Foil Challenge

[ather]

I know we all talked about this but I need it in writing to hold myself more accountable! I have picked out around 28 foils that I am hoping to get through by the end of Feb. that’s 1 foil a day unless I decide to stack more than one! Here’s what I’ve picked randomly! 

 

[ather]

@QueenMarceline  Glad I could inspire you! 

[Mellmars1185]

@ather Great foil empties. I don't beleive I have tried the brand Alterna before.

[ather]

@Mellmars1185  You haven’t!!! I feel like my mom used it when I was a teen and I may have used it. It’s a great brand if you get a chance to use it I think you would like it!

[itsfi]

Great job on your foils @ather! You must really be whittling down your foils stash - that has to feel so good! Do you find there are seasons where you go through more foils than others?

[ather]

@itsfi  I feel like I am better with foils in the fall and winter. Although I have not been great this month. My foils are way down to a more manageable amount! I just need to be better with getting them! 

[itsfi]

I feel like getting your foils (or whatever products) down to something more manageable is so much of it, so kudos to you @ather ❣️  Once a stash is more manageable, you can try out different approaches and tricks to reach for them more, be it putting them on your table or making a game out of it, but that first hurdle of whittling them down to something that isn't overwhelming is a hard one. At least that's my takeaway after the 18-months it took me to get my sheet mask collection to a place where I wasn't having to take multiple screenshots of my "inventory" list to see it all. Ouch, that was rough, and very eye opening! 

This month may not have been great but there's always next month - like empties, it ebbs and flows - some months there's barely a dent made in your foils stash and the next month you're wondering if you'll have enough for your next trip. You got this! 

[ather]

@itsfi  Thanks for the encouragement! I agree a more manageable amount feels so better. But I think I need to work on my sheet mask drawer now 😬

[itsfi]

Lol @ather! Good luck with your sheet mask drawer. Just have to chip away at it. 

[CorgiMommy]

@ather nicely done

[ather]

@CorgiMommy  Thank you! My foils got really out of hand and at the beginning of the year I made a commitment. I’m feeling so accomplished! 

[itsfi]

October 2023 Foils  

MTD = 25 foils / YTD = 122 foils

Posted a couple of days early as I have some month end work deadlines and commitments that will keep me busy. Let me just say I have no idea what happened this month when it came to my foil usage. I went through so many more foils than I could have possibly imagined - 25 to be exact. What?!!! Like I said, no idea how that happened. There are some deluxe samples that made their way into the photos.

Spoiler

Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm is a loved cleansing balm, but I won't be repurchasing anytime soon because (1) I have a couple of unopen full sizes of this balm, in different scents, to make my way through and (2) while it is a cleanser I love, it's not my favorite at the moment. Listerine Mouthwash Cool Mint is a repeated repurchase in the full size; this is the travel size I took with me to NYC; will refill it from the full size and keep in my gym bag or for my next trip out of town.

The shampoo and conditioner samples were a mixed bag. I would use the IGK Legendary Shampoo 8 oz/ 236 mL and IGK Legendary Conditioner 8 oz/ 236 mL again but there are other shampoo and conditioners including others in the IGK lineup that I would pick up in full sizes before this Legendary collection. Good but there are better ones out there. The R+H Co Gemstone Shampoo and the R+H Co Gemstone Conditioner, on the other hand, were just meh. I didn't feel it cleansed or moisturized my hair as well as I expected. It's fine; there are plenty of shampoo and conditioners out there that do. 

Spoiler

I like the formula and results of the Moroccanoil Shower Gel Cleanser Oud Mineral but prefer other scents from the collection and I would repurchase it in another scent; namely, Moroccanoil Shower Gel Cleanser Spa du Maroc. Am debating whether to pick it up at the end of the sale or hold off for a Black Friday / Cyber Monday sale, or to wait until next year since i have enough full size shower gels to get me through 2023.

The Kbeauty serum foils (Skin 1004 Madagascar Centella Tea-trica Relief Ampoule and CosRx Pure Fit CICA Serum) were nice on my then combo (oily T zone) skin and, if I didn't have serums I'm loving at the moment and I wasn't adament about keeping the number of skincare products I have open to a minimum, I might pick up one or both of these serums. These may see a spot in my skincare routine come springtime.

October is one of the warmest months of the year in the Bay Area and one of the heat waves offered the perfect time to try out Benefit Cosmetics The POREfessional Pore Minimizing Primer - this stuff is a great primer for an oily lower T-zone (nose, chin, jawline). I may pick up a mini size when summer 2024 rolls around.

Summer Fridays CC Me Vitamin C + Niacinamide Serum 1.0 oz/ 30 mL found its way into my routine when I was desperately trying to brighten up some discoloration under my eyes resulting from my not being careful with my application of lash growth serum. It does have a stickiness to it that isn't ideal for me, but it's a non-issue once I follow up with the rest of my skincare so it's not really a big deal. 

Kosas Revealer Skin-Improving Foundation SPF 25 with Hyaluronic Acid and Niacinamide Light Medium Ne... and Kosas Revealer Skin-Improving Foundation SPF25 with Hyaluronic Acid and Niacinamide Very Light Cool ... work on my skintone in different seasons. I like the formulation on both and could see myself picking up a full size and reaching for it with some regularity. I just have plenty of base products already open and I'm more often using concealer as my foundation so I should hold off on purchasing the Kosas. That seems like the thing to do. Whether I keep to that, I cannot make any promises. Hahaha!

Love the formulation and look of the Givenchy Prisme Libre Skin-Caring Glow Foundation. So much so that a full size is on its way here. 💖 Same with the Tower 28 Beauty Swipe All-Over Hydrating Serum Concealer - another win for Tower 28! 💜

Fresh's rose skincare line is hit or miss for me. The fresh Rose & Hyaluronic Acid Deep Hydration Moisturizer is lovely. I would happily use it again, though I'm not sure it's one I'd run out to purchase in a full size - not because there's anything wrong with it; I just love other moisturizers more.

Diptyque candles (and fragrances) are among my favorite things and the Diptyque Figeuir candle is a nice one, but there are others in the collection I gravitate towards more. 

Summer Fridays ShadeDrops Mineral Milk Sunscreen SPF 30 1.7 oz / 50 mL remains in my top 5 SPF favorites. The consistency is on the thinner side but it still has some hydrating properties. It plays well with my skincare and makeup and I love that it's a mineral (physical) sunscreen.

I try to get in as much greens as I can but there are times when I don't get in as much as I want to so I usually keep a couple of these Bloom Greens & Superfoods Powder Packets in my purse and desk drawer at work to help supplement what actual veggies and greens I do get. I've been adding them to my fruit smoothies lately. These are fine; the taste can be more on the sweet side than I prefer and for that reason, I won't repurchase when I use up my current supply. 

November Foil Goals:

Spoiler

I haven't given deep consideration to goals for next month's foil usage @ather. I have set aside about 6 sets of shampoo and conditioner packets and a few body wash foils, for use at the gym, a work trip and holiday travel. I don't foresee using as many foils as I did this month, but then again, I didn't fathom I'd get through 25 this month either. Hmmm... 🤔 I think I'll set a target of 12 - 15 foils for November. Okay, Fi, 12 - 15!! 🤞

[Mellmars1185]

@itsfi Great foils from October. You have a smart idea to refill the travel size Listerine! Good for the environment and your pocket 👍🌎. The Bloom packs are such a smart dea for travel also. I found when I returned NYC, I was craving greens. I only brought electrolytes because I find I forget to drink enough water. I am glad you were able to find some foils you loved enough to buy FS. Sometimes we find some gems this way 😊

[itsfi]

Yeah, my water intake can definitely suffer when I travel too @Mellmars1185. I'm sure my coworkers who were also on this most recent trip thought I was nuts - there was a breakfast every morning before the first session/meeting, and every morning, there would be lined up infront of my spot at the table, my 20-oz water bottle full of water, 12 oz orange juice from the breakfast, 12 oz of coffee, and then, depending what was consumed first, I'd fill up either my coffee mug or OJ glass with the supergreens powder and more water. I pack either supergreen supplements like that or Emergen-C, or both. The goal is to get my greens and vitamin C in with veggies, but I have them just in case. During Sephoria, I'd have one of those Bloom things in the morning and if I remembered, at night.

Okay, making a note for the next Sephoria that we are both adequately hydrated. 🚰

[CorgiMommy]

@itsfi congratulations on using up your foils 

[itsfi]

@CorgiMommy, thank you. It’s a work in progress.

[ather]

@itsfi  Wow! You did a great job! It’s always the months you don’t think you’ll use things up that you do! Such a happy feeling! Sounds like you used some great products this month. But no new favs! Always nice to try things out and see what you love! 

[itsfi]

So true @ather. I haven't always picked samples when I place an order, only when there's something that I really want to try or that I want to have to take with me on trips. Yet somehow, my stash of samples continues to have plenty to choose from. This month made a sizeable dent in that pool of samples. 😃

Maybe it's me, but I've been feeling like it's harder for me to find new faves. Not that they aren't out there or that I don't have new to me favorites, but not as many products fall within that category as frequently as they used to. I mean, I have at least one new product that is a favorite every month but for the most part, it's often products that have been in and out of my rotation for some amount of time that becomes a favorite more often than not. Watch, now that I've said that, my favorites will be products that are all new to me this month. Hahaha! 

[ather]

I will be waiting to see if you jinxed yourself 🤣 @itsfi 

[itsfi]

It should not come as a surprise if I do @ather. 😂🤣😂 Speaking of which, I need to do my monthly favorites soon. It was part of my plan for this afternoon but I ended up falling asleep for a couple of hours. 😴 💤 

[ather]

@itsfi  Sleeping on the couch is way more important than posting monthly favs! Self care is much needed!! I could go for a couch sleep! 

[itsfi]

Yeah, I need to do better with that @ather. But I was able to get to the grocery store (eggs, fish and spinach for nail care 😆), run a couple of errands, get to my hair appointment, etc. I just didn’t get to pick out grout colors for the kitchen. One of the priorities for tomorrow. 📝