There's nothing a beauty addict loves more than seeing empty bottles or foils of products at the end of the month. Guilt over buying that next lip balm or getting that delicious body wash melts away as you grin over your pile of finished products from the month before.
That is, if you keep them!
I moved in late June, so many of my empties were forgotten and tossed as garbage (as they should be, as they are!) so my pile is smaller than usual, but I have some CHOICE products to share :)
Garnier Damage Eraser Shampoo & Conditioner
I received these samples in the mail a month or so ago but I wasn't too excited to try them to be honest. I associate Garner with hair products I enjoyed as a teenager and haven't tried too much since then. But boy, was I ever wrong! The Damage Eraser line still has that signature Garnier Fructis fruit-scent, but the consistency of both the shampoo and conditioner was pretty great for a drug-store brand. My hair was very soft and manageable for the rest of the week.
Would I buy it again? I'd consider it.
The Face Shop - Bamboo, MaskerAide Beauty Rest'ore & Garnier Skin Renew You can read all about these masks in Battle of the sheet masks!
Lancome Genifique
I honestly don't know if this serum did a single thing.
Would I buy it? No.
Jergens Natural Glow Medium to Tan
Who doesn't love a bit of colour in the summer? Who has a hard time getting anything more than a farmer's tan? Yeah, me too. Luckily I received a bunch of samples of this Jergens self-tanner and I can safely say that my luminescent skin is less blinding this year. Be careful not to over-saturate your skin but rub it around equally. I found that the shins were an easy place to over-tan.
Would I buy it again? Yup! The price is right.
Kiehls' Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate
This stuff is expensive, beautiful skin-crack. It slips onto the skin like buttery, and settles into fine lines like silk. I really loved rubbing this all over my face and my skin was happy that I did so too.
Would I buy it again? It's so expensive! Maaaybe... if there was a good sale.
John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Shampoo & Conditioner
I was really expecting this set to be as basic as I've found all other John Frieda products, but the Brilliant Brunette has a great scent and leaves hair pretty shiny. I was impressed!
Would I buy it again? Perhaps...
Bath & Body Works Shower Gel - Vanilla Bean Noel
I'm a big sucker for shower gel. There's nothing more luxurious than a really nice smelling product to wake you up in the morning or relax you at night. And this scent worked well both in the a.m. and p.m., I often dislike the cloying nature of the majority of BBW products, but this one is one of those delightful exceptions. The vanilla is tempered by a shea butter and peppermint combo that is completely irresistable.
Would I buy this again? Absolutely. I prefer it to my Philsophy peppermint stick body wash because it has the same candy-peppermint scent but for a fraction of the cost.
Planet Spa - Arizona Hot Sands Paraffin hand and foot cream
This is an old Avon product I found hiding in my cupboard a few weeks ago. It has this slightly spicy, fresh clay smell and is a wonderful body butter that is great to slop on after a shower. It's a bit thick though, so I wouldn't use it in the summer as it would sit on the skin for aaaages.
Would I buy it again? I could only use it half the year so I'd have to think about it.
CO Bigelow Lip Cream - Lemon
I'm a self-professed lip product addict and have had many Bigelow products in my collection at any given time. While I do really enjoy the peppermint and cinnamon-peppermint lip glosses, this lip cream was a bit too thick for me. I felt like the product sat on my lips and took forever to set, leaving it lacking in the moisture department.
Would I buy it again? No.
Algenist Regenerative Anti-Aging Moisturizer SPF 20
I really, really hate the fact that this product has the word 'anti-aging' in it, because it makes it so much more expensive than it has to be. I receieved this in a sampler pack from Sephora and am TOTALLY SWAYED by the brand. I have a hard time finding moisturizers with SPF that don't feel like suncsreen and this one was fantastic. It goes on very light but acts as a great base for makeup.
Would I buy it again? My sample was .5oz, and the 2oz product is $95, so no, just no.
H20+ Sea Lotus Body Wash
I received this in my very first Beauty Box 5 box in January, and was interested in it's seaweed & sea-salt-y aroma. This was a decent enough body wash. It didn't lather too much but definitely left a very distinct and summery scent behind.
*Would I buy it again? *Not this kind, but I'd like to try their others.
The scents of summer...
Anna Sui - Fairy Dance
At first sniff this perfume seems almost entirely too girly, but it actually has some complex aroma, with hints of citrus, vanilla and even a hint of sandalwood. It's definitely distinctive!
Would I buy it again? Perhaps
Ralph Lauren - Ralph
This is a classic perfume for a reason. It's a fragrance for women that still has a nice hint of musk and magnolia. It's nice, but it's not my thing.
Would I buy it again? No.
Escada - Born in Paradise
This is definitely a summer scent, but it smells pretty generic. There's some coconut and pina colada in here, but it's pretty sickly.
Would I buy it again? Nope
Lacoste - Touch of Pink
This reminded me of all the things I liked from Fairy Dance, but done wrong. TOO musky, TOO woodsy, TOO vanilla-y. Too strong.
Would I buy it again? Nope
Lip product purge!
Clinique Glosswear for Lips, Sheer Shimmers This gloss is a great, completely clear gloss to give your lips that extra bit of brightening up without any colour. Great for clear gloss lovers, dull for the rest of us.
Bella Il Fiore Gloss I got this in a beauty box ages ago and only recently uncovered it. The applicator is a bit strange, the case actually doesn't hold too much product and the gloss never really stuck to my lips well. It also has quite the unappealing smell. Tah!
Sephora Lip Gloss I never really liked the colour or the scent. Good riddance. They've made great headway with their lip products since I bought this one.
Bonne Belle Lip Gear Lip Crayon This is a big, chunky liner more than anything, but it's a weird shade that is better suited for a teenager than a grown up.
And that's that! Disagree with any of my judgments? Let me know in the comments!