013 items used up

This round of items used up features a couple impressive shiny pans and key staples that you can obviously tell I rely on due to the multiples. Documenting empties is always an interesting thing to me; I notice which products have firm places in my routine.

Regis Moisture Shampoo: Hair, always my least favorite topic. I rarely buy the same hair care twice in a row and I prefer huge pump bottles so I don't have to worry about it running out any time soon. I really have no favorites, but this Regis Shampoo is an exception. It smells clean, lathers up well with little product, and is sulfate free. I usually can only find this in Walmart hair salons believe it or not.

V05 Ocean Refresh Conditioner: I use this on no shampoo days as well as for shaving. It is dirt cheap and effective, albeit watery so if you are looking for a rich conditioner this is not it. I don't particularly revere this scent but I couldn't find my favorite one (Tea Therapy Calming Chamomile) so this one had to do.

B&BW Hawaii Passion Fruit Kiss: This was a free item after using some voucher I got in the mail. I have no thoughts on it. It was pleasant enough to use up but I wouldn't rush out and get a full sized bottle.

TBS Satsume Body Butter: I have been using this for years and will always repurchase it. Not greasy, the scent lingers for hours, moisturizes well and sinks in quickly. All I could ask for in a body moisturizer. I've lost count on how many times I have repurchased.

B&BW Berry Vanilla: An old scent that I stocked up on years ago. I think this might be the final bottle. Thank goodness. I enjoyed it initially but it is one of those types of scents that after using countless bottles of it, it became very tiresome.

Caress Passionate Spell: Currently my choice of body wash. If you have followed me for some time, you know that Caress is my usual brand pick for body wash. Inexpensive, doesn't leave my skin squeaky clean (a feeling I hate), and the scents they come out with are interesting.

Shu Uemura Anti-Oxi Refining Oil: I stocked up on cleansing oils from Shu last year during black friday. I ended up picking the pink bottle, Porefinist, and this one to see if they were any different. This is thicker than its pink counterpart, a feature I don't care much for. Shu still makes the best cleansing oils I have tried so far, but I think I will stick with Porefinist from now on.

Boscia Cleansing Oil: A good cleansing oil to try out if you are new to the game. It has more natural ingredients if that is something you are concerned about. It also has a thicker feel to it making it take a few more splashes to the face to completely get off.

Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip: The best non foaming cleanser I have used so far. It is gentle but still felt like it gave added benefits to my skin. It is quite expensive though, which holds me off from immediately purchasing it again.

LUSH Grease Lightening: Some people really love to use this as a spot treatment. I did not like using it this way. I used it on the oiliest spots on my face and it really helped keep the grease away. I would repurchase.

Neutrogena Eye Makeup Remover: My favorite eye makeup remover, as you probably could tell. I buy a few bottles at a time and dump them into an empty Bioderma pump bottle. This won't be for everyone as it leaves a slightly oily feel behind, but I double cleanse after so it really makes no difference to me. It is the only remover I have tried so far that completely takes off all the mascara and kohl liner I use.

Blistex Lip Medex: Staple night time lip soother. I should probably stop mentioning it on the blog now as it has made countless appearances...

Giorgio Armani ETK liner: My favorite kohl liner I have ever used, though the most expensive. I would repurchase but I'm determined to use up my current fistful of liners I already own from other brands first.

YSL Teint Resist: A discontinued item which is a damn shame. Every time I used this I felt I had a good makeup day. It had the perfect finish (satin), lasted throughout my day, controlled most of my shine, and gave the perfect coverage for my tastes. Very sad indeed this is gone for good.

MAC MSF Natural: A repeat purchase. I enjoy this powder, it doesn't have the best lasting power but I always enjoyed wearing it.

Stila Bronzer: I have had this bronzer since the dawn of time and I feel SO PROUD that I freaking finished it. I even smashed up the side sticking pieces at the end and used the powder. I liked this but it leans a bit orange so I think a majority of people would want to avoid it. It was matte and easy to apply though so I had no complaints using it up.

Proof of my pan work. Rejoice, ya'll.

current makeup rotation

On top of my makeup storage desk, I keep a little scalloped vanity tray (from Urban Outfitters a while back) full of my daily makeup items. I do this not only for aesthetics, but also so I am able to routinely pluck out a few items from my collection to actually give some love to. I have found this trick has made me use up products much faster and consistently. It also allows me to fully appreciate and have a complete formed opinion on what I'm using on a weekly, sometimes monthly, basis. Here is what I currently have piled inside:

LIPS
I am switching between Revlon Coral Reef and Pink Pop glosses, depending on the type of blush I chose to wear that day. These used to just sit and sit in my makeup drawer untouched. I think I ignored these for so long because I felt the colors were too bright and not appropriate for daily use. I found a way to remedy that though: I apply a dab along the middle of my bottom lip and then use my pointer finger to pat what I placed on my lips all over to dilute the color. It is much more sheer and wearable this way.

BASE
For foundation I have been wearing a thin layer of Revlon ColorStay. I randomly picked this up due to nostalgia as this was my foundation of choice in high school. I was happy to see that I still enjoy this foundation. It has great longevity and a natural looking finish. It also is easy to control the coverage due to its high pigmentation. It is quite thick though so its pour-the-product-out-of-the-bottle design is a failure on Revlon's part.

To cover blemishes I am still using my trusty Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage concealer. For under my eyes I have been using Maybelline Age Rewind in the corrector shade. I think almost everyone enjoys this product and for good reason; it is cheap and effective. As for highlighter, I have been diligently using MAC Hush Cream Color Base. I adore this product and would repurchase it. It feels like the gift that keeps on giving, I have had this little pot forever and still haven't finished it.

CHEEKS/FACE
I have been setting my face with NARS Light Reflecting Pressed Powder. I like this powder very much. It blurs out my pores well and adds a nice satin finish to my skin. For bronzer I have been using theBalm Betty-Lou Manizer. I recently finished up a bronzer and was going to treat myself to a luxurious replacement as a reward but then I decided I really should use up what I have. I don't mind Betty. It isn't matte so if overdone it can make the skin have too much of a sheen. I stick to applying sparingly and it works just fine. I have swatches of it in THIS post.

As for blush, I'm greedy and need at least two different options if I want to stick to a routine. Currently I have been in the mood for softer colors. CARGO The Big Easy is, like its name implies, extremely easy to wear. This is one of those shades you can just swirl, brush on, and get out the door. I love it for a very natural cheek. If I want something still soft but more noticeable, I go for Estee Lauder Peach Nuance. This is a discontinued item which is unfortunate since it is a very wonderful shade. I have a hard time making peaches work on me as they tend to make my skin look dirty, but this one works very well due to the blend of colors I can customize.

EYELIDS
Neutrals mattes are all I have been wearing lately. I have been sticking to a very natural eye. I first apply MAC Groundwork all over my lid and then I blend in some of the mid brown shade in the Smashbox Filter trio into my crease and all along my lower lash line. If I feel like really emphasizing my eyes I'll fluff in some of the darker brown shade into my outer V. The MAC quad I have had forever and I pull out if I want to add some more dimension. The shades I have inside are some of my staples: Brule, Cork, Brun, and Tempting.

LASHES & LASHLINE
If you follow me on Twitter you might remember me complaining about L'Oreal Butterfly mascara. I initially did not care for this mascara at all. I thought it wasn't dramatic enough and did nothing for my lashes. I actually really like it now! I should have known I would eventually come around since like every other L'Oreal mascara I have tried, they get better the longer they are open and used. This isn't the best for volume but it is noticeably great at fanning out and elongating my lashes. For liner I have been adopting a very relaxed attitude about how I apply it. I first put Urban Decay Zero on my upper waterline. I hate Zero, which I have been over before, but using it on the upper water line has been proving to be a great way to use it up. I then pencil in Whiskey along the middle to outer corners of my upper lid, which I smudge and fade into my lid with my finger.

001 book challenge

Over a year ago I challenged myself to read more often. At first I wanted to read the TIME 100 top novel list, but I changed it to picking whatever books that fit my mood to be more realistic. I've been pretty slow in this challenge, but as long as I'm reading something I'm fine with my pace. Here are the books I've managed to read:

Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout: This is an all fluff, no substance teen novel about a human girl that befriends her incognito alien neighbors. She also falls for the bad boy brother alien. If you are in the mood for quick entertainment and don't mind some cringe worthy descriptions, this is for you. I enjoyed it but got bored continuing the series because it felt repetitive.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell: I liked this novel. It's a sweet romance story with characters that aren't your typical main protagonists. I didn't care much for how the book's ending, but let me know what you think about it if you've read it. I enjoy Rainbow's style of writing... so much that I read another book by her (below)

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell: My coworker was reading this and I noticed it was also by Rainbow so I borrowed it to knock out. It has an interesting story line about a man who has a job reading through flagged content emails at a corporate office for security reasons. He begins reading flagged emails between two girl friends and ends up falling for the personality of one of them. I liked this book more than Eleanor & Park. Again, I enjoyed Rainbow's style of writing and feel we share the same humor. I laughed quite a bit at a few parts.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver: A teenage girl that's part of the most popular clique in her high school gets in a car accident and ends up living the same day before the accident over and over again. The main character irritated me quite a bit but I was still able to get into the story. I know a lot of people didn't like the ending of this but I thought it was the most appropriate one.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn: I finally got around to reading this popular book. I've been meaning to ever since it started making headlines. This is one of those books you absolutely can't discuss without giving away spoilers which is a shame because I had a LOT to discuss about after reading it and no one to talk to haha. I'm very very intrigued on how the upcoming movie version will carry the story out!

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead: A quick read if you are in the mood for supernatural YA. Another book where the main character was a bit overbearing but I liked the overall world and setup. I would like to finish out the series eventually. The writing isn't the best but it still has some entertainment merit.

I don't know if you picked up on it, but I've been on a YA kick. Any suggestions on what to read next is always appreciated. I was able to get some great suggestions on twitter that I made note of, so thank you to those that helped me out!