The E M P T I E S 007
Well here we are with another empties post. I told you guys I was determined to use up more products this year!
1. L'Oreal EverPure Sulfate Free Volume Shampoo: I'm actually not sure if I've mentioned this before but after I got sick last year I discovered that I had a minor sulfate allergy. It runs in my mom's side of the family so I'm not surprised that it doesn't work well with me. I've been cutting all sulfate products out of my life and have even tossed some that I knew I'd never get through - and I can't even give it to my mom to use lol. I came across this particular shampoo in my hunt for sulfate-free shampoos and this one definitely interested me. It does have a slight rosemary scent and although sulfate-free still lathers up rather well. *Fun fact: most purple/blue shampoos for colored hair tend to be sulfate free as sulfates tend to strip color out of your hair faster. I wasn't too huge a fan of this particular shampoo and didn't find that it added all that much more volume, but my hair always felt clean and smelled great!
2. Soap and Glory Clean on Me Creamy Clarifying Body Wash: Man this stuff lasted me a long. ass. time. Like more than 6 months at basically daily use. Maybe I just don't need a lot of body wash, but this stuff is deceivingly huge. I am grateful that this has a pump as I just left it on the side of my shower and used 2-3 pumps each time I showered. It smells divine and the scent really just lingers. ULTA has been doing a good few promos with Soap & Glory where it was buy one get one 50% off, so you can definitely pair up with this and a body lotion or body scrub!
3. Soap and Glory The Scrub of Your Life: This one is a less harsh scrub version of the Flake Away scrub. I definitely like using this more during the Spring and Summer as it helps scrub off those dead layers of skin which is great when elbows and knees start making more of an appearance in the warmer months. This one has the original scent and is a great alternative for those who have much more sensitive skin but still want that exfoliating factor.
4. Boscia Detoxifying Black Cleanser: This is an old favorite and one I've definitely used up before. This one does a great job of helping me remove oil and shine without feeling stripping. I was a bit annoyed as the pump on this stopped working about halfway through the bottle, which meant I had to uncap it every time I wanted to use it. This heats up on contact with your skin so it definitely gives a mini facial-esque feeling when using.
5. Kate Somerville D-Scar Scar Diminishing Treatment: I got this a long while back and it ended up just sitting in my medicine cabinet. I never got around to finishing this which is a shame as it isn't the cheapest product. I like the idea of it although cleanliness wise it was hard to wrap my head around. This has a rotating silver ball which works with the product to smooth bumps that are left behind from acne scars and hyper-pigmentation. The thought of any facial oils rolling around and going back into the product just kinda grossed me out which led to me using it less. After I stopped using acne medication with sulfur I noticed a huge difference in the reduction of hyper-pigmentation left from scars, so this became a bit obsolete in my skincare needs.
6. Nuxe Clarifying Cream Mask: This smells like roses and has a creamy application. Overall I wasn't a huge fan of this (as I never really showed it on this blog). I haven't quite finished the product but it's past it's shelf life and I'm giving it the toss.
7. Beauty Blender Cleansing Solid: I absolutely love this stuff and as noted in my latest Sephora VIB Haul, I picked up a new one as my old one was running low. I finally finished going through it and was glad to have another as a backup. This stuff is pricey but a little goes a long way and it really gets in deep within your brush or sponge to clean out any makeup residue hanging around. It definitely helps get out any stains so your beauty blender can come back to its pink life, your white brushes can be snow white again, and your other brushes can just look and feel clean deep down to the core.
8. Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide Foundation (Cashew): This is one of my firm favorites although it took me quite a while to get through it. It has one of my favorite finishes and I used it regularly from at least October through April. I don't know about you guys, but I go through foundation awfully slow. This is actually the first liquid foundation that I've finished completely. It gives a smooth finish, as the name suggests, without feeling cakey or sliding off throughout the day. The packaging is horrendous and tends to leak within the cap so it can be a bit of a mess - if they ever repackage the foundation I would pick it up in a heartbeat. It gives a medium coverage which can definitely be built for a full coverage.
9. Bare Minerals Mineral Veil: While cleaning out my stash I came across this Mineral Veil, which is basically a setting powder, and saw that it was near finished. I placed it on my top-shelf and went to work finishing it up. Bare Minerals was a brand that started me off with foundation/makeup and sometimes I wonder why I strayed away from it. I quickly finished this up and rather enjoyed it as it gives a soft focus finish, must like the Hourglass powders. This one is full of loose powder so it can get a bit more messy, although recent packagings now have a lock to prevent product from spilling anywhere while in a makeup bag. If you're looking for a great setting powder at a cheaper price point, definitely be sure to give this one a go!
10. Nature Republic Shea Butter Hand Mask: This is one that my boyfriend's sister gave me from Korea, my hands were feeling rather dry and I thought I'd give it a go. It was a bit funny as I just sat with my hands in these plastic gloves - I just turned on an episode of TV and just laid back and relaxed while the mask did its work.
11. The Body Shop Spot Clear Intensive Patch: I like to refer to these as Pimple Stickers. One of my boyfriend's friends introduced me to the concept of these and I thought it was a rather interesting fact. I was running low on my Body Shop Tea Tree Oil so I decided to pick up a pack of these. These contain extracts of tea tree oil so they really sink in and get down where needed. I'm mostly done with them as I had one massive pimple mid last month and heavily treated it with these patches. You can pop them on overnight and they really just work to pull out all the gunk and help reduce any inflammation. I also put these over any bumps that felt as though they were going to become those under-the-skin monster pimples. If you haven't given any of these stickers a try, I highly recommend it!
12. Makeup Forever Smoky Extravagant Mascara (Mini): This has a massive cone-shaped wand which is definitely different than any wand I've tried before. I actually thought this mascara wand would be difficult to use but it actually ended up being a breeze. The wider part of the brush helped add a ton of volume to my lashes while the thin point helped to coat the inner and outer edges for the perfect amount of va-va-voom. I do see that it comes in a waterproof version so I may need to give that one a go!
13. Fresh Soy Conditioning Eye Makeup Remover: Not. A. Fan. At. All. Oh my goodness I used this once and that was the end of it. This stuff straight up burned my eyes. I quickly went in with water to flush it out. Some reviews on Sephora agree with the stinging while others with sensitive eyes claim it doesn't. So I guess it's hit or miss, I did like the idea of it conditioning my eye area! Guess it was too good to be true.
14. Caudalie Lip Conditioner: Caudalie is quickly becoming one of my favorite brands when it comes to skincare. Their products are cruelty free and sulfate/paraben free which is a huge win for me! I got this in a duo set which came with a hand lotion (which has easily become a firm favorite). I loved this one a lot as it was moisturizing without being too sticky or tacky. I made the mistake of leaving this in my car and with black interior and 90+ weather this one quickly kicked the bucket and melted oddly and hardened back up with a completely different texture. It went on a lot more waxy and goopy and I had to give this one the toss. But if you're looking for a good lip product to treat your chapped lips, give this one a try!
15. Ulta Facial Buff Sponges: So I love using face masks, but I particularly hate washing away heavy and gunky masks - I'm looking at you Glossier Moon Moisturizing Mask. I never feel like I'm thoroughly getting all the product off with my hands so I looked into buying some of these disposable sponges. I don't do face masks too often, maybe 2-3 a week depending on how I feel. I let these sit out and dry overnight and I'll usually drop them back into my plastic drawer setup so they don't collect dirt or dust. These have made masking so much better and leaves me feeling extra clean! Not a necessity, but definitely a nice-to-have.
That's all for now! Have you tried any of these products before? What are some products you've used up that you think I should give a try?
Stay cool in this heated weather for June!