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]

The latest batch; notes in spoilers 😊

Love

Spoiler

BBW Golden Pineapple Luau: smells like heaven! While I adore summery scents that are coconut based as well, it's a bit overdone, so it's nice to find a fab tropical olfactory treat that's a bit different. I so wish I had a dozen more bottles, but alas, it was my only one.

Soap & Glory Speed Plump Miracle Moisture Mask: 2pc hydrogel that fits well, sticks well, and does an amazing job of adding moisture. Light scent, perhaps a bit floral+citrus, but not so floral that it bothers me, and it dissipates pretty quickly. Have more, and will rebuy.

Freeman Psssst! Deep Clean Dry Shampoo: I'd never tried the brand before, and this was a surprise hit for me. Light minty scent, low on the white stuff scale, and did a good job of making my hair look clean with no stiff/sticky product feel. Once I finish off my five hundred and forty seven other dry shampoos, I could see this being a go-to for me.

Tinkle eyebrow razor: basic staple, and after trying a horrible brand that did nothing good for me, I appreciate these even more. Excellent for dermaplaning.

CoTz Face Natural-Tinted SPF40: a staple for me on makeup days; the tint is pretty sheer, just enough to even things out a bit without leaving a white cast or being too dark...it's pretty natural for me, and would probably work for most everyone except maybe the very lightest (and maybe very darkest) of tones. It never pills or causes any issues, and makes a great base if you like silicone-based primers (in fact, they just changed their packaging, and renamed this to something like "Prime & Protect").

Really really like and /or warrants further testing

Spoiler

Mario Badescu Herbal Hydrating Serum: a really nice (and economical) non-HA based serum. I've got some other hydration products from other brands to finish off, but this might be a future purchase once I need to buy something.

TonyMoly Pureness 100 Red Ginseng Mask Sheet: a nice "daily driver"...decent fit, good moisture, low scent. Have a few more to use up, and will be happy to do so. Would rebuy if I find a great deal again.

ELF Hydrating Water Essence: reeeeally nice, especially for $10. It's a little thicker than many I've tried, but it still soaks in well. While I don't mind the lightly-fruity scent, I think they could have left it out, but all in all, I really liked this. I like to throw a cheap essence into my mix of nicer ones...it helps stretch my supply lol, and I could see myself picking this up again next time I need something low cost.

Indie Lee CoQ-10 Toner: a very nice non-acid toner. I have a couple of 1oz bottles for more testing as well, so I can get an even better feel for it. I do miss acid toners though, but perhaps I could have an acid at night and this in the morning. It's a bit more than I want to spend on a toner as well, so I'm still on the fence as to whether or not it'll be a "love enough to purchase" item, but I do like the product so far.

StriVectin S.T.A.R.light Retinol Night Oil: I am really intrigued by this, and want as many samples as I can get my hands on for further testing since one packet isn't enough to see any actual results (and at $99, I'm uber-hesitant to buy a bottle outright). It has 2 types of retinol plus bakuchiol, as well as vitamins C and E, and squalane. And the scent is simply fantastic...I can't quite place it, but I love it.

Fine and dandy

Spoiler

Fine & Dandy, AKA "would use again, but won't buy"

Sephora Coconut Water Cleansing Wipes: I don't use wipes on my face, but used these for cleaning up swatches...they were perfectly fine for that.

Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Replenishing Moisture Shampoo + Conditioner: I used one set to see if I even liked these first, and I really did. I had a bunch more samples that I had been collecting and hoarding for like two years; after using the one set, I dumped the rest into travel bottles so I didn't have to deal with packets in the shower anymore. Now that I've used more, I find this decent, but I'm not blown away; I think I could use a bit more moisture. 

Exuviance Super Retinol Concentrate: I feel like now that I've finished off 2 (or 3?) of these minis now, my skin is perhaps going a little backwards texture-wise. I wish more manufacturers would advertise their % of retinol so folks don't have to spend so much time seeing if a particular product has enough for their skin type/tolerance level. I may wind up going back to the PTR 1.5% just because I know what's in it.

Kora Organics Noni Radiant Eye Oil: I started this back in the winter, and it was a little more suited to me then, but once the weather warmed up and humidity rose, this became a bit of overkill for me. My eyes aren't particularly dry to begin with, but with the rollerball collecting goop every use, I didn't want to leave it half-used until November, so I went ahead and finished it off. The rollerball itself was very temperamental; most of the time it didn't work, and I had to rub it quite hard on my finger to get any out. I don't mind rollerballs for perfume (alcohol kills everything, y'all), but I'm much less enthusiastic about them for skincare. The oil is fine; wouldn't mind using again (even if I don't really need it lol), but I'm not a fan of the package. 

OFRA Vitamin C Cream: I think this is the first OFRA skincare I haven't disliked right off the bat. This was fine...a little thick, but not so heavy that I felt smothered or greasy. Fresh citrus scent.

My Clarins Re-Boost Refreshing Hydrating Cream: not bad; it seemed more like a gel-cream than a straight up cream, and the texture was quite nice. It's a bit perfumey, but the scent is at least light.

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum: this is on lots of folks' loves lists, and I find it to be just fine, but there are other vitamin C's that I prefer more. 

Not for me

Spoiler

OGX Argan Oil of Morocco Dry Shampoo: Fairly high on the white stuff scale, and left my hair looking only slightly less oily, so I wound up using way more than normal just to try and look a little fresher. The scent is fine...it reminds of a lighter version of Drybar's original scent, which I don't mind most of the time. I like the OGX green one (mint, I think?), but this was a nope.

AG Hair Re:Coil Curl Activator: just didn't impress me; it's a bit crunchy no matter how little I use, and I just didn't see much of a difference with it. Very low scent, which is good, but overall, I got bored way too quickly and it's just not for me.

OFRA Peptide Brightening Mask: clay based mask. It dries fairly softly, and is easy to remove, but the scent, dear sweet baby geezus, the scent...floral baby powder. It made me want to gag with every use. Nope.

L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Tinted Self-Tanning Lotion: It was nice that this has a hint of color so I could see where I was putting it, but I'm not sure it helped me much lol. This is my first year trying self tanner, and while I'm not that great at it yet, this one seemed to come out a bit streakier than the others I've tried so far. There's shimmer in it though, which is a plus in my mind, but not quite enough to bring this back from nope territory 😛

Goodal Orchid Lifting Sheet Mask: milky serum is a con to me, as is a heavy floral/perfume scent...this mask has both. 

Alba Un-Petroleum Vanilla SPF18 Lip Balm: possibly the stiffest lip balm I've ever had...it was more like rubbing my lips with a smooth rock. Not sure how I managed to finish it off since it never seemed like I got any on my lips. I didn't notice any vanilla scent or flavor, but I also never tasted sunscreen, so it wasn't all bad, but I prefer something that feels a little more balmy once applied.

Zoya Get Even Ridge-Filling Base Coat: It's like trying to polish my nails with milk...I'm not sure how anything this thin is supposed to fill ridges.

Black Dahlia Lacquer No More Ridges Base Coat: much better than the Zoya texture-wise, and did a decent job with all of my ridges minus the one giant speedbump growing down one nail, but somewhere around 3-4-5 days, my entire manicure would start peeling off in sheets...always at the most inopportune times, when I needed to be somewhere and be presentable, but didn't have time to redo my nails. Sigh.  

[lustylips]

@RGbrown thank you so much for the review! I saw a pack of (I think 6) at TJ maxx and I contemplated purchasing them but I decided against it. Next time I will! I have really sensitive skin and I have found really great results using k beauty products. I love how they incorporate sheet masks regularly into the routine. My skin has been so much happier!

[lustylips]

Oozoo mask!!! How did you like it?! I have been tempted to purchase a few times but have always been distracted by other products.

[ShortErica]

@lustylips I’ll add my 2 cents since I just tried all three. The favorite on the masking thread seems to be aurora but my order was 1) black space, 2) aurora and 3) water bang. I wouldn’t pay full price but if I saw a pack at TJ Maxx or Marshall’s for $1-2 a mask, I’d give it a go. They had a pretty good fit on my face with a little smooshing around the mask. What sheet masks do you tend to like?

[RGbrown]

@lustylips 

Aaaargh, I realized I forgot that one after I was done, and tried to edit my post to add it in, but using the enter key to add more lines deleted all of my bold text, so I got annoyed and walked away. I meant to go back and try again, but have been a little preoccupied with some IRL stuff...I'm glad you asked so I can review it now!

Overall it wasn't bad, but I think I'm leaning towards the "mix it in the pouch" 2pc serum to be gimmicky. The mask itself is folded up in a plastic cover inside the pouch, so I'm not sure that any amount of kneading on the packet once you've added the extra serum really does much mixing to whatever is already on the mask, if that makes sense. I also found the little pouch to be incredibly difficult to squeeze into the main part of the packet; anyone with decreased hand strength, arthritis, etc is going to have trouble with it. 

The fit was fine, and the scent was fine, and the results were fine...I just don't find it to be worthy of a repurchase for me personally...I can do just as well (or better) for less money IMHO! 

[itsfi]

Great empties @RGbrown! I’ll have to look into that Soap & Glory mask; it sounds great. 😃 The B&BW pineapple 🍍  luau scent sounds amazing - fab summer scent! 

[RGbrown]

@itsfi 

That S&G really surprised me the first time I used it; it's not a brand I usually give much thought to, but I think there was a nice freebie with a small S&G purchase, so I wound up with one or two of these. I have since repurchased a couple of times (and as someone who doesn't like many sheet masks, it was a bit of a shock to find one I'd happily buy over and over). I'm nowhere near your masking-maven level of experience, so I don't have nearly as many in my history to compare it to, but I definitely find this one worthy of keeping on hand!

[itsfi]

This is good to know @RGbrown! Thank you!! ❤️ As far as I'm concerned, if a mask is repurchased, it's a good mask. That you don't use sheet masks often and you've picked this one up more than once says a lot about the mask too. I'll look for it the next time I'm in Ulta. Like you, I don't immediately think sheet mask when I think of Soap & Glory, but there's been a few brands that have surprised me in that regard. Okay, adding to the list! 🙂

[nuinui933]

Spring empties - I've restocked both CosRx items. The botanic farm cleansing balm was nice; thinking about whether to buy another one or try something else.

[MoniDJ]

@nuinui933 I love that Botanic Farm cleansing balm.

[nuinui933]

@MoniDJ - it's one of my favorite balms. I just saw that Kohl's has it on sale right now for 50% off (was $30, now $15) so I couldn't help but stock up. 

[IndyQT317]

Spring Empties, but only focusing on loves that I have/would repurchase and masks.

[nuinui933]

@IndyQT317 - All your sheet masks look so good, so does the boscia cleansers.

[RGbrown]

The latest batch; notes in the spoiler 😊

Spoiler

LOVES
Skyn Iceland Berry Lip Fix with Wintered Red Algae: I've noticed a few folks calling this a nope because it can be gritty, but I think maybe application technique can play a role. I squeeze a bit onto my finger and really rub it in...I think the heat/friction melts it really well, and my lips just soak it up. It became my favorite night balm, sealed in with a coat of lip oil. My lips stayed the softest they ever have through winter (though still not perfect, so I'm always on the hunt for better. In the mean time, I have more of this and will happily use every last one).

PTR Pumpkin Enzyme Mask: my favorite scrub/exfoliant mask. I only use it every couple of weeks or so because I have lots of exfoliants to get through, but I always look forward to it and will never be without it.

Zoya Remove+: best nail polish remover on the market. I never thought a fancy one would make a difference, but it really does. I can do a true waterless manicure because it doesn't dry my hands out or leave a stinky residue, making me want to wash them and apply lotion after using it. 

Exuviance Soothing Toning Lotion: alcohol-free, and it has PHAs instead of AHAs (they are at least slightly gentler). This felt nice, did a good job of removing any residue that might have been left after cleansing, and was a gentle daily exfoliating toner. I could see myself buying it again in the future, but I have a few other toners to get through first.

FINE AND DANDY
Kiehl's Powerful Strength Line Reducing Concentrate: lovely product. Creamy texture, but with an almost matte finish, and it worked well under makeup. It didn't displace Exuviance's vitamin C as my favorite, but I would absolutely use it again.

Michael Todd Charcoal Detox Deep Pore Gel Cleanser: as I'm getting older, some of the "deep cleansers" are getting to be too drying for me, but this one was fine. Cleansed well without being overly drying; it reminded me a bit of the PTR black cleanser. My only minor quibble is this is too thin to be in a tube...if I didn't remember to lay it on its side for a few seconds before opening, it would just come pouring out lol

Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb: I'm not a floral scent person AT ALL, but this one is ok every now and again. The sample leaked in transit and only had a couple of uses anyways 😛

Leaders Balancing Recovery Mask: I fear I'm mixing up two Leaders masks in my head, but I think this one was a bit too thick for me...it didn't want to lay flat and kept popping up in bubbles and wrinkles. But all in all, it was a passable mask, good moisture. Would use again.

Sebastian Dry Clean Only Dry Shampoo: I really like the scent on this one, it's more of a unisex scent, woody/herbal, as opposed to the floral or perfumey scents that many makers use. It's got a bit more texture than I like for something I would use on a daily basis, but I found that using this one one night, and then using my Bumble loose powder on subsequent nights was the way to go...a touch of volume without the stiff buildup that can accumulate after multiple uses. Not bad on the white stuff scale, and did a good job of removing oil. Would use again.

NAH
Earth Therapeutics Tea Tree Oil Foot Repair Balm: way thinner than I would have guessed for a "balm", and it wasn't all that moisturizing. I use foot lotion every night before bed, and want something fairly thick and rich, and this was not it. On the flip side, if you are using foot stuff right before slipping on some sandals, this would be right up your alley. It absorbed well and didn't leave any sort of residue. The tea tree oil makes the scent less than appealing for many (myself included).

ApotheCARE Essentials The Booster Shampoo: I gave up on volumizing hair stuff years and years ago after I realized that while it might make my hair fluffy for a while, all of a sudden one day I'd realize that my hair felt like straw. This did nothing to change my mind on that front...while it did good job of cleaning my hair, it was a bit drying. I followed up with various moisture conditioners, and the results were all in all just fine, but I didn't like feeling that I needed to neutralize the drying-ness of the shampoo.

Algenist Genius Sleeping Collagen: too thick for me. It didn't cause milia (thankfully), but it was a beast to mix with my oil and azelaic acid, and I just prefer a lighter texture in my moisturizer. 

Cannuka CBD Hydrating Lip Balm: I so wanted to love this, but it is waaaayyyy too soft for my taste. Think Fresh Sugar balms, possibly even softer. It soaked in ok, but disappeared from my lips way too quickly, and forget putting it in your pocket if you are out and about...it becomes a melty mess with just the slightest bit of warmth. 

R+Co Atlantis moisturizing shampoo & conditioner: The shampoo left my hair feeling dirty and gritty, and the conditioner weighed it down and made it look oily. Not a winning combo for me. 

[flamingolegs]

Another month with a lot of trash!

These are the NO's.  The Playa is really thick.  DryBar On the Rocks is drying.  Didn't like the smell of the hand cream, the Fresh face wash, or the Burt's Bees.  The mascara is Tarte, just didn't work for me.

These are all things that were OK or I liked, but there is something I prefer that does the same thing, or they just weren't a love.

These are all things I have or will buy again.  Many are items I've used for years.

And some makeup I finally am tossing, some is over 10 years old.  :eek:  Bad colors for me or too much shimmer for my more mature eyes.  And a tube of concealer that is totally the wrong color.

[KrishAtl]

Kinda sad that this Broccoli sheet mask is used! It was incredible! My skin feels sooo hydrated and brightened it up beautifully. I squeezed out every bit of leftover essence in the pouch and made it last for 3 additional days! Loved it that much!!! The Ouai Wave Spray....still on the fence. Product works well, but I am just not sure how I feel about texture sprays. I like soft, bouncy hair....not sure if I love the desire for grit, even on dirty hair day...

[2manyperfumes]

Just one but I really l liked it and would repurchase ❤️ Smells like vanilla or eggnog and not eggs 😂

[tsavorite]

@2manyperfumes ,

Your description of this scent completely changes my mind about wanting to ever try this product!  For the positive!  Thank you!

[2manyperfumes]

@tsavorite it pleasantly surprised me that it worked better than anticipated and smelled nice lol.  More like baked goods not sulphur lol.  

[Weetart]

Oooh @2manyperfumes ! I’ve been wondering about this one. I love the masks in this line and pick a pack up whenever there is a discount. I’ll keep your review in mind. 

[2manyperfumes]

It’s similar to my snail cream which I thought gross and now it’s one of my faves lol that smells nice haaa I’ll see if I can find a photo I have it on my IG page by Bio Max.