EMPTIES| August 2013: Part 1 (Makeup Edition)

I can't believe the week is flying by so quickly! It's already Day 5 of Makeup With a Heart♡ and I am still so excited for the launch of my blog :) Anyhoo, as the title already gave away, we are going to go through my trash! :P



Makeup towelettes were my favorite way of removing all my makeup. I still use them on lazy days but I've been using my It's Skin Cleansing Oil a lot more these days. 

Clockwise starting from Left: CVS Cleansing and Makeup Remover Towelettes, Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes, and Up & Up Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes

The CVS Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloth Towelettes were pretty cheap (not sure how much it was but it was somewhere between $2 and $6). I think they've recently repackaged it. The package contains 30 towelettes and are 6 in x 7.3 in (15.2 x 18.5 cm). It removed my waterproof eye makeup pretty well. I just hold the towelette on my eye for about 30 seconds for it to dissolve my makeup and then I gently wiped it away. I repeated this step until all of it was gone. It removed my face makeup well without leaving behind a sticky mess behind like the Garnier ones I tried. It has a nice refreshing scent that doesn't linger. The only con was that the plastic top that you use to open and close the package started to fall off after tugging on it everyday before I had finished using the product. The towelettes didn't completely dry out though. 
Bottom Line: I would repurchase this product for those lazy days or for traveling purposes. 

My mom uses Neutrogena products quite a bit so I've been using them for years as well. I've been using these on and off for the past couple of years. I liked how it removed my waterproof eye makeup without much effort but I didn't really care for the scent. It didn't smell like they doused it in perfume (like the Garnier ones did) and it wasn't exactly unpleasant but because I used everyday, I would prefer a scent I liked. It contains 25 towelettes and are 7.4 in x 7.2 in ( 19 x 18.5 cm). This is actually the refill pack. Similar to how the Ponds ones are packaged, it has a slight opaque white plastic container. you pop the lid open and dispense the product much like pulling a tissue out of a tissue box. I don't like using the box because it takes up quite a bit of cabinet space. However, that made the towelettes dry out much quicker. The last two or three towelettes dried up completely before I had used them. The closure is just a simple sticker on top, unlike the CVS ones. It was also slightly more expensive than the CVS ones.
Bottom Line: Though I loved these for a really long time, I will NOT be repurchasing.

I've tried a couple of Up & Up products before, which is the generic brand by Target. This was more of a travel size because it only contains ten towelettes and are 6 in by 7.3125 in (15.2 cm x 18.5 cm). I bought this because I was spending the weekend at my cousin's house but didn't want to lug all my cleansers and scrubs along with me. It did the job well enough however, it was tough to take off my waterproof eye makeup. There was quite a bit of tugging and pulling, which I try to avoid around my eye area as much as possible. It has a nice scent.
Bottom Line: I will NOT be repurchasing this product.

 Next up are some makeup products! I rarely ever finish up any kind of makeup product (so much for being a makeup junkie) but I go through a lot of mascaras and blotting sheets.

From Left to Right: L'Oreal Power Volume Collagen Waterproof Hydrofuge Mascara in Blackest Black, Maybelline Volum Express the Falsies Mascara in Brownish Black, Rite Aid Renewal Oil Absorbing Sheets, and Walgreens Oil Absorbing Sheets

Contrary to its name, the L'Oreal Power Volume Collagen Waterproof Hydrofuge Mascara in Blackest Black did not give me any kind of "Power Volume". Granted, I do have short, sparse lashes but it didn't do much. It was kind of clumpy if I tried to put more layers to build volume. My eyes tend to tear up when I yawn so I always go for waterproof formulas. I also tend to rub my eyes a lot as well.This one didn't smudge right away but I did notice by end of the day, I'd have faint black rings under my eyes. It didn't flake, which is nice.When the formula started to dry out a bit more, I didn't get any volume; I'd get more of a natural lash look. My aunt complemented me on them and even asked if they were my real lashes, which is a nice surprise but I was going for more of a "Power Volume" look. One good point is that this mascara is pretty black; if I didn't feel like wearing eyeliner that day, it would still look like I was wearing a really thin line, defining my eyes a bit than if it was bare. It didn't make my lashes crunchy or stiff which is nice. The brush on this mascara is a bit big so I sometimes got it on my upper lids but that's easily solved by tipping your head back a bit when you apply it. Mascaras are highly personal and everyone's lashes are different so my results might not be like yours.
Bottom Line: I will NOT be repurchasing if I'm looking for "Power Volume" but if I was in the market for natural looking lashes, I'd repurchase.

 The Maybelline Volum Express the Falsies mascara has got to be my favorite mascara formula ever! I grabbed it in brownish black and in the regular formula by accident. It wasn't too bad of a contrast with my coloring and gave me a nice, natural look.  The mascara gives my short, sparse lashes volume and length without being clumpy. Though it doesn't look anywhere as long and full as a pair of false lashes will, it really does wonders for my non-existent lashes! People who are blessed with nice lashes will probably get the most out of this mascara but I highly recommend it to anybody. It is a wetter formula, which is good for building volume but I find that this mascara does best after it has dried out a bit, like after the first month or so of usage. The brush is also thin and slightly curved, which I find helps get to all my lashes with a single swipe! At first, I hated this mascara. I got it in the regular version and with my oily eyelids and watery eyes, it smudges like crazy! However, I ran out of mascara one day and decided to give this a second shot and immediately feel in love with it. If I am not doing anything strenuous or outside for the day, it lasts pretty well. It still smudges a bit but it's not so bad. It does however, flake a bit. At the end of the day, there are a couple of black specks on my cheeks. But since I love the length and volume it gives me, I am willing to give the waterproof version a try. 
Bottom Line: I will be repurchasing it once I finish up a couple of mascaras I'm currently testing. Honestly, I just want to throw all the other ones I'm testing at the moment away but I'm telling myself not to so I can review them for this blog! ಥ_ಥ

I don't know how I survived before I discovered blotting sheets. As a combination skin type person, I find it very hard to come by products that can help me maintain matte-looking skin without overdrying my normal cheeks. These blotting sheets by Rite Aid were interesting to me because they reminded me of wax paper instead of the usual blue paper. It became completely transparent when it absorbed the oil, which I found fascinating. I grabbed these because they didn't have any other kind there and I was fresh out of  blotting sheets. They were quite large, 3.2 in x 4 in (8.128 cm x 10.16 cm), compared to other blotting sheets I've used. I liked that they were big because each sheet completely covered half my nose and cheek. One package contains 50 sheets. It has a paper box and inside, it has a vinyl pocketbag that houses the sheets. It wasn't very sturdy and the sheets crumpled in my purse. It didn't affect their efficacy though. I had difficulty taking them out to use because there was the paper box to get through and then the vinyl package so I ended up getting rid of the paper box (which led t the sheets being crumpled). It did remove a teeny, tiny bit of my foundation but I find that happens with all the blotting sheets I've used so far. One issue I had is that it took me three to four sheets to completely blot my entire face: one each for half my face and another for my chin and forehead! My face would stay matte for about 4 hours before it became too oily for me to handle, which is the usual time for me. Granted I do have an oily T-zone but with the generic ones from Target, Walgreens, and CVS, or the Clean & Clear ones I just have to use one or two sheets (if I'm outside a lot that day).
Bottom Line: I will NOT be repurchasing because I used too many each time I wanted to blot my face.

Last but not least, the Walgreen's Oil Blotting Sheets! These worked really well at keeping my face shine free. Not much to say but that these did the job well. I don't see a difference when I used the Clean & Clear ones and when I use the generic brands so I just go for whatever is readily available and cheapest (I'm more of a bargain beauty ✿◕ ‿ ◕✿) There are 50 sheets and they are 5 x 8 cm (1.9 x 3.1 in) each. It was easy to dispense (there's a sticky part on the inside cover that you press down to get a sheet out). 
 Bottom Line: I will be repurchasing this product!

That's all for today, folks! As you may or may not have noticed in the title, but there is a part two that will go up tomorrow. At first I had it all together but found it to be such a long post so I split it up into two for an easier read. I hope y'all don't mind waiting!

XOXO,

MWAH ♥

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Disclosure Statement: All products mentioned were purchased with my own money. I am not sponsored by any of the companies mentioned above and was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own. Links are not affiliate links and are provided for the readers' convenience.
Products marked with an asterisk (*) were either given to me as a sample or gift with purchase or given to me by my friends and family.