Empties

[wendyomgwar]

I love seeing other peoples empties! So I decided to make a board where people could post pictures of their empties, or just tell us about them! I'd also be interested in knowing whether you're repurchasing anything or not.

[eelibby]

Sure! The sandwich proceedure: first I apply sunscreen,  then face primer and eyeshadow primer. I then spray the UD make-up setting spray all over. Then I apply my make-up (even loose powder and lipstick), and spray it again to set. My skin  is oily and I notice that I don't have to powder my face until very late in the day if I do this trick. If I'm out at night I usually don't have to powder my nose at all.  

I hope this helps!

[JenniferOhJenny]

It does - thank you so much! I'll try it tomorrow!

[coffeenow]

You used up three whole perfumes and a whole nail polish!  Outstanding!

[eelibby]

*All of the perfumes were not full at the time I started the empties ordeal nor were the shower gels or shampoo* I guess I should have put that as a disclaimer! And my concealer and Sephora Eyeshadow I had for awhile as well. All of my deluxe samples and foils I had used since August though. A lot of these items had been hanging around for awhile I dislike being wasteful. But this thread has made me start to focus on putting a stop on hoarding items. Two of my other friends have also started doing the empty challenge also, so this thread is a good influence. 🙂

[blondesluv2shop]

This is my first time collecting beauty empties and WOW! It encouraged me to use some of the sample sizes that were hiding in my makeup drawers. 

Products I use regularly:

Spoiler

1. @clinique Take the Day Off Makeup Remover - this is my holy grail makeup remover. I’ve already purchased another full size bottle.
2. @secretdeodorant Clinical Strength Deodorant - I got a sample of clinical strength a few months ago and now it's all I buy. I love this scent too!
3. @clinique Moisture Surge Extra Thirsty Skin Relief - I use this moisturizer pretty much year round except for the winter months, so I finished this one just in time (I’m now using @clarins HydraQuench Cream as my nighttime moisturizer).

New to me - loved:

Spoiler

1. @clarinsnews Vital Light Night Revitalizing Cream - this thick moisturizer is great for my dry skin – very luxurious and a slight scent. However, I don’t think I can justify spending $94 on the full size.
2. @toofaced Hangover Rx Face Primer - I've been using this under my Urban Decay Naked Skin liquid makeup and really love it. Plus, it smells great! I have a deluxe sample of this that I’m using now.
3. @lushcosmetics Ro's Argan Body Conditioner - I absolutely LOVE how this feels! I was worried it would get washed off since you apply it in the shower, but that's not the case at all. After towel drying, it really does feel like you've put lotion on! I will be purchasing this the next time I visit a LUSH store.
4. @niveausa Touch of Renewal Lathering Body Scrub - this is a great exfoliator that I use in the shower. The smell is wonderful and it’s perfect for the upcoming cold, winter months. I will be repurchasing soon.
5. Kate Walsh Boyfriend - I fell in love with fragrance last year and found a sample in the back of one of my drawers. It’s musky and I fell in love with it again, only to read online that it was discontinued. Major bummer!

New to me - meh:

Spoiler

1. @clarinsnews Bright Plus HP Intensive Brightening Smoothing Serum - too small of a sample to see if it’s actually 'brightening' my skin. I did like how it felt on my skin, but I’m not willing to pay $73 per ounce to possibly see results.
2. @glamglowmud YOUTHMUD Tinglexfoliate Treatment - I liked the tingling feeling of this mask as well as the exfoliation you get when rinsing it off. However, I don’t feel like it really did anything for me. I think I’ll ask for a sample of the hydrating treatment next time instead.
3. Shick Intuition Naturals Sensitive Care razor cartridge - I have a ton of these that I’ve been trying to use up for awhile. This was finally the last one!
4. @bumbleandbumble Thickening Hairspray – smells good, but I hate the spritzer bottle. I prefer aerosol hairsprays.

[kelloua]

Great empties.  I want to love Ro's Aragan but I'm not sure I do.  I have a sample so I really need to give it another try.  And yeah, non-aerosol hairsprays are weird to me.  I'll also say I think I've tried almost all of the GlamGlow muds and that one is my least favorite.

[TKLJ]

I love that Secret deodorant. 

[notcreative]

Same. It is all I buy as well. Whenever I sample something else, I am always happy to go back home.

[mw23]

Sitting around with the Sunday night blues.  Between organizing my empties and listening to some cheesy music I'm feeling better now.  Photos and thoughts are under the spoilers.

Full Sized Items:

Spoiler

• Paula’s Choice Resist Youth Extending Daily Mattifying Solution SPF 50 (love, will buy again in the spring)
• Pacifica Tunisian Jasmine Lime Body Butter (like a lot, though I detect no Jasmine)
• Paula’s Choice Hydralight Healthy Skin Refreshing Toner (love, opened new bottle immediately)
• Fresh Soy Face Cleanser (love, not buying again because I don't want to spend this much on cleansers)
• Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid (love, opened another PC 2% BHA immediately)
• Ulta Enriched Wipes (like a lot, will probably repurchase)
• Bath & Body Works Vanilla Butter Cream Hand Cream (okay but not my kind of scent, it was a Christmas gift last year)
• Paula’s Choice Hydralight Moisture Infusing Lotion (love, will repurchase as a summer moisturizer)
• Be Delectable Lemon & Cream Hand Cream (okay, impulse purchase at Kohls checkout)
• AcneFree Therapeutic Sulfur Mask (good for the price, probably won't repurchase because it was drying)

Foils/Vials:

Spoiler

• Cle de Peau Beaute La Creme (no WAY, stupidly expensive and feels like an average cream)
• Radical Skincare Peptide Antioxidant Serum (like, left skin feeling very soft and did not irritate)
• Etat Libre D’Orange Like This (neutral, nothing exciting)
• Atelier Rose Anonyme (love, will probably buy someday)
• Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille (love, will not purchase because of price and I know I wouldn't wear it often)
• Cotz Flawless Complexion SPF 50 (hate, left face sticky, disappointing as I was very hopeful)
• Paula’s Choice Resist Super Light Wrinkle Defense SPF 30 x 2 (dislike, left face slightly sticky, I dislike that it's tinted)
• Clarins Double Serum (on the fence, felt nice, smelled nice, but have the feeling it may contain irritating ingredients)
• Algenist Complete Eye Renewal Balm (okay, have used deluxe sample in past)
• Sephora Instant Moisturizer (okay, have sampled many times, it gets the job done)
• Dior Hydra Life Sorbet (okay, probably overpriced)
• Murad Invisiblur (LOVE, but will probably never buy because of price)
• Korres Greek Yogurt Foaming Cleanser (okay, trying to keep my cleansers under $20 so probably wouldn't buy)
• 32 Breath Beauty Cinnamon Fire+ (like, including because it came with a GWP, would consider buying depending on price)

Small Sized / Deluxe Samples / Sheet Masks:

Spoiler

• Cane + Austin Miracle Pad+ 30% (good, won't purchase because of price)
• Tocca Guilietta Body Scrub (love the scent, moisturizing, but scrubbing properties were not impressive)
• Ole Henriksen Grease Relief Cleansing Cloths (dislike, do not like the scent, fear the ingredients are probably irritating, ended up using on my feet!)
• Maison Caulieres Rose Bath Oil (like, but I prefer foaming baths)
• First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads (okay, not strong enough for me, as I've been using stronger exfoliants for years)
• Clarins Super Restorative Total Eye Concentrate (good, won't purchase because of price and because I just use eye samples)
• Patchology Hydrate Sheet Mask (neutral, average sheet mask, but it came wadded up in the package and the eye holes were different sizes!)
• Innisfree Black Berry Sheet Mask (love, had a nice creamy texture that left skin very soft)
• Innisfree Pomegranate Sheet Mask (like, average sheet mask)
• Innisfree Rice Sheet Mask (love, texture similar to the Black Berry)
• Original Skin Energy Peptide Ampoule Sheet Mask (like, average sheet mask, think it was probably overpriced)

[notcreative]

I've been meaning to try that PC BHA for a while now. I am finally going to try it this month, because everyone seems to love it.

[mw23]

Hope you like it!  This stuff seriously changed my life when I started using it 4 or 5 years ago.  Since age 12 my forehead had always been bumpy from zillions of millia.  They weren't all that visible, but I felt them.  I was amazed by how they disappeared and my forehead was left feeling smooth as glass after a month or so of using the BHA.

Now, PC was my first foray into products outside of the drugstore, so it may not be as amazing to people who are already well versed in skincare.  However, I'm glad this is where I started because it's so reasonably priced compared to most of the mid-range brands.:)

[JenniferOhJenny]

I'm almost finished with a travel size of it and I feel like there must be something wrong with me because I don't notice any difference in my skin at all! Oh well, on to the next one ;).

[ElleElleG]

Yikes, I'm afraid to try the Cotz now.

Have you tried other Pacifica products/would you recommend?

[mw23]

You never know if the Cotz might work for you.  Or maybe I had applied too much moisturizer that day, which caused the stickiness?  I wanted to like it because the price is so reasonable!  

For Pacifica, I tried the Coconut Water Cleansing Wipes a year or two ago.  I think they were okay performance-wise  but they are very heavily scented.  I remember opening my beauty dot com box and being overwhelmed.  I expected possibly a subtle scent from the coconut water, but it turns out there is added fragrance, which I'm not crazy about when it comes to skincare.  I need to do a a better job of reading the ingredients.

I'm curious about their body washes, as I'd love to have one to go with my body butter.  If anyone has experience with their body washes I'd love to hear about it.  I tried to avoid foaming products for my face, but when it comes to my body wash I need bubbles!

[blondesluv2shop]

So many great empties! I can't believe you used all of these in just one month. WOW!

I have a small size of the Murad Invisiblur that I got in the Sephora PARTYPICKS 'Cocktail Hour Classics' bag. You might add that promo to your cart on your next purchase so you have more of it to use without spending the $60+ for it 🙂

[mw23]

Thanks blondesluv2shop!  I had a lot of open items that I needed to finish, hence the large volume.  That vanilla hand cream, for instance, was opened in January!  I'm trying to finish a bunch of stuff up before opening or buying anything new.  I expect December to have quite a few empties, and then in January things should slow down.

Thanks for the tip on the Invisiblur.  I do plan on making a purchase with the upcoming gift card promotion, so I'll keep that in mind.

[ElleElleG]

Empties Galore:

Loves

Atelier Cologne Vanilla & Orange Sanguine

Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Black Currant Vanilla Body Wash

Bath & Body Works Wild Madagascar Vanilla Eau de Parfum

Bath & Body Works Wild Madagascar Vanilla Shower Gel

Clarisonic Acne Brush

Hourglass Primer

Jane Carter Solutions Revitalizing Leave-In

Jergens Ultra Healing Body Lotion

Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel

OH Truth Serum

OH Lemon Strip Flash Peel

Trader Joes Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner

Trader Joes Jojoba Oil

UD All Nighter

Like/Might Repurchase

Kandy Kurls Deep Conditioning Masque

Lancome Nude Miracle

MB Flower & Tonic Mask (felt good, not sure if it really did anything though)

Naturalicious Styling Cream

NYX Dark Circle Concealor

Won't Repurchase

Amazing Botanicals Hibiscus Gel

Amazing Botanicals Aloe Mint Spritz

FAB Ultra Repair Cream

Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Glow Pad for Face

Origins GinZing eye cream

Mary Kay extra emollient night cream

[notcreative]

I always get curious when I see the beauty products at Trader Joe's. They always get high praise though, so I may buy some (when I am de-stashed).

[mw23]

Looks like you finished lots of bath/shower products!  That's an area where I tend to buy way too much.  This is probably my favorite category to finish up.  I have a body wash that's a couple days away from empty and I'm unreasonably excited about it.

[ElleElleG]

LOL!  It does feel good to use these up!  Especially because it means you're one step closer to doing a serious restock 😛 

[kelloua]

Great empties ElleElleG!  Looks like you made it through quite a substantial amount of your stash.  I love the OH Lemon Strip Flash Peel.  I've only had sample sizes to date and was excited to finally get a FS.