Tag Archives: st. ives

Jan30

January 2017 Finishes

Posted on by
Standard
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:

jan.jpeg

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

Nov29

November Finishes

Posted on by
Standard
November Finishes

Hi everyone and happy Tuesday! The month of November has been a really busy one but it has brought me beaucoup bottles of finished beauty products to discuss with you. I am actually so happy about all of these empties because they were the ones that were legitimately taking forever to finish. Thanks to these completed products seen below I can now break out goodies that I have been waiting an eternity to use, like my cocoa butter from The Body Shop and my pink grapefruit St. Ives cleanser. Happy day! So now, without further ado, take a look at my November Finishes and let’s discuss:

empty.jpeg

Would I Use Again?

  • Pure & Basic Creme Brulee lotion: YES!
  • Bath & Body Works Mango Mandarin spray: YES
  • St. Ives Indulgent Coconut Milk body wash: YES
  • St. Ives Oatmeal Scrub & Mask: YES
  • Jergens BB Hand cream: YES
  • The Body Shop Aloe night cream: YES
  • The Body Shop Vitamin E moisturizer: YES

Why/Why Not?

Pure & Basic lotion: This Creme Brulee scented lotion smells freaking AMAZING! It literally smells like you are rubbing yourself down with vanilla cake batter and I can definitely get down with that. I got this huge bottle of Pure & Basic lotion at TJMaxx for a whole six dollars and it has lasted me well over three months. This lotion absorbs quickly but is highly moisturizing and I would totally recommend and use it again.

My mom actually taught me a fun trick after I was done with the bottle of Pure & Basic this week and was lamenting over the extra product that gets stuck in the bottle. She told me that when this happens, she puts some water in the bottle and then shakes it up to use as a body milk in the shower the next day. So clever!

B&BW spray: Normally I’m a Country Apple girl when it comes to my Bath & Body Works perfume sprays but I love the Mango Mandarin! I got myself six bottles during their throwback sale in the summer at three dollars a bottle and I am so pleased with that purchase! My favorite thing to do is to layer this spray with my Satsuma spray from TBS for a longer lasting fragrance. It took me about six months to finish this perfume.

St. Ives body wash: The Indulgent Coconut Milk body wash by St. Ives is so delicious. I really enjoy their products and this is probably my favorite body wash by them. It smells completely delectable – even better than The Body Shop’s coconut fragrance, which is really saying something! It also lathers like a dream which provides you with a shower or bubble bath that is purely pampering and relaxing. It took me about three months to finish this product.

St. Ives scrub: Like I just said, I really really like St. Ives products so of course I loved my oatmeal scrub! This product is a really gentle exfoliater so it won’t dry out your skin which is great during the chilly winter months. It smells great and it left my skin looking perfectly peaches and cream afterwards. My scrub lasted me about a month and a half and now I am on to using their pink grapefruit scrub which I am sure will be discussed soon! Spoiler Alert! It smells AMAZING.

Jergens hand cream: I blogged about this wonder cream before so for the full article please check out the link provided! If not, I will say that this is hands down the best hand cream that I have ever used. As a hardcore germophobe and hand washer, it is not hard for my hands to become extremely red and raw within a few days. This cream has provided me with relief as well as a formula that is non greasy and fast absorbing so that I can use it again and again with no lingering residue. I have used this product off and on since February and cannot recommend it enough.

TBS night cream: I really liked the Aloe night cream! I got it for free with an online purchase a few months ago and it made my skin feel so lush before bedtime. I had never used anything from the Aloe line before and I would use it again but I still prefer Vitamin E over it. What I did like was that the cream was a heavier texture but it still absorbed well which is exactly what I look for in a night cream. It took me about a month and a half to finish this product.

TBS moisturizer: I have been an avid lover of The Body Shop’s Vitamin E line for quite some time now. I think that this moisturizer is simply the best and am so happy that I have another jar of it in back stock so that I can continue using it daily. If you are looking for a moisturizer that is light, nourishing, and sits well under makeup than look no further. The Vitamin E moisturizer will leave your skin looking and feeling like a million bucks. It took me about a month and a half to finish this product.

I am SO happy with all of my empties this month, 1) because they were all effective and fabulous and 2) I am looking forward to using more new products! Most of my finishes from this month have been with me for a long time now so I am happy to retire these bottles and move onto some new bath and body and skin care goodies in December!

So there you have it, my November Finishes! What beauty products have you used up this month? What beauty product can you not live without during the winter? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep24

September Finishes

Posted on by
Standard
September Finishes

Hey hey everyone and happy weekend! Welcome to my September Finishes post! This month was filled with lots of great empties so take a look and then let’s discuss:

done.jpeg

Would I Use It Again?

  • Softsoap Sweet Honeysuckle & Orange Peel body wash: YES
  • St. Ives Green Tea Scrub: MAYBE
  • The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost: YES
  • Avalon Organics Vitamin C moisturizer: MAYBE
  • Yes To Coconut Souffle moisturizer: YES

Why/Why Not?

Softsoap Body Wash: I have always enjoyed using Softsoap shower gel and the Sweet Honeysuckle & Orange Peel is one of my favorites. It’s such a bright, energizing scent to wake up to every morning and it has one of those fragrances that just makes you feel good whenever you use it. This gel’s tart zing helps put a little pep in my step every time I use it and I would definitely recommend it to everyone. It took me about a month and a half to finish.

St. Ives Scrub: I love St. Ives products but, unfortunately, this scrub falls a bit short for me. I am always looking for a good blackhead clearing scrub because I suffer from really tough blackheads on my nose that build up near my piercings. I loved the scent of this scrub but it was just not gritty enough to get the job done of buffing away the pesky blackheads that polka dot my nose. If this scrub had about a handful more grit added to it, it would be perfect. I would use this scrub again if it were on sale but I will always prefer their apricot cleanser, instead! It took me a little over one month to finish.

TBS Skin Boost: You guys already know that this product is one of my old faithfuls so I am not going to go into detail about it. Just know that I love it. It took me three months to finish.

Avalon Moisturizer: This moisturizer was a weird one because I liked and hated it at the same time. I loved that it was Vitamin C based, that I got it for a steal, and that it lasted a long time. However, the major upset about this moisturizer was that it was one of those ones that curdles up on your face and just scuffs right off. After applying this moisturizer, I would have hella problems when I was doing my makeup because the cream would flake off in sticky clusters. If this weren’t an issue, I would never stop using the cream because other than that it was fabulous. I didn’t mind using it at night but daytime use was out of the question thanks to the flakiness. It took about five months to finish.

Yes To Coconut Souffle: I LOVE THIS CREAM! My mom got it for me for my birthday and it looks, feels, and smells simply delicious. Rich, creamy, coconut cream pie in a whipped souffle of a moisturizer that leaves your skin feeling smooth, supple, and simply luxurious. After just two minutes of the souffle being applied, my skin instantly transformed into peaches and cream perfection which left me completely confident in my complexion. I LOVED IT. It took two months to finish.

All in all, I would say that September was a very successful month of finishes. I was left loving a majority of my empties and even though I did have two that I wasn’t one hundred percent sold on, I didn’t completely hate them either! Now I just need to get my hands on another Coconut Souffle moisturizer and I’ll be all set!

So there you have it, my September Finishes! What empties do you have for this month? What beauty products do you need to restock soon? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug24

August Finishes

Posted on by
Standard
August Finishes

Hi everyone and happy Hump Day! I hope everyone is having a fantastic week so far. Sorry that I haven’t posted a lot this week. With classes starting this upcoming Monday, I’ve been super busy making all of the final preparations so this fall semester can be a good one! Although I have been a busy gal this month, that didn’t stop me from using up some wonderful products so take a look at my empties for the month of August:

finish1.jpeg

Would I Use It Again?

  • Bath & Body Works Country Apple body mist: YES
  • St. Ives Apricot Cleanser: YES
  • Michael Design Works Into The Woods lotion: YES
  • TopCare Eye Makeup Remover: YES
  • The Body Shop Vineyard Peach body butter: YES

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Mist: Country Apple is my all time favorite Bath & Body Works scent so of course I would use this again! I better have every intention of using it again considering I have eight more of the mists in my hoard! I love all things apple scented and this crisp and bright body mist is just perfect. It took me about six months to finish this spray and I used it multiple times per day.

St. Ives Cleanser: Out of all of the St. Ives products in the world, their Apricot Cleanser is my favorite. I could use this every single day and not get sick of it. The scent is just delicious and the texture of this product is wonderful. It is the perfect amount of creamy and gritty so it scrubs away all of your imperfections without leaving your skin feeling raw or dried out. My skin felt so fresh, clean, and rejuvenated after using this cleanser and I wish I still had more of it! It took me about five weeks to finish this product.

MDW Lotion: My boyfriend got me this lotion for Christmas and I have to admit, I wasn’t a fan at first. If any of you are familiar with The Body Shop’s Absinthe line, then that is exactly what this lotion smells like. Unfortunately…I hated the Absinthe line! However, I began using the lotion and eventually the scent grew on me. Not only that, but it absorbed so nicely and left my skin feeling so good that I was legitimately disappointed when I finished it. The packaging is so precious that I didn’t want to part with it, so I filled it with hand soap so I can continue to admire it! It took me about three weeks to finish this lotion.

TopCare Makeup Remover: This eye makeup remover is one of my old faithful products. It is fragrance free – which is important to me. AND it’s effective – which is even more important to me! This makeup remover has been part of my daily beauty routine for the past four to five months and not a day went by where it didn’t do its job well.

TBS Body Butter: Vineyard Peach is one of my absolute favorite TBS scents. To make this sweet scent even better, I got it for a steal at TJMaxx for six bucks as opposed to the usual twenty-one! Everyone knows that TBS body butter is the best so I won’t go into detail about how amazing it is. Rather, I will say that body butter is the literal best thing that you can give to your legs after you shaved. Vineyard Peach kept my legs prickle free for the better part of a week and that’s seriously amazing! It took me about three weeks to finish this product and I miss it every day!

August left me with a fabulous list of finishes because I loved all of my empties and would definitely use every single one of them again! Each product worked extremely well and I thoroughly enjoyed using all of them. This has been my best month for finishes in a long time and I’m happy that I got a lot of bang for my buck with each of my empties!

So there you have it, my August Finishes! What products have you used up this month? Has anyone used any of my August empties before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah