What is it: Every month you will get a bag, a $5 off coupon (sometimes $10), 5 deluxe samples and 1 bonus sample. Why not just say 6? I don’t get it. Lately we have been getting between 6 and 8 items per month you never really know how many things you are going to get.
All the brands will be brands you can find in Macy’s which is cool since they sell Mac and a lot of other brands that are never to rarely seen in subscription boxes.
The cool thing about the coupon is that it is good in stores and online also Macy’s does have sales and $5 products so if you are strategic you can score a free product every month. Depending on your state you may still have to pay tax but it is still basically free.
Welp this month was exciting for my gf since I ended up giving half the contents of this bag to her but that’s ok. I don’t mind not every month can be a win.
A skincare only bag this month pretty much. I’ll Start with the four items I am keeping and then do the four that I gave to my gf.
I love this hand lotion it feels really nice it is thick but some how also light. It also smells really beachy and oceany which just makes me super happy. I love this, not the other scent this comes in that one I hate.
I linked to a similar one Amazon because this is exclusive to the bag. I have wanted one of these but didn’t want to buy one and I am loving this. Like just the one or two minutes of rolling and massaging my face feels so so good.
I really need to try this I have at least 2 or 3 of these now. I burned my skin with a lactic acid awhile back like burned it pretty bad and it took awhile to heal and have been afraid to retry lactic acid since but I really need to give it another try before giving up on it altogether.
This is a light fruity floral that is very girly not my usual style of perfume but it is nice and definitely wearable enough to go in my travel perfume collection.
I don’t think this is anything special especially for the high price. It feels nice but it doesn’t do anything. And I want my eye cream to be doing something if its costing an arm and a leg.
So mu 2019 goal was to use up 600 products for the whole year just over 1.5 products a day. I did not succeed on that goal I missed it by 32 items so disappointing. I had thought I was doing so well but I guess not.
Final Totals for 2019:
I learned this year that I actually spend less then I thought I did on my beauty products which is good. Just about 29% of the cost of a product is what I spend on average between sales/coupons/gifts/boxes. Which makes me feel pretty damn proud of my deal skills lol.
For the rest of the data I have I broke it down in to categories of products per month, but unfortunately the category data for April got corrupted and lost so all the data that is broken down by category is done out of 11 months excluding the April data I lost. But the Total Data above does include the totals from April that data I did not lose.
Final Totals By Category:
For the purpose of identinfying where I use the most and spend the most I excluded Decluttered items.
I know I use the most skincare up a full third of what I use during the year which I am not shocked by at all.
But I fully did not expect for all the random thing I use to my next biggest category at 12%. I was expecting it to be Home Scents or Perfume to be honest.
I also expected Makeup to be my least used up category certainly not Lip, I feel like I get through at least 12 or more lip products a year but I didn’t think I was using up that much make up I am pretty happy with myself that Makeup isn’t dead last. I also used up so much perfume this year I was surprised it was so low.
I spend the most on Skincare but skincare is expensive and it is worth the investment with how much I get through that seems appropriate just over $200 in a year is hardly excessive.
Uh I spend way to much on candles clearly I need to cool that down it. takes me a long time to get through a candle or a wax melt and I do not need the huge collection I have of them.
I knew I spent the least on Perfumes since I almost never buy perfume for myself they mostly come to me as presents or in boxes so I knew that it would be the thing I spend the least on and will probably always stay that way.
I don’t do that much with my hair so I am surprised I spent that much on hair stuff over the course of the year in products I used. I have been making sure to use treatments and masks more so maybe that made the difference but I don’t know.
This charts just for the funsies of seeing the retail value of what I use some things are so ridiculously over priced at full price its comical and it shows since i rarely spend full price on anything.
This is to help me be better about how much I should be allowing myself to spend each month in each category since that is all I can realistically use up. To be fair I know it won’t change my actual makeup budget but I am going to be better about sticking closer to these numbers for things like candles and lip balms that I don’t use up very fast.
I am not the most proud of how I did this year like i have been in years past. This coming year I want to focus on using alot of my more expensive products rather then saving them for some better rainy day in the future.
So I am making my 2020 goal to use up $3,500 in retail value (not what I spent dear god no) of products. I am not giving myself a month or yearly product totally goal so that maybe I use up some more full size items that will also help add to that value. I already used up an almost $100 eye cream so hey that is a great start to this goal this year. I also really want to pare down my older perfumes a bit so I will be working on some expensive perfumes as well that should help me on my way to $3,500.
Anyone else looking to keep track of their empties? Or anything you were really proud of using up? I was particularly proud of using up my oldest perfume right before it went bad. Comment down below! I love to chat.
Happy 2020 everyone. So crazy I feel like every year just goes buy faster and faster. There will be a wrap up post and an introduction of goals post coming in a few days hopefully Monday but I’m sick of course my heater flooded my bedroom on New Years Eve so my house is a disaster. So I am a little behind.
This is all of my December empties. I was struggling in the beginning of the month and then I just started finishing so much stuff so quickly. I also had to really big hard to use up products that I wanted to finish by the end of the year and I only finished one of them. One is a perfume you’ll see below. One was this giant tub of a Strawberry Cream Moisture Mask/Lotion thing that I got so close to finishing. I hate it so much but I am like maybe 4 or 5 uses away form being done so I will push through and try and get it done in January.
Skincare (10)
Vitamasques Face Food Kiwi Fruit
Yoghurt Mask I really didn’t like this it was uncomfortable to have on
it was thick and a bit itchy in places on my face. I just don’t like cream mask
I am finding. It also left my face feeling like it was coated so it was soft
but it felt like it was soft because there was something on it. There was 2
uses in this pouch and I gave it two tried but not for me.
Repurchase: No
Laneige Water Sleeping Mask I don’t like the water sleeping mask I
don’t feel like it does anything more special than any other gel moisturizer
and I don’t like the scent. I can and will use it but it is not worth the
money.
Repurchase: No
Dr. Brandt Pores No More Vacuum Cleaner Mask another mask out of
my overwhelming mask collection thank god. I hate this mask I don’t feel like
it clears my pores it just leaves my skin tight and dry and not soft. Dr. Brandt products seem to never work out
for me.
Repurchase: No
Elemis Superfood Kefir-Tea Mist this was a decent mist but for the
price I prefer the Urban Decay spray. This smells super herbal and planty. It
was refreshing but it wasn’t as hydrating as I want. The bottle/mister is great
I plan to decant other sprays into.
Repurchase: No
Absolute New York 24K Glow Hydrating Gold Gel Mask did not like
this at all. It didn’t feel like anything special on didn’t do anything. The
two hydrogel pieces were sliding all over and didn’t fit well.
Repurchase: No
Purlisse Coconut + Rise Nourishing Sheet Mask hated this it would
not stay on my face it was drippy with sticky serum and somehow left my face
feeling drier and worse than when I put it on.
Repurchase: No
The Crème Shop Clarifying Peppermint Cocoa Sheet Mask this was
pretty nice it was a mask for blemishes and has tea tree in it which is really
good for me when I have break outs and it really did help calm down the weird
breakouts I was having. It didn’t take them all away but I mean barely anything
is that magically.
Repurchase: Maybe
Ole Henriksen Truth Serum I
do not think this was worth the price at all for a vitamin c serum it didn’t
really do anything other than smell like nice oranges.
Repurchase: No
Lalafox Honey Sheet Mask I loved this if I ever get through a good
portion of my sheet mask collection I will be seeking this out again. This fell
so nice and hydrating and soothing on my skin. I love honey mask they work
magic on my skin. There was also almost a full ounce of serum/gel in here that
I was able to jar up and continue using this is a great and affordable mask.
Repurchase: No
Peter Thomas Roth Hungarian Thermal Water Mineral-Rich Moisturizer this I thought I would love but it was just meh. It was thick but sunk in well but wasn’t that impressive. It also smelled like baked goods almost not sweet but like baked.
Repurchase: No
Random (2)
The Brush Wash Scented Brush Wash this is from a random Etsy shop.
I saw it and the scents the offered sounded so good I wanted to try it but the
scent was so light you could barely smell it and after the first use I couldn’t
smell it at all. So much so that I forgot what scent I picked. The soap was
fine but nothing so great that I would got out of my way to order it again.
Repurchase: No
Fortune Cookie Soap Company Veggie Protein Deodorant in The Bog of
Eternal Stench I like their natural deodorants for when I am just hanging
around the house. This one was particularly fruity and nice smelling.
Repurchase: Yes
Home Scents (4)
Bath and Body Works Wallflower in Beachscape this legit smelled
like nothing and it ended up not drawing properly and liquid just sat in the
bottom forever so I am giving up on it.
Repurchase: No
Bath and Body Works Frosted Coconut Snowball Candle this was too
light of a smell with not enough scent throw. The coconut was nice sweet scent
but you had to be right on top of it to smell it.
Repurchase: No
Fortune Cookie Soap Company Room Spray in VooDoo Who Do? I didn’t
really care for the scent on this one. It wasn’t a great room spray.
Repurchase: No
Bath and Body Works Scent Portable in Wakiki Beach Coconut clearly I am finally finishing up summer scents I am the worst. These Scent Portables last forever in my car. The scent isn’t as strong as a Little Tree would be but a little tree lasts for like a week and these last for like 3 months. I liked the coconut it is my preferred car scent.
Repurchase: Yes
Lip (4)
Laniege Lip Sleeping Mask these lip masks are ok. I don’t get the
huge hype about them. They feel nice and thick but they aren’t magical. They
are just alright. They do last a super long time so the price doesn’t bother me
they just aren’t all that special. I have 2 more minis and a full size left so
I should have lip balm from Laniege for like 3 more years.
Repurchase: No
Platinum Endontics Lip Balm random lip balm that you get for free
but this was such a nice thick creamy type of balm I liked it a lot.
Repurchase: I would
Sun Bum Sunscreen Lip Balm in Pomegranate I hated this it was
really sweet but also tasted chemically which probably comes from the spf 30 in
it. The taste also lingered a long time on my lips and it was really white as
well just overall I did not like this.
Repurchase: No
Skin Fix Lip Repair Balm in Lemon Mint this felt nice on but didn’t actually feel like it was repairing anything like my lips would feel just as dry when it wore off. Loved the lemon mint though. The packaging of this was also a total fail. It was so hard to open and squeeze because of the coconut oil it would get really melty in the heat or freeze in the cold.
Repurchase: No
Makeup (1)
Sephora Lip Cream Stain in 01 Always Red it is always a major accomplishment for me when I use up a makeup product that isn’t mascara. This is one of if not my favorite lip formula and this is like the perfect red for me. I love it so much it is so long wearing it doesn’t come off on cups of if you kiss some one it can survive eating but it will get on your food but once you blot after you’re back to a matte that doesn’t come off. It can be touched up I just love these I have a few shades. I think I do have this in another mini but if I don’t I will be rebuying this because it needs to always be in my life.
Repurchase: Yes
Lotion (1)
Hempz Cherry Cheesecake Crème Triple Moisture Herbal Whipped Body Crème this scent wasn’t that stoing but it did smell like cherry cheesecake. Hempz lotions are really great.
Repurchase: Maybe
Bodycare (5)
Lush The Big Sleep Jelly Bomb I like these jelly bombs they make
the water kinda thick and make my skin really soft. This was not as deeply
colored or as thick or as scented as the black one but it also didn’t stain my
tub. I am not a huge fan of lavender so I wouldn’t repurchase this one but it
was nice and the deep teal it turned the water was super fun and pretty.
Repurchase: No
Smartly Shave Foam in Summertime I really liked this it was a
solid foam that didn’t wash away instantly when water hit it. It smelled like
summer and its cheap only a $1.09. I really liked this probably the best of all
shaving foams I’ve tried in a while.
Repurchase: Yes
Lush Green Coconut Jelly Bomb this was a very fresh coconut scent
rather then the more sweet sunscreeny type coconut scent but it was still
really nice. It made the water thick and was really softening and moisturizing
and a really pretty greeny/teal color that didn’t stain my tub. I liked it.
Repurchase: Maybe
Ulta 3-in-1 Smoothie in Lemon Agave + Ginger I loved the scent of
this it was so fresh and lemony. I also felt really clean and my skin felt good
after using this. The pump on the bottle was awful I don’t know if mine was
broken or something but it barely pumped out soap and I had to like lift the pump
up manually. I ended up pouring this into a smaller bottle and using it out of
there a few times. I wouldn’t suggest it
for the full price but when it’s cheap on sale it’s a good deal.
Repurchase: Maybe
Fortune Cookie Soap Company Bath Tea I think that’s what this is
and where it is from. I didn’t enjoy this and I don’t think it did any thing
other then leave a ton of bits in my water. I didn’t think I would like a
product like this and I didn’t.
Repurchase: No
Perfume (1)
Marc Jacobs Biscotti Perfume I really wanted to finish this up this year and am very proud that I did. This is the oldest perfume in my collection and over the last few moths it was starting to go. The scent wasn’t as strong or as long lasting so I really needed to get it used up This was like a 10 ounce bottle of perfume which that’s a lot. I really shouldn’t buy any perfumes over 1.7 oz I am learning because I change my scent up way to often to get through them quick enough. This was a warm almost cookie but in a nice way not a little kid sweet way type of scent. They don’t make this anymore which is sad because I did really like it. The bottle is nice and has my name engraved on it so I am probably going to clean it out and put body sprays or something in it to make them feel more fancy.
Repurchase: Can’t
Haircare (4)
Marc Anthony Strengthening Grow Long Anti-Breakage Mask this makes
my hair soft but I don’t know that I saw any strengthening or it helping much
with breakage.
Repurchase: No
Hask Argan Oil Intense Deep Conditioning Hair Treatment this kinda
had an orange nutty scent that wasn’t unpleasant but odd and unexpected. It did
make my hair really really soft but I don’t know if I like it better than the
Marc Anthony ones.
Repurchase: Maybe
Nature Lab Perfect Repair Treatment Masque this made my hair
pretty soft. It was alright.
Repurchase: Maybe
DevaCurl One Condition Decadence I hated this it left my hair really dry and I think it was causing my hair to get knots because I never had knots and tangles until I started using it.
Repurchase: No
Declutter (24)
Beauty Blender Liner Designer Pro I bought this thinking it would
make wings easier but it was hard to hold liner bled through and tape is just
easier. This has been sitting in my drawer for years it’s time to go.
Weird Silicone Blenders (2) I feel like these just smear makeup
around and aren’t great to use. I forgot I had these and in trying to declutter
my brushes I found them and off they go.
Beauty Sponges (9) assorted sponges that are old or weird shapes I
don’t like. Most are ones that I don’t know the brand of. There is a Real
Techniques sponge in there and I hate that it doesn’t have a round base. A Pur
sponge they changed them and they aren’t as soft as they used to be. And a Christmas Tree shaped one that I
thought was so cute but it was a disaster to use the ridges made it impossible
to blend anything.
Random Amazon Brushes (3) these are just of a shape and density I
don’t find compatible bought them because the handles were cute and most of the
brushes worked out but these too didn’t.
BH Cosmetics Brushes (3) I have here a flat foundation
brush, a duo fiber brush and a liner brush. I have other flat foundation
brushes that I like better and I rarely need them so this is a spare that can
go it isn’t bad I just have better. I don’t use duo fiber brushes ever and I
have a Royal and Langnickel one that is a bit denser and just better. This
liner brush is just too long and flimsy to be able to get a good line with.
Clinique Flat Foundation Brush it is just a little too small
for my preferences.
AOA Studio F5 this just is a shape I won’t use it is very
soft and dense and feels solid and nice it just isn’t for me.
Royal & Langnickel Complexion BMD-185 I love this brush
I just have two and don’t need two.
Real Techniques Buffing Brush I just don’t really like this
brush and can’t really explain why.
Salon Perfect Brow Defining Palette I just really am not going to use this and I got new storage for my palettes and decided to let this go in my reorganizing.
Random 88 Color Palette (not pictured) we are all familiar with this palette where it had a rainbow of colors in tiny pans and cheap black plastic packaging. This palette is super sentimental to me even though I haven’t used it in years. My friend bought it for me in high school I did my makeup for prom and other special occasions with it (and made it look decent for the times and what it was lol). But this is just not up to snuff with the rest of my collection so I moved it onto my bookshelf to keep as a memento but out of my makeup collection where it no longer belongs.
I am really excited to run through the numbers and get some stats on what I’ve used up this year. I love data and seeing a whole picture of a year that way I find it so interesting.
