From the Editor’s Desk: Summer 2023 Beauty Empties

Happy fall! I’m writing this from my new home for the next three years while attending law school! It’s a brand new adventure, but the thing that isn’t new is the pile of stuff I somehow use up each quarter. I hope you enjoy reading about it as much as I enjoy using it!

For quick reference, WNR stands for Would Not Repurchase/Recommend and WR is Would Repurchase/Recommend. As always, these are my personal opinions and I encourage everyone to find the right products for themselves. Products received as gifts, gratis or PR samples are marked as such. An effort has been made to link each product in a Canadian retailer, but none of the links are affiliates nor am I paid to speak on any product.

Hair

Dippity Do Girls With Curls Curl Shaping Gelée ($7.97*, purchased without review obligation): I can’t tell you how many of these I have used up. This continues to be my go-to for no effort styling, giving my curls definition, shine and shape without flaking or crunchiness. WR

Body

Farmacy Honey Bubbly Hydrating Body Wash ($39.37*~, received as gratis without review obligation): This is always a treat to use, it’s a very hydrating gel body wash with a delicious honey scent. The pump on this particular bottle was a little faulty, which made it “stick” when pumped down. I wouldn’t buy this for myself, but it’s a lovely gift. WNR
Biossance Squalane + Enzyme Sugar Body Scrub ($36*, received as a gift without review obligation): These days I don’t use body scrubs to exfoliate my body, preferring a loofah. I found this one didn’t spread very wide, and I had to use a lot of product to get a thorough scrubbing. WNR
Revlon Amethyst Smoke Nail Enamel ($10.49*, purchased without review obligation): Really enjoyed this polish, it got compliments every day for its duochrome green-purple shift. It was the sort of colour that goes with everything, because it goes with nothing. The wear power on this was good, and it gave full coverage in one coat (two coats actually didn’t look good). Great brush, and classic bottle shape. WR
YSL Black Opium Shimmering Moisture Fluid for the Body ($66* for full size, received as a gift without review obligation): I’ve always been a fan of Black Opium‘s decadent sweet coffee scent, and this lotion was no exception. It went on super light and not sticky, smelled great but not at all overpowering, and rinsed clean. I will say I don’t think it shimmers at all, but then again I mixed it with glitter for drag, so I can’t really complain. WR
Cake Beauty Ultra Nourishing Hand Cream Collection – Coconut & Cream ($16*, purchased without review obligation): Great hand cream for the day, as it doesn’t leave a greasy residue. However, terrible, plastic-like scent with this one. WNR
Speed Stick Aluminum-Free Original Deodorant (discontinued, purchased without review obligation): This really didn’t work for me. It hardly had any scent, and didn’t last long enough to get me through the day. WNR
Cake Beauty Ultra Nourishing Hand Cream Collection – Vanilla & Cream ($16*, purchased without review obligation): The scent for this one is much better, more sweet smelling than the aforementioned Coconut. WR

Makeup

MAKE UP FOR EVER Mist & Fix 24HR Hydrating Setting Spray ($43* for full size, received as a gift without review obligation): I have a hard time telling whether setting sprays do anything, and I can confirm my makeup did run when I used this, so it’s probably not the best one, unfortunately. WNR
MILK MAKEUP Future Fluid All Over Medium Coverage Hydrating Concealer ($38*, received as a gift without review obligation): This is actually a nice concealer, giving good coverage and helping to blur texture with its creamy consistency. Its biggest drawback is the idiotic packaging, from the horrible stopper to the pointed applicator. If it has been in a tube or a simpler package, it would have been great. The way it is, however, I could only use it after disassembling it and using my own spatula. WNR
Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara ($44*, received as a gift without review obligation): It took a lot of nerve to name this product “smokey eye,” given that it barely gives a wispy eye effect. This mascara doesn’t build any volume, and barely colours lashes at all. It may be good for somebody who wants a “no makeup” look, or for bottom lashes, but definitely not for somebody who wears bold eye makeup that needs to be balanced with big lashes. WNR
Anastasia Beverly Hills 210N Luminous Foundation ($50*, received as a gift without review obligation): This is an okay foundation with light-medium coverage, it wore well but had a horrible pump that barely worked. WNR
Essence eyeliner pen extra long lasting waterproof ($4.49*, purchased without review obligation): This really didn’t work for me, it skipped on my eyelids and barely gave off any product. WNR
Givenchy 3-N250 Prisme Libre Skin-Caring Glow Foundation ($72* for full size, received as a gift without review obligation): I was pleasantly surprised by how evenly this applied, the coverage it offered, and the wear time. True, it’s heavily scented and expensive, but it was great! WR
NYX Professional Makeup Glitter Primer ($9.99*, purchased without review obligation): I purchased this product in bulk because I depend on it to do my drag makeup. This is the easiest glitter glue to work with because it has a bit of a tint to help with placement, it goes on super smoothly, it grabs onto glitter effortlessly and permanently, doesn’t crease, and washes right out at the end of the day. Perfection. WR
ONE/SIZE by Patrick Starrr Ultimate Blurring Setting Powder ($46*, received as a gift without review obligation): Excellent setting powder that smooths and provides coverage. Great for the face or under-eyes, and very long wearing. WR
JEFFREE STAR COSMETICS Redrum Velour Liquid Lipstick ($25* for full size, purchase without review obligation): These used to be so many people’s go-to liquid lipstick formula, but unfortunately Jeffree Star isn’t easy to support these days and I don’t buy from his brand anymore. This liquid lipstick applied opaque and even, wore weightlessly all day, and was a beautiful rich red colour. RIP. WNR
Too Faced Espresso Pomade In A Pencil Eyebrow Shaper & Filler ($34*, received as a gift without review obligation): I can’t figure out what the benefit of having a pomade in a pencil is, over a standard tub format using a brush. For comparison, this pencil has 0.17 grams of product, while an Anastasia Beverly Hills brow pomade in a tub has 4 grams for $28.50*. Don’t get me wrong, the pomade was good at filling in the brows and lasting all day, but I would rather get more for my money. WNR

Skincare

Charlotte Tilbury Multi-Miracle Glow Cleansing Balm ($70*, received as a gift without review obligation): Years later, this is still one of my favourite cleansing creams. It smells amazing, feels great, and provides a gentle morning cleanse that is luxurious and effective. WR
The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm ($15.49*, purchased without review obligation): One word perfectly describes this cleansing balm – sludge. It leaves a thick, immobile layer on the skin after breaking down makeup, which must be followed by a strong cleanser to remove. When other cleansing balms out there (like Farmacy’s Green Clean) work just as well and rinse clean, I wouldn’t bother again with this one. WNR
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream Moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid ($85* for full size, received as a gift with purchase without review obligation): My favourite moisturizer of all times, this is ideal for when I travel because I know I can count on it to deliver heavy moisture and soothing benefits. WR
fresh Black Tea Firming and De-Puffing Eye Cream ($92* for full size, received as a gift without review obligation): Really nice hydrating eye cream, I wouldn’t say I noticed any firming or de-puffing benefits, but the rich texture felt great on my dry skin. WR
Biossance Squalane + 10% Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum ($85* for full size, received as a gift without review obligation): There’s a lot to like about this serum, like the waterless vitamin C and the hydrating squalene. Unfortunately, vitamin C just doesn’t seem to do anything for my skin, so I wouldn’t pick it up. WNR
Keys Soulcare Mini Golden Cleanser Gentle Face Wash with Manuka Honey ($16*, received as a gift without review obligation): I simply don’t like this brand, it feels weird buying luxury-priced products made by ELF in China. This cleanser is fine, it foams nicely and doesn’t strip the skin. I do like that the full size comes in a glass bottle with a pump, but like I said I won’t personally be buying from this brand anytime soon. WNR
Equate Regular Shave Foam for Men ($2.58*, purchased without review obligation): It’s hard to complain about something this inexpensive. It does a good job lubricating my razor, and smells nice. What more could I ask for? WR
Farmacy Deep Sweep 2% BHA Pore Cleaning Toner with Moringa + Papaya ($44*, received as gratis without review obligation): The one thing I can say to this product’s credit is, it doesn’t sting or dry out my dry and sensitive skin. That aside, it also didn’t do anything for my pores or breakouts. WNR
First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Face Cleanser ($31*, received as a gift without review obligation): A no-frills gel cleanser that is fairly gentle. Not my first pick. WNR
Reversa Radiance-GLOW™ cream ($62*, received as a gift without review obligation): I’ve never liked a cream from Reversa until this one. It’s true that because it has a low amount of glycolic acid it wasn’t great on freshly shaved skin, but the cream felt moisturizing, gave a hint of radiance, and had a pleasant fruity scent. Loved the airless pump that got out every drop. WR
LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask Intense Hydration with Vitamin C ($29* for full size, received as a gift with purchase without review obligation): The hype about this product reminds me of the EOS lip balms craze from 2010. It is true that these balms smell good and glide on with a pleasant gloss, but they don’t hydrate the lips exceptionally well in my opinion. Definitely not worth this price. WNR
Youth To The People Triple Peptide Hydrating + Firming Oasis Serum with Hyaluronic Acid ($71*, received as a gift without review obligation): This serum has some of the best preventative antiaging ingredients in it, feels smooth and is reasonably priced. I didn’t see or feel any difference, but I would feel comfortable recommending it to people looking to maintain their skin. WNR
Origins Ginzing™ Vitamin C Eye Cream to Brighten and Depuff ($52*, received as a gift without review obligation): It is true that this product brightens, but not in the way you’d expect. It has a shiny, reflective, pearly finish that superficially brightens, but it definitely does not help with dark circles at the source. I also don’t prefer the thin jelly consistency that this one has. WNR
St. Ives Fresh Skin Facial Scrub ($6.97*, purchased without review obligation): Everyone loves to hate on this, but it’s a tried and true favourite for sloughing dead skin off the face and body, as well as removing paints and glues from artists’ hands (don’t ask). WR
Farmacy Clearly Clean Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm ($49*, received as gratis without review obligation): This is the undisputed king of cleansing balms, along its scented counterpart Green Clean. They break down everything from sunscreen to longwear drag makeup, all with no irritation or residue. WR
First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads with Glycolic + Lactic Acids Refillable ($27*, received as a gift without review obligation): I am not a huge fan of AHA’s, but getting them onto the skin this way was gentle enough not to irritate my sensitive skin. They are a tad wasteful, and unfortunately they don’t advertise the percentage of their acids. WNR
Algenist GENIUS Ultimate Anti-Aging Cream ($151*, received as a gift without review obligation): I definitely don’t think this lives up to either the price tag, nor the title. For an anti-aging cream, it didn’t feel lifting, firming, or plumping. It had a strange jelly-like consistency and smelled oddly gourmand. WNR

Fragrance:

Bath & Body Works Deep Blue Sea 3-Wick Candle ($27.50*, purchased without review obligation): This may be my new go-to home scent from B&BW! It’s got a very nice clean laundry, neutral, fresh aroma that makes the home feel inviting. Great throw with this one. WR
Bath & Body Works Mahogany Teakwood Increased Intensity Wallflowers Fragrance Refill ($8.50*, purchased without review obligation): These used to be my go-to scent, but I find my nose isn’t picking them up anymore so I’m not enjoying them as much. I’ll be switching them out for a new scent next. WNR
Bath & Body Works Ocean Driftwood 3-Wick Candle ($27.50*, purchased without review obligation): This was nice, but a little too strong for my nose. WNR
Avon Rare Pearls travel spray ($35* for full size, received as a PR sample for review consideration): I did not expect to like this, but to my great surprise it was a great summertime scent. Yes, it’s a mature “old granny” scent. However, on me it wore as sophisticated and elegant. I also appreciated having a spray bottle for travel as opposed to a rollerball. WR
Taylor Swift Wonderstruck Enchanted Eau De Parfum (discontinued, received as a PR sample for review consideration): Such a lovely, sweet berry and chocolate scent that felt feminine and young. It had very poor longevity, but somehow got lots of compliments. Gorgeous bottle! WR
DIPTYQUE Baies Candle ($100*, purchased without review obligation): I bought this mostly for the carousel that came with it in the 2022 holiday gift set, but I’m sad to share that the carousel didn’t spin at all, which was a huge letdown. The candle, however, was very nice. It burned for a very long time, burned clean through the entire wax, and threw a strong fruity scent in my small apartment. I would gift this candle, but not the carousel, and I wouldn’t likely buy it for myself again. WNR

^*Prices true at time of writing. Foreign currencies are converted to CAD and are approximate.

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