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]

YTD 314! 🗑️

Notes in the spoiler 

Spoiler

Homeworx Heirloom Orchard: This one was nice, good scent, decent throw. I think the brand is grossly overpriced at retail, but half-off or better is an acceptable gamble. Some have better throw than others, and I feel like they burn perhaps a bit quicker than I'd like, but I've never had tunneling issues and they burn neatly all the way down.

Onyx 100% Acetone: just a basic necessity for my polish habit. I grabbed a couple of these at Five Below for $4, but recently found a gallon jug at Sally for $22, so that'll be my next supply. I add a little glycerin to mimic Zoya Remove+, and it works fabulously at removing polish quickly without being quite so drying. (technically this is a shot of my full bottle, because I forgot to save the old one for this pic before recycling it. Whoops!)

BBW Raspberry & Sweet Mint lotion: love BBW lotion, and I love this scent. I don't catch much mint, but the raspberry is quite nice, not too sweet or cloying.

Butter London Nail Foundation: hands down my favorite ridge filling base coat. I get 90-ish percent coverage of my ridges with just one coat, and a couple coats of polish over that usually smooths everything out (not always, but close enough that I'm happy). I've tried several others lately, and none give me anywhere near the same results.

The One by Frederic Fekkai One More Day Dry Shampoo: sprays out sooooo much at once that getting the hang of not wasting these was tough...I got roughly 1.5 uses out of the first couple of cans, but managed to get 3ish out of the last two. As long as I don't overuse it, it's a nice dry shampoo, but it can be easy to go overboard and wind up with some flaky product buildup on my scalp. Works really well though, when done right, making my roots look clean again without being stiff or gritty.

Kitao Matcha & Chia Essence: Not quite empty, but I recently overhauled my entire evening routine, gutting it completely and basically starting over. I have to say, I'm not really sure how I feel about this...it's a thicker essence, low/no scent, mild and inoffensive. I've been using it for gosh, two years now, and still have 15-20% left, so it's economical as well. But I've been battling some congestion under the skin off and on for months, years, I dunno, forever now? And I have no idea what the culprit is anymore, so I've cut out dang near everything to start fresh. If/when I add an essence back in, it'll be the ELF Hydrating Essence I have on hand, so this is being decluttered, not because it's bad, but mostly because I'm ready for a change (and the ELF essence has niacinamide, which means I can cut my niacinamide serum, which in turn helps keep my routine simpler).

Redken Deep Clean Dry Shampoo: yup, true love. I knew I loved this one, but it's been so long since I allowed myself to use one of my precious cans that I'd forgotten just how much better it is than anything else I've ever tried. NO buildup on my scalp even after a full 5 days of usage, the white stuff shakes out easily, and my hair looks as clean and fresh as it does on wash day. Absolutely amazing stuff! Have more and will rebuy (with sales, as $25 is still crazy for how fast I go through it, since I use dry shampoo daily)

NailTek Renew Cuticle Oil: eh, fine. A bit thicker/oilier feeling than I like, but it wasn't bad. It's got some jojoba (best for nails), but as the 4th ingredient...I'd prefer it be higher than that in a commercial mix. In any case, not a rebuy, but if it somehow showed up in my stash again, I'd use it up. 

Lip Smacker Crayola Lip Balm (Razzmatazz): ridiculously large tube that'll hold at least 3 times more than was actually in it. Super cute, but a touch wasteful IMHO. That aside, it had twice as much product as a normal size tube, and the raspberry flavor was good. 

Lip Smacker Coca-Cola Lip Balm (Vanilla Coke): not my favorite flavor, but I'm not a vanilla Coke fan anyways, so this was no shock to me 😛 I did like that it was clear, which kept me from winding up with pink smears on the insides of my masks when I went out.

Smith's Rosebud Tropical Ambrosia Balm: nah. This is the balm I've been keeping on my desk, and it's probably two thirds gone, but when I recently caught myself getting up to get the balm off my coffee table and use it instead of using this one, I figured it was time to declutter. This is petrolatum heavy...while I have no issue with petrolatum as an ingredient, it just isn't my preferred lip balm...it slides right off my lips, leaving them just as dry as they were before I applied it. 

FAB Face Moisturizer: good basic moisturizer that I'd use again.

Sorry the pic is blurry...normally I'll take 2-3 shots just to make sure I get a clear version, but today I just *knew* I had it fine on the first one lol.

Sheets masks, all bioBelle, all a true love of mine. Love the Ulta shower tablets. The Fizz & Bubble shower cubes (Zen) can be hit or miss, and this one was definitely a miss. I ordered blindly, and the scent did not agree with me (hard to describe, kinda herbal but also powdery?). Crushing it up and mixing it with the Ulta ones helped a bit, but also felt like a waste of my precious Ulta tablets that I love and can't replace lol.

[haleyvvvv]

So many for this year!! Nicely done, @RGbrown!! 

[RGbrown]

Thanks so much @haleyvvvv! 💕

[Samtian]

@RGbrown Great work! How did you get the nail polish bottle cleared out?

[RGbrown]

@Samtian 

Put a little acetone in it, shake/swirl it around, dump on a paper towel, and repeat as needed!

[Samtian]

@RGbrown Thank you!

[itsfi]

@RGbrown, I saw the Lip Smackers Crayola balm and thought “that’s huuuge!” 😆 I’ve been meaning to try that Butter London base coat for a while; I’m sure I have it in a cart somewhere. Good reminder to pick it up soon. 🛒 

Ooooh, starting fresh with a skincare routine?!! A simpler routine has been good for me and I’ll be interested to hear about your new one. 

[RGbrown]

@itsfi 

I am loving a reduction in the number of products I've been using lately, and it seems to be agreeing with my face too, for the most part. Many nights now, I simply cleanse, BHA, moisturize and call it done. A lot of my congestion cleared up with that, but I also bought the Dermapore when it was half off a few weeks back, and that really helped pull more out. I just added retinol back in last night as I am starting to be able to see more texture from going without it for several weeks, but I'd really like to keep my routine much simpler this time around, and not have half a dozen toner/essence/serum steps in the future. 

[itsfi]

@RGbrown, my skin has been doing a lot better with a more minimalist routine, especially this past summer. I’ll add an oil and serum to my fall/winter routine depending on my skin needs. 

[CookieGirl1]

You made it through a lot, @RGbrown!

[RGbrown]

@CookieGirl1 

Slowly but surely I'll clear some of this hoard out 😂

[itsfi]

September 2021 empties:

Loves, Love-Likes, and Likes: 

Spoiler

Top row = LOVES: if I don't already have backups, I will be repurchasing.

• I wish I didn't need to love these Peace Out Acne Dots so much. The fall/winter season offers some reprise for me but until I stop breaking out, these will be staples for me.
• Cle Cosmetics CCC Cream is a new find. I've already put an order in for a full size. It's a lightweight primer-foundation with a creamy consistency and more coverage than a BB or CC cream. 
• My under eye area has been more raw and sensitive over the last couple of months as my need to wear masks has been longer and CosRx Advanced SNAIL Peptide Eye Cream has been a nice to help hydrate and soothe that area.
• All the sheet masks in this top row are ones I will be reaching for this fall and winter when my skin needs the extra hydration, moisture and nourishment. 

Middle row = LOVE-LIKES: All the products here are ones that sit between the loves and likes items. For the most part, they don't make their way to the "loves" category because there are other products that I prefer over these.

Bottom row = LIKES: These are products I would happily use again and may repurchase.

Okay, Meh & No:

Spoiler

Top row = OKAY: I wouldn't have an issue using any of these but they're not ones I would necessarily seek out.

Middle row = MEH: Not bad, but not great. 

Bottom row = NO

• I didn't see any results from the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Hyaluronic Clay Pore-Tight Facial. It may not be geared for my skin type.
• I wanted to like the Kosas The Big Clean Volumizing + Lash Care Mascara but it just wasn't for me. I heard that Kosas reformulated this product so if I happen upon a DS of the new, reformulated version, I'd be open to giving it a try. 

MTD = 61

YTD = 683

[Samtian]

@itsfi Wooo so much progress!!

[itsfi]

Thank you @Samtian! It comes in waves but finishing up some things is a good motivator to keep chipping away at products I have.

[CookieGirl1]

Dang, @itsfi, you made it through a lot of stuff!  Great job 🙂

[itsfi]

@CookieGirl1, thank you! Some of these full sizes take a lot longer to work through than others! 😆

[RGbrown]

@itsfi 

Dang, over 600?! Nice!

How's the Brooklyn Ellis Bee? I've been vaguely curious, but never think to go anywhere to actually test it 🤭

[Buootiful]

@itsfi @RGbrown. I bought the travel spray during f+f and I had to return it. It smelled like patchouli with a hint of honey. I am no scentspert but that's what it smelled like to me. I expected more honey than there was but the reason it went back is,  it didnt last long on my skin. It seemed more like an Edt than an Edp. The Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Crush Cheirosa ’40 Bom Dia Hair & Body Fragrance Mist  lasted waaay longer and smelled stronger.

[itsfi]

@Buootiful, I’m sorry to hear the scent didn’t work for you. It’s interesting how fragrances can wear differently on people. 

[Buootiful]

Ikr @itsfi ? Such different reactions too when it mingles with your skin. I remember getting a mini oerfume of the Moschino Windex Clean(?)and a lot of the bad reviews thought it smelled like Raid, lol. I thought it was a pleasant and unique scent that I still enjoy Today. To each their own😁.

[itsfi]

Yes @Buootiful! I love fragrance samples for that very reason. There was a scent that I wanted to love and it had good reviews but I smelled like root beer whenever I wore it. 😆