Recent Beauty Empties | Makeup, Skincare, and Haircare

The one positive to my spending ban when it comes to makeup (and sometimes groceries that aren't edamame or pasta) is that I actually finish products now. This used to be a rarity in my life that has now become somewhat of a regular occurrence in my life and I'm actually...here for it? While I was emotionally attached to one of the face oils that I finished and won't be able to repurchase due to my seemingly permanent #BrokeBitch status, it–dare I say it–feels nice to have finished something, regardless of whether or not I loved it. This tends to just make me feel less wasteful, even if I know that I'm currently hoarding somewhere around 100 to 110 lipsticks at the moment that I most certainly do not wear on a daily basis unless they're one of my nudes...

Anyways, I digress, before I delve too deep into the stream of consciousness in this post, let's just talk about some of the products I've finished over the course of the past few weeks and then proceeded to save the empty packaging and hoard them in a bag on my beauty shelf until I gathered enough shit I finished to talk about. That's totally not weird at all...did I dig some of these out of my bedroom trash can for the sake of content? I'm not even going to pretend that I didn't. 

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Lexli Acne Clarifying Lotion 

No worries, your girl already repurchased this product! I got this particular one for free and I also used a gift voucher to get the replacement, but I would spend actual hard earned money on these products because they work with my skin without causing any nuisances like dry patches, redness, or worse, more acne. It's a facial "lotion" that can be used all over or just as a spot treatment for just patches of acne. I use it as both, depending on how my skin is going. It clears out clogged pores, reduces inflammation, and balances sebum production aka the oils that cause breakouts! 

Read more about my thoughts on this product here!

Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturizer

There isn't a whole lot I can say about this moisturizer. It's lightweight, a little goes a long way, and it's a nice base for my foundation. The Neutrogena moisturizers are my go-to choice when I can't dish out the cash for one of my more expensive moisturizers aka the Moisturizing Balm from Belif.

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Cleanser

I got sucked into the labyrinth at the checkout at Sephora a while back and picked this up because I've tried the ExfoliKate mask when my acne was really bad and I didn't hate it so I figured the cleanser would be great to try. In all honesty, I didn't notice much of a difference between this cleanser and other cleansers, but for the time being, I don't think I'll be repurchasing. The mask is supposed to cleanse away oil, makeup, other "impurities" for smoother, softer skin. It has AHAs that shrink the appearance of pores and a bunch of other ingredients to make sure that your skin is cleansed and purified without stripping it of its moisture. It didn't do anything bad to my face, I'm just not sure it really did much besides just generally cleanse and clean my face. I'd be open to trying it again in the future when it was the only thing that I was using, but the problem with my skin is that I'm usually using a few different things to try to keep it under control and from not reverting back to the way it was six months ago, so testing out new products isn't always as easy as I would like it to be.

Herbivore Lapis Facial Oil

I WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR A FULL SIZED BOTTLE OF THIS. A N Y T H I N G. This shit is so good. I'm sorry, it's not shit. It's heavenly. It contains Blue Tansy which helps soothe irritated skin, eradicate redness, and balance out oily skin. Facial oils seem to scare people, especially people with oily skin because we're taught to think that oils + face = BAD! But the right facial oils for your skin type can be a huge game changer. I need to get this one back in my life, but it's got a hefty price tag for little old me. One day we will be reunited though! Plz soothe my irritated skin again, especially during the winter you lovely little thing!

Read more about my thoughts on this product here!

Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Soft Light Liquid Highlighters

I've talked about these many o' times! They're great on their own, layered over foundation, or even mixed in with foundation. They add the perefct sheen without containing chunks of glitter. I just wish they came in more colors!

Read more about my thoughts on this product here and here!

CoverGirl 3-in-1 Foundation

I've been talking about this foundation for so many years on this blog that I don't think I have the energy to write another review on it. Just know that if I could only use one foundation for the rest of my life, it would be this one. Case closed!

Watch this video to hear more about my thoughts on this foundation!

Maybelline FaceStudio Master Conceal

This is my favorite drugstore spot concealer. It's super thick but blendable and a little goes a long way! I just wish it had more shade options, much like the MUFE liquid highlighters!

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer

I've been talking about this concealer sinec the dawn of time. It doesn't dry my undereye skin out and it makes my dark circles look ten times brighter and less intense, which I appreciate.

Suave Dry Shampoo

I only bought the Suave dry shampoo because they didn't have any other brands that I liked at the drugstore when I went in and I desperately needed a new dry shampoo. I used to use this before they reformulated and it was great but now it's just kind of meh compared to other dry shampoos I've used. It still smells amazing though and is nice for touch-ups. There are just other ones that I've gotten my hands on since that I've been using instead. If I was in a pinch and this was all I had, I could easily make do.

Hask Chia Seed Dry Shampoo

This is my preferred aerosol dry shampoo. I've been using powders as of late for my overnight wear (pro-tip: sleep with dry shampoo in your hair so it can soak up the oils overnight!), but this is great for morning touch-ups or those rare occasions on second day hair where portions of my roots need a little bit of an extra oomph!

Kristen Ess Beach Wave Spray

I didn't even realize that I still had this! This isn't like one of those salt beach hair sprays that make your hair feel like absolute garbage. It's a super fine mist that isn't wet at all. It smells delicious and perfectly tussles my hair when I want it to fall into loose waves without losing the integrity of the curls. I'll probably ensure that I get my hands on this again sometime during the spring or summer because that's my favorite time of year to put this to use!