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.

[Mochapj]

May Empties!

Spoiler

LOVES:
Niod CAIS 5% - really great for irritation and pores when I use it regularly, I just need to remember to do so

Kate Somerville Exfolikate - the acne variation is discontinued; I bought up all the tubes my store had and am on my last one now 😞

Kahina Giving Beauty serum - great all around serum for clarity, brightness, and firming

Good Day Hairshop Boy Tears mask - a fantastic leave in mask from my hairdresser, tinted orange for upkeep 

Mahalo The Bean - one of my favourite nourishing face masks, smells divine too

May Lindstrom Good Stuff - a lightly sparkly dry body oil, I'm kind of bummed they d/c it

When Restore mask - haven't met a When sheet mask I didn't like, they always fit well and have great serums, this one is great for dehydration

Dr Jart Ceramidin mask - a super hydrating sheet mask

Herbivore Coconut Hibiscus mist - nicely moisturizing facial mist

Yuli Cell Perfecto PM - this has been a great serum for hyperpigmentation, will definitely repurchase

Cake Beauty Vanilla Cashmere - nicely scented, nourishing hand cream

Tata Harper Purifying mask - one of my favourite mud masks, it clears but doesn't dry you out

Laneige Lip Mask - my absolute favourite overnight lip balm, it's hydrating but not sticky

Spoiler

MEH:
Blithe Velvet Yam Pressed Serum - I buy these pressed serums occasionally and they're fine but not something I bother repurchasing consistently. I do find them good for in-between seasons when my skin is adjusting to the change.

Yuli Liquid Courage - nothing about this blew me away

PTR Pro Retinoid 3% - I didn't use this regularly enough to properly judge its effects, but I didn't like the consistency of it because it was extremely thin but very oily feeling

Givenchy Noir Couture Volume mascara - not the version of Noir Couture I prefer, this one doesn't do much for my lashes

NARS Audacious mascara - the formula is fine but the brush is too stabby

Dior mascara - this made no impression on me at all

Guerlain Maxilash mascara - this doesn't do enough for my lashes 

Herbivore Orchid oil - I didn't like the texture (thick) and didn't feel like it did anything for me

Drunk Elephant Beste cleanser - I didn't like the texture of this cleanser (runny) and didn't feel like it cleansed enough

Shu Uemura Purifying cleanser - I didn't like the texture of this cleanser either (oily) and the rosy scent was way too overpowering

Murad Multivitamin Infusion oil - this smelled really strongly of licorice and put me off; it wasn't large enough for me to gauge any results

KVD Lockit mist - I felt like this actually broke down my makeup faster

Fruits & Passion Aloe mask - ok serum, terrible fit

Les Petit Marseillais body wash - didn't like the citrus scent and that it didn't lather much

The Face Shop Raspberry Roots eye mask - fine, didn't notice any difference after use

Look Beauty Green Tea mask - ok, moisturizing

Look Beauty Apricot mask - smells like St Ives, didn't do much

Tony Moly Seaweed mask - TM masks do not fit me well, did nothing

Tony Moly Broccoli mask - as above

Tony Moly Pomegranate mask - as above

Spoiler

NO:
Jane Scrivner Nourishing Cleanser - I legitimately hated this; it was sooooo greasy and would not come off without aggressively scrubbing with a cloth

[CookieGirl1]

@Mochapj What didn't you like about the PTR?

[Mochapj]

@CookieGirl1 the reviews are in the spoiler 😊

it it was just very oily feeling and I never felt like it absorbed 

[MlleCC]

@Mochapj: Did you happen to try the Drunk Elephant Best Jelly cleanser when it was first launched? I recently repurchased it -- the same mini as the one in your photo -- and I was similarly underwhelmed as you were; I felt like it wasn't quite the same product that I knew I loved. I'm guessing it may have been reformulated...or maybe it's just my imagination. 😄

[Mochapj]

@MlleCC This is the only one I’ve tried but that would certainly make sense. The whole time I was using it, all I could think was ‘this doesn’t feel like a jelly at all’ 🤣

[CookieGirl1]

Not a lot, but it's the small accomplishments that count, right?

Love the hand cream, the Lemon Meringue lotion smelled fantastic, and I couldn't wait to use up the travel-size version of the Garnier because I hated it.

The Buxom gloss was fine, the Bioderma is my favorite (hence the two backup bottles in my cupboard) and the mask was very "meh".

This doesn't even require an explanation...therapy in a carton.  #MintisMyMojo

[suzyo]

@CookieGirl1 I just wanted to let you know that I bought that ice cream based on your post and I found a new favorite. It's like cookies n cream ice cream but mint 🙂

[CookieGirl1]

@suzyo  I'm hopelessly addicted to it.  It's...uh...a regular "monthly empty" for me, lol.

[Shosh85]

@CookieGirl1 Raspberries & Cream, Lemon Meringue and Mint Cookie Crunch? This all sounds delicious, haha! 😋 Great job!

[itsfi]

@CookieGirl1 

Nice work!

That Bioderma micellar water is HG for me - I always have a back up of it, and an extra mini for when I travel.  Lemon meringue scented lotion and Mint ice cream?  Amazing.  ❤️

[CookieGirl1]

@itsfi I never understood why people loved Bioderma so much until I tried it and NOW I get it (hence the two backups).  There is no other micellar water in my world.  *Coincidentally, I also have two backups of the mint ice cream.

[itsfi]

@CookieGirl1, of course you have a back up of the mint ice cream - it's the right thing to do!  It's never a bad idea to have back up ice cream.  ❤️ ❤️

Yeah, I thought the Bioderma thing was hype.  I received a mini of it in either a subscription box or a mystery box and so began the love affair.  In the past, I've tried other ones but I've learned my lesson - my skin likes Bioderma, and Bioderma it shall have.  😉

[CookieGirl1]

@itsfi Such wisdom in your words...

[itsfi]

hahahahaha @CookieGirl1! 

[sonnydee]

May empties, I kinda slacked this month... Teal-loves, pink stick was popsicle shaped bath bomb the green one Yellow-likes Green-meh/not for me. Tarte has pretty glitter but sooo sparkly I used the rest on my legs. I like yuni but I think it broke me out. ven effect was ok but not worth $80. lancome & fresh I ended up destashing the rest of my ds. Purple-i usually don't include candles but I had to show what a huge disappointment this was. I burned 4 of this brand in may. this was the worst. It has my favorite scent so I think I'm going to melt the wax in my burner. It's Sand & Fog, I hauled like 9 in April? if I didn't buy to repurpose the glass I would've returned. 😲

[curlychiquita]

Great skincare empties, @sonnydee, but I'm sorry to hear about the candle!

[RGbrown]

May empties!

I'll come back with some notes later tonight, but dinner is calling first 🍽️ 😀

EDIT: ok so I didn't make it back last night (oops!), but notes are done now. Better late than never, right? 😄

Staples and loves; would buy (or already have lol)

Spoiler

BBW: big staple in my current stash, both lotions and candles. The hand cream is actually a destash because it turned 😞 but I would rebuy all of these (except maybe the Pineapple Mango candle...it smelled heavenly in the jar, but it had next to no scent when lit. Considering that's the first less-than-stellar one I've had, I'm still very keen on the brand).

Andalou Naturals Clementine + C Illuminating Toner: love! Light citrus scent, and feels so refreshing. Awesome at removing any residue from cleansing or masks, with a light touch of glycolic acid to exfoliate.

Julep Boost Your Radiance oil: I'm actually still working on this (I poured the packet into a small dropper jar) but so far I really like it. Nice and light; this is my current morning oil. It absorbs well and sits well under anything I may put on top, whether just sunscreen or a full face.

Eve Lom Rescue Mask: I was thinking I had never tried this before, but when I opened it, I immediately remembered the scent. Camphor, which can be good or bad lol. I could see the scent being simply awesome if you are congested for any reason, but it may be a bit much for some. As a mask though, this is pretty incredible. It's a clay, and it dries down fully, but it's not tight at all. Removal was relatively easy...I always drape a hot rag over my face for a few seconds, and it softened right up and came off without too much fuss. I have way too many masks in my stash right now, but this will be on my list at some point in the future...perhaps a nice Cult Beauty bag will sway me one day.

CoTz Natural Tinted sunscreen: I've been trying a few sunscreens lately, and so far this is a front runner. Applies well, and works double duty as a bit of a primer; it's silicone-based, so it's nice and silky to apply, and it blends well for me without any white cast.

Clinique TTDO for Lids etc: Staple. Cleaned out some of my excess travel items and just dumped these in my big bottle.

Tinkle (my inner 4yo loves this name 😛 ) razor: I started dermaplaning last month. So far I'm liking it!

Vichy Double Glow Peel Mask: A nice exfoliating mask along the same lines as the PTR Pumpkin

Julep Cleansing Oil: used in conjunction with a konjac sponge; love!

Body Shop Japanese Matcha Tea mask: this is a clay that *doesn't* dry down. Leaves me soft and clean, and it's nice and easy for those times when you want a decent cleaning, but don't want a drying clay

PTR Pumpkin Enzyme: staple

Smashbox 24Hr Eye Primer: Love this stuff! I have some other samples to rotate through, but I already know I get slightly better results with this that UD Primer Potion

Origins Ginger Kombucha: similar to the Body Shop mask above, just a different scent. I'm sad this one didn't win, and apparently won't be going live 😞 

Ulta Juice Infused Lip Oil: not an exact dupe of Clarins Lip Oil, but a decent substitute with similar, though not quite as perfect, results. I swear though...it seems I went through this a lot faster than I did the Clarins, even though it's a much bigger tube. I almost felt like it was evaporating off somehow. Weird. But at a fraction of the price, not sure I mind much lol

Burt's Bees Pomegranate lip balm: staple

These all range from good to fine; I liked them enough that I'd use them again, but they aren't finding their way into my buggy any time soon

Spoiler

South Mane Under Eye Gels (heck, add Flashpatch Rejuvenating Eye Gels here too): fine. Stayed in place, and my eyes felt nice and soft afterward

Origins Make A Difference Hand Cream: very nice scent; softly citrus with a touch of...earthy, maybe? Absorbed well, moisturizing enough for me.

Exuviance Detox Mud Treatment: this was pretty nice; it's a clay that kinda dries, but not completely, if that even makes any sense. It's still a little soft, even after 30+ minutes, and removal is a breeze. I wouldn't pay full price, it didn't wow me like Eve Lom, but I'd definitely use more samples

Saturday Skin Featherweight Daily Moisturizing Cream: This is really thick, like a cream, but still somehow has an almost gel texture. Worked well for me. I have others I like better, but this was nice

Indie Hair dry shampoo: not the greatest dry shampoo out there, but perfectly fine, and I like the scent (I just wish I could figure out what it is lol)

Becca blush, Snapdragon: I'm actually contemplating a Becca blush at some point; swatched a bunch at Ulta one day and promptly forgot which one I liked as soon as I got home. HA! It wasn't Snapdragon though, but this was nice to test the formula a bit more

Bliss That's Incredi-Peel: pretty nice exfoliating pad. I really need more than one to test, but I'd be willing to try a few more before buying

Tarte mask (the clay mask half of their duo): I really liked this, actually...it's a good clay mask. I meant to use the other half before finishing off the month, but forgot. I just hate the duo format in general...I'd rather have an option to buy them separately, especially if I wind up not liking the other half.

Bobbi Brown CC Cream: the shade was way off, which made testing hard for me. It's pink. Not pinkish-beige or anything like that...baby shower, it's a girl, pink. Seemed like a nice product, but all I wanted to do was take it off 😛

Burberry Fresh Glow: I used this way back at the beginning of May (or maybe even late April and it just didn't make my pics then), and I really don't remember much. I kinda recall going "wow, nice", but I couldn't swear to it.

Erno Laszlo Exfoliate & Detox Mask: this is a hydrogel, which I find way more suited to my tastes than any of the fiber/paper/cotton masks. It's two pieces, and the fit is pretty phenomenal for me. Just a smidge wide across the temples, but not so much that I have to make any cuts. And it stays in place so so well. My face felt nice and soft afterwards, the serum sank in well, and even though it doesn't say moisturizing, it felt like I was nice and hydrated. There is a ton of extra serum in the pouch, so I put it in a small tub and use it with my morning routine some days.

PTR Irish Moor Mud Mask: a nice clay mask that doesn't dry down. I have more in my stash and it's sampled fairly often, so I'm not sure I'd buy more, but would always use any I get.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir: Nice refreshing mist, somewhat herbal scented (which took some getting used to).

Eucerin Intensive Repair Foot Cream: touts having an AHA, and reading the ingredients, it does, but I'm not sure lactic acid as the very last ingredient counts for much. Fine but nothing special

Not for me

Spoiler

Pura D'Or Hair Loss Prevention shampoo/conditioner: I started using this about a year ago, and I LOVED it in the beginning. It made my hair "impossibly fluffy", and I felt like maybe I was growing some new stuff. As time went on, I realized I wasn't really growing any new hair...it was just my same old baby hairs that I wanted to be new, but weren't, so this moved down to fine from awesome. And then one day a couple of weeks ago, it hit me like a ton of bricks...my "fluffy" was actually "frizzy" and this got taken out of the shower immediately, even though they're half full. I miiiight put the shampoo back in the shower and make myself use it, but it needs a different conditioner with a bit more moisture for me to do that.

Grace Cole Boutique Vanilla Blush and Peony cream: don't like the formula at all, and the scent was just OK. I fixated on the vanilla in the title when I ordered it, but the floral was a bit more pronounced than I normally like. I'd call this a softer version of Jo Malone's Blushed Suede & Peony or whatever it's called (I could at least tolerate the Grace Cole scent but I can't handle the JM at all)

BBW Enchanted Apple lotion: it's funny how tastes change; I remember when this came out and I was excited that there was an apple that wasn't as sweet as their original Country Apple. This is now way too sweet too 😛

Too Faced Peach lip gloss: When I saw the new TF palette coming out soon is birthday cake scented, I realized I had never tried any of their scented stuff, and since I had this handy, I gave it a whirl. I've decided I'm pretty firmly against many scented cosmetics; I found the peach scent here to be a bit too fake for my taste. Plus the coverage was sort of chalky/milky...just patchy and not flattering at all. Destash.

Origins Project Dragon Fruit mask: I'm actually sad this is the one that won. It smells lovely, and feels nice, but I'm a little confused by it. Is it a moisturizing mask? Or an exfoliating mask? I get many products want to do double duty, but this is just an odd combo to me. And the exfoliant is useless anyways...the grains are too big and too round to actually scrub anything...all they do is slide out of the way. AND, it leaves a pink residue on my face, which is not cool when you're easily congested like I am.

Face masks...just not a fan of the genre in general

OUAI Wave Spray: Turns out I'm against texture in my hair lol. Same for their dry shampoo; one use was fine (better than fine even...it was amazing stuff!), but there was no way to avoid texture/tackiness after a second use. Rose seems to be their signature scent as well, which isn't for me.

Skinfix Lemon Mint lip balm: I couldn't detect any mint, which was disappointing. I found the formula a bit thin as well. I also hate squeeze tubes in general (I'd ignore that for the right balm, but this wasn't it)

Murad Multi-Vitamin Oil: too heavy for me. Even just two drops left me a bit slick

Cowshed Cow Slip hand cream: this had a lovely, soft and earthy scent in the tube, but once I put it on, it didn't do well with my chemistry. Earthy become became borderline mildewy. The formula was nice though.

Dermadoctor Kakadu C peel pads: like the pads, but the floral scent isn't for me

Dermadoctor KP Duty High Potency Daily Body Peel: the cloths are fairly well sized, and seem to have plenty of moisture...until you actually use them. By the time I had done my legs, the cloth was dry, leaving nothing for my arms, chest etc. I tried just hitting the parts I wanted exfoliated most, but still never quite had enough to go around.

[Shosh85]

@RGbrown Wow, those are some great product reviews! Thank you! 

I had the same thoughts/feelings about the Project Dragon Fruit mask- just didn’t get it.🤔 Great job clearing out empties!! 👍

[Aaliaa]

"Face masks...just not a fan of the genre in general" - Excuse me @RGbrown!?!?! 😂

[RGbrown]

@Aaliaa@Shosh85

I know, it makes me a heretic, but I just don't like them 😮

😅

Hydrogel ones aren't bad...they tend to stick well for me and stay in place. But the cloth/cellulose/etc ones I've tried all drive me nuts. I cut out the strip between my mouth and nose immediately (I swear I feel like I'm suffocating if I don't), but I still don't like the feel of the mask moving around as I grab a drink or even just blink lol. I have several more to use up, but they won't be a staple for me (which is good for my budget, so yay 😋)

[Aaliaa]

BTW @RGbrown the bath and bodyworks semi-annual sale starts today if you need to restock any candles. I know in Canada they work out to under $9 each. @fieldsofclover