Hi Lovelies!
Welcome back! And if you are new here, welcome 💕💕💕
The blog post name is quite a mouthful, isn't it? Say that three times fast!
And now, without joking around some more, let's see what I've finished in March and April, shall we? As I wrote here, I am well on my way to minimizing and downsizing my collection. I definitely don't like wasting my products, and I want to get down to one open product in each category, with some exceptions in make up.
I've been doing very good with sort of no-buy in the first quarter of the year, until the lid came off at the end of March, and I started shopping around, but I am proud to say I only got what I needed, without any impulse buys, and hopefully it will stay that way. Minimising feels good!
March 2017 Empties
100%Pure Gemmed Lip Gloss in Peacock Ore
This is my favorite lip gloss in the green beauty universe, as it closely resembles my previously loved Juicy Tubes (check my review on them here). I bought it last May and got some use out of it last summer, but it is time to part ways as it smells really bad now, like really bad. I might repurchase it come summer (fishing for a good deal obviously) but I will make sure to use it a lot more, as this seems like only one centimeter down. My own fault entirely, not a product downfall. I knew about short shelf life and just didn't use it enough.
100%Pure Lysine and herbs lip balm
Really great natural product, Carmex dupe for me (see my post here in the case you missed it) and I might repurchase it come next winter, but it is definitely the time to let this one go, it is more than a year old, and 100%Pure stuff is only good for 6 months. I haven't used it this winter as I only got one cold sore and I remedied it with garlic. One word of warning though, if you are really sensitive like moi, don't put it on the whole lips or it will burn it off, only on the cold sore itself!
Carob and sage oils x2 (not pictured)
Bought a year ago while holidaying in Crete and used maybe twice - big whoops! Time to let them go instead of keeping them sitting on the shelves expired.. Not a repurchase either. I am well on my way to downsizing my collection, and feeling happy about it.
100%Pure mascaras x2
My original review can be found here, but after getting seven of them from this brand I am giving up - four of them came old, reeking of alcohol, not the usual pleasant blueberry scent - and as their EU customer, I already deal with custom fees, so I fee this gamble of will-I-get-a-good-mascara-or-will-it-be-off shouldn't be happening in the first place! If you get a mascara from them and it smells of alcohol, not their usual blueberry (or chocolate) scent, complain to them, and don't let them pull wool over your eyes - I was once told their mascara “has that fermented scent to it” - no it bloody does not, and if yours does, it means it is old! It is a pity, and this decision to not repurchase my favorite mascara is heartbreaking for me - the formula and the ingredients are fantastic, it does not flake (pet peeve of mine) and you can build it to your liking, plus it lasts about six months - if you get a good (fresh) one that is!
P.s. Naturisimo is now stocking this mascara, as well as other 100% Pure make up, so if you are from EU and want to try this minus delivery and custom fees, now you can. Good news for me, but sadly they don't stock my beloved Gemmed lip glosses (as well as anti aging lipsticks). I wrote to them asking to include them in the selection they carry, and hopefully they will listen?
Urban Veda Sandalwood toner for sensitive skin (not pictured)
Technically not an empty, as I decanted it into a spray bottle and binned the original packaging. But I wanted to mention it here in case I will forget to later. I got mine from LoveLula.
Mahalo Bean mask
Review can be found here, it is a gorgeous mask and I highly recommend it if you want to treat yourself, but due to the price and owning a few more masks at the moment, I am not repurchasing for now. Maybe one day when/if I will decide to treat myself.
Earthwise Beauty Marshmallow Suds cleanser
My thoughts on this can be found here. I am sad to say that this went bad on me after about 4 months, even though it is supposed to stay fresh for at least six - it smells awful now, and with my sensitive and dermatitis prone skin I am definitely not trying to use it anymore. Not likely to repurchase either, again, due to the price point (at this point in my life I can't afford 40 or 50€ face wash) and owning a couple more full size items I also need to finish. Sorry Ava!
Green Frog Botanics hand soap
Review can be found here. Really clean ingredients non sudsy soap from LoveLula. Not sure if I am repurchasing any time soon, but that is due to the sheer amount of products I have to go through before I will purchase anything. Bloggers problems much?
Solgar vitamin D 2500iu
Very good vitamin D supplement from a brand I trust, I started taking it when my dermatitis was at it is worst and it is something I will continue to keep taking. Many of us tend to think of vitD as something our bodies make naturally and only babies need to take it. It is very far away from the truth - most of us are quite severely deficient in it and not many of us know that vitD is not only a supplement, but also a hormone needed for 300+ body functions daily.I am not telling you to take this strength, but I highly recommend you do your own research on it and go check your levels. I have another one already.
100% Caffeine Sheet Mask
These are amazing, I love them! I always say they make your skin red carper ready, and that is not a lie - I always reach for them when my skin is freaking out, if I get red patches there, dryness here and some weird breakouts, it takes care of all of them in one use. Review post is here, and make sure to read it because I share my frugal tip on how to make them last three times as long, and no, I don't suggest wearing the same mask over and over!
A repurchase? Yes, I have 8 of them.
Himalayan Salt
I used this pack for a detox bath. The only salt I use for cooking.A repurchase? As long as I will live.
Epsom Salt
Again, a repurchase for life. You will rise from the bath a different person.
Weleda Calendula Toothpaste
Weleda has many great products, this is not one of them. Great clean ingredients, but it tastes like swamp and doesn't clean my teeth properly, after just one hour they have this weird coating on them.
A repurchase? No thanks.
Vogel Echinacea tincture
I always make sure I have this in winters to boost my immune system and cut down on sickness. This is included into my Natural Arsenal Against Colds And Flu post, which you can check it out here.
A repurchase? For sure.
Hurraw balms x2
I love them so much, great natural ingredients, nice formula, and I forever am upset when I find out I ran out of it. I get mine from LoveLula, but these are widely available. (not here though, health shops in Dublin tend to stock cheaper lip balms, which is why I buy mine online as an add-on to my orders).
Burts Bees lip balm
Got a bunch of them last year in post Christmas sales, because these were one of the first products I switched once I transitioned into green beauty, so it was a sentiments driven purchase, but I am not repurchasing them, partly because Burts Bees is not a cruelty free brand anymore (their parent company isn't cruelty free, which makes Burts Bees not cruelty free in my opinion) and partly to finding firm favourites when it comes to lip balms.
A repurchase? No.
DrBronners
A true classic when it comes to the green beauty - I love the truly clean ingredients! I feel everybody and their mother has or has tried it at this point, so we won't be talking about obvious things here, because who has time for that, right? Let's just say it is a repurchase for life for me, and I wish it weren't twice as much the cost in EU as it is in the US.
April 2017 Empties
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| Natural, organic and eco empties |
Manuka Doctor Manuka plus Tea Tree antiseptic gel UMF18
Acquired for my hubs who is breaking out in weird places, and this really helps. I got it from Holland & Barrett for 8€, but I want to get Living Nature manuka tea tree gel next (they have two sizes, 50ml and 10ml) as it is so much cleaner in terms of ingredients. Trouble is my hubs is going though this at blink-and-you-will-miss-it rate, so that would be kinda pricy habit to get into! Let's hope his skin heals faster sooner than later.
A repurchase? Yes, I have a new one already. Correction - he got it himself.
Zao concealer + lipstick in 464 (not pictured)
Great products on their own, review can be found here. Trouble is I wasn't reaching for them, so when the opportunity came to pass those items on, I did. Better to give them to someone who will use them rather than having them sitting and slowly expiring in my collection. Correction - these are not bad products, I am not using any of my make up in general lately. (apart from mascara and concealer, of course. Umm, I don't want to scare people) And I will be decluttering more soon.
A repurchase? Not this particular ones, but some other products from the brand for sure!
Real Techniques Stippling Brush (again, forgot to picture. Pardon moi)
First brush acquired from RT as soon as they came out with their line of brushes, and that was 7years ago? 5 years? It is still in good shape as I take good care of my brushes, and besides this was used very little. The thing is, this is designed for sheer coverage, and I am looking for completely different finish when I do wear makeup occasionally. Also, this brush handle became sticky for some weird reason - I definitely didn't leave next to the heat source or anything, I didn't use it or store it any differently than my other brushes, but this is the only one to become sticky. I assume it is certain type of plastic was used, and maybe they changed it later on, because all my other RT brushes are not like that, but my hairdryer handle is exactly the same, and it drives me crazy because it attracts dust and hair, and it is impossible to clean off properly. I will ask around if someone wants this, if not, it will be goodbye to it then. RT are really good brushes, and I have many from their line, and I love them all. Apart from this guy.
Burts Bees Shampoo
A firm favourite in Green Life in Dublin household, my hubby enjoys it the most, as his really sensitive scalp is not irritated in the slightest (like with all other shampoos) and his backne also disappeared when he started using it.
A repurchase? Yes, for years. A staple.
Bare Minerals mineral veil SPF25 and mineral concealer
I know, I know, don't judge! I know BM is frowned upon in the green beauty community, and I don't use it anymore too. In my defense, I bought a set years ago, and it wasn't used much if at all. The foundation powder that came with these was gifted to my non natural friend long time ago.
A repurchase? Not at all. I tried to use concealer for a few days and it gave me contact dermatitis due to bismuth oxychloride. So I went on to get Alima Pure mineral concealer, because I really liked the non creasing-ness of a mineral powder concealer. is creasing-ness even a word? Well, now it is :) A little note if you are interested in my two cents on Alima, I am not fully satisfied with it, not enough pigment to cover dark circles, I need to build like 4 layers. But more of it in the upcoming posts.
W3ll People Narcissist Foundation
This expired on me and I am throwing it away. Partly due to my own fault, I stopped using it after being not fully satisfied with it (it didn't last on me) and I simply left it in the make up drawer and started reaching for other products instead. I am on the fence about this product, and not sure if I am repurchasing either - it already had that sort of crayon smell when I bought it, and it was a red flag for me - I feel like I got an old product to begin with, and as that was my first foundation from them, I don't know the difference in smells on how it is supposed to be. It also went really fast when I was using it, so I feel I would have to repurchase it quite frequently. If you will decide to get this, keep in mind that it gives medium coverage (does not build to full) and it tends to break down after 4hrs. At least on me. I might come back to this product in the future, I don't know yet - but only if I will be able to check it out in person before buying. I got mine online and my shade is 3. I will review it eventually, promise!
Orgaid sheet mask
I got this organic mask in a beautiful package from LiveInTheLight.co.uk, you might have seen it in my Instagram. I don't have a firm opinion on it yet, it is very hard to judge something after just one use, isn't it? It felt hydrating and my skin was brighter and plumper after using it, but it went back to a slight redness a few hours later. I need to try a few more of them before giving my thoughts on it. So please bear with me.
Lily Lolo mineral foundation samplers x5
I have bought them a year or so ago, to try it out and find my shade, but I am not satisfied with the foundation itself, it clings to the dry patches, even just one layer of it makes my skin look dry, flaky and matte, (without any coverage) that is the exact opposite of what I want. I also need a million layers of it and it still doesn't give me the coverage I want, so what is the point of keeping using something that is clearly not for me? It is a bit puzzling, because there's no clay in the formula, foundations with clays in it tend to do that for dry skin. Many of you love this foundation, I am aware of it, but after many many attempts I have to throw my hands in the air and part ways with it. Thankfully not all of mineral foundations are created equal, and I enjoy Pure Anada on so much better. Review here if you missed it :)
Beautiful Movements foundation samplers x5
This brand was started by Pussycat Doll Kimberley Wyat with her friend years ago, and that's when I was sent them, but since then the brand changed the name (and possibly hands) at least two or three times, as well as changing the formula for the worse each time, so let's not waste anyone's time and forget about them. Now they are called BeautifulMe and available in Holland and Barrett. I wouldn't get them personally, but it all depends on your purity level, really.
So that is all I finished in two months - whooping 67 product this year so far. It is amazing to what the numbers are adding up if you start keeping track of it.
What have you guys finished lately?
Lots of Love,
Renata.
Related Posts
That caffeine mask in on my list. Just about to do my latest empties. I'm keeping track for the year to give me a clear idea of exactly how much I use so in the future I can minimise waste. That's the aim anyway!
ReplyDeleteThat is exactly my aim too! I second you 100% in this - I am working on having just one type of product open at any given time. Except for blushes :) I am a sucker for a good blush, esp those resembling Nars Orgasm, I am happy to have lots of favourites to choose from when it comes to blushes. And I think you would love that mask! Hopefully Naturisimo will expand their 100%Pure selection to include skincare, so we could shop sans custom charges, but if you will ever shop from 100%Pure site, I recommend adding that mask to your order. Thanks for reading and commenting xo
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