The E M P T I E S // #3
I have a fairly large number of empties - I am quite proud of myself *pats self on back*. I'm always trying new things and because of that I find it quite difficult to finish up my products. I've made it a mission of mine to finally start using up all my products, and I think I'm doing a pretty good job of doing so. Granted a lot of products were halfway through to begin with, but I finished them nonetheless.
Let's work our way left to right, top to bottom.
1. Herbal Essences Naked Dry Shampoo: Alright, let's just start with the fact that I am not a fan of dry shampoo. Up until 3 months ago I washed my hair every.single.day. I've always had long hair, but washing, drying, and styling my hair wasn't something I felt too terrible about doing. I kept seeing bloggers and YouTubers using dry shampoo, and I thought I'd give it a try. And my conclusion is that absolutely nothing tops a fresh head of hair. I only recently started with the washing hair every other day, mainly in an attempt to get myself ready for Europe. It's not too terrible, the first day is obviously the best with clean hair, but the second day is either bun, braid, or curl day - not too bad either. And I don't particularly feel the need to use dry shampoo on my second day hair.
Verdict: I wouldn't buy this again.
2. First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser: This stuff is my jam, I've been using this for a few years now and you can bet that I just bought another backup during the Sephora VIB sale. Unfortunately they don't have this larger size in stock anymore, but the 5oz. size does the job! It's great for sensitive skin and is gentle enough to be used everyday. It always leaves my face feeling clean without feeling stripped.
Verdict: If you haven't tried this, you really need to get on it.
3. Korres Shower Gel - Jasmine: This. Stuff. Let me just start by saying that I love Jasmine Green Tea, like absolutely love it. So to be able to smell like this pretty much tops the charts for me. It makes showering all the more relaxing, and I'd like to say that this shower gel really does a great job of leaving my skin softer. A little goes a long way on a loofah, it foams up well so the bottle will definitely last you a while. It's definitely a splurge, but one I think is worth it for a treat yourself moment.
Verdict: Highly recommend - I've already repurchased it and have zero regrets.
4. Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream: I am a huge fan of Kiehl's products, there are no products that can do wrong in my eyes. This was quite a large tub for a face cream, and I'll be honest that I started using the last bits of this as lotion for my legs. I have terribly dry skin and a small mixture of this together with some overnight oils really helped to transform my skin. I could definitely notice a difference and it was amazing. I am kind of yearning to use this again for my face for the Winter, can't beat the lightweight feeling.
Verdict: If you have dry skin and you're looking for a lightweight but moisturizing cream, this one is for you.
5. Zoya Nail Polish Remover: First off, this stuff has a pump. Life has never been easier. It makes life easier when you need to clean up a mistake with a QTip. I particularly love that this stuff doesn't damage my nails and isn't overly strong scented. You know those nail polishes that leave your nails feeling stripped and white? Yeah - this one won't do that. It actually has a somewhat soothing smell and does a kick ass job at taking old polish off. I've already repurchased this and will probably continue to do so. Albeit the new one I bought had a dysfunctional pump, so I just swapped it with my old one.
Verdict: I definitely recommend this - the pump alone is worth it. Already repurchased!
6. The Body Shop Tea Tree Squeaky-Clean Scrub: I'm pretty blessed with good skin, so I more bought this for those days when I felt like my skin needed a deep clean. If I felt like a pimple was surfacing, you could bet that I used this. It was tingly and helped keep the gnarly pimples at bay. I have had issues with ingrown hairs (TMI - sorry) and read that tea tree oil helps to treat it. So when I shaved I would use this scrub on those areas and it definitely, definitely helps! So if you have issues when shaving your legs or underarms, this stuff may be for ya!
Verdict: I would recommend this to you if you're prone to breakouts! I probably won't be buying this again anytime soon.
7. Soap & Glory Hand Food & The Righteous Butter: These were both deluxe samples from Sephora and I loved both! First off, I am a huge fan of the Soap & Glory scents. Some people may find it too sweet, but I find it just right for a touch of girly-ness. I definitely went on to purchase the full size of the S&G Hand Food, it just does a darn good job of keeping my hands moisturized and smelling so happy. There wasn't anything overly special about the body butter, but it did do a fine job at moisturizing The one thing that does slightly put me off is that if you haven't used the lotion in a while, you definitely need to give it a good shake or it comes out separately as oil and cream - not the most appealing.
Verdict: I'm not sure that I would repurchase the body butter, I'm not a huge fan of slathering lotion on my body. Already have the full-size in Hand Food, although it is too large to take around with me on a daily.
8. L'Occitane Hand Lotions: I finished up three of the mini hand lotions - the Original Scent, Cherry Blossom, and Cherry Princess. I've been using L'Occitane products for almost 8 years now, my mom got me into these when I was in high school and I just continued to use them. My mom will always pick up a bunch of products and share them with me. The original scent can smell a bit like baby powder (IMO) and is not for everyone, but the shea butter really helps to take care of my dry damaged skin. I do much prefer the cherry scents, they're light and refreshing, and overall lighter in consistency. These are great if you're looking for a small lotion to carry around in your purse!
Verdict: I'll get around to buying these again eventually, but I'm working on finishing up other lotions for now.
Have you tried any of these products? What have you been finishing up lately?