Another month, another pile of empties! August was a SUPER hot month in Toronto so I wore very little products this month, keeping it super simple. Even so, I was actually surprised that this month was so small! I was sure I'd have more, but some of the things in here were actually quite good (OR BAD!) so I'm happy to have more space to chat about them.

No Buy Challenge Update

If July was good for the No Buy Challenge, then August was even better. This was the easiest month of the challenge, and I didn't buy a single new thing at all! I told myself that if I stuck to my $25 budget in July and August, I would continue my subscription for FabFitFun for the fall, and since I did above and beyond, I renewed! I think having a small goal like a quarterly subscription box is definitely a way to curb mindless shopping. Also, not working in the shopping district any more, I don't find myself 'mindlessly' walking into stores or going to the mall. When I go somewhere, it's with the intention to get something, not just to wander.

I did however, redye my hair this month. Up until now I wasn't calculating how much my hair cost me because I treat it more like maintenance. Because I don't do spa services, or mani/pedis, blowouts, etc, I've let my hair colouring be my personal splurge. Now that I've stuck with the same colourist for the last 9 months, I can generally predict how much per month I spend on my coloured mane. Currently I'm paying an average of $250 (including tax and tip, always tip!) per appointment, and I generally go every 3 months. I'm not stopping this by any means, but I have had a few questions about it so I wanted to bring it up.

Now, on to the empties! Lots of budget beauty this time around, so take a look.

August Empties

Coppertone Clearly Sheer SPF 30 Sunscreen - After reviewing the Clearly Sheer Facial Sunscreen version of this product, I knew the regular would be good as well. I really liked how lightweight this sunscreen was, and with barely any noticeable "spf" smell (smelled more like a body lotion than a sunscreen) and it generally absorbed nicely. It's a budget beauty staple and I'd definitely buy again.

Covergirl So Lashy Blast Pro Mascara Extreme Black- I really liked this mascara when I reviewed it previously, which was AGES AGO. I actually didn't even realize I still had it, but I found it in an old makeup bag when I cleaned out my desk last month. Like most of the Cover Girl mascaras, it's a solid drug store purchase, and although I know people are wild about L'Oreal Lash Paradise these days, I like the wand and the applicator style on this one much better. It finally dried up on me so I gave it the boot.

Clinique High Impact Mascara in Black - I was never really a huge fan of this mascara but it was also found in my makeup bag, so..surprise! It's your standard wand, good thickness but nothing too special about it. I think it smudged on me though, but it's long dry now so I can't tell!

Pantene Blowout Extend Dry Shampoo - This stuff is pretty decent for dry shampoo but I straight up dropped it and broke the nozzle so there's actually about 1/4th of product left. So that's a bit of a bummer. But I liked it enough, it kept my hair more on the dry side instead of the more voluminous side, but I prefer a "drier" dry shampoo any way. I generally prefer Batiste to most other brands, but this one is ok in a pinch, or if it's on sale.

Origins GinZing Eye Cream - Now, I can't really attest to whether this does brighten up my eye area beyond the fact that it has some shimmer in it, but it does FEEL nice and refreshing. It's not a concealer or 'lightener' by any means, but it was a nice step if you want to make your under eye area a little glowier.

Pixi Glow Tonic - I absolutely love this toner, I usually apply it every other day to my skin as it can be quite sensitive, but it's a huge part of my skincare routine. I'm currently testing another toner so I won't repurchase this one for awhile (I'm waiting for YOU Shoppers Drug Mart redemption weekend!) but it's one of the best glycolic acid products I've ever used. I've rebought it numerous times.

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water - I'm not sure what happened but I somehow ended up with two of these sprays recently. The name is deceiving, it's less of a primer and more of a setting spray/refresher. It's not as strong as some of the other locking sprays like Urban Decay's, but I like it better for days when I have more casual looks, because it doesn't feel like my face is hardened on. It's also a good refresher, with VERY little fragrance which is awesome. I still have another one on the go and I dig it!

Perfume - I only finished one vial this month, it's Harajuku Lovers in Music! I found a set of vials of all of Gwen Stefani's LAMB perfumes recently and they are all such a treat. It's an underrated collection in my opinion. Music has sweet notes of citrus with a bit of jasmine and a HINT of musk. I'm missing it and seriously considering rebuying at some point.

Foil samples - I definitely used more this month but I must've accidentally thrown them away! Boo! Of these three that I do have though, Philosophy's Renewed Hope in a Jar was the most surprising. I tried this moisturizer before and didn't care for it, but it felt so creamy and lightweight on my skin. Definitely worth revisiting.

August Tosses

Essence Kajal Pencil - 15 Behind the Scenes - Back when it was still hard to track down Essence products in Toronto, I would run around Shoppers grabbing whatever interesting products I could find. I found some really amazing blushes, fun nail polishes and sturdy eyeshadows over the years, but I'm sorry to say this eye liner did NOT cut it. The pencil was way too soft and smudgey, and would transfer like crazy no matter what primer I used while ALSO falling off faster. I know kajal is supposed to be softer but this one isn't high quality enough to be soft but also have staying power.

Revlon Colorstay 2-in-1 Angled Kajal - On the exact opposite side of the spectrum, Revlon's kajal eyeliner is too HARD. The packaging is bulky, the tip is rhombus-shaped and does NOT drag well on the lid, it actually hurt trying to apply it. It comes with an angled brush on the side but it's quite stiff and to smudge the product you'd be basically dry brushing your eyelids. No thanks!

NYX Colored Felt Tip Liner in White - I went through a phase not too long ago where I wore a lot of white eyeliner. I had some Korean brands like Holika Holika, top level Lancome and a few drug store ones here and there, this one was one of the more disappointing ones. The felt tip brush doesn't give a lot of product on each swipe, it felt watery and not easily buildable, it doesn't dry well and stayed tacky for awhile, and the pigmentation was pretty poor. I haven't tried other colours in this line to see if it's just this color, but after the quality of this one, this line isn't high on my list.

And that's it! I already KNOW I have a huge amount of stuff in September, I'm on my last legs of some body lotions, washes, hair products, foundation, you name it. Let's see what September holds, shall we?