002. Empties and Best of TV
Empties from last year and a list of what to watch where!
When you save all your empties from last year, and this is what’s left after two rounds of clearing because you don’t have enough room for all your trash.
I kept putting off filming this just because other video ideas always surpassed my desire for this one. But I love speaking to empties because sometimes first or mid impressions just aren't enough. So here are a bunch of empties I've meant to share.
I purchased the Uncommon Yarrow Lavender hydrosol back in November after being intoxicated by the scent during a facial with Rebecca (owner and esthetician of Uncommon Yarrow). It's a 4oz bottle, roughly twice the size of the majority of my hydrosols, and lasted just over two months. This size is an excellent reminder of why I love smaller hydrosols. The scent enthralled me less during the second half, and towards the end, I was trying to use it up. If I rotated my hydrosols more, this would be less of an issue, but I don't like to have multiple items open at once if I can help it. And this in no way reflects negatively on the actual product. It's fantastic and the scent is stunning. It's also excellent value for its size (retails $30). *Update: she now offers both 2oz and 4oz options! So far, I have my eye on the yarrow and lavender 2oz versions. I’ll share on Instagram whenever they list in her online shop!
Staying on this train, let's talk about my favorite hydrosol brand, Wildcare. During a popup last year, I was able to pick up her (now discontinued) Empress Cypress hydrosol. I've said this countless times, and I'll say it again, Cortney (founder of Wildcare) truly does something special with her hydrosols. They're deceptively simple with at max, blends of three distillations, but the quality is out of this world. This one was in the old packaging. She's since repackaged, and they now come in UV protected violet glass. I currently have four (only one is open) in my stash.
Back when I started my YouTube channel in July of last year, you'll know that I fell hard and fast for a sample reformulated version of the AKT Therapy Elemental Sun Balm SPF 30. Apparently, I was the only one who liked this version because Janus (founder) went back to the original. She sent me my first ever PR package, and I got to try the original along with the rest of the line. I stopped using the balm SPF momentarily during the summer because it started breaking me out and felt too heavy on the skin. When I picked it back up again, it made my skin itch like none other; I don't know what happened! I stored it correctly, it didn't smell off, and the texture remained the same. All the ingredients are found in my other skincare, so I'm not sure what it was. I waited a few days and tried again, but the same thing happened. I'm bummed, but not heartbroken. This SPF has a very peachy color and doesn't work with my neutral skin. I much preferred the tone of the bronzer SPF to this.
The AKT Therapy Rad Face Oil, however, was a hidden body care gem. I've used it under its original intent as face oil, and it's great that way too. It's not a lightweight oil, but it didn't cause any breakouts, and I welcomed the fresh cherry scent. However, the pump made it challenging to get a consistent amount each time. I never needed a full pump for my face, so doing half pumps caused it to leak down the sides. I switched over to using it for body oil, and it was the best. Sinks in quickly, lovely scent, and gave me smooth, plump, healthy skin. A little goes a long way because this 1floz bottle lasted three and a half months used on the body!
I finished two trial sizes from pAra botanica: the Coca Kesara Mask and the Chaya Beauty Balm (not pictured). Both of these were part of the pAra weekly treatment set. You can see both in action in my latest pAra brand spotlight YouTube video. You've probably already heard how much I adore the Chaya beauty balm. I flew through two trial sizes and have gone through just over half of the full-size. I'm waiting until I finish the full-size to put in another order of pAra goodies so I can get free shipping (got to make use of those discounts)! The Coca Kesara mask is beautiful, but I'm on the fence of whether or not to buy the full-size. It’s very similar to H is for Love's Propolis (which I'm currently using), so I don't think I'll purchase the full-size right now.
I also finished one of pAra's small-batch tinctures, Naya Nostrum. This was my first ever tincture, and I loved that I could mix this in with my morning smoothies. It just gave my vanilla berry smoothies a delightful floral quality. This was what made me want to dive deeper into tinctures. It lasted just under three months with daily use, and at only $18, it's incredibly affordable. I won't oversell this because it's since sold out. But she just released a new tincture called the Sekhmet Elixir, and you bet I have my eyes set on it.
The Henné Lip Serum was definitely an “Instagram/YouTube made me do it” purchase. I picked it up at 20% off during Credo’s friends and family sale, and at first, I was very underwhelmed. But that was very much my fault. I went against my own rule and didn’t read a product’s full description before purchasing. I had wanted a one-and-done product: a lip oil that reduced fine lines and moisturized my ever-so-dry-and-chapped lips. This did the first part, but as it states of their website, you’ll need to go in with a lip balm after. For the first few months, I thought it a hassle to add in this extra step. Since it was expensive and I didn’t want to waste it, I started using it as both a lip and under-eye serum. (I asked the brand first and they gave the okay to use under the eyes.) Once I got over the hump of forming the habit, I started reaping its rewards and fell in love. This absolutely reduces fine lines, and as long as you go in with a lip balm of choice afterward, your lips will thank you. I no longer got dry or chapped lips once I got this routine down, and this was during winter! Because the lip serum is so lightweight, I loved using it under the eyes too. Plus, the 24K gold rollerball felt so luxurious on both lips and under-eyes. I’ll repurchase the Henné one again during sales and for use during winter ($36, lasts for about 5 months).
If you’re a longtime Instagram follower, you know I love my Gressa eye tints. The two I have empty here are the shades Roasted and Cellophane. I had these on a birthday wishlist I gave my best friend and she got them for my birthday last year! Roasted is a lighter and cooler version of my all-time favorite shade, Obscur. Cellophane is a barely-there pale pink with various sized shimmer. I was most excited about this shade only to be super let down.
First, the pink barely shows up unless you use a super heavy hand and several layers. Second, the shimmers are too much for my sensitive eyes. The glitter isn’t spherically large, but rather large shavings. It’s best explained as shaved slices of charcuterie versus a meatball (I’m sorry I chose possibly the worst way to describe it, but this is the best I can think of right now. Please don’t unsubscribe). Because of the aforementioned large glitter, either during the application or during removal, the chunks would make my eyes water like nothing else. And if they happened to get in there at an odd angle, it definitely hurt. Third, I couldn’t even finish the jar because there was what I call a pretty big packaging mishap. These were the first I have in their updated packaging (*just found out that they’re reverting to the previous packaging. Thank goodness). It’s a rose gold cap that twists closed with a frosted glass jar. I didn’t have any issues with it drying out (as others have), but instead, the glue in my cap melted and started oozing out the sides. (And I had these tucked in a drawer away from sunlight and heat.)
If the glue could be easily removed, I wouldn’t think otherwise about continuing. However, it was the WORST to remove. I tried rubbing alcohol, nail polish remover, various soaps with water, and nothing did the job. And this didn’t happen to just Cellophane, it happened to Roasted too. At one point, I got so fed up and paranoid that this strong glue was somehow making its way into the product that I just stopped using both. I loved Roasted more though, so I scraped off the top layer and transferred the remaining into an old RMS Beauty jar. Now both are past their expiration dates, and I’ve tossed and recycled what I could. If you’ve yet to try these eye tints, I’d wait to either get them on sale or for the updated (original) packaging. I still stand by Obscur, Roasted, Charbon, and Aureo!
If you watched my 2019 Index talking through most memorable makeup, then you’ve already heard me ramble on about the Gressa Minimalist Corrective Serum Foundation. To me, this is the best liquid foundation in clean or conventional beauty. Gressa formulates high-performing and long-lasting makeup products. This foundation is perfect for a wide range of people because of how versatile it is. Tinted moisturizer lovers can mix one drop with their moisturizer, and full coverage people can use two drops alone. You can use them as concealer or to lighten/deepen other foundations that don’t match. Plus, even at half the size of most foundations (0.5floz), it will last you the same amount of time because this is PIGMENTED. If you’re a minimalist and love liquid foundations that dry down satin-matte, this one’s for you. Word of caution: you’ll want to use this consistently once opened. If you let it sit for long periods of time without use, the formula could change from the stagnation. I wasn’t using it towards the tail end, so I wasn’t re-incorporating the oils and pigment. And whatever was in the dropper congealed, making it no longer usable.
I switched over all my haircare to Innersense early last year and have gone through multiple bottles of the Pure Harmony Hairbath shampoo since (not pictured). One day, I decided to try their Harmonic Healing Oil as a scalp treatment. I got it in the 1oz size and immediately loved the scent: a citrus and rosemary blend. The bottle lasted just under 3 months. I would take 2 pumps and apply it damp hair and let it sit for about 10–15minutes before hopping in the shower to shampoo and rinse off. At first, it worked like a charm and soothed my scalp. But the more I used it, the more unbalanced my scalp seemed to get. Then it began to make my scalp itchy. In an effort to use it up, I started using it as a hair and body oil towards the end. It’s much better as just a hair oil, but I don’t tend to use hair oils. As a body oil, it sits too much on top of the skin and remains tacky. I’m glad I tried it, but I won’t repurchase.
I also finished a sample duo of the EVOLVh SmartColor Protecting Shampoo and Conditioner. Both were from Credo Beauty as a reward, each at .5 fl oz (15ml). I fell hard for this duo. I’ve never used haircare that gave my hair such volume, conditioned, and balanced my scalp. I probably should’ve mentioned this earlier, but I have fine hair and even though my scalp is dry, it gets oily quickly, and the combo causes me to have flakes. This duo got rid of that, and gave me salon hair without going to the salon! I’m, impatiently, working through my current Innersense Pure duo before purchasing this one. But I have to admit, the price point hinders me a bit. I thought the Innersense shampoo was already expensive at $28 for 10oz, but the EVOLVh is $34 for 8.5oz (add $2 each for the conditioner)! It also got me thinking to try the Innersense Color range before committing to the EVOLVh. Maybe the Pure duo was the wrong one for my hair and scalp type, and their color range will fare better with similar results to EVOLVh? I’ll keep you guys posted!
There’s no time like the present to watch all the fantastic television series currently on. I wanted to share a spectrum of shows because that’s how I watch television; it’s always a mixture of genres. I kept the list to what’s currently premiered and aired, except for one gamble pick, but we’ll get to that.
The best way is probably to break it down by subscription services. The graphic below depicts a variety of series ranging from light (top) to heavy (bottom) subject matters.
Making the Cut: If anyone’s missed the ‘Project Runway’ Tim and Heidi duo, they're back in full swing in this new fashion competition. I’m so impressed by the production quality of this show. However, the contestants aren't the best (the group on ‘Next in Fashion’ was stronger), I don't care for the judges (will forever stand by Zac Posen; the best fashion judge), but the quality of this show makes it worth watching (especially with all the globetrotting). (P.S.: Team Sander all the way.)
The Boys: Technically, this is not new, BUT Season 2 is releasing soon (July), so now's the perfect time to watch (or rewatch) this underrated gem. This was everything I wanted HBO's ‘Watchmen’ to be, and more. It's humorous, gritty, violent, and excellently acted and filmed. Watch it.
ZeroZeroZero: This is perhaps the first series where the entire season releases at once, and I successfully forced myself to watch one episode per night to savor the unbelievable goodness. This may be my favorite television series of all-time: a complete sleeper hit. This show is a culmination of excellent production planning, execution, and a need and want to create something spectacular truly. The team did everything right. Then they went beyond. There will be a running ‘ZeroZeroZero’ newsletter section starting next week to unpack each episode!
Defending Jacob: I don't currently subscribe to Apple TV+, so I've only seen the first two free episodes of this series, but they were fantastic. The other Apple TV+ shows I've watched feel too style over substance. This is the first where the two are equally matched. I'm currently waiting for all the episodes to air before signing up for a free 7-day trial to binge them all. It’s all about strategy.
Insecure: I've waited what felt like forever for Season 4, but it's finally here. I always save at least two episodes to get a full hour's worth of shenanigans, laughs, and cries. Beware there's a lot of sex scenes, even if they're to setup a punchline.
Run: I'm a big fan of both leading actors, but was very confused and underwhelmed by the trailer. I'm happy to report the actual series is quite funny and well done. What I'm most surprised by is the chemistry between Merritt Wever and Domhnall Gleeson. Wow! The show is incredibly well-paced for its cross-genre, and the cinematography is also excellent.
Westworld: Season 3 is almost over if you can believe it (8 total; 2 shorter than the previous seasons). It's been a good one. I wish all recaps would adopt their new format: one-line to no dialogue, replaying pivotal scenes with an underlying score. I'm saving the penultimate episode to watch with the season finale.
Atlanta's Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children: If you've watched ‘Mindhunter’ Season 2, you can skip episode 1. Be warned it has graphic content, is extremely slow-moving, and in two episodes haven’t presented any new information. But it's a look into an important piece of American history, so look no further if docuseries are your thing.
Middleditch & Schwartz: This is an excellent show for those who are and aren't fans of improv alike. They're calling it "long-form improv" where each episode (~45minutes), they have a short conversation with an audience member to pull inspiration for the set. Highly accessible, incredibly funny. You'll laugh until you cry and be in awe of the talent of these two men. Grab some popcorn, and have a great time!
The Innocence Files: This docuseries features a collection of wrongfully charged cases and the continued fight for justice and freedom. Not all episodes are as impactful as some, but the stories are unbelievable, and for the most part, inspiring. Devote some time to this if you can.
Surviving R Kelly Part II: The Reckoning: *Both Part I and II include detailed accounts of abuse and can be triggering. Proceed with caution. We're perhaps halfway through Part II, and the nightmare continues. If Part I focused on the victims, Part II presents another perspective showing more of R Kelly's upbringing and background.
What We Do in the Shadows: This FX series returned earlier this month for Season 2. We haven't watched it yet because we're saving a bunch of episodes since each is only around 20 minutes. If you're looking for a silly-goose time (extra points if you know this reference), it starts and ends here.
The Great: This hasn't premiered yet (May 15), but I wanted to include it because from the trailer, it looks pretty hilarious. It's by one of the writers of ‘The Favourite,’ and the trailer certainly felt in the same vein. Led by two great actors, I have high hopes for this one (though I didn't particularly enjoy ‘The Favourite’).
If you made it this far, here's where I would add you to the thank you section of films and award speeches! Thank you for reading, and I'll see you next week!
