October 2012 Empties

• Pantene Nature Fusion Moisture Balance conditioner
• Clear Scalp Therapy Total Care shampoo
• The Body Shop DeoDry Cool & Zesty deodorant
• CVS Exfoliating Towelettes
• Yes To Cucumbers Facial Hydrating Lotion
• Bath and Body Works Japanese Cherry Blossom Wallflower
• Bath and Body Works Sweet on Paris lotion (trial size)
• Nivea Creme tin
• Bath and Body Works Japanese Cherry Blossom candle
• Aromae Botanicals Grapefruit and Sage bar soap (travel size)

•  Bath and Body Works Wild Honeysuckle shower gel
• Suave Professionals Almond and Shea Butter shampoo
• IKEA green candle (there was no real name...it is green and has a picture of an apple on it)
• Bath and Body Works Green Grass candle
• Bath and Body Works Bali Mango body scrub
• The Healing Garden Passionate Rose body wash

•  The Body Shop Chocomania body wash
• Bath and Body Works Cashmere Glow lotion (travel size)
• Secret Cocoa Butter Kiss deodorant
• Yes to Cucumbers Soothing Eye Gel
• Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser
• The Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying Moisture Lotion
• Aquaphor (two tubes that were about to expire...so I used them on my feet)

• White Tea Shampoo, Conditioner and Lotions from a Westin hotel
• L'Occitane hand cream
• Tom's Naturally Dry unscented deodorant (travel)
• White Maple + Cranberry body spray
• Simple Facial Cleansing Wipes (travel)
• John Frieda Root Awakening shampoo samples
• Vichy Cellu-Destock sample
• Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre
• Willa Naturals On-the-Go Lavender Wipes (travel)
• Wonderstruck perfume sample
• Azhar Face & Body bar from a hotel
• Bath and Body Works Marshmallow Fireside Wallflower

September 2012 Empties

•  St. Ives Apricot Scrub (travel)
• Yankee Candle Garden Sweet Pea Hand Soap
• Bath and Body Works Paris Amour lotion
• Bath and Body Works Sea Island Cotton foaming hand soap
• Aveeno Nourish+Strengthen shampoo and conditioner samples
• Smashbox Photofinish Hydrating Primer (travel size)
• La Fresh non-acetone nail polish remover pad

• TRESemme Climate Control shampoo
• Physician's Formula Hydrating Eye Cream
• Bath and Body Works Fresh Picked Cherries deep cleansing hand soap
• Bath and Body Works Wild Berry Tulips lotion
• Carmex Healing Cream (trial size)
• Glade Bring on the Blossoms candle
• Heel to Toe Overnight Repair Treatment
• Bath and Body Works Sweet Pea HandiBac
• Bath and Body Works Japanese Cherry Blossom

• CVS Dry Skin Therapy
• Olay Soothing Cucumber Body Wash
• Aveeno Smart Essentials Daily Detoxifying Scrub (travel size)
• Skintimate Strawberry Tangerine Twist Shave Gel
• Suave Color Protection conditioner

Bath and Body Works/Target haul...

It is so easy to spend money when you have coupons...

• EOS special edition Alice in Wonderland lip balm set: I finally found this at my Target! There are watermelon, blueberry and vanilla flavors which you can't get individually.
• Pond's Luminous Clean towelettes: I needed some more and I wanted to try these ones out
• Wallflower bulbs from Bath and Body Works: Moonlight Path, Paris Amour, Farmstand Apple, Eucalyptus Mint, Leaves
• Scentportable refills: Fresh Cotton, Cranberry Woods, Eucalyptus Mint, Farmstand Apple, Island Margarita
• Light up Wallflower Starter
• Cashmere Glow lotion mini (free with coupon!)
• Squirrel Scentportable holder

I only have "winter" scents left for my Wallflower and I wanted some fresher, lighter scents as it is still pretty hot here in Southern California.

August 2012 Empties

•  Suave Kids 2-in-1 Shampoo in Surf's Up
• The Body Shop Watermelon body lotion
• Softsoap Pampered Hands Tangerine Treat hand soap
• Herbal Essences Dangerously Straight spray

•  Nivea towelettes (bought in Costa Rica or Nicaragua)
• Simple Refreshing Face Wash Gel (travel size)
• AXE Fresh Phoenix deodorant

•  Bath and Body Works Aruba Coconut Glowing Body Scrub
• Bath and Body Works Gentle Foaming Handsoap in Japanese Cherry Blossom
• Sephora Instant Moisturizer
• Philosophy Kiss Me lip scrub
• The Body Shop Spa Wisdom Morocco body souffle
• Pantene Smoothing Creme
• Sephora Express Cleansing Wipes
• The Body Shop Cucumber Cleansing Milk

samples, samples everywhere!

• Tresemme Split End shampoo and conditioners
• Dove Visible Care Renewing body wash
• Juice Beauty Oil-Free moisturizer (sample)
• Supersmile mouthwash packet
• Aveeno Smart Essentials Daily Detoxifying Scrub
• random shampoo from hotel

Not pictured:

• BBW PocketBac in Pink Sugarplum
• Head and Shoulders samples
• Pure Silk Melon Splash Shave Creme
• Serene Elements sample (trial)
• Aveeno, Clear and Garnier shampoo/conditioner samples
• Gold Canyon Clean Sheets candle

Gigantic back-in-America haul

So. I got back from my trip a few days ago, as you know. I came back starved for good old fashioned American materialism. I NEEDED to go shopping, so I hit up Bath and Body Works the last day of the Semi-Annual Sale, WalMart, Target, a few drugstores, and the Bath and Body Works outlet. 

•  Dial Hello Kitty gel hand soap (Albertson's)
• Maybelline Color Show nail lacquer in Crushed Candy (WalMart)
• Hog Wash hand sanitizer (WalMart)

 From Walgreens:

• Yes To Cucumbers Color Care shampoo and conditioner (half off!!)
• Dial Naturals body wash in Tangerine & Guava
• Dial Naturals body wash in Plum Blossom & Almond Oil (BOGOfree)
• Carmex Everyday Lip Conditioner + sample of Healing Cream
• Yes to Carrots C Me Smile Lip Butter in Citrus
• L'Oreal Youth Code Day Lotion SPF 30 trial
• Simply lip balm in Fresh Mint
• Simply lip balm in Iced Pear
• Wet N Wild ColorIcon Shimmer Eyeshadow Single in Sellout + free eyeliner 

 From Target:

• Skintimate Limited Edition Strawberry Tangerine Twist 
• Skintimate Limited Edition Raspberry Rain
• Schick Intuition Renewing Moisture razor
• L'Oreal Magic Lumi Concealer in Fair 
• Clean&Clear Morning Burst Fruit Infusions Hydrating Cleanser + scrub mini
• Revlon Diamond Lust eyeshadow in 110 Starry Pink
• Covergirl Eye Enhancers trio in 110 Shimmering Sands
• Revlon Colorstay nail polish in Rain Forest (didn't notice it was called that til after I bought it, lol)
• Pixi nail polish in Opal Sheen 
• Pixi nail polish in Pirouette Pink 
• L'Oreal True Match Powder in W2 Light Ivory

 From Big Lots

• Pure Silk Melon Splash Shave Creme
• Softsoap Vineyard Escape scrub
• Bare Foot Peppermint and Plum Foot Soak
• Covergirl Lashblast Fusion in Very Black
• Glade Bring on the Blossoms candle
• Covergirl Lashblast Fusion in Black Platinum

 From Bath and Body Works:

• Cucumber Melon foaming hand soap
• Eucalyptus Mint foaming hand soap
• Warm Vanilla Sugar deep cleansing hand soap
• C.O. Bigelow Mentha lip balm stick in Cinnamint
• PINK With a Splash Fresh & Clean body mist
• Cucumber Melon shower gel x2
• I <3 Watermelon Cherry shower gel

 From Bath and Body Works Outlet

• Be Enchanted body mist
• Cherry Vanilla body mist
• Shea Cashmere body mist
• Black Raspberry Vanilla body mist
• Into the Wild eau de toilette

 Outlet continued:

• Be Enchanted shower gel
• Warm Vanilla Sugar shower gel
• Green Grass 3-wick candle
• Leaf soap sleeve (for the foaming soap)
• Sea Island Cotton shower gel
• Paris Amour shower gel

From Rite Aid

• Love's Rain Forest all-over body mist

So I spent way too much and I never want to go shopping again, lol. It barely fits in my room...I'm going on a no-buy...

Huge Haul

I went home on Thursday for my cousin's wedding. The bride was beautiful and I am so happy for them!  Besides going to the wedding, I also went shopping with my boyfriend and got my make-up done for the wedding at the MAC counter in Nordstrom (I was a guest book attendant at the wedding). I went a little wild with coupons and whatnot...

•  Dial Hello Kitty bar soap and body wash Finally found these! I've been looking for these for a while. They smell amazing!
• Suave Kids 2-in-1 Shampoo in Surf's Up I needed a non-fruity 2-in-1 for CR and Nic.)
• Pantene Ice Shine shampoo I had a coupon that got me this for free
• Olay Soothing Cucumber massaging body bar and body wash The body bar was included for free and this was on clearance...AND I had a dollar off coupon
• Herbal Essences Split End Protector I am hoping this works the same as the previous products in this kind of bottle.

•  Covergirl Lash Perfection Needed new mascara, this looked good.
• Covergirl Smoothers Tinted Moisturizer I had wanted this for a LONG time. I had two dollar off manufacturer coupons PLUS a two dollar off two Target coupon...so I got $4 off the two CG items.
• Revlon ColorStay Aqua hydrating powder On clearance for $3.58, had a $2 off coupon, so it was $1.58 in the end. WORTH IT. It feels SO good when you put it on your skin.
• Wet N Wild MegaLast polish in On a Trip This was on sale for one dollar at Walgreens :)

 I went to Bath and Body Works to get a few things for my mom and I also stopped by Victoria's Secret because I had a free panty AND a $10 off anything coupon.
From Bath and Body Works:

• Deep Cleansing hand soap in Fresh Picked Watermelons, Fresh Picked Pears and Paris Amour
• PocketBacs in Fresh Picked Pears and Fresh Picked Peaches
• Swirly sleeve for the hand soap (my boyfriend picked this out for our room next year)

From Victoria's Secret: These were on clearance for $7.50 so I got both for $5 after my coupon!!!

• PINK body butter in Pretty Girl
• PINK body butter in Dream On 

I got the mini body spray as a gift from the bride and groom :)

From MAC, I got two eyeshadows in All That Glitters and Mulch. I decided on All That Glitters and the MAC lady suggested Mulch as a crease color when I asked. I also got a Cremesheen lipstick in Creme Cup, which I wore to the wedding. I also got Fix+ because they used it at noon and my foundation was still on after midnight, after a hot day and a lot of crying. And it smells amazing! These are my first MAC products and so far I am impressed.

I also got my Target Beauty Bag in the mail! The products included were:

• Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes (7 wipes)
• Neutrogena Visibly Bright face wash
• Pantene Color Care Volume shampoo
• Nivea Extended Moisture lotion
• L'Oreal Magic Lumi primer (LOVE this stuff!!)

So...all in all...a pretty awesome/reckless weekend!

September Empties!

 Suave Kids 2-in-1 Shampoo in Wild Watermelon My hair was super shiny while I used this, even though I didn't use conditioner. It lasted pretty much forever, too. At least 2 straight months using generous amount every day.
True Blue Mini Paraffin Hand Cream This made my hands very soft and kept them that way for a while after, too. It smelled a little weird to me, but I think that was because it isn't scented like anything in particular.
OPI ExpertTouch Nail Polish Remover This made my nails flake terribly. I will not be repurchasing this, especially since it took so long to get nail polish off.
B&BW PocketBac in Calypso Berry 'Nuff said. I love this scent, though.
Curious Perfum Sample I have had this forever and it remains one of my favorite scents. I have so much perfume, though, that I won't be repurchasing any perfume for quite a while.
Claudia Eye Area Toning Cream I got this at Sally's and can't remember the full name. It doesn't have the  brand name on the tub. I didn't really think it did anything special, but as soon as I ran out my eyes looked terrible. I will not be repurchasing though, since I have a few eye treatments still.

 Dove GoFresh Plum and Sakura Blossom Body Wash This was a nice body wash. It smelled ok and left my skin so moisturized afterwards I didn't have to use lotion. Will consider repurchase.
Up&Up Women's Shave Gel in Baby Soft This. Was. Amazing. It was so thick and rich! It made my legs so soft! Way better than actual Skintimate or Schick kind. Will repurchase when I need it again.
The Body Shop Satsuma Body Polish This smelled divine. It was so fresh and fruity without being fake. I didn't like it as a scrub though, but more of a grainy body wash. I will consider repurchase of the Satsuma scented products.
B&BW Charmed Life Lotion I got this free at the Paris Amour event and I'm sure glad I didn't pay for it. This scent gave me a headache more than once and although the effectiveness of their lotion is growing on me, it wasn't worth the headache.

The Body Shop Watermelon Lotion This smelled better than anything I have ever owned. It also left my legs soft and sting-free. Will consider repurchase.
Benefit Triple Performing Facial Emulsion This was absolute hell to get out of the bottle. Seriously, who puts lotion in a GLASS BOTTLE. I had to keep it upside down to get it all out. It worked okay. Will not repurchase.
Sally Hansen Diamond Radiance Hand and Cuticle Polish Meh. I actually went through two of these. They aren't that great. Will not repurchase.

Biore Towelettes I liked these because they had a "scrubby" side that cut through makeup quite well.
UC San Diego Tritons Hand Sanitizer Yeah...it worked.
Ahava Mineral Handcream Smelled just as good as the Ahava lotion I finished earlier this year. It also kept my hands super soft.
Earth Therapeutics Spot Blots This worked ok, but they were easy to rip and hard to get out of the package without accidentally taking 2 or 3. Will not repurchase.
B&BW Orange Sapphire PocketBac Yup. Smell gave me a headache :/

August Empties

Pangea Austrailian Wild Plum and Willow Facial Cleanser This smelled interesting. Not bad, but like nothing else I have every smelled. The formula was very watery which really annoyed me, especially with the packaging of this sasmple. I felt like way more came out than I actually needed to use and dripped off of my hand into the sink. If I left it on my face too long, it would make my face really red as well. The redness would go away in an hour or so, but I had to cover it up before I realized it was this cleanser that was doing that. Otherwise, my skin was very nice while using this. It is much more expensive than Biore, though, and did not work any better, so I will not repurchase.

B&BW Japanese Cherry Blossom Moisturizing hand soap This is REALLY thick and in my opinion, not very moisturizing. It certainly doesn’t dry my hands out, but I can’t tell the difference between using this and using other soap. Also, the thickness of the soap meant blobs of it would get pushed off my hands and land all over the sink, wasting soap. I will not be repurchasing this type of B&BW hand soap.

B&BW Paris Amour lotion This smelled REALLY good. Very girly. Will consider purchase of full size once my collection is thinned a bit.

B&BW Nectarine Mint HandiBac foam This is one of my favorite scents, and I LOVE foamy things. Unfortunately the pump was broken so it was more liquid than foam though. I have enough hand sanitizer to last me 84759 years, so I will not be repurchasing for a while.

Benefit Total Moisture Facial Cream This smelled very nice and clean. It reminds me a lot of Sephora’s Instant Moisturizer. It also came in a cute little glass jar. Will consider repurchase when I need another moisturizer.

Benefit Refined Finish Facial Polish I usually like really scrubby scrubs, but this one was a little intense. It did an amazing job exfoliating, but it was quite rough. I will consider repurchase.

Dove visiblecare Renewing Body Wash I liked this a lot! It was very thick, even for a Dove body wash, and it was very moisturizing without being irritating. Will consider repurchase.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple Facial Cleanser This didn't smell very good, and my skin didn't wow me while I was using it. Will not repurchase.
Philosophy Eternal Grace Firming Body Emulsion I was REALLY excited to receive this as a sample for one of my online orders, but I was disappointed. It was VERY heavily perfumed, and while the scent wasn't bad (I actually liked it at the end of the day when it had worn off a bit), but MY GOD. It is very strong, even when I didn't use a lot of lotion. This is "firming" product, but a sample this size obviously isn't enough to make a judgement on its effectiveness. It stung, too, sometimes even when I hadn't shaved. All in all, I prefer my Body Shop lotion and body butter. Will not repurchase.

Ahava Mineral Body Lotion This made my skin SO soft and it absorbed quickly and didn't sting on freshly-shaven legs. It also had a pleasant, calming scent. Would repurchase if I didn't have a billion things of lotion to use up.

B&BW Sweet Pea PocketBac Spray I bought this purely because I had never seen a liquid spray like this at Bath and Body Works before. It worked...and it smelled good. I like the hand gels better though, because they seem less drying. Would not repurchase.

Olay Wet Cleansing Cloths-Sensitive These worked very well, but I miss the "Olay" scent that the non-sensitive skin ones have. I will repurchase the scented ones after I finish the Biore ones I already have.

Clinique Dramatically Differnt Moisturizing Lotion I got this in a GWP and I fell in love. I bought the gel version in February. Good stuff. I'd like to see what else is out there, though, so I will not be repurchasing after I use up all of the other moisturizers I have.

Haul and NOTDs; No buy.

China Glaze Strawberry Fields on pinky, ring, middle and pointer finger. OPI DS Reflection on thumb. It doesn't look that different in the picture,but the OPI is so much richer in real life.

One coat of Wet N Wild Black Creme and Matrix-inspired random squiggles with Finger Paints Go Van Gogh!

Today's Haul: B&BW Japanese Cherry Blossom Shower Gel and Bubble Bath, B&BW Into the Wild Body Scrub, B&BW Charmed Life Lotion, OPI DS Reflection, cosmetic bag that came with the Charmed Life lotion.

Also, I have come to a point in my life where I realize spending money on stuff like this isn't really something I should be doing. I'm now on a no-buy until my birthday, when I will order $50 from Sephora and The Body Shop. I will replace things I run out of, but there should only be a couple things I run out of between now and February, things like toothpaste and contact solution. I will spend gift cards, but I will not buy beauty products somewhere like CVS where I can buy things I actually need, like mouth wash and medicine and food. I have money, but I don't have money, you know? So no buy until February.

EDIT: Except Birchbox. I will still spend my $10 a month on Birchbox. It is so worth it, and it is a controlled expense. I can only buy one Birchbox a month, and I know I'm to cheap to buy the full size, so I don't feel bad about getting my Birchboxes.

Vacation Haul

I recently got three whole weeks off from work and went to Washington state on the train and stayed for 2 weeks, then flew to Massachusetts to see my lovely boyfriend for a week. This past week has been the best by far this summer, I missed my boyfriend quite a lot and it was nice to be able to see where he grew up. We did lots of fun stuff, like shop and eat and watch Netflix. We went to the Museum of Science in Boston, as well as the New England Aquarium. I can't wait til it is time to move back to school so I can see him all the time :)

As I mentioned above, we shopped quite a lot. Hence this post. Some of this stuff I got in the two days I was home between the two trips and the day since I've returned, but most of this was from one day of shopping in Natick. 

Wet'n'Wild How I Met Your Magenta, WnW Hannah Pinktana, WnW Blue Wants to Be a Millionaire, WnW Party of Five Glitters, Diamond Dry Top Coat

These names are ridiculous, but I couldn't resist. They were BOGO free at Kmart, so I ended up getting all four for $4. The Diamond Dry was free with the purchase of two China Glazes at Sally's. I got my boyfriend's sisters each a bottle of nail polish in the little goodie bags I put together for them (CG Rich & Famous and CG Spontaneous, if you were curious), so I figured why not get some free top coat. It is actually pretty nice, too. I put it on top of my pedi and it lasted all week and looked great before I took it off earlier today.

Wet'n'Wild Wild Shine black, Wet'n'Wild Sweet as Candy Eye Palette
These were at Big Lots. The polish was only a dollar and the palette was a whopping $3. I lucked out :)

The Body Shop Body Butter in Strawberry, Vanilla Duo, and Wild Cherry
I got the Strawberry and Vanilla at The Body Shop, on sale 2/$25. We then went to Marshall's, where I found the Wild Cherry for $7. Oh well. I love this stuff with all my heart.

Bath and Body Works Candle Strawberry Patch, B&BW Vanilla Verbena Candle, B&BW Stress Relief Vanilla Verbena Massage Oil, B&BW Japanese Cherry Blossom Triple Moisture Body Cream
My boyfriend actually picked all of this Bath and Body Works stuff. He even gave me a nice massage with the oil when we got home. He's the best :) The candles and massage oil were 50% off, and the body cream was 75% off. I'm training him well ;)

B&BW Anti Bac Hand Gel in (top to bottom, left to right) Sweet Petals, S'Mores, Rockin' Cotton, Studly Apple, Blueberry Pancake, Apple Pie and Orange Sapphire, B&BW Lotion in Country Chic
The Anti Bacs ended up being only 37 cents each, which is a good deal. The lotion was 75% off, don't judge me for buying lotion I don't really like.

ELF Powder Brush, Schick Hydro 5 travel pack, Herbal Essences Touchably Soft Shampoo, Olay Cream Scrub, Sally Hansen InstaDry in Blue-Away, Burt's Bees Rejuvenating lip balm with Acai. The black ELF brushes are amazing. For three dollars, you get a soft, nicely washable, dense brush that you can easily replace.  

Cute Earrings from Claire's (I'm wearing the missing pair, which are hearts), Secret Soothing Effects Deodorant/Antiperspirant in Invigorating Rain
The earrings are a little childish, but I love animals. Like, a lot.

That's all of it (I think). I'm very happy with all my purchases :) I'm also very excited because I just ordered my first BirchBox. It says they are shipping July 15th, and I can hardly wait!

June Empties!

 I am trying to use up all of the mini/trial size things I have, so I have been using up quite a few products lately.  Left to right, top to bottom (ish):
-Sally Hansen Diamond Radiance Hand Scrub. Meh. It wasn't very moisturizing, but I have about 3 tubes left from those silly Sally Hansen party packs. I'll use what I have up, but I'm definitely not going to repurchase.
-Soap and Glory The Righteous Butter. This stuff smelled a bit like old lady, but I love the packaging and it did moisturize quite well. Will not repurchase because I am in love with The Body Shop's body butter.
-Suave Mango Mandarin Lotion. This smelled amazing and works pretty darn well for being a cheapie lotion. Might repurchase.
-Orly French Polynesian Hot Lava Hand Mask. This either warmed way too much or I couldn't feel the effect, even when I had stirred it well. Will not repurchase.
-Nivea Creme. I love the way this smells and it works quite well. Might repurchase if I can find it in a package that doesn't "lead" when it gets hot.
-Secret Fresh Effects Fresh Water Orchid body spray. This had little staying power, but was a nice, floral scent when first applied. Will not repurchase.
-Sally Girl Orange Blossom Cuticle Oil. Meh. Worked okay. Smelled okay. I can find better moisturizing lotions, though. Will not repurchase.
-B&BW Secret Wonderland lotion. The lotions from Bath and Body Works don't wow me, and do very little but keep already moisturized hands from drying out when applied frequently. This scent is one of my favorites, though.
-B&BW Carried Away lotion. I didn't like the scent of this. I couldn't use it up fast enough, really.

-Olay Age Defying Body wash. Smelled like old lady but moisturized as well as the normal Quench kind. Will consider repurchasing, as long as I don't find something new between now and when I buy body wash next.
-Herbal Essences Degunkify Shampoo. I am pretty sure they are now marketing this as "Drama Clean" shampoo. It claims it will "tingle" but I never felt anything tingly, and I wash my hair hard. Will not repurchase.
-Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser. I love, love, love this stuff. I will repurchase after I use up another bottle (that I am currently half way through) and the one other face wash I have still.
-Loreal go 360 Clean Face Scrub. This didn't do anything special for me, so I am going to try something new when I finish a travel size of a different scrub I bought for my vacation.