December 2013 Empties

Took me a little while to get to my empties this month but finally, here we go! 

Each month I save up things that the fam and I have completely used up and finished. We have tons of new and partially used goodies around our home and I started this project to motivate me to try some new things. It's so easy to just reach for the same thing again and again, you know?? It's actually been really fun and I hope you enjoy this monthly peek "behind the scenes," too! 

I include bath and body products - except things that are obviously too TMI! haha! - and some household things that I feel strongly enough about to share! Let's see what we got into in December!!

Bath & Shower Stuff

1. Library of Flowers The Forest Bubble Bath - this stuff.... OMG. So good! I received this in my PopSugar Fall Style 2013 box and it's huge - 32 ounces. I was never going to get to it as a bubble bath so I used it as a daily shower gel. The smell is woodsy and kind of manly and the stuff is so moisturizing and luxurious. It was truly fab and I loved every last drop of it! 

2. Mr. Bubble 3 in 1 Bubble Bath - I had forgotten all about Mr. Bubble! I loved this stuff as a kid! I got this sample in a Pinch Me box of freebies and it was plenty for a foamy bubble bath for the girls. They loved it! 

3. LUSH Karma Bubble Bar and Bath Melt - I ended the month of December with a killer cold (missed New Year's and everything!) and super hot baths were heaven. The Karma scent from LUSH has long been my favorite and the Karma bath melt has the added fun of leaving tons of super fine gold glitter everywhere! Love.

4. Raw Minerals Sport Fix Soap - I bought this for the hubby in the Birchbox shop with points. He was excited to try it and it's black, due to carbon content?, which is fun. He never gives me feedback so I'm assuming it's fine. I'm personally not a big fan of the black stuff it's leaving all over the shower! 

Stuff the Girls Used

5. Flintstones & Disney Vitamins - Kroger keeps giving me vitamins for free and I keep taking them! :) No problems with any of these, the girls wolfed them right down. The sour Flintstones vitamins are their favorites!

6. Travel Samples:

- Lanvin Orange Ambre Shower Gel - I still have a small stash of these Lanvin toiletries from a hotel stay in Beverly Hills. So posh! 
- Disney H2O Shampoo & Conditioner - the girls love the mouse!
- Spa Terre Coconut Mango Shampoo and Body Wash - We picked these up at our hotel stay in Ft. Lauderdale and they are truly fab! I would buy this entire line in a heartbeat!

7. Aim Kids Bubble Berry Toothpaste - This stuff is dirt cheap and is the girls' favorite! 

Body Stuff

8. Bath & Body Works Shea Cashmere Hand Cream - I don't know that this stuff is uber moisturizing but I would buy it again based on the scent alone. It's a heavenly version of shea butter that smells good enough to eat!

9. Origins Ginger Souffle Whipped Body Cream - The ginger scent is to die for, the moisturizing is unfortunately lacking. Le sigh.

10. Julep Pink Grapefruit Body Frosting - This stuff wasn't the most moisturizing but it was fun! The smell is so happy and bright and the consistency is just like rich frosting! 

11. Infinity Sun Glow on the Go - I received this self tanner in the FabFitFun Summer 2013 box and it is pretty much perfect. It was so easy to pack on our November cruise and the color is so uniform and natural. This small 3 ounce can lasted a long time. Huge fan!

Misc Home Things

12. Bath and Body Works Hot Buttered Rum Candle - Well, I'm officially back on board with the B&BW three wick candles. This one was fabulous and scented a massive space. Love.

13. Wet Ones Travel Pack - How does anybody, mom or otherwise, get by without Wet Ones stashed everywhere??

14. Pac Man Bandages - I keep buying these from the $1 spot at Target! The kids love them and we go through lots of bandaids. I don't mind so much when they are only a dime each! ;)

Face Care

15. Simple Eye Makeup Remover Wipes - I received these wayyyyy back in the Allure Summer Must Haves box and fell in love. Then.... this pack. They were kind of dry and didn't work very well. After multiple awesome packs, this one was definitely a disappointment. I'll try again, though! Hopefully this one was just a rare dud!

16. Elsor Skincare Kit - I received this four step skincare system in the December Birchbox. The cleanser and the mask were nice. The lotion wasn't hydrating enough for my parched winter skin. The scrub was not my favorite. You have to mix it with a few drops of water to kind of liquify it for use. Then I did that, it seemed kind of runny overall with huge chunks in it? My overall impression of the line is definitely higher end and luxurious and I would be happy to have more of the cleanser or mask!

Makeup

17. Pacifica Alight BB Cream - This stuff was.... Fine. I like that it's layerable for more coverage (most BB/CC creams are) but I was unable to figure out if it contains SPF? Since I wasn't sure, I had to use SPF as a separate step and wouldn't buy again for that reason.

18. Bare Minerals Mineral Veil - I used up this little powder container on my kiddo to finish her dance performance makeup. I love the idea of using purer products on the kiddos!

19. Maybelline Rocket Volum' Mascara - Nope. Do not buy this!! Nobody's a bigger fan of Maybelline mascaras than me, I've sworn by them since I was a kid. But this stuff??? It literally made my lashes fall out. There were nights I had 5 or 6 lashes on my remover pad!!!!! Crazy.

20. Juice Beauty Oil-Free Moisturizer - This stuff was not nearly as intense as I need a winter moisturizer to be. I think I was definitely expecting it to be as good at the Juice Beauty Stem Cellular line but it definitely didn't seem as nice. 

Hair Stuff

21. Pantene Beautiful Lengths Conditioner x 2 - I've said it before, but I keep coming back to Pantene products, no matter what I try at any price point. This Beautiful Lengths line is the only stuff that has ever prompted the "your hair has gotten SO LONG!" comment from my hairstylist. The girls use it, too!

22. Aveda Rosemary Mint Conditioner - I think this might actually be the end of the Aveda goodies I stockpiled last summer on a trip to Cancun :(

23. TreSemme' Platinum Strength Heat Protect Spray - I'm kind of obsessive about protective sprays. This one seemed to work just fine at a fraction of the price of salon brands.

24. Philip B. Maui Wowie - Ok, ok, I'm finally sold on surf spray. This stuff was amazing for my curly hair - I could air dry and come away with tons of volume and perfectly defined but not TOO neat curls. Another hit from the FabFitFun Summer box. Love.

What do you think?? Do you see anything you love on this list?? I'm so nosy by nature and I'd LOVE to see your empties! I'm going to attach a monthly linkup, if anyone else wants to play along! Grab a bag and start saving them up! You might just be surprised at how much - or how little - you actually consume!! 

Product Review: Artistry Youth Xtend Serum Concentrate

I was so excited when a good friend asked me if I would be interested in trying a new serum that she is selling and promoting! She generously offered me a bottle to try*. I'm going to use it twice a day until the bottle is gone and do updates before, after, and once during use! 

The product is Artistry Youth Xtend Serum Concentrate ($115). I've been trying some serums over the last couple of months and love the idea of giving my skin an extra "boost" pre-moisturizer. I'm 30-something... *ahem* on the downward slide to 40, and have the typical concerns. Fine lines, tired skin, you know the drill.

The Details and Claims: 

Description

ARTISTRY YOUTH XTEND Serum Concentrate is the hero product of the ARTISTRY YOUTH XTEND Collection (launching September 2013). It contains the highest concentration of ALL the key ingredients from the ARTISTRY YOUTH XTEND Collection – LifeSirt, Micro-X6 Peptide, and African Baobab fruit extract. It smooths the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improves overall radiance, and helps keep skin looking younger, longer.

What is a serum? A serum is not a moisturizer or lotion, but rather a targeted-treatment product with a specific purpose to aid in particular skin concerns – like combating fine lines and wrinkles. It is designed to layer with your favorite moisturizer. It is used during the treat step (Step 3) in your 4-step skincare regimen (after your cleanser and toner, and before your moisturizers).ARTISTRY® Science Behind the Product

• LifeSirt is an ingredient extracted from the leaf of the Mediterranean myrtle plant. LifeSirt revitalizes and nourishes skin cells so skin looks younger and more radiant.
• Micro-X6 Peptide helps repair the appearance of past damage.
• African Baobab fruit extract, acerola cherry, and other botanicals provide superb skin protection.

Benefits

ARTISTRY YOUTH XTEND Serum Concentrate is formulated with rare and precious ingredients to smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improve overall radiance, and help keep skin looking younger, longer.

• 92% of women experienced a clinical reduction in visible fine lines in only 12 weeks of using ARTISTRY YOUTH XTEND Serum Concentrate

The area of most concern for me is eyes/crow's feet. I have laughed and smiled a LOT in my lifetime and it's starting to show!! ;) Here are *no makeup* closeups of my concerns:

OMG, gross. Sorry if those pictures give you nightmares!! That big "wrinkle" in the second picture is a dimple - I'm not expecting the serum to do much for that! Hahaha!

The serum is supposed to be applied twice a day and I used it for the first time this morning. The first thing I noticed was the milky appearance:

When applied, the thing that really jumped out at me was the scent. It has a really nice, fresh fragrance that I wasn't expecting. Most serums I've tried have no fragrance at all and, even though it's obviously not necessary, a pleasant scent was a nice surprise! Looking forward to this trial run and hopefully some fantastic results! 

If you would like more information about this or any other Artistry product, you can visit this page. 


* I received this product for free for trial and review purposes. No other compensation was received. I will always be honest about my opinions and experiences with a product!! Links will take you to the sponsor's website. 

September Empties!

Be sure to enter my fun October giveaway while you're stopping by!! :D

It's that time again! Time to feel crazy while I take pictures of a month's worth of trash! Haha!!

Each month I save up things that the fam and I have completely used up and finished. We have tons of new and partially used goodies around our home and I started this project to motivate me to try some new things. It's so easy to just reach for the same thing again and again, you know?? It's actually been really fun and I hope you enjoy this monthly peek "behind the scenes," too! 

I include bath and body products - except things that are obviously TOO TMI! haha! - and some household things that I feel strongly enough about to share! Let's see what we got into in August!! 

Stuff the girls used

1. Victoria's Secret Give Me the Shimmer Body Powder - oh, this thing was soooo fun to use! Big soft fluffy poof that delivers shimmer powder. I loved it, and the girls did, too!!

2. Zenology Cleansing Body Wash - the black tube looks fancy for the kids, no? They love fancy! ;)

3. Cosmetics from their stashes - Hello Kitty glitter polish and Expressions glitter lip glosses that finally turned gunky, YSL Parisenne perfume. The tooth fairy brought this perfume sample and it was a huge hit! 

More stuff used by the kiddos...

4. The girls are continuing to work through some of our excess guest room supplies!

- H2O Aquatics Disney - Lotion, Shampoo with Conditioner, Bath Soap and Conditioner - love bringing bathroom goodies home from Disney!
- REN Grapeseed Jojoba and Shea Body Cream
- Heavenly by Westin White Tea + Aloe Conditioner - this stuff worked wonders on my oldest's hair! Surprisingly fabulous!
- C.O.Bigelow conditioner - smelled great, lavender + peppermint

Stuff used in grownup shower/tub

5. Zest Aqua Body Wash - great basic body wash! Hubs loves it, and I do, too! :) Kroger keeps giving it to me, so I keep taking it! Haha!

6. LUSH Karma Bubble Bar - oh Lush.... The stuff is so fab. Used this to take my first real bath in forever and it remains my favorite. The smell is just absolutely to die for and it lingered in my bathroom and adjacent closet for days! Need more baths!!!

7. Lulah Peony Body Wash - this body wash came in the August PopSugar. I sure do love getting something luxurious AND practical! It went straight in the shower and made me smile every time I used it! Smells super fab but the scent doesn't last long enough for me. I like my shower gel to last for HOURS, you know? So I enjoyed it but wouldn't buy again.

Body lotions

8. The Body Shop Coconut Body Butter - looooove the body butters from The Body Shop. They are second only to Bliss in my book! Works wonders on my always dry upper arms, for sure, and this tub smelled just like summer should!!

9. P.S. I Love You lotion from Bath & Body Works - I was going to finish up this bottle that the girls had started and OMG. This stuff turned bad somehow and REEKED like old lady perfume. We got lots of family laughs - at my expense! - out of HOW BAD it smelled!! Haha!!

10. Lush Dream Cream - omg.... This stuff is truly divine. I received it in an awesome birthday kit this summer. This is Lush's number one best selling product ever and one whiff of the chamomile, lavender and oat milk combo will tell you why! It seriously makes me want to eat it out of the pot!! LOVE.

11. Prestiche Body Butter - I did a review on this product earlier and, sadly, never grew to love it any more than I did at the start! It was too expensive to not use up, though, so I worked my way through it!

Misc travel sizes

12. We spent a long weekend in LA for the Emmys and I love using trips as time to use up some sample/travel size goodies! 

- Aveda Botanical Kinetics Hydrating Lotion - love anything Aveda and this smells just as amazing as all the rest
- Bliss bubbling body wash - love Bliss, have loved everything I've ever tried from them
- Flowerbomb Bomblicious Shower Gel - omg, Flowerbomb has been my favorite for years! I used this as an extra treat for my shower on Emmys day! :)
- REN Grapeseed Jojoba and Shea Butter Body Cream
- Lanvin conditioner and bar soaps - OMG!! Our hotel in Beverly Hills stocked Lanvin toiletries!! Whaaaaat??? Wanted to hoard but the place was too classy for me to ever see a maids cart! LOL! Stuff smells Ah-Mazing
- Aquafresh Extreme Clean Toothpaste - WHEW, this stuff is STRONG

Stuff the Schnauzer used! LOL

13. Andre Walker Hair Keratin Conditioner - I bought this shampoo/conditioner set with high hopes after reading about its smoothing and wonderful qualities. Um... Hair felt weighed down and greasy, the opposite of what I want for my big curly locks. I used about 2/3 and the remainder really did get used on the Schnauzer..... Just sayin'!

14. Peter Thomas Roth Mega Rich Conditioners - yep, used these on the dog, too. I'm trying desperately to fight her hair knots! Idk if you can see it, but there are teeth marks on the one in the middle. Boo Bitty is not the hugest fan of baths! LOL!

Tanners and Nails

15. Bella Bronze Self-Tanner - this stuff is... okay. Nothing special. Definitely not 3 or 4 times more special than some drugstore brands that are a fraction of the price!

16. Julep one-step polish remover pad - I received this as a sample in a Julep box and packed it to do my nails fresh on Emmys day. It was... Ok. Convenient to pack, but seemed like barely enough to get by and I didn't have much polish on my nails. Def wouldnt have been enough to remove ten fingers worth of one of the Julep glitter polishes or something like that!

17. Tan Towels - been a fan of these for years! So easy to use and nice, light, natural color. 

Randomness

18. Disney Princess Gummy Vitamins - I've been doing so well at remembering to give the girls their vitamins! Yay me! These aren't anything particularly fun but they like them! :)

19. Equate allergy relief - ugh.... Including this just to share the misery. I had no allergies when I moved to Louisville in 2001, now I drown in them twice a year! :(

20. Target Wet Wipes - is there a mom who DOESN'T love wet wipes??? I loved them long before I was a mom, too!! Haha!

21. Bath and Body Works Pocket Bac - I tried to ease off the antibacterial use through the summer but, alas, here comes fall and people around here are already having some weird ailments, so out come the pocket bacs! We have these stashed everywhere - cars, purse, backpacks...

22. Old Spice Fiji deodorant - still borderline TMI, still too good not to include it. Seriously. Hubs loves it - and me, too! ;)

Various cleansers

 23. Cotton Balls (in back) - omg, we go through so many. And they are always "Jumbo," which with these from Kroger still wasn't very big. Do they even make "regular" ones anymore??

24. Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towelettes - I received these in my summer FabFitFun box and, I mean, how can wet wipes not be good?? I'm still not crazy about the super cucumber smell but these really wound up on my nerves due to their weird thickness and texture. They kind of balled/rolled up when trying to use them, negating the convenience for me. Wouldn't rebuy, for sure.

25. Cotton rounds - *sigh* I'm trying hard to squirt eye makeup remover on these to make them the same as the Simple wipes.... They just aren't. Need the Simple wipes back in my life.

26. Dickinsons Witch Hazel oil controlling towelettes - I received these wayyyy back in my Allure Summer box and am slowly working my way through them. They are do easy to pack and really feel so refreshing and cleansing for a traveling face wash alternative!

27. Simple Eye Makeup Remover Pads - package after package of these... I'll be back, oh yes, I'll be back!

28. Skyn Iceland Hydro Cooling Firming Eye Gels - I received these in my September Ipsy bag and was happy to see them! My allergies have been atrocious and school morning have come WAY early! I'm open to any eye help and these were nice and refreshing!!

29. Supergoop SPF 30 Everyday Sunscreen - yep, like everyone else, I love me some Supergoop. Their "healthy" approach to sunscreen with no controversial ingredients is much appreciated, especially when you use as much SPF as we do! And my sometimes sensitive and weird skin has never had a problem with one of their products. Love.

30. Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair CC cream in Warm Glow - eh.... I've yet to find a BB/CC cream that I like more then my Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer. This one is kind of orange (I feel like these creams are orange in general??) and is definitely a little greasy in texture. One bonus of that, though, is that the stuff sticks together and slides right down in the tube! No excess stuck in the top/end that you cant use up! Lol!

31. Crest Whitening Toothpaste - still borderline TMI, still going to share since people are always curious about a dentist's family. My family uses whatever I buy and could pretty much care less! LOL!

32. Airbrush Refining Eye Cream - *only pictured in overall group shot* this is the second little tub of this that I've gotten from Blush Mystery box and it's growing on me! It's definitely a great, basic, moisturizing eye cream but, unlike the first tub, I'm pretty sure I actually felt kind of airbrushed a couple of times when I used this one! ;)

What do you think?? Do you see anything you love on this list?? I'm so nosy by nature and I'd LOVE to see your empties for October! I'd like to start a monthly linkup for this, if anyone else wants to play along! Grab a bag and start saving them up! You might just be surprised at how much - or how little - you actually consume!! 

Product Review: Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair Moisturizer and CC Cream

I received these Juice Beauty products in my June PopSugar Must Haves Box and finally got around to using them!

Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair Moisturizer ($65)
Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream ($39)

* The Moisturizer *

This moisturizer is made to "decrease DNA damage and improve cellular turnover." Here's more from Juice Beauty:

Moisturize with a proprietary blend of fruit stem cells infused into a Vitamin C, resveratrol-rich grapeseed formula to aggressively firm and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Certified organic, antioxidant-rich ingredients and plant oils hydrate and improve elasticity for lasting, advanced age defy results.

The container is very unique, dispensing only what you need and maintaining the integrity of the remainder of the product. It's always kind of irked me to stick my fingers or a scoop into an expensive jar of product, contaminating the unused portion and exposing it to unnecessary elements.

You press down on the tab side and moisturizer squeezes out around the little "button" on the other side. I'm about 2/3 of the way through the jar and the button has clogged, but the product still dispenses eventually.

Just kind of oozes out the side, not all around the button like it did initially

The smell of the stuff is fantastic. It smells citric and fresh and makes me feel like I'm putting fresh squeezed fruit juice or something on my face! The texture is really nice and smooth and feels wonderful going on. Moisturizing without ever being or turning greasy.

Would I buy it again? Maybe. It's definitely a great basic moisturizer and I love the organic ingredient list!

* The CC Cream *

Here are details from Juice Beauty:

Beyond BB (beauty balm) cream, the 12-in-1 multi-tasking CC cream (color correcting) for the ultimate in age defying, skin perfecting results.

The list of proposed benefits is extensive and includes: Increases cellular turnover, Broad spectrum sun protection, Evens skin tone and texture, Firms and improves elasticity, Reduces appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, Creates radiant glowing complexion, Rich in antioxidants, Protects with mineral SPF 30, Ultimate moisturizer, Skin perfecting color, Mineral tinted coverage, Great for all skin types.

Okay... Some of those are a little bit fluffy filler benefits, right?? Haha. I have yet to find a CC cream that I love so I had high hopes for this one!

But.... like so many of these that I have tried, the stuff looked orange upon application. Really orange. Granted, "warm" is the darker of the two shades offered, but it should have been the correct color for me and I can't believe "orange" is the right color for anyone (maybe tanning mom??? Hahaha).

And.... Well, the stuff wound up majorly greasy, early in the day. Lots of blotting and powdering to not look like a shiny mess. This seems to be common with CC creams, too. Do these creams try to cover flaws with excessive moisture and dark color?? They always sound so good in theory and description but so far I'm just not a fan.

Am I doing it wrong? Have you found a CC Cream that's the miracle in a tube that these always promise to be???