You guys, I have 3 months’ worth of trash stash to share with you! I wanted to post this last week but we were in the middle of refurnishing our place and we didn’t even have dinning room table / chairs or a couch. but there’s no excuse that I left this for 3 months… I have no one to blame but myself!
I didn’t even bother trying to fit everything in this shot.
I understand if you may want to choose a coffee break while reading this post. I’d just be delighted if you read the beginning and the ending like I used to make with each chapter of Harlequin romance novels! I’ve broken my trash stash into 2 articles to minimize the length – here goes:
Skincare
Trader Joe’s Nourish All-in-one Facial Cleanser – $6USD for 250ml
I had read good things about this somewhere online and asked my coworker to pick this up when he was checking out the us (we do not have Trader Joe’s here in Canada… why?!) I was rather disappointed that this face wash is lackluster: it has a watery texture, it doesn’t lather well, and it smells like dry wall? On the plus side, it doesn’t leave a residue on my skin and didn’t irritate my skin. and it was also very cheap.
Stash worthiness: 6/10 Repurchase: No
Marcelle Oil-Free Eye make-up remover lotion – $13.95 for 200ml (this was a perk size bottle, usually it’s 150ml)
This isn’t a lotion in the standard sense of the word. It’s a somewhat soapy liquid. I find it quite effective in removing my eye makeup after I’ve taken off a lot of of it with my oil cleanser. It performs similarly to the Rimmel gentle Eye makeup remover – I wouldn’t say it has the ability to break down stubborn waterproof eye makeup without the aid of a oil cleanser. I do like that it doesn’t leave any oily residue.
Stash worthiness: 8/10 Repurchase: Yes
Good things Acai Berry Multi-Tasking Micellar Water – $6 for 250ml
Found this at Winners and saw that it’s made in the UK and made a decision to give it a whirl. I did not like it because it is a very soapy formula that left a sticky residue on my skin. In fact, as I’m wiping my face with this on a cotton pad, this lathers up with a foamy texture. I do follow this up with a toner which helps to remove the residue. as for its cleansing properties, I found it to be not great. I did a comparison with my beloved Yves Rocher micellar water and this got off about half of what YR did. I also did not care for the scent – it smelled like a mixed berry juice box.
Stash worthiness: 3/10 Repurchase: No
Yves Rocher 3 Detoxifying Teas Micellar Cleansing Water – $19 for 200ml
Speaking of which, my HG micellar water! and now discontinued. **swear words** I have 3 a lot more bottles left. I’ve tried all of YR’s other micellar waters and none come close to this.
Stash worthiness: 10/10 Repurchase:
Dr Brandt XYY Xtend Your youth dual fusion Water – $32USD
This was another Winners find. I’ve not tried Dr Brandt skincare before but I liked this quite a bit. I mean this is indicated to be a micellar type water, but I used it as my third cleansing step (after cleansing oil, and micellar water). The scent is a little medicinal but not offensive. I found it effective for removing any remaining makeup residue and it did not feel extreme on the skin. The hinge on the lid did brreak at about 2/3 of the way through the product.
There is a statement on the box that “due to the presence of botanical ingredients, this product may change in colour over time.” The liquid was an amber colour ideal out of the box so it’s possible that it’s older stock.
Stash worthiness: 8/10 Repurchase: Yes
The face shop Oil specialist Pore clean Cleansing Oil – $20 for 200ml
This doesn’t clean my makeup well and leaves a silicone-y feeling residue on my skin after rinsing off.
It’s mineral oil based, which I don’t typically have an issue with.
I had high hopes for this but I think it contributed to clogging my skin. I got this during a 40% off sale.
Stash worthiness: 3/10 Repurchase: No
Clinique moisture surge Intense Moisture surge intense Skin Fortifying Hydrator – $46 for 50ml
I’ve been delinquent in posting my favourites but this product is provided in my draft that was indicated to be posted back in June. This cream is excellent! I’m not shocked that would have been on my favourites list considering that I gotten this full size jar because I fell in love with the gwp size. proof that those gwp samples do work! This product is a best daytime moisturizer as it creates an ideal canvas for foundation to be applied on top – my skin is hydrated but not overly oily. This is the “Intense” version which is indicated for “dry to dry combination” skin. This jar lasted me about 4 months with daily use.
Stash worthiness: 10/10 Repurchase: Yes
Consonant Ultra Moisturizing face cream – $49 for 50ml
This is a good day time face cream that I like for the warmer months. I don’t love the smell of it – although it doesn’t have added fragrance, it smells a little medicinal but I’ve been told it’s due to the olive oil.
Stash worthiness: 8/10 Repurchase: Yes
Timeless Skin care 20% Vitamin C + E Ferulic Acid Serum – $36.99 for 30ml
This is a great vitamin C at a affordable price. It doesn’t beat the Paula’s choice Vitamin C Booster for me but it does leave my skin looking radiant and helped to minimize hyperpigmentation. I kept this product in the fridge to maintain its freshness – a sign of vitamin C products “gone bad” is when they turn colour (ranging from yellow to orange to brown) – this serum stayed a clear liquid the whole time during the 3 months of usage. I’m going to try one of the vitamin C options from The ordinary next.
Stash worthiness: 9/10 Repurchase: Yes
Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet – $48 for 40ml
I tried to use this as my daytime cream but it pills up and looks badly under makeup so I ended up using it in the evenings. This has a gel / mousse type of texture that doesn’t absorb too well into the skin. I don’t find it to be deeply hydrating for my skin. They’ve changed the tube design to pink now, in case you’re wondering if it’s the same product. The tube lasted me about 2 months with nightly use.
Stash worthiness: 5/10 Repurchase: No
Illamasqua Matte Veil – $48 for 30ml
I love the Illamasqua Hydra Veil so when they launched the matte version, I thought I’d love it just as much. Unfortunately, this doesn’t do it for me. I found it clung to dry patches but also didn’t do its intended function of mattifying my skin. The texture and smell is an unappealing diluted strawberry yogurt. After having this opened but unfinished for a couple of years in my stash, I finally used this up during the warmer months.
Stash worthiness: 5/10 Repurchase: No
The Body shop drops of youth Eye Concentrate – $32 for 10ml
I love me a metal eye roller and this one didn’t disappoint – I pointed out this in my favourites earlier this year. I observed that TBS has repackaged this in a black tube (but still with the roller ball) and added the word “serum” at the end of the name. It’s pricey but I picked it up during their 40% off sale.
Stash worthiness: 9/10 Repurchase: Yes
The label reads: Material: Rayon / Ingredients: Water, Ethanol, BG, PG, Methylparaben, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizinate, Citric Acid NA, Dimenthicone, Peach leaf Extract, Laureth-2, Laureth-21
MUJI Cleansing Sheets – $1.50 for 12 sheets
Disappointed by these. The sheets have an open mesh construction which felt scratchy on my skin. The option felt high in alcohol content which dried out my skin. Plus, they did not successfully remove my makeup. This is the only MUJI skincare that I’ve tried that haven’t cared for.
Stash worthiness: 4/10 Repurchase: No
Lip Smacker in chocolate Mint – $4 for 4g
I picked this up last year because it was promoted as a “retro” flavour and I do really like chocolate mint flavoured things, but I was a bit let down by this. First, I was expecting it to be a brown colour, instead it’s a mint colour (I guess I had a 50/50 chance). Then, the flavour is weak on both the chocolate and mint fronts. Moisturization level was just so-so. There’s an EOS peppermint Mocha holiday limited edition flavour that I’m highly curious about.
Stash worthiness: 6/10 Repurchase: No
Holika Holika I want Chu lip balm in Cola – $12 for 2
Now this – I love! This came in a set of 2, one is Cola and the other Cherry. The idea was that the Cherry one is for the girl and Cola one is for kid – when they smooch, you get cherry cola! I personally took pleasure in the Cola one a lot more than the Cherry so I used this one up completely whereas the Cherry one is barely touched. This gave a hint of tint on the lips and tasted faintly sweet with a fairly authentic bubbly cola scent. I wish I could repurchase this flavour alone.
Stash worthiness: 10/10 Repurchase: Yes
Owl Lip Balm in Mint – 1.5g
I love owls and got this as a present from a friend. The lip balm located in the owl’s butt and is minty and has bits of multi-coloured glitter in it. This is a lot more for fun than actual use. I won’t rate this considering that it was a gift!
Kose Babyish clear turn Sheet Masks – ¥300 (~$3.50) for 7 masks
This was a highly recommended item to get when I checked out Japan. This resealable pouch holds 7 sheet masks – they’re not individually packaged inside, each mask is just folded and stacked against each other. This is a great concept to minimize waste. Where this mask failed me is how oddly shaped the masks are – they’re much broader than they are long so the sides tend to start peeling away from my face. Also, the serum is thin like water so the sheets do not want to adhere to my skin. I learned that this blue packaging is indicated to be a whitening type which is why when I remove the mask, my skin looks paler (was quite a shock when I used it the first time). The effect is momentary though – I do not see any significant improvements over the course of the 7 consecutive days that I used these masks for. I certainly did not get baby skin! One good thing I will say about these masks (aside from the minimized packaging) is that they’re unscented. another good thing, they’re very inexpensive!
Stash worthiness: 5/10 Repurchase: No
The Creme shop Blueberry face Mask – $1.13
Basic sheet mask with a thicker sheet material. This didn’t consist of too much serum, and it was quite watery so it evaporated quickly. The scent didn’t smell like blueberries, a lot more like a faint fruity body spritz.
Stash worthiness: 6/10 Repurchase: No
Malibu Glitz Snail lifting & Moisturizing Facial Mask – $1.13
Similar to the previous mask from this brand, the serum irritated my eyes as it evaporated.
Stash worthiness: 6/10 Repurchase: No
Mediheal Platinum V-Life essential Mask – $1.30 ($12.99 for 10 masks) x3
My go-to sheet mask at the moment. I examined this as part of my 30 Day masking Challenge. My goal is to finish the full box of these by the end of the year – I have 5 left.
Stash worthiness: 9/10 Repurchase: Yes
Yves Rocher After sun Hydrogel SOS Mask – $13
This was 2 piece mask and was pretty great – had a good amount of serum for a hydrogel material. Didn’t see obvious results except for additional momentary hydration on the skin. There’s so much dang packaging with this single use mask! pleased I snagged this for $5.
Stash worthiness: 7/10 Repurchase: No
7th heaven Dead Sea peel Off Mask – $1.50
I tried another peel off mask from 7th heaven / Montagne Jeunesse (the 2 stage T-Zone peel Off face Masque) and I quite liked it. This mask had a lot to live up to but alas, it wasn’t indicated to be. Firstly, this mask smells like toilet cleaner. It irritated my skin enough that I developed 2 hives while I had it on my face. It did peel off pretty cleanly, leaving a few residues around my nose. My skin did feel very smooth afterward but no enduring effect next morning.
Stash worthiness: 6/10 Repurchase: No
Montagne Jeunesse 2 stage Rescue Mud Masque For problem Prone Skin – $1.50
The only mask in my 30 Day masking challenge that scored 10 out of 10! I hauled a whack of them this summer.
Stash worthiness: 10/10 Repurchase: Yes
Karuna exfoliating Mask – $10 each
As I’m opening the package, I read the alerting “not for sensitive skin” It turned out fine though – there’s a minor tingle on the skin but not painful. The mask is drenched in serum which helped it to adhere well to my skin. The fit of this is nearly best for my face – it even covers my entire fivehead! My skin did feel exfoliated and felt very soft afterwards, thanks to the fruit enzymes in this mask. but is this mask worth $10 though? No. I’d say maybe it’s worth $5. The material of the mask is about on par with The face shop ones which costs $2. I’m pleased I found a pack of 4 for $13 (works out to $3.25 each) at Winners!
Stash worthiness: 9/10 Repurchase: Maybe
Rexall kit premium Square cosmetic Pads – $8.59 for 165 count
These are indicated to be a more affordable dupe to the Shiseido Facial Cottons but don’t fall for the trap! It’s no good – I used these up for removing nail polishes (and even then, it was annoyingly linty). For a more affordable dupe to the Shiseido cotton, try the MUJI cut Cotton one instead!
Stash worthiness: 6/10 Repurchase: No
Close-up of the cotton pad.
The face shop green Tea stone therapy Cotton Pads – $4 for 60pcs
I take pleasure in trying different types of exfoliating cottons (see post here) and this using from The face shop interested me. this one has a fine grit and didn’t irritate my skin but I didn’t find it supplied much exfoliation. The cotton would break apart while I’m using it too.
Stash worthiness: 6/10 Repurchase: No
That spray diagram amuses me.
Mary Kay makeup Finishin
