As diligent as I am with plowing through my stash, I just can't get through it fast enough!
Adopting Liz's rule of thumb, every two travel/sample sized items will equal to one full sized product and one jumbo sized product will equal to two full sizes. The first 3 contenders:
Skincare: Korres Pomegranate Cream Gel, Mask, and Scrub
The Korres Pomegranate Cream Gel and Scrub have already been reviewed but the mask deserves no such mention. It's mediocre at best.
I briefly mentioned the Bioré cleanser in my first empties post but this is my second bottle. I don't use it on my face because it's too drying but it's a decent brush cleaner.
Makeup Removers: Soap & Glory Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser + Lancôme Bi-Facil
I will genuinely miss the hot cloth cleanser. I wish it were available at Shoppers Drug Mart but I purchased my tube at Target before the brand was pulled from their stores. Sephora carries it on their website but the price has been raised along with many other Soap & Glory products. I'll give the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser instead of repurchasing Soap & Glory's.
Lancôme's infamous duo-phase eye make up remover - doesn't need further introduction. If you're looking for an affordable dupe of it, try the Sonia Kashuk Eye Makeup Remover. I absolutely love it and I have to review it soon!
Evolution of Smooth (EOS) Ultra Moisturizing Shave Cream + Shiseido Tsubaki Golden Repair Shampoo
I reviewed the Shiseido shampoo at the beginning of the year but count me excited that it's finally out of my shower caddy! Even though it's a huge bottle, I don't count it as a total success because the conditioner is still half full *sigh*.
The EOS shave cream is good; much better than the average shaving foam. It leaves my legs soft and has helped prevent ingrown hairs. Since it goes on sale often at Shoppers Drug Mart, I'll be repurchasing this one over and over again.
Moisturizers: HadaLabo GOKUJYUN Moisturizing Cream + AmorePacific Moisture Bound Rejuvenating Cream
I actually finished the HadaLabo cream right after my first empties post of the year so this one has been sitting on the counter uselessly for awhile. Click the link above for my first impressions of the AmorePacific cream but if you've already read it, you know I already like it!
Lip Products: Carmex Moisture Plus + C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve + Neutrogena Naturals Lip Balm
Now the Neutrogena lip balm is obviously 80% full but it's one of those lip balms that should never be used - it does more harm than good. Stay away - far, far away from it!
The Carmex Moisture Plus Tint and infamous C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve are legitimately empty though. I'm actually really depressed that the Carmex tint has been polished off but that's why I got back ups *maniacal laugh*.
Whether you use Smith's or C.O. Bigelow, a tin of rosebud salve lasts forever. I hope to finish my two back up tins quicker than this one as it is no longer a must have for me.
In total there are 13 empties; 6 samples, 8 full sizes, and 1 jumbo sized product. This has been a very successful run but not as successful as the first. I am still very proud of myself though and I promise to do better on the third run!
What have you emptied lately?
Confession time: Despite being a lip balm aficionado, I have never tried the original Carmex lip balm. However, I recently tried the new Carmex Moisture Plus tinted lip balms and I am in love with them!
Now I already have a holy grail lip balm but I'm still in search of a holy grail tinted lip balm. The Moisture Plus Tints come very close but there are two things I would like to see adjusted - the availability and SPF.
As of now, the Carmex Moisture Plus Tints are only available at Walgreens within the U.S. and the Walgreens website. I purchased my two tints in Seattle but the Moisture Plus in Clear (a "satin gloss finish") is available at select Save On Foods and Shoppers Drug Marts throughout Canada.
With only SPF 15, I still rely on Jack Black for minimal sun protection. How tedious is to apply not one but two lip balms throughout the day?
Nagging aside, Carmex did good with these new lip balms.Unlike most tinted lip balms, the Moisture Plus Tints are the only ones to ever give me that natural "My Lips but Better" look while being mildly moisturizing. I prefer Sheer Pink over Sheer Peach though, what do you think?
Sheer Pink
Sheer Peach
Another good thing to note is that these tints won't leave a nasty white rim around the inner lips like some lip balms are guilty of.
But on account of the creamy formula, I have to be very careful of leaving these lip balms out in a sunny area or car because they will melt. It happened once but I was able to salvage the lip balm (pop it in the freezer!).The so called "sleek" packaging is nothing more than a slim grey tube with a fancy swivel up slant tip applicator. Carmex added a color strip on the middle of the tube that indicates which color the tint is rather than have a small sticker with an unreadable font on the bottom; nice touch.
The scent is also harmless; similar to vanilla ice cream or cupcake batter but less sickly.
Bottom Line:
If you can get your hands on it and like a fuss free "My Lips but Better" look, I certainly recommend the Carmex Moisture Plus Tints.
Active Ingredients
Octinoxate (6.0%), Oxybenzone (5.0%)
Ingredients (Tints)
aloe barbadensis leaf extract (aloe butter), beeswax, butylrospermum parkii (shea butter) fruit, C10-30 cholesterol/lanosterol esters, camphor, caprylic/capric triglyceride, carthamus tinctorius (safflower) seed oil, cocos nucifera oil, ethylhexyl palmitate, euphorbia cerifera (candelilla) wax, flavor, isopropyl palmitate, lecithin, limnanthes alba (meadowfoam) seed oil, meadowfoam delta-lactone, menthol, olea europaea (olive) oil unsaponifiables, ozokerite, palmitoyl oligopeptide, paraffin, persea gratissima (avocado butter), phenol, PPG-3 benzyl ether, hydrogenated vegetable oil, (castor) seed oil, saccharin, sorbitan isostearate, sorbitan tristearate, tocopheryl linoleate (vitamin E linoleate), tribehenin. May contain: Titanium Dioxide(CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491,CI 77492,CI 77499), Red 6 Lake (CI 15850), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090
Hello and welcome to Makeup Kismet. My name is Ashley and I hoard lip balms!
Compared to the average person who owns about one to three lip balms at a time, I own over twenty-six at a time...
If there are other crazy(er) lip balm ladies out there, please stand up and join me. I don't want to be the only crazy person at this party.
One chapped lip, 26 balms to use:
Depending on how much water I drink per day and if I use my new love and holy grail, Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm, I don't find myself needing lip balm all that often now.
The stuff works extremely well and I already have two more flavors coming in the mail.
This lot may last me a year and a half. Hopefully less because I'm sick of rotating the same lip balms over and over again. I literally have to ask my mom to hide JB from me or I'll finish the little sucker in a heart beat.
I still enjoy EOS, Aquafina and Softlips but the love is dying. Everyone knows and agrees that EOS has the best scented lip balms out there and the cool sphere design will always have a place in my heart but the performance of the product is so-so.
Aquafina and Softlips are just okay lately but who knows, my mind changes all the time.
Once again, I conclude another random Hoarders entry and as always I am willing to take review requests in the comments below!
One more thing, be prepared for my 50+ giveaway which will be up and running on Friday ;)
Cheers!
Disclosure
Make-Up Kismet is a personal blog written and edited by myself. This blog was created to share my experiences with whom ever reads it.
All reviews posted are written by me and are my honest opinions. All products reviewed are purchased by me for personal and/or review purposes unless stated otherwise. Each person is different, as are our experiences. With that said, I cannot be held responsible for any unsatisfying reaction to a product I review or recommend.
Photos on this blog are either from Google, other Bloggers or, my own. I try to depict all products as accurately as possible. I may edit photos for this purpose.
