Monthly Empties: 1st Qtr 2014

Time to share what has been showing up in my Glossybox at the end of the month. Sadly it really has turned into quarterly empties post, but I'm working on it!

January 2014 Monthly Empty

January of 2014 was a pretty boring month. Only 3 items emptied out, but I finally finished my Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Moisturizing Emulsion (and yes this is the old packaging so you know how long it's been sticking around!)


Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Moisturizing Emulsion  -  Retails for $59 and probably lasted me over 2 years with on and off inconsistent use. I've been using it as a night moisturizer only because even though it is very lightweight, I feel that it takes too long for it to absorb into my skin to use in the mornings. Normally I only have 10-15 mins to get dressed before I dabble on makeup and get ready for work and powder foundation does NOT go on well on a sticky surface. I switch to using it at night and it works wonderfully. Keeps my skin hydrated and plump the next day. I will definitely repurchase in the future because I really love the White Lucent line, but I think my skin has reach it's plateau with the line in terms of brightening, so I'm going to switch off to something else.


The Body Shop - Body Butter in Olive - The larger 200 mL container retails for $20 (cheaper on Amazon). I got this as a gift for Xmas the previous year in 2012 and never got around using it because I thought the Olive scent smelled too masculine (something to keep in mind if you share with a significant other), but since I needed a new body lotion after showering (a habit that I've been keeping for the last year and half - works wonders!) I decided to use it up. The scent finally grew on me and I actually bought a back up already! Very hydrating to the skin and doesn't leave me feeling greasy at all after a shower.

Neutrogena Naturals Lip Balm - Retails about $3 and was a freebie I received from the Target Style Summer Beauty Bag. Part of their all natural line that promotes products without use of crazy chemicals. Nothing really stood out for me, just a regular old clear lip balm and it didn't have a glossy finish like the Fresh Sugar Treatment. I think the one thing that was most memorable is the clear packaging. You can actually see the balm move up and down the tube and probably gave me the most incenitive to finish up. Will be an option for future purchase if I ever run into a drugstore for lip balms again.

Now that was easy to wrap up January, but February was really when everything piled into the GlossyBox.

February 2014 Monthly Empties

Getting the repeats out of the way first.

Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Emulsion is just the travel size of the one used above and the FaceQ Ocean & Aloe Mask was reviewed here. My opinion still stands.

SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion - Retails for $60 for the full size and is really a toner and not a lotion. It was intended for the oily T-zones (not that it is for oily skin). I put some on a cotton pad and then just wipe my entire face. Doesn't leave the skin feeling very plump (well it's a toner) so you definitely need a moisturizer afterwards. I prefer the Facial Treatment Essence over it.

Aveeno Stress Relief Moisturizing Lotion - Body lotion that's suppose to relieve stress! Haha, yes I got sucked in and bought it. The only reason it helps relieve stress is because it has a lavender scent, which traditionally soothes and they expect you to only use this at night. The texture and consistency of this lotion differs from their regular line though. It's more lightweight and less hydrating.  I would stick to their regular line, I wasn't too crazy about the scent.  The 12 oz bottle retails about $10 and is available in any drugstore.

H2O+ Spa Hand &Nail Cream - Finally finished this hand cream after years of use! Too lazy to use at home and it was too big to carry outside. Retails about $15 but have been discontinued. It wasn't bad at all. Very thick and left my hands feeling really silky.

Missha The Style HD Viewer 270 Mascara - Professional Volume - I've reviewed it in detailed here before. The formula doesn't smudge and dries quickly on my lashes. It's already discontinued but I wouldn't repurchase this one anyway because the brush head was too big for my shaky, unsteady hands.

Arganics by NuMe Argan Oil - This sample size came in my very first Glossybox and full size retails for $59. A very gooey hair serum that I dare not use on DRY hair because it would be too hard to spread in the ends of my hair evenly, but on damp hair, at least I was able to rub my palms on the ends. The scent was light but I didn't see much difference in my hair texture or shininess. Funny anecdote of the day, I was on a argan oil kick after using the Josie Maran Argan Oil Moisturizer, so what did I do when I saw this little bottle? Yup, I slathered the HAIR SERUM on my face! I'm lucky it didn't break me out. Took me over 4-5 times use on my face before I finally read the bottle and it's instructions for hair use. >_<  Always read the manual people, read the manual.


Now March empties got more exciting, because I finally have a makeup product to include!

March 2014 Monthly Empties

Bare Minerals Original Broad Spectrum Mineral Foundation - Light - This was one of the deluxe sizes that come in the Sephora Bare Minerals sets. Retails at $27 for full size. It was one of my very first foundations when I was still wary about the impact of makeup on my skin. Mineral foundation is probably the safest way to get into color if you're worry about possible negative effects. Lasted me so many years and has always been my go to whenever my skin breaks out and I have blemishes to hide. Light to medium coverage and won't leave you looking cakey even though it's powder! Already have a backup.

Caudalie Premier Cru Eye Cream - This is actually the discontinued version of the current selling one here. Caudalie recently discontinued this super luxe eye cream that was selling for $95 and I picked it up while in Boston at Nordstrom Rack for $29! I almost wanted to splurge on for more but stopped myself after having a so-so experience with their Pulpe Vitaminee Eye Cream. It was a nice light texture that instantly melts into your eye area, but I find no improvement on my fine lines even with daily use. A little disappointed and glad I didn't pick up more.

Peter Thomas Roth Gentle Complexion Correction Pads - A recommendation from the dear Rae from @Raeviewer . For $36 you get 60 pads (essentially 2 months worth if you use it daily). Soaked in salicylic acid, the Gentle version is not as concentrated as the Maximum version, but I was worried that it'll really burn my skin. Originally was hoping it would work well for my breakouts but this turned out working better on my blackheads and pores. Whenever I see my pores getting larger, I'll just use a pad to wipe in circular motion around my nose area and blackheads and pores seem to go away after 2-3 days. I don't use it often and this container lasts me almost 1 year. It has a yummy peachy scent and it does sting a little if you have any open wounds. I've already purchased the Maximum to compare.

Missha Super Aqua Hydrating Toner - a mini sample from Missha and full size retails for $15. It was hydrating when applied with the cotton pad, but the hydration didn't last very long. I didn't really care for it and only wanted to use it up to prep my skin since the SK-II Clear Lotion emptied.

Softlips Lip Balm - Raspberry Green Tea - Softlips has got to be my go to lip balm ever since I was in high school (yes a very long time ago). Always a lightweight application and still leaves my lips moisturize. The Raspberry Green tea flavor is discontinued, but you can still find them on Amazon for less than $3 for 2.

Now that's a wrap for the entire quarter of 2014! I can't believe how fast time has gone by. This is good, I see what I decide to repurchase right away. Looking forward to more monthly empties to come!