2013 Empties!: Mascaras, Makeup Removers, Shower Gels, Deodorant, & More!

This is my first ever empties post! I started collecting beauty-related products that I used up towards the last quarter of 2013. This is definitely not everything I used up last year, but at least you can get an idea of some of the products I tried. I have short descriptions of the products below and basically decisions on whether or not I would get the product again. Some of the products were samples, so I have noted which products those are.

I will try to remember to save empty bottle and packages more often and do these kinds of posts periodically throughout the year.

This is the first Baby Lips I have used up out of the five I have. This one is Quenched and has no color to it. I like using the Baby Lips before I put other lip colors on. Every once in a while I will wear the ones I have with color in them alone. The moisturizing properties these have are not super long-lasting, but I do think they are pretty good for the price.

Tuesday Tips: Makeup Is Only As Good As The Skin Underneath

Many people use makeup, foundation and concealer especially, to cover up imperfections. The makeup will only look as good as the skin underneath though. It is extremely important to take care of your skin and find the right products for you. Here are a few tips on how to find what's best for you.

Protect your skin with SPF.

This is the most important AND most neglected skincare item that you should always use. Your skin needs protection from the sun even if you are outside for five minutes a day. Those five minutes add up over the years and your skin will show it. Sun damage can cause wrinkles and hyper-pigmentation (dark spots) on your skin. To prevent and prolong these things from happening, use SPF! And no, the sun protection in your foundation is not enough.

Moisturize your skin daily. 

I know there are thousands of different moisturizers on the market and it can be overwhelming to find one for you. First let me say to anyone that's reading this that has oily skin, you may think you don't need a moisturizer or that it will just make your skin more oily, but your skin still needs hydration. Your skin needs moisture even if it has excess oil. An oil-free moisturizer is formulated especially for oily skin types.

Now that I got that cleared up, try and narrow down what your main concern is with your skin. For example, my main concern is acne, so I usually look for a moisturizer that has acne-clearing properties and/or is good for acne-prone skin. If you are concerned with wrinkles, find a moisturizer that targets that concern. You get the idea. If you don't have a concern with your skin, look for an age prevention moisturizer. Every women should start using an age prevention moisturizer in her 20's. If you don't try to prevent and prolong visible aging, don't cry about getting wrinkles early on in life.

Exfoliate.

Exfoliation is important too because it aids in removing the layers of dead skin cells that build up on your face everyday. Find an exfoliator that works best for with your skin type and follow the directions on how many times a week you should use it.

Take care of your eyes. 

The skin around your eye is just as important as the rest of the skin on your face. You need to take care of it. It is important to use eye creams around the eyes and NOT moisturizer because the skin around your eyes is a lot thinner and a lot more delicate than the rest of your skin. Moisturizers can irritate the eye area and won't hydrate that skin in the best possible way. The same idea of searching for a product that treats your main concern(s) applies to eye cream just like moisturizer.

Take care of your lips just like the rest of your skin. 

Your lips need care too! SPF is important for your lips like your skin, so make sure at least one of the products your putting on your lips each day has SPF. Exfoliating your lips is a good idea too. I'm not very good at doing that, so I should probably try to do that more. Using a moisturizing lip treatment or balm is a good idea too.

I could go on and on, but I'll stop here. I hope it doesn't seem like I'm trying to get you all to go out and buy a bunch of products because I know this stuff gets expensive. I do think all of these things are important, but gradually adding them into your skincare routine if perfectly fine. 

Also, all the pictures I posted here are of Clinique products. I just used these as examples because this is the skincare line I am most familiar with. There are plenty of other great skincare lines out there, some at higher prices and some at lower prices, so do some research and find what is the best deal for you. 

 I am by no means a skincare expert and I'm definitely not a doctor or dermatologist, so you obviously don't have to follow everything I say. These are just some of my tips for you all. I hope this helps some of you! If you ever have any questions or comments about skincare or anything else, I can always answer them to the best of my ability. Just leave a comment below. You don't have to have an account to comment.

Have a wonderful Tuesday everyone! :)

Clinique Cosmetics PART 1

I want to start reviewing cosmetic brands every so often here. I think it would be fun to talk about what I have tried from a certain brand, what I like, what I don't, etc. However, I NEED FEEDBACK! I want anyone who reads my posts to feel like they have some input on what they read on here. If you like what I am doing or want to see something different, I need to know! So leave comments please!

Moving on, today I want to talk about Clinique. I started using Clinique products when I started working at Younkers a few years ago. Since then I have tried a good amount of their products. They are a pretty affordable high-end brand for the most part. I have not tried many of their serums or things from their lines like Even Better because I don't have a need for them yet, so I won't have much information on those things. 

This is PART 1 of 2 posts I will do on Clinique. This one is about skin care and makeup remover. Stop back tomorrow for PART 2, which talks about Clinique's makeup.

• Acne Solutions Clarifying Lotion - This is a liquid exfoliator that is used after cleanser and before moisturizer. This particular one has a white powder in it that soaks up the oil that acne-prone people like me have. It also contains salicylic acid, which helps fight acne. I have been using this for over a year now with my cleanser and moisturizer and I have seen an incredible improvement in my skin. My acne has cleared up immensely. I still get acne, mainly on my chin, but it nowhere near as bad as it was before. It is best used with the acne cleanser and moisturizer, but I find that it dries out my skin and causes irritation if I use too many products with salicylic acid. It retails for $15.

• Acne Solutions Spot Healing Gel - This is a spot treatment for acne that also contains salicylic acid. I use this on blemishes that are just coming in or that are very noticeable. The treatment dries the blemish up and reduces the size and redness. The bottle lasts a long time because you don't have to use very much of it. It retails for $16.

• Acne Solutions Oil-Control Cleansing Mask - I really can't say much about the results I have had with this because I just got it a few weeks ago and have only used it twice. It is a clay mask with salicylic acid in it that helps heal acne, unclog pores, and fight oil. It says on the packaging to leave it on for 5 minutes and then rinse off, but I leave it on until it completely hardens and then rinse it off. It does leave my skin a little red after using it, so I would recommend using it at night a little before going to bed. I would also not use it more than once a week. So far I like it and will continue to use it to see what kind of results it will bring me. It retails for $22.

•  Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel - This is their most popular moisturizer. They recommend using it with the other 3-step products (cleanser and clarifying lotion). It comes in a lotion for dry/normal skin and a gel for oily skin like mine. I started using this a few months ago and think it is an ok moizturizer. I haven't noticed too much difference in my skin from it, but it does feel nice and helps a tiny bit with cutting back on the oil on my face. It retails for $25.

• Moisture Surge Moisturizer - This is my favorite moisturizer ever! I have developed some annoying dry, flaky patches on my face from the dry Iowa winter we had. This moisturizer, which is like a "big drink of water for your skin," as my Clinique consultants would say, leaves my skin feeling hydrated but not oily. I use this one mainly at night before going to sleep and on days when my skin feels a little dry. The large jar (2.5 fl. oz.) retails for $49.50 and the small (1.7) retails for $37.

• Moisture Surge Overnight Mask - This is a new product for Clinique. It is a creamy mask that you put on at night after all your skin care and then wash it off in the morning. It helps bring moisture back to your face and it feels amazing. I use this once a week. When I wash it off in the morning, it leaves my face feeling super soft and hydrated but not oily. It retails for $32 and will last for a long time because you barely have to use any of it to cover the entire face.

• Pore Refining Solutions Correcting Serum - This serum, used before moisturizer after clarifying lotion, is supposed to smooth out the skin and diminish the look of your pores. I have not tried this product consistently enough to see any real results, but I love the way this serum feels on my skin. It makes my face feel baby soft and smooth. To see results, it needs to be used twice a day, every day like the rest on Clinique's skin care products. It retails for $42.50.

• Take the Day Off Makeup Remover - This makeup remover can be used on the eyelids, lashes, and lips. It is very easy to remove my makeup with this stuff. All I have to do is put it on a cotton ball and hold it on my eyelid or lips for 5-10 seconds and then wipe everything away. It takes off both regular and waterproof makeup. I do have to rinse off my eyelids after using it though because it does leave behind that oily residue. I also want to to point out the Take the Day Off is the perfect and most awesome name for a makeup remover ever! It retails for $18.

 Have you used any of these Clinique products before? What do think of them? Are there any other Clinique skin care products not mentioned that you really like? Let me know in the comments below!