Final Morgue Drawer 2021

I’m not sure if I mean this will be my final MD post ever or just for 2021. My garbage, makeup, and fav reviews have kinda left the building. But, like Elvis, they were spotted a few times throughout the year. But I wanted to wrap up 2021 with one big MD post, and I’ll write up another one with my favorites and hated-its. Hmmm, that’s a little catchier than PD, MEH, and GFY.

We shall see…

But first - GARBAGE. As I’ve been collecting these empties for a loooong time, this is gonna be one big ass post. So let’s get to it.

Boka Toothpaste (ela mint): I tried this out because it’s supposed to help remineralize teeth (I did the research a long time ago and the nano-hydroxyapetite technology been used in Japan since the 70s). Not sure if it did anything, to be honest. But it’s nice.

Tom’s of Main (rapid relief): My go-to toothpaste to relieve tooth sensitivity, which I have. And it’s the only one that doesn’t make my mouth peel (yes, it’s a thing and only happens to a small percentage of the population that uses things like Sensodyne or any other commercially produced sensitivity toothpaste).

Native Deodorant: I tried this with a coupon code and, as usual, natural deodorants just don’t work for me. I think I ended up sweating MORE than I normally do. Yes, this isn’t an antiperspirant. I get that. But it shouldn’t make me sweat more. I’m just saying…

Hask Dry Shampoo (biotin and charcoal): The biotin one is ok. It does feel like it thickens my hair a bit but it still looks and feels dirty/greasy after I use it. The charcoal, on the other hand, is awesome.

Cake Beauty Dry Shampoo: It smells really nice, maybe a little heavy, but it doesn’t work that well.

Marc Anthony Argon Oil Hairspray (extra hold): I love this stuff and just realized, as I’m typing this, I don’t have any backups. Dammit!

AG Hair Care (extra firm hairspray): The name makes you think it’ll result in crunchy shellacqued hair but it doesn’t. Unless you really apply it heavily. Either way its a nice product. I had the mini size and it lasted quite a while.

Raw Sugar Living Raw Boost: This is one of the only products I’ve found that helps tame frizz and makes my wavy hair look smooth. It’s hard to find and I had to stock up 5 or 6 of them. Hopefully it doesn’t go away ever!

The Body Shop Banana Shampoo/Conditioner: Meh. It smells nice but don’t think it really did any favors for my hair.

Mario Badescu Rosewater Facial Spray: This is a staple product for me. Will always repurchase.

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water: Now that Garnier is cruelty free (hooray!) I bought this again. It’s the only micellar water that doesn’t burn my eyes. I also use it as my cleanser in the mornings, as it’s pretty gentle and my face doesn’t need harsh cleansing after a rough night of sleeping.

Mamonde Rose Water Toner: Noooope. This stuff broke me out. My skin was very unhappy. I have a 50/50 record with Korean skin care and I usually know with 1-3 days if it’s going to go horribly wrong.

Urban Hydration Micellar Cleansing Water (apple and banana): I loved the smell of this but again, it burned my eyes and didn’t really take off makeup that well. Bummer.

Fourth Ray Beauty BFD Cleansing Oil: I do like this cleansing oil but the smell went off sooner than I expected.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Face Wash: Another staple; will continue to repurchase.

Mad Hippie Cream Cleanser: I really did like this. Very gentle. This brand is a little expensive, IMHO, and now that I really don’t need something like this in the morning, I won’t get it again.

OhK! Drying Pink Blemish Powder: This is kinda cool. It would be a dupe for the Mario Badescu one, and I’m sure there are others out there. If you’ve never seen this, you don’t shake the bottle. Just dip a Q-tip into the clear liquid all the way down to the pink powder and remove. Dab the wet powder onto your zit. It does work and it’s kinda fun.

The Ordinary Niacinamide Serum: I do enjoy this serum. My skin likes niacinamide. I switch it up, though, between this one and the Fourth Ray Beauty brand. For some reason, my skin prefers if I do this. After too many bottles of one brand, it stops working. Weird.

Good Molecules Ultra Hydrating Facial Oil: I love this stuff. With colder weather, it’s nice to add an extra layer of moisture to the skin. I forgot all about this product. Will definitely repurchase.

Nature’s Truth Rose Water: I can’t remember why I bought this. I don’t really need a toner so maybe it was just to add rosewater to my regimen? *shrug*

Facetory Facial Oil with Oats/Squalane: This stuff is brilliant. My skin adored this and it gave a nice glow. It’s more like a milky serum than an oil, to me anyway. Will definitely repurchase.

Fourth Ray Beauty Papaya Face Milk: I love this stuff. It’s a nice gentle acid in a milky suspension. It almost seems like it might not be doing anything but don’t put this over an open pimple or a scratch. Just FYI. I will keep buying this!

Mad Hippie Triple C Night Cream: Very nice night cream but this stuff is too expensive for what it is. Won’t be buying again.

Derma E Night Cream: This was fine. I like Derma E products. Little pricey though.

Purito Sea Buckthorn Cream: I used this as a night cream. It’s not heavy, more like a gel cream. But this is one of those Korean products that my skin liked. I might end up repurchasing.

Formula 10.0.6 Day Moisturizer: Yet another staple. I will repurchase.

Wow, I think that’s it. What I might end up doing is combining this and the favorites posts into one. That makes a little more sense and a lot less work for me.

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and here’s hoping 2022 brings us more hope, joy, and health!

Daebak Box - Winter 2020

Well, I tried to keep all my reviews for products from 2020 in 2020. But I just got overwhelmed and thought it was too much to keep up with for those last few weeks in the Year That Shall Not Be Named. *shrugs* It is what it is.

For those who many not know, this Daebak Box is a quarterly subscription of all things Korean - pop culture, makeup, skin care, snacks, clothes, etc. It’s way too much fun for its own good and has led me to purchase more (insert item here) from their on-line store after hooking me via the box.

You can purchase this service two ways: 1) pay $54.99 each quarter, or 2) pay $199.96 for the whole year. Either way you’re saving some good money. Check out the website for ALL their other subscription services and store fronts. DAEBAK

I pay for this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones.

If I haven’t mentioned it before, the actual cardboard boxes are very thick and sturdy. I’ve repurposed a few into storage containers! Also this month we got a cool, smaller booklet that actually tells us what everything is. Now, did I save mine? I have no idea…

STATIONERY/LIFESTYLE

I forgot to take separate pics of that little fuzzy bag on the left. It’s just about the right size for a cell phone, maybe a thin wallet, too. It comes with a removeable strap. The tag says “I Was Plastic” - can’t remember if that’s the brand or just the description. Because this little fuzzy pocket WAS plastic and recycled into that cute bag.

Apeach Mirror: I think I have one travel mirror (one of those metal cases that snaps closed - except mine doesn’t really close anymore and the mirror keeps falling out). So this is perfect!

Bookmark Pen: Yes, that is a pen shaped like a banana leaf. It works great as a bookmark, too. I’m going to keep it in that sparkly silver 2021 planner. (EDIT: I’ve already misplaced it somewhere in the Black Hole of my office…*son of a bitch*)

iStyle Planner: I’m going to use this as a planner for author stuff (cons, readings, publishing stuff) because gods know, I don’t have enough fucking calendars and planners in my life. I just love how shiny it is!

QMask Face Mask/Strap: These particular material/style masks as super comfortable. And I love that it came with a strap you can hang around your neck. Now I don’t have to worry about which pocket I stuffed the damn thing in next time I’m at the dentist or doctor.

The Saem Hand Lotion Set: I do like a good hand cream. These are very nice - just thick enough, and absorb so damn fast. Good thing to have in this time of excessive hand washing. I gave one away because it said it was sage scented and I’m not about that. Right now I’m using the Green Grape one. It has a slight scent of grape with a powder/perfume finish. Very nice, if a little strong.

FOOD

Lotte Pepero Rich Choco: If you don’t know what Pepero is - what have you been doing with your life (also Pocky - basically the same thing, but I think Pocky is from Japan)? These are rod shaped cookies (sometimes pretzels) covered in various flavors of chocolate. This one had white and dark layers. SOO FUCKING GOOD. You can find them in a lot of places here in the US now, so you really have no excuse not to give them a shot. Unless you have diabetes or something…then I’ll let it slide.

Lihan Rice Paddle: We have the generic plastic paddle that came with our rice cooker years ago. It’s soooooo 2005. I love this one. The textured surface helps grab all the rice, the size has good heft while still being light, and the base is weighted so it’ll stand up straight when you need to set it down or after washing to let it dry. How cool is that?

SKIN CARE

Mediheal Sheet Masks: Two different skin care options came in this pack. I have so many sheet masks already that I gave a couple of these away, too. Mediheal is a big name in skin care so I’m excited to give them a try.

Mediheal This Patch: Now, I did try some of these and honestly, my skin said no way. To be fair, my skin is super sensitive so I’m not surprised that at least one thing in this box didn’t work for me. I have given these to a friend so I hope she can get some good use from them!

Tenzero Therapy Essence: I love these little individual packets of serum. I do smell a bit of mushroom (truffle, so not a surprise there) but my skin enjoyed the one I used. (EDIT: I used another one and yes, my skin still likes it.)

That’s the Winter 2020 box. I’m still really enjoying these lifestyle boxes. I love being surprised each quarter with the items! Until next time, hope you all are hanging in there and keeping safe and healthy.

PDs, MEHs, and GFYs March 2018

Here's my list of products that have been great for me, so-so, and making me cast them into the fiery pits of HELL! That's right. It's the Panty Droppers, MEHs, and Go Fuck Yourselves. Let's get to it!

PDs

Sad to say I've only got 1 panty dropper this time around. But it's pretty fucking good and deserves the spotlight.

BH Cosmetics Zodiac Palette: I've got a few BH products in my stash, some I've decluttered and some I've continued to treasure. This will be staying with me for a long time. The metallic shades are phenomenal. Many times I find other brand's baked shadows like this VERY dry and chalky, hardly pigmented. These are so damn soft and easy to work with. The mattes are the same. Very soft and great color payoff. I'd have to say the only downside is if you're one of those people who NEEDS a transition shade in the crease of your eye, there are VERY limited options here (the light brown of Aquarius and the light pink of Virgo are really your only options) and you'll have to grab another palette or shadow to use. I personally don't care that much so it's not a deal breaker for me. The highlighter in the middle is not the best I've ever used but again, not a big issue. This goes on the website for around $21 but I've seen it as low as $18 (cheaper elsewhere sometimes).

MEHs

LA Girl Pro Conceal (peach): This had meh coverage. It was nice and creamy but it didn't really color correct the purple under my eyes so...what's the point?

Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer: Not sure why everyone goes gaga over this. It's pretty sticky but it doesn't do a great job of making my eye shadow last any longer. Milani makes a much better one.

GFYs

Lots of stuff pissed me off this time around...

Ulta Beauty Color Correcting Concealer: This stuff dries down so much darker than it is in the tube, just like paint does, and it doesn't do a thing to color correct (which I'm beginning to think is a sham).

Make Moonlight Primer: This is one of those cool ideas - black in color but a gel texture so it blends out clear - but is terrible in the execution. It balls up under any foundation. And I mean ANY. It's disgusting and useless.

Blaq Mask: It's fun to put on a peeling mask that solid black (I like the Montagne Jeunesse one) but this shit ruined my skin. It was red and irritated as fuck and it broke me out.

Catrice Glam & Doll False Lashes Mascara: I do love the length this mascara gives but because of that, it transfers all over my brow bone. I end up looking like I slept in my makeup. (tip: if you put a coat of mascara over this stuff that DOESN'T tranfer, that helps - but that's too much work).

Spa Life Grapefruit mask: Absolutely USELESS. The mask material is way to thick and stiff (Imma leave that one alone...) so it wouldn't stay on my face. Literally, it kept falling off. The holes for the eyes and mouth were way too small. It smelled like artificial fruit. Just all around bad!

Sand & Skye Purifying Pink Clay mask: I had to wash this shit off about 30 seconds after putting it on. It burned so much and my skin was bright pink/red for a while before it calmed down.

Labotica Liquid Foil mask: Cool color but this shit really bonded to my skin making it extremely difficult to remove. It also irritated my skin AND broke it out. Ugh.

That's it for now. I didn't wait until I collected an entire box of stuff so I think that might actually make it a better read. Until next time, folks!