Empties - Mini Madness

I get a lot of deluxe samples - from my subscription boxes, promo codes, and from Sephora's rewards program. I've been making a more conscious effort to use them up, both to just cycle through products, and to see if there's anything worth picking up in a full size! Since I'm trying to record my empties throughout the year, I thought it would be fun to keep track of all of the minis I go through as well! These are minis that I finished up at the end of last 2016.

Mini garbage! So cute!

Fresh Skincare Favorites 500 Point Perk

I love Fresh face products. However, they're a bit pricy. So whenever a Sephora point perk for a Fresh item pops up, I try and snag it. Recently, they had a 500 point perk available that I added to one of my orders.

The Fresh Skincare Favorites set came in a Sephora box with a decorated Fresh sleeve on it. Inside were the products with a bit of black crinkle cut packing worms. The box was too big for the products so they rattled around inside a bit. I've found that the majority of all 500 point perks come packaged like this, unless they come in a makeup bag.

With the set, you get four items. It stands to note that many 500 point perks come with five items, making it a combo of five 100 point perks. You can't help but feel a little cheated here, since you're spending 500 points on four items, and 500 points can be equated to $500. (You really shouldn't think of it that way, but everyone does...) Looking at the point perks available right now, both have five items inside. But I digress, here is what comes in the set:

Soy face cleanser (.6 oz) - $38/5.1oz = $4.47
Rose face mask (.6 oz) - $62/3.4oz = $10.94
Black Tea Perfecting Mask (.67 oz) - $92/3.3oz = $18.68
Seaberry face oil (.16 oz) - $50/1.6oz = $5.00

Total = $39.09

I happen to love the Seaberry oil and the Black Tea mask, so this set was worth it for me. I already have a Rose face mask from a prior 100 point perk, but these masks are expensive ($62 for the full size!) so having more than one deluxe mini doesn't hurt. I brought the Soy Face Cleanser with me on a recent trip, as it's perfect to toss in a carry on clear bag for flying.

Personally, I'm happy with the point perk, but I can see where others are coming from with getting shorted a product. The grand total does fall short of $40, but full sizes of all these items are on the pricier side so I enjoy being able to pick these up as point perks.

Did you snag this point perk? How do you feel about the 500 point perks in general, are they usually a hit or a miss? (I tend to wait for stuff I really like, such as the Marc Jacobs perk a few months ago...that also only had four items...)

Mini Sephora Haul

So I was fortunate enough to have a $50 Sephora gift card come into my life recently, which means I was able to place a small order. I've been wanting to pick up a few more Make Up For Ever Artist Eyeshadows. Sephora has a great deal where when you buy three plus a little magnetic palette, you get $20 off - essentially getting one of the $21 eyeshadows for free. The little palettes are sleek and handy, and only cost $1 each, so you aren't breaking the bank by adding one to your cart. I also got some other goodies via samples, promo codes, point perks, and yeah I bought something else!

• Make Up For Ever Artist Eyeshadows - I picked up three of these in shades D708 (Pinky Diamond), M816 (Rosewood), and M650 (Cookie), along with the three pan magnetic palette. Pinky Diamond is my first pan of the Diamond finish that MUFE orders, and I'm excited to try it!
• Fresh Sugar Lip Balm in Nude - The regular Fresh lip balm is my HG balm. Nude is their newest shade, and I really liked it after swatching it in the store, so I decided to pick it up. Even if I end up not liking the shade to wear out, I'll use the balm. I figure it'll be good for days when I run errands or don't wear much makeup out.
• Fresh Rose Face Mask - This was a 100 Point Perk. I love Fresh products, but I feel they're a bit overpriced. Whenever I see point perks or free samples or promo codes for Fresh items, I jump at the chance to snag them. I liked the Black Tea face mask when I had a deluxe mini of it, so I wanted to try this one, too!
• Fresh Soy Conditioning Eye Makeup Remover - Yup, another Fresh item! This one was from a promo code, and I'm looking forward to trying it without dropping $$$ on the product itself.
• Guerlain Maxi Lash So Volume - This was a sample that I selected at checkout. Nothing better than mini samples of high end mascaras! These minis are usually good for a couple of weeks of uses, so definitely worth picking up. I have about five hundred mascaras tucked away right now, so this will probably get taken on a trip with me or something.

October 2014 Favorites

I can't believe it's already November! Sorry for the lack of posts the past few weeks, I do a lot of traveling in October, and haven't had a chance to build up my queue. With the oncoming sales of November, plus secret Santa season, I should have plenty of stuff to review and post about! But for now, let's talk about things that I really loved this past month!

1. Beautyblender PRO - I've tried both the regular pink beautyblender and the black PRO beautyblender, and for me, the PRO takes the cake. I'm not sure why, but I just happen to like the little black egg more. I find that it rinses cleaner, and doesn't suck up as much product as its pink counterpart. Also, my pink one shredded almost immediately, whilst the black one was far more durable. I always buy my PRO blenders in double packs from amazon - the price can't be beat!

2. L'occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream - This stuff saves my hands when I am stuck in the land of public restrooms, such as New York Comic Con, or Disney. After having to use harsh soap to wash my hands, this can fix dry skin in an instant. It's a staple in my purse, and the best part is, a little goes a long way. It absorbs quickly, and does not leave a residue on your hands. There's a variety of scents, but the original shea butter is a great way to go.

3. Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Liquid in Moonstone - I only have a sample of this from Sephora, but boy am I lusting after the full size (or rather, the travel size, the full size is HUGE!!) This gives just the right amount of glow to the skin, without delivering a load of glitter. I also have this in Pearl, which is white, while this is more of a golden tone.

4. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Mushroom - When I'm in a hurry, I reach for this liner. It's the perfect shade to add a bit of dimension to the lash line, but not to look overdone. I'm a sucker for taupe shades, and this certainly delivers. I'm about halfway through this liner, and I will most definitely be rebuying. There is a bit of shimmer to this, but there are no visible chunks of glitter that you can sometimes encounter with a UD product.

5. Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment  - There are tales of people finishing Chapsticks. I've never done that, but I've finished about three of these to date, and I keep going back for more. The price tag is a bit steep for something as silly as a lip balm, but I find them worthwhile. These don't further dry out my lips, and I apply nightly before bed to have my lips ready for more drying products the next morning. I've tried the other, more 'intense' version of this product, and did not like it as much. This is a definite 'HG' product for me.