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.

[QueenMarceline]

My "last half of January" empties, I'm cross posting from the V2 Empties thread because I'm not sure which one is more "active". 

Key:

❤️Red Heart= I've used this product for a long time now. It's one of my tried/trues, I'll continue to buy it.

💛Yellow/Orange Heart= I've used this for a long time it's nothing revolutionary, but I like it enough to continue repurchasing.

💝Ribbon Wrapped Pink Heart= A relatively new product I've been trying but I'm liking it a lot so far.

👩Shrugging Girl Emoji= I haven't used this product enough to formulate a strong opinion about it. (It's "okay")

👍Thumbs Up= I'm liking this this product. Nothing revolutionary, but I like it enough to try it again/maybe repurchase.

👎Thumbs Down= I'm not liking this product and I won't be repurchasing.

[RGbrown]

First batch of the new year 🗑️

YTD 43

Notes in the spoiler!

Spoiler

Hempz Butter Me Up Salted Toffee Hand & Foot Cream: thinner than I like in a foot cream, but it does a pretty decent job of softening my feet. Won't rebuy, but have one or two I'll finish up without complaint

Wella Fusionplex Shampoo: true love, I never need to find another shampoo, holy grail status. Cleans well without stripping, and leaves my hair feeling soft, like I've already used a light conditioner too. I'd never not follow up with conditioner, but almost feel like I could if needed for any reason (I gave my sis some to put in her gym bag for those quick rinses after the pool, and she loves it too)

Biolage All-in-One Intense Dry Shampoo: so close to Redken Deep Clean, it may as well be a dupe. Something like the first 8 ingredients of each are in the same order, and the rest of the lists look extremely similar. Same parent company, so I'm not surprised they're sharing recipes. Absolutely fantastic, no build up for me, and leaves my hair fresh and clean looking for a full 5 days. I like the scent of Redken a bit better, but will absolutely use or even buy this one with the right sale.

Batiste Dry Shampoo (tropical): nah. I don't like the scent of this one much, it's overly fake coconut, and this just builds up in my scalp, leaving me flaky by day 3 or so. It does a good job at oil control, but overall, it's not my fave.

FAB Ultra Repair Cream (Candy Cane): I adore minty lotions, especially for my feet. This isn't my top favorite foot cream of all time, but it is a favorite minty lotion, and I enjoy pulling one of these out every now and again. 

PTR Pumpkin Enzyme Mask: true love. I can't believe I forgot about this for basically the entirety of 2021, but I am pulling my minis back out this year!

CeraVe Pm Facial Moisturizing Lotion: basic staple, perfectly lovely

Hanskin Vitamin C Glow Powder Cleanser: not my favorite powder cleanser so far. It cleansed well, but it's more of a gritty/grainy format, and while it does eventually dissolve, I'd rather have a straight powder.

Clinique Fresh Pressed Powder Cleanser: I love this stuff, trying a sample a few years ago really turned me onto powder cleansers in general, but dang, at $36 for 28 packets, it's way more than I want to spend on a cleanser. Will happily use any others I come across, but will likely never spend the money for a full size.

Peach & Lily Glass Skin Water Gel Moisturizer: a really thick, almost jelly-like gel. Decent hydration, and I noticed no scent, though these tiny tubes aren't enough for more than a handful of nights, so it's hard to say if I'd like it long term. Would try again though for a better idea.

Peach & Lily Pure Peach Retinoic Eye Cream: "cream" is a stretch here...it's more of a melting lotion consistency. I squeeze packets into a little jar, and once I did that, I couldn't pick this up with my fingertip (not that I should, but sometimes I just don't feel like pulling out the mini spatula 😛 ) because the heat from my finger melted it, and my finger would come away bare. Given that, I was always good about using the spatula, but as soon as I placed a little bit under my eye, it would start melting and most nights, I could watch it slide down my face if I was slow to catch it. Perhaps neither here nor there, as this was perfectly lovely otherwise...it soaked in well and wasn't too heavy for me, and it also provided plenty of hydration, keeping me flake-free (while I'm oily elsewhere, my eyelids have been awfully dry and flaky this winter). The texture isn't *bad* per se, but it's not my favorite, so I'd likely pass this up again in the future.  

Omorovicza Ultramoor Mud Mask: true love, my favorite clay mask ever. Too expensive to regularly buy in the full size, but I like getting minis from time to time.

Tarte Brighter Days: I like mixing this with my tinted moisturizer for a little boost of shine. I think I might have another, but am not running out to repurchase any time soon...since I haven't really worn makeup in a over a year now, it's just not a priority. If I have more, I'll use it, if not, eh, that's ok too, no sense in buying something I won't get much use out of any time soon. 

Osea Undaria Algae Body Oil: a little thicker, less dry than any other body oil I've ever tried, but this soaked in well and didn't leave me greasy. The scent is a fantastic juicy orange/citrus scent. It didn't last long on my arms, but was plenty heavy enough to keep my legs moisturized and not itchy for 24+ hours. Not looking to repurchase, I typically prefer lotions, but I would happily use more in the future.

Hempz Lip Balm (Peppermint Vanilla Swirl, and Frosted Peppermint Vanilla Sugar): I really liked both of these, the Hempz formula is decently moisturizing and both of these had a good amount of mint. I think Ulta only carries their stick balms around the holidays, so I can't get more now, but would grab more in the future with a good deal (at something like $8-9 each, they're kinda crazy with the price though).

Clinique TTDO liquid: basic staple

Philosophy Purity: basic staple, the cleanser I keep in my shower.

Normally I burn one candle at a time, waiting until it's through to start another. In December, I started a few at the same time, wanting to see which scents I liked best so I could maybe grab more on clearance, so I had several to finish up in January!

Ulta generally does a really good job with their candles, and there were no serious complaints from me on any of these. Pumpkin Spice was a little sweeter/more marshmallow-y and less spicy than I would have thought based on the "spice" name, so I likely won't rebuy it in the future, but it burned well and had great throw. Glistening Snow was very light, not quite as good at filling up my space as the rest of their line usually is, but it was a nice scent that smelled crisp, so it was great for days when you just want "fresh" and not overpowering. Sparkling Leaves was good, my fave of the three here, crisp fresh air, with a touch of spice, a hint of floral that wasn't overly floral, and nice throw.

Huntington Home is Aldi's house brand, and they do up some really nice candles too. Holiday Cranberry is really good if you like the fruity/spicy genre, it's a classic holiday scent. First Snow was really interesting, I caught menthol and pine (? I think? I'm still a little confused by it, actually). I normally hate pine, but mixed with the fresh minty tones, this was actually pretty fantastic, so I grabbed a couple more. The Winter Fireside had great potential, a smoky/spicy scent, but sadly, it was the weakest of the bunch. It's the first wood wick candle I've tried from there, and I dunno if that played a role in the weaker throw of this one or not. 

That Lancome Renergie Lift cream mask can eff right off. I saw "cream" on the package, but though nothing of it, just assumed it would be a normal sheet mask and that "cream" was some sort of marketing tactic, maybe code for milky or something, but nope, it's a whole dang jar of actual cream smoothed onto a sheet. This is waaayyy too much for my normally oily, though perhaps dehydrated in winter skin, and the scent is an overpowering heavy floral to boot. I stuck it on my face anyways for some silly reason, but tossed it after a minute, maybe two, and wiped that mess right off. Nope nope nope.

Not a fan of the other Lancome mask either, though thankfully it's a standard serum. It wouldn't be quite so bad for me if the fragrance wasn't so heavy...otherwise it's a nicely hydrating sheet that does a decent job.

Soap & Glory is overly floral scented for my taste, but otherwise nice. The rest are all good to great...will miss Biobelle when I finally finish these off!

[AMK721]

@RGbrown  Loving your empties. I'm a candle person too. I like to stock up from Bath & Body Works candle day, but have been interested in the Aldi candles so thanks for the honest review. The Leaders sheet masks are some of my favorite and that collagen builder mask looks really interesting. I'll have to see if I can find it.

[RGbrown]

@AMK721 

I have been really impressed with most every Aldi candle I've tried, they aren't just "good for the price" but just plain good, even though they are typically $3-5! Their selection throughout the year can be slim pickings (all I found throughout the entirety of 2021 was Vanilla and Gardenia, and they are good, but I would have loved more variety), but I grabbed a bunch from the holiday collections to ration out over the year.

Full disclosure on the sheet mask, I have no idea how often Leaders revamps their line, but I'm working on a batch of masks that expired in 2021 (I'm behind again lol), and I have no idea if they still make this one anymore. 😋

[QueenMarceline]

@RGbrown I was actually going to ask about those ALDI candles but saw that @AMK721 covered that. I actually haven't been to an ALDI in a while, this makes me really want to go and check out some of the candles. I'm technically on a no buy but if/when I run through another candle or two I'll allow myself to replace it with a couple of new ones. 

[Mellmars1185]

@RGbrown  Great job on the empties! It seems like you really like the purity foils! I am also a candle lover!

[RGbrown]

@Mellmars1185 

Thanks! Purity is something I'm not sure I'd spend money on, mostly because I've never had to...the samples flow so freely that it has been a staple in my routine for years without me spending a single cent on it 😂 It's a good cleanser, I keep it in my shower!

[Mellmars1185]

@RGbrown That is a loney saver for sure! I think i have a few samples of it myself. I should give it a try!

[itsfi]

January 2022 Empties:

LOVES:

Spoiler

I would repurchase all of these products, 4 of which (Paula's Choice Omega+ Complex+ Cleansing Balm, CosRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence, Peace Out Squad Acne Dots, and belif The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb) have been repeated repurchases for a while - years for many of these products. 

Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream, along with the belif Moisturizing Bomb, are part of my annual winter skincare rotation. 

I first learned of the Innisfree Cica Balm with Bija Seed Oil when I tried (and loved) the sheet mask. That lead me to pick up this foil sample with a purchase to see if it was as good as I thought. It is. A full size will be in my future...once I get through a few more skincare products I already have on hand. 

Hand sanitizers are great - pre-covid and present day. This pink lemonade scent from Bath & Body Works smells amazing - just the right amount of fresh, sweet, crisp and fruity. 

I was surprised how much I liked the Coola Suncare Mineral Face Sunscreen Lotion Sheer Matte SPF 30 - it spreads easily, no white cast, and is not drying. 

LIKES: Products with the shopping bag are ones I would repurchase.

Spoiler

These were all nice products; if I didn't have a handful (quite a few handfuls actually) of products that I'm trying to work through, I would probably list a couple of more products in this group as repurchase worthy, but since I'm trying to do a better job at streamlining the collection of products, there are just two in this row that I would definitely repurchase.

The Victoria Beckham Beauty Priming Moisturizer (Original) grew on me. It does a good job of hydrating and lightly moisturizing the skin and has a slight tack to it to make it a great primer. Smashbox Always On Longwear Matte Liquid Lipstick - Stepping Out also grew on me. I'm not usually a fan of liquid lipsticks, I find them very drying, but this was different. I wouldn't say it's hydrating or moisturizing, but didn't dry out my lips. The color of Stepping Out is also very nice - it's described as a deep nude and I agree that the tone is on the deeper side, but there's enough of a rose tint to suit me.

LACKLUSTER:

Spoiler

The R + Co Gemstone Colour Shampoo felt a little drying and the R + Co Gemstone Colour Conditioner just wasn't a  standout. The Sephora Collection Kiwi Lip Scrub contained zero scrubbies; none. It was just a balm. The Sephora Collection Clean Watermelon Eye Masks are fine, but there are similar if not better performing eye masks at a better price point. I like the opening of the Dolce & Gabbana Dolce Shine Eau de Parfum - it's a lovely burst of sweet and floral, but that's all it is, just a burst. The entire scent practically disappears after a few minutes. 

SHEET MASKS:

Spoiler

I forgot to include a sheet mask in the photo, but all the sheet masks I used this month, 15 total, were good. The top row are loves, masks that I will repurchase. The second row are all likes; a couple I would repurchase, all I'd be happy to use again.

MTD: 40 (of which 15 were sheet masks)

[Samtian]

@itsfi Did you review the Moon Velvet and Korea? I don't recall seeing them but I have missed a lot of posts last month. 

[itsfi]

@Samtian, I hear you. I also haven’t been on as much. I liked both these masks a lot. I think they could work for most in the winter; the Moon Velvet might be too heavy of a cream serum for when it’s really warm. Here are links with more detailed thoughts on them. I confess I initially picked them up for their packaging. 😊 

Facetory Moon Velvet -  

https://community.sephora.com/t5/Skincare-Aware/Mask-of-the-Week-Challenge/m-p/6079655/highlight/tru...

Beaugreen Korea -  

https://community.sephora.com/t5/Skincare-Aware/Mask-of-the-Week-Challenge/m-p/6062240/highlight/tru...

[Samtian]

@itsfi Thank you!

[Mellmars1185]

@itsfi Great job on the empties!!

[itsfi]

@Mellmars1185, thank you! Hoping to get through some more products this year. 

[sister13]

Some empties and declutters to start the year! I am going to try to count them this year (we’ll see how long that lasts, lol).

Heart = Love

Half-smiley face = Like/good and/or need more time to judge

The HUM Nutrition Collagen POP + Vitamin C Dissolvable Tablets is a love, although I’m still bitter they changed the Rose Lemon flavor, I’ve gotten used to this one. 
I got this body cream in China a few years ago, it’s really nicely jasmine scented and smooth.

The Clarins Total Eye Lift Firming & Smoothing Anti-Aging Eye Cream 0.5 oz / 15 mL is super creamy and feels great.

The warming eye masks are so nice and relaxing! 

This Glo moisturizer came in a New Beauty box. I’ve liked other items from this brand but this moisturizer pilled up every time, I tried with many other serums, etc and alone and it happened every time, so it’s gotta go. The TimeBalm was not a bad product, but is so old and was never actually a good color for me so not sure why I kept it for so long, lol. 

The others I might need more time to fully judge. 

Full Size: 2

Masks: 1

Foils/Deluxes: 6

Declutters: 2

[QueenMarceline]

@sister13 What a great collections of empties 🙂

[sister13]

Thanks @QueenMarceline ! 

[Guessgal]

@sister13 Oh neat, the design of the jasmine body cream made me think it was a compact mirror! 😍 Great job on your empties and looks like you found a lot of loves! 

[sister13]

Yes, this has such a. NIce texture and delicate scent. I have said it before but I really miss travel shopping! @Guessgal 

[itsfi]

@sister13, great work on your empties. Ooooh, those steam eye mask. Just seeing it makes me more relaxed. 😍 I think I'm going to reach for one to use right now. Ahhhh!

[sister13]

I think I’ll do one before bedtime tonight too! @itsfi