One of my goals for 2015 was to use up the products I had and really evaluate whether or not I'd repurchase them again. Besides house hold items I'm not sure I've EVER actually finished a product!!! How ridiculous is that? I mean I know I'm not alone when I say I own more then one of a lot of things (candles, creams, mascaras, lip glosses, face cleansers etc). But I'm serious, I don't remember ever finishing beauty related products before they either expire or dry up. Sometimes I get so caught up in loving the product so much that I don't want to use it and end up having to get rid of it for the following reasons. Does this happen to anyone else ??? Please tell me I'm not alone with this irrational thinking.
Well ... this is the beginning, I've vowed to start using what I have weather I love it or not. So here is a review of my "empties" bin.
1. 3D Crest Whitestrips Adam gave me these in my stocking for Christmas about a year ago. I enjoyed them as they tend to whiten my teeth pretty fast. If I use them two days in a row I achieve the whiteness I'm looking for so they lasted me quite some time. However, I probably wouldn't buy them again because of the price. They are roughly $35.00, and honestly I can receive the same effects by flossing and brushing my teeth 3 times a day.
2. 3D Crest toothpaste. This one is a goodie, I've used it time and time again and usually pay less than the $3.99 price tag. I'm a fan on the flavour and the product polishes my smile.
3. Colgate total toothpaste. Take it or leave it. I didn't mind this toothpaste, but my husband hated it. He is big on flavour and said this left his mouth feeling numb. Probably not going to repurchase as it is pricy.
4. Clear Care contact solution. I strayed from this contact solution, and I payed for it. Although it is expensive it certainly does the trick. When I wasn't using it my contacts were not getting cleaned, they always seemed foggy. When I went back my eyes and sight really improved. It is a pain that it takes 7+ hours for the solution to do the job, but it has encouraged me to wear my glasses more, which in turn saves my eyes from all the contact wearing. It is a must have and I've converted some family and friends too.
5. Bath and Body Works foam soap. This was a nice fragrance and for the price it was worth the buy, but I think I need a break from B&BW. They retail for approx $5.50 but you can always find coupons for much cheaper. They are a great deal when you purchase more than one and at the time it sounds great, but then you are stuck with a ton of soaps and I'm so over these fragrances. I know I will eventually go back to them, but the novelty of Bath and Body Works has worn off for me. I think in the near future I'll be looking for something a bit more natural and simple smelling.
6. Methond Dish soap. I'm not going to lie, I HATED this. The smell was totally different when I added it to the water and it didn't foam or bubble at all. I was beyond disappointed because I like other products from Method and thought this was a fun concept, but the results were painful. I ended up adding it with other dish soap, just so I didn't waste it. I'm glad it is out of my kitchen!
7. Up and Up makeup remover cleansing towelettes. This is a holy grail product for me. I love these makeup wipes. I find them highly efficient (mind you I don't wear a lot of makeup). The price point is perfect, roughly $3.00 for 30 wipes. The saddest thing is that they are from Target and well we all know where that story ends! I stocked up when they were closing and got them for $2.00. I don't always rely on them to clean my face but lets be honest, some nights I'm to lazy to wash my face and these do the trick of cleaning off my makeup, while adding in a little exfoliation.
8. Montagne Jeunesse face mask. Funny store about this face mask, I used it while in the bath one night and after application, waiting/relaxing, then removing I was presently surprised with how moisturized my face felt. I thought "well damn, that was $2.00 well spent". I woke up the next morning and my skin still felt amazing, so much so that I did nothing with it, no moisturizer was needed. Well, since these packets usually last me 3 uses, a few days later I went to use it again and to my surprise it was a "two parter". The top portion was a moisturizer, and the bottom part the actually mask. Opps, so here I was relaxing with a thick goopy moisturizer on my face, no wonder my face felt so wonderful! Needless to say I got different results when I actually used the mask. They are a little inexpensive treat that works. The smell, with any of these masks, are wonderful. They are true to the descriptions on the packets, and in this case I had raspberry and blueberry. You can't beat the price and again I get multiple uses out of each mask, so that is a win-win.
9. Konjac Cleansing Sponge with deep hydrating clay. I've spoken about my fondness for the Boscia konjac sponges here and here. I will repurchase and will probably buy to give as birthday presents... will it be you?
Comment if you think this is a good present to give as part of a b-day gift.
10. Proactive cleanser. I don't really have any issues with my skin, but I wanted something that exfoliated by face while I washed it and came across a vending machine in the mall that carried Proactive (odd I know). I have had this product for probably close to two years and when I'm in the need for a good scrub I would turn to this. I will probably repurchase in the future, in the meantime I have a good 12 facial cleaners to finish first!!!!!!!!
Embarrassing I know!
10. Hope in a jar. This has been my moisturizer of choice for a number of years now. I still have a 4 oz on the go and use this product all year around. I find I get enough moisture from it in the Atlantic Canadian winters and in the summer, it doesn't make my face sweat which I appreciate. However, as much as I enjoy this, I'm starting to venture out in "sample sizes" (because I still have a lot left) of moisturizes that provide me with some SPF coverage.
11. Sephora super nourishing lip balm. Big fan, I own a few of these and this is the first one I ever finished. It must run in the family because my aunt and cousin enjoy them too. Shout out to Leyland and Kelli!!! It provides me some great moisture which my lips are always in need of. I'll repurchase again and again.
12. Laura Ashley candle. This was a three wick candle and I was happy with the scent payoff. I found this at Winners for approximately $8.00. I had it light in our washroom and enjoyed it while relaxing in the bath (while applying heaps of moisturizer to my face, haha).
13. Balea exfoliating face wipes. These are a good alternative to the Up and Up ones that I like. I appreciate the exfoliating factor but they don't remove my makeup like the others do. I only purchase these when they are on sale as they run a bit steep for the quality. In a crunch I would repurchase.
14. The little black bottle is actually a sample size of Aveda's Rosemary Mint body wash. I got a number of these as well as their shampoo and conditioner this past summer while vacationing at the Algonquin Resort in St. Andrews, NB. Anything by Aveda makes me drool. I LOVE the freshness of their products.
15. Philosophy bath and shower gel in ginger berry frost. I got this in kit of 3 about two Christmas' ago. I like the bath and shower gels by Philosophy. I would repurchase these again, just not this scent. There was nothing wrong with it, I just prefer others . One thing Philosophy does right, is that they "nail" their scent right on the head. I'm a big fan of their products and every so often I splurge on their fragrances and bath and shower gels.
Well there is the first round of products I've finished up this year. Am I the only one who has a hard time finishing things? What about not wanting to use a product because you love it to much? Ha ha it sounds so silly but it happens all the time!
Do you have any recommendations besides Bath and Body Works for a good hand soap? I prefer the dispensing kind oppose to a bar. And what about makeup removing towelettes?
I will continue to use up the copious amounts of "products" I own and share them on here.
Thanks for stopping by!
xo ATEL (all things erin leigh)
