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.

[Cissy63]

@ather  Thank you 💕

[QueenMarceline]

@Cissy63 Great job on all those empties and declutters. I absolutely adore the bum bum cream and I'm sure it'll make it's way to my empties sometime very soon. 🙂

[Cissy63]

Thanks @QueenMarceline 😀. That cream smells heavenly 💕

[QueenMarceline]

@Cissy63 Seriously, one of the best of the best ❤️

[RGbrown]

Latest batch, YTD 314

Spoiler

Hempz Salted Toffee Hand & Foot Cream: just ok to me, I prefer a much thicker cream for my feet, but this still does a pretty decent job of keeping my feet soft. 

Redken Deep Clean Dry Shampoo: still my absolute favorite. Scary white right out of the can, but it shakes out so freaking easily, leaving no white cast, and my hair is soft and shiny. It leaves no product feel at all and never builds up on my scalp. It's pricey, but I stock up when JCP has it for $10!

ThisWorks Deep Sleep Pillow Spray: I dislike most lavender stuff, but the scent of this is just phenomenal. I do get nose blind to it from time to time, so I have to stop using it for a while and then come back to it, but I have more and am looking forward to pulling it out again in a month or two.

Glisten & Glow top coat: all time HG. Super quick drying, shiny, no shrink. I'm gonna test the KB Shimmer topcoat soon as the formulas look very similar, but I will always adore this one as my first love.

Clinique Deep Comfort Body Butter: if the full size didn't come in a tub, I'd have bought one by now. This is incredibly thick and rich, super moisturizing. No added fragrance (though shea butter is very high on the list, so it does have a scent). 

Bumble Pret-a-Powder Dry Shampoo: these tiny cans make it so hard to get a full grasp on how well this works for me. I used to think I loved it, but I can't tell anymore, frankly. It's ok, I don't hate it, but Redken is better for me, that much I do know.

Dionis Lip Balm (peppermint): perfectly lovely basic balm for daily use. Decent enough moisture with fun scents that are well crafted and not overly artificial or over the top. Have more and will continue to buy.

Versace Bright Crystal: a nice combo of fresh and fruity, I've been using this as my pillow scent of late (I also like it as an actual perfume, but I rarely remember to wear perfume, so I gotta use these samples somehow lol).

Peach & Lily Glass Skin Water Gel Moisturizer: good moisture, lightweight consistency, no fragrance, and free of some ingredients I've been trying to avoid. I've got a larger bottle in use right now, and I'm really liking it...could see myself buying it again in the future.

Pyunkang Yul Essence Toner: really nice extra layer of moisture that soaks in well and has no scent. I've got plenty of other essences in my stash, but I'd consider this in the future.

Indie Lee Brightening Cleanser: I see folks say this smells awesome, but I didn't like it?! I smell the strawberry, which is nice, but my nose also picked up a really strong chemically undertone that disagreed with me. Otherwise, it was a perfectly fine cleanser.

Spoiler

Aldi Citron & Cilantro candle: way too one note...all I caught was cilantro, which I like, but which also got old quickly. Burned well, great throw, just not my fave scent.

Bumble Bond Building shampoo & conditioner: I came close to blind buying this over the summer when Ulta had it on sale, and I kinda wish I had now after finally getting a sample. One use is impossible to get a read on how well it'll work for me long term, but I liked it enough that I'd be willing to give it a longer test. Good moisture, and my frizz wasn't too bad after use. 

Ulta Whim Shower Steamer (Breathe): some sort of menthol or eucalyptus scent but it had absolutely zero throw, and I could barely smell it unless I stuck my nose right in it. I'm also realizing that I must have thrown out the package for the other one I tried after this one, Unwind...it smelled good (honestly not sure what the scent was though...?), decent enough throw. I'd get this one again.

Holika Holika Strawberry sheet mask: almost no scent, good moisture, overall I'm pleased with this one and might be tempted to grab another box if I see them at TJM again.

Ulta Banana sheet mask: a little thicker material than I tend to like, but it's got nice moisture, the fit isn't terrible, and it's a decent filler when I need to add a few bucks to my total, so I've accumulated quite a few of these that I'll be more than happy to use up.

Give Them Lala Stay Calm Soothing sheet mask: no scent, good moisture. These came in a sub box and are pretty abundant on eBay and the like for pretty cheap...it's another one I'm halfway tempted to grab more of 🤔

[Cissy63]

@RGbrown   Oh I also like the Ulta Banana sheet masks 🍌🍌!,  You finished a good number of products 🌺

[RGbrown]

@Cissy63 

Yes, that banana mask is fun! Nice hydration too, which is always a good thing!

[ather]

@RGbrown  Impressive! I feel like the BB shampoo conditioner use to be in a blue bottle maybe. I use to use it and loved it. If you try it again I’m interested in your thoughts!

[CynthieLu]

Very detailed break down of your monthly empties @RGbrown thank you!

I have never seen Hemp lotion in that variety here before, the hands and feet type. Neat!

(My feet do well with the thicker CeraVe or Aquaphor)

🙂

[RGbrown]

@CynthieLu 

The Hempz was from the holidays two (three? 😬) years ago. They seem to put a foot cream out every now and again, but I don't think it's a regular product for them. It was passable, but I bought a ton on clearance before I realized it wasn't my fave, so I rotate it with creams I like better lol. I think I've only got one left finally 😅 (ETA: nope, that was my last one!)

[CynthieLu]

It takes me awhile to go through foot creams too @RGbrown 

oh The best hempz scent I remember was a grapefruit one so many years ago, but it was gooood 🙂

[QueenMarceline]

@RGbrown Another great monthly line-up! I love that ULTA banana face mask! 🙂

[RGbrown]

@QueenMarceline 

Ulta sheet masks can be hit or miss, but the banana one is a pretty decent hit! 🍌

[QueenMarceline]

@RGbrown Agreed. Was so happy when I found it, it's probably my favorite ULTA sheet mask to date. ❤️

[RGbrown]

Big batch this time, a little over a month's worth! 🗑️

YTD 294

Spoiler

Bad Habit Wake Things Up Matcha & Mint Morning Cleanser: stinky, I caught neither matcha nor mint in this. Felt the mint if I got it in my eye though 😕 Overall it was a decent cleanser, but I just couldn't get along with the scent (and this is coming from someone that grew to like the scent of Tula's cleanser...)

Butter London Nail Foundation: still my favorite ridge filling base coat, though I keep trying others to find something less expensive. It works so well considering how deep some of mine are, and the beige tint is a plus in helping to cover a bit of my staining.

Vichy Mineral 89: simple hyaluronic serum, nice extra layer of moisture when I need it. Soaks in well, doesn't disagree with or cause issues with anything else in my routine. 

TonyMoly Changing U Peppermint Foot Cream: mediocre cream, and the peppermint scent is quite metallic. Glad I'm done with all I had.

SJP Stash Luxe Body Creme: not what I'd call a lux cream at all, it's a fairly thin lotion, but I adore this scent and am crushed it has been discontinued. I've got another tube I'll ration out for the rest of eternity lol

L'Oreal Curve It Curl Taming Gel Cream: I didn't love this enough to buy it again, but I also didn't hate it. I'd get bored and set it off to the side for a while, trying something else, but I was always willing came back to it. Decent frizz control, and nice definition. Would use again, but for now I'm looking forward to trying other stuff again.

We Are Paradoxx Secret Weapon 3-in-1 Conditioner: I use this as a leave-in after a shower, right before I put my hair up in my turban, and I love it enough that I have a brand new bottle already in use. This reduces frizz and helps keep my curls neat, no matter what shampoo or conditioner I use.

Hempz Fresh Snowberry & Vanilla Creme lotion: one of last year's holiday offerings, this was a fresh fruity scent, not overly sweet, bright raspberry, maybe, with a hint of spice? Lovely scent, and I like Hempz's lotion formula well enough to risk purchasing other scents that sound like they might tickle my fancy.

Ulta Frosted Berry Body Sorbet: I adore their sorbets, they are so amazingly thick and creamy, fantastic for drier skin and/or winter months. They soak in well and don't feel greasy. This was a holiday scent that I wish they'd carry year round.

CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser: just a basic staple. I rarely wash my face in the mornings anymore, but when I do, this is what I'm most likely to use.

Valjean Labs Vitamin E + Ferulic Acid serum: I used this to amp up my vitamin C and it worked well for that. No scent, soaked in well, no piling or other obnoxious behavior. I've put my vitamin C on hold for a bit, but when I get back to it, I've got some other serums to use up before considering this again.

 Skyn Iceland The Antidote Daily Cooling Lotion: I adore this stuff after a day in the heat. Very light moisturizer, probably not enough for me in winter, but it's a fun summer treat from time to time.

Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask: my absolute laziest nights mean a face wipe and sleeping cream...love this one for that dialed back routine. No scent, great moisture.

Ulta Juice Infused Lip Oil: I love these! The packaging isn't as fancy as Dior or Clarins, but I find the product inside to be extremely comparable to both.

Dionis Goat Milk Lip Balm Vanilla Bean: these are such a nice value, jumbo stick for $5. Good vanilla scent, not too sweet or cloying, and decent enough moisture for a basic balm. Have several more in my stash.

Ellis Brooklyn Apres: very one-note to me, just cedar, and while I love cedar, I didn't like this at first, it was a bit overwhelming. A second try had me a little more open-minded, and as it wore, it softened, still very cedar heavy, but not as stringent, it became warm and cozy, aaaaand now I love it. I have not played with layering it with anything, but I bet it would be a fantastic way to add some depth and warmth to many summer scents, bringing them into the fall and winter months.  

Foot masks are always a fun treat for me, and both of these were good. I adore peppermint, but the banana one was a nice diversion too.

Sephora wipes...these are ancient, but did their job well, no problems.

Olay Regenerist Whip Moisturizer: I'd actually like to try this again, but I also noticed Ulta doesn't carry it anymore, just the SPF version, so I dunno if it's being discontinued or if Ulta is just swapping out the products they carry. It's a lightweight moisturizer, good moisture for me, no scent. I had some breakouts while trying it, but I discovered something else I was using at the same time had an ingredient I've been trying to avoid, so my test got all effed up and I dunno which one was the culprit.

System Professional Smoothen shampoo & mask: reminded me an awful lot of Wella Fusionplex (my absolute fave) and considering SP is a Wella brand, I'm not shocked by this. These left my hair soft and smooth and with minimal frizz, much like my beloved Wella. SP seems to have pulled out of North America or something though...the only place I can find it is from EU sites. In any case, it's way more expensive that Wella so I wasn't considering a purchase anyways, but if I were to happen on some leftover stock at an Ulta or even one of the discount stores, I'd consider it with the right price. 

Sheet masks: all done with my 2022 stash! Most were fine; did not care for the TonyMoly snail hydrogel (the mesh embedded in the gel was itchy, and the dang thing wouldn't stop sliding down), I'm not a fan of milky serums like in the Lapcos ceramide, and the SOS Warming mask was weirdly sticky and gooey. The rest were all nice though, decently hydrating, and I don't recall any weird scents.  

Candles, all fine to great

Made a new batch of cuticle oil...added all of the above to a 4oz bottle of jojoba oil, and tossed out the last of my well-used, 3 year old pens that leaked like crazy these days.

Destashes: all are expired, gone bad, or otherwise didn't agree with me. Slowly but surely I'm weeding out the hoards of stuff I've gone overboard collecting in the past 

[ather]

@RGbrown  Holy moly!!!’ Great job!!! I’m working through my covid horsing also 🤣

[QueenMarceline]

@RGbrown Wow! This is quite the big batch of items, great job this month! I've had good experiences with SKYN Iceland products and would love to try out that Antidote Cooling Lotion. That Hempz Fresh Snowberry & Vanilla Creme sounds like quite the lovely scent as well! If I didn't have an abundance of lotions heading into this winter season, I would definitely add that to my list. 

How did you enjoy the TonyMoly Banana foot mask? I'm currently on a banana kick and that one seems like something I'd totally enjoy! ❤️🍌

[RGbrown]

@QueenMarceline 

The banana foot mask was fun! Nice banana scent, and good moisture. I like to kick back with one after a long day of yard work, and it was a fab treat! ❣️

[QueenMarceline]

@RGbrown I'll definitely have to give this a go! Thank you for sharing. 

[QueenMarceline]

Another belated monthly post, but hey that's life! This June was less fruitful of a month than I hoped it would be but I'm hoping for a higher turnout this July! 🙂

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 product for a long time now, 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.

🖤Black Heart: A loved but discontinued product. 

👩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. 

Additional Thoughts:

Spoiler

Earth Therapeutics Tea Tree Cooling Foot Scrub: Not a bad scrub, I've been using this one for quite some time. It doesn't have as much of a cooling effect as I'd like it to but it's a good one to have on hand. This is a nice economical and underrated brand overall 🙂

Herbivore Amethyst Scrub: I thought the Coco Rose version of this scrub was a bit too "thin" for my personal preferences but I really enjoyed the smell of that one. This one however, doesn't smell very good to me at all. Won't be repurchasing this one since it doesn't check any of the boxes. Womp womp. 

Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Oil: I've been using this oil for about half a decade one. I swear by this as an all around, multi-purpose neutral oil. If I had to choose to use one oil in my skincare for the rest of my life, I'd have to choose this one due to versatility. I've used this on my face as a daily spa task, as a ointment for razr burns, as a lip oil and the list goes on. Truly something I'll probably always have on hand. 

Additional Thoughts:

Spoiler

Dove Anti-Perspirant Deodorant Spray in Rose Petals Scent: I slept on this product for so long until I was forced to pick one up when my luggage got lost on a vacation. This is what they were selling at my resort and I ended up loving the feel and performance of it. I ventured out over the years in trying out different scents but this one is definitely one of my go-to fragrances in this product. I love that it doesn't leave behind reside, that it works and the fact it comes in such a variety of scents. There's truly something for everyone in this category. 

Yankee Candle Large Tumbler in Sweet Plum Sake Scent: I'll admit, I have the infamous C-Word when I lit this candle so my sense of smell may have been quite impaired, so maybe I'll give it another shot in the future. I like this scent enough, but it's not something that struck me as out of this world but overall, this is a bit too "bland" and "mild" of a scent for me. I much prefer other Yankee Candles to this one because the throw was not very good (ie. barely existent). 

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Rose Gold: I must admit the entire line of Batiste Dry Shampoo is a bit too heavy for my personal taste. I love a nice fine, mild-coating type of dry shampoo (like amika). However, this one does blend-out quite nicely and I do use it as a nice more economic option especially when I know I'll be reaching for the dry shampoo often. Particularly, I love something about this scent a lot. It's very "up my alley". 

(Sorry about the sideways photo)

Additional Thoughts:

Spoiler

Amika The Cure Shampoo: When I want a nice sudsy cleansing type of shampoo I usually reach for this one. It's been my go-to for quite a few years now and I don't see that changing very soon. 

V05 Strawberries & Cream Hair Conditioner: I know I get a couple side eyes for this but I love using this as a "base conditioner", I have more higher end things that I use in my hair more sparingly because I lather my hair in this conditioner beforehand (thus, needing less of the expensive product). These things are super cheap, oddly work exceptionally well for my curly/fine hair and give my strands the moisture they so desperately crave. I love my hair masks and treatments but this is one of those products that have been with me through the long haul. I need to use a ton of conditioner on my curls since my hair soaks it up like a sponge and this really works some magic on my head and in my wallet.  

Suave Brown Sugar & Vanilla Body Wash: Another super cheap but great find. I love the suave body washes, they always leave me feeling squeaky clean without drying out my skin too much. This one in particular has some microbeads so it's great for a sweaty summer rinse off. 

The Body Shop Almond Milk & Honey Bar Soap: Love this bar soap, another "classic" from my regularly used items. This is great for more sensitive areas, gives the right amount of controllable lather and a simple scent payoff that's still very pleasant. Love the "milky" feel this gives off. 

Additional Thoughts:

Spoiler

Sephora Cactus Foot Mask: This is a good mask, I'm a fan of Sephora's prior foot mask line and this was my first try of the replacements. This one gets the seal of approval but I really still wish they'd bring back the Lavender and Almond, hey, why can't we have all of these options? Sephora foot masks are usually my go-to. ❤️

The Creme Shop Rose Water Sheet Mask: Meh. I had high hopes for this one and it just didn't deliver. I love everything and anything rose, but this mask was quite basic and didn't live up to the high standards that The Creme Shop has for it's other face masks (just my two cents).

The Creme Shop Witch Hazel Sheet Mask: My skin can be quite picky about what kind of witch hazel it likes/does not that particular day. This one was a hit and I'd definitely repurchase it again. Does not have an overbearing smell, great packaging and I was happy with the results of this one. 

Facetory Artemisia Sheet Mask: I have come to love this little face mask and it's another beauty steal for the wallet. I get these in large packs off amazon (which makes them retail at about $2 each) and I've been reaching for a lot of Facetory masks in general the last few months in a row. This one is gentle on the skin while delivering acne fighting effects, having a great scent, the serum feels thicker, "milkier"and more luxurious. What's there not to love? 

Azure Hemp & Rose Under Eye Mask: I like these a lot but my favorite from this brand are the 24K retinol version. This one is still very nice, long lasting and oversized on the eyes which makes for a nice masking experience. Got these randomly at $5 per 5-pack from Nordstrom Rack and I need to hop over to see if they are still available. 

[sonnydee]

My June empties. I've been using up stuff, taking pics but never take the time to post. 😒😜 but better late than never right. 

 Loves

 Likes..or undecided.

 Nope. Don't like the clean Sephora wipes. They burn my eyes. CT serum made my skin dry & flaky. 31 total.