The E M P T I E S | 016
Another month, another Empties post! I always give myself a little pat on the back whenever I use up products because as a beauty/skincare junkie, I have a ton of products. I still try my best to use as much as I can because it's unreasonable to have so much stuff and let it all go to waste. I always get comments/questions on how I'm able to use up so many products, and it really comes down to just focusing on using fewer products at once and using them up. Don't get me wrong, I definitely believe in the whole 'rotate your stash' saying, but still focusing on using up select products is the only way to get them done. If you're feeling overwhelmed with the amount of products you have - set aside the few products you have that are on their last leg and set yourself up a little 'Project Use It Up' type challenge. This was my most recent PUIU post here, and you can see I definitely got through a few of the products that were on my list.
On more of a random note, here are some other products that I've finished up:
MAKEUP
- NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base | I've gone through maybe one or two of these now, I can't remember - but I've already purchased a replacement. I know NARS had that whole bad publicity thing with being CF but making the decision to sell in China. This was of course devastating to hear because I love so many NARS products. I can't say for certain that I'll never buy their stuff, but I will try to look for other brand options. I don't really claim to be CF, but I do try to choose CF products when and where I can. The primer is a firm favorite in my books, so while I search for a good alternative I'll probably be getting this again in the future. If you have any recommendations - send them my way! (I have already tried the Urban Decay + Too Faced eye primers and am not a fan of them.)
- Smashbox Always Sharp Waterproof Kohl Eyeliner in Sumatra | I've also gone through countless of these pencils and it remains one of my fav. I usually pick up a pencil right before I travel as it's the most convenient not to have to bring a pencil sharpener with you. Sumatra is the perfect dark brown and I am all for it.
- Kat Von D Everlasting Tattoo in Trooper | This is another old favorite which you shouldn't be surprised about - I already have a new one that I'm using. These ones stay sharp til the end and leave a nice opaque black line. I know sometimes they do have duds, and I have gotten one, but for the most part I don't really encounter this issue. If anything, leave this one flipped upside down to let the ink flow to the tip!
- Seraphine Botanicals Liquid Coal - Waterproof Liquid Liner * | I got this in one of my Nourish Beauty Box subscriptions a while back, and I was so so impressed. I've only tried two waterproof eyeliners in the past that actually stay, and all others were massive fails. This one actually does stay all day, although if you have very oily eyelids I'm not sure it would. During the warmer months this stuff definitely would start to smudge around the outer corner of my cat-eye. This has a very firm felt tip which makes it easy to line your eyes if you're new to the liquid liner game. I'm still a firm KVD liner fan, but this one is definitely a contender!
SKINCARE
- Tatcha Sunscreen Pore Perfecting Sunscreen (Mini) | This is one I tried because Adri was such a fan of it. I didn't want to purchase the full-size without trying it out so I gave the mini a go first. This one actually lasts a long time as I was able to take it on 3 trips with me: Portland, Asia, and Mexico. A little goes a long way with this stuff and it feels really comfortable on the skin. It does have a sunscreen scent but nothing overly powerful. It does leave your skin feeling really smooth and is a great canvas to apply your makeup on over. I've since purchased the full size and am finishing up some other products before I crack that one open.
- NUGG Beauty Mermaid Mask * | I did a little IG story with this one when I applied it and joked that I looked more like a sea monster than a mermaid. It's a bit of a chunky peel off mask and this one seems to have enough product to apply 2 masks. I did this with my boyfriend and it was pretty funny to look at each other without laughing the mask off. This one is a peel-off mask and it did peel off in a few pieces, nothing too messy. This left my skin so soft and smooth, and I would definitely pick this one up again in the future!
- Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser | LOL someone pointed out to me that I have one of these bottles in every empties post. I mean if you are an avid reader of my blog, you'd know that this stuff is my holy grail cleanser. Remember to snag yours through my Glossier link here + score 20% off if it's your first order! (I do make a small commission off of each order made, so even if it's not your first order, I would definitely appreciate it! Feel free to read more about my disclosure here.)
The rest of the three skincare bits are pretty self-spoken for as my opinion hasn't changed much on them since I wrote my PUIU post. Head over there to read my thoughts for: French Girl Organics Cleanser, Kypris Antioxidant Dew, MISSHA First Essence Treatment , and Sunday Riley CEO Moisturizer (mini). I would definitely repurchase the FGO cleanser + Kypris Antioxidant Dew, but I'm on the fence about the SR moisturizer and the MISSHA Essence is probably a pass from me.
BODYCARE
- Zoella Beauty Shower Sauce | This was one of my first dabbles with Zoella's shower range and I gotta say I was a bit underwhelmed Granted these weren't part of her main line, but I just wasn't a huge fan of the texture. That may just be because I use Soap & Glory's Clean On Me body wash and the Lush shower gels, so this one just didn't feel the same in terms of luxuriousness. I think Soap Opera might be more of my taste in terms of texture, but that'll be at another time as I do have quite a bit of shower gels to get through before I think of buying anything any time soon.
- Zoella Beauty Creamy Scrub | This one was a sad no from me. I wasn't a fan of the texture and didn't really feel like this did much for me in terms of exfoliation. It may just have be because I'm used to rougher scrubs, but this one was just a bit too non-abrasive for my tastes. This did smell lovely, so I'll have to give it that!
- Glossier Body Hero * | Body Hero was one of the "big" launches of 2017 for Glossier, and I actually really loved it! As someone who quite loves shower oils, I was extremely excited when Glossier announced this one. This has a sort of orange blossom scent which I love - although I have others mentioning they were not fans of it. Honestly this stuff works well for me although a lot of other people said they went through the product super fast. This works best when applied on dry skin, but that isn't always plausible when you're already in the shower and wet. I usually just step out of range of the shower head and take half a pump to each limb as well as my front/back. This stuff is also great for shaving and I always much prefer oils to creams. If you've been debating on whether or not to try this stuff, I highly recommend it!
- Patchology PoshPeel Pedi Cure * | Man oh man did I love this stuff. This stuff is s t r o n g. I'm used to using Korean foot peel masks and those are definitely more gentle, yet still effective. I'll admit that I had low expectations going into this, but it actually ended up being pretty great. I'll admit that this stuff is stronger than I'm used to which meant the peeling happened a lot faster. It was almost borderline painful in terms of my feet being baby soft and tender when walking around. Just try your best not to pick at the skin because it'll definitely be tempting!
- L'Occitane Almond Hand Cream (Mini) | I've said it many times before, but the almond range from L'Occitane is my all time fave! The almond hand cream version was particularly great for my work desk as it sunk into my skin quickly and didn't leave that greasy residue. I'm definitely looking into purchasing a full-size for my work in the future! I also couldn't resist the cute Rifle Paper Co x L'Occitane collab and picked up a few bits. I made a little order and I can't wait to photograph them - but I'll most likely be gifting them to my mom since she loves their original hand cream :)
- Bath & Body Works Peach Bellini Hand Wash | This is my all time favorite hand wash - I've re-purchased countless bottles over the years. I'm usually between this and Beautiful Day when it comes to hand soaps. I'm taking a mini break from the B&BW soaps and am dabbling with some from Target, Trader Joe's - and even splurging on one from Aesop.
HAIRCARE
- Phyto Paris Phytojoba Intense Hydrating Brilliance Mask * | I loveeed using this and scooped it down to the last drop. I colored my hair recently and used the last bits of this to give my hair a little boost. This stuff doesn't have an overly fragranced scent to it so that was nice as well - I personally hate those types of products since they give me a headache. I find that the whole Phyto range has a very light and fresh scent! PS a little goes a long way with this mask, I could probably get away with a quarter sized dollop to really work into my ends which left them super soft and yes - shiny.
- Briogeo Blossom & Bloom Ginseng + Biotin Volumizing Shampoo (Sample) | I always like getting sample sachets of hair products because it lets me test the product before investing in a full-size hair product. It wasn't anything overly incredible but it wasn't terrible. I was expecting it to be a strong smell but it actually was a very subtle clean scent. I've been wanting to try more products from Briogeo so I may give it a go
On the non-skincare front, I finished a few items. A not so exciting one is the White Rabbit Perforated Cotton Pads *, which almost felt never-ending. I did use these as pads to wipe my face as I didn't want to use them near my eyes. There wasn't anything overly special about these and I don't think I would purchase these myself. I am using the Glossier Cotton Rounds right now and the Shiseido cotton rounds - both which I will probably continue to purchase. My bf and I also finished up the Aesop Toothpaste. This was a bit of a bougie splurge for us and while we liked it, I'm not sure that we'll be repurchasing it. I wasn't a huge fan of how it didn't lather up - it definitely took some getting used to! It also has an interesting taste - seeing as though some ingredients contain buckthorn, cardamom, and wasabi. I was excited because the packaging meant I could use my tube wringer (and if you aren't sure what a tube wringer is, check out my post here). My bf said it hurt his hands to squeeze every last bit of product out at the end so he's holding back on repurchasing at this moment. And I actually have a different fancy shmancy toothpaste that I've been loving - more on that next Empties ;).
I've been taking the Ritual Vitamins for a few months now but just recently paused my subscription. I've been testing some HUM Nutrition vitamins recently but am not too keen on taking so many supplements at once and have another 2 bottles of Ritual vitamins to take. (I try to take them everyday..but sometimes I forget :B) I know I don't really talk about supplements but it's all in an effort to be healthier! You can read up on my experience with Care/Of Vitamins here!
What are some of your favorite tips for using products up fast? What are some products you've used up recently / will repurchase?
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Products marked with an asterisk (*) have been sent to me for consideration, but all opinions remain my own. This post contains affiliate links.
Feel free to read more on my disclaimer.