DE-STASHING PROJECT | Samples Weekly Edit #2

If y'all were wondering what happened to last week's installment, I deeply apologize. I'm not the best when it comes to consistency but I had a bad reaction to an insect bite over the weekend. I talk about it detail in my Just Peachy Summer Makeup post so head on over there for the full scoop and a tutorial! Now, let's move onto the samples I used these past two weeks.

HAIR & BODY

L'Oreal EverSleek Sulfate Free Shampoo. Conditioner and Humidity Defying Leave-in Creme -- I like the idea of sulfate-free shampoos but if you have oily hair like me or use lots of hair products, you're going to go through a bottle of this in weeks. It did clean my hair but like always, the mop got oily and flat by the end of the night. I much prefer the Volumizing line by L'Oreal. 

Bottom Line: It's a pass...

Living Proof Prime Style Extender -- I like the smell of this, a peppery citrus scent. However, I didn't notice much extending of my style. Maybe it's because I don't blow dry my hair after applying this, letting my hair air dry instead. But my hair is notoriously hard to style. It's sleek and straight so clips and bands slide out in minutes and curls drop by the end of the hour. I prefer to let my hair dry in a bun, which is the only way for the curl to stay for longer than two hours. This didn't help add shape or curl like the L'Oreal Volume Filler Densifying Creme. The Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Treatment is much better at adding volume and holding a curl.

Bottom Line: It's a pass. 

Le Couvent Des Minimes Gardener's Hand Healer -- I've been gardening more and constantly washing my hands and digging holes does a number to my already dry hands. This is a lightweight watery lotion. The smell is quite medicinal and herbal. It's not a scent I enjoy but it did help my hands without being greasy.

Bottom Line: Not going to purchase...

Ahava Dead Sea Osmosis Body Concentrate  -- Serum for your body is what this claims to be. It targets dull body skin, toning and evening skin texture. I haven't much luck with Ahava products in the past but this piqued my interest. Not sure if this works on stretch marks or hyperpigmentation marks (from old insect bites) but that's where I applied it. Since this is just a sample, I didn't see any difference. Skipping lotion after a shower pretty much guarantees my skin will look like the Sahara Desert but this is moisturizing enough for me to skip lotion altogether.

Bottom Line: For $45usd, I'm not going to be shelling out for something like this. Good concept though!

Matrix Biolage Blue Agave Blow-in Control Shape Memory Cream -- 

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EOTD | Just Peachy Summertime Makeup 🍑

Hey, all! I didn't mean to be absent for a week but last weekend, I had a bad reaction to an insect bite. My left arm was basically a swollen lump and my joints were aching. It was totally weird...Since my arm hurt to move, long hours typing and editing were out of the question. The medication I was on totally knocked me out and I was tired all the time since I kept waking up from the intense itching. Moral of the story: don't ignore those bites! The sooner you get treatment, the better you'll heal.I'm feeling much better but the bite area is peeling...which is gross and totally not the point of this post, hehe. 

Summer is right around the corner and peach and coral totally get me in the mood for summer makeup! So, to bid adieu to spring and welcome summer, I have an easy tutorial rocking the peach and coral  look. I'm using drugstore eyeshadows and these don't irritate my eyes--yay! I'm still loving the NYX Avant Pop! Palette in Surreal My Heart. There are all the basic shades I need to create virtually any eye with some lovely blue and yellow pops. My only gripe is that the colors are much more vibrant and darker in real life than they are on the website. The light periwinkle blue turned out to be a bright cobalt; I'm not complaining because I love blue shadows but I wish the colors online were more true to life. But let's move onto the tutorial!

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DESTASHING PROJECT | Going Cruelty Free: Eye Edition Pt. 2

This is part 2 of my Eye Makeup De-stashing Project! If you haven't checked out part 1 of the De-Stashing Project: Eye Edition, head on over there to find out what eyeshadows are staying and which are going onto greener pastures.

So without further ado, here is me trying to decide what to keep and what to let go...harder than it looks :(

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DESTASHING PROJECT | Going Cruelty-Free: Eye Edition Pt. 1

Welcome to the first part of my De-Stashing Project! As you all know if you read the previous post, this blog is going cruelty-free. I have been limiting my purchases to cruelty-free only items but decided that it was finally time to go through my collection and either sell or use up the non-cruelty stuff. The process took me at least 3 hours plus photography time but it's been organized and being put to use. Since I have such an overwhelming amount, it was difficult to find things but with the way things are now, I am reaching for more products and getting use out of them. We're starting off with the eyes since it was the easiest to go through.

When I finished writing this post, it was super long and ain't nobody got time for essays. So, I'll be splitting it into two parts. This first part (going up today) will be single eyeshadows and palettes while the second part will be eye primers, eyeliners eye crayons and mascaras. The second part will go up on Saturday so you get an extra post this week--yay!

 I'll be keeping tally of what's staying and what's going to a better home. So let's get started!

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HEART TO HEART | MWAH is Going Cruelty Free!

Since two years ago, I've been trying to live a healthier lifestyle. I exercise three times a week and have stopped eating red meat, incorporating more veggies and fruits into my diet. Sugary drinks were banished from my menu and most sugary foods have disappeared from my regular diet. That doesn't mean that I don't eat ice cream or chocolates, but I treat them as indulgences, a once-in-a-while treat. I actually lost weight and felt so much better! 

That motivated me to green-ify other aspects of my life. Makeup is a major passion of mine, if you hadn't noticed ;), so I looked into going cruelty-free. I didn't think it was possible but after some light research, I realized it wasn't difficult. Some of the blogs I find most helpful are crueltyfreekitty and Logical Harmony. Cruelty-free mean different things to different people. For me, the products  must be verified by PETA/Leaping Bunny/similar entity and cannot be sold in China. If the brand is owned by a parent company that tests but the brand itself is cruelty-free, I still choose to support it. This stance isn't very popular but I hope my readers and future readers can respect my decision. As sentient beings, we can decide for ourselves what is right for our lifestyle. Criticism and comments are always welcome on my blog but they must be presented with respect. I do not tolerate vitriolic or hateful speech in real life and my blog is a personal extension of me. So now that we have that out of the way, let's go down my journey!

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FIRST IMPRESSIONS | Sonia Kashuk Knockout Beauty Spring Collection

It's nearly summer yet I'm still stuck on this spring release from Sonia Kashuk. The Knock Out Beauty Collection has a wonderful message behind it. Some brands are capitalizing on different social movements and jumping on the bandwagon while turning a profit. Some view that as problematic but I'm all for beauty with a cause. 

After seeing photos all over Instagram, I decided to bite the bullet and purchase three items: the Knock Out Beauty Skin Glow in Golden Gloves, Knock Out Beauty Eye Liner in Split Decisions and Knock Out Beauty Nail Colour in Roll with the Punches.

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DE-STASHING PROJECT | Samples Weekly Edit #1

As I mentioned in my Beauty Samples Hoarder post, I've made a commitment to use up more of my items. I like to save things for rainy days or for travel but they end up going bad before I get any use out of it. Stockpiling items has made my collection grow out of control and like I mentioned before, I've lugged all of these items through 3 houses and since I'm about to move again, I really need to clear things out.

Each week, I'll pull out at least 5 samples from 3 categories: hair & body, skincare and makeup, to use throughout the week. Every Sunday, I'll report back and give mini-reviews. I'll try to include swatches but since these aren't official reviews, I apologize ahead of time if there aren't any!

So with the introductions made, let's get into the juicy bits!

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DE-STASHING PROJECT | Confessions of a Beauty Samples Hoarder

I mentioned on Twitter that I would be resurrecting this series on my blog. If you don't already follow me, my handle is @MakeupWithAHart. Do it and find out about sneak peeks and my day-to-day life! 

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FOTD | Current Foundation Routine

I'm a creature of habit so when I find something that works for me, I stick with it. Also, finding a great color match makes it difficult for me to use just one product for foundation. Since discovering this gem, I have finally found a cruelty-free option that I can sing the praises from the rooftops! I don't like to jump on trendy products as much as I used to, so it's taken me a long time to finally give the itCosmetics Your Skin but Better CC Cream a try. And my goodness, why was I ever so hesitant?? This is seriously HG material. But I'll save all the gushing for a later review; let's just get into my current foundation routine that I've been enjoying for the past 2 months.

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