October Empties

Another month, more empties! I'm really happy that I'm sticking to getting a monthly empties post in, instead of hoarding trash for months at a time. As always, lots and lots of skincare. This month has a decent amount of hair and body care as well. I go through makeup less frequently, but there's a couple of items that I finished up in October. Read on if you're interested in some quick thoughts on the products I finished.

June Sephora Play! Box

It's been a while since I discussed the monthly Sephora Play! box, so I decided to jump back in with June's box. The theme for this month was Summer Starters - all products to help keep your face and hair in check as the weather heats up (and where I am, gets bogged down with humidity.) Let's take a look at what I got this month!

June Sephora Play! Box

Another month, another box! I've been getting Sephora's Play! beauty box for a few months now, but I started reviewing them with my May box. Sephora used to ship out the boxes near the end of the month after billing on the 4th or so, but the last couple of months they've shipped out a bit earlier. I received mine on June 17th!

This month's theme is "The Minimalists," focusing on emphasizing "less is more." For the start of summer, it's definitely better to wear less than have more makeup melt off your face in the humidity! I'm actually excited about a couple of this month's products, and disappointed by a couple of others.

April 2016 Favorites!

Once again, I'm super late with this. I don't have any excuse other than that  I'm lazy and the worst. This months favorites all gravitate towards the skin aside from the Gimme Brow, which helps emphasize a natural look.

My Scheming Mandelic Acid Brightening sheet mask  - This mask first popped up in my February Favorites this year. I had gotten a couple from a friend, and I loved them so much I bought a full box for myself! I find myself reaching for this mask when I have no particular mask "need," so to speak, because it does such a great job of making my skin look all around fantastic. I did, however, wear one before a social event to make sure my skin was at its brightest for the night!

Benefit Gimme Brow - I have wanted this product for a while, but couldn't swallow the $24 price tag! I finally picked it up with Ulta points paired with a 20% off prestige coupon. This really gives a natural definition to my brows, and is perfect to put on after the gym. Benefit is revamping their brow line, and are releasing another shade of Gimme Brow, but I'll be sticking with the Medium/Deep. I'm normally wary of Benefit products since they seem gimmicky or have tacky packaging, but I like this one. I wouldn't pay full price for it though, since the tube is TINY!

Foreo Luna Mini - This graced my March Favorites, and it's back this month because it's just that great! I've only had to do one full charge on this so far - I tried to top off the charge before a trip and it was done charging in like, five minutes. The five month claim they make may just be true! My skin is still looking smooth and radiant after using this, so I have no regrets with this purchase.

Innisfree The Green Tea Seed Serum - I incorporated this into my routine about a month and a half ago, and omg. My face is so much less red than it was, I can hardly believe it! I love this serum, I use it morning and night. It has a fresh, somewhat "green" scent, and is very light. It sinks in quickly, making it a great addition to my morning routine. Even if I'm short on time, I make sure I pat some of this in. I'm maybe a quarter through the bottle, and I will definitely be repurchasing when this one is through.

Urban Decay Naked Skin One and Done - This is one of UD's summer collection releases, and I got it during the recent Sephora sale. I started with a sample, thinking the whole "one and done" is a little gimmicky - but it's actually fantastic at being a one shot product! It applies easily (I use fingers, blend out any streaks with a damp beautyblender) and gives the sheerest coverage - just enough to cover super slight imperfections. Since my skin has been 100% awesome lately, it's been all I need! I do use concealer on my under eyes, but this has been a solid staple in my routine since I got it. I've also used it as a primer under a BB cream. I have noticed a slight white cast on my hands after applying, and I really have to let my sunscreen sink in beforehand or they don't play nicely together, but I've made it work. I picked up the shade Light, which covers UD shades 0.5-3.0 (I'm around a 1.5-2.)

October 2015 Favorites

Could this be more late? Probably. But November hasn't ended yet so it's not toooooo late to put this up!

1. Real Techniques Duo Fiber Face Brush - I love this brush for finishing powders. It has that stipply end, so it doesn't pick up too much product, and deposits it nicely. I use it the most with my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder, and my Guerlain Meteorites. Unfortunately, this brush came in a limited edition set last year, BUT there's another version in the RT Duo Fiber set!
2. Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in 51 Vanille Clair - This has been my go to foundation lately when I need a little bit more coverage, but not quite full coverage. I also mix in a pump of Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Pearl, which really helps with a natural looking finish. I find that this stuff lasts most of the day on my skin, and applies beautifully with a damp BeautyBlender. Unfortunately, it can be a little bit harder to track down in the US, but can be ordered online from ASOS!
3. Benefit Roller Lash mascara - Okay. I usually will avoid Benefit products like the plague. I find the packaging gimmicky, and the products to be underperforming for the price. I was curious about their new mascara (even though I hated I'm Real...) so I picked up this mini as a 100 point perk from Sephora. I love this! The mascara separates, lengthens, and gives a little bit of volume. I'm going to test the brush with a different formula to see if its just the brush, or if I really need to shell out for the whole deal. It is a little pricy, especially for a mascara. But I really like it so far. Best part, it doesn't flake!
4. Kat von D Studded Kiss lipstick in Cathedral - I don't think I've done a full review on this lipstick, but I've reviewed some other Studded Kiss shades. In general, I'm a fan! This one is a matte "coco rose," and is one of those "my lips but better but also a little darker?" shades that is perfect for fall. This is a great one to pair with a bold eye, since it's neutral but will make you look put together. 
5. Haus of Gloi Pumpkin Queen perfume oil - This is my favorite indie fall scent. My bottle has aged a year, and it is wonderfully complex, better than when I first got it. It isn't an overwhelming pumpkin scent (which I also love!) but the pumpkin is there, mixed with peaches and bright fruit scents, and hay. It's a seasonal scent from Haus of Gloi, so it isn't available at the moment. It seems to be one of their regular autumn scents, so if it sounds like your type of thing, definitely keep an eye out! (I may or may not have ordered like five whipped soaps in this scent. It's that good.)

I've already got this month's favorites settled, so it won't be so late! Let me know what you've been loving lately, I always want to find new things!