September Empties and Declutter

So I finished off a whole bin of products last month! I saved one cleaning product but unless I have a new product to share I think I'm going to start fading those out of the month empties- unless it's something you'd like to continue seeing. If that's the case then leave me a comment and I'll keep it up, otherwise into the recycling bin they go!

So here's an overview of everything I finished up.

Now lets get into the specifics!

I finished up two candles this month. The first is a candle that I received as a gift and was a light scent  but unfortunately there is nothing on the label telling me what the scent was. It was very fresh and I especially loved the container it came in! Teal is a popular color in our living room. The second candle is from Bath and Body Works candle in Caribbean Escape and this is one of my favorite summer scents. I love Bath and Body Works Candles and enjoyed this one a lot. I would definitely repurchase it in the future.

Two random products I used up were an EOS Shave Cream and Coppertone Water Babies Sunscreen. I would definitely repurchase both of these products in the future. The shave cream is so nice because you can use it wet or dry and the sunscreen works great on my pale, pale skin.

This is the one cleaning product I saved. I love Lysol wipes especially in the bathroom where I feel the need to really sanitize things. I will keep purchasing these for the time being.

I finished up the last of my Victoria's Secret fragrance mists.  Amber Romance was an okay scent but I'm glad that I have finished it up and it's out of my collection! I also used up a mini perfume in Victor and Rolf's Flowerbomb scent. I used this while we were in Disney which was great since I didn't have to to haul any of my big perfume bottles with me.

Three soaps were finished up this month. The first is Bath and Body Works Bright Autumn Day which was my absolute favorite soap this month. I would definitely repurchase this in the future if BBW continues to make it. The Softsoap Lavender and Chamomile has been in my stockpile for awhile so I'm glad to finish it up. I am not a huge fan of this scent so I definitely won't repurchase it or get it in the future. The last soap is Bath and Body Works Black Raspberry Vanilla soap which Tim commented on saying that he loved the scent. It wasn't my favorite but I can definitely get on board with future vanilla scents since that is what Tim really loved about it.

I know you guys see this often from me but I love Macadamia Oil Deep Repair Masque. I use this often and continue to purchase it because it works wonders on my crazy hair!

Only 4 Cake Batter chapsticks this month which isn't too many! I'm still loving these and using them hundreds of times a day.

I surprisingly finished up quite a few face products this month. The Melissa Day Cream despite carrying my name made my face burn. I was not happy with it! Derma-e Microdermabrasion Scrub was nice but I definitely don't think I need to repurchase this in the future. The Patchology mask was just fine but I find sheet masks super creepy! I didn't feel any major change in my skin but would be willing to try further products by the company if they aren't sheet masks! I finished up two Dermalogica products which I really liked. The first is a toner and the second is a cleanser both I heard about from Sam over at Simply Organized. I thought they were simple and didn't do anything amazing for my skin but it didn't hurt it either so I'm going to try some other things but I may come back to it.

Lastly I have two products I didn't finish up. The first is Klorane makeup remover which I was using and it was super oily. I did plan on finishing it until I got some sort of black speck in it...I wasn't interested in using it after that! The Milk Sunshine Oil is not something that I was looking to use and knew I would never use up. So, I decided to toss it!

That's all I finished up in September, what products did you use up last month?

2017 Beauty Product Collections: Perfumes and Body Sprays

Hey everyone! Today I want to share with you how I store my perfume and body sprays as well as share my collection with you. I'm starting a new series called Beauty Product Collections where I'm going to share with you my current beauty products in different categories. I have reduced the number of products I have but I still have lots to use up and declutter so I thought I would take inventory, show you where I'm at and get motivated to use some things up!

I keep my perfumes and body sprays on a mirrored tray on my dresser and I absolutely love the way it looks. I've been using mirrored trays for years- I remember my mom and grandma having perfumes on trays like this growing up and I think it's so feminine and beautiful to store them this way.

Don't they look nice?!

First I'll share my perfumes then we will move on to the body sprays.

Flowerbomb by Viktor and Rolf had been on my wishlist for years until Tim purchased it for me last Christmas. I've found that it's more of a nighttime scent for me and I end up wearing it mostly when we go out to dinner or somewhere nice. It's definitely a heavier scent then I normally wear but I absolutely love it.

Taylor Swift Wonderstruck is a great day scent and is super light. I wear this a lot day to day and I think this may be my second bottle of it. I love the Taylor Swift perfumes because they last all day without being overwhelming.

This is by far my favorite perfume of all time and is Taylor by Taylor Swift.  I get so many compliments when I wear this and I have gone through at least three bottles of this. If they ever discontinue this I will buy every bottle I can get my hands on because it's so amazing. It's very fruity and floral but I can't get enough of it. I cannot recommend it enough!

Roar is a perfume that uses your body chemistry to create a scent. This is just okay and I definitely won't repurchase once I finish this up. I thought the concept was really cool but I much prefer some of my other scents to this one.

Princess by Vera Wang is a perfume I was obsessed with the idea of so I'm glad that I purchased the smaller roll on instead of the huge bottle. I like this perfume but it's nothing special and is a little stronger then I normally like. Once I finish this I will not be repurchasing.

Pink Sugar is great! I do really like this scent for day since it's super sweet and sugary. To me it smells like walking into a candy factory. There are other scents I would rather have but I definitely enjoy wearing this one!

Now onto body sprays!

Victoria's Secret Amber Romance is the body spray I'm currently wearing daily and working on using up. I received a gift set which I enjoyed but this is a scent I definitely wouldn't repurchase. I don't find that the scent lasts very long even if I give myself ten sprays in the morning before I leave. Once I finish up this and the matching lotion that mini gift set will be gone!

Bath and Body Works Oahu Coconut Sunset is nice and I do really enjoy using this mini. It primarily smells like coconut which is one of my favorite scents however I don't think I will repurchase this once I finish this up.

I had heard amazing things about Victoria's Secret Pure Seduction so I had purchased a complete set of body spray, shower gel and lotion but I haven't really used it yet. I have sprayed myself a couple of times but can't wait to try out the entire set together. It smells great and definitely seems like it has staying power.

I've used this Bath and Body Works Vanilla Coconut Body Spray a few times and it smells nice but not something I need to repurchase in the future. I definitely prefer some of my other scents to this one but I will definitely be working on using this up.

I have been through multiple Victoria's Secret PINK Warm and Cozy body sprays and they are amazing! I have a big one this time so it will last me awhile but I absolutely love it. It is similar to pink sugar but not as strong and smells just like its name warm and cozy!

My brother bought me this Bath and Body Works Wild Madagascar Vanilla Body Spray and I really like it! I haven't had a chance to really use too much but it's definitely a body spray that I'm enjoying. (Can you tell by now that I love vanilla?)

Snow Angel by Philosophy was given to me by Rachel at Christmas Time and I haven't really bonded with it yet but it smells amazing. My plan is to use this from Thanksgiving through New Years since it will be a great holiday scent!

Pink Sugar Hair Perfume is something I bought on a whim but it is great to use as a compliment to my Pink Sugar perfume. I don't think I would repurchase this however since I don't really need it.

Pretty In Pink body spray by Victoria's Secret is a product I've had for years and have not used up yet. It's not my favorite so I will definitely have to work on using it up so I can be done with it.

Moonlight Path  by Bath and Body Works is my newest body spray and I absolutely love it. It's super strong and the staying power is incredible! It's super floral which I surprisingly love and I'm excited to add this to my collection.

Lastly,  I keep a rollerball of Taylor Swift Incredible Things in my purse so I can throw on some perfume if I forget at home or if what I applied earlier has worn off. I do like this but it is probably my least favorite of the Taylor Swift perfumes, it smells super clean and isn't as floral or musky as the other ones.

So those are all my perfumes and body sprays. 18 in total so I would like to reduce my collection a little bit. How many do you have? What are your favorite scents?

February Birchbox

Today I'm sharing my February Birchbox. I'm still trying to decide if this will be my final one or not.

Right now I just feel I have too many products. My IKEA Alex 9 drawer is packed with products I have yet to try and adding samples to it every month just seems a little ridiculous.

So this may be the last Birchbox unboxing you see from me...

February's box was cute it had a nice design to reflect Valentines day. I ended up saving this box to organize products into.

I was a little underwhelmed when I opened the box as well.

This PBJ Smoothie Stick is a creamy lip crayon and the idea of it is cute, the packaging is cute and I love the name...however I don't wear a lot of lip products and this color looks pretty dark to me. I'm not sure I'll get any use out of it.

New up is Living Proof Restore Perfecting Spray which is for detangling your hair. I can get use out of this because my hair tends to get pretty tangly however I have tons of hair products to use up! I still have so much to get through!

Dr Lipp Miracle Balm can be used on your lips or skin. I will most likely use this as a lotion.

Not sure why this picture is upside down and I can't get it to turn but this is Living Proof restore shampoo and conditioner. I will certainly use these but I often can't get a full use out of these kind of conditioner packets. It's always an issue having so much hair ;)

I will try this Balance Me Congested Skin Serum because I've been trying out a ton of skin products lately trying to figure out what works best with my skin. This seems like an interesting product and I'm excited to give it a try.

I'm always a little bummed when I receive perfume samples because I don't use them as quickly as they come in and I have so many full perfume bottles already!

So that's what came in my February Birchbox! What did you get in your subscription box this month?

No Buy 2016!

Happy Monday everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and are ready to take on the week! As we enter December I started really thinking about the amount of clutter I have and how even more will come in during the holiday. I am not a fan of clutter but it is inevitable with gifts coming in from family and friends. Not all clutter is bad, a lot of what I consider "clutter" is stuff I actually like and use, but some of it is just in the way! 

You all know I love organization and cleaning and am constantly struggling to keep my space up to date. I have found that even though I am pretty good about clearing out the clutter in other areas of my space, my beauty products tend to be hoarded. I don't want to be a hoarder. I have a serious problem. I can't leave Bath and Body Works without new lotion and candles. I can't walk past a Sephora and not sneak in to make a purchase.  I have ended up with a huge collection and it makes me feel sick! I don't use even half of it because every time I finish a product I buy three more to replace it!

I have made a decision that in 2016 I will be on a no buy. This means I will not purchase any beauty items in the year 2016. I will use up what I have and try to keep my empties bag full as I finish up products I already have. 

I have a few exceptions.

1. If I run out of a "type" of item entirely I will be purchasing it. For example if I run out of mascara, I am allowed to purchase a new one. 

2. Items not included are ones that are considered personal care: toothpaste, deodorant, mouthwash.

3. Gifts are not included. If I am gifted a beauty item that is okay. This is simply to keep me from spending my OWN money on them.

4. If I have a free item coupon- I will be allowed to use it. I can bring items in if they are free. The purpose is to keep me from spending money so if I do get a free item I will be allowed to keep it. I however want to limit this and not be constantly bringing in free items.

5. My Birchbox doesn't count :) I'm not ready to give that up yet!

I thought I would take a few pictures to share why I am planning on completing this project...

I wear perfume every single day, but nobody needs quite this much! In addition to the perfumes above I also have Victoria's Secret PINK warm and cozy and another Victoria's Secret spray in Love Spell. I will do a full post on my perfume collection soon where I show you each bottle individually since you can't see all of them in the photo above, but I think we can all agree that I will never be able to use up all of these in my lifetime.
Is it terrible that I have my sights set on Viktor and Rolf's Flowerbomb perfume?! Yes, yes it is. I don't need it...but I want it so badly! Maybe in 2017 :)

I try not to crowd my dresser top, only keeping a few items here. I have my Lavanilla Coconut Vanilla deodorant, my new Pink Sugar hair perfume, and my Covergirl foundation and concealer. In with my makeup brushes you can just see my NYX mascara, Diorshow Maximizer Mascara Primer, and my Wet and Wild eyeliner.

On top of my Alex nine drawer I keep a Macademia leave in conditioner, a Sephora eye makeup remover,  and a few moisturizers. I have super dry skin so I like to keep moisturizer out and ready for when I get out of the shower.

In the top drawer I hold all my face products. I have cleansers, face masks, sunscreen, and a few sample size concealers. With the exception of a few full size products most of these came as samples in the mail or in my Birchbox.

Speaking of my perfume addiction- these are all my perfume samples in the first bin! Then I have concealers and BB and CC creams in the other two bins. For the most part they are all samples, I usually don't wear a ton of face products because my skin is so dry and sensitive.

Here is another problem area- eyeshadow. See the the little eye shadow at the bottom of the photo? The one that has hit some major pan? I have made it my mission to finish it, meaning I've been ignoring all my other eye shadows. I have made a small dent in my Naked palettes and used a few other random eye shadows- but for the most part this drawer just keeps getting filled and I don't touch most of it.
Despite not needing any more eyeshadow, I still lust over the Naked 3 palette anytime I'm in Sephora :)

This drawer houses all makeup removers, unused mascaras, eyeliners, and brow products. I don't hoard mascaras because I know how fast they get gross so this section isn't a problem area. Mascara is probably one of the few things I will need to repurchase in 2016 because I don't have a ton and generally only use one for about three months.

Lip products, bronzers, highlighters, and blushes. I use my Nars Laguna bronzer almost daily and often use Nars Orgasm blush as well. I have quite a few Cake Batter Chapsticks lined up to use, but most of the lipsticks and glosses don't get used very often. I am going to try to make an effort to use these during nights out or special events because I would like to see my collection paired down a bit.

I only have four hand sanitizers! Woohoo for a small collection in this area. I also have one that I'm working on in my purse.

This is my nail polish drawer and it is definitely smaller then it used to be. I want to make an effort to paint my nails and toenails more often in order to use some of the older colors up. I definitely don't need to purchase any nail polish because I think I have pretty much every color under the sun!

Just a drawer with q-tips and an extra deodorant. Don't worry, I combined some of these drawers together after these pictures :)

I had all my sample lotions and sample shower gels in this one drawer, but I decided to try to put all my lotions in one drawer and all my shower gels in another.

You know what I don't need more of? Lotions. This drawer is stuffed...and oh guess what, that's not all of them...

Yes, this bin has more! I have more lotion then I could use in my lifetime. I have a serious problem. I don't need another bottle, ever. So if you happen to see me in Bath and Body Works with my arms loaded with lotion please please please tell me no. Then you can take me to a lotion buyers anonymous support group, please and thank you.

Shower gels? Also a slight problem. Not quite as bad as lotion and honestly I've gotten quite a few from couponing but it's still pretty terrible. No more shopping for me!

Last but not least hair products. No these aren't shampoo and conditioner. This is just simply hair products such as hairspray, dry shampoo, dry conditioner, hair masks, and other products that I rarely use on my hair. Well I say rarely, however that Macademia mask in the back is my favorite thing ever and I use it almost every time I wash my hair. Most of the other products were freebies or Birchbox samples I tried once and never used again.

This post didn't include my shampoo and conditioner (which I am really really low on right now) or my candles and room sprays. However those will be included as well. I will be buying shampoo and conditioner as I go, but I already have far too many candles so I will just be using up what I have and not purchasing anything new until I have nothing left or the year is up!

Anyone want to join me on this No Buy 2016? I'm ready for a year of using up what I already have instead of constantly buying new things!