Going Through My Beauty Garbage. January 2019 Empties

The night my husband proposed to me he showered me with 16 gifts that were contained in hand painted boxes made to resemble the things that I love the most. The last contained my ring.

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As promised, here is my newest monthly segment where I go through my beauty trash and tell you my unadulterated opinion on the items that I’ve emptied. Just to clarify, I don’t actually pull these items out of my garbage. I use them and then set them aside so that they’re accessible when I want to write this blog post. The items in this specific post look a little questionable, because my husband was feeling creative and there is saw dust ALL OVER my studio, haha.

Care/of monthly vitamin subscription – $48 (may differ based on box recommendations)

I know that I talked about this in my Instagram post last month, but now that I’m doing an actual blog post I really wanted to talk about it in more detail. This isn’t necessarily a beauty product, but it does have to do with wellness which is also super important. This company sends you a pack of vitamins every month that is tailored to your needs. To begin, you go to their website and fill out a survey about your personal life. No judgements here! Just be as honest as possible so they can put together the best vitamins for you. If you’re anything like me, you know what’s wrong with you, but you have no idea where to start to fix it. And who has time to sit and research every vitamin on the market to find the best ones? Okay, you’re awesome if you do that and I have a new level of respect for you. But for the rest of us care/of offers a really convenient solution. For instance, I struggle with sleep issues, stress, and digestion issues (just to name a few key things). For these issues I was “prescribed” rhodiola, a probiotic blend, and B-complex vitamins. You can also add any other vitamins you would like, as well as remove any vitamins that they suggest that you don’t want to take.

Another really cool thing about this subscription is that it comes with an app. I mean, the millennial in me is crazy about this. On said app you can set a timer to remind you to take your vitamins every day. This is so helpful when you’re first starting to get into a routine, especially if you haven’t taken vitamins before. Every day you can go on the app and hit a button to record that you took your vitamins for the day. You can see in the top left corner of the picture below that my streak is 151 days! I’m actually super proud of myself. As you build up your streak you’ll start earning carrots, which can be traded for items or discounts on your next box. I’ve amassed 22,900 carrots, which you can see in the top right corner of the picture below. I’m SO CLOSE to being able to afford a sweatshirt. Or maybe I’ll use them to discount my next box almost 50%. Decisions, decisions..

And don’t worry. It does take a long time to build up this many carrots, but every month with your box care/of includes a small brochure that includes a game you can play for a 10% discount on your next month. Usually a puzzle of some sort or trivia question. Just snap a picture of your answer and text it to them at the number provided. Again, the millennial in me is screaming about being able to text a customer support team. So easy!

Speaking of discounts.. if you’re intrigued by this subscription and you’d like to try it for yourself (I 100% recommend!) then there is a way to receive $40 (!!!!!) off of your first box. Simply use this link or enter code TM1W9V at checkout. Enjoy!

Spongellé Body Buffer Duet in “Beach Grass” – $28

I love Songellé products. This isn’t even the first that I’ve used and I have stockpiles more under my bathroom sink, because I’d be so sad if I ever ran out. This product is a body wash infused buffer. That’s right, it’s a 2-in-1. Who doesn’t love that sort of convenience? These buffers are great for exfoliating your body, and gentle enough that they can be used every day if you want to. I know what you’re thinking, even for two that’s so expensive! But in all fairness, each of these buffers is good for AT LEAST 15 washes. This scent is Beach Grass with extracts of yuzu, edelweiss, and vetiver. I have literally no idea what any of those things are, but what I DO know is that I smell hints of jasmine and rose. So there’s that. Honestly, I’ve never purchased a scent that I didn’t like and I’ve unexageratingly tried every single one of them. You really can’t go wrong when picking them out. If I could recommend one to try for the first time it would be Bulgarian Rose or Freesia Pear.

BLAQ Dual Sided Charcoal Wipes – $12.95

The only other BLAQ product I’ve tried before was their peel off mask, which I liked. This product, however, did not impress. These wipes were created for cleansing and exfoliating. They are supposed to remove makeup and tone skin. The thing is, they were really bad at removing makeup. I almost always still woke up with raccoon eyes from leftover mascara (that wasn’t even waterproof!). The wipes are two sided, one soft side to cleanse and one rough side to exfoliate. The rough side was alright. It was gentle enough for my sensitive skin, but I wouldn’t recommend daily use.

Shea Moisture African Black Soap Clarifying Facial Wipes – full size $6.29

I guess January was the month of facial wipes for me. These wipes are formulated with tea tree oil and calendula and were created for oily, blemish-prone skin. So, me. They’re meant to remove makeup and dirt without requiring rinsing or drying. Again, super terrible at removing makeup. And don’t get them anywhere near your eyes, holy crap. I will say that they definitely helped to cut down on the oiliness and I did see a reduction in my acne. So they were good for that reason. I liked that when I used them I could feel a slight burn and I knew they were working. It wasn’t overwhelming. I felt like these were fine for my sensitive skin. I just didn’t like that I had to use two different products to remove my makeup, because this one wasn’t sufficient.

First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads – full size $32 (you can receive 2.5% cash back on your order by using Ebates)

I had received this travel sized item in my December ipsy bag, and I’d heard people raving about it so I was really excited. These pads are made with lactic and glycolic acids to help tone, exfoliate, and brighten skin. They’re gentle enough for someone with sensitive skin like myself to use daily. After using regularly my face felt and looked cleaner and had a subtle glow. 100% would recommend and am planning on purchasing. I just wish that they weren’t so expensive!

Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvinator – $34

I originally received this item in my summer FabFitFun box, but had to wait FOREVER to actually use it because it contained oil which was bad for my eyelash extensions. I was really excited to try it, because I’d actually read about how much people love it prior to receiving it. But I have to say.. I really wasn’t impressed! This was supposed to be a microdermabrasion exfoliant, which basically just means that the grains are super fine and a little more gentle on sensitive skin. But, in my opinion, the crystals were anything but “micro.” Maybe it’s just me, but I really didn’t like the feel of this product on my face. I didn’t really see any improvement in my skin either since I started using it. It doesn’t use any plastic beads and is 99% natural, which I do find comforting, but I won’t be purchasing this again.

Hey Honey Relax! Propolis and Honey Soothing Cream – full size retail $42

I received this sample sized item in my December ipsy as well. I’m, like, in love with this moisturizer. This moisturizer is great for people with sensitive skin who suffer from redness, like myself. This cream really helped to soothe the areas on my nose and cheeks that get especially red for no reason at all. Not to mention it smelled absolutely amazing. I found that it absorbed quickly without leaving behind that greasy feeling that I hate and it made my skin feel SO soft. Fun fact: it’s made with honey and propolis which both have antibacterial properties, so it doubles as an acne fighter. I love it when a product multitasks! This isn’t the first Hey Honey product that I’ve tried and fallen in love with. When I’m a millionaire some day I’m going to replace all of my skincare products with Hey Honey brand.

Elizabeth Mott Thank Me Later Face Primer – full size retail $30

I received this sample sized primer in my September ipsy subscription. After using the entire tube I can verify my original thoughts: this primer is amazing. It has a silky feel to it, reminiscent of a Smashbox primer, and feels super lightweight on my face. It’s waterproof and gives your makeup a matte finish, so you don’t have to worry about looking shiny. It kept my makeup in place all day, without fail. I have no complaints! If this product’s full size was just a little cheaper I would consider purchasing it, but since I know there are cheaper options that are almost identical I probably won’t bother.

Oribe Hair Care Dry Texturizing Spray – full size $46

I received this travel sized product in my October ipsy subscription. I didn’t like the Oribe dry shampoo that I was sent previously, so I didn’t have high hopes for this product when I received it. I don’t use a lot of hair products, save for maybe a leave-in conditioner. Do I know what a dry texturizing spray is? Not really. I did a bit of research and what I learned is: it’s not a dry shampoo, but it is a dry shampoo. So that didn’t clear things up. It’s made to soak up oil and add volume. First observation, it actually smells amazing. It certainly worked like dry shampoo, but also added a stiffness kind of like a hairspray? I think it’s a dry shampoo/hairspray hybrid.. I’m still a little confused, even after going through the entire can. I liked that it didn’t leave a residue, but I hated how it made my hair feel. I don’t think repurchasing is in the cards.

Define Me Hair Fragrance Mist in “Delphine” – full size $38

Last but not least, I tried out a travel sized hair fragrance this month. You know, for those days when my hair isn’t oily and in need of scented dry shampoo, but I still don’t want to smell gross. I don’t exactly know what makes this product different than your average run of the mill perfume. It smelled great, that’s for sure, but I don’t know if I personally believe that this category of haircare is something that I need to invest in. A few sprits of my Bombshell will probably do the trick just fine. I can appreciate that it is made with love though. No, seriously, go check out their ingredients list. Love is the first ingredient, haha. The site doesn’t describe what the smell is, but it’s definitely a more “mature” scent is that makes sense, and not subtle. A little goes a long way.

So what do you think? Have you tried any of these products yourself? Did any of them work for you more than they worked for me? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

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