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]

I've been shooting for posting twice a month, but managed to skip the end of April, so it's a pretty big batch for me today 🗑️ YTD 181

FULL SIZE & MINIS

Spoiler

Ulta Beashside Bonfire candle: fantastic throw, burns well. I thought I'd love the scent and bought a bunch...turns out I don't, but I muddle through them lol. It's much more floral than I would have expected for a "bonfire" scent, so I won't be repurchasing, but it's an excellent candle if you like the scent!

Homeworx Tropical Rum Punch: I've made my feelings clear on this brand a good bit recently, so I'll just leave "eh". This was actually one of their better ones in terms of throw, but I'd still classify it as fairly weak, and it's extremely subpar for the price (especially after the recent price increase at Ulta, this size went to $25 from $15).

Redken Deep Clean Dry Shampoo: true love HG. Scary white out of the can, but it shakes out extremely easily, and gives me not one iota of flaky buildup over time. I can stretch out washings up to 5 days with this one (3 is my max with most others). No stiffness, crunchiness, or grit, and this one is completely weightless. 

Kristen Ess Style Reviving Dry Shampoo: not as good as Redken, but it's also better than many others I've tried. The full size is a bigger can for less money, so I could see myself padding my stash with it from time to time. I like the scent, it's kind of a dry/woody scent, and it works moderately well, though I have to use a lot more of this than Redken. Low to no buildup after 3-4 days, and the white stuff shakes out fairly easily. I use dry shampoo before bed, and sometimes have to touch up during the day with this one, but all in all, it's relatively decent, and the price point is a plus.

Matrix Biolage Hydrasource Shampoo: eh, fine. Not as hydrating as the name implies, but doesn't leave my hair feeling like straw. Would use again, but it's not on my rebuy list.

Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair mask: I like this a lot, it does nice things for my hair, especially after shampoos that aren't as hydrating as I like. 

Pirette Dry Body Oil: I love the scent of this stuff! It's a dry/green coconut, beachy without being overly sweet, and the oil soaked in well without leaving me slippery or sticky. I recently purchased the fragrance oil, and may splurge on the dry oil one day too (though I have some other body oils I need to finish up first).

Valentino Donna Born In Roma, Moschino Toy 2, Givenchy Irresistible: used up as pillow mists, all were fine, though not really scents I gravitate towards. 

Peach & Lily Matcha Pudding Antioxidant Cream: I can't really sus out how I feel about this, which I guess makes it a nah? It was fine, but not my favorite. I had to make sure not to use too much (and "too much" seemed to be anything north of about 50-60% of what I normally use for moisturizer) or else it just sat on my skin and was difficult to rub in. It didn't mix with oil all that well either. My skin felt fine afterwards, and it didn't break me out, but I'm not really interested in trying this one again.

Peach & Lily Pore Proof Perfecting Clay Mask: not bad, but this is another product that left me at "eh, it's fine". It doesn't dry down (which is a plus for many, but I like ones that do). Light scent, and my skin was nice afterwards, but it didn't inspire me to add it to my purchase list. 

Hempz Star Jasmine & Vanilla lotion: lovely scent, close to the old BBW Aromatherapy Jasmine & Vanilla if you remember that one. Not quite a perfect dupe, BBW had a touch of a woody undertone to it that this one is missing, but close enough to bring up some pleasant memories of it. Have more, and this is one I'll keep on hand to use from time to time.

Black Dahlia Lacquer Ridge Filling Base Coat: if BDL ever swapped to a paddle brush, this would be my favorite base coat ever, likely eclipsing even Butter as my HG. Butter does a *slightly* better job of filling my ridges, but they are close in that regard. The key to BDL though, even more than formula, is bottle shape. Goodness, I had the bottle probably 75-80% empty before I even had to start tipping it sideways to get more polish on the brush, and I managed to finish off 99% of the bottle without next to no trouble. Short, squat bottles (like Butter) start being a pain around 25% empty, and I tend to have to consider it "done" around 60-75% empty. Tall bottles with longer brush stems can reach more product for longer, making it so much easier to get my money's worth, especially for something like a base or top coat where my general plan is to finish it off. I've got plenty of Butter base coat for now, and also a backup bottle of Essie Smooth-E, another one I like, but will seriously consider buying more of this in the future, even though the brush isn't my fave.

CND Solar Oil: I make my own cuticle oil, but this one is oh so lovely if you want to just buy something already made. The almond scent is fantastic, and it's got a great amount of jojoba oil, which is key for the nails themselves. I'd use more of this if it ever showed up on my doorstep, but it's not going on my purchase list simply because I can DIY something I'm just as happy with for much less money.

Lip Smacker Skittles Green Apple lip balm: basic staple, just a decent enough daily balm with a fun scent.

PACKETS

Spoiler

Smashbox Primerizer: I love this stuff as a daytime moisturizer in the summer, and an extra layer of hydration in the winter.

Peach & Lily Matcha Pudding Antioxidant Cream: reviewed in first pic

Yard work season has kicked into high gear, so wipes get used a lot more by me as a way to clean off a bit and cool down when I'm done, even if a shower is just around the corner.
Duke Cannon Cold Shower: my fave here, I love the cooling sensation, and the textured cloth. It's refreshing! 
Yuni Shower Sheet: I like the oversized sheet, but the herbal scent doesn't agree with my nose...lemongrass tends to turn "dirty" on my body.
Megababe Shower Sheet: hmmm, whoops, don't remember this one at all. Must not have hated it, would try again 😂
Love Wellness Do It All Wipes: yeah, meant for a different purpose, but eh, whatever, it's a wipe. Not a big fan of these, really. They're small (again, different purpose), and the material stretches apart quickly...they aren't a solid sheet, but more of a loosely woven material, and holes pop up easily. Not really a feature I look for, perhaps especially if used for that other purpose. 

Cala Peppermint Moisturizing Foot Mask: I love minty foot stuff, and always keep these on hand, scouting TJM whenever I get low on them (thankfully TJM seems to carry them regularly). I don't think to use these nearly as often as I'd like, but I love the minty scent and feel, and really enjoy them when I do pull them out. Have more, and this will stay on my purchase list indefinitely.

MASKS

Spoiler

Skyn Iceland Hydrocool Firming Eye Gels: these are fine, not something I'd buy, but I'm still trying to use up what I have from gwps. I'm terrible at remembering anything other than sheet masks though...still have quite a few to finish off.

Oh K! Watermelon Foot Peel: almost a week to start peeling, and peeling was done around the three week mark, which is about average for me, really. Even Babyfoot didn't work any faster when I tried it, so all in all, I'm pretty happy with it, and would purchase again. 

Sheet masks, all were fine, nothing truly notable or exceptional here to me. There were varying degrees of "this fabric is a little thicker than I like" or "not my favorite scent", but in the end, all gave me decent enough moisture that I was content (hydration/moisture is really all I look for in a sheet mask). Not looking to run out and purchase any of them immediately, but I'd use more if they showed up in my stash. 
Sephora Watermelon After Sun Mask
Creme Shop
Purlisse
Ulta Banana: most likely to make a repeat appearance because, well, I'm an Ulta addict lol. No alcohol, nice light banana scent, good moisture, decent fit. I've got one or two more already, and would buy again with a sale if I needed a cart filler.
Miss Spa Age Defy
Freeman Grapefruit: next most likely to make a repeat appearance because this 2pk was just a buck at Dollar Tree (this was before they raised prices, so maybe it's $1.25 or $1.50 now, if they even have it anymore). Ulta used to carry Freeman sheet masks a few years ago, and right as I discovered I liked them pretty well, they stopped carrying them (sigh). But it was nice to stumble on this at DT a while back, and yeah, they're good, especially for the price. Fragrance is the last ingredient, the moisture is nice, and I really like how 2 in one pack cuts way down on packaging (not to mention the package is much smaller than many other brands' packaging for just one mask to begin with). I don't wander over to DT often, but next time I do, I'll grab several of these if they have them!

DESTASH

Spoiler

Julep Boost Your Radiance oil: I love this stuff, but this was an abject lesson in "check the box before you buy it" (and also maybe "don't hold backups for eternity, especially oils, ya dummy" 😂). Ulta clearanced the brand out what, like 3 years ago? I scored this on 90% off clearance, so $3.60, but it turns out the dropper bulb was broken off and this is perhaps the most disgusting thing I've ever found living in my cabinet.

Awake Power After Hour Retinol Oil: The scent is a bit overpowering, a strong herbal that isn't bad, but is heavier than I like, and whoever decided that a wide mouth bottle without a dropper was appropriate packaging for an oil sample really needs a stern talking to. One night, I'd manage to control it and only get a drop or two, another night I'd accidentally pour out half the bottle and have to try and scoop some back up. Destash because I'm tired of messing with it.

FAB Barriar Cream: I really like this stuff and was looking forward to using it again, but apparently I've held onto these for too long...they've turned into a thick, gooey, yellow syrup and stink to high heaven. Another abject lesson in the dangers of hoarding the good stuff. I'm trying to be better about it, but am still playing catch up with the older stuff, apparently 😞

Morgan Taylor Need For Speed quick dry top coat: I'm a little heartbroken that I don't like an MT product, but this is pretty awful. It's super thin, and no matter how hard I tried to really load up my brush, it would leave brush strokes nearly every time, so two coats were pretty much required to eliminate those. It picked up the polish underneath *immediately*, making it useless for art, and keeping me on high alert anytime I did a skittles mani...I'd have to wipe the color off the brush between every nail. And then as it thickened a bit, it started leaving air bubbles in every polish. I finished half of it, but nope, it's not worth it to me to keep trying to use it up. I am saving the bottle though, and will refill it with my G&G, see if I like the brush for that one.

[QueenMarceline]

Time to roll out my April 2022 empties, this was a much slower month for me due to just starting a new job and not having as much time for masking and such. I'm going to try to make May more of a month to "treat myself" and dip into the products I have on hand (which is a lot, lol). 

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.

[itsfi]

April empties, mostly made up of loves or likes. Not many full-sized products, but I'm working my way through the ones that are open and may have more to show in the summer months.

LOVES:

Spoiler

The Q-tips, Shiseido cottons, and the last two sheet masks are repeated loves. I’m working towards just having reusable rounds and making my way through my supply of Shiseido cottons.

All the sheet masks are ones I’d happily repurchase, if they were easily accessible. The first and last ones are discontinued, and the second mask is a limited edition. The JMsolution Green Dear Rabbit Carrot Mask is a new hybrid mask material and one I intend to repurchase as a 10-pack, if available. I have a 10-pack of the Some By Mi Diamond Brightening Mask and love it for its brightening properties - this is one I reach for before a special event or if I need an extra glow to my mug! 😆💖

The Woodwick Whipped Matcha Candle is a new favorite and I owe a huge 'thank you' to @greeneyedgirl107 for introducing it to me. Thank you for this thoughtful gift! Looove everything about it - the light, fresh, creamy green tea smell, the cackle from the wick! I will be picking up a full size of this one. .

The products in the CosRX propolis line have been a nice addition to my skincare routine in the warmer months when my skin leans more combo-oily and I'm more prone to breaking out. I've found the antiseptic, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties of propolis to work well with my skin and the acne/maskne issues. This was the first time I tried the CosRX Propolis Light Ampoule - it has a thinner consistency than what I might associate with an ampoule, but in this case it works well as it layers really smoothly and nicely with other, slightly thicker products, without leaving skin feeling heavy. 

LIKES:

Spoiler

These are all likes. I was most surprised by the Laneige. I think they’ve reformulated so I'm not sure how the new version compares to these foils. The My Beauty Diary Sahara Scenedesmus Oil Balancing Mask left my face feeling soft, smooth and nourished, all things I find to be a plus. Its primary claim is to balance oils. I used this at a time when my skin was less oily so it was hard to gauge that but I would love to see how this one performs in the warmer months when my skin is oilier. The candles were great; made the house feel fresh and cozy at the same time; good scents for this time of year. I'll definitely be interested in checking out more candles from the brands, particularly the Jia brand as it is a local company and the brand has a few scents that are throwbacks to things from my childhood.

LIKABLE & LACKLUSTER: 

Spoiler

The first to rows are likable. If I had them lying around I wouldn’t hesitate to use them but they are not my favorites in their respective categories. Of this bunch, my most liked is the Supergoop (Re)Setting Refreshing Mist SPF 40 because of its practicality and functionality for reapplying SPF. I do have to be extra careful to keep it far from my eyes, as it can cause them to water pretty badly throughout the day.

The last row I found to be lackluster. The elle + mila Soy Polish Remover Wipes left a filmy slightly greasy residue on my fingers. The sample jar was filed with Origins Original Skin Cleansing Makeup Removing Jelly with Willowherb - it was more challenging to work with than I remember from past uses. It also left a film on my skin. Em Cosmetics True Gloss (Lotus Blossom) just wasn’t a good color for me used on its own. I ended up mixing it with balms or gloss. The lackluster designation has more to do with the shade than the actual formula. The Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Face Cream was a little too heavy to use regularly on my face, but enjoyed it as a body cream or occasionally as an overnight mask on nights when my skin was extremely dry.

Edited to add: 

MTD = 28

YTD = 129

[CookieGirl1]

@itsfi I love the idea of the Supergoop spray but it's getting pretty sad reviews.  It's too bad that it isn't slightly better formulated and packaged!

[Mellmars1185]

@itsfi Thanks for sharing your empties! They are very neatly placed for your photos! 🥰

[RGbrown]

Time for a mid-month clean out 🗑️

YTD 138

Spoiler

Ulta acetone: basic staple, cheap filler when needed

BBW Blackberries & Basil candle: perhaps the most disappointing BBW candle I've ever had 😪 It smelled incredible for the first burn, then I never caught a whiff of it again.

Huntington Home Tobacco Petals candle: Great throw, a little more petals and less tobacco than I would have liked, but overall a great candle if the scent is your jam.

Ulta Jojoba Carrier Oil: The base of my homemade cuticle oil, nothing fancy, just this plus some vitamin E oil and a little essential oil for scent. It took me roughly 2.5 years to through all of it (and technically, there's still a little in my various pens and bottles throughout the house), so it's super economical too. Just bought another bottle last week, and will mix another batch up soon!

FAB Ultra Repair Firming Collagen Cream: thicker than I normally go for, but my skin seemed to love this; it soaked right in and my face felt plumper than normal, with a bit of my orange peel texture receding a little. I seem to be transitioning from oily to normal or maybe even borderline dry skin, so figuring out new moisturizers seems to be a path I'm heading down, but so far, this is a strong contender.

Ulta Hibiscus Vanilla Aromatherapy Rollerball: a little too sweet and floral for me, so I never really used it much, and it seems to have gone rancid. Happy to have the rollerball though, will clean it out for more cuticle oil!

Urban Skin RX Retinol Rapid Repair & Dark Spot Treatment: I've used this retinol for a couple of years now and have been moderately pleased with it. I've got a few more of these minis to get through, but I'm getting that wanderlust that pops up from time to time, and will be trying a few other samples I've accumulated in the mean time, and will come back to this one if nothing else grabs my attention.

Sweet & Shimmer Lip Oil: thick and sticky, which I actually didn't mind at all for my intended purpose (as a topper over my nightly lip treatment), but the tiny applicator finally drove me to the brink of madness, so this is being tossed after only using half.

Exuviance Vitamin C Serum Capsules: My favorite vitamin C! 20% LAA in a waterless solution, packaged in individual capsules, which leads to incredible shelf stability for a vit C product. However, I recently discovered that No7 makes a near identical product at half the cost, so once I finish off the remaining jar of these in my cabinet, I'll be swapping brands for good! (seriously...both have 10 ingredients, and 9 of those are the same between the two!)

Ulta Watermelon Body Sorbet: excellent body cream. I normally hate tub packaging like this, but it actually works pretty well for this product. I can tap the tub sideways on my hand or the counter, and the product just kinda slides up the side as a solid mass, where I can scoop some right off the top without having to dig into the tub. Great moisture, soaks in well, good scent (fruity, but not overly sweet, not quite full on Jolly Rancher overload). I'm a fan! I've got the pineapple one to try at sme point, and can see myself buying more of these in the future too.

Lipstick Queen Megastar Longwear Eyeliner (dark grey): LQ eyeliners still make me giggle just a wee bit, but honestly, this has been one of my faves over the years. It applied easily, wore well, and I prefer grey to black for when I need a neutral line, so this was probably my most used eyeliner over the last 4 or so years. Sadly, it's all dried out now, but considering its age, that's not surprising.  

Kiehl's Avocado Creamy Eye Treatment: great moisture for my extra dry eye area this winter. I'm all out of samples now, and I don't think I'll need anything quite this rich over the summer, but would consider this again when the humidity disappears again next fall/winter.

Cleansing wipes: I have no idea how old the Evio ones are, or where I even got them in the first place (a sub box, I guess?), but they smell rancid, so they're getting tossed. I thought I had tossed all of these Sweet & Shimmer ones already, but recently found this pack while cleaning out my pre-pandemic gym bag (lol)...I don't like them for my face at all, but I cut them up and put them in a jar in my bathroom to use for cleaning swatches off (I need to do a massive lipstick swatch and declutter session soon, so they'll come in handy for that). The blue package is Pacifica Coconut Water Cleansing Wipes...they were fine for my lazy skincare nights, and great out in the basement fridge for cleanup after yardwork, but the coconut scent got to be a little too much for me, so I'm glad these are gone. I'd try other wipes from the brand, just not keen on coconut scents lately.

The 2021 sticky notes indicates I have finished off all of my 2021 masks. Yay, I'm caught up again! Saved the best for last for this batch, finishing the very last of my original biobelle masks; they will be sorely missed for their thin fabric, good moisture, and low scent. 

[Samtian]

@RGbrown Wow great work! And congrats on finishing up 2021 masks!

[RGbrown]

@Samtian 

Thanks so much! I'm sooooo happy to be caught up again...hopefully I can stay caught up from here on out! 

[greeneyedgirl107]

@RGbrown That's great to know about the No. 7 capsules!  

[RGbrown]

@greeneyedgirl107 

I was *thrilled* to make that discovery! 💕

[greeneyedgirl107]

@RGbrown it's a much better buy!!!  How often does that happen?!

[RGbrown]

@greeneyedgirl107 

Not nearly often enough, that's for sure! 😋

[itsfi]

@RGbrown, beautiful mid month empties! You’ve worked through a lot - nice going! 😃 The tobacco petals sounds promising but I feel like with those two scents, it has to be the right concentration of each - I know, my nose is very picky. 😆 

Ohhhh!!! Present day sheet masks? Waaa-hooo! 🙌🏼 🙌🏼 That’s awesome! 👊🏼 Old school BioBelle - I loved that Tencel material they used. ♥️

[Skunk12puzzola]

Did you ever try this cologne from Jo Malone @itsfi ? if you like rose scents 🌹 and mild florals in general, this is a nice one! Jo Malone London English Pear & Freesia Cologne 

[itsfi]

@Skunk12puzzola, I have tried that scent. It’s not my favorite but it’s nice. Jo Malone makes some lovely fragrances. 

[RGbrown]

@itsfi 

If you like mild florals, the Tobacco Petals one was good. It wasn't overwhelmingly cloying or heavy, good throw but not too much, if that makes sense. My taste tends to run anti-floral, enough that I won't buy this one again, but it wasn't so bad that I hated it while I burned it. 

I'm not ashamed to say I had a moment of silence when I finished off the last biobelle 😥

[itsfi]

@RGbrown, that moment of silence was well earned, both by Biobelle’s first generation of masks and by you. Any idea what sheet mask(s) will take their place in your sheet mask rotation as a favorite of yours or one you like a lot?

[RGbrown]

@itsfi 

I'm not sure at this point. For the most part, I'm using mine up just to get them used and not let them go to waste, but the fact that I've been so behind on so many for so long kinda speaks to the fact that sheet masks aren't really my favorite to begin with. I thought I'd love them, bought a ton, and whoops, turned out I wasn't as big a fan as I thought I'd be, so I mostly ignored them 🤭 My routine now though is that I use one on the days I wash my hair, while my hair is still up in my towel, and I kinda enjoy them like that...that's once every 3-5 days or so, not so often that it's a hassle, not so time consuming that I can't enjoy it, so I can see myself keeping a few around in the future. Honestly though, it'll probably mostly just be whatever I can get at Ulta with a deal, maybe a few from TJM or other places I shop normally...it won't be something I go out of my way for. Although...I've got a bunch of different ones coming up soon, ones from a certain super sweet care package that a certain super sweet person sent me, so who knows, maybe I'll find a fave in those that I have to hunt down! 😏

[Mellmars1185]

@RGbrown Great empties!

[RGbrown]

@Mellmars1185 

Thanks so much! 💕