products I've used up (empties post) + updated skincare routine
Empties
Makeup
NARS Rikugien Satin Lip Pencil (Travel-sized) (birthday gift from Sephora)
Makeup Forever Smoky Extravagant Mascara (Travel-sized) (came in a Sephora sampler pack)
- Chicken Poop™ Lip Junk (couldn't tell you where this came from for the life of me)
Haircare
- Orlando Pita Argan Rejuvenating Hair Treatment Oil (Travel-sized) (came with the Orlando Pita Argan Gloss Conditioner from Costco)
- Seaweed Bath Co. Natural Balancing Argan Shampoo & Conditioner (bought this at Costco — pictured above)
- Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo (Travel-sized) (bought this at Sephora)
Skincare
- Origins Clear Improvement Face Mask (bought this at Sephora — pictured above)
- Maria Akerberg Lemon Freshener (bought this at Balans Organic Spa — pictured above)
- Maria Akerberg Gentle Face Mask (bought this at Balans Organic Spa — pictured above)
- Maria Akerberg Gentle Face Balm (bought this at Balans Organic Spa)
- Tata Harper Resurfacing Face Mask (gift from my roommate from Follain)
- Acure Facial Cleansing Gel (bought this at Target)
- First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser (my roommate's old cleanser that she bought at Sephora)
- Fresh Soy Face Cleanser (bought this at Sephora — pictured above)
- Circcell Red Algae Clarifying Mask (got this from doing a review)
- BeautyCounter Charcoal Cleansing Bar (Sample-sized) (got this from a fellow IG-er/BeautyCounter rep)
- California Pure Naturals Organic Facial Hydrator (bought this at Costco)
Body
- The Seaweed Bath Co. Detox Cellulite Cream (bought this at Costco)
- The Seaweed Bath Co. Detox Cellulite Soap (came with the Detox Cellulite cream from Costco)
- L'occitane Hand Cream — Travel Size "Almond Delicious Hands" (bought this at L'occitane)
- Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula with Vitamin E (my sister gave this to me for Christmas awhile back — pictured above)
- NEST Citrine Rollerball (bought this at Sephora)
- NEST Indigo Rollerball (bought this at Sephora — pictured above)
I don't know about you, but I get this weird satisfaction from using things up. Like, no joke. Whether it's cleaning out the fridge, squeezing the last bit of my face mask out, clearing things out, whatever — I frickin' love it.
My skincare routine also changes pretty often depending on the condition of my skin, the seasons, and what products I have on hand. I have a ton of beauty products that I tried to use up, a ton of samples, and some products that were sent to me for free or given to me as gifts. Most of these products I bought myself, however, because I love trying new beauty products.
I try to go for all natural products; I truly believe that what you put on your body is just as important as what goes inside it. Notes/reviews at the very bottom!
Updated Skincare Routine
Note: My skin type is combination/oily — overall pretty oily but there are dry patches as well. It used to be acne-prone; now I just tend to get blackheads.
Nighttime
- Farmaesthetics Fine Herbal Cleanser
- Maria Ackerberg Papaya Peeling Scrub or Maria Ackerberg AHA & Jojoba Scrub (if I want deeper exfoliation, I use my Clarisonic + acne prone brush head with it. I bought these at Balans Organic Spa)
- Thayers Witch Hazel Aloe Vera Formula Cucumber (bought this at Whole Foods)
- Indie Lee Blemish Clearing Face Mask (I actually just ran out of this — bought this at Follain)
- May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon (got this as a gift from my friend Heather) or Maria Ackerberg Royal Facial Oil — Gentle (bought this at Balans Organic Spa)
Morning: See morning routines link
Haircare
Note: My hair used to be super dry from my years in the pool, but now it hasn't touched chlorine in so long that it's fairly healthy. I have thick, long, dark hair that can get oily but I have a dry scalp.
- Living Proof phD Perfect Hair Day Shampoo + Conditioner (got this for free when I hair-modeled for Living Proof)
- Living Proof Night Cap Overnight Protector (got this for free when I hair-modeled for Living Proof)
- Vitacost Extra Virgin Certified Organic Coconut Oil (my old roommate left this with me when she moved)
Body
Note: One thing that still hasn't changed from my years swimming is my dry skin. Whatever I put on my skin, my skin soaks up immediately.
Morning:
- Shea Baby Tangerine + Vanilla Bubble Bath (I use this as a body wash) (from Vitacost)
- Shea Baby Tangerine + Vanilla Baby Lotion (from Vitacost)
- Vitacost 100% Pure Essential Grapefruit Oil (from Vitacost)
- Jason Fresh Cucumber Spray Deodorant (from Whole Foods)
Night:
- Organic Bath Co. Peacefull Body Scrub + Body Butter (got this from a giveaway — I also won a candle with it that I burn every night!)
- Burt's Bees Shea Butter Hand Repair Cream (got this as part of gift a loooooong time ago)
Reviews
Makeup
Honestly, I've been trying to get more on the "clean makeup" train. Even though a lot of products at Sephora or at department stores are $$$, they can still (and often do) contain skin-irritating ingredients.
I don't wear foundation super often, but I do find that a light dusting of BareMinerals doesn't clog up my skin too much and looks natural. You can see the ingredients here — they're literally all minerals.
All of the products I've used up I would definitely repurchase; in fact, I have a couple of mini NARS lip crayons in my various bags (anyone else do this?).
Some big things to look for when checking ingredients: PEGS, parabens, some oils (depending on your skin type — especially mineral oil), and artificial fragrances and colors.
Haircare
The Orlando Pita Argan Oil worked fine, but I much prefer Josie Maran Argan Oil or just using straight up coconut oil.
Shampoo and conditioner-wise, I would repurchase (and have repurchased) both the Seaweed Bath Co. and Living Proof brands.
Skincare
I've noticed that the more care I give to my skin, the better it gets. Two big factors are taking the time to do a face mask and to exfoliate — the more often I do that, the clearer my skin gets.
I love all the Maria Akerberg products that I get from my local spa; they don't irritate my skin and are all natural and organic. I also loved the Tata Harper Resurfacing Face Mask; I would use that in the mornings if I had time, whereas I could use the Maria Akerberg Gentle Face Mask as a spot treatment at night.
Cleansing-wise, I was ambivalent about all the ones I've used up — they were fine, but I'm not repurchasing. Proof that your skin can change — I used to only use the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser because it helped my skin so much when I first entered college, but wasn't doing the trick anymore.
Body
I would (and will) repurchase everything I used up under this section, with the exception of the Palmer's. I loved that the The Seaweed Bath Co. Detox Cellulite Soap was exfoliating; the cream that it came with was hydrating without being too heavy. Whether or not it reduced/prevented cellulite I can honestly not say.
I'm a rollerball junkie, and the NEST ones were both some of my all-time favorites. They're pricey, but a little goes a long way. I used one for the spring/summer and one for the winter.
Note: WHEW. Long post. I'd love to hear YOUR favorite products, if you've tried any of these, and any recommendations you have!
