The E M P T I E S | 014
I love a good empties post and this has got to be one of my most "proud moment" empties! This huge empties was quite a timely one as I have just moved. It's kinda funny how it works out that everything runs out at once (although not very wallet friendly). But because I am a hoarder I have a ton of backups ready to go. (I'll be doing a post on the new skincare storage situation - it. is. insane.) Anyways - this post is a long one so grab a cuppa!
I finished 3 face washes this month: Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser, REN Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Milk, and Indie Lee Rosehip Cleanser. I did a whole post on the face washes I was working through (here) and ran out of these three within a week of each other. MJC is my holy grail Cleanser and I don't think it needs much of an introduction. I have 3 backups of this on hand (I am a crazy lady) and my bf loves it too. So I'm sure we'll be going through bottles like crazy. The REN cleanser was nice and I liked using it in the mornings as the packaging/pump was not ideal for shower use. It was gentle and I really liked mixing it with an exfoliating powder to get a nice extra scrub in. I'm undecided if I'll repurchase it right now. The Indie Lee cleanser is sooo nice and I really liked it. It suds up really nice without stripping your skin at all. I'd reach for the Glossier + Indie Lee cleanser every night as they both made for a good duo to cleanse with and take off all the makeup and leave my skin feeling squeaky clean.
One thing that is rather unexciting are cotton pads. I was kindly sent the White Rabbit Premium Plain Cotton Pads* a while back. I liked that these came in a box that could be kept on my counter / in a drawer. These pads were quite large and could be cut off to be used multiple times. I know some people like to use large sheet masks and soak them with essence to leave on as a makeshift face mask. I have some of the Exfoliating Pads* to try from White Rabbit as well so I'll let you know how that goes. Speaking of pads/wipes, I found an empty pack of Innisfree Wipes Olive Real Cleansing Wipes. (My boyfriend's sister picked these up for me a while back and I did finish them and forgot them at my bf's place.) I'm not big on using cleansing wipes at night as my sole cleanse, but I have been a huge fan of using wipes to wipe off makeup before hitting the gym - it's quick and gets the job done. I did really like these wipes - they smelled great and I love that they have a snap closure. There are so many times the peely part of a wipe container has lifted up and I returned to find all the wipes completely dry. That is possibly one of the worst feelings and is such a waste! I have a few other wipes that were sent to me that I need to try, but I would definitely purchase these for myself in the future. It also helps that Innisfree is easily accessible in the US now! When I'm not reaching for makeup wipes, I'll reach for my Bobbi Brown Instant Long-Wear Makeup Remover every night to help me break down the waterproof eye makeup I wear on the daily. It's a bi-phase makeup remover that you shake up that helps easily remove stubborn long wearing eye makeup (aka waterproof mascara) easily.
Does the Pixi Glow Tonic even need an introduction? I had bought the large pump bottle from Pixi a little while back and gave what I had left in this bottle to my bf so he could try it / I could use it when I was at his place. Since we've moved in together (catch up on my September Goal's post here in case you missed it!), I'm just gonna toss it as the big bottle will be front and center on our bathroom counter haha. This stuff makes your skin glow and gently removes any built up dead skin cells. My mom even commented on how my bf's skin looks good these days - magic in a bottle? Basically.
I received the Peony Cosmetics Prayers Answered Scrub* in my Nourish Beauty Box back in July. This one smells lovely but I found it to be a bit too abrasive for my face as I do have very sensitive skin. I did end up using this scrub for my neck, chest, and upper arms. After getting a full body scrub in Korea over the summer, I'm sooo keen on keeping every part of my body as soft and smooth as possible! Through the Nourish Beauty Boxes I discovered Seraphine Botanicals. They were kind enough to send me some products, and one of my favorite products in the package was the Seraphine Botanicals Carrot + Rose Hydrating Cream* | This stuff is incredible. I had this on my desk and quickly finished it up in about a month or less. I know it might not seem impressive to a lot of people, but I am absolute crap at using up creams so this was a v proud moment for me haha. I liked that this one isn't overly sticky and it leaves my skin feeling very hydrated and oh so soft - I will definitely be getting this again! I just need to use up some other products first :B
Back in August I did a whole dedicated post to Willing Beauty (here) - a brand that has definitely surprised me (in a good way) and made such a difference in my skin. I very quickly used up the Sleepover Replenishing Night Cream as it made such a difference in the appearance of my skin. It made my skin extremely soft and helped plump up my skin and help reduce the appearance of lines in my neck. I even used some on my arms / legs and man did it make my skin look incredible!! I'll be doing an IG takeover next month (in October) on their account so be sure to stay tuned and watch it when it goes live! * PS - They did give me a referral link willingbeauty.com/chyism. which gives me a small commission if any order is placed through it!
One thing I had to toss was the TooFaced Hangover Primer as it was definitely past it's shelf life. I liked it when I picked it up last last Spring (yeah, def past shelf life), but after a while it just felt meh to me and maybe even felt a little too sticky? It just became one I didn't reach for and now it has gots to go. I did like the light coconut scent and am very tempted to try the Marc Jacobs Beauty Coconut Primer in its place. On the topic of makeup (sorta), I finished up the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner in Jet Black. In an effort to cut out some non Cruelty Free brands from my collection, this will be my last Stila eye liner as I won't be repurchasing. This one did have a good "last hurrah"! I picked it up last year before I made the choice to be more mindful about purchasing CF products. I had a $10 coupon from Ulta and used that to buy this last year and finally cracked it open maybe towards the beginning of the year. I was alternating between this and my KVD and this one finally bit the dust. It's time to bid adieu to an old friend.
I had heard a lot about Drunk Elephant products and wanted to try some out. I did a little roundup post here, but I thought the best way to try some DE products was to pick up their minis. I snagged the B Hydra Intensive Hydration Gel and the Framboos Glycolic Night Sleeping Serum. While I wasn't too impressed with the B Hydra Gel, I loved the Glycolic Night Serum. Mixed with essences and oils, my skin looked so glowy and incredible. I have a $20 coupon for the DE website and this is the main thing I'm looking to snag! (I saw that they're bringing out a ginormous version [1.69 oz vs the 1 oz] and I am sooo tempted to get that o.o). When using glycolic acids, it's super important to wear sunscreen as it does make your skin more susceptible to getting sun burned. When I first got the Glossier Invisible Shield *, it was one I was a bit meh about. But the more I used it the more I loved it! It's so lightweight and feels like nothing on your skin. I thought it was just an ordinary sunscreen but it's one I enjoyed reaching for and actually miss having in my routine! I got my bottle back in May (post + review here) and used it almost daily for three months. I know people commented that it's small and pricey, but a pump and a half is enough to cover and protect my face! If you're looking for one to restock on, I highly recommend this one. Be sure to snag yours through my Glossier Rep Link: glossier.com/reps/cindy ! If it's your first order you'll score 20% off your entire purchase! You qualify for free shipping with 2+ items (sets do count towards it) + I make a small commission from each order placed through my link which helps me *and this space!!* out immensely :)
I am a contributor over on Pur Opulence and mentioned the MacVoil Anti-Aging Conditioner * in my Top Shelf Summer Shower Edit (here). I've been using some MacVoil products for a while now and have really grown to like them. The idea of anti-aging is a bit gimmicky to me as hair is essentially dead as it grows out? But the use of their products, SLS free haircare, and less heat has made such a difference in my hair. I can actually wake up with that perfect bed hair and just roll out of bed and go. This is pretty big for me as I hide behind my hair a lot and almost rarely go a day without styling it in some way (mostly straightening). How they do it with this is beyond me, but I love it! I'm working my way through their leave in conditioner and shampoo and so far so good!
And that's a wrap! As mentioned above, I just moved in with my boyfriend and we're still in the process of getting our place in order. We're still waiting on some pieces of furniture to arrive due to a little West Elm mishap - but hopefully that gets sorted out this weekend. Thank you for being patient with me while I took a small break from this space - but I'm definitely hoping to do more posts in the upcoming month :) During the move I was able to place all of my skincare/haircare products in one place which was kind of a whammy seeing everything in one place. As my boyfriend said, it looks like a mini Ulta up in our bathroom :B. It is kinda fun opening up my cabinet every morning/night and going to town with products. My goal is to definitely use up more products, test things out, photograph things, and pass them off to friends/family. I'll be on a semi spending ban as rent ain't cheap (lol) - but I do have an entire cabinet to shop through and help me make it through!