Tag Archives: olay

May31

May 2022 Finishes

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May 2022 Finishes

Hi everyone! It’s the end of May already and that means that it’s time to check out my monthly beauty finishes. While I didn’t use up too much this month, I am super happy about it because I can now finally use more products from a big TJMaxx skin care haul. There’s also nothing more satisfying to me than fully using up a product… I imagine it’s a lot like actually finishing a tube of chapstick lol! Let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

Radiance Serum: Prior to purchasing a bunch of new serums during a TJMaxx haul, I was a faithful user of the Tree Of Life serums. Of course, I would still use those serums again but I was ready to try something different and I really liked the Pearlessence Radiance Perfecting serum. At about five dollars a bottle and a month and a half worth of twice daily use, it was a great value. I also think my skin benefited from it in the brightness department.

If you use this serum, just be careful because it is very thin in texture. You will have to cup your hand just so to prevent it from spilling and a little bit of it will go a long way.

Elf Eye Cream: The Holy Hydration! eye cream by Elf is another product that I have been using for quite some time now. Like the Tree Of Life serums, I would definitely use it again but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try something new and I am loving the Vital Beauty eye cream that I am currently using. That’s not to say that the Holy Hydration eye cream is a bad product because it has served me well.

The Elf eye cream is an amazing value at around ten bucks a pop and at least three months of twice daily use. It sits well under makeup and helped to decrease puffiness and under eye circles. I would never turn down a jar and still highly recommend it!

Olay Moisturizer: I really liked the Double Action moisturizer by Olay and it served as both a primer and moisturizer. I was amazed at the difference of how my makeup looked when applying it after using this product – it was so much brighter and longer lasting! This moisturizer smelled amazing, was rich and creamy in texture, and absorbed quickly. It took me a little over a month to finish one jar.

After this month of finishes, it is out with the old and in with the new products! While pulling from my stock pile, I have noticed that it is dwindling so be on the lookout for a skin care haul soon. 😀

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

Apr1

Olay Double Action Day Cream & Primer Review

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Olay Double Action Day Cream & Primer Review

Hello everyone! Today, we are going to be reviewing the Olay Double Action Day Cream & Primer that I got during one of my winter TJMaxx Hauls. After close to two years of using the Garnier SkinActive gel moisturizer, I was ready for something new and purchased the Olay moisturizer, instead. I have a very normal skin type so I don’t need anything too fancy when it comes to moisturizers and this one really did the trick:

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I had been planning on reviewing this moisturizer as soon as I started using it but other posts got in the way. And, that’s a good thing because I was hooked after trying it out just a few times! My first impression when starting this moisturizer was its lovely pale pink color and how rich and creamy it smelled. It has a baby powdery aroma but it’s not overpowering in the slightest, which is great because that scent is normally not my cup of tea.

After my first use of the Olay moisturizer, I quickly learned that a little bit of it goes a long way. The amount pictured on my hand fully covers my face and neck and even though I have been using it morning and night for a month, I still have half a jar left. It takes a hair more effort to get this moisturizer fully absorbed and it leaves my skin feeling oh so soft afterwards.

The Double Action of the Olay moisturizer means that it is a primer too and I never really realized that primers were a good thing to use until using this moisturizer. I wait for a half hour or so to apply my makeup after my skin care routine and my makeup sits so well on top of it. The makeup that I use looks bolder and brighter and every time I have painted my face, I have been getting compliments. It also helps prevent smudging and you can’t beat that!

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^^^ My makeup had been on all day in that picture and it still looked fire. 😀

I am so pleased with the Olay Double Action Day Cream & Primer and would happily use it again, so good thing I have another jar handy!

What is your favorite moisturizer? What is your skin type like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Feb2

TJMaxx Winter Haul: So Much Skin Care

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TJMaxx Winter Haul: So Much Skin Care

Hello! If you look at my newly organized beauty hoard, it is very easy to think that I definitely don’t need any more skin or bath and body care. I say FALSE and figured that my TJMaxx gift cards would be perfect to use for fortifying my stock pile and eliminating restock orders for a good long while. When scouring the beauty aisles in TJs, I had my eye open for moisturizer, serum, eye cream, and whatever else tickled my fancy. I ended up walking away with all of the following:

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As I mentioned before, it has been such a long time since I shopped in TJMaxx and I forgot how much fun it was to find new treasures in their beauty section. Prior to the pandemic, I would test out new skin care from TJs every couple of months when I needed a restock. Now, however, I have stuck to using tried and true favorites that I can order easily and have available at home. While this shopping trip would have been much better with my mom or sister there, it was still exciting to browse the aisles by myself!

While I paid full price for several of the products that I purchased, I was happy to find that a few of them were on clearance, which sweetened the deal even more. I am especially thrilled about the Evoluderm micellar water from France. It is, easily, the best micellar water that I have ever used so I had to grab the last two big bottles available.

I am most looking forward to testing out the new serums because I have been using the Tree Of Life ones for a while. They are fine and I have no major complaints but I am always open to trying new products. The same goes for moisturizer and eye cream. The Garnier SkinActive moisturizer and Elf Holy Hydration! eye cream have been staples in my skin care routine for almost a year so I can’t wait to shake things up!

Finally, I just had to buy another St. Ives scrub because they are my absolute favorite as well as one more SkinLab cleanser. I haven’t even used the SkinLab face washes that I have yet but I love that brand so how bad can it be? 😀

When it comes to my beauty stock pile, it never hurts to have extra – obviously! This huge haul will serve me well for many months to come and nothing beats when it was all purchased on a gift card!

Where is your favorite place to shop skin care? What is in your beauty hoard? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan30

January 2017 Finishes

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January 2017 Finishes

Helloooo everyone and happy Monday! I hope all of you had a wonderful and relaxing weekend. With January coming to a close and the reminder of Valentine’s Day in February coming in at full force, it’s time to talk about my empties for the month. I actually had a lot of finishes in January which I was so happy about because I was working on a few of them for quite a while and it’s always fun to start something new! Take a look at the products that I bid adieu to this month and let’s discuss:

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Would I Use Again?

  • The Body Shop Argon Oil body wash: YES
  • Peace, Love, & Juicy Couture lotion: NO!!!!
  • Jergens BB Protect lotion: YES
  • St. Ives Pink Lemon & Mandarin Orange scrub: YES
  • Olay Total Effects moisturizer: MAYBE
  • Yes To Grapefruit Correct & Repair treatment: NO
  • The Body Shop Almond body butter: YES

Why/Why Not?

TBS Body Wash: This jumbo sized body wash was compliments of TJMaxx for a whopping EIGHT dollars. It took me well over three months to finish completely and I would definitely use it again. The Argon Oil scent is mild and soft and it left my skin feeling well moisturized after each use. It might not be my favorite scent that TBS has to offer but getting the jumbo sized shower gels from TJs is a steal so I take what I can get!

Juicy Couture Lotion: This is a product that I’ve been putting off using for a long, long time because it smells like butt! Many Christmases ago my mom gifted me with a Peace, Love, & Juicy Couture box set that came with the perfume and this lotion. I don’t think that I have ever even used the perfume and the only reason that I finally caved and used the lotion was to be rid of it! The smell…it just isn’t for me. It is so overpoweringly flowery and god knows what else and I (and my entire family, who reminded me every time I wore it) completely hated it. It took me about three weeks to finish this lotion and I could not have been happier to see it go! BYE FELICIA.

Jergens Lotion: I won this Jergens BB lotion from a giveaway last year along with the BB hand cream, which I loved. I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy this body lotion again but if it were offered to me or if it were cheap enough, I would snag it. I liked how light it smelled and how quickly it absorbed but it was not an incredibly great value as I finished it after about four uses!

St. Ives Scrub: You guys already know that I love my St. Ives products and this scrub is no exception. First of all, the Pink Lemon & Mandarin Orange scent is delicious. It is so invigorating and bright and I loved using it first thing in the morning. Second of all, my skin felt great after every use. It both felt and looked radiant and instantly took away the dull, tired look that sleep can bring to your skin. It took me a little over one month to finish this scrub.

Olay Moisturizer: This empty is actually compliments of my mom who handed it down to me two days before Christmas because I was all out of whatever I was using. She said there was about two uses left which was great because I knew that I would be getting more moisturizer and skin care goodies under the tree! My mom was dead wrong though, because I got about three weeks of use out of the rest of this product which shows that just a little bit of it goes a long way. This moisturizer absorbed quickly and its scent was subtle and mild which I liked, however, the texture was too thin for my liking. I like moisturizers with a little bit of heaviness to it, like The Body Shop’s Vitamin E cream, so this Olay one just didn’t pack enough of a punch for me. I won’t say that I wouldn’t use it again but it’s not something that I’m dying to buy after using it for close to a month.

Yes To Grapefruit Treatment: I like the idea of this Correct & Repair treatment but it really didn’t do much for me. The grapefruit scent did smell great but I never saw any noticeable differences in my skin after using it. I used this product about three to four times per month and it lasted me three months so the value of it was good but that’s really all I have to say for it. I think that this product was trying really hard to be a peel and it just didn’t work out that way. Rather, it was more like a scrub that sat on your face for ten minutes before washing off. -__-

TBS Body Butter: I love, love, LOVE the almond scent from TBS so when I saw this for SIX bucks at TJs, I had to grab it! The light nutty scent is so rich despite its subtleness and it just feels (and smells) so good on the skin. I love putting body butter on after a nice, long bath so it was a treat to be able to use one of my favorites for the past month which is about how long it lasted for me, too!

The month of January brought me seven finished products and some I loved and some…not so much! But that just means that I have seven new products to test in the months ahead which is something that I always look forward to. I would say that this month was still very successful as there were quite a few empties that I would definitely use again but I am so ready for the newbie products come February!

So there you have it, my January 2017 Finishes! Have any of you ever used any of the above products before? What did you think of them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul4

Monday Update: June Finishes Edition

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Monday Update: June Finishes Edition

Hello everyone and happy Monday! With July now upon us, it’s time to talk about the beauty product empties that I had for the month of June! I was able to complete some products that I liked a lot and others that kind of sucked which balanced out to a great month for beauty product finishes. Take a look at my June Finishes:

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Would I Use It Again?

Why/Why Not?

Suave Body Wash: I absolutely love the scent of this shower gel. It’s floral-y and bright without being too overpowering and it lathers so well. It is the perfect fragrance to wake up to in the morning and I think it’s an overall excellent value. It took me about a month and a half to finish it.

Tone Body Wash: I would use this body wash again solely for the fact that it was only two dollars at my local discount store. The scent was very citrus-y which I liked but it didn’t lather anywhere near as well as the Suave body wash, for example. It took me about a month and a half to finish it.

Olay Cleanser: I would absolutely one hundred and fifty percent use this amazing cleanser again! Olay’s Bead Me Up cleanser has been hands down one of the best beauty products that I’ve used in months. You can read about it further by clicking the link that takes you to my review about it but just know that I enjoyed every single day of using it. It took me over four months to finish it, too – talk about a great value!

TBS Skin Boost: This product is one of my tried and true old faithfuls so of course I would use it again! Now if only the price for it would dwindle down some! It took me about three months to finish.

Nourish Organic Cleanser: I would never ever EVER use this cleanser again. You can read more about it in my review which I provided the link to but this was easily the worst beauty product that I have ever used. You could not pay me to ever use it again. It took me about two and a half months to finish this cleanser and every day that I used it was absolutely miserable.

VS Lotion: I liked the Deep Berry scent of this Victoria’s Secret lotion a lot, however, there was nothing special about the product and I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy it again. I finished this lotion in four uses.

Overall, June was a good month for finishes. I was left with only two products that I wouldn’t use again so I would definitely call that a success! I am also so happy that June was the month that I could finally finish the Nourish Organic cleanser. Yuck. -_-

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: June Finishes Edition! What beauty products did you have empties for this past month? What skin or body care products are you using now? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May28

May Finishes

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May Finishes

Hi everyone and happy weekend! Welcome to my May Finishes post where I let you know what I was thinking about my completed items for the month. Some were great and some I would never use again if you paid me! All in all, it was a pretty successful month of product finishes and I was left with a lot of items that I definitely want to use again. Take a look at my empties and then let’s discuss:

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Would I Use Them Again?

Why/Why Not?

Trader Joe’s Moisturizer: If you read my review for this product then you’ll know that I absolutely loved it. If you didn’t read my review for this product then know that I absolutely loved it. This moisturizer lasted me two months.

Suave Body Wash: I really like the Suave shower gels. They lather so well and they always smell amazing! This body wash lasted me close to a month and a half.

B&BW Fragrance: Of course I would use this again! I have three safely tucked away in my back stock as we speak! I love all things apple scented and this spray from Bath & Body Works is one of my all time favorites. This perfume lasted me about five to six months.

VS Lotion: I wasn’t a big fan of the Pear Glace lotion. The scent didn’t exactly win me over and there was nothing special about the lotion that made it different than anything else I’ve tried. I wouldn’t go out of the way to buy this again. I finished this bottle of lotion in two weeks.

Secret Deodorant: I got this product for testing purposes from Influenster and I would never have used it if it didn’t get sent to me. I don’t like stick deodorants and I didn’t like the scent that this antiperspirant had. It was much too floral-y and I hated that I could smell it during the day. From now on I will stick to my unscented Ban roll on deodorant, thank you very much. I finished this product in one month.

Beauty Bath Products: These items came from a gift set that my sister didn’t want that I figured I would take off her hands. I hate lavender scented anything but hey, free is free. The bubble bath didn’t lather at all, the bath salts did nothing, and the lotion didn’t move me. I finished the bubble bath and bath salts after three uses and the lotion after two.

Olay Mask: This mask was excellent, as my review for it mentioned! I would love to have another jar added to my skin care supplies like, yesterday. This mask lasted both my mom and I about two months.

Covergirl Mascara: The Flamed Out Mascara is one of my all time favorites. I need to restock this makeup item ASAP because I’ve been using it for years and don’t plan on stopping now! This mascara lasted me close to four months.

Overall, I was pleased with all of my empties this month, despite some obvious losers. I like being able to narrow down what I like and what I don’t so I never make the mistake of buying my least loved products again!

So there you have it, my May Finishes! What products were in your empties pile this month? Have you used any of the items that I mentioned above? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr3

Olay Active Botanicals Mask Review

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Olay Active Botanicals Mask Review

Hey everyone and happy Sunday! I hope all of you are having a wonderful weekend! When it comes to my night time beauty routine, I LOVE using masks. I’m always on the hunt for a light but effective moisture mask and I happened to find exactly what I wanted in Olay’s Active Botanicals Mask. It is literally the best mask that I’ve ever used and it makes The Body Shop’s Vitamin E and Drops of Youth Bouncy Mask pale in comparison. This is easily one of my favorite items in my beauty arsenal so I just had to review it! Let’s discuss:

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Olay’s Active Botanicals Mask is complete and total magic. Not only is it an amazing product but it’s a very fair price, too. You can’t beat fifteen bucks for a big container! I think that this mask is a steal and it also passes my perfect product checklist with flying colors, starting with the smell. The best way that I can describe the scent is that it’s like a fresh rainfall. It’s so crisp and clean but it is in no way overpowering. The scent is so invigorating that it leaves me bright eyed and bushy tailed until I fall asleep.

The texture of the Active Botanicals Mask is really nice, as well. It fits snugly into the category of just right. I can’t stand when creams or masks are too heavy or light. I like for my masks to be light enough that they absorb well but still heavy enough to feel like they’re getting the job done. The texture of Olay’s mask is what I could imagine The Body Shop’s Drops of Youth Bouncy Mask would feel like it it were a cream instead of a gel. It feels really aquatic and it only takes one small test of the Botanicals mask on your skin to know that using it is going to be the equivalent of giving your skin a huge gulp of water.

Good smell – check. Nice texture – check. Absorbs well? Check! Olay’s Active Botanicals Mask absorbs right into the skin as quickly as you rub it on. But, all of it doesn’t completely soak in. Every time I use this mask, a fine layer always remains on my face as if it knows that I’ll be needing more in my sleep. As soon as you put the mask on, you can feel it working. Within the first minute my skin feels tingly, bright, and hydrated. The following day my skin feels so supple and my under eye circles always look less severe. The reducing of my less than designer bags under my eyes is always a nice bonus!

There’s no way that I would rate this mask with anything lower than: five stars. It’s such an excellent and truly effective product. Olay’s mask is amazing for bringing dry skin back to life and leaving your face perfectly hydrated. I can’t recommend this mask enough, especially if you are looking to ease chapped skin from winter or for adding an extra dose of moisture into your beauty routine.

So there you have it, my Olay Active Botanicals Mask Review! Has anyone used this product before? What did you think about it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb13

Olay “Bead Me Up” Exfoliating Cleanser Review

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Olay “Bead Me Up” Exfoliating Cleanser Review

Hey everyone and happy weekend! I recently started using Olay’s “Bead Me Up” Exfoliating Cleanser and I’m really pleased with it so far! When I wash my face in the morning, I usually use some type of cream cleanser and then I use an exfoliater so it’s been nice using Olay’s product which is my two skin care staples in one. Take a look at the sunny bright packaging of my latest cleanser and let’s discuss:

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I’ve always liked using Olay’s skin care products and their exfoliating cleanser is no exception. As you guys know by now, it’s essential that the products I use smell good and my new cleanser passed the smell test with flying colors. As it says on the packaging, it has the essence of honeysuckle and white tea which makes for a sweet and bright scent. I love when my cleansers have a really invigorating aroma to them because it makes for a great pick me up during my morning showers. There’s a slight hint of floral to the scent but it’s not overpowering at all which leaves you with a fragrance that’s perfectly fresh and clean.

It is important to me that my cleansers create a lush and powerful lather when I’m scrubbing away and this product does exactly that. I was using one of Simple’s cleansers before this one and my biggest complaint about it was that it created no lather. Needless to say, I’m in bubble heaven now. What’s amazing about this product is that despite the exfoliater beads in it, it still feels so soft on the skin. A lot of exfoliating products leaves my skin feeling tight and dry but Olay’s “Bead Me Up” cleanser leaves my skin feeling supple and hydrated.

The best thing about this exfoliating cleanser is its personal vendetta against my blackheads! I have five nose piercings and I tend to get a lot of blackheads surrounding my studs. I’m not exactly self conscious of them because they’re really not noticeable but I know that they’re there and it drives me crazy! After just one use of “Bead Me Up”, 90% of my blackheads were gone. I rarely find cream cleansers that are strong enough to eliminate my blackheads so I am very happy with Olay’s exfoliating cleanser.

My one complaint about my cleanser is that it’s not gritty enough. What I love about exfoliaters is how rough it feels on my skin. I like the feeling of really scrubbing away and removing all of the dead skin and gunk clogging my face. If this exfoliating cleanser were just a smidgen grittier, it would be perfect.

Despite my desire for the exfoliating aspect of this cleanser to pack a bit more punch, I’m going to rate Olay’s “Bead Me Up” Exfoliating Cleanser with: four stars. I’ve really enjoyed incorporating this product into my hygiene routine and I’m excited to see the effect that it’s going to have on my skin!

So there you have it, my review of Olay’s “Bead Me Up” Exfoliating Cleanser! What is one of your must have skin care products? What cleanser are you using right now? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah