Trash Stash: November 2015

~ stashy

With last month’s epic Trash Stash, this month yielded a much smaller amount of empties.
trash201511_2
I’m most proud of finishing up that little pot of Laura Mercier powder!

trash201511_3
Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder – $30 for 4g (Sephora)
This little pot of magical powder took me THREE years to finish! (I noted that I purchased it Dec 7, 2012 during the VIB spend $50 and get $20 off coupon). I used this powder to set my under eye area nearly every single day.  It provides a bit of illumination (tiny little bits of shimmer) and sets my concealer – and it doesn’t looks cakey or dry. Now that it’s gone from my life, I miss it a lot! I am now trying to use up my MAC Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder and I don’t like it as much – it makes the eye area look dry and crepey. I just opened the e.l.f. High Definition Powder (which has been sitting unused in my stash for the past 2 years!) and it’s just ok… it’s a nice powder but not as illuminating as the LM for the under eye area. Next up, I’m going to bust open the Nars Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder (also unopened in my stash) to see how it fares. Bottom line: the LM powder was worth every penny and I will definitely repurchase (perhaps using THIS year’s VIB coupon? 😉 )
Stash worthiness: 10/10     Repurchase: Yes
trash201511_4
Bourjois Volume Glamour Max Mascara – $21 for 10ml (Shoppers Drug Mart)
I’ve not come across a Bourjois mascara that I didn’t like and this one is no exception. It provides an amazing amount of volume while managing to not weigh down the lashes. It also doesn’t smudge on me. The only slight negatives of this mascara is that it is quite wet initially and with such a large wand, there’s risk of getting the mascara on my eyelid when applying (this diminishes as the mascara dries out over time). It is also a bit clumpy but nothing that can’t be remedied with a metal lash comb. I also like that this mascara can be built up and it doesn’t produce spidery lashes. The packaging is also top notch – there’s a clicking mechanism so I can tell it’s closed.  I got this mascara as a part of a set – I’m not sure if I’m willing to pay $21 for a mascara, I’m too spoiled with Cover Girl Lashblast.
Stash worthiness: 8/10     Repurchase: Maybe
trash201511_6
Simple Cleansing Micellar Water – $10 for 198ml (drugstores)
I was excited to try this micellar water that has been getting rave reviews.  I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur of micellar waters and this one just didn’t live up to the hype for me. It’s quite soapy and left a residue on my skin. It also doesn’t clean as thoroughly as other micellar waters I’ve used – rather than lifting residue off my skin, it smears it around.  I bought this on sale so I’m not too upset.   It is quite gentle so I can see this being a good option for those with sensitive skin.
Stash worthiness: 5/10     Repurchase: No

Kibio Suncare Face Lotion SPF 50 – $22 for 40ml
This expired last November. 😮  But I was convinced I’d make use of it on my hands or other areas besides my face – it’s just much too emollient and thick.  It also leaves a strong white cast on the skin.  I did like that it was 100% mineral sunscreen with a high SPF.  Kibio was a defunct brand owned by Clarins – it focused on natural and organic ingredients in its formulations.  There are a few Kibio items that I really like including their facial moisturizer and clay mask.  When Shoppers cleared this brand out in early 2013, I stocked up on a few items and this was one of them – I think I bought this at 50% off.
Stash worthiness: 6/10     Repurchase: No
trash201511_5
GarraudBIO Comfort Nourishing Hand Cream – $24 for 50ml
I got this on clearance at Rexall. I liked that it has natural ingredients and was made in France. I got it for something like 75% off. It’s a good hand cream – not too greasy and not overly fragrant. However, it doesn’t last too long on the hands, and I found that as I used it, the product became lumpy and looked separated.  I guess that’s the challenge of natural products – sometimes the textures are weird and they may not keep stable as long.
Stash worthiness: 6/10     Repurchase: No

Cake Beauty Unsweet Velveteen Hand Cream – $18 for 100ml
Cake Beauty is known for their scrumptiously scented body products, but I had to get this unscented version to keep at the office since my coworkers (namely, my boss!) is sensitive to fragrance. The hand cream is very high quality, using glycerin, mango seed and shea butters – it’s not greasy at all and keeps my hands hydrated for a long time. Unfortunately this particular version in the Velveteen formula is discontinued, but Cake has a sub-brand called Delectable which is sold in drugstores and there’s an unscented version in that range.
Stash worthiness: 9/10     Repurchase: No (but I might try the Delectable version)
trash201511_8
LaCoupe Volume Amplified Shampoo – $8 for 750ml (online: well.ca and lacoupe.com)
I bought this giant bottle of shampoo during Back to School promotions in 2013… I finally busted this bottle open in the summer time and it’s taken me this long to finish it. Granted, I didn’t use this shampoo exclusively but I probably used it 3 times a week. I really love how this shampoo lathers and the scent is amazing (smells like a salon? That’s the only way I can describe hair product scents!) However, I don’t find it to be that volumizing – I need to alternate this shampoo with others so it doesn’t weigh my hair down. Also, within the last 12 months I’ve noticed that LaCoupe (a Canadian brand) has disappeared from all the drugstores. The only place I can find it now is online.
Stash worthiness: 8/10     Repurchase: Maybe, if I can find it again

Redken Curvaceous Wind Up Reactivating Spray – $22 for 145ml (salons and online)
I bought this last year at a cosmetics discount pop-up shop called Beautiful Brands, which carried some decent deals on everything from drugstore to high-end brands. This curl spray does have a tendency to leave my hair crunchy so I have to use sparingly. It does smell nice – um, like a salon. 😉
Stash worthiness: 6/10     Repurchase: No

Samples

trash201511_7
Klorane Soothing Eye Make-up Remover Lotion – $16 for 100ml (drugstores)
I’d been curious about this product ever since spotting it at Rexall as a “French cult beauty product”. I receive a sample of it to try and I’m SO glad I got to try before I bought because this thing is STINKY. It smells like old lady perfume mixed with bug repellent – and the smell lingers too. While it is effective in removing all eye makeup, it’s quite a greasy formula and leaves a residue on my skin. It was a disappointing experience after being so interested in this product. The full size is quite expensive too.
Stash worthiness: 3/10     Repurchase: No

Vichy Pureté Thermale One Step Cleansing Micellar Solution 3-in-1 – $20 for 200ml (drugstores)
I like this micellar water. It’s not the best out there but also not the worst. It’s probably neck and neck with Bioderma for me. It cleans residue well and has no scent. I’ve owned the full size bottle before and I do have a full sized bottle of this in my stash which I bought during a 40% off promotion.
Stash worthiness: 7/10     Repurchase: Yes

Have you tried any of these products? How was November for you in terms of empties?

Tomorrow is December!  And there’s something exciting happening on the blog… stay tuned. 😉

39 thoughts on “Trash Stash: November 2015”

  2. LaCoupe! I remember having some of their products, maybe 10 yrs ago? Never knew they were Canadian. I never saw them around since then, though…

    I’ve wanted to try a Bourjois mascara forever, but like you, I’m spoiled with good drugstore options (Maybelline in particular).

    I also didn’t care for the Simple micellar.

    I hope you like the NARS powder – I really dig it, but I don’t use it too often, and not in the same way you will. I’ll have to try the LM sometime; it really gets such great reviews. Maybe next Sephora sale.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. The LaCoupe distribution is spotty at best and now it seems they’re gone from all major chains. I see their products pop up from time to time at Honest Eds! I really liked the scent of their product – I was addicted to their hair spray!
      Maybe you can redeem for Bourjois mascara at Shoppers!
      I’m going to try out the Nars powder this week and maybe do a comparison review (it’s kind of difficult to show translucent powders in photos though lol)

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. Honest Ed’s! Is that still open? I did want to go check it out again for old times’ sake, but wasn’t sure if it had closed down yet.

        Bourjois mascara would be a good redemption, for sure. I just need to research them, now 😀

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

      1. I find Tresemme doesn’t have as much hold for shape nor give decent volume, but that probably varies by hair type. B&B is very crunchy but I love that it gives my hair a giant lift. Worth the cost to me since I don’t use it all year round — mostly in the summer.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

  4. I’m so excited! I’ve got post #1 done… but that’s it :-X This week will kick my ass cause of work and finals but after that I’ll get it together. P.S. I’ve been thinking of doing a year long no-buy starting Jan 1st…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I’ve got Day 1, 3 and 4 done lol… and a bunch of half started posts here and there. I mainly need to take pics!
      Good luck on your finals! 🙂
      Oh wow… a no-buy for a year too – that’s great! I’m thinking of doing a low-buy for next year. It’s been really refreshing for me to not accumulate so much stuff. And if I keep getting those reward points, I can just have a big redemption party once or twice a year and that’ll be all I need, right? 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  5. I just finished up my bottle of Simple’s micellar water too! That’s so strange that you found it soapy, I don’t find it soapy at all! And there was ZERO residue left for me, it’d completely dry up for me. Unless there’s an inconsistency in the formulas or something! :S

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  8. Omg tomorrow is December!!!! Wow I completely forgot that that frees me from my no buy! How crazy!

    Anyway, seems like you got a lot of duds this round of empties. Even though it’s not as big as last month’s I still think 10 products is a lot! So good job! What’s your favorite spf for the face??

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. It’s the end of your No-Buy! And you didn’t even realize?! You’re not doing a jig right now? lol. I guess we’re so USED to the mindset of not shopping now.
      Yeah this round of empties we me just trying to use stuff up – even if I didn’t love everything.
      For face sunscreen, I really like a small Canadian brand that I know you can’t get there.. but another one I do like is the La Roche-Posay Anthelios Mineral Tinted Ultra-Fluid Lotion SPF 50. One that I haven’t tried but I know I’ll like it: Skinceuticals Sheer Physical UV Defense SPF 50

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  9. You should be proud! Using up loose powders takes absolute eons. That powder is what I’m going to try once I use up my current stash of under eye powders.
    It seems odd to have a “soothing” eye makeup remover with a strong scent. Sometimes I think companies don’t think things through completely.
    I cannot believe it is already December! My brain rebelled and I wrote 10 on everything today instead of 12.

    Like

    Reply

  10. Really great review! I have that Laura Mercier Powder (actually the totally translucent one that anyone of any colour can use) and I’m pretty sure it will never run out. LOL! It’s like those Guerlain Météorites Perles…you will never finish it in one lifetime.

    Like

    Reply
  12. Pingback: Trash Stash 2015 summary | stash matters
  13. Pingback: Best of 2015 discoveries | stash matters

Leave a Comment: