Monthly Empties + Declutter | Health, Makeup, Beauty, Skincare!

Welcome to another monthly empties and a mini declutter. As always, I will share mini-reviews and links to products where possible.

Health

HyaFlex Hyaluronic Acid Feline Hip + Joint Formula
This is a fabulous product. I started giving it to my cat as prevention as he is aging. The first time that I gave it to him, a few hours later he began to run and jump around like a kitten. That was all the proof I needed that it's definitely benefiting him, so I continue to purchase it. To make the product last longer, I give him 1/2 the recommended dose. I add it to his wet food and he laps it all up. It has no flavour and my cat loves the liquid parts of food, so no problems getting him to ingest all of it.

Repurchase- Absolutely!

Madre Labs CocoCeps Instant Organic Dark Chocolate Beverage
This product has been featured on my site many times, that's because I've been using this product for so long I can't even remember when I started taking it. It contains organic dark chocolate plus certified organic cordyceps and reishi mushroom powders. I use it in my morning smoothies. It tastes great and it's heart healthy and great for immunity too.

Repurchase- Yep!

Nature's Bounty Hair, Skin, and Nails Gummies with Biotin
I can't take biotin on its own or I breakout. I don't have that issue with these gummies. I can't be certain that they're doing anything but I do notice that I have to clip my nails every week. However, I also take collagen supplements, so it could be either or both that are helping my nails grow like weeds. I will continue to take them as insurance, plus they taste great!

Repurchase- Already have

Reserveage Collagen Replenish Powder with Hyaluronic Acid + Vitamin C
I did a full review on this product linked here. What I enjoyed about this product is that is mixes into my smoothies flawlessly and it has zero taste to it!

Repurchase- Yes but I have many others to test out first.

Healthy Origins CoQ10
This is another product that I've been taking for years and I won't ever stop taking it. I used to have a heart condition called MVP (Mitral Valve Prolapse). During my last ultrasound to check on my heart condition, it came back that my MVP was not found! I can only attribute it to the CoQ10 as I didn't do anything else for my heart.

Repurchase- Yes but I did purchase one from Costco to test out since my heart condition is now gone!

Beauty

Clairol Frost + Tip Nice 'n Easy
I'm certain that this is the same highlighting kit that I used in high school and I always had great results. When I recently decided to try my hand at doing my own highlights again, it was a no-brainer to go back to this kit. Unfortunately, my hair came out orange, so I went and purchased the one that's for darker hair and it also came out orange. I contacted Clairol via their 1-800 number to find out what level of the developer is in the box but they refused to tell me! I couldn't believe it. It's my hair and they won't even provide me with info on what I'm applying to my hair! How on earth can I make an informed decision without this info!?

Repurchase- NEVER!

Miracle 10 Toner
This product was too harsh on my skin. It made my skin red, dehydrated, and irritated. I'm thinking it's the witch hazel in this product since I checked and it does not contain alcohol. I've never had any issues with other Miracle 10 products. Unfortunately, I won't be finishing this product.

Repurchase- No

Vichy Neovadiol Fortifying and Revitalizing Rosy Cream
I have had good luck with Vichy's Neovadiol line. It's hydrating, non-irritating, and my skin does feel denser when I use them. That's a great thing for my aging skin as it becomes thinner as I age.

Repurchase- Yes, as my night cream.

Jouviance PlumpFX Lip Serum
I loved this product. It really made my lips feel hydrated. It definitely improved the look of my dehydrated lips over time. I would say that it gave my lips the appearance of being fuller and they definitely appeared healthier. It wasn't sticky at all, yet it lasted for quite some time. It reminded me of Dior's lip serum. This is still a pricey product at $32CAD.

Repurchase- No. Only because of the price.

Madre Bees Organic Lip Balm (Now called Sierra Bees)
I've been purchasing these lip balms in large packs for years. There are so many great flavours to choose from. I have one in pretty much every room in my house plus my purse. They are super affordable, organic, and quite good for a lip balm and I really appreciate that it's organic.

Repurchase- Yes

Declutter

• Skinn Cosmetics Eyeshadow Palette in Seduction- I never use it anymore and it's super old, but has great pigmentation!
• Joe Fresh Eyeshadow Palette in Neutrals- I never use it and it had very poor pigmentation, is very powdery, and makes my lids look very dry.
• Maybelline Single Eyeshadow in Tastefully Taupe- I have so many other taupe colours in palettes. 
• Covergirl Melting Pout Liquid Lipstick in 105- Just the wrong colour for me. Too orange. 
• Joe Fresh Waterproof Eye Crayon in Taupe- The product dried up and fell out. 
• Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Crayon in Trespassing Taupe- It was a great matte eye crayon for when you want a quick eye look that also looks good but it goes on patchy now. Note: the best way to apply it is with the warmth of your finger and blend it out. 😉

I hope you enjoyed this month's empties post and mini declutter! 

XO

Monthly Empties | Makeup, Skincare, Beauty, and Health

*Not sponsored. Post contains affiliate links

Hello, September!

This summer went by super fast! I'm excited about all the great things about the fall time, but not sure I'm ready to say bye to summer yet.. not that I have a choice. 😜

The end of a month means it's time for my August Empties where I'll share my thoughts on each product and if I'd repurchase them or not. Links to products can be found in the product headings wherever possible. 

Skincare

La Roche-Posay Micellar Water for Reactive Skin
I received this product for testing purposes and I really loved it. It was very gentle and soothing and did a great job at removing makeup, dirt, and debris. It lasted a very long time! The full review linked here.

Repurchase- Yes

NeoStrata Wrinkle Repair Moisturizing CC Cream SPF 30
I did a full review on this product (linked here). I love the ingredients but the coverage was just too sheer for me.

Repurchase- No

Nip & Fab Dragon's Blood Fix Cleansing Pads
I received several products from the Nip + Fab line for review and their products changed my skin for the better so quickly (full review linked here). I want to try even more from this brand!

Repurchase- I would but want to try more from this brand

Miracle 10 Light Serum
I didn't notice any benefits while using this serum. It may have even been causing a few breakouts, so I used it on and off. I haven't had any luck with Miracle 10 products so far. As you can see, I didn't even finish it and I'm calling it a day with this serum.

Repurchase- No

Miracle 10 Night Cream
Again, I didn't notice any benefits from the Miracle 10 products that I've used so far and that includes this night cream. I did finish this night cream but I was surprised and disappointed that I didn't notice anything special from using it.

Repurchase- No



Health

Garden Of Life Primal Defense HSO Probiotic Formula
This is my holy grail probiotic. I have tried others but nothing compares for me. This product keeps all of my IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) symptoms under control. The full review linked here.

Repurchase- YES!

Country Life Olive Leaf Extract
This is my first time trying this product. I couldn't believe all of the reported health benefits of this herb, from heart health to fighting infections, the list is extensive. I have to say while taking this I did feel an overall feeling of wellness.

Repurchase- Yes

Modern Era Naturals Lipo-Capsulated Glutathione GSH
I received this product for trial purposes. I still have to do a full review on the products that I've tried. These products are really high quality and not like your typical supplements. They are formulated in a way that they are immediately absorbed into the body and they don't get broken down by stomach acids like typical supplements. Glutathione is a potent antioxidant and plays an important role in immune function and detoxification. This line is more expensive than your typical supplements but I can 100% say that it's worth it! Vegan, Non-GMO, and gluten-free.

Repurchase- Yes

Modern Era Naturals Lipo-Capsulated Vitamin B12
Again, I received this product for trial purposes. I found that I slept better and had more energy while taking this B12 supplement. This in combination with their Vitamin C helped me get over some severe and prolonged vertigo that I was going through. The liposomal technology used in these products makes them unique and much better absorbed by our bodies. Vegan, Non-GMO, and gluten-free.

Repurchase- Yes


Beauty

Live Clean Pink Fire Shampoo
This is one of my favorites to take care of my color-treated and bleached hair. It's gentle, moisturizing, and helps me maintain my color.

Repurchase- YES!

Plus White 5 Minute Teeth Whitening System
Sadly, I let this sit in the back of my cabinet too long and when I went to use it again, it had turned to pure liquid instead of a gel. I did use it a few times when I first purchased it but not enough to notice a difference. I will purchase this again and hopefully not forget about it and let it expire! Ps. It's very budget-friendly!

Repurchase- Yes

Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara
My favourite mascara of all time! The full review linked here. It gives me huge lashes, doesn't flake or smudge, and is easy to remove! And, who can beat the price tag at $4.99 CAD!?

Repurchase- Heck yeah!

What products are you loving lately?

Have a great Septemeber, everyone! 🍁🍂

Monthly Empties | Haircare, Skincare, Beauty, Health + Makeup Declutter!

I'm trying to keep up with my monthly empties post so I don't end up with an overwhelming amount of products in the post. Here's what I've finished up in July with mini reviews! Links to products provided where possible.

 Beauty

Goldwell Topchic Hair Colour in 10P (Pastel Pearl Blonde)
This is the product that my hair stylist uses to tone my highlights and also slightly lighten my base colour so the difference in my natural colour is not so harsh against my highlights. I also use this product at home 2 months after I get my highlights done to slightly lighten my roots between highlights. Full DIY on how I do this is linked here.

Repurchase- YES!

Miracle 10 Cleanser 1
I didn't find anything special about this cleanser. I much prefer my Live Clean cleansers to this one.

Repurchase- No

Soft & Dry Aluminum Free Deodorant
I purchased this only because I ran out of my aluminium free go-to deodorant by Coty/Adidas, and the store didn't have my Coty/Adidas one in stock. This was the only aluminium free one I could find, so I grabbed it. This lasted so long I couldn't believe it! It seemed like it was never going to end. Not really a bad thing, but since l prefer my Coty/Adidas deodorant I was dying to go back to it.

Repurchase- Only if in a pinch

Retin-A Micro Gel 0.04%
I need a prescription to get this here in Canada. With this formula, I have never experienced any irritation like I did with the formulas that I used in my 20's. I'm thinking of bumping up to a higher percentage to see if I can get more results.

Repurchase- Yep!

Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream SPF 30
I love Olay! I used to use Olay exclusively when I was in my 20's and everyone always asked what skincare I used. I have very acne prone skin and Olay products never cause me to breakout or have any irritation. I just wish they were a cruelty-free brand!

Repurchase- Possibly, but I will choose cruelty-free brands over this

Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark -Circle Roller
I only purchased this because I ran out of my favourite eye cream and this was on sale at the drugstore for such a low price. I like this product, it's like an eye cream and highlight/concealer in one. It brightens my under eyes and provides light coverage. I used this daily and thought it would never end, it must have been going for 1.5-2 years, just crazy!

Repurchase- No (I bought 2 more because the sale was so cheap and I had no idea these would last so long!)

Health

Madre Labs Cococeps Instant Dark Cocoa Beverage
Many of you have probably seen this appear on my site before. It's my favourite cocoa powder to use in my protein shakes. It doesn't contain sweeteners, it's organic, and contains immune boosting cordyceps and reishi mushroom powders. This is the only way I can get the health benefits of mushrooms into my diet since I cannot eat them. No- you cannot taste the mushrooms!

Repurchase- Always

Healthy Origins CoQ10 100mg
Another staple in my health care regimen. I've been taking this ever since I was diagnosed with heart issues. I recently had an ultrasound to check on my heart conditions and to my delight, one of my heart conditions has improved. My MVP (Mitral Valve Prolapse) to be specific, has somehow repaired itself. The Doctors couldn't tell me what caused my heart to repair itself.  All I know is that I've been taking this CoQ10 and Fish oil capsules since I was diagnosed with my heart issues.

Repurchase- Always!

Declutter

If you follow me on my Instagram, you may have seen these already. I've been trying to get rid of products that don't work for me or just sit there and never get used for one reason or another. These have all been passed on to homes where I hope they will get the love that they deserve (minus the mascara since that wouldn't be sanitary!). 😊

Prestige Baked Mineral Blush in Natural
This didn't show up on my skin. To get it to show up, I had to pile it on. This made my pores and skin look horrible. I think this would work well on skin-tones that are lighter or darker than mine. It would work well as a highlight for darker skin-tones for sure!

Essence Mosaic Blush in All You Need Is Pink
Essence makes some of my favourite blushes of all times! Their old Silky Touch blushes and their more recent Satin Touch blushes are all 5-star products! The colour of this one was so gorgeous that I had to have it, but sadly it was so powdery and went on very patchy!

Revlon's new Mega Multiplier Mascara
This is a brand new mascara to the market. I've seen so many rave reviews for it but it just didn't work for me. I like big lashes and this gave me very wimpy lashes. If you like more natural looking lashes you may love this product.

Coastal Scents 88 Warm Palette
This is a great palette. It has almost every colour you could ever want. I never thought that I'd get rid of it. But, the truth is that I've had it for years and I NEVER reach for it. I had to store this palette in the back of a drawer because it's so large. From now on I will stick to smaller palettes that I can keep within reach so they get used. I do recommend this palette if you don't mind the size and you'll use it!

Nyx Eyeshadow and Blush Palette (not sure of the name)
The quality of these shadows is really amazing! It has a pull-out tray with blush and lip colours as well. I never thought that I'd get rid of it. It was that one palette that I said I'd keep because it not only had neutrals but if I ever had the urge or the need, it also had bright colours. But, because it's quite bulky and also got stored away in the back of my drawer, it never got used. This has gone to another home to get the love that it deserves.

I am slowly learning the hard way what to buy and what not to buy, so my products get used up. I am much more particular about what I add to my collection now and it's working well for me so far.

I haven't missed one of these items since I passed them on either.

I hope you enjoyed seeing what I used up this month. Let me know in the comments what you've been loving, not loving or decluttering this month. 💓