Well, here we all are still battling this pandemic. I’ve remained pretty good about using up products that have been sitting in my vanity for awhile instead of constantly buying shiny new things to try. So I had a decent number of empties in July, many of which are minis.
If there was no pandemic, we would currently be in San Diego for our twelfth consecutive Comic-Con. Alas, SDCC was (rightfully) canceled. Even if the con hadn’t been nixed, I wouldn’t have been at all comfortable attending, with the pandemic still wreaking havoc. So in lieu of our annual nerd vacation, John and I booked a few nights at an Airbnb in a remote location in West Virginia, where we could bring all of our own food and not go out to eat or come into contact with others.
At long last, my Summer 2020 FabFitFun [referral link] box has arrived! It feels like I’m one of the last people to receive my box each season. I always end up scrolling quickly past FFF posts on Instagram so I don’t get spoiled. I love the surprise of opening my box, so I don’t want to know what might be in it in it beforehand!
I’m kind of amazed at how many products I’ve been emptying lately. Though I haven’t done an official no-buy or low-buy, the pandemic has caused me to rethink my buying habits. So I’ve been better about purchasing things I need rather than things that I just want to try. Thus, I’m using up more of what I already had in my skin care stash. It feels so good to finish up products that I’ve had sitting around for too long!
My 42nd birthday was on June 13, and it was a little different from prior birthdays due to the pandemic. Honestly, I’m still doing okay with staying home aside from walks and a couple no-contact errands here and there. I fully acknowledge that it’s a privilege to be able to do so.
Typically for my birthday, we’ll go out for a nice dinner and drinks. DC’s restaurants with patios are open so technically we could have gone out. But I don’t feel ready to go out to a restaurant yet, even with fresh air and social distancing. So I had a stay-home birthday.
There’s been a lot going on over the past couple of weeks, and I didn’t feel right blogging about my May empties when we hit June. Racism, white supremacy, and police violence of course haven’t been solved over the past two weeks. Though I’m going back to my usual content, please know it doesn’t mean I’ve stopped working on being a better ally. A lot of people are out protesting, while others, such as myself, are spreading awareness, donating, and educating ourselves from home. In case you missed it, I posted some anti-racism resources that I’ve found helpful, along with links on where to donate, Black-owned beauty brands to support, and more.
Without further ado, these are the products I emptied in May (so many!):
Our country is in a massive state of upheaval right now. First and foremost I want to say that my heart goes out to the families and loved ones of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and the way-too-many other victims of racial violence. These senseless killings are sickening, and they must stop. White supremacy and police violence have no place in our society, yet they persist because so many people (myself included) don’t speak out enough.
**Skyn ICELAND gifted me the products in this post for consideration. All links are affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking them.**
I was super excited when a surprise package from Skyn ICELAND arrived on my front stoop awhile back! The brand very kindly sent me a bottle of their Icelandic Youth Serum and a 4-pack of Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels. I had heard about their eye gels, but wasn’t aware of their full skin care line until recently. Iceland is VERY high on my “I Want To Go To There” travel list, so anything containing Icelandic ingredients sounds extra intriguing. Clearly, I was thrilled for the opportunity to try a couple of the brand’s products. Thank you, Skyn ICELAND!!
Right off the bat, I’m going to say I’m pretty proud with my restraint during the recent Sephora Spring Savings event. It looks like I got a lot of stuff (let’s be honest…I did), but this is about half of what I originally had in my cart. I mean…I was never going to spend the $400+ that I had in my cart at one point, but I’m happy with my final cart edit in the end. As a Rouge member, 20% off is very hard to ignore.
Well, I’ve done a pretty good job of using up beauty products during this COVID-19 lockdown. I had quite a few empties last month, and I’m also including some products that weren’t empty but needed to go…and I’ll explain why. Quick note about the photos in this post: I had to take them on a rainy day, so the lighting isn’t as good as I would have liked.
