September Sayonara Products

As I say goodbye to September, I also bid 10 emptied products farewell! And *drum roll please* three of them are makeup items! Here is what I finished up this month:

Yes to Tomatoes Volumizing Shampoo

Read the full review here. This is the best natural shampoo I have found yet, but I apparently didn't love it enough to repurchase because I am still on the hunt for my HG hair care products.

Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Facial Cleanser

I was excited that a mainstream brand like Neutrogena was releasing more natural products, but this was really just ho-hum for me. It got my skin clean, but it didn't offer a lot in the way of oil and acne fighting. Also, it had an odd medicinal, herbal smell that I wasn't too fond of.

Yes to Cucumbers Calming Facial Mask

This is the second tub of this I have used up, and I actually quite like it. The jars are a bit small and a bit expensive, but it is a natural product and smells just like cucumbers. Read my full review here.

Batiste Dry Shampoo

As a busy graduate student, sometime showering just doesn't take priority over finishing my bajillion pages of reading. On those days, a blast of Batiste keeps me looking fresh. I cant be without this stuff.

Mario Badescu Glycolic Foaming Cleanser

This cleanser contains glycolic acid, which is supposed to exfoliate the skin and breaks up gunk in your pores, and is only meant to be used twice a week. Though I did find that my skin was a bit smoother and brighter after using this, I didn't see much improvement with my blackheads. Not bad, but not worth the price tag either.

ELF HD Powder

This was my HG setting powder over the summer, and made it on to many of my favorites lists. The finely milled, silky white powder controlled oil like no other on my skin and delivered an airbrush finish. I will certainly repurchase this.

Yes to Carrots Eye Contour Cream

Just your run of the mill eye cream here. I wasn't impressed with it, so I ended up using it was an eye makeup remover just to finish up the tub.

Too Faced Glamour Gloss in Pillow Talk

Pillow talk is a natural looking gloss with very subtle mauve undertones, and the formula is slightly plumping. I did find it a bit thick and sticky though. I enjoyed it while this deluxe sample lasted, but not enough to invest in a full sized tube.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation (deluxe sample)

Read my full review here. To use this up, I mixed with with tinted moisturizer to create a more natural finish foundation. The combo offered the coverage, staying power, and oil control I needed without looking like I was wearing a mask. However, I am looking for a foundation that can deliver all of those benifits without me having to make a cosmetic cocktail every time I do my makeup.

TRESemme Non-Aerosol Hair Spray

After I finished up a big can of hairspray, this little travel bottle was all I had around so I just used it up. It did its job, but I don't have anything to rave about. 

What did you finish up in September?

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Posted in Batiste , E.L.F. , Estee Lauder , Mario Badescu , Neutrogena , Sayonara Products , Too Faced , TRESemme , Yes to Carrots , Yes to Cucumbers , Yes to Tomatoes

Haul: Mario Badescu Skin Care Sale on Hautelook

As a young teen, the joys of puberty left me properly red and bumpy so I used the Proactiv line with nice results for a some time. With age my skin balanced out on its own, and Proactive became too abrasive. Since then, I have tried countless facial cleansers, masks, and topical treatments that are heavy duty enough to prevent and control my minor breakouts without freaking out my sensitive skin. My skin care routine is currently loyal to Yes to Carrots and a few St. Ives products, but with the summer months just around the corner (read: increasingly oily skin) I was looking for some supplementary products that kicked my current faves into high problem zone fighting gear. A few weeks ago, Hautlook had a sale on Mario Badescu skin care products. I had heard some beauty gurus rave about this line on youtube, and after spending an afternoon researching their products and reading dozens of reviews I picked up these deeply discounted products. Some are for myself (sensitive combination skin with some stubborn blackheads), and I bought some specifically for my partner (very sensitive skin prone to cystic acne).

So here is the loot: Glycolic Acid Toner, Glycolic Foaming Cleanser, Buffering Lotion, Drying Lotion, Silver Powder, Drying Cream, and two free travel sized bottles of Vitamin "E" Body Lotion (Wheat Germ).

Keep an eye out for individual product reviews!

All products featured were purchased with my own money, and I am in no way affiliated with or being compensated by Hautelook or Mario Badescu. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

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Posted in Haul , Hautelook , Mario Badescu , Skin Care