This post will be another departure from regularly scheduled programming, and it’ll post while I am flying to Alabama. Here’s the thing, as you are well aware with the help of Miss Butterfly I’ve really gotten into makeup. However, besides Miss Butterfly, I don’t really have anyone to discuss it with. Plus, I would like to be able to keep track of what I have tried and what I liked and didn’t like. Since I began considering blogging about these new experiences, I’ve been saving product empties I’ve finished off. I can get a grouped photograph, and list out experiences, and reference those on my blog. I keep worrying that this will be ridiculously boring, but in the same respect I am trying to remember that the blog is for me and if this works for me, it works for me. No one else actually has to read it. 🙂

So, here’s what I’ve emptied recently:

Working predominately left to right again:

Tarte’s Tarteist lip paint, I am considering this tiny free sample done. Now, I do plan to experiment with this sample, removing the stopper to see if I can get any more product out of it. However, as the packaging currently stands, it’s done. It was an easy one to empty to be honest. I really liked the formula, it was easy to apply, it wore nicely at work, and the color is great for a pulled together look without being bold. I have been wearing this fairly consistently since I got it, I love wearing it on a day I am rocking a bolder eye shadow experiment. I was highly tempted to run right out and get a full size of this in the same color. Except….it’s expensive and since I am still really exploring products I’d feel really sad if I purchased the full size, and then got another sample of a different brand that I liked better. This is the only lip paint I’ve tried. How do I KNOW this is The One? I don’t. So, I am going to scratch out the last little bit from it by removing it’s stopper, and then it goes in the trash. But luckily I’ve got this post to remind me that I like it in case I forget! (I won’t forget. I really like it.)

The Nars velvet matte lip pencil sample I am considering done. You may see that there’s still product there, but there’s no real way to get it onto my lips without making a royal mess. I tried a lip brush, but it’s not working. Here’s what this product taught me. First of all, surprisingly, a super bright magenta or hot pink looks good on me. It was a bold color I never would have tried had I not received it in a subscription box. But, I did receive it, so I felt like I should use it, and in doing so discovered the color is fantastic on me. I actually really enjoyed the formula of this product, I don’t mind a matte lipstick at all. It didn’t transfer easily and I could wear it all day without reapplying, which makes it a very appealing product. Except that I’ve also discovered that matte lipsticks in “crayon” form are very difficult to use without making a mess. That’s my experience anyhow. I’ve got a crayon style tinted lip balm that works great, but I don’t have to be very precise with it. But with this bold a color, a mistake really shows, and I was making a ton of mistakes with the crayon style application. I won’t repurchase.

Clinique’s take the day off makeup remover. I truly want to know, is there any difference in these types of shake them up and apply with a cotton pad makeup removers? In the past, I’ve tried this one, almay ones, estee lauder once, and none of them, truly, seem any different from the other. So that’s a no, I am not going to purchase this product. If I get a sample, I’ll happily use it up but I don’t see the point of purchasing it outright.

Clinique cc cream, which is featured in this month’s project pan (or use it up in this case.) Ok, I’ve given this the ol’ college try. This is expired. And, this does not look good on my skin. It’s not just that it is the wrong shade. It does NOT LOOK GOOD on my skin, I can apply with a sponge, a brush, or my fingers and it DOES NOT LOOK GOOD. It’s gotta go. I can do better. WAY better. In fact, I wore something else yesterday and after numerous days of the cc cream I hated, I kept looking at myself in the mirror and thinking “So much better!” The astute among you may observe that if it’s outdated, perhaps it’s spoiled and that’s why I am having such trouble with it. This may be true. I DID use it when I purchased it for the 2016 conference, I did use it to have some photographs taken for my job as well, and I don’t remember having an awful time with it. Either it is genuinely spoiled, or I am just way more critical than I used to be. Or some combo of both. In any case, it hits the trash NOW!

Urban Decay’s all nighter setting spray, this was a free sample. And…I don’t think I’ll repurchase this either. I hear about this product a ton, but I guess this is another “How is this actually better?” situation for me. I mean, I used it all up, but I think there could easily be less expensive options out there, so I won’t repurchase. I’ll explore some less expensive options for awhile, and may even decide that setting spray isn’t for me.

Loreal’s voluminous lash paradise. Would I repurchase? I ALREADY HAVE! For real, this is my jam. I love the applicator, I love the formula, I love how it stays on my lashes, I love how it makes them look, I love the price, and I love this product. You might wonder how I’ve managed to go through an entire mascara in the short time I’ve been hard core exploring makeup. But, shelf life of opened mascara is only 3 months and with this product, it pretty much gets too thick to apply and look great around that 3 month mark. I repurchased this product, but didn’t open it, as I wanted to save it for the wedding. In the meantime, I am trying to use up other mascara samples to tide me over until then. After this next tube is done, I may try exploring a few other cheap drugstore brands I’ve read good things about, but I am eager for another 3 months of this product.

Belif moisturizing eye bomb, this was another sample sent in a subscription box, and I actually am working through yet another free sample now. I really do like this product. When I first began applying makeup, the wrinkles in my undereye area pulled all the way out onto my cheeks, and they don’t anymore. Is it due to this product in particular or to a better skin care routine in general? I don’t know. Might even have something to do with slightly more skilled makeup application routines. I do know that I like this better than my clinique all about eyes sample that I tried right after Christmas.  Will I purchase this? Not at this time. It’s expensive! And I’ve got two more eye creams from samples or boxes that I can try before I make that decision. I am ready to keep exploring on this category. Not ready to commit.

So, that’s my try on/empties for this month. We’ll see what I can manage to work through next month. I can tell you this, that perfume I am trying to work my way through? Guys, perfumes go SLOWLY. Which is great, for the price one pays for them. But less great if you have this idea you need to see discernible progress on going through something.