Opalescent and Optimum October Hauls 2021

[danielledanielle]

Happy October, everyone!  This month we welcome spooky season, fall foliage (where applicable), fall sales, and continued pumpkin-flavored everything!  🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂  Happy Bday to all October BIC babes!

Greetings makeup mavens

Post your splurges and your savin'

Don't be craven!

Show us your hauls that are amazin'!

Photo by @bekirdonmeez

[itsfi]

@nuinui933, the lipstories collection is a good one, isn't it?! Lots of great lippies to choose from. 

Yes, the Kaja Wink Lash Trio Mascara clear, black, black is meant to be layered, first with the clear primer, then the volumizing one and finally the lengthening one. I find that I get better results if I just use the volume or lengthening ones on their own, or if I layer the volume and lengthening ones, but also layering them in the reverse order than recommended. The clear primer I don't really see making any difference. Overall, it's alright; not my favorite mascaras; not something I would repurchase. 

[Sunnysmom]

Such a good well-rounded assortment @itsfi! The cleanser looks soothing and I’m so intrigued by the CT mask too. Tough to trade a wine tho. Hmm. Lol. You def did well with that trade! 💞

[itsfi]

Thank you @Sunnysmom! I don’t know if I’d have gone out of my way to pick up the mask for myself before some more reviews from folks here so this was a nice way to try it. 😀 

[itsfi]

@Shosh85 @curlychiquita @faeriegirl @CookieGirl1, here's a swatch of the iS Clinical Warming Honey Cleanser. I've used the cleanser for 3, maybe 4, nights now and have included some of my thoughts on it in the spoiler.

Spoiler

🍯  Consistency: Thick, rich, honey-hued gel. Melts easily upon contact with warmth of skin.

🍯  Scent: Very faint real honey scent. I wished the scent was more pronounced and lingered. 

🍯  Performance: 

• Warming Effect: To actually feel the warming, I needed to very lightly wet the pads of my fingertips and massage the product into my face. If I added to much water, the product just emulsified quickly into a thin, liquid-y cleanser with zero warming. You just need the teensiest amount of water on the fingertips to be able to feel the product warming as it is spread and massaged over the face. This reminded me of the Peter Thomas Roth Hungarian Thermal Water Mask in that regard. I was slightly disappointed with how little warming this cleanser produced. Farmacy Honey Potion mask has the best warming effect of the products I've used so far.

• Cleanser: This would make a great 2nd cleanser and or as a morning cleanser. I don't think it is enough on its own to remove sunblock and makeup like you would want in a first cleanser. The consistency of the product starts off on the rich side, but it does emulsify nicely and I think even those with oily skin might enjoy it. 

• Mask: It's a little trickier to use as a mask - since it does have a thicker consistency, it make take a bit of the product to cover the entire face. If you add water first to help with the application, one concern will be making sure that you're not adding too much water - if you do, the 'mask' aspect will be pretty much obsolete as the product will feel like a cleanser on the face. 

🍯  Results: Soft, smooth skin that looks and feels refreshed. 😍 I have really been enjoying how my skin looks and feels after I use this mask. 

[curlychiquita]

Thank you for reviewing it for me, @itsfi! I love the sensation of the Farmacy Honey Potion Mask, was hoping this would have that, too. It still sounds lovely, though.

[itsfi]

@curlychiquita, happy to share my thoughts on the cleanser. I feel the same as you do about the Farmacy mask and this cleanser would have been perfect if it wasn’t such a science to get the warming sensation to come through. 🍯 

[CookieGirl1]

@itsfi it sounds like a perfect product for winter but it's a little too bad that it doesn't warm up as easily or stay warm as long as might be expected.

[itsfi]

@CookieGirl1, I was experiencing some surface dryness and this cleanser felt so nice. Cleared, cleansed my skin without stripping it. If the warming feels were just a little longer, it would have been perfect! 🍯 

[faeriegirl]

Thank you @itsfi!

[Shosh85]

@itsfi Fun haul!! Love the sound of the Warming Honey Cleanser! That may be something I need to look into!

The CT mask sounds wonderful - those percentages still crack me up though! What a great trade!

[itsfi]

Thank you @Shosh85! 🤗 Oh my goodness, the percentages claimed!!! I think we’re supposed to be pulled in and interested in them but they just crack me up, too! The cooling and depuffing from mask was nice though. I want to use the cleanser once or twice more time this week and will let you know what I think of it. 

[lmaster]

@itsfi I swear those lipstory balms just appear in our baskets huh!! Fabulous haul

[itsfi]

Yes they do @lmaster! 😆 We should reward ourselves for being so accommodating when they do fall into our carts! 🛒 

[lmaster]

@itsfi I like the sound of that 🙌

[itsfi]

Remember @lmaster, practice makes perfect so if you have to treat yourself multiple times, well, so be it. 😆 

[ather]

@itsfi  Oooooo so exciting!! That was so sweet of you to trade!! I wonder what the benefits are long term using it. It says lifting and smoothing but I wonder if it’s just a temporary thing. Aside from de puffing. Looks super “cool” on you. 🥶

[itsfi]

@ather, that’s a good question, about the long term benefits. I’ll have to pay better attention to the smoothing and lifting next time I use this one. So far, the cooling and depuffing are what stands out to me.

[tsavorite]

@itsfi ,

Thanks for the education!  I didn't know anything about the Charlotte Tilbury Cryo-Recovery Face Mask! 

An interesting haul!  I need to look into several of these cool items.  😉

[itsfi]

@tsavorite, the CT cryo mask seems like it’ll be good for unwinding. 👍🏼 There’s an eclectic mix of things in this haul, isn’t there?! 😆 If you have questions about any of the things or want to see swatches or the consistency of anything, let me know. 

[elleb810]

@itsfi 

The cryo acupressure mask is great, isn't it! Cool story about how you got it. Lucky for the person you're gifting one to.

[itsfi]

@elleb810, thank you! 😀 It was so warm and a bit humid last night that I decided to use the cryo mask again before going to bed. The cooling effect felt so good! ♥️