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Empties v12 pt 1

June 5, 2017July 28, 2017 1

Before I left for the summer, I decided to clear out my little tub of Empties and snap some photos so I could share them here. When I came to Nashville, I brought a few of my regular staples but I made sure to bring a TON of my samples so that I’d use those and be able to return with a crap ton less than I brought! Super excited to watch my little stash deplete 🙂

There was actually a BUNCH of stuff for this post but I decided to keep it to one picture since it was so overwhelming – I’ll do a part 2 like I had to do with my 11th round up. Too bad I couldn’t get my shhhh together to just post it like every month or something, amiright?! eye roll emoji here 🙂

Lots of great stuff to go through this time, so here we go!

Biore Baking Soda Cleansing Scrub (I blogged about it here) – loved this stuff! I loved being able to control how scrubby it was.
Root Pretty Face Cleanser (USE THIS LINK to get 10% off your first $25+ purchase) – tried this stuff out… I really loved the orange-y scent of this stuff, I just tend to lean towards cleansers and washes that have a scrub to them.
Lollia Hand Cream in Wish – LOVE. I LOVE this stuff! This small tube is $8 so I definitely call this a splurge. One day I’ll buy more than just the small tube of it, but I absolutely love the scent of this and the way it’s not super greasy.
Love + Sunshine Bath & Body Works lotion – it’s a nice, springy, happy scent! I don’t need any more lotion, though. And I’ve started figuring out that I’d rather pay full price and buy scents I like than buy whatever’s on clearance at the outlet.
Derma E Purifying Detox Scrub – YUP! I LOVE DermaE. I’ve used their products for awhile, and I received this in a Birchbox and was SO EXCITED to try it. I absolutely loved this stuff – it’s scrubby! I’ll definitely be trying this once my current Derma-E face scrub runs out.
Fabuloso Platinum Blonde Intensifying Conditioner – Well. I don’t think I actually have blonde hair in the slightest. I think I maybe used to dye my hair more blonde, but yeah. I think this stuff was purple, which is really cool. But… hard pass.
Malin + Goetz clay mask – I actually really liked this stuff! I’m still of the idea that most face masks are like every other face mask, so I don’t think I’d ever purchase this on its own.
St. Ives Fresh Skin Body Scrub – I bought this on sale or at a cheap store or something. I was like OMG ST IVES BODY SCRUB because don’t we ALL love St. Ives face scrub?! This was just like the face scrub but I felt like the scrubby bits were less intense. It was alright, but apparently while I love scrubby face scrubs, I’m not a huge fan of scrubby stuff on my body. Unless it’s a coffee scrub.
Whish Body Butter in Coconut – IDK, coconut scents are hit or miss. I loved how thick this body butter was, and I really loved that it was in a tube unlike most of my other body butters which are in jars.
The Healing Garden Sanctuary spray – This just had to go. I’ve had this for so long and it made me sneeze. I actually used it to spray on my shower curtain… I guess like a cheap Febreze. I was so excited for this to be empty because it was HUGE and took up SO MUCH SPACE and literally ALWAYS made me sneeze. Bye, Felicia!
The Body Shop Banana Shampoo + Conditioner – IDK maybe I’m all about weird things but I LOVE banana scented stuff, and this shampoo/conditioner smelled BOMB DOT COM.
Peter Lamas Pumpkin Scrub – I first reviewed this here and was so excited to stumble upon another small bottle of it. I absolutely LOVE this stuff – it smells amazing and has just the right amount of scrub.
Neutrogena Ultra Light Cleansing Oil – I got this to try and replace the Garnier cleansing oil I love so much. This was okay, but it wasn’t great to use on my eyes like the other stuff was (have you figured out yet just how much I LOVE the Garnier stuff?!). I’ll keep trying to find something, but this wouldn’t be a terrible replacement.
Root Pretty Organic Coconut Sugar Scrub – if you haven’t caught on, I love scrubby things. I was really excited to try this out (as I wrote here) but I wasn’t as impressed with it as I’d planned on being. I did find another Root scrub I love, though… so that will come in time!
Batiste Wild Cherry Dry Shampoo – OK y’all, I think Batiste is literally the best dry shampoo in the world. I love that they have super fun scents. I like this one and the tropical one. What do you guys think?

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Root Pretty Faves

March 9, 2017November 22, 2017 2

I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m just all sorts of heart eyes about Root Pretty. They’re an all natural, cruelty free beauty line that I stumbled upon a few years ago. One of the things I LOVE about them the most is that they basically have samples of everything they sell, so you can try before you commit. That’s allowed me to slowly discover products I love before investing and committing to the full size products + price.

They recently had a free shipping + double Pretty Points (their rewards) on purchases, so I figured I’d try out a few new things and tell you about them!

Here’s what I picked up to try this time around. Not pictured is an aftershave for Justen. The eyeshadow was actually a thank you gift! They include a little eyeshadow sample with all of their orders, how cute is that?!

Organic Coconut Sugar Scrub
This smells so wonderful – and tastes good, too! It’s just coconut oil, cane sugar and vitamins so I had no problem licking my lips while it was on my face. A little went a long way, it was ultra scrubby and smelled so great. I’m not sure if I’ll be buying the full product because I already make my own coffee scrub, which I think is a cheaper version of this.

Beauty Sleep Serum
Last April I used up the last of a serum I really loved. When I opened and used the Root Pretty Beauty Sleep Serum, I FREAKED because it smells JUST LIKE the other brand I tried. I’ll definitely be investing in the full size of this one. A little goes a long way, and it doesn’t leave your face feeling greasy or anything. I’d be able to apply it and sleep on my pillows without worrying that it’d get all over. Loooooove this!!!

Fresh Lavender Cleanser
I just realized that I have more Root Pretty products I could include in this, but they’re sitting in my Empties box. I bought a sample of their Fresh Face Cleanser, and was disappointed in it because it was so thin. I personally like cleansers to have some scrub to it so that I feel like it’s scrubbing the dirt off. I thought this one was just a creamy version of the other one, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out it had scrub to it!! I’ll definitely be investing in this one, as well. See, it works to sell samples because then people want the full size!

Organic Peppermint Toner
I make my own witch hazel/lemon juice toner, and while I liked the tingly feel of this toner I think I’ll stick to mine for the same reasons I listed about the sugar scrub.

Eyeshadow in Paris
This eyeshadow is a nude pink that I’m not sure I’ll wear – I tend to stick with shimmery gold colors on my eyes. I’m really basic in that way. I’ll try it eventually, but it might take awhile.

These are my tried and true ride or dies, ESPECIALLY the Pretty Booster. I SWEAAARRRR by that stuff. I used to buy the Dr. Jart+ BB Cream, but this has replaced that. I love how well it blends with my skin without being greasy or too dark/light. It’s perfect.

You can’t tell, but there are two separate products in the little cases with white lids. One is a setting silk. Why I bought I setting silk I literally have no idea. I don’t even really know what setting silks are for, but you know what I love Root Pretty and they sold it and I might have read an article on Pinterest about it and decided to add it to my cart, IDK. Anyone want to help a girl out, here?

The other jar is Pearl Powder Mineral Foundation. When did I become a person who used all these things? IDK, but I’m down. I had some samples I tried and thought that I’d found the perfect one until I started feeling like the color was way too light. Luckily I was able to find a sample of a slightly different color to try, and guess what. DING DING DING, we have a winner! That’s what the little G3.5 sample is. So I decided to just mix it with the lighter color until the lighter color runs out so I don’t waste any of it. Shrug.

Since I’m apparently a makeup grown up now, I use brushes and got this brush cleaner. Which I love. It’s foamy and I get excited to clean my brushes because I love using it. It takes a lot to excite me, apparently.

So there you have it. My currently-using Root Pretty Collection. I cannot begin to say enough kind things about Root Pretty. Once I missed a 30% sale because I hadn’t paid attention to the time zone at the end of the ending time, and after I tweeted about it, they sent me my own 30% off code to use. They are a small business I plan on supporting for the rest of my life.

If you’re interested in trying some of their stuff, shop with my link and you’ll get 10% off your first $25+ purchase. Then come back here and let me know what you got so we can talk about it – I need more people to geek out with about Root Pretty! 😀

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beauty + fashion empties

empties v 11 part 2

January 13, 2017November 23, 2017 6

Lately my computer has been running real slow. Like Safari will crash after 10 minutes and I’ll want to slam my head against a wall and then I’ll walk back, shut my laptop, and walk away. Because I just cannot handle it.

In an attempt to clear off my computer, I’ve been deleting SO MANY PICTURES because I have 0 apps and apparently everyone insisting that I take pictures in RAW format instead of JPG is destroying the space on my hard drive and I SUCK at using my external hard drive.

That’s when I realized that sitting on my desktop were a series of Empties photos waiting to be put into a blog post because the last time I posted Empties I got overwhelmed and decided to do it in two parts. Eye roll.

So now you’re all forced to look at my ~~garbage~~ empty beauty products.

Whish Shave Cream in Pomegranate
DO. NOT. BUY. THIS. IT SMELLS LIKE BUTT. Notice that I didn’t even use it up because I HATED how it smelled.

Arabica Coffee Scrub
I wrote about this coffee scrub here, and I think that review is still accurate 😀

L’Oreal Extraordinary Oil Shampoo + Conditioner
The other day Susannah and I were talking about how thanks to blogging/social media influencing, we haven’t purchased shampoo or conditioner in like a year! It’s SO TRUE – right now I have two sets of shampoo/conditioner in my shower that I got for free. Anyway! I made a review about these products. Here’s the video. ;D

L’Oreal Mythic Oil shampoo
I received this shampoo around the same time as the Extraordinary Oil system and I definitely preferred the latter. I really just loved the warm scent of the Extraordinary system.

Whish Cleansing oil
Since I can’t find the Garnier cleansing oil I love SO MUCH in stores, I’ve been on the hunt for a comparable replacement. I was excited to try this one, which I received in a Birchbox, but I didn’t love it. I felt like the oil was too thick and it didn’t melt off my makeup that well. The hunt continues.

Bath + Body Works Freesia shower gel
A few months ago I walked into Bath + Body Works and they had ALL THESE THROWBACK SCENTS. I went crazy. I smelled all of them and remembered having this glitter anti bacterial hand gel of all the scents. When I’d used up about 75% of this I had a moment where I realized I never actually loved this smell. Nostalgic doesn’t always mean good.

EOS Shave Cream in Vanilla Bliss
IDK why I even bother trying out other shaving creams because I always end up coming back to this one.

REN Flash rinse 3 minute facial.
I should probably have a facial so that any product that advertises its facial-like qualities will have a fair evaluator. That said.. no comment 😀

Kiss my Face Miss Treated Conditioner
Meh. I didn’t like the scent (I almost wrote flavor lol). I’m not a huge fan of mint, but if it must be a thing I only want it in my mouth, not necessarily in my hair.

Benefit The POREfessional
Yes yes yes! I bought this on a whim while waiting in line at Ulta and I am SO GLAD I DID. I wear this EVERY DAY, even without other makeup. It does a great job filling in your pores with a really matte finish – it is fantastic.

Shisheido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate
Aside from the fact that the packaging was ultra inconvenient (notice there’s still product in it!) I liked this… creamy gel?

Marcelle Mascara
I never knew that I’d be a person who had mascara preferences, because I never imagined I’d be a person who wears makeup consistently. But I really couldn’t stand this mascara. It was really clumpy, which was obvious just by looking at the wand when you pulled it out of the tube.

Bath & Body Works Carried Away lotion {22/50 smelly things used up}
Am I the only person who has some sort of scent bucket list? Maybe it’s because Bath & Body Works let’s you use all of the scents, but I’ve often found myself with a list of smells I wanted to one day own, and this was on the list. As usually happens, by the end of the bottle I’m completely over the scent. So there you have it.

Furterer Absolute Keratine Sublime Renewal Leave-In Cream
Oh my word, I LOVE this stuff. I got this in my Birchbox and then eventually got another sample in a free sample pack, and I was so glad! It’s a thicker cream, but it isn’t heavy or ultra greasy. I’m a huge huge huge fan of this stuff!

Harbor Avocado Micellar Water
I’m always looking for easy peasy ways to get rid of my makeup AND when I recently discovered my love of avocado, I couldn’t pass this up at TJ Maxx. It was pretty good for getting makeup off and didn’t leave a greasy residue. I’m glad I only paid $3.99 for it, though… because it was pretty average as far as Micellar water / makeup removers go.

There you have it. Things I threw away like two months ago and forgot to blog about. and a happy Friday to you too ;D

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Seasons.

November 7, 2016May 9, 2018 2

I have this idea that seasons are like swimming back and forth between the sides of the pool. On one side you have the brightest day of summer, and on the other side you have the darkest night of winter. Everything else is just traveling to and from those days. Seasons, if you will. They are never still, they are never permanent, and you usually end up at the other side of the pool before you know it.

This year without even trying or meaning to, Justen and I spent quite a few Saturdays perusing the Vancouver Farmer’s Market. We stop at Compass Coffee and then wander through the booths, stopping to try all the samples.

and before we knew it… it was the last weekend of the Farmer’s Market for the season. At least I got a coconut tart, pumpkin spice kettle corn and ALLLL the samples out of it.

Shoes: Mudd (similar) / Jeans: Forever 21 (here)
Shirt: Old Navy (similar) / Vest: Old Navy (similar)
Purse: Kate Spade (here)

Saturdays feel so empty all of a sudden and I’m already waiting the first day of our next Farmer’s Market. Maybe by then I’ll be some culinary master and will actually buy vegetables and stuff, not just popcorn and treats from the bakery. Doubtful but a lot can happen until then.

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beauty + fashion empties

Empties v. 11 part 1

October 26, 2016November 23, 2017 5

Every time, I’m like “dang it’s been so long since I’ve done an Empties post,” and this time it REALLY has. I was waiting on finishing a bottle of shampoo so I could renew that + the conditioner as a set, haha.

Also before we even begin looking through what I’ve used up in the past half a year or so.. I KNOW some of these pictures are blurry. I just opened up the pictures and saw them and was like…

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So let’s just call it what it is – POOR PHOTOGRAPHY – and move on. Dust yourself off and try again, like Aaliyah sang. Here we go. The pile of stuff that’s been taking up a bunch of space in my bathroom closet. It’s actually a large amount so I’m going to do this in two parts. Here’s part one.

Healthy Hair Diet Shampoo + Deep Conditioner
Hard pass. 🙂

NYM Way to Grow Shampoo + Conditioner
I bought this set when I was staying over at someone’s house. I wanted to love it. I really really did… but I just couldn’t. I don’t even know what it is, but I just can’t. In general I feel like I keep trying to love NYM products, but I just can’t seem to be all in. Anyone else?

Caress Mystique Forever Body Wash
I got this sample in one of my Jane.com orders and I AM IN LOVE! I feel like Caress body washes are REALLY fragrant, and I love that I can continue to smell them on my skin long after the shower is over. I’m going to keep my eyes open for this one.

Garnier Nourishing Cleansing Oil
MY FAVE! This has been present in a LOT of my empties posts. They no longer sell it, so when I found a bunch for sale at Ross, I STOCKED UP! I’ve raved about it many times before, but ugh. This would be a staple in my routine if it still was being stocked in stores!

Victoria’s Secret Pink Warm & Cozy Hand and Body Cream {19.25/50 smelly things used up for my 101 in 1001 list}
Um. My FAVORITE scent. It’s so… warm… and…. cozy. 😀 I love love love love love the scent of this. I feel like if I ever don’t have something Warm & Cozy in my stockpile of beauty products, something is super wrong.

Biore Baking Soda Pore Cleanser
I purchased this earlier year for a sponsored post, and I actually really love this! I keep it in my shower, and it has just the right amount of scrub. I’m a huge fan of this stuff.

ModelCo Party Proof Lipstick in Kitten
They no longer sell this color – I somehow received two tubes of this, and I liked it enough but it actually melted and completely fell apart! Probably my fault for keeping it in my car for like half a year. 😀

Herbal Essences Naked Shampoo
I’m a sucker for trial sizes. I actually can’t remember what I thought of this. Sorry, y’all.

Coola Makeup Setting Spray
I got this as a sample in my Birchbox over the past summer, and I used it faithfully every day until it ran out… and I have no idea what it’s supposed to accomplish. What is setting spray? Someone help me out. I have no idea if it was effective or not.

Bath + Body Works Sleep Body Lotion {20.25/50 smelly things}
In high school I had a hard time sleeping and my friend gave me some of this Lavender + Vanilla lotion and I fell. in. love. It actually helps me unwind at the end of the day as I’m laying in bed, ready for sleep. It also helps that I literally NEVER use this lotion aside from bedtime so I’m conditioned to smell it and get sleepy.

Stila Huge Extreme Mascara
I got this mascara in my Birchbox, and I LOVED the jet black color, but I HATED how clumpy this mascara looked when it was on. I got in the habit of first applying this mascara and then using another mascara to kind of get rid of the clumps, and eventually realized it just wasn’t worth the hassle. I wonder if it’s just the mascara wand that is the problem. IDK.

Whish Shave Cream Pomegranate
THIS SMELLS LIKE BUTT ABORT MISSION DO NOT BUY THIS. I actually LOOOOVE Whish shave creams so I was really disappointed when it smelled so foul. Ugh.

Bath & Body Works Be Enchanted Body Lotion {20.75/50 smelly things}
Okay so I KNOW I already have a problem with lotions and sprays and stuff but you guys. A month or so ago I was at the bins, and I saw a WHOLE BAG full of STUFF. Travel products. Small lotions. BIRCHBOX SAMPLES. It was $6, you guys. That’s LESS than the cost of ONE Birchbox and you had better believe I BOUGHT THAT BAG OF STUFF. Anyway, this lotion was from said bag of stuff. I really loved this Be Enchanted smell. I just love smelly things, unless they smell like butt (refer to the product directly above this one).

Bath & Body Works Sleep Moisturizing Hand Cream {21/50 smelly things}
Please refer up a few reviews and that applies here, too.

Suki Foaming Cleanser
I still think this is one of THE BEST cleansers OF ALL TIME. It starts scrubby and then gets foamy and IT SMELLS SO AMAZING!! Unfortunately It costs a zillion and a half dollars, so I try to ration it and then re-purchase it when Birchbox has a sweet deal. Actually do me a favor. If you’re on the fence about Birchbox, sign up and then I’ll get $5 to use in the Birchbox store. Thanks in advance.

OK, BRB.. .we’ll continue this soon. 😀

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Derma-E Review

October 17, 2016May 5, 2018 1

There are moments when being a blogger/influencer is really awesome. Like pinch-me-I’m-dreaming-is-this-real-life awesome. Time for one of them!

A few years ago, I received a full-sized bottle of one of Derma-E‘s products in a subscription box, and ever since then I have been heart eyes emoji about Derma-E. They’ve been my go-to, since it’s hard to find a brand like theirs in stores like Target or Ulta. All of their products are Cruelty-Gluten-Soy-and-GMO-free.

Starting this month, Derma-E is unveiling new designs. They still have the same great products, but they’re swapping out their bright, bold colors for a more muted, earthy look. Their new packaging is more simple and light. In addition to their new designs, they’re also updating the look and feel of the brand on social media sites. Judging by their Instagram alone, they are setting the perfect stage for their new look!

Derma-E sent me two products – one in the old packaging and one in the new.. both with the same great products they’ve been making since 1984 – to show you the past and the future of Derma-E. I know, I know… get on with it, right? Look at this new packaging:

On the left is what I’m used to seeing, and on the right is their BEAUTIFUL new packaging – am I right? It looks so much more crisp, clean and mature. The great news is that it’s only the outside that’s changed – inside of the glass jars is still the same product I’ve come to know and love. All of their products have a gentle, light, natural scent. and my experience with all of their creams is that they’re heavy on the moisture and lacking all of the greasy residue I’ve experienced with other products.

So like I said – those days when blogging pays off? My face gets to be taken care of day and night with Derma-E’s hydrating cream just so I could tell you about their wonderful new packaging.

You can find these and many of their other products at Target, Ulta, Whole Foods and Walgreens around the country.

Two questions for you. Have you ever tried Derma-E products? and what do you think of their new packaging? Describe it in one word!