EMPTIES JUNE 2022 FOR THE FACE, BODY & HAIR

Press Sample & Purchased (Affiliate Links)

I have really been making a concerted effort to use up as many open products as I can since it really bothers me when things go bad before I finish using them. I managed to use up 6 full-size and 3 sample-size products in June, and while I feel pretty good about that, I do wish that I had managed to use a few more. I have numerous products that are on the verge of going bad, and I hope to finish them before they no longer are fit to be used. Here is what I finished up in June:

Philosophy Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleanser ($13.00-$38.00 3oz-16oz. from Philosophy and Nordstrom): Formulated for all types of skin, this non-stripping cleanser does an enviable job thoroughly cleaning the skin and removing makeup without any signs of drying. It is fragrance free, it forms a very satisfying creamy lather and it leaves the skin lightly hydrated and feeling incredibly soft. Purchase Again? I liked it enough to use it again, but I have too many open cleansers to use before I buy another one.

Mamonde Petal Spa Oil to Foam Cleansing Oil (This product appears to have been discontinued): This is a luscious and luxurious foaming cleansing oil that removes every trace of makeup, and it leaves skin soft, smooth, supple and hydrated. It essentially functions as a double cleanser in a single bottle. It contains soapberry extract, which is an effective natural surfactant, that gently cleanses makeup, dirt, oil, sunscreen and grime without drying the skin. The creamy oil transforms into a satisfying foam with the most luscious Damask Rose Oil aroma, and to say that it is a joy to use is an understatement. Purchase Again? I loved this so much, and hope that they bring it back!

Tata Harper Rejuvenating Serum ($130.00 for 1 oz. and $180.00 for 1.7 oz. for 1 oz.from Space NK, Sephora, Nordstrom, Net-A-Porter, Cult Beauty, The Detox Market, Credo Beauty, Neiman Marcus, Selfridges and Bergdorf Goodman): I managed to use numerous deluxe samples of this serum, and the more that I used it the more obsessed I became. It is an ultra-hydrating serum that is lightweight and very fast absorbing, and it immediately gives the skin a dewy luminous glow. The antioxidant-rich formula protects the skin against free-radicals, the Hyaluronic Acid binds moisture and plumps fine lines, and the vitamins, natural oils and extracts soften the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, and leave the skin soft, smooth, moisturized and luminous. There is no residue left behind whatsoever, and the fruity natural aroma is neither cloying, nor long-lasting. Purchase Again? Without question!

Potager Soap Co. Natural Lavender Soap ($7.98 for 4.5 oz. from Potager Soap Co.): This lovely soap is a delightful lavender dream-come-true. The rich and creamy lather effectively and thoroughly cleans the skin and rinses clean without stripping or drying. Furthermore, it delights the senses, and calms the spirit, with its sublime lavender aroma. If you love the fragrant magnificence of lavender, then you must experience this fetching soap. Purchase Again? I still have 3 of their of their other soaps to use first, but I will definitely purchase this one once I run out!

Kneipp Relaxing Lavender Shower Foam & Body Wash ($12.00-$16.00 for 6.8 oz. from Kneipp's Amazon Store, Ulta and SkinStore): is a delectably aromatic shower foam that is creamy-dreamy, it fills the shower with the sweet scent of lavender, and it is wonderfully hydrating. Not only does it clean the skin thoroughly, and without any drying or stripping, but it also works small miracles for shaving the legs and underarms. I have used this product for a very long time, and was surprised to find a hidden can at the back of my cabinet, and I am just overjoyed to have made that discovery! Purchase Again? Oh yes, this is heavenly!

SHU UEMURA Art of Hair Wonder Worker Air Dry/Blow Dry Multi-Tasking Primer ($33.00 for 5 oz. from SHU UEMURA Art of Hair and The Bay): This is a lightweight lotion primer that can be used to hydrate, detangle, eradicate frizz, smooth and condition hair. It can be used for air or blow drying, and it leaves hair notably radiant and silky. It is color-treated hair safe, and can be used on all types of hair. I typically use it when I air dry my hair, and it really makes my curly, dry tresses manageable and lustrous. Purchase Again? I think that I may have another bottle in the back of my cabinet! I would definitely purchase another bottle!

René Furterer Complexe 5 Stimulating Plant Concentrate ($50.00 for 1.6oz. from René Furterer, LovelySkin, Revolve and Amazon): is a pre-shampoo treatment that detoxes the scalp, by cleansing and purifying it, and the warming effect helps to improve microcirculation. It is soothing, invigorating and makes the scalp feel amazing, and my hair also looks and feels wonderful after using it. You simply apply it to the scalp and then massage for a few minutes, and then leave it in for about 5-10 minutes. Be sure to shampoo twice, to remove the residual oil, and then condition hair as you would normally. It has a wonderful orange aroma that is punctuated by the lavender oil, and it is such an amazing treat to the senses. Purchase Again? I already opened my full-size bottle!

René Furterer 5 Sens Enhancing Dry Oil ($48.00 for 3.3 oz. from René Furterer, Amazon and LovelySkin): is a beautifully fast absorbing dry oil that can be used on the hair and body. It has a lovely soft aroma that is a treat to the senses, but it isn't long lasting or in the least bit cloying. When I use it on my body, it melts into the skin and leaves it soft, supple, hydrated and nourished. For the hair, it offers extraordinary hydration and leaves locks soft, smooth and manageable. It tames frizz and fly-aways, and it gives hair a glossy shine. Purchase Again? I have a full-size bottle in use!

Overall Assessment: Not too bad, but I wish that I could have finished up a few more things. What did you use up, toss out, give away or return in June? Any particularly amazing products, or duds to report?

Purchased and Press Samples (Affiliate Links). All views expressed are categorically my own. Copyright © 2022 www.lolassecretbeautyblog.com All Rights Reserved.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleanser

Press Sample (Affiliate Links)

I must confess that I haven't used anything from Philosophy in many many years, but I remembered really liking Philosophy Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleanser long ago. Therefore, I was really happy to try it again. Formulated for all types of skin, this non-stripping cleanser does an enviable job thoroughly cleaning the skin and removing makeup without any signs of drying. It is fragrance free, it forms a very satisfying creamy lather and it leaves the skin lightly hydrated and feeling incredibly soft.

According to Philosophy,

Our award-winning facial cleanser is loved by all for its multitasking, 3-in-1 approach to cleansing. formulated with meadowfoam seed oil that helps lightly hydrate, leaving the skin comfortable, not pulled or tight. also formulated with a twelve-essential oils blend (including rosewood, sandalwood, sage) that helps soften, soothe, and rejuvenate the skin. Our best face wash leaves skin feeling perfectly clean, comfortable and balanced. Find purity made simple facial cleanser, the #1 facial cleanser in America!

Features:
- Deep cleans pores & eliminates makeup build-up
- Hydrates as it melts away makeup
- Natural oil extracts help condition skin
- Fragrance-free formula
- For all types of skin.

Directions: At the end of each day or at the beginning of each morning, take a small amount, a little water and massage onto skin for 30–60 seconds then rinse.

Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Sodium Trideceth Sulfate, Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Coco-Glucoside, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Alcohol, Peg-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Aniba Rosaeodora (Rosewood) Wood Oil, Geranium Maculatum Oil, Guaiacum (Guaiacum Officinale) Extract, Cymbopogon Martini Oil, Rosa Damascena Extract, Amyris Balsamifera Bark Oil, Santalum Album (Sandalwood) Oil, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Oil, Cinnamomum Cassia Leaf Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil, Piper Nigrum (Pepper) Seed Extract, Polysorbate 20, Glycerin, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Citric Acid, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Yellow 5 (Ci 19140).

Overall Assessment: This is a really solid performer, with an approachable price point, that is sure to delight people with a very wide variety of skin types. This bottle now lives in my shower, and while I do use it alone, I have really been enjoying its enhanced efficacy when paired with my FOREO LUNA.

$11.00-$36.00 3oz-16oz from Philosophy and Nordstrom (Affiliate Links).
Press Sample. All views expressed are categorically my own.
Copyright © 2019 www.lolassecretbeautyblog.com All Rights Reserved.

ULTA 21 DAYS OF BEAUTY: DAY 7 SATURDAY, MARCH 24

Affiliate Links

Welcome to day two of Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty. Here are the deals for Saturday, March 24:

STILA Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner (NOW $11 \ REG $22): Fine tip for precise lines, smooth application & opaque color that lasts all day.

PHILOSOPHY Purity Made Simple Micellar Cleansing Water or Purity Made Simple Facial Cleansing Cloths (NOW $7.50-11 \ REG $15-22): Remove makeup & dirt to reveal clean, refreshed & hydrated skin.

BENEFIT COSMETICS Free Brow Wax with $50 Benefit Cosmetics product and/or service purchase. (REG $21)

LAURA GELLER LashBOSS Major Length, Volume, Curl Mascara (Online Only. NOW $12 \ REG $24): Volumizing & lengthening mascara strengthens & nourishes your lashes.

  Visit: www.ulta.com for daily deals!

ULTA 21 DAYS OF BEAUTY: DAY 1 SUNDAY, MARCH 18

(Affiliate Links)

Believe it or not, it's already time to indulge in Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty. It begins today, Sunday, March 18 and the first deals are as follows:

Tarte Lights Camera Lashes (Regular Price $23.00, Sale Price $10.00): Lengthens, curls, volumizes & conditions.

Philosophy The Microdelivery Exfoliating Facial Wash (Regular Price $28.00, Sale Price $14.00): Daily micro-exfoliant smoothes, brightens & balances your skin.

LORAC PRO Palette 3 (Regular Price $44.00, Sale Price $22.00): Highly pigmented & velvety smooth– even beginners can blend & shade like a pro.

Visit: www.ulta.com for daily deals!

Makeup Collecting or Hoarding: How Quickly the Edges Can Blur

Barbara Kruger Untitled (I shop therefore I am) (1987)

I am reposting this publication that I wrote in 2012 after having received a very interesting email from a longtime reader who claimed that she has made a concerted effort to avoid the trap of purchasing from limited edition collections, or anything else that ultimately doesn't suit her, and now feels empowered by the restraint that she demonstrates by making well-reasoned, rather than impetuous, purchases. This inspired me to #repost this article since it contemplates this very issue, and it certainly makes me contemplate my own spending habits as a consumer.

Barbara Kruger's appropriation of René Descartes' maxim "I think, therefore I am"(Cogito, ergo sum) is searingly funny and poignant when "I shop therefore I am" becomes a commentary about the commodification of culture. Ironically, her artwork which is the byproduct of her philosophical critique is worth a tremendous amount of money itself.

I love Kruger's work because it makes you take a long hard look at the underpinnings of what drives culture, and what motivates us to do what we do, and think what we think.

This particular work Untitled (I shop therefore I am) always makes me think about my own buying patterns as a consumer, and it makes me think about the consumer goods that I fetishize, and how so much of that is culturally conditioned. Take for instance makeup, skincare products, Tom Ford reading glasses, or Marc Jacobs wallets and purses (my personal favorites). There is no question that I could live without those things, and thankfully I don't have to. However, we are often unconsciously driven to crave things that we don't yet have, and nearly as quickly as we acquire them we lose interest in them and obsess about the "next thing." Seasonal collections support this fickle consumerism, and we buy into the construct. Madison Avenue banks on our willingness to stay on this expensive joy ride- which we willingly do!

While I long ago realized that I don't define my worth by the acquisition of the latest Collection, I likewise realize that I all too easily succumb to wanting things that I don't yet have. There is a reason, after all, that I have so many lipsticks and blushes that are variations on the same shade of pink. Subtle distinctions are made: this one has a satin finish, this one has a touch of lavender, this one has pink pearl etc. Then there are infinite ways to justify the necessity of extravagant purchases:  this is from the Chanel Summer Collection (including the much dreaded letters- LE), these were from Sephora's Friends & Family Sale, these couldn't be resisted because of double or triple points on my Barneys or Nordstrom card....  There is also the lure of the GWP- even if it isn't a particularly good gift- it can make an otherwise rational person buy unneeded things indiscriminately in order to make the minimum purchase price. I'm not talking about Barneys gift bags that are worth their weight in gold- I'm talking about the run-of-the-mill gifts that get stuffed in a drawer along with the things that you didn't need or want so that you could get the gift in the first place.

Don't get me wrong, I am hardly declaring a personal war, or even a moratorium on makeup consumption- I am just trying to be a little bit more discriminating and mindful of what I am purchasing. I have a sizable stash of makeup, and trust me there are plenty of things that I still haven't gotten around to using yet (and that's not including backups). However this motivation to "collect" is simultaneously at odds with my pragmatic nature and the overarching desire to only have what I need and use. I don't expect this contradiction to resolve itself because truth be told I am a makeup magpie and I like bringing those pretty shiny baubles back to my nest to look at and play with. However, there is a tipping point: there is a balance that must be struck- a delicate equilibrium that must strictly be adhered to- otherwise chaos will ensue.  There is a point where you simply have too much- a point where just one more Glossimer or serum takes you from Collector to Hoarder. I am still in the category of the former, rather than the latter- but the line is much finer than it actually appears the closer you get to it. At a certain point it is a distinction without difference. So beauty blogger or not, I am making a concerted effort to buy consciously rather than impulsively. Weighing, for instance, whether this eyeshadow is different enough from what I already have to be a worthwhile purchase. I do not equate this with deprivation, but instead I see this as a way to make each purchase a more meaningful one. One in which I select things that I really love, rather than things that I feel I should just buy because they are limited edition and will likely sell out quickly. That simply is not a good enough reason to buy a lipstick shade that is unflattering on you-- even if it is the it color of the season.

I still want to be in makeup nirvana I just don't want the frenzy of acquisition to infect my enjoyment of makeup or to cause me to buy things that I ultimately won't use because they weren't well-reasoned purchases in the first place. I want to be as rational about my makeup purchases as I am in all of the other aspects of my life as a consumer. After all, makeup costs money and lots of makeup costs lots of money. So while I am not imposing a ban on makeup consumption- I am going to make a real effort to not only buy what I will covet, but what I will actually use.

This is not an indictment of my own spending habits, but instead it is intended as a wake-up call. This is a simple plea to have my rational self take the wheel before I toss down my credit card- because the makeup magpie in me is impetuous and impractical, and generally likes to take charge in the face of so many shiny pretty things. It is she who is solely responsible for the size of my stash!

What are your thoughts? Do you find yourself similarly inclined to buy things that you don't really need or want? Do you have lots of things that you don't use in your stash? What solutions have you come up with? Do tell!

Copyright © 2018 www.lolassecretbeautyblog.com All Rights Reserved.

Ulta 21 Days of Beauty Steals Thursday, March 24

Affiliate Links

If you haven't yet checked out my mega-post outlining precisely what's available for the amazing Ulta 21 Days of Beauty, then check it out HERE. There are so many amazing deals to behold, and here is what is available today:

Thursday, March 24: SMASHBOX Photo Finish Primer Water 50% OFF $16.00 (Regularly $32.00), STRIVECTIN Best Sellers Trio 50% OFF $17.50 (Regularly $35.00) and PHILOSOPHY Anti-Wrinkle Miracle Worker Miraculous Anti-Aging Moisturizer 2 oz. 50% OFF $30.00 (Regularly $60.00).

Are you shopping Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty, if so what are you getting?

Ulta 21 Days of Beauty Steals for Saturday, March 19

Affiliate Links

If you haven't yet checked out my mega-post outlining precisely what's available for the amazing Ulta 21 Days of Beauty, then check it out HERE. There are so many amazing deals to behold, and here is what is available today:

Saturday, March 19: TOO FACED Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush 50% OFF $15.00 (Regularly $30.00), PHILOSOPHY Purity Cleansing Cloths 30 ct. 50% OFF $7.50 (Regularly $15.00) and BENEFIT COSMETICS Free Brow Wax with any $50.00 product and/or service purchase.

Are you shopping Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty, if so what are you getting?

Empties Post Volume VI: January 2013

This month my Empties post is rather unremarkable compared to those from the last few months.  I was testing new full sized products thereby using brand new bottles and jars that weren't going to be emptied so quickly.

Skincare Products & Fragrances: I finally got through the last bit of my Erno Laszlo Light Controlling Lotion (reviewed here), Kai Perfume Oil samples (reviewed here), and Nuance Cucumber & Rosewater Dual Phase Makeup Remover (reviewed here). The Laszlo toner is a really good one for combination and oily skin types provided that you can tolerate alcohol in a toner. I usually dilute it with water, and like the way it makes my skin look and feel. I really liked the Nuance eye makeup remover because it is very gently and removes even tough waterproof formulas, and it's nice that it is a well priced drugstore brand. Needless to say, I remain resolute in my love of all things Kai-- so I will not wax poetic about their perfume oil since you already know how much I love it!

Body Products: Gourmet Body Pastries Lemon Pound Cake Whipped Shea Butter Cream (reviewed here), Eco-Armour Shave with Benefits Luxurious Botanical Shaving Foam in Bergamot & Pink Grapefruit (reviewed here), Trader Joe's Honey Mango Shave Cream, Trader Joe's Refresh Citrus Body Wash, and Sephora/Philosophy Vanilla Birthday Cake Shower and Bath Gel.

The Gourmet Body Pastries Lemon Pound Cake Whipped Shea Butter smelled so delicious that I was nearly tempted to taste it. The whipped formula makes it so light and fluffy that once it meets the warmth of your hand it melts and begins sinking into the skin. It's just scrumptiously good. Eco-Armour Shave with Benefits Luxurious Botanical Shaving Foam is really one of the best shaving products that I have ever used. Their products moisturize the skin leaving it hydrated and supple-- I really love their products (and so does my husband). Trader Joe's is always a good economical choice, and I really love so many of their products. Their Honey Mango Shave Cream and their Citrus Body Wash can almost always be found in my shower. I finally made my way through the Sephora/Philosophy Vanilla Birthday Cake Shower and Bath Gel,  and it was so yummy, creamy and moisturizing that I might have to buy a full sized bottle! It makes for one soothing and relaxing bubble bath at the end of a stressful day at work!

Hair Products: Alba Botanica Natural Hawaiian Shampoo, which was discussed here in my August Favorites post, is a really lovely moisturizing shampoo. I can't believe that I finally finished it! I used the conditioner at a far more rapid rate than the shampoo because of my long curly hair, and after finishing both I can say that I would definitely consider repurchasing them again. The Simply Smooth xtend Keratin Replenishing Magic Potion was a nice leave-in product that really helped eradicate frizz- which is always a must for naturally curly hair. I worked my way through my last sample of the Ouidad Climate Control Heat and Humidity Gel, and liked it so much that I am just about to crack open my full-sized bottle! 

What did you finish, toss, or return this month? Any absolute repurchases?

Philosophy Gift With Purchase- a Nordstrom.com Exclusive!

Nordstrom.com is having a wonderful Philosophy Gift With Purchase ($50.00 minimum purchase). You get a Sparkling Cranberry Lip Shine (0.5 oz.), Hands of Hope Hand and Cuticle Cream (0.4 oz.), and a silver tote bag! If you are low on your favorite products this is a good time to stock up. There are all sorts of great gift ideas too!

http://shop.nordstrom.com/c/philosophy