The Last Empties Post of 2012

Wooooah! Is it really the end of 2012? Time flies by faster and faster each year. It feels like it was just yesterday I was writing my first empties post of the year. Alas, here we are reading about the last empties post of 2012!


Starting off hair schtuff:
Kiehl's Olive Fruit Oil Nourishing Shampoo* smells lovely - light, sort of creamy - but that's all that I love about this shampoo. It makes my hair decently soft and tangle free but my scalp a dry, flaky mess.

I still love The Body Shop's Rainforest Moisture Hair Butter and I have another backup of it in my drawers. But, I think I'll try Essential's Ultra Honey Hair Mask at the start of 2013, just cause y'know?

The Alba Botanica Natural Hawaiian Shampoo in Colourific Plumeria is my favourite shampoo ever. Everyone has a signature scent and then there are the few that have a signature hair scent. I used to be very wishy-washy about my hair and used what ever smelled decent but now I strictly use this. The SLS-free shampoo foams up like regular shampoos but leaves my hair even softer and scalp not as dry nor itchy. It's THE shampoo for me!

The TRESemmé Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray has been sitting on my bathroom counter for years. There's actually two of them but one is missing, obviously. I hardly use this when curling or flat ironing my hair but when I do I don't find this makes a difference. Hair serums/oils do a better job of protecting, providing shine, and taming frizz.


Lots of cleansers:
My first forray into the cleansing oil was with the shu uemura Cleansing Beauty Oil Premium A/O Advanced Formula. It took me two full years to finish and it wouldn't have taken so long if I didn't hate it so much. It smells awful and doesn't rinse off completely. The Kose Softymo Deep Cleansing Oil is much more satisfying, that is all.

NIP + FAB Clean Fix Wipes are surprisingly good! It doesn't remove waterproof mascara but regular eyeshadow is fine. Though I must say it has stung my eyes on a few occasions but lucky not my face.

Marcelle Hydra-C Facial Exfoliating Gel is the first Marcelle product I have come to dislike. It's not a bad exfoliator but it's just too gentle for my liking. There's much more gel than exfoliating beads but this makes it great for everyday use if you have normal skin. 
L'Oreal Youth Code Foaming Gel Cleanser, Clearasil Rapid Action Face Wash, Caudalíe Instant Foaming Cleanser, and Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser - these cleansers are "meh". I mainly used the L'Oreal and Clearasil cleansers to wash face clothes and makeup brushes. The Kiehl's cleanser is gentle and non-drying which is great but the Caudalíe foaming cleanser is the exact opposite. 


Onto the body:
This can of h2o+ Oasis Mist is fairly old. It served its purpose well and a repurchase is likely in the future. The mist is much finer than the Avène Thermal Spring Water or Evian facial spray. Also, the h20 didn't die out 3/4s into the can like the Avène spray did. Though, the packaging has changed so maybe I won't like it the second time around. 

Yes, that is TWO Cake Milk Made Velveteen Hand Cremes that you're seeing. It's tricky to finish hand cream quickly because I rotate four tubes at a time. I keep one at my desk, one at my bedside table, one in my car, and another in the washroom. Milk Made sinks in quickly without that icky, greasy look and feel in the winter. However, it's a bit heavy for the summer. I still highly recommend it and I've gifted it to many friends over the years!

Lush's The Jilted Elf Shower Jelly didn't make a return this year for Lush's holiday collection but this tub is from 2011. The scent is very warm and spicy, not something I go for normally, but it's perfect for the holiday season. If Lush had made it into a shower gel instead of a jelly, I would have finished it sooner. The Jell-O like soap is too flimsy in the shower and even when frozen it won't be solid like a bar of soap. Miranda on the other hand   is perfect and a permanent product. The soap doubles up as an exfoliator and smells fruity but not too sweet.

eos Smooth Sphere Lip Balm has been talked about enough and Kiehl's Creme de Corps as well. There's too much hype surrounding both items. The lip balm is too light and doesn't hydrate the lips for very long and the body lotion is too heavy. It certainly moisturizes the skin but at the cost of greasy feeling skin.


Samples & Sheet Masks:
My Beauty Diary Sheet Masks (count: 4) and samples packets (count: 11).
And now it is time for the BIG round up combining all the empties counts throughout this year:
Jumbo = 3 (1 jumbo = 2 full size) = 6
Full size = 38
Deluxe Samples/Travel Sizes = 31 (5 deluxe samples = 1 full size) = 6.2
Samples = 44 (10 samples = 1 full size) = 4.4
Masks = 20 (10 = 1 full size) = 2
Tossed = 9

Total? A million! Okay, maybe not a million but 56.6 isn't as impressive... I've changed how I calculate deluxe samples and sample packets so my total is less than last year's but whatever. The important thing is that I've emptied a lot and I will continue to do so in 2013!

How about you? Were you an emptying machine this year? Have any plans to be one in 2013?

I'm Feeling Empty - Part 4

Ever since 2012 started, emptying has been a quick process. There was one week where I managed to empty four full sized body products at the same time. This could possibly be my best record so far. And now that it's a quarter way into the new year, it's time for another epic empties post!

Skincare


My Beauty Diary Sheet Masks - My new rule is that every 10 sheet masks will count as one full size product. The count today? 10.

Hada Labo SHA Facial Wash - I still really, really love this cleanser and I am sad to see it go. However, the AHA + BHA cleanser is much more effective so I'll be repurchasing that one more over this one.

Marcelle Hydra-C 24H Energizing Hydrating Gel - If you haven't read my review on this fantastic gel moisturizer yet, do it now. It will be the perfect moisturizer during the Spring and Summer. It's refreshing, lightweight and cheaper than my old HG - Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief!

Lip Care

100% Natural Lip Roll-On Coconut* - This isn't actually emptied but I'm tossing it on account of it is a strange lip oil?? I feel nostalgic each time I use the roll on but the actual oil inside isn't moisturizing and rather greasy.

Sweet Leaf Bath Co. Pomegranate Lip Balm* - Also unfinished but I'm tossing it out. My lips used to love beeswax-based lip balms but not so much anymore.

Nivea Milk & Honey Lip Balm - The only lip balm that is actually emptied! I quite like this lip balm and when I thought I had lost it, I bought another tube of it. Soon after, I found the first tube under my car seat. It's cheap and it works, what else can I say?

Hair Care

Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo Spray - This is my second can of Suave's dry shampoo and while I don't use it often, it seems to run out very quickly. It's cheap, it works, I like the scent but it is not available in Canada as far as I can tell. I bought four back ups the last time I crossed the border.

Korres Hair & Scalp Scrub - Discontinued but I'm not mad or sad about it. This stuff sucked big time.

Dove Intensive Repair Conditioner - Average conditioner, not much to say about it. It weighs down my hair if I use it too often and it doesn't fight the frizz too well.

The Body Shop Rainforest Moisture Hair Butter - I love this stuff to death! It's the best deep conditioner/hair treatment I have used to date. It's lighter than most conditioners but I still get that deep hydration my hair craves. It fights the frizz, the scent isn't too salon-ish.

Body Care

The Body Shop Earth Lovers Apricot & Basil Shower Gel - I thought I liked the smell of Apricot & Basil until half way through the first bottle, I realized I don't. And by first bottle, I mean that it's the first of three to go.

Lush Honey I Washed the Kids - "Mmmmm" is all I can ever say when I smell Honey I Washed the Kids. The scent doesn't last long but it's enough to make me want to eat my own arm off.

Soap & Glory Scrub 'Em and Leave 'Em - UGH. Have I mentioned how mad I am that Soap & Glory prices were raised? I have? Well I'm still pissed. For $20+, I say pass on this body exfoliator. It melts quicker than I can spread the stuff over my body. Between Scrub 'Em and Leave 'Em and Scrub, Actually, the latter is much more worthwhile. It works and the squeeze tube packaging is easier to handle in the shower.

eos Refresh Hand & Body Lotion - I will forever hate the smell of this lotion but forever love the formula. If you've ever tried the hand lotion, they're exactly the same. As I hand lotion, I own and use better but as a body lotion, it's great for the warmer seasons. The lotion delivers the perfect amount of hydration without any residue. It spreads easily and it's also fast-absorbing. Though, the SO whom has acute dermatitis can't use this lotion. Each time he's used it, he break out in itchy hives.

Deluxe Samples

Elizabeth Grant Biocollasis Complex Gentle Cleanser - When Luxe Box was still called Loose Button, I jumped on the subscription band wagon. In my box was this cleanser. The cleanser has a thin, fluid consistency similar to the Korres White Tea fluid cleanser. However, this cleanser turns into a foamy, drying mess. Although the cleanser is touted to re-balance the skin's natural pH, it does the opposite for me. Do not recommend.

Avène  - No idea what this stuff is called but it's one of Avène's makeup removing lotions but with a gel texture. I hate it.

Sonia Kashuk Eye Makeup Remover - Love, love, love! To be fair, I will officially review this eye makeup remover when Canada opens its first Target.

Korres Vitamin E Face Primer - No matter what moisturizer I used underneath, this primer would always pill. Instead of a smooth canvas, I ended up with little bits on my face and my foundation would look uneven and streaky.

One 'n Only Argan Oil - My hair dresser gave this oil treatment way back when my hair was damaged to no end. Of course, I forgot to use it until now and even with my healthier hair, I find this argan oil to be "meh". Dimethicone is the very first or second ingredient listed in the back while "argan oil" is further down. This probably explains the "meh" response my hair had.

Pond's Evening Sooth Wet Cleansing Towelettes - Surprisingly good but I won't be repurchasing. Pond's still tests on animals *sadface*

Murad Time Release Acne Cleanser - No good. NO GOOD!

Nexcare Acne Dressing - I am waiting for the perfect angry pimple to review the Nexcare Acne Dressing, I swear. These little sticker things are magnificent and everyone and anyone needs an emergency pack on hand!

Samples

Lastly, the samples I managed to plow through (not many) since January. I mainly focused on hair shampoo & conditioner packets and now it's time to go through some tinted moisturizers and foundation samples. I have many skincare samples to go through too but I'm happy with my regimen at the moment. Time to tally!

Full size: 10
Deluxe/Travel size: 8
Samples: 14
Tossed: 2

I will admit that there are moments where I want to simply throw out a product but when I can help it, I do my best and persevere and that is what makes emptying such a rewarding experience for me. But that's just me.

What about you? What do you like about emptying and how well have you been doing with your emptying challenge?


* Items marked with an asterisk were a part of a giveaway prize. 

I'm Feeling Empty - Part 3

I lied. Before 2011 comes to an end, I want to pump out one last empties post for 2011 so that next year will start on a fresh slate. Plus, neither part 1 or 2 features any makeup (excluding mascaras) but part 3 will!

Up first are the skincare empties:


Avène Thermal Spring Water - I finished a much larger size early in the year which made an appearance in Pt. 1 but this travel sized lasted much longer (say what?!). It's a staple, much better than the Evian spray but I'm going to branch out next year.

St. Ives Naturally Clear Green Tea Cleanser - Too drying and strongly scented. In the end, I used it as a brush and wash cloth cleanser. This happens to all bleh facial cleansers.

MAC Volcanic Ash Thermal Mask - When did the Volcanic Ash collection last come out? Well whenever it was that's how long I've had it for. The tube is actually 50% full but I'm tossing it. Never EVER listening to the certain Youtube guru that raved so highly about this mask ever again. It's expensive and.. IT DOES NOTHING AT ALL.

Fresh Soy Face Cleanser - Technically, this was the SO's and it was about 1/5th full when he left it with me to finish. Absolutely hate the smell which is very much like an ebi sunomono. The consistency kind of grosses me out too; reminds me of boogers and slime.

Etude House AC Clinic Acne Foam Cleanser - Almost as good as my beloved HadaLabo Tamagohada Face Wash but this one stings my eyes. Strangely enough, I enjoy the Glysomed-like scent.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Cream - Nooooo! This is my last travel sized tub of this cream. At first I didn't think it was worth it is. It has saved me from a lot of scarring. Must repurchase this ASAP in case of emergencies!

Murad Sensitive Skin Soothing Serum - Seems like all the Murad products I've tried finish off extra quickly. If you haven't already read my full review, don't bother. In short - I don't recommend this serum.

Hair Care:


Earlier this year I made a P5P for shampoo's & conditioners. Well, I broke that project but I finished everything but the humongous Shiseido Tsubaki conditioner. Since I also finished a few other hair products this year, I'll say the P5P was successful. Hurray!

Essential Nuance Air Shampoo and Treatment - A year after I bought this pair, Kao reformulated the line. Not sure how the new formula compares but the shampoo was very meh. The SO loved how the shampoo smelled but all it reminds me of is the $12 Cut & Wash salons. Read: cheap hairspray.

John Freida Frizz Ease Serum - I'm trying to cut out silicone's from my hair products so after I finish my back up of this serum, I'll be leaving John Freida behind. Can't believe I used to call this stuff HG - it did nothing for me this fall!

Body Care:

Vaseline Intensive Rescue Extra Strength - Be gone! Finally finished off the LAST bottle of the Intensive Rescue. The first bottle made an appearance in Pt. 1 and the last bottle makes an appearance in Pt. 3. Good riddance, I hate this lotion but the SO loves it. Must convert him to something animal friendly next year!

The Body Shop Raspberry Ripple Bath & Shower Gel - The scent, oh the scent! If you like raspberry and cotton candy, this is a sweet mix. I want to gulp this shower gel down - it smells that good but burping out bubbles isn't lady like. Plus, I hate the taste of soap. How people willingly eat soap candies baffles me...

Makeup Removers:

There was a P7P made earlier this year on all make up removers in my stash. Well, I broke that project too... I know, I'm horrible BUT I finished all but one remover which was the humongous bottle of Shu Uemura's cleansing oil. I'll also claim this as a successful run because I finished a few new makeup removers.

Kracie Naive Cleansing Oil - This is a good cleansing oil and far better than the cult favourite  Shu Uemura cleansing oils. For no more than $15, I'd buy this again but it's hard to get a hold of. I bought this of YesAsia.com almost two years ago!

Marcelle Essentials Purity Soothing Cleansing Water - Read Rae's review on the Marcelle cleansing water and I jumped aboard the cleansing water train. Best enabled purchase of 2011!!

Yes To Cucumbers Hypoallergenic Facial Towelettes - The pack probably has about 20 left but into the trash they go. This year I have learnt a lot about myself like how I despise cucumber scented products. Aside from the awful vegetable scent these towelettes strung my face red. That's no good!

Miscellaneous:

OPI Matte Nail Envy - MUST review this nail strengthener! Forget about Sally Hansen Nailgrowth Miracle Salon Strengthening Treatment, Nail Envy is 100x better. It's slightly more expensive but ooooooh so much better. Yeah, I seriously need to review this soon.

eos Medicated Lip Balm in Tangerine - Where is the tangerine scent in this lip balm? WHERE? eos has some of the best smelling drugstore lip balms around but Tangerine is not it. None of the eos

Masks:


A stack of empty My Beauty Diary mask packs. This collection started back in August (or September?) and up until today there are 17 masks here. That is nearly one used each week up until today! They all smell amazing and hydrate well but my favourite is the new My Beauty Diary mask in Royal Jelly. 

Samples:

Who else is swimming in samples? I still have a drawer full of samples but these were the first ones I decided to clear out. None of them were impressive enough to warrant future purchases but that's all good because I clearly do not need anything for a long, long time.

And what everyone has been waiting for.... the makeup!

Too Faced Eyeshadow (depotted) - This eyeshadow is from the Too Faced Naughty or Nice palette which came out in 2009(?). It's a beige eyeshadow that I used as an all over colour. After 2 years, it's FINALLY finished. This is the first eyeshadow I have ever finished but truth be told, I don't think the pan it was held in was all that big... *hangs head*

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer - Not bad but the Sonia Kashuk Radiant Tinted Moisturizer is better and cheaper. Good thing I never splurged on the full size!

Baviphat Magic Girls Plus BB Cream - I won this on an eBay auction earlier this year. Funny how I finished this one first but not the other dozen BB cream samples I've had since 2010. Then again, Magic Girls Plus is the only BB cream that matched my skin tone!

Skin79 Diamond The Prestige BB Cream - Grey. Grey. Grey. Next!

Too Faced Shadow Insurance - So... this eyeshadow primer is still 50% full but I've had it since December... of 2009. Now to go through the two back ups. In my defense, the back ups came with two Too Faced palettes I have. - I don't hoard that badly, really!

Shiseido Eyeliner - Tossing this. It's from 5 years ago, need I say more?

Clinique Quickliner For Eyes - There is no way I could ever finish up a full sized eyeliner which is why I'll admit the Quickliner is a sample. The sample lasted three uses but each time it would smudge.

Wait! There's more! 


Mascaras galore! These are all of the mascaras I have used this year; nearly one tube per month. It seems kind of wasteful but I had to toss half of it due to a) flaking b) smudging c) curl killing.

My favourite mascaras out of the bunch:
Kiss Me Heroine Make Long & Curl -  Long & Curl is a waterproof mascara that volumizes, lengthens, and holds a curl. It will flake later in the day but there is virtually no smudging. Two words: HOLY GRAIL.

Imju Dejavu Fiberwig - Fiberwig will forever be my favourite lengthening mascara and it's so fun to remove too!

Prestige My Longest Lashes - My Longest Lashes deserves an honorable mention. While it isn't waterproof and it smudges (only a little), it thickened my lashes and held a curl better than any other Western mascara I've tried all year.

Pheeeewf, all done! After all of this emptying and tossing I realized the tallying system needs to be revised but only slightly. From now on, every two travel/deluxe sample sized items will equal to one full size and every ten sample packets will equal to a full sized product. 
In total, there is 20 sample packets, 10 deluxe samples, and 11 full size which equals to... *drum roll* ... 20 empties (37 if you including the sheet masks!) and 9 tossed! 

Sweet relief! Now I feel a whole lot less guilty about the never-ending shopping & splurges since November. Until next year (for serious this time)!

I'm Feeling Empty - Part 2

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. 

Cleansers: Bioré Purify Steam Activated Cleanser + Murad Vitalic Energizing Pomegranate Cleanser + The Body Shop Vitamin E Cream Cleanser

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? 

Spotted: Revlon, EOS, Kiss, Too Faced

Spotted a few new collections/deals that I piqued my interest.
Perhaps you'll see something you like too?

At London Drugs, the few that carry Too Faced, is having a 40% off sale on select Too Faced face products.

Photo is quite useless...

Revlon's new scented nail polishes with no accompanying limited edition lip gloss.Must hoard all of the scented nail polishes. I love them so so so much!


EOS Smooth Sphere Lip Balms for $4.99!


How long has it been since EOS Smooth Sphere's debutted in the U.S.? Quite a few years, no?
Finally spotted them in Canada at London Drugs and again at Zellers.
London Drugs only carries Honeydew & Summerfruit whereas Zellers carries the former two and Sweet Mint. 
Might as well grab your EOS from Zellers to get 10% off (if you have an SPF Card) & rack up some HBC Rewards Points.

At Wal-Mart I only spotted two interesting things:
Revlon's accompanying limited lip glosses to the new scented nail polish display.


The weird part is that I didn't see the new scented polishes at Wally World.
While it's a mere $4 for these LE lip glosses in the U.S., it's $7.96 here. How friendly...

Last but not least, the new-ish Kiss false eyelashes!



Cool string application. Not sure if it works or it's simply a gimmick but there are 9 designs to choose from. Also, these lashes might be a one time use only so for $4.97, that's a bit much.

That's all that I've spotted in the past week. What other displays/collections are out that I need to know about?

Hoarders: Lip Balm Edition

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.

Besides that, my new favorite lip balm brands are Jack Black (duuuh!), Carmex and, Korres.

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!

I've Got Mail - May Edition

I love getting mail and that's no surprise.
I especially love large parcels, thick yellow bubble-wrap envelopes but regular mail is great too ;)
Sometimes I'll even make a small orders online just so I'll have something to look forward to as the weeks go by. When I'm having a day but suddenly find mail with my name on it, I light up and things are good again. It sounds ridiculous and expensive but most purchases don't exceed a $5 limit.

When I came across the BeautyBar.com half-off gift certificates on Hautelook, I carefully asked the SO if I could buy a few. The SO is not the biggest fan of online or in-store shopping unless it's a MUST. Luckily, I actually needed to replace something so he happily agreed to this purchase.
Since BeautyBar only ships within the U.S., the SO had to wait for the items to be sent to him so he could send them to me. A month later and this is what I find in my mailbox:


Confession time... the Clarisonic Delicate Brush Head replacements are the only things I need but my mom needed another Philosophy Help Me retinol night treatment so I picked that up for her. It's not pictured as it's an early birthday present for her (I love my mummy<3).

For the miscellaneous purchases, I chose the LORAC Close Up: Real Life to Red Carpet Eye Tutorial as I have had my eyes on the kit for over a year now. There just wasn't a better time to buy it so I happily paid $18 for the set that retails for $36 but is valued at $110.
The Pomegranate Regimen Kit by Korres was a "Buy Before You Think" purchase which means I regret the purchase. I still have loads of cleansers and exfoliators to go through so I have no idea when I'll be able to try this kit altogether. I may just use them seperately but that defeats the purpose of this new "Regimen Kit"...
I must note that the products are much smaller than the box it's stored in. It's quite deceiving but better I pay half of $19.75 (regularly $39.50) for deluxe samples than super tiny sample packets!
The (last) super unnecessary purchase - Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm with SPF 25 in Lemon & Chamomile. As unnecessary as the purchase is, the item is very useful and possibly HG-title worthy. It came with a bonus Jack Black Sun Guard too!

That's it for my May edition of "I've Got Mail". Be prepared for a June edition because I am expecting more goodies courtesy of the SO :P

Have you received anything nice in the mail lately?


(P.S. I'll be writing up another Hoarders post soon and it'll be on my lip balm collection so you can see why I'll be going on a lip balm ban for the next 3 years...)

EOS Everyday Hand Lotion - Review

Evolution of Smooth (EOS) is known for their Smooth Sphere Lip Balms (my review here) and the nasty ingredients they don't use. They recently came out with two new lotions; both 97% natural and suited for all skin types.
Since I'm still having trouble locating EOS products at Shoppers Drug Mart, I asked the wonderful S.O. to send over the brand new Everyday Hand Lotions. After using them for the past 2-3 weeks, a review is in order. As always, let's start with a blurb from the EOS website:

Delight your skin.

Leave your skin feeling touchably soft for hours with this natural, fast-absorbing hand lotion.

Designed to fit in your purse, your pocket, or on your desk, eos looks as good as it feels on your skin. Infused with moisturizing shea butter, oat extract, and a generous helping of antioxidants and vitamins C and E, eos hand lotion will leave your skin feeling soft, supple and radiantly healthy long after you apply it.

•97% natural formula
•For all skin types
•Paraben-free
•Phthalate-free
•Lanolin-free
•Dye-free
•Dermatologist tested
•Hypoallergenic
•1.5 fl.oz (44 ml)

The eos Everyday Hand Lotion comes in Nourish and Refresh. Nourish comes in a light sea foam blue tube and undescribed scent. Refresh comes in a light green tube and is cucumber scented. I don't adore either scents but I'd recommend Refresh over Nourish as the latter smells like men's shaving cream/aftershave. Refresh smells exactly like Cucumber Melon by Bath & Body Works. Both carry the same lightweight, fast-absorbing, non-greasy texture as written on the packaging! Despite the thin texture, the lotions are moisturizing and perfect for everyday use.
Coming from someone who excessively washes their hands thus using twice as much hand lotion, $4.99 is expensive. I could easily finish one tube in a month. But the fact that eos does not test on animals prevents me from abandoning the hand lotion.
Editted on 03/02/11: I made a mistake! The lotion is actually $3.99. As odd as it seems, $3.99 sounds reasonable!

Verdict: I recommend the eos Everyday Hand Lotions. It does what it's supposed to and despite the fact that I hate the scents, the ingredients and brand itself is lovely.

With Love,
Ashley.

EOS Lip Balm Smooth Sphere in Honeysuckle Honeydew and Summer Fruit - Review

Even though I'm a Canadian "beauty blogger", I tend to write a lot of reviews on U.S. beauty products that aren't available in Canada.. Annoying, huh?
Well finally, I have found some great places to purchase certain beauty products not available to us Canucks! Today I am reviewing the eos Lip Balm Smooth Sphere's which as we all know, isn't readily available in stores in Canada. These little egg-ish balls have been getting a lot of hype and attention in the beauty blogosphere & no doubt, everyone wants to try it! But do you really need to? Yes and no.
I'll begin by sharing some great news. I've discovered recently that eos Lip Balms can be purchased at RW&Co.! On the eos website, there is a helpful "where to buy" tab that provides a Google Map and list of locations on "where to buy" certain eos products. I haven't checked an RW&Co. store myself but I do know it's a business attire clothing store. Strange, no?? If you're in Vancouver & interested in the lip balms, you might want to check RW&Co. out :)
Review time!

EOS Says:
Can a lip balm make you smile? We think so. That's why we invented this one.

•Long-lasting moisture
•Shea butter & vitamin E
•Smoothes on clear
•New smooth sphere precisely glides on to lips
•Twist-off top
•Gluten-free
•Paraben-free
•Petrolatum-free
•Phthalate-free

eos lip balm is 95% organic, 100% natural, and paraben and petrolatum free. Packed with antioxidant-rich vitamin E, soothing shea butter and jojoba oil, eos keeps your lips moist, soft and sensationally smooth.

I Say:
Love the ingredients, love the scent and yes these lip balms make me smile! They are so cute and hard to lose! Although, if you tend to pack light or carry a small purse, the Smooth Sphere can be inconvient to carry around.
So far, I have tried Honeysuckle Honeydew and Summer Fruit. Honeysuckle Honeydew reminds me of cantaloupes and honeydew whereas Summer Fruit smells like peaches! Honestly, my favorite part of the eos Smooth Sphere is the scent. Now the downside to these lip balms is that they aren't soft and balm-y like I prefer. Rather, they are hard and waxy. It applies smooth enough and clear but end up feeling waxy and noticeable on the lips. The most important part is that the the eos lip balms are moisturizing but the results aren't long-lasting like promised. I find myself reapplying the lip balm after every drink of water or meal. This stuff wears quickly and there's not a lot of product to begin with. When I'm nearly done with the lip balm, the sphere turns flat and becomes harder to apply.

Bottom Line
All in all, I'd recommend the eos Lip Balm Smooth Sphere based on scent and ingredients. I especially like the fact that the eos lip balms come without petrolatum. I find lip balms with petrolatum make my lips drier and dependant on the ingredient itself. Function-wise, these could be better. I'd actually recommend the EOS Lip Balm Smooth Sticks more because they are less waxy, same ingredients and easier to carry around.

Also, check out Citrine's review on the EOS Lip Balm in Summer Fruit here. She caught something I think a lot of us overlooked.

Ingredients
Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil*, Beeswax (Cire D'abeille)*, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil*, Natural Flavor, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)*, Stevia Rebaudiana Leaf/Stem Extract*, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil*, Vaccinium Angustifolium (Blueberry) Fruit Extract*, Fragaria Vesca (Strawberry) Fruit Extract*, Prunus Persica (Peach) Fruit Extract*, Linalool1. 1Component of Natural Flavor. *Organic. Certified Organic by Oregon Tilth. Patent Pending.