October 2018 Beauty Empties

I look forward to the end of the month when I can recycle my empty beauty products. This month, I’m making room for the products that I purchased during Ulta’s two 20% off events for Platinum members.

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Here’s what I used up.

Full Size Products

• Koh Gen Do Pure Cotton Pads: Technically, I used up this box of cotton pads in September. I saved the box, but it wasn’t with the rest of my empties so I missed it. Anyway, these soft as swan’s down pure cotton pads clean better than the much less expensive Swisspers cotton pads I had been using because Koh Gen Do pads are springier, fluffier and more absorbent. Also, they’re the size of two of the Swisspers round cotton pads so I only need to use one to get the job done. Repurchase? I already have. I bought them either on Dermstore.com or Lovelyskin.com, whichever was having 20% off at the time (they both always have free shipping). They’re also sold at Sephora, but because I am VIB, not Rouge, I only get 15% off during the sale that’s coming up – I’m finding myself buying less and less at Sephora and more elsewhere.

• Hint Pineapple Sunscreen Spray SPF 30: Although somewhat pricey at $16 for 6 fl. oz., this can of delicious pineapple-scented sunscreen spray gave me so much pleasure all summer long. It was well worth the price every time I sprayed it. We had one very warm day, about 80 degrees, two weeks ago, so I went to the beach one last time with two friends, and I used up the last remaining sunscreen in the can. Repurchase? See you next summer, Hint Pineapple Sunscreen Spray!

• Paula’s Choice Resist Skin Restoring Moisturizer SPF 50: I really, really like this lightweight daytime moisturizer with both chemical and physical sunscreen ingredients with SPF 50 rating. It doesn’t leave a white cast, it isn’t greasy but it still has a dewy finish that I prefer to matte. Repurchase? I will repurchase next spring when I am outdoors more and need the SPF 50. Right now, I’m using another daytime moisturizer in my stash, PCA Skin SPF 30 that I reviewed recently here.

• Dr. Hauschka Soothing Cleansing Milk: I was always curious about this natural and organic skincare and makeup brand.  The owner of a cute boutique near me, Cuddlefish, gave me a number of Dr. Hauschka skincare products to try out for review. In all honesty, I didn’t love the vast majority of products I tried. They seem like they need to be updated for today’s preferences. However, Dr. Hauschka Soothing Cleansing Milk was an exception. I LOVE this very gentle, very hydrating cleanser. It is highly fragranced with a strong herbal scent that may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it definitely appeals to me. When I was unable to get out the last bits of the cleanser from the glass pump bottle, I used a tool that I bought last year with small rubber scoops at either end so I could use up almost every drop. Repurchase? This may be somewhat surprising because I said I loved the cleanser so much, but right now I can’t justify buying more facial cleanser when I am testing out a new brand and have three other cleansers to finish up first. But someday I will 😉

• IT Cosmetics CC+ Vitality Brightening Creme Blush, shade Je Ne Saks Quoi: I got this pretty pink cream blush in a trio of IT Cosmetics products that I bought on either HSN or QVC quite a while ago. I adore cream blush, and I love the pink shade. There’s a tiny bit left in the compact, but at this point, it’s hard to get out so I am tossing it. Repurchase? As much as I like the color and the form, sadly the formula doesn’t last on me. After a couple of hours, there’s no sign of the blush on my cheeks. So no, I won’t repurchase it, and I need to find a nice pink solid cream blush. I think I may pick one up from ColourPop because I love the deep plum shade I own and use often.

Smaller Sizes and Samples

• Ulta Professional Brush & Sponge Cleaner: I bought a 1.7 fl. oz. size of Ulta’s liquid spray brush & sponge cleaner quite a while ago, and forgot about it. I rediscovered it recently, and it’s particularly handy when I’m doing swatches to clean the brush in between shades. It’s also an all-around good makeup brush cleaner. For some reason, I haven’t used it on my blending sponges, but I’ll try to remember to do so. Repurchase? During the Ulta sale for Platinum members a week or so ago, I bought another bottle in a larger size.

• Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation, shade R230: I got this sample of my own shade of MUFE Ultra HD foundation in my Ipsy bag back in June. How lucky to get the shade I actually wear! I carried this in my purse makeup bag all summer and took it with me when I traveled. It was so convenient to have this little plastic pump bottle of foundation with me rather than having to take my full size bottle. I was hoping I could open it and refill it, but no such luck 🙁 Repurchase? I still have about a quarter of the full size bottle left. I guess I need to find a small pump bottle that I can put some in to simulate this one.

• Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask: I got this travel size last winter when I bought it plus a travel size Water Sleeping Mask. I have reviewed the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask twice, once when I first bought the duo and again a few weeks ago when I received a full size. In sum, I changed my mind about this Lip Sleeping Mask as time went on. What I discovered is that I wasn’t putting enough on for overnight use. When I received the full size jar, it came with a scoop/paddle that makes it easier and cleaner to apply. Once I used the scoop to put more on, it doesn’t completely disappear on my lips overnight as it was doing when I applied it with my finger (I know that’s a no-no). Repurchase? The full-size jar I have is going to last me for a loooooong time.

• La Perla “La Mia Perla” Eau de Parfum 30 day supply from Scentbird: I received this perfume via my Scentbird subscription because it was their “scent of the month”, and I didn’t realize it was being sent to me. It was a happy accident. I loved the powdery, light scent so much that I reordered it twice from Scentbird. Repurchase? I finally broke down and bought a full size bottle from La Perla. I still love it, though I wish it was longer lasting and had great sillage (ability to broadcast the scent), a problem I seem to be having with a number of similar fragrances these days.

• The Harmonist Eau de Parfum “Royal Earth” sample: I got this small sample spray vial in my Barney’s Fall Beauty Bag. In fact, I received about 6 perfume samples in that bag, but Royal Earth from The Harmonist is the one that I fell in love with. The scent is rather similar to La Mia Perla, light, powdery, and sadly not long lasting. Purchase? I bought 3 more sample spray vials on eBay to try out to see if I’ll have better luck with the scent if I use it repeatedly for a while before springing for an expensive bottle. And also so I can determine if the scent is different enough from La Mia Perla.

• Replica Perfume “Lipstick On” sample: I hate most sample perfumes I get with purchases or in subscription bags, but Replica’s “Lipstick On” was a departure. I love it. Purchase? It is close enough to Frederic Malle’s “Lipstick Rose” that I already own. In spite of the fact that Sephora has a rollerball for $26, I will pass for now on buying it and use Lipstick Rose.

• Verb Weightless Lift + Soften Volume Shampoo and Conditioner sample packets: I received the Verb Shampoo and Conditioner samples along with a Sephora purchase some time ago. My hair hasn’t been the greatest lately. Unfortunately, my hair is thinning at my temples (good thing I have bangs so it’s less noticeable), and it just hasn’t felt that good recently especially when I use any conditioner other than my tried-and-true JOICO K-Pack Lustre Lock. For the heck of it, I decided to use the Verb Shampoo and Conditioner recently. Both are pearlized translucent creams, and I don’t recall that they had a strong fragrance – I don’t recall much of a fragrance at all though Fragrance is listed as one of the ingredients. The shampoo lathered nicely and rinsed clean to a squeak – which I like, though it is sulfate-free. Like JOICO K-Pack, the conditioner is left on for 3-5 minutes before rinsing. My hair feels super soft, and it looks smooth and frizz-free (after flat ironing though there was less frizz than usual before flat ironing). I liked this duo. Purchase? Maybe. The shampoo and conditioner are $16 each for 12 oz. Maybe with the 15% off during the Sephora sale ($13.50 each), it will be worth it to try it for a longer period in spite of the fact that I have tons of shampoos and conditioners.

What I’m Tossing This Month

• Robin McGraw Revelation OMG! Is This Really ME? Instant Face Shaper: When I reviewed the three Robin McGraw skincare products I received a couple of months ago (here), I wrote that this product – the one I had been most eager to try – was a failure. The gel had a strange consistency, and it balled up when I applied my foundation. Boo! I think this product has been discontinued or is being reformulated because it is no longer on the Robin McGraw website. Thankfully, I liked the other two products I received: eye cream and neck & decolleté cream.

So these are my empties for October. Do any of them appeal to you? What did you use up this past month? What were the real winners among them?

On a different subject, today is the last day to enter my Beauty & A Book giveaway to win Jannine Gallant’s Buried Truth romance suspense novel, BH Cosmetics gorgeous and versatile Zodiac Eyeshadow & Highlighter Palette, and a velvety oval foundation brush. Giveaway ends tonight at midnight! Good luck to those who entered!

Allison Cohen

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