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.

[heartsmyface]

Ha, I just bought a drjart face mask.  What didn't you like about it? 

[Anonymous]

Great empties! I love the Dr Jart mask but hydrogel are some of my favorites.

[notcreative]

That Dr Jart+ mask is one I've wanted to try. Any specifics on what makes it a no?

[shyvicki]

I just felt like the Dr. Jart mask didn't do anything for me. I know everyone's face is different and others have said they love it.

[Mochapj]

Been looking forward to posting this month's empties, since I feel like I got through a bunch of stuff in May. (Plus, I wanted to throw out all this trash :D)

May was a skincare heavy month.  

The Goods: 

• Body Shop Coconut Body Butter - a perennial fave.  Nice scent, moisturizes well.  A pretty regular repurchase. 
• Farmacy Purple Broccoli Brightening masks x3 - another fave.  This is probably the 4th or 5th box I've repurchased since they launched last summer. 
• Odacite serums (FS bottle BL+C, mini vials of JO+L, GR+G) - BL+C died an untimely death when I dropped something and it knocked the bottle off my counter and sprayed it all over the bathroom wall.  Prior to that I'd been enjoying it on the areas where I struggle with acne.  GR+G has been good for fading hyperpigmentation, and JO+L has been helpful for shrinking existing pimples.
• Stieva (Retin-A) - very helpful.

The (Not) Bads:

•  Clinique Green Toning Lotion - it's ok, but I don't think I'm a toner person.  I wouldn't repurchase.
• FAB Ultra Repair Liquid Recovery - it looked like water, it felt like water, and for a long time I didn't think it did anything.  But, once I started using it after my microdermabrasion sessions, I got it.  It's soothing, but I don't think I have much need of it at the moment, so it's not a repurchase.
• Kate Somerville Oil Free Moisturizer - Another one that was just ok.  It didn't bother my skin, but I don't need a lot of moisturizer during the summer, so I probably won't repurchase.
• Tony Moly I'm Real Rice x2 - it's supposed to be for clearing, or something.  It was just ok.  I find all the TM masks I've tried make my skin feel stuffy after I remove them. 
• Farmacy Invincible Root Cell serum - it's an anti-aging serum, and other than that it felt slightly sticky, I didn't notice it doing much of anything.  
• Face Shop Honey mask - ok, not great.  Mask was not a great fit.
• DDG Gentle pads (x 20?) - the last of my sample stash.  All DDG pads are too strong for my face, so I use them on my feet, hands or décolleté instead.
• Jack Black DIY Peel Pads x2 - not sure where these came from, but they were ok.  I liked that the pads were really textured.  I'd want to look into the ingredients more before I bought a FS.
• UD Perversion mascara - actually finished this one.  Used to be a favorite, but I've moved on.
• Body Shop Tea Tree oil - mix this into my May Lindstrom problem solver sometimes.  It's ok.
• Sunday Riley Luna - decided to try it again for a bit.  Still breaks me out.
• Sephora brush cleaner - does the job.

The Uglies:

•  Cake Beauty Sweethearts hand cream - too sweet.  Purchased at the checkout at Marshalls on a whim since I used to really like Cake hand creams.  Think I've grown out of them.  
• Sephora Lotus mask - I don't like Sephora sheet masks at all.  They always seem to have something that irritates my skin.  And a lot of them smell bad.
• Vichy Normaderm - Bought it a while back to try, but finally did this month.  Makes my skin dry and flaky.  Also feels like it has a lot of silicone.  No thanks.
• NARS Audacious mascara - I love this stuff in DS.  However, large is completely different.  Also, the last time I used it I apparently cracked the cap when I screwed it back on, which caused the rest of the tube to completely dry out, so it's not empty but it had to be tossed.  

[heartsmyface]

Nice month!!!!  Noted- keep getting DS of the audacious mascara.   Bahaha, who am I kidding?  I won't be buying mascara for at least two years.   But noted anyways;) 

[Anonymous]

Are the Farmacy masks wash off or sheet? I have them on my loves list. Great empties this month! 

[Mochapj]

@Anonymous Sheet.  I find the Canadian price a bit obnoxious, so I stock up during sales 

[notcreative]

Your skin is so pampered. I hate when I fall in love with a sample to have the full-size disappoint. I have not tried that mascara yet.

[Elles117]

I'm currently on vacation in Australia for a month. When packing for the trip my plan was to pack a bunch of items I had in my stash that needed to be used up. These are from the last 2 weeks! Love the Origins face wash, Purity, and Neutrogena sunscreens. The Klorane shampoo smelled amazing! Overall, I enjoyed everything- no dislikes. 

[heartsmyface]

Wow, no dislikes.   That makes it a good month!   Have fun on the rest of your trip!  

[Anonymous]

Traveling is the best way to work through your stash. Have a great trip!

[notcreative]

A month in Australia seems incredible. Have fun!

[karap03]

May Empties (I'm a little early, but my bag for empties was overflowing)

Loves= Will/would repurchase

Likes= May repurchase

So-So= Used it up, probably will not repurchase

Loves

Spoiler

-Alterna Caviar Shampoo and Conditioner - made my hair feel very soft and luxurious; felt like a treat to use
-Redken One United Multi Benefit Treatment - I sprayed this on after washing on damp hair; made my hair easy to manage and tamed frizziness while keeping my hair soft; already repurchased
-Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel - I try to use these at least once per week; these have helped with texture and scarring; holy grail; will continue to repurchase
-Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder - love using this to set/"bake" my under eyes and brighten up my face; very finely milled powder that is perfect for the job I use it for
-Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat - my holy grail top coat for nails; creates a glossy look to the nails and dries nails very quickly; I am asked frequently if I have a gel manicure when I use this top coat
-GlamGlow SuperMud Treatment - not only feels great but helps clear my skin; this is vital for me to have whenever I experience hormonal breakouts; will continue to repurchase
-Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Cleanser - OBSESSED; asked for a sample of this on a whim and I fell in love; truly makes your skin feel ceramic/porcelain, so soft and smooth and clean without feeling dry; claims to extract impurities and I believe it
-Dior Skin Forever Foundation in 010 - perfection in what I look for in a foundation; lasts all day, applies evenly and builds, looks very natural, and covers my redness/spots/scars; word of caution to those with fair skin --- I am usually the 2nd or 3rd lightest shade in foundation lines but this is my shade when I self tan
-Dior Forever and Ever Wear Primer - pairs perfectly with the Dior Forever foundation and gives the skin grip to really make foundation last all day

Likes

Spoiler

-Loreal Total Repair Extreme Shampoo and Conditioner - worked nicely, affordable, and left my hair soft
-Caress Daily Silk Body Wash - smelled pleasant and soft, afforable, didn't find it to be silkening though
-Bath and Body Works Stress Relief Body Lotion - a nice bedtime lotion for an evening of treatments and relaxation, I think this might be too overpowering for daytime
-Batiste Tropical Dry Shampoo - probably my favorite scent f the batiste line; I enjoy Batiste for their price point (the best drugstore dry shampoo I have used) but I prefer several other dry shampoo brands from Sephora; this leaves my hair gritty and feels heavy on my roots; does the trick but I have to wash my hair later that evening or I get an itchy scalp
-Nivea In Shower Body Lotion Cocoa Butter - perfect to use after I shave my legs and want to apply self tanner after showering; not overly moisturizing but does more than a moisturizing shave cream
-Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Oil Absorbing Mask - left my skin looking less shiny and more refreshed
-Briogeo Blossom and Bloom Volumizing Shampoo - smells like delicious oranges and is very soothing
-PTR Acne Clear Invisible Dots - these really surprised me and did shrink some of my breakouts; I found that active pimples were minimized by the time I woke up but deeper cystic bumps were not really affected by these
-Kate Somerville Exfolikate Cleanser - left my skin feeling smooth and refreshed; did not have nay exfoliating beads or particles; probably best as a daily morning cleanser
-Smashbox PhotoFinish Primer Water - refreshing; not totally sure if it did anything for my makeup or I just enjoyed spraying this before applying makeup
-Vita Liberata pHenomenal 2-3 Week Tan in Medium - a nice self tanner but I would get the dark shade as this was VERY subtle on my light skin; did not last 2-3 weeks; probably closer to 4 days
-Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara - I have a love/hate relationship with this one; tastes a few weeks into a new tube before it "gets good", then it works really well for me at volumizing my lashes and looking like falsies, but shortly after the "good phase" it becomes super goopy and messy and I end up tossing the tube before it is empty 
-Belief True Cream Moisture Bomb - very hydrating and good for sensitive skin; my skin is more combo/oily so I prefer the aqua bomb; this would suit dry skin better
-Dolce and Gabana "Dolce" perfume - light, feminine, perfect for daytime
-Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream - light, clean, and crisp, daytime perfume
-Gucci Bamboo perfume - a bit musky
-YSL Touche Eclat in No. 1 and 2 - creates a pretty under eye but doesn't conceal dark circles; I prefer No. 2 over No. 1
-Ole Henrikson Vitamin C Serum - this is my daily serum right now; not sure how much this afects my skin but I enjoy the scent and consistency
-Korres Wild Rose Vitamin C Petal Peel - Step 1 tingled like crazy on my skin and was soothed by Step 2;  I was left with radiant and glowy skin after using this
-Biore Nose Strip
-Smith's Rose and Mandarin Lip Balm
-Jack Black Lip Balm
-H2O Sea Salt Hydrating Body Butter - very very thick and perfect to use on a pamper night, somewhat hard to spread but leaves your skin very hydrated
-Macadamia Ultra Rich Moisture Treatment - nice to use after towel drying my hair to minimize any frizziness and keep my hair more sleek
-REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renew Mask - very brightening but the scent was offputting 
-Kate Somerville Oil-Free Moisturizer - nice, basic daily moisturizer for those with combo/oily skin
-Dior Hydra Life Jelly Sleeping Mask - woke up hydrated with skin that felt soft
-Caudalie Premier Cru Eye Creme - Luxurious eye cream but too much for my budget; perfect consistency and enjoyed applying at night
-MUFE Sens'Eyes Makeup Remover 
-Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray - gave my hair texture and helped my hair hold waves and curls when I would spray it on before using a curling wand
-MAC Prep and Prime Highlighter in Radiant Rose - pretty color but I would like to try Light Boost (the yellow toned one) next time; very nice for underneath the eye to brighten
-Belif Creamy Cleansing Foam Moist - nice morning cleanser that does not strip the skin; scent was offputting

So-So

Spoiler

-Tan Towel 
-Matrix Oil Wonders Shampoo and Conditioner
-Nivea In Shower Body Lotion 
-Victoria's Secret Bombshell Perfume
-Philosophy Raspberry Sorbet Shower Gel
-The Body Shop Coconut Hand Cream
-Philosophy Purity Cleansing Gel
-Macademia Shampoo and Conditioner
-Victoria Secret Noir Tease 
-Carmex Lip Balm
-Josie Maran Vibrancy Foundation

All of these were nice or just okay - not overly impressed and not too much to say about them

And no dislikes 🙂

[notcreative]

Lots of great things here. That L'Oreal shampoo is what I'm using, and I cannot decide what I think. 

[Anonymous]

This is one of my favorite empties posts. I like how you really finished everything and did not toss anything half used.

[kelloua]

Great empties!  I can see why your bag was overflowing.  It looks like you made it through a good mix of product categories and sizes.  I too love those Dr. Dennis Gross wipes.  I have other chemical exfoliants but now wishing I had more of these because I do think they make the most noticeable difference.  I actually find the fine lines in my forehead look less pronounced when I use these.

[missjeanie]

I can see why you were overflowing! That's a huge empties post!  I've been thinking of trying the PTR acne dots and may hold off until a sale.  I'd say about half of the acne I get is cystic so I appreciate the mini review!

[Anonymous]

Great empties! I'm overflowing too and need to picture them and toss. Alterna and DDG are loves of mine as well. 

[dziggi]

April empties, used up a decent amount:

Yes, Please:

Topix Power of Three Cream: Great for my combo skin and it's got good ingredients. Helps tame my mild rosacea, it's got green tea in it.

Kirkland Rogaine: Use a tiny bit, and I mean tiny bit on my brows to regrow them. I'm seeing results already even though I'm sporadic with the application.

Belief The True Cream Aqua Bomb: Worth the hype, it plumps up my skin. I did notice if I use it too much I start getting tiny whiteheads but I plan on using this when I'm flying to prevent dehydration.

Drunk Elephant C Firma Serum: One of the better Vitamin C serums I've tried. I'm glad I found a wee more friendly wallet friendly option to the Skinceucticals. 

Tony Moly Shiny Foot Super Peeling Liquid: This is no joke. It exfoliates me feet and makes them super soft.

Eeehhh:

Koh Gen Do Cleansing Water: I'm not huge on micellar waters but this is the second one I've tried, the Garnier being the first. This didn't remove much of my makeup and I had to use twice as much as the Garnier.

Not for me:

Rock Your Hair Size Matter  x2: Didn't use up, tried a couple of times. Made my hair sticky and gave me a headache. Tossed.

Mizon Snail Repair Intensive Ampoule: Didn't realize this had cacao, broke me out. Used it up on my chest.

Olay Regenerist Serum: This is alright, I've just found something else with loads of niacinimide that I prefer over this one. 

Ehhhh:

Nars Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base

L'Oreal Brow Stylist Definer

NARS Tinted Moisturizer

Versace Bright Crystal

Not for Me:

Too Faced Primed & Poreless Loose Powder

Benefit Sun Beam Liquid Highlighter

Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy

Lady Gaga Fame

Prada Candy

[BaseballMommy]

@dziggi what product did you find with niacinamide that you prefer now?

Also, I've been using Rogaine (5% minoxidil) on my eyebrows for over a year now. I have to use it on my hair anyway, so it was easy to incorporate my brows into the routine. I spoke to my dermatologist's assistant about it one day and she said to apply with a cotton bud to brows once daily for about 12 weeks. After 12 weeks, you may reduce use to about 3 times per week, but it will be a continuous process otherwise new hairs will not stay. I still use it about 5 times per week just because it's easy and I'm still noticing improvement!