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]

I let myself get way behind this month. I've been trying to remember to do a batch every 10 days or so, so that reviews would be fresher in my mind, but I'll do the best I can 😋

YTD 118

Notes coming shortly to a spoiler near you!

Loves and staples

Spoiler

Redken Deep Clean Dry Shampoo: this did a great job of cleaning my bangs and roots. The residue is a bit heavier than my favorite Bumble, but it shook out well and I was even able to use it for quick touchups during the day without issue. It's a bit cheaper than Bumble, and it's not Prestige at Ulta (meaning I can use a wider variety of coupons on it), so this will be a pretty consistent "good enough" backup in the future.

BBW Lavender & Spring Apricot body lotion: I'm always content with BBW lotions for my skin and have a bazillion to use up from ill-advised stock-up activities in the past lol. I never feel "stuck" using them though...I'm content to do so.

Ulta cotton balls: just a basic that does its job without issues. I'm not tied to them, but I do love me some Ulta, so they're a continual staple.

Tree Hut Shea Sugar Scrub (Coconut Lime): lovely scent, scrubs well without leaving me overly dry, or overly oily. Doesn't leave my shower floor a slippery mess either. The brand is tied for my fave with a small local brand, and I'll alternate between the two when I finish off more of my stash.

Julep Boost Your Radiance Rosehip Seed Facial Oil: my morning oil of choice. I've been content enough with it that I have full sizes in my stash to use up once I finish my seemingly never ending supply of minis and packets (...which takes forever when you're a slacker like I am and skip the AM routine more often than not 😕 ). It's light and absorbs well, great for my oily skin to help balance without being too heavy.

Bumble Pret-a-Powder Tres Invisible Dry Shampoo: my all time fave aerosol. Extremely low on the white stuff scale, smells good, works well. Too pricey for my taste, sadly, but I hoard minis any time I get the chance.

Ulta Pedi Pebble (Raspberry): I've raved about these before...they're a great quick scrub for your feet, and help way more than I ever thought possible. I keep a pumice stone in the shower, but can never remember to use it, but somehow this manages to get used pretty regularly, 2-3x per week. I got around 3.5 months out of this one, which means it went a little quicker than my last one (5ish mos, IIRC?), but I also think I might have used it more often, so maybe the number of uses was still pretty close. I've got a backup, and will keep rebuying these.

Ulta Shower Flower (Sweet Slumber): I love these. The scent is strong, and I can get 6+ uses out of one by breaking it up and just using a bit at a time. Discontinued, but I have a stash 😛 

Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil: HG for my night routine, and also really nice during the day. Ulta's is a decent sub, but I love the luxe, jumbo applicator of the Clarins, so I keep rotating the two.

Andalou Naturals Probiotic + C Renewal Cream: this is a really nice moisturizer, one that I consider somewhere near HG territory for me in the winter, with two drawbacks. First, the jar; if I buy again, I think I'll get a pump for it. Second, it does have a couple of (irritating) citrus extracts, but they are very last on the ingredients list, so I'm inclined to mostly ignore them. Love this stuff...might rebuy, but I have so many samples to get through that I'm looking forward to trying other stuff. 

Urban Skin Rx Dark Spot Rapid Repair Retinol Treatment: this is a *reeeeally* nice retinol. 1.25%, so it's not for those not used to higher doses, but it's got so many other nice ingredients: jojoba, kojic acid, azelaic, hyaluronic, niacinamide, a ceramide, alpha arbutin, centella asiatica, vitamin C...it just keeps giving and giving. Plus, it comes in an airless pump (which I'm going to try and clean up and reuse now)! I've got some other retinols to get through, and I want to try Indeed Labs' retinol, but this is high on the rebuy list.

Varying degrees of like to eh to nah

Spoiler

Sheet Masks: these are all fine. I've reviewed most, if not all before. I've come to the conclusion that I'm not much of a sheet mask person though, and not much really stands out to me in this category in general, other than my beloved Biobelle. 

H2O+ Beauty On The Move Body Oil (Lemongrass Vetiver): the oil itself was pretty decent. I felt like my KP went up a smidge this winter once I started using it...but I also think I slacked off on the body scrub this winter too, so I hesitate to blame solely the oil. It is a lightweight oil that soaked in well and did a decent job of keeping me itch-free in the dry winter air, so it was good in that regard. But the standout for me was "whoever decided that oil in a spray bottle was a good idea needs to be given a damn medal". Simply genius! I'm going to see about refilling this bottle with some of my other body oils next winter...I tend to make a mess with regular oil bottles, not on purpose, but it dribbles over the side every time I tip it over to use it, or I knock it over and lose some. Not an issue here, thankfully!

Vichy Liftactiv Peptide-C: I cracked open the packet before opening a mini. I'm still on the fence about this one...it's a very interesting texture, almost balm or ointment-like, nearly opaque but slightly translucent, with a pearly sheen. It's goes on really thick but seems to melt out as I spread it around and warm it up. It mixes with my oil well, and despite seeming heavy, it doesn't seem to be too much for my oily skin. It does have a scent, but it's fairly light and dissipates quickly. Unfortunately, this missed my "avoid all alcohol" radar, so even if I like the mini once I finish it off, I doubt I'll try it again or even consider buying (alcohol is 5th on the list, so it's fairly high up there).

Phyto Paris Phytophanere supplement: I'm still unsure of these so far. I only took one a day instead of two because I'm paranoid of supplements in general and heard biotin could increase acne under the right conditions, so I can't really even say if they've done anything for me or not. I've got more, and have upped my dose to 2 a day so I can finally get a better feel for them. Results TBD

Fresh Sugar Strawberry Exfoliating Face Wash: not a bad scrub. Relatively gentle, and washes away easily. I don't scrub all that often, and I have another scrub I prefer, but I'd use this again.

Exuviance Detox Mud Mask: I really like this one. It dries down, but stays flexible as it does so, never tight or drying. I'm not generally a $45 mask purchaser though, so while I'll never buy it, I'd happily reuse it.

Erborian Eau Ginseng Concentrated Lotion: Perfectly fine. I haven't met many essences I didn't like, and this was no exception. Soaked in well and was a good first layer of moisture. 

Mad Hippie Cream Cleanser: I was hoping this would be my non-sunscreen days night cleanser, but it's just a bit too gentle for that, for my oily skin. It was an excellent AM cleanser though. Would use again.

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara (curved brush): I liked the curved brush more than I thought I would, but the formula was too flaky for me.

Hanskin Hyaluron Skin Essence: one of the few "nope" essences I've encountered. This has a texture somewhere between jelly and snail mucin, which I found surprising since it looked really thin in the bottle. It wasn't that slimy, this wasn't a sensory issue for me...it just didn't soak into my skin well, and seemed to block everything else I put on my face. Weirdly, it wasn't noticeable while I was applying everything else, but I could pill my entire routine off my face once I was done for the night, or find little pilled bits all over my face in the morning.

The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%: this was slimy to me. I used half or so, but just couldn't take it anymore and gave up months ago. I guess I thought I'd give it another go at some point, but I've managed to accumulate other vitamin C that I like way better, and the shelf life on ascorbic acid isn't all that great, "stable formula" or not, so this just needs to go.  

[itsfi]

Good to know about the Hanskin essence @RGbrown. I hear ya on doing an empties batch every 10 days; those are the plans at the beginning of every month but it rarely happens, at least in the past; I might be able to get my act together this month to actually do it. I’ve been jotting down short-hand notes on my phone as I go through items, which makes it easier when it comes time to post.

[dziggi]

Here are my January and February empties. Loved and repurchases: Olaplex and I would repurchase those Chanel cream blushes and Cerave stretch mark cream if they were not discontinued. I might repurchase the Drunk Elephant C-Firma if I get bored with my current favorite Peter Thomas Roth Potent C Serum. Everything else was underwhelming...

[mazzkm]

Why do you like PTR Vitamin C more then DE C-Firma? Just out of curiosity! I’ve only tried the DE but like the PTR cleansers and creams!

[dziggi]

@mazzkm WOW! Been a hot minute since I have been on here... hopefully you see this. 😉 The texture of the PTR is better; it's more emollient and it doesn't smell weird. It's also a different type of Vit C that's a bit more stable than the DE version, so I don't feel rushed to use it up OR toss it out like the DE when it goes bad. 

[CookieGirl1]

@dziggi About the DHC cottons--do they compare to the Shiseido Super-Soft, 100% Natural Facial Cotton 165 sheetss?

[dziggi]

@CookieGirl1 Hopefully you see this, I know it's been... several of months. Nope, they are not even close. DHC is firmer so it's better for acids. Texture is completely different. 

[CookieGirl1]

Thanks, @dziggi 👍

[gingerfatman]

Jan & Feb empties / decluttered !!! La Mer The Concentrate is definitely a staple, already gone through a 1.7OZ and bought another Dior matte 999 was a 100 point reward , loved it will consider purchasing the full size Becca hydra-mist setting powder - great for the summer, very cooling, but the watery feeling dried off in a few months Elizabeth Arden Prevage serum made my skin look good even with a lack of sleep sometimes, will repurchase Lancôme Genifique - staple, I either have this or Estée Lauder ANR serum Dr Jart serum and origins mask came in the sets I bought, so-so Dior brow powder - expensive ($50+), lasted me 2 years, had to finally throw it out. As you can see there’s still so much product left. The wax is not useful to me Stila glitter eyeshadow - great, nice color, dried up in a few months Benefit dandelion blush mini - very natural, will not mind purchasing full size Too faced liquid lipstick in Gingerbread man was my holiday favorite. Loveeeee the smell and color but sadly it expired 😞

[CookieGirl1]

@gingerfatman FYI, the Lancôme Advanced Génifique Radiance Boosting Face Serum 1.69 oz/ 50 mL is going to be featured in the upcoming Ulta sale :).  I'm planning on purchasing one myself.

[gingerfatman]

Oh really? How did you find out about it? I didn’t get any email from ulta on the sale 😞 

[RGbrown]

@gingerfatman 

Come hang out with us on the Ulta thread...we've got all the best deals, including a preview of the 21 Days event that starts on the 15th 😁

(Emails haven't gone out for it yet, and won't until the event starts)

https://community.sephora.com/t5/Savvy-Shoppers/Ulta-GWPs/td-p/2570769

[itsfi]

Nice work work with the empties and declutters @gingerfatman! 😃 I’ve heard good things about the Elizabeth Arden Prevage. 

[gingerfatman]

Yes, I can’t usually tell the difference when I try a new product, but with prevage I could sort of tell that my skin looks better especially when I sleep late. 

[sonnydee]

February contribution to trash society, aka empties. 😁 Top: Loves,middle:like/ok bottom: no, not for me. Used to love the soap & glory but I think they changed the formula so its no longer a a hg💔 not pictured but counted TCS clean up skin mask! its a love & I'm glad I have more. 28 total. 63 total ytd

[missjeanie]

Trash society!  I love it @sonnydee !

[itsfi]

Excellent work on the empties @sonnydee!

[sonnydee]

thanks @itsfi as long as im over 20 for the month I'll be happy-lil weekend trips help.😁 Here I come spring break!

[RGbrown]

Time to clean out February!

I didn't think I'd finished off much the last couple of weeks, so seeing this much in my bag surprised me a bit 😋

YTD 93

Notes in the spoilers

Spoiler

Zoya Remove+: HG status. Not nearly as drying as pure acetone, and does a better job of locking the color into the cotton ball instead of smearing it around my fingers.

Ole Henriksen Truth On The Glow Cleansing Cloths: too heavily scented for me. I normally love citrus scents, but these were cloyingly sweet. Never again!

Eve Lom Rescue Mask: lovely clay mask. Herbal/medicinal scent (camphor). Dries down in a cracked/flaky manner...never feels dry or tight. I have too many clay masks to consider buying more right now, but if my stash ever gets smaller, this will be a repurchase in the future.

Wet n Wild Megalength Mascara: I think I liked it? But I also think I last wore it to my sister's wedding almost 4 years ago and then forgot I had it 😛 Destash.

Ulta Sweet Grapefruit Body Scrub: nothing exceptional. Decent scrub, but didn't wow me. Smelled good, and did its job, but I have others I prefer more.

Yuni Shower Sheet: nice for a quick cleanup when needed.

Ulta Aromatherapy Shower Tablets (Verbena & Lemongrass): true love for a luxe scent in the shower.

Bliss Aloe Leaf & Peppermint Foot Cream: eh. Too thin for my taste, but would be good for those that put foot lotion on before slipping on sandals. It absorbs quickly and does a decent job. I love the mint, but find the lotion itself a bit lackluster. I much prefer BBW True Blue Spa for a thick, rich foot cream.

Paul Mitchell Invisiblewear Conditioner: not bad, but not great. Perhaps a bit too light for my drier ends, but at least it didn't weigh my hair down or make it greasy.

Matrix Airdry Glotion Spray: ok in light doses on wet hair, but I found it too heavy for reactivating curls on non-wash days. The scent is fairly strong as well. It dissipated on wet hair as it dried, but used on dry hair, it hung around forever. I'd call it a fairly generic, borderline overwhelming, salon scent, floral-heavy, maybe honeysuckle, too sweet for me.

Patchology Restoring Night Eye Gels: thin gels that stayed in place well. Low scent IIRC. I'm not a connoisseur of eye gels, so I don't have much feedback. Didn't dislike them, but I don't gravitate towards this category of products anyways. 

PTR Pumpkin Enzyme Mask: true love

Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask: really nice as an extra mask on dry days, and also nice as just a moisturizer on my really lazy days. Can't recall if I have more or not, but I have a few other sleeping masks to get through. Would love to have more at some point though.

Thann Hydrating Emulsion: a nice extra layer of moisture, but way too fragranced for my taste. Floral/herbal scent that was ok some days, but overwhelming on others.

Origins Plantscription Anti-Aging Eye Power Cream: perfectly fine. Plenty of moisture without being too heavy, and didn't break me out. Not outstanding, but not bad. 

Spoiler

I finally organized my sheet masks by expiration date, and perhaps I wasn't terribly surprised, but roughly half of my collection expired in 2017/2018/2019 😮 As long as they smell fine/look fine/feel fine when I open them, I'm not put off by this, but I am now in "use 'em up" mode!

The only terrible one here was the Ulta Holiday Party Animals. The fabric was stiff to begin with, but the added black paint for the penguin face printed on it was hard, so it didn't lay down at all. And the fit was awful. This one wasn't expired (I used it before the reorganization).

I was surprised at how much I liked the 2 TCFS Coconut masks. Super thin fabric, almost tencel-like, excellent fit, sat well on my face, great moisture, low scent. Would absolutely use these again, and I'm bummed I don't have more in my stash.

Leaders and TonyMoly were all fine, nothing exceptional for me. Low scent, decent fit. The Leaders coconut gels are exceptionally thin for a gel, and adhere really well, but on the flip side, they are tricky to get on, so it's a bit of a wash for me personally. All of these are ones I'd reuse again (and will...I think I have more of most, if not all, of them), but I doubt I'd rebuy. Once I finish off the masks I have, I'll probably stick to buying my very few true loves (mostly Biobelle at this point, and maybe those TCFS coconut ones above).

[MugsinMichigan]

I love how you cut some of the packages open! I do that too!  Only on the stuff I really like and want to get ever last drop of !

[missjeanie]

I have two packs of those Ulta shower tabs open and I really like them too.  So glad I tried them on a whim!  Those TCFS masks really are great @RGbrown I'm glad you found some to use at least!  I'm with you on using up masks too... If they still smell ok I'd use em too.