Some products received for review.

It's hard to believe that this day has come. After 12 months of success and failure, of learning and re-learning, I've finally come to the end of my 2019 No-Buy/Low-Buy, with a particularly spectacular month. Let's get into it!

No Buy Challenge Update

In my November and December 2018 empties post, I made a small extra challenge to myself to not spend any money on beauty products whatsoever. I wanted to end the challenge on a high note and I knew it was probably an easy target, but I still wanted to see how I would do anyway.

And, reader, I totally killed it. Not only did I not buy a single thing in January, I wasn't even TEMPTED to do so. I actually entered February thinking "Oh, here we go, time to get some STUFF" but honestly, the only thing I bought was some makeup remover and a Blistex lip balm since mine is grody. That. IS. IT! So glad to finish this challenge on a high note.

I'll be putting together my thoughts in the next week or so about the challenge, what I learned and where I'm taking this new mindset in the future. For now? Let's tackle my beauty trash which is almost entirely skincare this month!

Empties

Dr Belmeur Cica Recovery Serum- I received this for review from ChickAdvisor in the fall and was quite impressed by how much my skin really liked this serum. It had a very soft cream fragrance, and while thicker than the serums I usually use, but it didn't cause any pilling when I put moisturizer on top, and sank into my skin quite quickly actually. The only thing I didn't like was the packaging, it was super hard to know how much was left and I actually tore mine apart because I thought I broke the pump until I realized that no, it's actually just empty. I MIGHT buy it again.

Dr Roebucks Face Moisturizer - Oh look, another doctor! But in all seriousness, I won this in an Instagram contest for Dr Roebucks and I was elated because I LOVE their Face and Pure moisturizers. They are extremely hydrating for the winter, and help plump up my face and leave it feeling super soothed all day long. You can check out my review from the first time I tried their products right here. I would definitely recommend this to anyone with sensitive skin or who just wants a clean, fragrance-free product to test out.

IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream with SPF50 in Fair - Received for review. I absolutely love this CC Cream, it's a lightweight foundation basically, that does an amazing job balancing out your skintone, without adding too much coverage. I'm a person who doesn't enjoy cakey foundation so this was a godsend, and with 50spf? Sign me up! You can see my before & after here & see my review on my Top Beauty Products of 2017! Would definitely buy again.

IT Cosmetics Confidence in an Eye Cream - Received for review I remember in my mid twenties I was such a young, hopeful girl that I didn't realize the power of eye creams. I'm not one to get weird treatments or chemical processes, but a great eye cream is nothing to sniff at and this one does it for a fraction of what professional treatments cost. While I didn't see "epic" transformations, I definitely noticed a difference and found the skin more supple and less puffy in the morning than going without it. Definitely worth it. Check out my full review here.

Le Petit Marseillais Orange Blossom Extra Gentle Shower Creme - I absolutely LOVE THIS STUFF. I received two of these body washes for review awhile ago, but as any regular reader of mine knows, I have a problem with body wash so it took me THIS LONG TO FINISH IT. While it doesn't have the same lather that a L'Occitane or Philosophy offers, it is still rather moisturizing and has the same quality of fragrance for a FRACTION of the price. Definitely worth picking up and I'm currently working through the White Peach Nectarine now! Read my review here.

Shiseido Bio Performance Glow Revival Serum - Now here is a product that does some amazing things, but also fails in a spectacular fashion. This serum literally helps your skin GLOW. I had such a nice shimmer after adding this serum that sometimes I would skipp BB cream altogether and just wear some SPF moisturizer and head out the door. But the problem is that the fragrance they used was SO strong. It smells like old-school beauty products with that heady cream-floral scent and it's absolutely not what I want to put on my face. I finished it, but I wouldn't buy it again or recommend it.

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer in Pore Minimizing - Yeahhhh, this is what happens when you take a gamble on something new. I'm a big fan of Smashbox's OG Smooth and Blur formula but when I saw a sale on this lil guy, I decided to take a chance on it and I'M NOT HAPPY that I did. I found this one was EXTREMELY dry and hard to move around my face, it sometimes flaked and pilled and generally just didn't do much to help me. Definitely won't be buying it again. It took me so long to finish it because I disliked it so much!

Tarte Lipsurgence Lip Gloss in Magic- I'm not even going to mention how old this gloss is because it's gross and unimportant, but what IS important is how wearable Tarte's lip glosses are! I love the hint of shimmer in this gloss, it's great to just pop on when you want a little glitz without much effort, and the vanilla cake batter scent truly never gets old with me. Definitely worth picking up a mini from Sephora and trying it for yourself (they are on offer quite often)!

Tosses

Maybelline Dream Velvet Soft-Matte Hydrating Foundation in Ivory - Honestly, while I didn't mind this foundation, it wasn't one I reached for often. After I wrote my review which was mostly positive, I found myself only reaching for it every once in awhile. I tend to finish my foundations but this is one that went bad before I could finish it, so that says a lot there. Probably safe to skip this one.

And that's it! A fairly quiet month but considering the huge hauls I had in the fall, I'm not too surprised. I think I'll have more tosses at the end of February as I'm going to do a bit of a KonMari of my beauty and skincare products this month, so check back in a few weeks!