Tag Archives: bath and body care

Mar26

March 2023 Finishes

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March 2023 Finishes

Hello everyone! It’s about that time to discuss the products that I finished up this month and I can’t believe that we are already almost in the fourth month of 2023. It’s flying by! March was pretty successful as far as empties go and I was able to use up lots of new to me products, which is always nice. Let’s get started and discuss these finishes further because there are definitely a few that you can skip on:

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Would I Use Again?

Bath & Body Works Champagne Apple Honey shower gel: YES

Bath & Body Works Winter Candy Apple lotion: MAYBE

DesignLine Fiji Therapy styling oil: NO

Sujata Gazder Valinora serum: YES!!!!!!

Clear Beauty 24K Gold and Collagen moisturizer: NO

*Not pictured* Evoluderm micellar water: YES

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Lotion: I got the Winter Candy Apple lotion as a freebie from B&BW and assumed that I would love it because anything apple is alright with me. This scent, however, proved me wrong. I love apple fragrances because of the sweet/tart notes and the Winter Candy Apple was just sweet with nothing more to it. It also had some pretty strong floral notes, which I was not fond of at all. I would use this lotion if it was gifted to me, but now I know to skip on it next holiday season. It took me about five weeks of once daily use to finish the bottle.

DesignLine Styling Oil: I have been working my way through this bottle of Fiji Therapy Styling Oil for what feels like forever. I wanted to like this product so bad because the scent is nice, it’s lightweight, and applies so easily, but it just never showed me the results I wanted. After getting my hair done, it needs all of the hydration help it can get from the bleach. No matter how many times I used this oil, the ends of my hair were still bone dry. I was very happy to finish this product up because I was using it just for the sake of using it and would definitely not buy it again.

Sujata Gazder Serum: You can peep my full review for the Valinora serum with the link above. I just wanted to take the time to reiterate how fabulous it was! My skin never looked better after twice daily use of this serum and I was so sad to have finished it up in one month. Every use left my skin feeling hydrated and nourished and I couldn’t believe how effective this serum was in diminishing designer bags. I highly, highly recommend this product!

Clear Beauty Moisturizer: It took me one month of twice daily use to finish the 24K Gold and Collagen moisturizer by Clear Beauty and I was unimpressed. I noticed no real difference in my skin’s appearance or firmness, which was disappointing because all of the ingredients would make you expect to see results. This also wasn’t the best value, either, as the jar was super small so I had to ration how much I used carefully. I would not buy this product again.

Although there were a decent amount of duds in this month’s finishes, that is fine with me. Now, I don’t have to use them anymore! Lol, here’s to using lots of products that I actually like next month! 😀

What products did you use up this month? What are your thoughts on any of the above products if you have used them before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar6

Bath & Body Works Hand Soap Haul

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Bath & Body Works Hand Soap Haul

Hello!! I can’t tell you all the last time that I actually shopped for hand soaps in store at Bath & Body Works. Once the pandemic began, I would just order them online and hope for the best that I would like the scents I selected. This past week, I had several coupons from B&BW and decided to restock my soap in person. I always get my sister a bunch of the hand soap for her birthday because she loves it too and I wanted to make sure she would like all of them. For thirteen hand soaps and two freebie products, I paid forty dollars and you just can’t beat that! Here is what I picked out:

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Normally, we begin discussing hand soaps by stating if I would purchase the scent again. However, that was when I was shopping online and had no idea if I would like the scent. We can skip on that because I decided with my own nose that I liked each soap! We will also skip on talking about the classic scents of Warm Vanilla Sugar and Peach Bellini so we can talk more about each new fragrance. Let’s get to it:

Pink Peach Blossom: Peach is one of my all time favorite scents and even though I already had the Peach Bellini soap in my shopping bag, I had to get the Pink Peach Blossom too! The Pink Peach is soooo pretty and it combines the softer peach fragrance with bold mandarin and sweet magnolia. It is definitely more fruity than floral and I was happy about that as it’s what I prefer and this scent had the potential to go either way.

Pink Pineapple Sunrise: My Johnny subscribes to the island lifestyle despite his elder emo status so I always have to get a few tropical soaps for him. If you are a fan of pineapple, then you will love this scent because it is straight up pineapple. The fragrance notes include “palm sugar and sun-drenched nectar” but it is all pineapple lol. Not sure where the pink comes from, though!

Raspberry Tangerine: I rarely use the gel soaps from B&BW because I love the foaming. However, I had a coupon for a three dollar gel soap so I said “why not?”. While the formula isn’t my favorite, I do really like the scent. I am a huge fan of sweet/tart raspberry fragrance and the combination of tangerine and lemon is heavenly.

Some Bunny Loves You: As a bunny mom, I couldn’t pass up on the packaging for this soap! The scent is Pink Apple Punch and I am sensing a theme for the fragrance names; SO much pink! Apple is another one of my favorite fragrances and this is very much a springtime apple scent. Paired with melon, this soap is more sweet instead of tart, but it is still pretty nice – if nothing but for the picture alone!

Mango Papaya Paradise: This was another soap for Johnny to pretend he’s laying under a palm tree with and I like it a lot too! This scent is basically the Golden Mango Lagoon fragrance we discussed yesterday and it’s lovely. It smells like sunshine, a fresh cut tropical fruit salad, and the island breeze. Perfect for summertime!

I really enjoyed my little shopping trip to Bath & Body Works and I deeply appreciate the novelty of liking every hand soap scent I picked out. I think I will be shopping in store from now on!

Do you prefer foaming or gel hand soap? What is your favorite fragrance? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

 

Mar5

Bath & Body Works March Freebies

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Bath & Body Works March Freebies

Hello!! Is it just me or have the Bath & Body Works coupons in the mail gotten so much better? This past week, I received a coupon packet for a free travel size item, a free full size item, and twenty-five percent off a purchase. They could not have come at a more perfect time because I needed to restock my hand soap supply (Peep that haul tomorrow!) and pick out a few prezzies for upcoming birthdays. In total, I got FIFTEEN items for just forty dollars and it was awesome! Take a look at the freebies that I selected, which totaled to almost twenty-four dollars in product:

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For the longest time, a free travel size coupon from B&BW was limited to a lotion or shower gel because that was basically all that was available. However, this past year, B&BW upped their add on game considerably with mini fragrance sprays, hand creams, and bar soap. When I learned that these other items were up for grabs with a coupon, my mind was blown and I decided to go for a fragrance.

While I do have my tried and true full size sprays, I thought that it would be nice to change things up without committing to a scent in its entirety. B&BW recently released several new fragrance lines for spring and I chose the Golden Mango Lagoon. Normally, Johnny is a fan of the tropical scents and I prefer fruity and tart, but the Golden Mango was too nice to pass up. It seriously smells like a day at the beach and freshly sliced mango and it will be a perfect summertime fragrance. In fact, I liked it so much that I got a similarly scented hand soap too.

For my full size freebie, I opted for a shower gel because I recently purchased a few new lotions and will be set for a while. I was instantly drawn to the pretty robin’s egg blue and red packaging of Poppy and wasn’t expecting it to be a winner as I am not a floral girl. Poppy is so much more than just a floral scent, though, and combines the freshness of a spring day with pear, rhubarb, and wildflowers. This scent reminds me of airing your house out on the first warm day after winter and is subtle enough for it to make a great gift for anyone on your list… Or yourself!

The more I shop the deals at B&BW, the more impressed I am by the amazing value I am getting for my money. It turns even the most mundane thing of shopping for hand soaps into something exciting! Keep it posted tomorrow for the rest of my Bath & Body Works Haul!

Which store offers the best coupons or rewards program? What is your favorite B&BW scent? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar4

Great Deal Alert: Pacifica Lip Balm Multipack

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Great Deal Alert: Pacifica Lip Balm Multipack

Hello! I recently discovered Pacifica lip balm and it is, hands down, the BEST balm that I have ever used. After suffering from severely chapped and cracked lips for weeks on end, the Rainbow Watermelon balm came through in the clutch. In under a week, my lips were completely healed and had never felt softer or more hydrated. I used the Pacifica balm religiously and was so upset when I finished the tube in its entirety in less than a month. Nothing beats the satisfaction one feels after using up a chapstick, but I was kicking myself in the butt for not buying more at TJMaxx when I had the chance!

About a week ago, I had a few odds and ends to order on Amazon and decided to see if I could find the Pacifica balm for a good price. Happily, I ended up finding a great price and purchased a multipack of three for just ten dollars. 😀 Check it out:

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Prior to the Pacifica balm, I never really understood why people needed multiple chapsticks in multiple locations. Now, I totally get it and used my multipack accordingly. I keep the Rainbow Watermelon in my purse, Bali Coconut on my bedside table, and the Island Vanilla keeps me company at my desk when I am working. My main goal with the multipack was to prevent my lips from ever getting so jacked up again and I think that this new setup is going to work just fine for achieving it.

As I waited for my order to ship, I figured that the Island Vanilla would be my favorite scent of the three because vanilla is one of my go to fragrances. Surprisingly, I remained partial to the Rainbow Watermelon – maybe because it helped so much or because it smells exactly like Lip Smackers… The world may never know! The Island Vanilla is nice but its scent is really subtle. The same goes for the Bali Coconut. They both smell more like the idea of vanilla and coconut if that makes sense? Lol the Rainbow Watermelon scent is much more obvious and I love the dose of nostalgia it gives with each use!

I am SO pleased with my purchase from Amazon and cannot recommend the Pacifica multipack enough if you are on the hunt for a new lip balm. This set also makes a great gift and I bought a few extra as add on prezzies for upcoming birthdays!

Where do you keep your chapstick? Have you got any good deals on Amazon lately? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb28

February 2023 Finishes

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February 2023 Finishes

Hello!! How is another month of 2023 already over?! Hey, I’m not mad about the winter months flying by; I’m ready for springtime, baby! As always, we will be wrapping up the month with my beauty finishes and then it is onto a brand new month of fun here on lifewithlilred. Keep it posted for new OOTDs, bloopers, and product reviews coming soon! Now, let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again?

Garnier Micellar Water: YES

Bath & Body Works Happy Birthday Shower Gel: MAYBE

Pacifica Rainbow Watermelon Lip Balm: YES!!!!!

SpaLife Vitamin C Moisturizer: NO

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Shower Gel: I am a faithful user of the shower gels from Bath & Body Works. I love how well they lather and the formula leaves my skin feeling so hydrated. The Happy Birthday scent just wasn’t my favorite and I’m glad that I had a travel size of it because I got tired of it pretty quickly. At first, the vanilla cake fragrance was awesome and then it started smelling almost sickly sweet. I would use it again if I received it as a gift, but I wouldn’t buy it or use a freebie coupon on it. It took me three weeks of daily use to finish the bottle.

Pacifica Lip Balm: As per my recent review, you will know how much I freaking LOVE the Rainbow Watermelon lip balm by Pacifica. Check out that post for all of my thoughts on it because it is the best lip balm I have ever used. I cannot wait for my multipack to ship and plan on using them exclusively. Why mess with perfection?!

SpaLife Moisturizer: It took me close to a month of twice daily use to finish the Vitamin C moisturizer by SpaLife. During that time, I really did want to like it. However, it was a good moisturizer but not great and I was ready to try something new. The gel texture was nice and my skin looked slightly more radiant after using it, but I wasn’t blown away by the results. I’m glad that I tried it out, but I wouldn’t purchase it again.

Overall, it was a pretty alright month for finishes because I got to use up some lackluster products and move onto new ones. It’s also good to know which ones aren’t worth buying again and sharing my findings with all of you! See you all next month! 😉

Which products did you use up this month? What are your thoughts on any of the products above if you have used them before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb24

Sujata Gazder Body Bar Review

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Sujata Gazder Body Bar Review

Hello!! I had a horrible sinus infection this past weekend and felt pretty worse for the wear for the majority of the week. Once I was feeling a little better, I decided that I definitely needed some pampering because I felt gross lol. My skin felt so dehydrated and I knew that I needed something more to get myself feeling right again. Thankfully, my body bar by Sujata Gazder did the trick and I am BEYOND obsessed with this product. It is a miracle in an adorable heart shape! Let’s discuss:

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I received some goodies for the launch of Sujata’s new website and was so excited to find a body bar and serum during my unboxing. The body bar intrigued me because it was something that I never knew could exist! It’s essentially a bar of pure cocoa butter mixed with a litany of essential oils that you simply rub into your skin. After discovering the delightful citrus rose scent during my unboxing, I couldn’t wait to give the body bar a try. Product scents are very important to me and the body bar smelled so light that I knew I could enjoy it without being overpowered by fragrance.

I used my body bar before bedtime so that I could hydrate my skin in my sleep and not have to worry about if it felt greasy (Something that I can’t stand!). Using the body bar was, honestly, so much fun and I definitely preferred its application over normal lotion or body butter. It wasn’t necessary to rub the body bar into the skin so all I had to do was swipe it over my body for quick and easy moisturizing. The process took less than a minute and as soon as I was done, I could instantly feel the cocoa butter and essential oils working their magic.

After using the body bar, Johnny and I watched some TV and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I didn’t mind it on my skin. It didn’t absorb quickly but it didn’t leave me with that residue coated feeling that I get from a full body lotion application. I knew for a fact that I was going to wake up with my skin feeling back to normal and I was right. After my morning shower, my skin felt AMAZING. It was not only soft to the touch but felt hydrated on the deepest level. You know how your skin feels after using a Lush bath bomb? It was like that only a billion times better and I loved that I could still feel the ingredients working even after washing it off.

One full body application used up half of the body bar and I am saving the rest for later this week when I shave. I will be sad when it’s gone, though, because how can you go back to using normal lotion after a product as fabulous as this?! If you are suffering from dry skin or just need a treat, then I cannot recommend the body bar by Sujata Gazder enough. You can shop along at Sujata’s website for all of the best in fashion and skin care. Enjoy and keep it posted for my review of the Valinora serum tomorrow!

What is your favorite product to pamper yourself with? What is your favorite bath and body care scent? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb21

Sujata Gazder Skin Care Unboxing

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Sujata Gazder Skin Care Unboxing

Hello!! I met my dear friend, Sujata, seven years ago thanks to lifewithlilred. She was the first person who I ever wrote a guest article for and it featured one of her drop dead gorgeous wedding dresses. We have kept in touch through social media ever since and I always enjoy catching up with her and keeping tabs on her fashion and skin care line. Sujata recently launched her brand’s website and I was lucky enough to be sent some of her skin care products. Check out my unboxing and keep it posted for reviews coming soon:

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Receiving my package in the mail from Sujata was like Christmas day all over again and I couldn’t wait to tear it open! My first impression during my unboxing was an important one: The packaging itself. Skin care can be tricky to ship and it is not uncommon for bottles and jars to leak or crack. The products that I received were handled with so much care and wrapped tightly in tissue paper. The box was also filled with extra tissue and crinkle paper for additional padding. I could tell that Sujata wants everything she ships to her customers to be in absolutely perfect condition and it was very appreciated.

In my goodie box, I was so excited to find a body bar and face serum. The body bar came in an adorable individual box, which was a really nice touch! I am eager to try the bar out because I have never seen or used a product like it before. It is essentially cocoa butter with a shopping list of essential oils that you rub into your skin. This seems like the perfect solution to eliminate dry winter skin and it smells lovely. I love the notes of citrus and rose and I like it even more because it isn’t overpowering. Sujata expertly handled the delicate dance of combining fragrances and I was so impressed by how light it smells because products like that have the potential to go either way.

The Valinora face serum was also included in my gift and I can’t wait to use it. So much so that I am willing to put aside the half finished bottle of serum that I’m currently working on, which I never do! This serum targets fine lines and wrinkles and will also help to even out your skin tone. I will admit that when I first took a whiff of the serum, I thought that it was fairly pungent. Then, I kept smelling it and realized how awesome it is! Like the body bar, the ingredients consist primarily of essential oils. I could really pick out the hemp oil and frankincense but I think that this product will smell different to everyone, which is cool! I can already tell how nourishing the Valinora serum is going to be and I am so proud of my friend for creating this magic in a bottle.

If these products look as amazing to you as they do to me, be sure to shop along on Sujata’s brand new website. Stay tuned for reviews and thanks again to Sujata for her generosity! ❤

What is your favorite essential oil? How do you pamper yourself? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb4

Bath & Body Works January Freebies

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Bath & Body Works January Freebies

Hello! I got two freebie coupons from Bath & Body Works last week for a full and travel size item and I couldn’t believe my good luck. Free full size product coupons are a rarity from B&BW and I couldn’t wait to cash them in. Tuesday afternoons are usually when I run errands so I stopped in to pick out some goodies and ended up walking away with twenty-three dollars worth of completely free product. It was awesome! Check it out:

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I decided to go for a shower gel for my full size product because I recently bought a few lotions from B&BW on the cheap. I was in the mood to try a new scent out and was instantly drawn to the dreamy packaging for one of their new fragrances called Among The Clouds. I loved the sparkle and sunset colors – it just looked so sweet and girly and I knew that it had to smell good. And it did! Among The Clouds features fragrance notes of wild berry and whipped vanilla and it is divine. It kind of reminds me of the Mixed Berry Lip Smackers from back in the day and I think that it will be a perfect scent for the spring and summer. I highly recommend giving it a shot!

For my travel size item, I chose a hand cream in Gingham, which is one of my favorite B&BW fragrance lines. I have used the Bath & Body Works hand cream before and I can’t say that I was overly impressed by it. Their hand creams are fairly greasy and don’t absorb well. However, you can’t beat free and I suppose it doesn’t matter all that much when I only use it before bed!

As I was driving home with my free mini haul, I was blown away by the coupons from B&BW. In total, Johnny and I probably spend less than one hundred dollars per year at Bath & Body Works for our hand soaps and wallflowers. The rest of the products that I get are free nine times out of ten and I receive a coupon for more at least once per month. A monthly free travel size product coupon results in over one hundred dollars of free per year. Essentially, B&BW matches what I spend with freebies and I am so there for it. 😀

This coupon cash in session was one of my best yet at Bath & Body Works and I was riding the high of twenty plus dollars of free my whole way home. I can’t wait to go back next month because I think that I will definitely be getting more Among The Clouds products!

Which stores offer the best coupons? How do you save money on your must have products? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan31

Lush’s Bubba Lugosi Bubble Bar Review

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Lush’s Bubba Lugosi Bubble Bar Review

Hello! After an insanely long week, I couldn’t wait to sink into a nice, hot bath on Friday evening. It was my motivation since waking up on Monday because I was very eager to use the last of my Christmas Lush haul from my bestie! The final remainder of my gifts was a bubble bar from their Halloween collection called…wait for it… the BUBBA LUGOSI. I had never used a bubble bar from Lush before so I was excited to try it! Although I much prefer a bath bomb, the bubble bar was still a fun-ish product to further enhance bath time bliss. Check it out:

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First of all, let’s address how freaking adorable the Bubba Lugosi bubble bar is lol. My heart literally melted when I saw it for the first time and I think that’s why I held onto it for so long – it was too cute to use! After mentally preparing for over a month to part with this precious bubble bar, I was finally ready to let go. Was I disappointed with this product? No. But, I think I hyped it up in my head for so long that it wasn’t what I expected.

I placed the Bubba Lugosi under the running water once my tub was about halfway full. I was hoping for huge, fluffy bubbles as soon as it hit the water and was greeted by a steady stream of not so big bubbles, instead. As the water continued to run, the bubbles spread out evenly across the tub but it wasn’t mind blowing in any way. In fact, I’ve had better bubbles from just using my shower gel.

Another thing that didn’t wow me was how the color of the water changed as the bubble bar broke down. Normally, this would please me immensely. However, the water went from crystal clear to a murky purplish red and it ended up looking swampy rather than soothing. I don’t know about all of you, but the last thing that I want to feel like is the Creature From The Black Lagoon when I am trying to get my bath time mermaid on!

While the presentation was lacking severely for the Bubba Lugosi, I will say that it left my skin feeling very soft and nourished. For this reason, I was satisfied because I love being able to shave and not have to slather myself in lotion afterwards! I am going to rate this bubble bar with a three out of ten stars. I am glad that I used it and will be sticking with the bath bombs from Lush from now on!

What are your thoughts on the Lush bubble bars? What is your favorite Lush product? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan28

January 2023 Finishes

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January 2023 Finishes

Hello everyone and welcome to the first beauty finishes post of the new year! I used up a lot of new to me products this past month and also got a lot more to try out from TJMaxx thanks to my Christmas gift cards. 😀 My beauty hoard runneth over! We have much to discuss from our empties roundup for January so let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

SpaScriptions Scrub: I started using the SpaScriptions Hyaluronic Acid + Sugar Scrub at the beginning of November and it took me until the end of January to finish it. At five dollars for the bottle, it was a great value and you only needed a small amount for full coverage on the face and neck. I liked this scrub because it was gentle enough to use every day. It was really creamy in texture with only the slightest touch of exfoliant and it smelled as sweet as candy. My skin felt well hydrated and looked radiant after every use and it is a perfect scrub for the cold winter months.

SpaLife Serum: It took me about six weeks to finish the SpaLife Hyaluronic Pearl Serum and I was unimpressed by it. The pink hyaluronic pearls were pretty and that was pretty much all that this serum had going for it. The SpaLife serum was quite runny in texture and I never noticed a difference one way or the other in how my skin looked or felt. While I love a longer lasting product, this serum missed the mark completely and I definitely wouldn’t use it again.

Elf Sleep Mask: I was so excited about the Elf Dope Dreams Sleeping Mask when I got it because sleeping masks are my fave. Using them is literally the easiest way to achieve great skin because all you have to do is go to bed! It took me about three weeks of every other day use to finish the Elf mask and I thought that it was a massive dud. I was expecting ultra soft and hydrated skin every morning when I woke up and that was never the case. In fact, my skin felt better after returning to my normal nightly skin care routine.

Clinique Eye Cream: My aunt gave me a makeup bag full of Clinique skin care samples and I couldn’t wait to test them out because I have never used Clinique products before. The moisturizer and serum that I tried didn’t blow me away but I actually really liked the Smart Clinical Repair Eye Cream. It took me two weeks of twice daily use to complete the tester jar and a little of the product went a long way. After each use, I noticed that the skin around my eyes looked so much better and brighter. This eye cream helped diminish my designer bags and I definitely didn’t look as tired as I felt! If I got this eye cream for a good deal, I would probably buy it. However, I still wouldn’t pay a full price tag for it so it is a “maybe” for me.

SkinLab Moisturizer: I like the SkinLab brand and purchased the Hydra Moisturizer during a past TJs haul. I was expecting a good experience with this moisturizer because I am familiar with the brand and that, unfortunately, wasn’t the case. It took me three weeks of twice daily use to finish the jar because a lot of moisturizer was required to fully cover the face and neck. For value’s sake alone, I wouldn’t buy this moisturizer again. It also did nothing for my skin to improve its appearance or feel so this is a big fat no from me!

Although there were a fair amount of duds in this month of empties, there were several winners too. Whether I would buy the product again or not, it’s always fun to pamper myself and my skin felt surprisingly well taken care of regardless of the chill and snow!

Which products did you use up this month? What are your thoughts on any of the above products if you have used them before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah