wear it. The last items, the brush shampoo and the face wash, were alright but just didn't make the cut.

I love love love the Rimmel Stay Matte powder, I've already got a new one I'm using. For just a few bucks you really can't beat them, especially if you have oily skin like I do. The eyeliner was a basic brown one and while I liked the formula I hate the Pacifica brand due to their insistence on putting coconut in EVERYTHING. Seriously, why does eyeshadow need coconut infused into it?!? That Real Chemistry peel was ah-mazing! I'll be buying a full sized bottle of it next time I have extra money to spend, seriously nothing else has made my skin look and feel as good as that did. A+ product. The two eyeshadows were from my ginormous ELF palette that I'm working my way through. One was a lovely plum and the other was a greyish color. The pink mascara is by Essence and is my cheap holy grail mascara. It was like $5 and worked so much better than 90% of the other mascaras I've tried over the years. The only one I like better is the Urban Decay Perversion one, which is $22. I'll probably pick another tube up once I finish testing a few other mascaras I've acquired lately. And lastly is my project pan lipstick. It's gone bad and was starting to give me a reaction, so I'm calling it done for my health and safety. There's maybe half an inch left so I'm pretty happy with how much I actually used up.

Keeping track of my empties like this really lets me know what I'm using up and what I really shouldn't hoard anymore (like lotion, I really need to stop buying lotion). Setting goals either here in my empties or by doing a project pan really helps me to focus on using stuff up before it goes bad. And we all know I have more than enough makeup to last me a lifetime. My goal for August is to finish up the lip balm from my project pan and a whole lot more hair stuff. Anything past that is just icing on my bronzer covered cake.

June 2015 Empties, My Push to Finish Products

Today is the first day of July, and that means it is time to sort through my mountain of trash and see what I used up in June. Now last month I set a goal of 25 finished products, which admittedly is quite a lot of items. I not only met that goal, but I ended up 5 above it if I counted correctly. 30 items finished in one month, that's pretty good I think. So because there are so many items I'll divide them into "Yes, No, Maybe" and talk about a few of the stand outs in the group.

These are my "Yes, I would repurchase them" pile. I've talked about everything minus the clay mask before so I'll mainly just focus on that this time. I love Freeman masks and the lemon mint one is my favorite of the clay ones. This dries out my acne and leaves my skin looking so nice. I've already got a back up of this. The brush is an ELF studio small stippling brush, and I actually ran out within an hour of breaking it and bought another. They're only $3, so I don't mind that the studio line isn't as sturdy as some of my other brushes, all but one of mine broke within a year of buying it. I'll probably talk about that more later.

These are my "Maybe" items. The Liz Earle soothing eye lotion was really nice, as was the Demeter Jasmine perfume, but they're both a bit spendy for my current budget. Maybe in the future when I have some extra cash for goodies. The two ELF blushes I really liked, but I'm kind of sick of the powder one after making it my Project Pan item. And the cream blush dried up after a year, which was a bit frustrating. I will probably pick these up in the future but right now I need a break from them.

My "No" pile is huge this time, which surprised me. All of the hair care products just didn't step up to my expectations of them, even the Beauty Protector shampoo and conditioner. All the lotions are a no because I own to much lotion currently and cannot justify buying more anytime in the next year. The makeup items were either way overpriced (Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel and Smashbox Primer), or I just didn't like enough to want more of. The two tools in the no pile, the beauty blender dupe and the cotton swabs, actually really disappointed me. The sponge would NOT come clean, no matter how or what I washed it with and I eventually ripped it trying to ungross it. The cotton rounds were suppose to be my Dollar Store regulars but they switched them for these awful, shedding things and I didn't notice till I was home. I may have to start getting my cotton swabs somewhere else until they switch back to the ones I liked. And lastly, that Dove body wash gave me a horrible rash, so if you have sensitive skin I suggest avoiding it like the plague. An itchy, hive covered plague.

The last month was really great for empties and I'm super happy with my progress. I won't set any goals for July since I have a feeling I won't be wearing a whole lot of makeup that month. I do want to finish another thing of lotion and all my stockpiled hair stuff, but other than that I'm not going to push myself. If you see an item in the pictures you want me to talk more about please let me know down below in the comments.

My Mountain of Garbage, Otherwise Known As May Empties

Is it weird that my monthly post about my garbage is one of my favorite posts? Because it is, strangely enough. I just really like looking back at what I've used and seeing what was worth it and what was utter....well garbage. May was a pretty good month for empties, I really pushed to finish up items more than I normally do. I've got so much makeup and skin care items that I need the next 3 months to be like May I think. Or get a bigger bathroom. Since I have so many items I'm going to order things a little different. The items I always repurchase like my dry shampoo I'll put all in one picture so I don't blather one about them for the sixth time in a row.

My breakdown this month came out to: 9 skin care items, 4 hair care items, 4 makeup items, and 3 tools. That brings my total to 20 empties this month. This isn't my biggest month of empties, but it's pretty close. I had a ton of skin care items this time, which I found interesting. And hey, any empty makeup is a good thing. Let's break it down by category and see what was worth it.

These are all things I either constantly repurchase and therefor have talked about so many times I'm sick of it or is an item I just reviewed, like the little vial of Beauty Protector Oil. All A+ items, all repurchase.

Ulta Brand Buttercream Frosting 3-in-1 Body Wash: Repurchase I love the Ulta brand body wash, all the scents are amazing, but the buttercream one is my favorite. I already have a back up bottle of this and will probably stock up once I finish the current bottle I'm using.

Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Conditioner: Repurchase The shampoo is almost done, and I love this set. I recently reviewed them so I won't waste a ton of time talking about them. But I dig them.

Adovia Bath Salts: Undecided So I really liked these and they worked quite well, but my budget just got a bit smaller so I can't really justify the price. But if my budget status changes I would probably buy another one.

Beauty Protector Body Wash: Not Repurchase If I did not have to worry about budgets at all I would use this stuff exclusively, it was that good. But alas, I'm broke so unless they send me more through Birchbox I will sadly not repurchase it.

Klorane Dry Shampoo: Not Repurchase A high priced dry shampoo that doesn't work any better than my cheaply priced dry shampoo. I'll use it if I get it but I won't spend $20 on a single bottle of dry shampoo.

Simple Mircelle Water: Not Repurchase So I was actually going to buy this on recommendation from someone I know online when I found a free sample offer online. 6 weeks later it finally showed up in my mail box and I am so underwhelmed I might as well have rubbed tap water on my face. Seriously, this is a huge fail for me.

Supergoop Eye Cream: Undecided I was actually going to buy this in my big Birchbox haul but they discontinued the set I wanted before I bought it. I really liked this but at $45 I can't really justify the price. Unless that great set comes back, with the CC Cream and the Sunscreen.

Aveeno Lotion: Undecided I prefer Aveeno products for my sensitive skinned family, but I own so much lotion right now I really don't need more. But on the other hand this absorbed really well and didn't leave me feeling sticky/greasy.

ELF Lip Brush: Not Repurchase Love the ELF brand brushes, they're a buck each so if I need to toss one I don't stress it. I've actually had this one for quite a while, but I got a new one so out with the old

Konjac Sponge: N/A I LOVE konjac sponges, and I swear by their ability to transform your skin. This came in a double pack so I don't need to worry about buying another one.

Revlon Nail File: N/A This came in a giant box of files, so I've got like 10 left. They're files, not a lot to say.

Mary Kay Eyeliner in Bronze: Not Repurchase I have no idea what I was thinking, buying a bronze eyeliner. The Mary Kay brand liners smear horribly, so you can only imagine what this looked like at the end of the day. But I stayed with it and finally finished it. I deserve a cookie. Or a new lipstick. Or Both.

YSL Mascara: Not Repurchase As a $10-$15 mascara this is quite nice, but at the $30+ price it is not even remotely close to worth it. I enjoyed it since I didn't pay for it, and I did use it up. But I'd never pay that much for a mascara ever.

ELF Eyeshadow (gold?): Not Repurchase This was one of the eyeshadows I managed to save from the Great Palette Crash of 2015. It was a nice goldish color, but not one I'd go out of my way to track down. I think I only managed to save enough for like 4 uses, so not really a big win there.

Dr Jart+ BB Cream: Not Repurchase I HATE DR JART AND BIRCHBOX NEEDS TO QUIT SENDING THEM TO ME.

Pretty much everything was a no go minus the things I always repurchase, which was interesting to me. Things I loved when I originally got them kind of faded to meh by the end, especially when I saw how much a full sized was. I'm setting a goal of 25 empties for myself for June, and I want to finish my last few Project Pan items. That's my goal, get those done and out the door.

April 2015 Empties

First day of a new month means  it is time to check out my trash! Also known as my monthly empties post, where I look back at what I used up and whether or not it is worth repurchasing. Due to being crazy ill (see last post for details) I did not use up anywhere near as much as I had anticipated, so I'm expecting my May empties to be quite large.

All total I finished up 15 items, which isn't actually bad at all. And there's several makeup items, so that's a big win there. Overall most of these products are ones I won't be repurchasing, minus an item or two nothing was super awesome and I can't live without it. Let's dig in.

Kirkland Makeup Removal Wipes: Repurchase. These are constantly in my empties, so I'm sure you are as sick of hearing about them as I am sick of talking about them.

Advanced Hair Repair Shampoo: Not Repurchasing. While I liked this shampoo I can't justify spending $25 on a shampoo, my budget just won't allow it. If I had the money I would probably repurchase it though.

Up&Up Shaving Cream: Repurchasing. I recently switched back to using shaving cream while I shave and I have to admit I like it quite a bit better. This scent was amazing, so unless one of the other types is on sale I'll pick up another can of this over the weekend.

Olay Fresh Outlast Body Wash: Repurchasing. I got this sample for free and I LOVED IT!! I can't say enough about how wonderful it smelled, made my skin feel, how nice of a lather I got from it, or how long this little bottle lasted. Once I'm through my hoard of body wash I will be buying a full sized one for sure.

Whish Hair Inhibitor: Not Repurchasing. This was suppose to slow down hair growth so you won't have to shave as often. I say suppose to because I didn't notice any sort of difference at all between the leg I tested it on and the one I didn't use it on. And according to my husband the leg I DIDN'T use this on felt less hairy after my week long trial.

Which Shaving Cream: Not Repurchasing. The first time I tried Whish shaving cream I loved it, but this scent made me want to puke. Major fail.

I'm going to make this section easy and say I will Not Repurchase any of these items.

Origins CC Cream: This had a habit of turning my face orange and smelled like fruit loops. No thank you.

Embroilyse: So while I thought it was a decent lotion I don't see what all the fuss is about over this product.

Evologie Acne Serum: My ELF zit zapper works twice as well for a fraction of the price without leaving my skin sticky.

Jersey Shore Sunscreen: Thick, turned my skin white, and separated after the first use

Coppertone Sunscreen: I liked this stuff initially but it separated pretty quickly.

Jar #1: Not Repurchasing. This was a brown eyeshadow (I think from my Project Pan), and while I liked it I'm glad it's all gone and I can move onto new colors.

Jar #2: Not Repurchasing. Another Project Pan shadow, I really liked this color but I have a million other eyeshadows to finish before I buy any more.

Jar with Flower: Undecided. This was a Camille Beckman hand lotion, and I fell in love with it. The scent was wonderful and it was so thick and luscious. BUT it is expensive for a tube of hand cream. Not sure what I'll do.

ELF Eyeshadow Primer: Undecided. I'm normally a huge fan of the ELF shadow primers, but this one didn't hold up very well. I'm hoping this was just a bad tube and not a problem with the formula. I'll pick up a new tube this weekend probably and see. Maybe.

March Empties

End of the month means it is time to look back at what I finished and whether or not they were awful or awesome. What a weird job is this that I write about my trash once a month? And that this is one of my favorite monthly posts? So very strange. I didn't have a ton of empties this month, which is fine. Every month can't be empties heaven I guess. I suspect April will have a ton of empties though, it seems like I have a ton of items almost empty right now.

13 empties total, mainly skin care stuff this month. The breakdown is: 3 tools, 2 makeup, 1 hair, 6 skin care, and 1 other. Looking at that tiny little pile makes me think maybe I was slacking on using things in March, which may be why I haven't made a ton of Project Pan progress. This may also be the reason why my face has been a bit broken out, I think I really just ignored everything. Well, let's dig in and see what I thought.

Elizabeth Motts It's So Big Mascara: (Not Repurchasing) This isn't a bad mascara at all, but it for sure wasn't worth the price of a full size tube. If I found it on sale I'd get it again but other than that I would pass.

COTZ Tinted Sunscreen: (Not Repurchasing) This stuff actually made me grumpy. It is mud colored but is suppose to blend transparent, which is total bullshit. If I really paid attention while applying it I just looked tan, but if I just rubbed it on I looked like a blotchy mess. It was really greasy too, I would never buy a full sized one.

Kirkland Facial Wipes: (Purchase) These are a standard item I always get, you know I love it them by now.

Peppermint Body Lotion: (Not Repurchase) I received an obscene amount of lotion for Christmas so even if I did love this scent, which was alright but not great, I still wouldn't buy anymore. This isn't actually empty, I put the last little bit into one of my travel bottles, but that is almost out too.

Freeman Charcoal Black Sugar Mask: (Purchase) This is my holy grail item, and I've already bought another one. This stuff is the only reason my skin ever looks as good as it does. Holy Grail Item.

Coppertone Sunscreen: (Not Repurchase) I am a little pissed off at this stuff, it went bad in under a year. It is a nasty, congealed, separated mess now. Sunscreen should last longer than that I feel like. Very annoyed. I actually liked it before this, but I live in a place that rarely sees the sun let alone have enough sun I need sunscreen on my body (which is hiding under 3 layers of clothing).

Nivea in Shower Lotion: (Not Purchasing) This was a free sample I got from Pinch Me and while everybody else loved it I hated it. Left a residue on my skin that I didn't like and I developed a rash from it. And yes, I did wash it off just like the directions stated. Just not right for me.

Mary Kay Soothing Eye Gel: (Maybe Purchase) The only item from my current Project Pan this month. I really like this eye gel for allergy season, but it is a little pricey. And I own so many eye creams it would be ridiculous to buy another jar. But I may purchase a new one once the rest of my hoard is used up.

Colgate Toothpaste: (Not Purchasing) Did you guys know toothpaste expires? Oops.....that was a gross discovery. This is why you shouldn't buy a big pack at Costco, forget you bought it, then buy a second pack. Anyways, I'm going to switch over to a toothpaste that's totally free of coconut and coconut derived stuff so my mouth won't hurt every time I brush my teeth.

Beauty Protector Spray: (Purchase) I recently talked about how much I love this stuff so I won't get into it again, but I love this stuff and can't go a day without it.

Bath Poof: (Purchase) I actually buy a new one every quarter, but I stuck this in my empties this time to show you guys what I like to use for my soaps. Bath poofs will take a crappy non-lathering soap and turn it into a luxurious foam. I always get these at the Dollar Store, everywhere else they are fifty cents more expensive at least.

Cotton Pads: (Purchase) These are a standard item in my empties as you guys probably know by now. Though it felt like I went through this pack faster than I normally do.

Dollar Shave Club Razor: (Not Purchasing) We recently made the switch from Dollar Shave to Harry's (review coming soon), so the handle is getting tossed. Dollar Shave Club isn't bad at all, I really liked them but they weren't a good fit for my husband.

So that's all my glorious trash, see anything interesting? I really want to have a massive bag full in April, so I'm going to really strive to finish things up. Plus I'm getting a TON of stuff in April and May so I really need to make some room or I'll completely take over my apartment with my hoard of items.

February 2015 Empties

Is is strange that one of my favorite posts is the one where I talk about my garbage? I love looking back at what I used up and figuring out what I actually liked and didn't like instead of just tossing it and then wondering in the store 3 weeks later which lotion gave me a horrible rash. It is also the only time you can really give a fully in depth review of a product. Sometimes that foundation you loved after a week will turn your face orange a month later. February was a decent empties pile, I think there was a day I used up like 4 or 5 items! So let's dig into this pile of garbage and see which ones were the gems in the bunch.

All total I had 19 empties, which is pretty decent I think. The breakdown came out to: 7 makeup, 5 hair care, 5 skin care, and 2 body care items. Two of my project pan items ended up in the empties pile this month, they were the lipstick and the little clear jar. And in the interest of full disclosure, two of the items are not empty, but I'll explain why they are in the pile when I get to them. And for an easy visual reference, this month all items I liked have a little heart on them while all items I disliked have a circle with a slash through it on them.

Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream: (Repurchased) This was a Birchbox sample that I ended up really loving. Winters in Oregon can be super hard on your skin so I used this to protect my son's face from the cold and harsh winds. I also used it on my hands to keep them from getting chaffed from the cold as well. I've already bought a full sized and will buy another one for sure once that runs out. Hands down love this item.

Victoria's Secret Delicate Petals Body Lotion: (Not Repurchasing) A gift from a LONG time ago, I don't actually know if they still sell this scent. It wasn't bad, just not one I'd repurchase. Plus I have a gallon of lotion to slog through before I buy anymore lotion.

Dove Oxygen Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner: (Not Repurchasing) These were a free sample from some program and I ended up hating them. The shampoo had little micro beads that would NOT rinse out of my long hair so I'd spend all day picking them out if they hadn't burst during shampooing. Not OK. The conditioner wasn't bad in all honestly, but I'm trying to be more conscience of the companies I support and Dove does some things I'm not personally OK with so I won't be buying their products if I can help it.

Amika Nourishing Mask: (Not Repurchasing) Another Birchbox sample, It worked OK but for the price I expected a whole lot more out of it. My $8 a tub Organix hair masks blows this out of the water. Really heavily scented too, which can get irritating sometimes.

Tresemme Naturals Shampoo: (Not Repurchasing) This was on sale for just a few bucks so I bought it. I liked it at first but the more I used it the less I liked it. Nothing horrible, just not really a great shampoo.

Psssst! Dry Shampoo: (Repurchasing) This is a constant repeat in the empties pile, I finish a can about every other month typically. This is my favorite dry shampoo, great price and works perfectly for me. Next time Ulta has them on sale I'll be stocking up, though they are only $6 normally so not a big deal to buy them not on sale.

Innarah Defense Masque: (Not Repurchasing) Another Birchbox sample, this is the crazy expensive mask from a box or two ago. A full sized is $125!! Obviously unless it made me sweat diamonds I wasn't going to buy an actual jar. It was a nice moisturizing mask, but not any better than one of my $4 Freeman masks. $125 is seriously ridiculous.

Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet: (Undecided) I love Caudalie, their stuff is always amazing but it can be a bit pricey. Its from France so there's all the import costs on top of being a higher end brand. This is basically fancy face lotion, but it made my skin so soft I literally could not stop touching it. I really want a full sized tube but I can't quite talk myself into shelling out almost $40 for it. Especially since I have a ton of face lotions already. If someone wants to buy me some I'd be eternally grateful though.

Dr Brandt Pores No More Vacuum Cleaner: (Undecided) Another brand I like but is a bit higher price than I want to pay. This worked pretty well and the Birchbox sample did last me a while, so I will probably eventually pick up a full sized. Sometimes Marshall's has Dr Brandt items at a discount so fingers crossed that I get luck and find a tube for $20.

Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator: (Repurchasing) Also a Birchbox sample and also a higher priced brand, this is a fancy microdermabrasion cream. It isn't quite guilt inducing expensive, so I will probably be pick up a tube for my birthday. Really helped my skin, so I consider it worth the price. Kept the winter dull skin at bay and helped even out my skin tone a bit I thought.

GlamGlow YouthCleanse Daily Exfoliating Cleanser: (Not Repurchasing) I had heard so much hype over the GlamGlow brand that when I managed to snag a free sample of their new cleanser I did a little happy dance. But I really wasn't impressed. Did it clean my skin? Yes, but that was it. Nothing remarkable there, I can buy a face cleaner for less than a Starbucks Latte so why should I pay almost $40 for one? I get that it was a sample so I won't see long term use effects, but if I'm not wowed after 2 uses why would I buy it?

Tarte Clean Slate Poreless Primer: (Not Repurchasing) I had to force myself to use all of this up, I hated it that much. It literally felt like I was putting silicone caulking on my face every time I used it. Felt so thick and heavy, this would actually peel off my face if I tried to spread it thinner. What an awful product, I'm so glad I didn't purchase this (won it in a giveaway).

Dr.Jart+ BB Cream: (Not Repurchasing) This is the second Dr.Jart+ item I've received from Birchbox and I've decided I just don't like their BB Creams. This one was a little better than the Black Label Detox one (which was a greasy mess on my face), but I really didn't like it. Never really felt like it dried, if that makes any sense. Had to be set with powder and then repowdered at least once a day to not look truly awful. I think if you have very dry skin you'd like it, but this was a no go for me.

ELF Clear Top Coat: (Not Repurchasing) This isn't actually empty but it was getting gross and would actually dissolve the nail art I was trying to protect, so out it does. Came in a bundle with some other polish I liked, so no money wasted.

Mary Kay Mineral Powder Foundation: (Not Repurchasing) A friend of mine sells Mary Kay product so every once in a while I'd buy stuff from her. I bought this powder quite a while ago and even though it's only halfway empty it just needs to be tossed. A good color match for me but I can't justify the price when there are powders I like for half the price.

Ulta Super Stretch Fiber Mascara: (Undecided) This came in a free gift bag with purchase that I received over the summer from Ulta. I actually really liked it, I though it did a good job lengthening my lashes without making them all clumpy. Are there mascaras I like more? Of course, but for $10 this isn't bad at all. I may repurchase in the future if I ever run out of mascaras.

Wet and Wild Eyeshadow Depotted into Jar: (Not Repurchasing) This was a Project Pan item, so I'm very happy I finished it up. It came from a Wet and Wild quad that I bought at the Dollar Store, and worked well as a neutral set to keep in my makeup bag, but at this point I have so many other eyeshadows I really don't need to be buying any more.

ELF Tinted Lip Balm in the shade Rose: (Undecided) Another Project Pan item, this was a nice and moisturizing lipstick that I actually wore all the time. I will probably repurchase it in the future, but right now I have a hoard of lip products to work through first. But I highly recommend this for anyone who is looking for a good tinted lip balm.

Project Pan Spring 2015

One of the hardest things about owning makeup is actually using it up before it expires and gets nasty.That's why I'm a huge fan of Project Pan, which is this commitment basically to sue certain items more than usual until you have either hit pan (you can see the metal or plastic in the bottom of the container) or used it up. There's this really great supportive community of Project Pan people on Instagram that applaud your progress and really help keep you motivated. I've done smaller Project Pans before, especially when I had a ton of half empty and sample sized stuff, but I want to do a full sized Project Pan to help clear out my makeup organizers a bit before my planned big haul for my birthday in April. So here is my Spring 2015 Project Pan.

So this is what I want to finish up, though the large palette and that quad eyeshadow I only have one eyeshadow each that I'm wanting to finish so it isn't quite that huge of a project. So three eyeshadows, two eye liners, three lip products, a blush, a primer, and an eye gel. I probably won't finish them all by the end of spring but I'm motivated to try and if I do actually complete this challenge by the first day of summer I'll treat myself to the Revealed palette I've been wanting for months now.

First item in my pile is a Mary Kay eye gel I actually really like but I so need to finish it. I won't tell you how long I've had it for, but it's been to long and it needs to be finished or thrown away.

I don't actually have that much left, it should be done by the end of February for sure. I've been mainly using it at night before bed but I'll switch over to in the morning and night to try and use it up faster.

This ELF Studio Blush is actually one of my favorite blushes, but I've used up about half of it so I want to try and finish it up so I can get a new one.

As I said, I've used up about half of it already so I might actually finish it before summer. This is the first time I've ever hit pan on a blush, and I think its because this isn't super pigmented so I use more than I would normally. But I still really like it and use it several times a week currently.

This was my introduction to face primers and I hate it. Does nothing to help my makeup last longer or to smooth out my face. It does help me apply my foundation smoother, I'll concede that point. I'm pretty close to done with it, maybe another month tops.

I received this in a Ulta makeup bag stuffed full of stuff during one of their promotions and I actually really love the colors. The shadow on the top left has been used enough you can see quite a bit of the metal pan, so I want to finish that one up. I should have it done by March based off my current usage, end of February if I use it more than I already am.

I swear I have been down to the last half inch on this tinted lip balm for months now and it is driving me bananas. I need to use this everyday until it's gone I think. I should easily finish this by summer (knock on wood) if I use it at least twice a week.

This is actually no where near finished but I really need to finish up some of my open lip balms and this seemed as good as any. I doubt I'll finish this one by summer but you never know, I could get lucky. I do really like it though, one of the few things from Ipsy I ended up really liking.

Another Mary Kay product I won't tell you how old it is, only that it needs to either be used up or thrown away. I have just under two inches left, so with regular use I should finish it up by summer. And if I don't I'll be chucking it into the trash before it gives me an eye infection.

An Ipsy item, I actually like it more than I did originally but its getting shorter and that's bugging me so I need to use it up and be done with it.

I am so close to finishing this, I'm so excited. I've never finished a full sized lipstick before, they seem to last forever and a half. This is another old product I need to use up or throw away, but there's like less than an inch yet so I should finish this no problem. I am committed to wearing it at least twice a week.

I depotted a Wet and Wild eyeshadow quad into jars at the beginning of the month to make it easier to use and I've already finished one jar so this is the next lowest one. A basic dark brown, so I should be able to use it in most of my eyeshadow looks. Not a ton left, should be done by end of March with regular use.

And lastly, this giant eyeshadow palette from ELF. There's 100 different shades in this bad boy and I recently hit pan on one so I'd like to finish that shade up by the first day of summer. I actually like this palette a lot though the size of it makes it difficult to use sometimes.

There's the shade I hit pan on (just hit it on Thursday so that's fresh pan), a pretty shimmery pale rose pink color. I find it weird that I hit pan on a pink before the brown I like from this palette, I guess I use it more than I realize.

So that's my Project Pan. So my challenge to you my readers is to pick out a few items and participate in Project Pan Spring 2015 with me. Having a support group is awesome you guys, so let me know if you want to do it and have an Instagram account so I can follow your progress and cheer you on. Good Luck!!

December 2014 Empties

The end of another month (and another year!) means it's time to see what I used up in December and what I will repurchase or hated. I did a big push to finish up a TON of items so this will be a bigger post that usual. I'm going to try a new format to help speed things up a big, I'll do all my repurchase in one group, all my maybes in another group, ect ect. If this works out well I'll do it for all my empties posts. There are 27 items here, so I am super happy with how my empties turned out this time. Plus I made a huge dent in my stash and actually used up every single one of my foil packets (yay) so I have an empty box now.

First up is the N/A group, so things I made or don't really count.

• Wide Jar: My face scrub, which I liked but probably won't make again.
• Regular Jar: Latest batch of toner pads, I'm still tweaking my recipe
• Wet and Wild Eyeshadow Quad: Technically this isn't empty, I smooshed out the shadows and put them in little jars to make it easier to use them.

These are my Maybe items, things I haven't decided if I will repurchase them.

• Victoria Secret Body Spray: I received this years ago so I'm pretty sure the scent is no longer available. If I could find it for under $10 I'd buy it, but I'm not paying $30+ for one.
• Ulta Bath Smoothie (Dragon Fruit): I really love these and I liked this scent but I'm on the fence if I'd buy a full size of it. I think I'd get sick of it after a month or so.
• Dr Brandt Pores No More Primer: I got this in a Birchbox and while I liked it quite a bit it is SUPER expensive so unless I suddenly get an influx of money I probably won't buy it. Maybe I'll find it for cheap somewhere.

These are my Repurchase items, things I liked enough I have either already repurchased or will be buying in the future.

• Psssst! Dry Shampoo: This is my favorite dry shampoo out there. It works great, is very affordable, and doesn't turn my hair white. If you keep an eyeball out Ulta does a buy one get on either 50% off or FREE! That makes this even more affordable.
• Dove Deodorant: I only use this brand and scent, I buy giant packs at Costco that last me for like a year at a time. I just like them.
• ELF Essential Eyeshadow Primer: This is $1 and is so far the reigning champion of my eyeshadow primer battle. It will last all day on my oily lids and even lasts through the Taekwondo classes I teach. And is only a buck. Crazy right?
• ELF Lip Stain: This is the best red lip stain I've found so far. Only $2, has an easy to use marker design, and dried really nicely. Plus the color is really, really nice.
• ELF Zit Zapper: Another $1-2 item, this is a great spot treatment for acne and actually lasted forever. I think it made a big difference in how long Mt Zit lasted, so I swear by these.
• Jouer Tinted Lotion: Another Birchbox item, I fell in love with how amazing it made me look. Like movie star awesome, I'd get so many compliments when I used it. It is EXPENSIVE though so this will be my birthday present to myself this year.

Lastly, my Not Purchasing pile. These are items I hated, didn't work, or are so expensive there's no way I would ever buy it.

• L'Oriel Volume Filler Shampoo/Conditioner: These were just basic shampoos/conditioner. I saw zero difference when I used them.
• L'Oriel Volume Filler Gel: This was suppose to give me nice full hair when I blow dried my hair, which it did. Until I smoothed out my hair so it'd look nice, then it deflated. The gel was really gross feeling though, so even if it did have lasting effects I'd still say no.
• Suave Naturals Shampoo/Conditioner: Smelled nice but no difference from my usual stuff
• DHC Nighttime Moisturizer: These aren't bad, they worked ok and didn't break me out horribly, but there are other lotions I liked a whole lot better.
• 100% Pure Body Wash: This was a freebie sample from a Birchbox order and it would NOT lather. I need my soap to lather, sorry. No bubbles no buying.
• Number 4 Hair Spray: Worked great but made my hair smell like a hamster cage. So not ok.
• Platinume Gold Imperial Hand Lotion: Smelled great, worked great, crazy expensive.
• Ulta Body Wash: This did not smell great, after a week I was so sick of it. I ended up using it as bubble bath for my spawn to play in.
• Davine Shampoo/Conditioner: Another item I liked but was crazy expensive. I'm not spending $50 a month on my shampoo and conditioner, that's obscene. If you can afford it, hey more power to you, but I'd rather spend that money on my rent.

Overall I'm not really repurchasing that much, which was the general feeling I had as I worked my way through everything. Setting items in a box on my bathroom counter helped me finish things for sure, just seeing it there made me want to hurry up and finish it. For January I'm just going to use things as normal, I'll probably have a smaller empties for sure this month. How did your empties go for December?