This is Silk Naturals shadow in 4Matic, which I got as a sample baggie free with an order a while back. I mentioned it in my May Used It post a few days ago, and wanted to elaborate my thoughts on this color.

It's from the Fall 2011 collection, and it's described as a "light champagne color with just a hint of green." I like it. It definitely needs a primer to pop - it's very sheer without one. Here, I'm wearing it over Silk Naturals Stick'Em primer. It has sparkle and sheen, and I thought it worked really nicely. I'd buy it if I didn't already own a truckload of neutrals.

A lot of SN's colors are unique enough that I don't feel the need to combine them with other shades into looks - so all I did here was a winged brown liner (if you must know, Tarte's Aqua-gel brown eyeliner and Physicians Formula Eye Booster™ 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Felt-Tip Eyeliner + Serum, also in brown). Honestly, any liquid liner you like and get precise results with would work here. I could have saved myself a lot of time by skipping the Tarte. I think I'm wearing CoverGirl LashBlast mascara here, but I could be very wrong about that.

Anyway, this is something easy you can do for work or a casual around-town sort of day. You could easily ramp it up a notch for evening with either a darker color in the crease or a colored liner above the brown.

I'm Back! Let's Look at May's Empties

Hi! I'm back. I went on a trip to visit my family and the out-laws out of state, and I've just been busy/apathetic.

Also, I got a new iPad (yay birthday money!!!) about six weeks ago, and I spend a lot of time on that now. I'd blog more on that, but then there's the photo issue. I'd use my real computer more frequently, but the battery won't hold a charge or take a charge unless it's been run down to zero power, so my laptop is now a desktop. That makes me do a lot less leisurely blogging from my sofa.

So, what did I use up in May? Let's take a look!

Benefit Stay Don't Stray primer sample (not pictured). Can I say for a minute how much I hate packaging liquid products like this? I get one wear out of them on the liquidy-ness level I'd get out of a full size, then they start to get dry and crusty. I think this worked ok. But I'm totally not sure and can't say if I'd buy more.

Giovanni Frizz Be Gone serum* (not pictured) This serum is ok at helping prevent tangles, but it's not magic, and I don't think the fruity floral smell is a good thing. I was hoping for something more neutral. 

Giovanni Wellness Conditioner* This product claims to use a fusion of Western science and traditional Chinese remedies for a conditioner that nourishes hair from the root. I picked it up at Target because it was on sale for two bucks and change. After using the entire bottle, I can say that this stuff smells strange, makes your scalp tingle, and softens hair without providing any additional slip. Also, I think that the peppermint oil in it is doing the tingly action, not the botanicals.

Kiss My Face Rough Seas body scrub* This product was more fun than paying the same amount of money to ship a new blow dryer to me from Walgreens.com due to not buying enough to get free shipping. It wasn't so fun that I'd repurchase. The jojoba beads didn't quite scrub off dead skin like I'd hoped.

L'Óreal Smooth Souffle foundation* I didn't so much use this up as give up on it. But oh boy, did I try. It worked ok when it was new, but within a couple weeks, it started pilling up on my face midday. Application methods did not make a difference, and neither did mixing it with powder.

Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Correcting Pebbles* This was another instance of "I give up!" While it wasn't as bad as the smooth souffle foundation, it also didn't mattify, correct skintone irregularities, cover, or really do anything except make me shiny. I pass. However, the container it came in will make a nice travel swirly dish.

Silk Naturals 4Matic eye shadow sample (not pictured). This is a really pretty taupe, and I might buy it if I didn't already have a million taupes (slight exaggeration).

Silk Naturals Oatmeal Serum* This is a solid product, and it was the second one I'd used up. It's thin, absorbs nicely, smells calming, and seems to reduce redness. If you have no major skin issues and just want a little light water-based hydration, then you should buy this. You should also buy this if you have a tendency to hurt your skin with too-harsh treatments.

Tarte pink lip gloss mini (the one that came with the ULTAmate kit - not pictured). I keep getting these as parts of kits. They keep not wowing me. I'll keep not buying full size ones.

Trader Joe's Tea Tree Oil Cleansing Pads* You should buy these if you like your face to burn and your eyes to water. If you don't like those things, then you should stay away from both these and the Desert Essence product they're a knockoff of.


May's tally: 10 products used up, 7 of them full size!

Have you tried any of these things? Same or different opinion?

April 2012 Used It! Part II

Orly Glosser* I used this up by coating some wooden hairsticks I'm decorating with it. It's not really anything as a top coat, and I never just paint my nails clear. 

Self-made shea butter hair cream* This was my second batch of this. Now, I'm on my third. I use it as a pre-shampoo treatment, as styling paste (can either calm down flyaways or help braids stay sleeker longer), and as a leave-in conditioner for my ends.

Silk Naturals Awesome Sauce* This was my second bottle of this. It's pretty great stuff, and I highly recommend it, but I'm trying their Super Serum instead now.

Silk Naturals Equalizer sample - I'll probably get a full size of this yellow-green powder at some point. It's great to tone down redness and even out skintone a bit without looking made up.

Simple Cleansing Wips travel size - Wow! These work! They're just not a fun experience, and they feel a bit too rough, even though they're designed for sensitive skin.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation sample - I did buy a full size tube of this. It's not bad stuff. The shade "fair" matches me pretty well, and it looks good on my skin. More to come on this, probably.

Yes to Blueberries facial wipes* - Smell nice, sort of work, not worth the price. Also, they kind of sting if I use them to take off eye makeup.


I am going to be talking about the rest of the stuff I used this month in another post more focused on my opinions on acids in skincare.


*Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel (full strength) - little tube. 
*Brazilian Peel sample vial

*Dr. Dennis Gross blemish treatment sample
*Dr. Dennis Gross serum sample

Better late than never, February's Used it!

Look! I took a picture!

*Alba Botanica Hawaiian sunblock - spf 45 Buy again? No. I'm not happy with the UVA protection - it looks like it doesn't get all the waves.

*The Body Shop Wild Cherry Body Butter Buy again? No. It smells kind of fake and only moisturizes so-so.

*ELF nail polish remover pads Buy again? I have - it's cheap, portable, works, and fairly easily available. The only downside is that it seems to leave my fingertips a bit sticky, so I have to wash my hands.

*Garnier Nutrisse Anti-Dark Circle Rollerball Buy again? Not a chance. I didn't so much use this up as throw it out in disgust. It looks nice for the first hour or so, then creases. Who needs it? I don't.

*Physicians Formula Brow Definer Buy again? Nope. Formula is slightly too waxy for my taste.

*Silk Naturals Awesome Sauce Buy again? I did! I like it. I'm not sure if it's magic or not, but I like it and it seems to help a little.

*Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara Buy again? Maybe. I like the stuff, I really do. It looks great, makes a good natural but impressively so look, but it's expensive and dries out too soon. This stuff dried out before I wanted it to.

*Wet'N'Wild Rocking Rubies nail polish Buy again? Oh hell no. While pretty, I found that this had the tendency to flake off within a day or two. When I found a thumbnail-shaped flake in my snack bowl, that was the disgust point. I tried lots of top coats, base coats, etc - flake city!

*Evil Shades Gossamer Blush sample Buy again? Complicated question - I like the brand's blushes, but this color was too cool for me.

*Tarte Amazonian Clay powder sample Buy again? Nope. Too expensive for what it is. Glad this was a trial size - it works, but so does anything with that much silica.
 
*Too Faced Shadow Insurance Lemon Drop sample Buy again? Nope. If my primer's gonna be tinted, it had better double as a cream shadow. This doesn't. Also, it makes my eyelids gray. So there we go! 8 full sizes, 3 samples demolished in February

January Used It!

In January, I finished off eight products; two minis and six full-size items.

Organix Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum*
Buy again? Maybe. I have no idea if it helps with breakage or not, but I did like the way a little made my hair feel. This is definitely a less is more type product - too much will make your hair look stringy.

Sally Hansen Real Nail Polish Strips - Teal with it*
Buy again? Probably not. They're on the expensive side and take too long to apply.

Lumene Sensitive Touch wipes mini pack
Buy again? No. I just bought them because I wanted something and I was on a trip. They're fine, but I don't want to buy anything that's just fine.

Nuance wipes*
Buy again? Probably not - they were this strange rectangular shape - more oblong than I usually like in a wipe, and they had more texture than I prefer.

ELF Studio Complexion Perfection*
Buy again? Probably not. This has its uses - it will lighten the appearance of a too-dark foundation, but it's hard to travel with and you don't get as much as you'd expect - the layer of powder is pretty shallow. It did work fine, but it wasn't awesome.

Silk Naturals Ginny liquid lip gloss*
Nice color, nice formula, but I really don't like wand-style, especially when there are so many natural ingredients. I worry it will go bad, which is why I made the effort to use this one up.

Garden of Wisdom Sulfur Clearing Mask*
I think things with sulfur might help clear teeny pre-zits, but I haven't found that it takes care of the monsters I really want gone.

Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Conditioner 3oz size
This is probably one of the two conditioners I've repeatedly bought over the past couple years. It's cheap, works fairly well, and is widely available. I don't love it, but it's convenient and functional enough that it's what I buy when my favorite's hard to come by. (My favorite is Kiss My Face Whenever conditioner - green tea and lime - smells like dessert but not so sweet it's sickly.)

December 2011 Used It!

Happy New Year!

Last month, I used up 13 products, 7 of them full size. The Tea Tree Tingle body wash from Trader Joe's is the only real clear winner - but I think I won't repurchase until summer - great for cleaning off sweaty griminess, overkill for winter.


Caudalie vinosource quenching sorbet creme sample tube
Silk Naturals 9:59 GWP shadow*
Adorned with Grace foundation/celestial silkening powder**
Silk Naturals GWP Watermelon Coconut Detox Mask
Hourglass Veil mineral primer spf 15 sample
Carol's Daughter Macadamia Heat Protecting Gloss sample
Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Body Wash*
Ecotools body wash - travel size
Yes To Cucumbers Soothing Moisturizer with SPF 30*
Ponds Evening Soothe face wipes
Cover Girl Exact Eyelights mascara - green eyes*
Nuance Chamomile Cream Cleanser*

November 2011 Used It!

I used up 14 things in November, 11 of them full size. Let me talk about a couple winners:

1. Silk Naturals Apricot Cleansing Oil. If you love the concept of the oil cleansing method but hate the idea of having to painstakingly steam oil and crud off your face, you probably should try this. Unlike most cleansing oils, this one has a rinsing aid added to it that allows it to rinse off with water.

This stuff is GREAT for getting off makeup, even eye makeup, without stripping your skin. I usually use it before using another cleanser, just because I like to make sure all the gunk from the day is off. The only reason I'm not buying a replacement is because I bought some of the emulsifier they use and am now making my own cleansing oils.

2. Desert Essence Daily Essential Moisturizer. I liked this a lot, for summer. I found that it moisturized my face and got rid of the post-cleansing "tight" feeling and did not break me out, make me an oil slick, or smell weird. Winner! I also like that it has actual moisturizing ingredients. I did not like the packaging - a jar, and also did not love how it seemed to almost leave me feeling still too dry after it started getting cold out. But I would recommend this to anyone looking for a basic, inexpensive night cream. It also makes a fantastic base for evening makeup, but don't use it during the day because there's no SPF.

Here's the complete list:

Garnier Nutrisse 3-way daily cleanser*
CVS brand non-acetone nail polish remover*
Crazy Rumors Mocha lip balm*
Silk Naturals Apricot Cleansing Oil*
Aromaleigh Glissade foundation 2W2L*
Neutrogena Sheer Liquid sunblock - spf 55*
Yes to Tomatoes Daily Clarifying facial cleanser*
Oily face serum sample
Fresh black tea age-delay face serum samples
Korres white tea cleanser sample
Korres yogurt aftersun lotion*
Garden of Wisdom Magic Lockes leave-in*
Ecotools Heel Cream*
Desert Essence Daily Essential Moisturizer*

October 2011 Used It!

In October, I used up 18 things, nine of them full size. I would buy the alba facial cleanser, aloe gel, and tresemme conditioner again. Even though I would not buy them again, I can still heartily recommend Darling Girl's products.

1. Josie Maran Protect sunblock - spf 40 with argan oil. - Good, expensive enough I don't think I'll repeat, though.

2. Frankenlotion. The frankenlotion kind of sucked. So let's talk about the Alba Mineral Facial Sunblock spf 20 that went into it, and how goopy it was, or how good it would be if you were dressing up as Casper for Halloween. Or let's not.

3. Sahara eyeshadow from the Sephora Pure Wanderlust palette. Good basic shimmery beige. Can't repurchase.

4. Korres Guava Lip Butter. Eh. I did not like the pot. The product itself was ok.

5. Philosophy Vanilla Birthday Cake 3-in-1 (birthday freebie from Sephora). Decent shampoo, ok body wash. Nothing that special, though.

6. Liza's Lotions Blotch-Be-Gone with Salicylic Acid. A little sad that she's closed for the time being now. Get well, Liza!

7. Alba Botanica Sea Minerals Cleansing Gel. I might buy this again. But only if the cheapie I'm waiting to use doesn't work well.

8. VO5 blackberry sage conditioner. I need to stop buying this. It doesn't smell or condition that well.

9. CVS brand clear aloe gel. I will probably buy this again, if only because it's a pretty good hair gel/makeup remover/sunburn remedy, and it's dirt cheap.

I also went through some samples.
- Garden of Wisdom sulfur clearing mask (.25 oz size). Not bad.
- Biore nose strip. I liked it enough to swap for some more. Gunk be gone!
- Darling Girl Cosmetics Belle shadow sample. This was really pretty - don't need another pale shadow, though!
- Darling Girl Cosmetics Chimera shadow sample. Also really pretty, great texture.
- John Freida full repair shampoo and conditioner samples. Eh. I don't think it repaired anything. It did clean and help detangle my hair, though. But not so much that the sample worked.
- Too Faced absolutely flawless concealer sample decant - vanilla. I did not like the concealer because it creased. It does make me curious about the foundation.
- Tresemme "Naturals" aloe vera and avocado shampoo and conditioner samples. Did not like the shampoo. The conditioner is something I might pick up sometime.
- Silk Naturals Juiced sample shadow baggie. I don't think this is the best color for me, and I would have liked the sparkles to stay a bit longer.
- L'Oreal Youth Code day/night cream sample. This was fine. I'm pretty sure a pile of dimethicone is not going to do gene therapy on my face, though.

September 11 used it!

September '11 Used It!
In September, I used up six full-size products and five sample sizes.

- SN Devoted cream blush*
Not bad - though the formula's recently been reworked to exclude the cyclopentasiloxane Karen used to use. I found it easiest to use with a duo-fiber brush: then it was fine over powder foundation.

- Garnier Nutrisse Moisture Rescue Gel Cream*
I used up some of this in my frankenlotion, and used the rest of it on my face as a moisturizer. It's ok, but I don't think I'd buy it again. I've tried other water-based serums that I liked much better.

- Sally Hansen (Carmindy line) luminizing face primer*
Don't waste your time. Even if you really want to look like a vampire from Twilight, there are cheaper ways to do that. It didn't even really help my makeup stay on. Instead of "Luminizing," it should say "contains chunks of glitter."

- Silk Naturals Oatmeal Serum*
I liked this better than the Green Tea and Aloe, but if I use their Awesome Sauce, there's not really a need to keep it around.

- Nuance Salma Hayek Volumizing Conditioner*
Worked fine, smelled a little "ripe" for my tastes.

- Garnier Fructis Intense Cleanse anti-dandruff shampoo*
Just slightly too harsh for me. I did enjoy the little scrubby beads in it, though.

- Aromaleigh seafoam pure matte eyeshadow sample
Nice pale blue.

- TanTowel (one)
First time I'd ever tried a self-tanner. My legs glowed for a couple days, but I was glad when it wore off because I didn't apply it super evenly, and it was nice to be the same color all over again. I think I'm fine with being super white and don't want to spend the time to look darker.

- Urban Decay makeup remover sample decant (new kind)
Does not smell as good as the old kind.

- Sample baggie Meow Pink Inc. Blush - Cashmere
I want a full size of this pretty badly - it's beautiful. Subtle, but leaves me glowy. Hard to overdo.

- Boots Naturals makeup remover sample decant
Fine. Nothing special.

200th post!

And kind of a random one, at that. I used up some more stuff. And I'm gonna see if I can go until October 15th before buying anything new (including makeup, skincare, haircare, nail polish). I need to shrink my collection some. Or a lot. It's time for some major detox - I had a stressful summer and compensated by buying things.

Using things up feels good, but it's also a methodical process that keeps me away from a lot of my collection.

And, it's 5 days away from when Project Use It hits the yearlong mark. I wonder if I can get to 200 products by then? After the year, I don't know what I'm going to do about keeping track of stuff - maybe a monthly or biweekly post?

Things that are gone now:
*SN Bubbly GWP eye shadow - can't buy it again, but it was lovely. I even got a compliment on it from the lady at Ulta! I'm kind of looking forward to moving onto something else now, though. It was a tan champagne shade with lots of sparkles.

*Meow Pampered Puss foundation sample - Sleek Persian. I did like this enough to get a huge tub of it at their recent sale. Probably could have waited some more, as I still have an Aromaleigh full size and a tub of adorned with Grace. Oh well.

*Nuance Salma Hayek Tinted Moisturizer samples - Light. I took three of these, because they're really only good for testing the color if you only have one. Turns out three of these are also not enough to test out coverage. I ended up piling my normal stuff on top of it, because it was like it didn't do anything.

*Neutrogena Instant Nail Enhancer. This claimed to be a way to make your nails look better without polish. I say it's basically a very thin, very fast drying clear nail polish. I also say it's not worth the effort, which is why I had it sitting around for years and had to make a conscious effort to use it up so I could harvest the silver balls for a Frankenpolish.

(Since Sept. 2, 2010)
192 items gone
71 full size items gone

Friday mind dump

Hello, all.

Just dumping a few things from my mind before I forget them! Survived the first two weeks of my new job!!! Now, I'm enjoying a can of beer at 5 p.m. on a Friday, because I'm a grownup and I can. :D In other news, I will probably be asleep soon, because with me it doesn't take much.

1. My collection is overflowing. I'm gonna go for a 50-day detox. Today is Day 3.

2. I made a bunch of lip frankens over the weekend. I took pictures. I'll post sometime soonish.

3. I used up more stuff.
- EDM lavender everyday everywhere. This is something they don't make anymore. Too bad. It's almond oil, hydrogenated vegetable oil, and a botanical agent. This one was lavender. It was good for my lips and for really dry skin. It was also really old, like I'd had it for over 3 years, so using it up seemed wise.

- Epically Epic Soap fragrance sample - Tropical Peach. I don't use perfumes, so I added this to some plain body wash. It made showertime very aromatic for a few weeks. I think I liked it, but it was a bit too "ripe" for my taste.

- Frankenfoundation, Jr. (envelope SN original ivory, medium ivory, 12ish scoops Warm Gold, plus a 10g jar of some zinc oxide and mica blend I had laying around). This actually ended up being ok! Who knew? Unfortunately, I have no concrete idea on the proportions, so I won't be making it again... Not that I need to, I have three more loose powder foundations, two liquids, a pressed powder, and a mousse. I'm good for a bit, I'd say.

(Since Sept. 2, 2010)
188 items gone
69 full size items gone

another used it! (And I liked over half the stuff!)

Hey everyone! I got a job! I'm working with elementary school kids and teaching them Spanish. So, I've been pretty busy this week.

Anyway, I've used up some more stuff.

*Silk Naturals Vitamin C Peptide serum - Good stuff, though I'm going to be trying out the new Awesome Sauce as a replacement. I used this in the morning under my sunblock.

*Meow Flawless Feline foundation sample - frisky chartreux. I wanted to try the Flawless Feline formula, and was able to get this as an extra in a swap. I think Pampered Puss is still better for me, as this was a bit thick and cakey on me. My skin's improved since I started reviewing foundations, so now I don't need them to have as much coverage.

*adorned with Grace Minerals Animated blush sample - This is a good shade for fair ladies to add a natural-looking flush. Strangely, on me, it actually worked like a cross between bronzer and blush. There's no brown in it at all, but the peachy shade worked to give me a just-been-outside look. I might order this next time I order from there.

*Bliss Steep Clean mask sample. I got this at Sephora. There are two packets, one with blue gel and one with a yellow cream. You mix the two to make a slimy green paste, which you then apply to your face, let sit for five minutes, and rinse off. I'm really not sure this did more than stink and burn my eyes with the fumes. Bleh.

*Kiss My Face Face Factor SPF 30 sunblock. I would consider buying this again, too. It wasn't my Holy Grail of sunblocks, but it met most of my specifications (zinc oxide, nothing I'm allergic to, no noticeable fragrance). Even if I used a lot, it seemed to sink in within a few minutes.

(Since Sept. 2, 2010)
185 items gone
67 full size items gone

used it!!!

*EcoTools body lotion - full size, ok, not great, takes a while to sink in, smells like Kool-Aid.

*Brazen Cosmetics Jinx shadow sample - this sample lasted a lot longer than I thought it would - I probably got at least 20 wears out of it. Now I'm looking forward to not wearing purple again for a while! This was a light blurple. Brazen uses carnauba wax in their formulations, so it goes on really smoothly.

*Liza's Lotions 1/3 oz. blotch be gone lotion - I think I might like this more for winter than for summer - it's a bit sticky for this humidity, but it's still great stuff.

*Silk Naturals Protein Deep Treatment (1 oz. size) - I have waist-length hair, and there is a lot of it, so this was good for about two treatments for me. The verdict's still out on this - I'm not sure it really made my hair that much better, but I'm also not sure I needed a protein treatment, either - I got this in a swap and thought "why not?" It smells nice, feels great, and has a nice texture. Like most (well, the one other) protein treatment I've tried, this isn't a replacement for conditioner.

ES project pan - 16/20
Lip project pan - 7/10

(Since Sept. 2, 2010)
176 items gone
63 full size items gone

Used it! (goodbye, frankenfoundation)

*Murad essential c day moisture spf 30vitamin C spf 30
Got this (sample size) in the Sephora suncare kit. I don't like that it doesn't protect against all UVA rays, but I did really like the texture and the creamsicle scent. Probably will not buy again because I'm not sure if it's as effective as I want.

*Frankenfoundation
This was a mix of three Physicians Formula Mineral Wear products that didn't work great for me on their own: pressed power in Soft Green, translucent facebrightener, and powdered concealer (the one that comes in a little pen brush) . I was having trouble with the two pressed powders, so I broke them up and mixed them with the concealer in a jar. It actually worked ok, but I'm not sad that it's gone or anything.

*Silk Naturals Argan and Goji moisturizer
I very well might buy this again in the winter. It's a nice, basic cream, and a little goes a long way.

(Since Sept. 2, 2010)
161 items gone
60 full size items gone

In other news, I'm on Day 9 of a no-buy forced upon me by utter brokeness, because the training program I'm in doesn't give me my stipend until I'm done.

Used it! (and consolidated a few things)

*Coastal Scents Key Lime shadow sample. A nice pale lime green, not quite as pigmented as I usually like, but maybe that makes it more suitable for professional dress codes.

*UDPP Eden sample decant. I used to think I really wanted a full size of this. Thanks to the nice ladies at Sephora and their generous sample decant policy, now I won't be stuck with something I don't like - this stuff is just way too yellow for my taste, and I end up having to cover the entire application with shadow, which, IMO, defeats the purpose of having a tinted primer.

*Walgreens spray sunblock. No UVA protection! I almost wish I didn't have another one of these lying around - I bought it out of desperation hoping to be able to protect myself during a surprise long drive, but it's not the best. It gets points for portability, but not much else.

*Almay makeup remover wipes. I like having wipes around. They're great for when I'm tired - they make it a lot easier to wash my face because I don't have to be as careful to get all the makeup off. That said, these ones kind of sting.

ES project pan - 15/20
Lip project pan - 6/10

(Since Sept. 2, 2010)
156 items gone
56 full size items gone

Also, I took some products I wasn't crazy about and consolidated them.
I detubed the following: SN Bisou, Crazy Rumors HibisKiss Coral, Morgana Cryptoria Fire in the Sky sample, and tiny bit of homemade lip balm, melted it all together in a shot glass in the microwave, and now I have a single tube of a sheer berry color.

Then, because I got a good deal on some powder dispensing brushes, I mixed a full size of Aromaleigh Ultra Resolution Silica powder - Peaches and Cream, with half a 10g jar of Aromaleigh Divine Radiance powder - Magnolia Blossom, and a bit of zinc powder. It's in my purse now for those "ack! I have shinyface!" moments.

All UDPP and all TFSI - comparison!

I have a full size TFSI, a mini size UDPP Greed, sample decants from Sephora of UDPP Sin and Eden and TFSI candlelight, and I had a sample card of UDPP. So, I did some swatches. On top is Silk Naturals Lime, a matte shade, and on the bottom is Hi-Fi The Hydra, a shimmery blue.

Left to right:
1. Bare skin
2. UDPP
3. UDPP Eden
4. UDPP Sin
5. UDPP Greed
6. TFSI Candlelight
7. TFSI

Out of the "clear" primers, I like TFSI better - I think it does a better job enhancing the shimmer shade.

I do not like Eden too much - it leaves a much too yellowish cast for my taste. I'd like it better if it were a very pale peach.

Out of the "gold" primers, I like UD Greed better. Candlelight seems to wash out the shimmer shade too much, and even if it does make mattes a little sparklier, it also makes them paler.

Sin is a unique shade, and I like it. It washes out the colors more than Greed, but I like it on its own as a quick and easy work cream shadow. I have the shadow pencil in the same color, but that creases on me a little - but if I had the primer for my lids and the pencil for the lower lashline, I'd look a lot more awake in not a lot of time.

Out of the six of them, TFSI, Greed, and Sin are the ones I think are worth having.

So there's my thoughts on the eye primer leaders.

Used it - The good, the bad, and the ugly. And also the "meh."

The good:
SN Beach Bunny bronzer sample
This actually worked pretty well on me. I'm learning that bronzers don't work for contour, because they're usually sparkly and warm toned, and contouring products should lean cool and matte. But if I try this as bronzer, it warms my face up pretty nicely without looking orange or dirty. I still have minis of a bunch of pressed bronzers, but it's on my short list.

The bad:
Pantene volumizing shampoo for fine hair sample.
I got this in the (in)famous Target sample bag. First off, it's floral. Second off, volumizing usually means "roughs up the cuticle to make it fluffy." Third off, it (again) seemed to only work when diluted or when I used an entire palmful (this stuff is thick). I'm not sad to see it go.

The ugly:
Neutrogena Mineral Sheers undereye concealer.
This is one of those things where my inner packaging whore got the best of me. It comes in a pan built into the lid of a jar for powder. In theory, you're supposed to be able to dot the cream concealer on your undereye, then set it with the included powder. Well, that didn't work. The concealer was almost the right color (too yellow, but right lightness), but the powder part was way too light. So I tried the powder as a light dusting all over my face, see if I could get rid of it that way. Nope. Chalky ghost face even with a fiber optic brush. So then I decided that the trash can was the best way to get rid of the powder. I used up a bunch of the concealer as a sticky eye base. Mostly, I think that was an unnecessary additional step to the routine. So then I mixed the dregs with some Monistat anti-chafing power and used it up as a "tinted primer." I will not buy this product again. Now, I'm using the part where the concealer was for a depotted eyeshadow that's just the right size, and I'm keeping powders I do like in the bottom. Eventually, it'll make its way into a travel/after gym type kit.

The meh:
Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer spf 30 sunblock sample
I got this in the Sephora Sun Care kit. This stuff was ok - not great, not bad. I probably won't buy it again because I'm not convinced that the avobenzone is photostable.

(Since Sept. 2, 2010)
145 items gone
52 full size items gone

used it! (mostly full sizes, too!)

*EDM Light Pink Face Color. This is the same full size I bought in my first non-sample EDM order, way back in spring 08! It's been transferred to progressively smaller containers as I used it up, and the original jar is long gone. I used this a lot when I first started with mineral makeup, and I've been using it up by mixing a little with my frankenfoundation - it helps lighten and brighten the mix. The formula's changed now, and I wouldn't buy again for that reason, but I really did enjoy this product.

Korres Basil Lemon body scrub - got this as a Sephora deal a while back - it was pretty good stuff, and I'm going to buy some basil essential oil so I can replicate the scent somewhat. I think it was a little drying, but I loved using it. Too expensive to repurchase, though. Also, it was kind of annoying how the bamboo grits would stick around the bottom of the shower.

SN Lychee blush sample baggie - too red for me, had to use a tiny bit with a duo fiber brush, or else I'd look sunburned.

Burt's Bees Herbal Blemish Stick - Don't buy this unless you like the way licorice/anise smell. I don't. Also, I don't think this did much for me. At least I get a nice glass rollerball bottle out of it that I can repurpose for something else.


ES project pan - 8 gone - 5/8
Lip project pan - 5 gone - 1/5

138 items gone
50 full size items gone

used it! (mostly samples, ergh)

SN Cosmic blush baggie sample - bright, cool pink - Too bright and cool for me, but an excellent texture!

Brazen Cosmetics Courtesan sample (warm, dark bubblegum pink, shiny) - I did like this, but I'm not sure it's the sort of color I HAVE to have, because I already have some more pinks I like - this did also make a nice blush (duo-fiber brush, of course) as well, so it's multi-purpose.

Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition shampoo sample - About the only shampoo I've ever tried that actually works better lathered twice, which leads me to believe that it's not quite strong enough - I think the first wash gets off the dirt, and the second wash reduces the buildup from the shampoo itself? I might buy it in a pinch, but it's not my favorite ever.

Garnier Nutrisse Skin Renew Anti-Sun Damage SPF 28 - This was my second bottle of this. There are things that drive me NUTS about it - mostly how the last 20% of the product stays stuck in the bottle (I had to use a tiny spatula to get that last bit into a jar where I could use it), and I'm not overly fond of its pine-sol aroma, but it has the right amount of sun protection for the late spring months when I'm starting to be outside without clothes covering all of me all the time. And, since it's frequently on sale, and Garnier keeps having coupons on their skincare, I will probably keep buying it every March or April. At 2.5 ounces, it's big enough to use on my neck, chest, and arms and lasts the couple months I need it to before I ratchet up the sun protection. I haven't burned yet, but I have been out for several hours at a time in short sleeves.

ES project pan - 8 gone - 5/8
Lip project pan - 5 gone - 1/5

134 items gone
47 full size items gone

used it! (mostly masks)

Quick post:

Used up three more things!
Boscia Luminizing Black Mask sample decant - It seemed to really get out all the gunk, but four hours later my nose pores were exuding oil again. I really don't know what was up with that - I went from being thrilled with it to kind of disappointed, and I'm not sure I'd buy the full size, especially not at high-end prices.

SN Green Goddess mask (tablespoon baggie) - I have one more of these left... Anyway, this is pretty good if you don't add too much water. It smells minty and the herbs feel nice exfoliating when you rinse it off. I like it better than the Aztec clay masks, which always seemed to clog my sink drains and dry out my skin.

ELF clear mascara - I'd used this exclusively for my brows, and it worked for that. I like how it had two sides, so I could keep one side uncontaminated until I was out of the other side. I noticed no difference in the efficacy of the "brows" side vs. the "lash" side. I also don't think this would do anything for lashes. I might buy this again, because a buck is hard to beat.

130 items gone
46 full size items gone