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.

[RGbrown]

It's been a bit since I took this pic (oops) so let's see how much I can remember about these 😋

Notes in the spoiler

YTD 156

Spoiler

Andalou Naturals Luminous Night Cream
Awake Sweet Hydration Moisturizer
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream
I'm going to lump all three moisturizers together, because all were too small to get a true read on long term usage, and all three were used during a time when my skin went a little bonkers with increased congestion. They were all...fine, I guess...but I never had enough of any of them to do any sort of "is it this or not?" testing for the goop that piled up on my face for a bit. I think overall the cleanser I was using at the time was a big contributor, but...I'll never know for sure if these might have made it worse or not.

Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Cream: an oily ointment-type of texture. It's terrible if you plan on putting on sandals and running out the door, but I love this when I am planning on putting socks on. I've used it off and on for years, and would absolutely pick it up again at some point in the future. If Ulta carried it, I'd probably already have a backup or two lol

Sweet & Shimmer face wipes: eh, I disliked 'em enough that I'm tossing half the pack. I (unfortunately) have a couple more that I've put out in my basement fridge, they'll be fine for cooling down after yard work, etc, but they annoy me greatly. They've got no slip whatsoever, and it takes two hands (and a surprising amount of frustration and work) to try and glide them across my skin. They just want to drag and stick in place. Urgh.

Skyn Iceland Berry Lip Fix: I've seen a lot of negs for this one, but I really like it...as long as it's paired with something else. I find this to be almost like a lotion for my lips, but it needs an oil or something waxy to seal it in...otherwise it disappears pretty dang quick. I've got one or two more I think, and I'll happily use them, but I don't think I'll buy more in the future.

Tinkle brow razor: dermaplaning staple. Not much to say other than it does its job quite well, and is extremely reasonable in price.

Sheet masks: fine. Daylogic (Rite Aid's house brand) would be a great daily driver, basic hydrating mask if I still had RA down here. No added fragrance, comfy sheet, plenty of serum, and does a great job of hydrating. TonyMoly was ok, the serum is milky and that always makes me a bit squeamish for some reason. IIRC, the scent was a bit floral? All in all, it was ok I think, but didn't wow me.

Too Cool For School Rule of Mastic Facial Tonic: this was a nice non-acid toner, and I liked it enough to buy a couple more while Ulta had them for something like $5-6. I use this occasionally, in the AM; non-acid toners aren't something I use often or have many complaints about, so I'm not sure I have much constructive feedback other than "sure, I likey" 😛

DevaCurl Supercream: Ok, but I didn't find it to do much more for me than my fave, Bumble's Don't Blow It, in terms of curl definition or hold, and Supercream made my hair crunchy while Bumble doesn't. While this wasn't quite a hate-pan project, I was glad to see it empty so I could move on to something else.

Glisten & Glow quick dry top coat: t.h.e.b.e.s.t. Hands down phenomenal. Super quick dry without the shrinkage Seche Vite is prone to. And glossy glossy glossy! ❤️  One bottle like this and a 2oz refill lasted me about a year (technically a little longer since I still have a bit in my current refill, but this bottle has become so cloudy and polluted over the year that it's time to bid it adieu). I pulled out my new bottle last week, and have another 2oz refill on hand as well...will never go without!

Eva NYC Freshen Up Dry Shampoo: ok, but not great. The scent is strong, and hangs around a while. I didn't mind it, but also dunno how to describe it...definitely has some floral aspects, but maybe woody also? It does a pretty decent job, but also left a fair amount of residue...after three days, it was pretty noticeable.

Bumble Pret-a-powder: still a favorite

Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder: eh, not bad, but not great for me. I found it could be cakey sometimes even though I don't have dry skin. It also clings to my peach fuzz sometimes (I'm not always good at dermaplaning regularly lol), and that's never a look I enjoy. I like my Almay better :shrug:

Paula's Choice Resist 2% BHA: staple and daily must have. I like the Resist formula since it has peptides that the others don't. I supplement with 4% occasionally, and am even testing the 9% right now too, but 2% will be a part of my regular routine forever and ever, hallelujah, hallelujah 😛

[RebeccaBT]

Hi @RGbrown,

What a great set of empties. 

Best,

Rebecca

[RGbrown]

@RebeccaBT 

Thank you!

[itsfi]

Nice empties @RGbrown! I like that Burt’s Bees foot cream, but I agree, it’s not one to use if you’re planning on going anywhere; it does do a very nice job of making my feet soft. 

I have that top coat on my wishlist for polish pick up with month! The PC BHA is on my list of things to try for my next order. Im finding her BHA products to be very good for my skin. 

[RGbrown]

@itsfi 

Paula really does a nice job with BHA; it's an ingredient that many brands seem to either overlook or just don't care about. Maybe PC has so much of that market locked down that they don't even bother? 🤔😅

[itsfi]

@RGbrown, before Paula's Choice, my experiences with BHA product has been that it's either way too strong or not strong enough at all. Her line has options at different points of that spectrum and it's nice to have those options. It's a market that other brands are missing out on, though I'm seeing more brands dipping their toes into that pool, which is good for consumers and for the brands as they work towards developing better formula and products. 🙂

[RGbrown]

@itsfi 

I'm especially excited to see the cheaper brands using it, like TO and Inkey. Before I discovered PC, I was a mostly drugstore gal, and finding BHA there (outside of a cleanser) is dang near impossible.

I guess those brands aren't actually "drugstore" since they aren't sold at drugstores, but the price point makes them so much more accessible. I really need to pick up one or two cheapies just to test out for myself (but at the same time, I loooooove my PC lol).

[itsfi]

@RGbrown, I just recently got my hands on TO’s salicylic acid. I think they may be reformulating? It was out for the longest time (and still is on the brand’s site) and then a few popped back up, but only for the shortest time, and now gone. Sephora Collection has a salicylic acid based serum that’s not bad; I think Paula’s Choice is better but the SC worked fine for me as a spot treatment. Versed has a SA spot treatment, but I’ve read mixed reviews.

[RGbrown]

@itsfi 

I seem to recall someone else talking about TO being hard to find lately. Hopefully they are bringing it back at some point!

[WhereYouStand]

Love burst bees coconut foot cream

[RGbrown]

@WhereYouStand 

I remember the first time I tried it many many years ago, I was completely repulsed by the oily, ointment-like texture. For some silly reason, I had been expecting a cream; dunno where I got that idea 😛 But I quickly got over it, and love it. It's great!

[RGbrown]

The lastest batch o' trash! 🗑️

YTD 140

Leaders masks: perfectly lovely masks that hydrate well, fit decently, and are low on the scent scale.

Ulta shower tablets (berries and lavender): true love but sadly discontinued. Fantastic scent.

Paul Mitchell The Detangler: I didn't love this when I had longer hair (I didn't find it helped with detangling much at all), but after my haircut, I found it to be a really nice conditioner for me. It provides pretty decent slip without being too heavy for my fine hair. The consistency is really thin compared to what I'm used to, but it still seemed to give good moisture. Would use again.

Bumble Pret A Powder aerosol: still one of my favorite aerosol dry shampoos. Works well, nice scent, low white cast. Probably won't buy because I can get better deals on ones that are nearly as good, but it holds a place in my heart.

Voir Dry Shampoo (loose powder): mediocre at best, sadly. It's gritty, and it takes a lot to get results. Smells nice, and the bottle works well, but...doubt I'd use it again, even if I got it for free.

Tarte Sugar Rush Squeezy Clean Face Wash: the texture was a bit weird. It's a thin gel, fairly normal feeling, but it lathers up so thickly, it almost turns into a cream. Something about the feel of the lather was just off to me. It cleansed well, though perhaps was a bit on the drying side. And I was appalled by the size of the tube...that's a 7mL tube that they charge $10 for. Sure, I picked it up at 5/$25, and used an Ulta coupon, but I was still extremely disappointed in the size vs cost.

Vichy Liftactiv Peptide C moisturizer: a weird balm/ointment texture that is completely different from any other moisturizer I have ever tried before. I went into it really wanting to like it, but never could get on board with the balmy feeling it left on my skin. Alcohol is too far up on the list for me to ever condone it either, so I guess it's for the best that I leave this one behind. 

Algenist Alive Prebiotic Balancing Mask: a gentle clay mask that never really dries down. It's fine, but I didn't see anything special about it. Drier types would probably like it more than I did...I prefer a more aggressive clay for my oily skin.

Burt's Bees lip balm (vanilla): love the vanilla in this one. Lip balm is a basic daily staple for me that I always have within reach, and I find BB to be a dependable one to keep around.

Tigi Rockaholic Dry Shampoo: perfectly lovely. Light citrus scent, does the job well, though I find it takes more of this one than some other aerosols. Low white residue. Would use again, but I wouldn't go out of my way buy it.

[tinobiscuits]

@RGbrown   Oooh.  Good to hear about the low-scent Leader's masks. Nothing worse than opening a pouch of a new thing and getting scent-assaulted!  (Looking at your entire existence, Darphin!)

[RGbrown]

@tinobiscuits 

Darphin is way too high on the cha-ching scale for me to have ever tried, but I'm not really surprised that a crazy expensive French brand is highly scented. Good to know in case I ever decide to get spendy 😂

Leaders masks have a very light scent (at least the ones I've tried so far)...I class it as a generic "sheet mask fresh" scent that's very inoffensive. They are all around good masks! 

[itsfi]

April empties, part 1

❤️ LOVES ❤️ - These are all repurchase-worthy, but I might not repurchase right away for different reasons, primary of which is that I have several similar products that need some attention. 😉 

Spoiler

Whole Foods Bio Cellulose Mask (Nourishing Royal Jelly)

The Creme Shop Clear Up, Skin! Animated Unicorn Face Mask

The Creme Shop Raspberry Yogurt Fusion Sheet Mask

Sephora Collection Pumpkin Face Mask 

Leaders Labotica Skin So Soft Mask (Rice)

Dr. Jart Ceramidin Lipair - I think this has been reformulated)

Farmacy Honeymoon Glow - thinking about picking up a FS during the sale.

OpalHouse Scented Soy Candle (Lavender Lemonade)

Spoiler

A'pieu Sweet Banana Sheet Mask

Dewytree Blooming Face Ginseng Mask

Papa Recipe Bombee Fruitables Orange Squeeze Energy Mask

Creative Living 100% Soy Wax Candle (Blueberry Pie)

Shiseido Facial Cotton - if I were not working towards reusable cottons, I would repurchase these time and time again. I'm using up what I have, save a couple of packs of the mini's for future travel

Sulwhasoo Bloomstay Vitalizing Cream (x2)

Trader Joe's Scented Soy Wax Candle (Honey Crisp Apple) - I will be stocking up on this candle when it hits the shelves in the fall. Smells so good! 

Trader Joe's Scented Soy Wax Candle (Lemon Cookie)

😃 LIKES 😃 - these ranged from good to great. I'd happily use them again and would probably repurchase a few. 

Spoiler

MISSHA Cho Gong Jin Eye Cream

Iris Pure Performance Premium Cotton Rounds (x2)

Julep Love Your Bare Face Hydrating Cleansing Oil

Neogen Bio-Peel+ Advanced Treatment (Lemon)

DHC Rich Eye Zone Care Pack

GlamGlow InstaMud 60-Second Pore Refining Treatment Mask

Peace Out Dullness One-Step Brightening Face Pad - I've only used one so far so it's too early to tell whether it stays a "like" or becomes a "love"; it being individually wrapped definitely makes it great for traveling in the future

Sephora Collection Pumpkin Body Butter

Caudalie Glycolic Peel

Ellis Brooklyn West Eau de Parfum - I waffled on where to put this one; some days it worked well for other; other days I preferred to use it as a room spray.

The Body Shop Body Butter (Satsuma)

Drunk Elephant Lippe Balm

Crest Pro Health Clean Mint Alcohol Free Oral Rinse

Caudalie Instant Detox Mask

Spoiler

Lancome Renergie LIft Multi Action Ultra Sheet Mask - I'd pick up another of this sheet mask...if it were on sale. 

Neogen Naturals Super Hydra Aqua Capsule Mask

Danielle Glam Goddess Hydrating Facial Sheet Mask (Cucumber & Aloe)

Oozoo Bear Aurora Illuminating Mask

Make Up Forever Reboot Active Care-In-Foundation Y255 + Y315 - I like the formula, finish and wear of this foundation; not sure either of these two lighter shades on their own are the best match for me. I plan to pass on the two darker shades to coworkers. 

Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel - this is a nice gel, but can be a little drying. I have a host of acne products that I want to use up before repurchasing anything.

OM! Only Me Green Tea Sheet Mask

OM! Only Me Seaweed Salts Mask

SuperGoop Invicible Setting Powder SPF45 (Translucent) - this is on the short list of SPF products I want to look into more for reapplication, but I'm trying to be good about only trying out a couple products of the same type at one time instead of having several open items.

THE REST - these ranged from 'okay' to 'meh'. Most I'd use again if I had them, but they just were not favorites.

Spoiler

Olly Sephora Collection  Skin Detox Gummies 

Olly Sephora Collection  Goodbye Stress Gummies

Medca Hydro-BAND Acne Patch

Rituals the Ritual of Sakura Magic Touch Body Cream - the scent was too much for me

Sephora Collection Exfoliating Wipes (Papaya) - the exfoliating side is ... ouch! Too abrasive for my skin though that side can be repurposed nicely for the soles of the feet or elbows. 

Trader Joe's Scented Candle (Mango Tangerine)(x2) - I couldn't pick up a scent on either of these candles. I thought the first one might have been a dud, but when I lit the other one, same thing - zero scent from it. 

Everyday Luxe Home Fragrance (Coconut Lychee Smoothie)

Sephora Collection Coconut Water Moisturizing Cream

Dr. Brandt Hydro Biotic Recovery Sleeping Mask

OleHenriksen Lucky Pucker Lip Scrub - this started off well, but I may have left it unused for too long. I had to press really hard to get it to work and then it just hurt. Worked a little better when I transferred it to a pot and used a mini-spatula to scoop some out and mixed in the slightest bit of oil to make it more easily spreadable. 

First Aid Beauty Hello FAB Ginger & Turmeric Vitamin C Jelly Mask  

Sugarbearshair Women's Multi Vegan Gummies (x2)

Breakdown: 

Spoiler

April MTD (as of 4.15.2020) - I'll include a YTD at the end of the month

	MTD
Full size	40
Deluxe / travel / mini	9
Foil	6
Total	55

	MTD
Skincare	32
Makeup	3
Hair care	0
Bath & Body	4
Nail care	0
Wellness	4
Fragrance	1
Home	7
Other	4
Total	55

[sonnydee]

Yay! Glad you loved the dewytree ginseng! & nice repurpose for the exfoliating wipes @itsfi I normally just try to use them up as fast as I can by cleaning off swatches

[itsfi]

@sonnydee, thank you so much for sending the Dewytree ginseng mask my way; 🤗 it’s one of my favorite ginseng sheet masks. 💖

The exfoliating side is just too rough for my face; even my nose is like “no, no, no.” 😆 

[karap03]

March/Mid April Empties! LOVES: batiste sweetie dry shampoo, purity face wash, lancer the method polish face scrub, belif the true cream moisturizing bomb, clinique take the day off balm, lanza healing colorcare color preserving shampoo and conditioner, kat von d tattoo liner. the unmentioned products were fine but nothing i would run out to restock!

[WhereYouStand]

Love Dr teals haven't tried the pink himalayan one yet. I've tried both the lavender & coconut ones. the coconut one being my favorite. also love the fresh lip sugar scrub. 

[itsfi]

These are some great empties @karap03; nicely done! 🙂 belif moisturizing bomb is a favorite of mine! ❤️

[RGbrown]

End of March/early April trash

YTD 129

Spoiler

Baby Foot: every foot peel I've done in the past has taken around 3 weeks from start to finish for me, where this one got me sandal-ready in around 2 weeks. But, the overall results aren't really any better than any cheaper foot peel I've used, and 2 wks vs 3 wks doesn't bother me much, nor does it justify the $25 cost to me. I would absolutely use this one again, but don't see myself buying it again without a spectacular deal. 

Yuni Shower Sheet: perfectly lovely, does its job well. Will use again as they come in GWPs pretty frequently, but it's not something I'm looking to buy.

Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser: This is a scrubby, cream cleanser with a lovely citrusy scent. The scrubbing bits are small and fairly gentle, and I found them fine for daily use without irritation. However, something in this didn't agree with my skin, and I'd wake up to a few small red spots/bumps on my upper cheek/just under and around my eyes every time I used it. Used roughly half, the rest is a declutter.

StriVectin Multi-Action Blue Rescue Clay Renewal Mask: it's a white clay mask with little blue beads in it. To "activate" it, you're supposed to rub it around on your face until it turns blue. It feels gimmicky...I'm not sure the blue beads contain anything more than blue dye, and I haven't enjoyed rubbing in a clay mask since approximately 3.2 seconds after I got my first mask brush a few years back. I just applied with my silicone spatula and left it mostly white, and it was perfectly fine. It's an easy clay mask, it dries down, but it's not stiff or tight, and it rinses off relatively easily. It didn't dry me out, and did a decent job soaking up some excess oil. The scent is a bit strong...powdery citrus I think? One whiff would be ok, another would a bit overwhelming. It dissipated as the mask dried down though. All in all, this was OK, nothing outstanding, but not terrible. Would use again, but it would be low on the priority list.

Klorane Dry Shampoo (aerosol): I feel like Klorane isn't really trendy or hip or hot or even talked abut much, and maybe that has influenced how I've personally looked at the brand in the past, but this was an excellent dry shampoo. I know I've tried it before, and remember thinking it was "ok" but in the "just fine, but I like other stuff way better" sort of way. This time around? Pretty freaking outstanding. I think it has eclipsed Bumble as my fave 😮  Low scent, low white stuff, and really good at its job. 

Fizz & Bubble Shower Steamer (Citrus): this is the third Fizz & Bubble shower steamer I've tried, and the second disappointment. Next to no scent once wet. 

TonyMoly I'm Real Red Wine sheet mask: fine, I guess? I forgot to make notes, and it's been a couple of weeks.  

Exuviance Super Retinol Concentrate: I finally hunted out the retinol % on this one, and it's only 0.2%. It's a great formula for a retinol-newbie...it soaks in well, and has never interfered with anything else in my routine, but it's too weak for me...I generally like 1%+ formulas. 

Tula Purifying Face Cleanser: my favorite non-drugstore face wash. Does a great job of cleansing without stripping my face or leaving residue. The scent takes a little getting used to, but I love the wash enough that the scent doesn't bother me anymore.

Burt's Bees Pomegranate lip balm: just a basic staple

Bumble and bumble Don't Blow It Fine Hair Air Styler: love love love this stuff. Provides just enough frizz control for me without weighing my hair down or making it crunchy or making it oily. My hair certainly isn't "perfect" after using it, not salon smooth or anything like that, but that's not the look I'm going for either...this is a great easy-care, non-blowdry product that makes messy/tousled/bed head look better, if that makes sense. I keep trying other products, but never find anything I like more, and always keep some of this on hand.