Makeup diet #3

Dieting is not for the faint of heart.  It takes dedication, resolve and perseverance to maintain course and succeed.  Funny thing though, once you feel that rush of accomplishment, it gets easier and easier to stay motivated and succeed.  Most things in life work that way, so I guess this should be no different.  

My diet might seem comical to some most, and it is to me too if I am honest.  Really, I am showing off my trash!  The sheer ridiculousness of it all doesn't escape me; but I still can't deny the pleasure from finishing off a beauty product and seeing the empty pan/bottle.  It used to be hard to finish up stuff, but like anything else, this task has become easier with time.  I recently moved to a new shindig and wanted to rid as much excess as possible, and this was the result:

Pan P0rn! SFW

1. Revlon blush: I got this in Big Lots 2 years ago; it was probably a few years old when it arrived in Big Lots before it came home with me, so I decided it was time to put it out of its misery.
2. Estee Lauder blue eyeshadow: inherited from my sister.  I also let this die because really, I can't rock blue eyeshadows.
3. NYX cream blush: This is the one that I tried and tried with all my might to kill.  I got more than halfway through the thing before saying goodbye.
4. L'oreal Youth Code: yet another purchase made based on the over-exaggerated marketing lies.  
5. Victoria's Secret highlighter: also inherited from my sister.  Zero pigmentation, 100% chalk city.  
6. Clinique mascara: clump central.  Blech!

1. 1. Biosilk hair serum: inherited from my sister.  I liked the shine it gave, but I never bothered to use it because I am just that lazy.
2. Baby oil gel: I used this to trap moisture in my dry ashy legs.  Not bad, but really greasy.  TTK: ~2 years.
3. Freeman's clay mask: Smells delicious!  Didn't really do anything for my skin.  TTK: ~1.5 years.
4. St. Ive's apricot scrub:  I used to go to town on my face with this because it was so grainy & rough, and I thought the harder I scrubbed the more dead cells I am taking off.  I cringe now thinking about all the micro-abrasions I must'ved given my face by doing so... I think halfway through I started using the scrub on my legs which made them very smooth.  TTK: ~8 months
5. Aussie 3 minute "Miracle" conditioner: 3rd tube that I finished!  I thought I liked this a lot, but really it's not any better than my cheap-o Tresemme conditioner.  TTK: ~3-4 months.

1. 1. EOS lip balm in honeysuckle: Pure novelty sucked me in.  This stuff smells artificial and really doesn't moisturize my lips.  TTK: ~ 3 months.
2. Alpha Hydrox 12% cream: Yet another exfoliating acid I bought with the hopes of making my face baby-smooth.  Funny thing is this is marketed as a foot cream because of the high AHA percentage... and I used it on my face.  Well, I only used it a few times before giving up because all it did was make me greasy.  I used the rest of the tube for its intended purpose on my scaly legs, which did improve.  TTK: ~ 1 month on legs.
3. Archive travel shampoo and conditioner: unremarkable.  TTK: 1 week.
4. Clinique moisture surge face cream: This reeked of alcohol, so after a few times on my face I decided my legs could withstand the brunt better than my face.  TTK: ~1 week on legs.
5. Dunno what they're called in English, but these are gel/liquid masks by Cong Son that you put on congested areas of your face to remove blackheads and whiteheads.  These are industrial strength and can remove the deepest, grossest plug on your face.  TTK: years because they're so strong.

1. Tommy Hilfiger body wash: Generic manly perfume that totally washes away after a shower.  TTK: ~1 month.
2. Bliss Grin & Bare It lotion: Smelled fresh.  TTK: ~2 weeks.
3. Bliss body lotion: Loved the way this smelled.  TTK: ~2 week
4. Bliss face lotion: used on my legs because it was too greasy on my face.  TTK: ~2 weeks.
5. Clarisonic face washes:  totally generic & unremarkable.  TTK: ~1 month each.

1. Hope in a Jar by Philosophy: Completely & totally overrated.  This stuff reeked of herbal medicine and did nothing positive for me.  TTK: ~ 1 month.
2. Colgate toothpaste: Again, nothing to write home about, but the empty tube still gives me a rush.
3. Secret Clinical strength deodorant:  Probably the first deodorant that I've ever finished.  TTK: ~ 2-3 years... yep, 2-3 years to finish a deodorant stick...
4. BBW lotion in sparkling citrus (?): Smelled sweet and citrusy, I liked it. TTK: ~2 months.
5. Tarte Maracuja oil: It was really weird to be putting oil on my oily self, but I tried it out... and I don't like it.  Most of it went on the tips of my hair, and I really didn't notice any difference.  TTK: ~5 months.
6. Estee Lauder Night Repair serum: This smelled like tomatoes to me, though not unpleasant.  I actually liked it a lot - it might have been psychological but I felt it made my skin more bright and supple in the morning.  TTK: ~ 4 months.
7. Garnier Moisture Rescue gel lotion: Smells like cucumbers, very refreshing to put on, especially when it's cold.  TTK: ~5 months
8. Aveeno Smart Essentials face scrub: Not as harsh as the St. Ive's apricot scrub, but it felt more oily.  I would have to wash with a cleanser after using this.  TTK: ~1 month.

And finally, a special dedication to my Woman Eau de Parfum by Banana Republic.  This was my very first "big-girl" scent that I bought for myself.  I loved the way it smelled: floral & feminine, very welcoming... if a scent can be welcoming.  The only con was the smell didn't last all day.  But while it lasted I would get many compliments about the way I smelled.  This perfume bottle, 3.4 fluid ounces, lasted a good 5 years.  On one hand I was so completely happy when it spritzed its last spritz, but on the other hand I really loved the way it smelled and was sad to see it die.  This perfume will always have a special place in my olfactory memories, and I might buy it again in the distant future... the future that has me finishing off many more bottles of scents before I can revisit this smell again.