CHY Empties : Fall 2018
Since moving into my new apartment, I had been on a mission to use up as much as I can (per usual). I have focused on finishing up some minis as well because I’ve stocked up on a lot for traveling but could never seem to move through them fast enough. So now I’m trying to use things up more quickly and efficiently. This is another delayed post because typical Cindy behavior. These are all things I used up since I moved into my place (almost) half a year ago. I have a whole other roundup of empties coming up but needed to crank this out in order to get that next one out 😅. So let’s get into it!
M A K E U P
Milk Makeup Flex Concealer (Light) : Categorized under some of the top concealers I’ve tried, this ranks high. Packaging however? It’s quite terrible and my last 2 tubes have had significant leakage issues. I posted about that over on IG and a few people actually messaged saying that was a common issue among products packaged similarly with Milk Makeup. Womp womp. I do like the formula and it covers any scars and redness with minimal effort and helps me look and feel my best without worrying about applying an entire base foundation. I believe they recently expanded the shade range which is incredible - there are now 16 shades and from my eyes, it looks like they’ve reached a good selection. I may give this another try because I love it, but if I have the same issue it’s a pass from me moving forward.
Glossier Lash Slick : This is not a waterproof mascara but it does slightly hold a curl. This doesn’t really do much volume wise or thickening, but it does add a significant amount of length. I know a lot of others like to layer this on top of a thickening mascara - I’ve yet to try it, but I have a new tube that I started using recently so I suppose I should test it out. I do find that Lash Slick dries out relatively fast, this one was maybe open for about 3-4 months and I had to give it the toss because it just was not doing it for me anymore.
M I N I S
Tatcha The Water Cream : This one is a great lightweight moisturizer and it’s one I took with me when I traveled in early Fall. I have a full size which I’m waiting until Spring/Summer rolls around to really crack open. It’s cooling and hydrating and is great for warmer weather when you don’t want to feel like you have products but want to keep your skin soft and hydrated.
Youth to the People Adaptogen Deep Moisture Cream : This is a rich cream which I was dying to try for so long. It was pretty much love at first application - so much so that I snagged the full size during the VIB sale in the Fall. It’s a very thick and nourishing cream but doesn’t feel like it’s clogging your skin. It sinks in nicely and really helps to calm my skin. I usually find that my skin looks a lot more even in tone when I use this at night. These days it hasn’t been *too* cold so I really reach for this at night and don’t use it during the day. I find that it sometimes becomes difficult to use this with a sunscreen and wait for all of that to sink in before I go for my makeup if I use this in the AM.
Krave Beauty Kale-lalu-yAHA : I’d heard a lot about this exfoliator and was so excited to try it! I started using this before I went to NY and finished it up while I was there. This one definitely felt a lot stronger than my Pixi Glow Tonic and I did find my skin looked a lot brighter. I’ve been trying to work on finishing up the large Glow Tonic that Pixi gifted me, but I will prob start cracking in on the full size I have! Honestly for the price, it is very reasonable. Krave Beauty also has a ton of products that are so good - - lookin at you Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser + Beet Shield. I also really want to try their new Great Barrier Relief but it’s sold out and I’m on a slight spending ban - but Liah has definitely gotten me wanting to try Tamanu Oil 😂.
Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum * : This serum is pure magic in a bottle - this is incredible at evening out skin tone, reducing dark spots, and just giving your skin that extra glow. My skin just got over having a few spots (thanks, hormones) and I’m left with some dark hyper-pigmentation spots on my chin. I’ve been having a hard time getting rid of it and have even using the Vinoperfect Brightening Glycolic Overnight Cream, but it hasn’t been cutting it so I might need to crack open a backup I have of this and see it work its magic again.
Soap and Glory Body Wash in Sugar Crush (Mini) : I wasn’t a huge fan of this scent and much prefer the original scent. This came in a holiday set from S&G last year so I took it on my trip to NY and finished it up when I got back as I still had some left. It has a fruity but sharp lime citrus scent which I wasn’t too fond of. Maybe it was just the time of the year, but it didn’t really fly with me in the Fall (and as it transitioned to colder weather). Would not repurchase.
Clinique Take Off The Day Makeup Remover : I ran out of my Bobbi Brown makeup remover (above) and had not purchased a backup. Since I had lash extensions for a few months, I wasn’t wearing eye makeup and wasn’t reaching for a remover (so I basically didn’t plan accordingly). I went through my stash of minis and finished up all the half open containers I had because I’m trying to be more efficient like that. I found this one to be much oilier than I remembered and wasn’t *too* huge of a fan. I finished this up but ended up using this to wipe off lipstick swatches on my arm and whatnot. Would not repurchase.
S K I N C A R E
Caudalie S.O.S. Thirst Quenching Serum * : If I had to name one favorite product discovery 2018, it is this. T and I love this and I use this day/night - it is great for layering on hydration without any stickiness or product build up. I’ve been loving layering this over my Caudalie essence and before I add on a light gel moisturizer in the AM or a heavier cream in the PM. I always have a bottle of this on reserve because I never want to be without. Already repurchased and have a backup ready to go!
Bobbi Brown Eye Makeup Remover : I finally used this up and I probably won’t be purchasing this again anytime soon. As a waterproof mascara and eyeliner wearer, I really need a heavy duty remover and usually I need to use bi-phase products. I took a long break from using eyelash extensions and I feel like my skin got used to not using any sort of remover and it now leaves my eyelids quite oily when I do. I get the dreaded eyeliner smudge in my crease and it is not cute. Glossier actually just released a Milky Oil waterproof makeup remover which has been my jam - and compared to this BB remover, it comes in only at $12 which is much cheaper than this $30 price point. Sorry BB, I’ll be reaching for Glossier from now on.
Tatcha Pure One Step Camellia Oil Cleanser : This is hands down one of my favorite cleansing oils out there. The texture of the oil is the perfect thickness and really removes all traces of makeup and sunscreen. I like that it is relatively unscented (just the typical Tatcha scent) and does not irritate my skin. I’ve tried a lot of other cleansers and none compare - this is my HG oil and I have yet to find anything that tops it yet.
Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinimade Booster * : PC sent me their array of boosters and this was one that I was most excited to try! My skin loves niacinimade so I was quite excited to incorporate this into my routine. I was reaching for this a lot towards the end of summer and I definitely want to say this helped with the overall appearance/texture of my skin while helping to shrink the appearance of my pores as much as they could. While using this, I had minimal amounts of pimples pop up - which is obviously great in my books. I mentioned to one of my PR contacts that I loved it and finished it, and she was so sweet to send me two! I’m probably halfway through my backup and am relieved to have another backup ready to go after that. I would definitely repurchase.
Leader’s Face/Lip Eye Makeup Remover * : This one was dried up so I tossed it, but I LOVED it. I’m sad I can’t find this at Ulta because this did an incredible job at removing dark liquid lipsticks. If you love liquid lipsticks and dark hues, this is the perfect solution. I need to find this stat and repurchase because it is a saving grace during holiday lipstick season (I’m looking at you reds.)
Caudalie Crushed Cabernet Scrub * : I got this one almost a year ago and had it in my stash to try for so long. I finally pulled this out earlier this year in the summer and I was indifferent about it. It had a very rough texture and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. But the more I used it, the more I loved how gritty it was and how soft it made my skin. It has some oil in it which emulsifies into a somewhat milky texture when water comes into contact with it. I scraped this down to the very bottom and was sad to see it go. I’ve never really been loyal to any body scrubs so I’m not sure that I’d go back to this anytime soon, but if the right opportunity came up I wouldn’t be opposed to it. Not a repurchase for now, but perhaps in the future.
Herbivore Coco Rose Coconut Oil Body Polish : Can you say luxury in a bottle? I’ll admit that I was hoarding this one for a while because I thought it was much too luxurious to finish. It has a much thicker and abrasive scrub which is slightly oily which is quite nourishing. It did start to smell a bit off (but never developed any mold or anything) so I started using this every 2-3 days to use it up. Follain was so kind to send me a package which has given me another one, so I’m excited to crack into it!
Target - Method Vody Body Wash (Pure Peace) : I looooved this scent so much and would probably buy it again. I’m back on my Soap & Glory grind and am trying a new scent from them at the moment. I usually snag those during BOGO deals at Ulta, but if I needed to save some $, I would definitely go for this scent again. It’s light and fresh and suds up nicely. It doesn’t leave my skin feeling stripped at all but soft, clean, and nourished.
Thayer’s Rose Witch Hazel : I was quite excited to finish this up as I felt like it was ongoing for so long. I love Thayer’s toners and how balancing it leaves my skin. My skin never ever feels tight or stripped when using this, but clean and refreshed and also soft. I have a bottle of the Coconut version which I should really get back into using! I was trying to finish using some other products up, but I think I’ll return to this soon as I need a nice hydrating but balancing toner.
Briogeo SuperFoods Hair Pack Duo * : This was definitely one of my favorite haircare finds of 2018 and the Briogeo team was so kind to send me a replacement. I actually just finished up some Amika products so I cracked into my replacements and ohhh man was it love!! It honestly just leaves my hair feeling so soft and smooth and it just smells so incredible. Idk about you guys, but I’m pretty much game for any type of apple scented skincare/bodycare/haircare product. Give me all of it.
Glossier Body Hero * : Shower oils are some of my favorite types of products to use for shaving - it’s much more preferred to any shaving creams I’ve ever tried. But also I love using oils as a body cleanser during the colder months as it is just a touch more hydrating than any other type of cream/gel body cleanser. I know a lot of people had negative thoughts about it, but I actually don’t mind it. I’m personally a huge fan of the scent (orange blossom) and I think it does just what a shower oil should - news flash, it isn’t going to sud up so don’t expect it to. I do like that this comes with a pump as it makes it a lot easier to use in the shower rather than having to fumble around with a bottle.
And that’s it for this round’s empties! Have you tried any of these products?
What are some products that you have used up lately?
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Products marked with (*) were gifted to me, but all opinions remain my own.
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