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.

[Zpsid91]

I like this game idea - I started it a few days ago, and I am up to 1 full size and 5 deluxe and foil sizes! I think I may add on a separate category for color cosmetic items like eyeshadow, blush, and lippies since those seem to take forever to use up…and price them at $4.00 🙂

[heartsmyface]

Oh good idea for the pigmented products!    I doubt I'll finish more than one in the entire year, but it makes it more tempting to try;) 

[kelloua]

That is a huge pile and a fun sounding game.

[sfm1328]

I play this game too!  Admittedly, I am well into the negative for 2015....so 2016 I am going to close that gap and use up allll of these things.  I am with you in spirit, hearts!

[heartsmyface]

Yay! Are you on a no buy as well?   I just need to clear out some of it. Having a lot of luxury stuff doesn't feel so luxurious.  It just feels cluttered.  

My problem is that I always want to try EVERYTHING!!!  

[sfm1328]

I am going on very low buy for 2016.  I bought SO much this year - got married so justified it, and then post wedding had more fun money than I had during wedding planning, and blew way too much on cosmetics.  I feel like I have so much I won't even enjoy it now.  So I am going to just replace things after I "earn" them from empties this year.

Also Hearts, what did you think of the SR cleansing balm?  I have used it a few times and I swear it has changed my skin.  I have been dry and dehydrated and lately I am (almost) oily.  I love it!

[heartsmyface]

Having two incomes is kinda a game changer as far as expendable income😉

i liked med what I tried but I don't think I had enough to get a really good feel for it.  It reminded me of the eve lom cleanser which I liked.   Right now I'm in love with the green shu uemura cleansing oil folliwed by ole henriksen red tea cleanser.  

[Sprytely]

Yes. Same. Oy.

[blondesluv2shop]

Love the idea of the twist! So what's your total from this month?!

[heartsmyface]

It's around 38.50 for the last two months. Not too shabby.   At this rate I'll be able to buy one nice item every four months.  (Edit-I'm not allowed with my jewellery challenge after all but I'm still going to save up cosmetic dollars for next november) This game will help keep me in line cause I will still be satisfying my need to accumulate something.  

You should give it a try - and feel free to change to numbers to suit your own goals.  

[sister13]

Nice!!

[StephaniLynn]

These are my empties over the last few months. 

Loves:

Spoiler

Huggies Refreshing & Gentle - So gentle on skin and I love the cucumber & green tea scent.

Tony Moly Wine Mask - My first toe dip into TM sheet masks and I really like how it made my skin feel and look after.

Caudalie Vinosource Sorbet - HG Moisturizer.

Bumble & Bumble Thickening Shampoo & Conditioner - Really loved this stuff pre-bleach.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation - I really like the finish. Purchased the full size. 

Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer - I like mixing this in with my foundation when I want a glowy look.

Peter Thomas Roth Rose Stem Cell Mask - Love love love this after a mud mask. Thank you Jemly for that tip!

Josie Maran BearNaked Nail Wipes - Love how much polish the suckers take off! And they dont dry my cuticles out!

Carols Daughter Monoi Shampoo & Conditioner - Tried these post bleach, love after first use. Will definitely be purchasing full sized after I use up all my deluxe samples I have. 

Dove Advanced Care Cucumber Green Tea Deodorant/Antiperspirant - I have very sensitive underarms, really love this stuff. 

Benefit They're Real Mascara - Always finding myself going back to this. 

Benefit Stay Flawless Primer - Fills in my pores so nicely and it lasts and lasts!

Equate Makeup Remover Wipes - I love that there are so many in the pack and that they're so affordable. I also love that they stay very moist through out the whole pack instead of drying out towards the end. 

Kat Von D Unlock It Makeup Remover Wipes - Took these with me while traveling over Thanksgiving weekend. I really like these almost at much at the Equate ones. 

Neutrogena Oil Free Eye Makeup Remover - Always have this stuff on hand, doesn't sting my eyes, and does a great job removing all my eye makeup. 

Olay Fresh Outlasts White Strawberry & Mint Body Wash - Love the scent, makes me feel clean. 

Versace Bright Crystal - Always get complements when I wear this. 

Okays:

Spoiler

Big Sexy Hair Weather Proof Hair Spray - Mehh, my hair still got frizzy:/

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion - I liked that it dried out my blemishes, I don't like that it kind of stained my skin...

NuMe Repairing Shampoo & Conditioner - Got this as a gwp when I bought my blow dryer. It's okay. 

Nexxus Pro-Mend Heat Protectant - Mehh, I found one I like way more. 

Lorac Porefection Primer - For this being a mattifying primer it was pretty greasy...

Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream - This is nice, too heavy for my liking though. 

Kate Somerville Oil Free Moisturizer - This was really nice, I still like my Caudalie a tiny bit better though. 

Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation - Nice but again still love my Caudalie. 

Biore Nose Strip - This is fun to use, I don't like that it leaves behind pieces of the strip around my nose. 

Cleansing & Makeup Remover Towelette - We put these in the rooms at the hotel I work at and had to use it in a pinch, it gets the job done. 

Nopes:

Spoiler

Speed Stick for Men - Had to use this in a pinch, nope nope nope. 

Shea Terra Rose Hips Black Soap Cleanser- This was like smearing molasses all over your face. Never again. 

Alterna Caviar Omega Nourishing Oil - this little thing leaked all over my hair products drawer so I didn't get a chance to use it:/

[kelloua]

Great empties.  And Huggies with green tea cucumber scent?  Who knew baby wipes had gotten such sophisticated scents.  🙂

[KirstenAnneH]

I've been lurking on this thread for a little bit, and started collecting my empties a few weeks ago. I don't have too many, but here are my November empties!

Loves:

Spoiler

- Bite Beauty Agave lip mask samples ("Champagne", "Natural", "Smashed"). I already have a full size of the regular one but this was a really fabulous sample. I got 3-4 uses out of each pod, and I applied the product with a lip brush. The Smashed agave gave a nice tint, and the Champagne agave had a pretty shine. All felt amazing on my lips.

- L.A. Fresh Acetone-Free Nail Polish Remover pad. My nails are thin and peeling, so I have recently stopped using acetone (and nail polish most of the time) and started using a nail strengthening system. But anyway, I used to think Acetone-free nail polish removers just sucked. But this one blew my socks off! One pad for all 10 nails (used the other one on my toes) and the polish was GONE.

Likes:

Spoiler

- Dermablend Original Setting powder sample (accidentally grouped this with my Loves group). It was okay. I used it up.

- Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye cream (deluxe sample). This wasn't bad, but it wasn't as thick as I like in a night-time eye cream. (Perhaps I have been spoiled by the expensive Fresh eye concentrate).

- Swisspers cotton swabs. Got these for free with cotton rounds that I bought in bulk from Costco. I mean, they're Q-tips. What can I say. I liked the cute leopard print.

Dislikes:

Spoiler

- Ole Henriksen Ultimate Lift Eye Creme foil sample Uh this gave me an infection or allergic reaction or something? My eyelids hurt still and I didn't even use the cream on my eyelids.

[kelloua]

Yay!  Glad we brought you out from lurking.  Thanks for sharing your detailed thoughts.  Now I'm curious about those Bite masks.

[blondesluv2shop]

YAY! Glad you loved the L.A. Fresh wipe - aren't they great? You should be able to get a box of 10 on Amazon for like $7...ULTA might even carry them now.

[Seymore3]

Loved-Vichy capital soleil(forgot to picture)
            Origins mega mushrooms mask
            Peter Thomas Roth rose stem cell gel mask
            Neostrata anti aging gel fruit stem cells
            Neostrata skin renewal peel solution.
            Maybelline face studio master prime blur +
            illuminate 
            Blinc mascara

Liked-Vichy idealia life serum

          Shiseido -   benefiance wrinkle resist 24pure retinol express smoothing eye mask
          Bourjois volume glamour max mascara

Not sure of yet have only use once or small sample-

skyn Iceland fresh start mask
Amore pacific time response eye renewal cream
UD primer potion.

Did not like- pur minerals big look mascara
                   Clarins shaping facial lift wrap.

[kelloua]

Great empties.  I've never heard of Neostrata and now I'm curious enough to look it up.

[Seymore3]

I really like Neostrata and use quite a few of their products.It is a Canadian brand so might be hard to get if you aren't in Canada.

[kelloua]

Interesting.  First I found an American brand that seemed to have the same name but is different...odd.  Now will have to see if the Canadian Neostrata is sold stateside...

[notcreative]

My reviews are too long for one post. My Loves List are below these pictures. Willing to Try Again and Not for Me have a separate post underneath this.

There was an explosion in my soap bucket, and I removed soaps from all the damaged packages and stuck them in the shower. Now, I have a bucket full of unwrapped soaps in the shower.

 Love

Spoiler

Love

Cetaphil Daily Advance Lotion- This is a wonderfully hydrating lotion. It is moderately thick, almost fragrance free, not greasy, and rubs in nicely.

Patchology hydrate FlashMasque Facial Sheet- This is the perfect mask for winter. It is heavily lubricated and left my skin feeling soft. I was sad to wash it off the next morning, because my skin was still soft when I woke up.

Julep It's Fun to Exfoliate- I've experimented with so many sponges of the years, including the one I finished last month that was not for me. This is perfect. It helps with lather, so I use less soap. Between uses, it dries out. To let it completely dry out, I've been alternating liquid and bar soaps (I also have another reason for that, which you will soon see). By the second day, it is completely dry.

Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque- This mask worked wonderfully well. My hair was softer, less frizzy, and deeply conditioned. I absolutely loved it, but I cannot even make it a FabuFind. It has a sister product that was even better.

Le Couvent Des Minimes Gardener's Hand Healer- This smells like fresh lemons plucked right out of the garden. It is wonderful that the gardener’s hands get the formula. The thick cream penetrates deeply to moisturize a long time. While I never skip applications between hand washes, I would feel less inclined to reapply when using this than when using something else. I feel like it goes deep enough to withstand some of the washing.

Lancome Genifique- This is my all time favorite serum. It is an activating serum, so it helps others boost or works fine on its own. My skin glows when I use it, so I see it working.

Clarisonic Sensitive Brush Head- My skin has been a mess most of the year. As a picker, I have open skin at times, and the Clarisonic is a little rough on it. While my skin was a mess, I took a long break from the Clarisonic. Now that it is doing better, I've started using it again. Even though this specific brush was not used many times, I used it a bit back in January and February. Using it again to get the third month did not seem worth it, so I chucked it and opened a new one. That means this is technically a February empty I tossed in November. It was not long ago where I preferred the Deep Pore Brush to the Sensitive brush. I read that the Deep Pore Brush is too rough on sensitive skin. My skin is sensitive, so I will stick to the softer brushes.

Schick Hydro Silk Disposable Razor Blade- When it comes to tools, I usually forget to take pictures. This razor gives a close shave and rarely cuts me. The moisturizing serum probably helps but pairing this with Whish Shave Cream is the best.

Les Couvent Des Minimes Hiker's Foot Healer- This is not the thickest foot cream around, but it is moderately thick. It moisturizes like it's much thicker though.

Ren Hydra-Calm Cleansing Milk- I have a love/hate relationship with any cleanser that does not lather. My skin craves that squeaky clean feeling. Even though I never felt squeaky clean, I always felt incredibly soft. This passed the toner test. After using a milky cleaner, I like to use a toner to see how well it removed everything. My cotton pad came up clean almost every time.

Rituals Foaming Shower Gel Sensation Hamman Delight- I really only used one of the two bottles pictured. The first bottle exploded. Okay, it did not explode, but it looked like an explosion. When I went to put away a new body gel from my November Birchbox, this was fine. A few days later, I went to retrieve a soap from the overflowing soap bucket. That is when I noticed the entire can emptied itself into the bucket. I cleaned the soap off items I could. Some containers did not survive the explosion. The addition caused a shift that must have pressed the nozzle down. There is a lid on the nozzle, but the shift or pressure must have removed it.

As I cleaned the bucket and the other soaps as best I could, I admired the smell. This smells unbelievably good. To prevent the second bottle from exploding, I put it in the shower for immediate use. A single pump cleans a lot, because the foaming continues after it exits the bottle. Mixing it with a little water creates a beautiful lather. My skin felt clean and smelled incredible. The only thing that keeps this from being a FabuFind is I cannot store the temperamental bottle long. If I get any more of these in the future, they will go right into the shower. That keeps older items waiting even longer meaning, I sadly will not purchase this any time soon.

DevaCurl No Poo- It cleansed my hair very well. My hair was soft and manageable, but it was more frizzy than it is with Wen keeping this from being perfect.

DevaCurl One Condition- I only used this and No Poo together, so I cannot say which product gets more credit for my super soft hair. If I ever get bigger samples, I will separate them to see how they work apart.

h2o+ Targeted Care Hand Wash- I could soak in this scent. My husband is not a fan of most h2o+ scents, but even he likes this one. The lather is great, and I cannot think of anything not wonderful about this. It seems it’s discontinued, because I cannot find it for sale anywhere, even on the h2o+ direct site, which is where I got it. This was actually finished last month, but I did not find it until after I took the pictures for the previous month and presented the other bottle.

Macadamia Professional Nourishing Moisture Masque- My hair was instantly softer, less frizzy, shinier, more manageable, and moisturized after one use. This is so incredible I wish I had more. I have too many hair masks to justify purchasing it.

Murad Invisiblur Perfecting Shield- This has a silicone soft feel, and seems to just fill into the skin nicely. I like it as a makeup primer, but it can work great without it. It smooths out the skin and provides SPF.

DERMAdoctor KP Duty Lotion- I have very dry skin and eczema. Because I do not have KP, I am unsure how it does there. As a dry skin moisturizer, it works extremely well. It made my arms feel a lot softer and smoother, but I ran out before I could fully do my legs.

Amore Pacific Rejuvenating Cream- My skin was tight and peeling when I sampled this. Although it did not help much with the peeling (the sample was too small), it felt less tight and dry. I hope to get a bigger sample of this.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Facial Wash- This cleansed well without leaving my skin dry. I loved that, but I used it while my skin was peeling and want to try it again when my skin is in better shape.

SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective Gel- I really loved this when I started using it and thought it would probably make FabuFind status. It seemed to lighten my dark spot. Over time, it stopped working. While I am sure it did other great things for my skin, my dark spot started getting darker, and not lighter.

Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery- This has an almost medicated smell. It is a moderately thick cream that moisturizes as if it was much thicker.

Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Aloe- Moisturizing for a medium density formula. The slight greasiness prevents this from being a FabuFind, but the price helps it be something I love and will purchase. This was originally given to me by PINCHme, but I purchased this myself from Target. It is a great purchase for $0.97.

h2o+ Targeted Care Hand and Nail Cream- It is creamy, has a smell I enjoy that is not overpowering, and I like the price tag. This is actually a sample size, so it was free. That's the best price tag of all.

Essentielle Beauty Peppermint Cream- This is a light weight cream that moisturizes deeply. It smells like Peppermint, which is so refreshing.

Essentielle Beauty Gingerbread Cream- This smells incredible. It really smells like Gingerbread, so it reminds me of Christmas. It is a light weight cream that moisturizes deeply.

Lancome Absolue L’Extrait Eye Cream– I love and curse the day I decided to try this sample. Why you ask? It retails for $260 for a 0.5oz jar. That is $520 an ounce. While I adored the sample, I doubt I will ever pay that price. Neiman Marcus and SAKS Fifth Avenue have thankfully provided me with a couple of samples. It really seems to make my eyes look brighter and lines look reduced. Love the effect!

Nivea Soft Moisturizing Cream- This is a relatively thick cream, but it works into the skin like a much thinner one. It's very moisturizing.

skinfix Ultra Rich Body Butter- This is thick as far as creams go, but it is thin for a body butter. It still moisturizes very well.