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.

[eshoe]

@sephoraaddict918 Wow we share a lot of loves! The CosRx doesn’t leave my skin tacky or sticky, it’s just the application where I find strings when I pat my finger in the palm of my hand to get transfer some of the product😆

That Vichy sounds interesting, I will keep it in mind, thank you for the recommendation!

[CookieGirl1]

Your YTD numbers are impressive, @eshoe 😛

[eshoe]

Thank you, @CookieGirl1. I don’t think I will be posting empties next year, this has helped me determine how much I go through which was exactly what I needed. 

[Samtian]

@eshoe I was smiling at your empties until I saw that stupid bear. HAHA. Great job!! I'm glad you like the Tatcha better this go round. 

[eshoe]

Ha ha you are really a good sport, @Samtian! And you know, it’s always good to re-try a so-so or fail. Sometimes your skin changes, and voila! It’s a love (or in this case, if I had a few extra $ to spend on moisturizer every few months;)

[Samtian]

@eshoe Haha I know what you mean. I was thinking about that with my recent sheet masks issues. My skin seems to be reacting to everything now.

[KeriCherryDee]

 

What a beautiful empty 😍 Herbivore Pink Cloud Rosewater + Squalane Makeup Removing Face Wash . It’s definitely a Top 5 favorite cleanser of mine! Non-stripping, gentle, lightly moisturizing, removes light makeup, love that it has a pump, and price isn’t overly expensive. Two pumps a day (most days a week, not quite daily) lasted me about 4 months. Would happily repurchase in the future

[RGbrown]

End of November empties!

YTD 337

Notes in the spoilers!

True Loves

Spoiler

Wella FusionPlex Conditioner: I've loved the FusionPlex line for well over a year now, but have always limited myself to using up samples while I keep testing other stuff in my stash. I think I've about decided I'm tired of trying other stuff though, as nothing else has ever made my hair look as good as this does, and I may be about to bite the bullet on some full-size bottles soon. I want to test this conditioner against the Paradoxx (in the next pic) a bit more, but so far, they are about neck and neck based solely off the samples I've had.

Butter London Nail Foundation: this has been my base coat of choice for quite a while now; it evens out my ridges really well, and wears well enough for me to keep my polish on a week or so (if I make it that long before changing it lol). I've got one more in my stash, but sadly, Ulta has stopped carrying it, and I'm not sure I'm up for spending $18 on a bottle with real money elsewhere, so I'll be branching out to try a few other ridge fillers soon. May comeback to it though if I don't find an acceptable sub.

Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil: I keep trying other oils, and always come back to this one as the best for my oily skin. It really does help control oil-production, and this one seems to help keep hormonal breakouts to a minimum as well. I've got a mini in my stash, and will be buying a new bottle shortly as well.

Bumble Pret-a-Powder Dry Shampoo: one of my faves

Zoya Remove+: the best remover for taking polish off quickly without drying my fingers. I will always have this on hand!

Likes & Nopes

Spoiler

LIKES
Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum: I use this for the niacinamide, and like it just fine. When I need to buy something, it'll be the ELF Hydrating Essence, but I'm perfectly content using any samples of this I happen to get my hands on in the mean time.

We Are Paradoxx Secret Weapon Conditioner: oops, this should have been in the true love pic! This does some magical juju on my hair that is simply amazing. Works great on my oily roots without weighing them down, and works equally well at taming my dry, frizzy ends in a way that only one other product has (FusionPlex, in the above pic)! 

Tigi Bed Head Rockaholic Dirty Secret Dry Shampoo: perfectly fine. It works well without too much white stuff, and isn't gritty or sticky. Citrus scent that I find pleasing as well.

Herbivore Emerald Oil (gratis): more often than not, this just felt a touch heavy for me, especially in the warmer months. I set it aside to finish it off this winter, and when I pulled it back out, I discovered it had turned 😞

Burt's Bees Lip Balm (Pomegranate): basic staple I keep on hand

Commodity Mimosa: warm, sweet, comforting. Made a lovely pillow mist.

Kate Blanc Vitamin E Oil, Earthly Body Miracle Oil, Ulta Lemon Essential Oil, Perfect Formula Daily Moisture Oil: I mixed up a new batch of cuticle oil last week, and these all got dumped into the bottle with some jojoba oil.

NOPES
L'Oreal Voluminous mascara (Deep Green): the mascara itself is ok, but it's perfumed, and I'm not down with florally mascaras. Also, the green may as well be black; it's nearly impossible to tell the difference.

Burt's Bees Flavor Crystals Lip Balm (pineapple): ok as a balm, but the "flavor crystals" are just an odd addition. Gritty, but not like a scrub...just weird.

Commodity Wool: I expected something warm and comforting, but instead got a perfumey laundry detergent scent; a mix of knock-off Tide and flowers. Yuck.

Mad Hippie Hydrating Nutrient Spray: I wanted to love this, but the scent is overwhelmingly loud floral. I powered through about 90% of the bottle, but I just can't anymore.

Hask Biotin Thickening Dry Shampoo: not crunchy or stiff, as I had feared, but extremely gritty. 

Sheet masks. These are all fine; I'm finally trying to get back on track with finishing off what is a surprisingly large stash for someone that doesn't really care for sheet masks lol. No complaints about any of these.

[missjeanie]

I've always wondered about the B&B dry shampoo @RGbrown thanks for the post... I'll have to add it to my loves to try out. 

[RGbrown]

@missjeanie 

It is fantastic! Extremely low on the white-residue scale (and what is there shakes/brushes out easily), and the scent is, hmmm, how to describe it? Dry/fresh? It's not sweet or floral, just light, maybe slightly woody. It's not gritty or stiff or sticky; it gives a hint of volume while managing to stay true to the Invisible name. I'm allergic to $29 for the full size can because I go through dry shampoo relatively quickly (I use it almost every day, sigh), but I hoard every sample I can get my grubby hands on 😂

I also really like the Bumble loose dry shampoo, and I have and will continue to buy it. Aerosols are just so much easier though!

[missjeanie]

I go in phases with my dry shampoos, some months I go through tons using it every other day, and then I can also go months without using it @RGbrown .  So far the Amika is my favourite, but the Batiste is also a go to due to pricing.  I'm dark haired so I like that this one doesn't leave you a ton of white cast.  I just added it to my loves list to test out some time.  I've tried the B&B shaker style and I think that delivery method just wasn't for me.  You're bang on about aerosols being so much easier. 

[RGbrown]

@missjeanie 

Alterna has a loose powder dry shampoo that comes in a pump bottle; it's much easier to use than the Bumble shaker! Not perfect, but better. I just keep refilling it with my Bumble now lol (though the Alterna was nice too...I just happened to run across better deals on Bumble when I was re-upping my loose powder). I'm really trying to cut back on the alcohol I put in my hair, which is why I keep a loose one on hand too; I try my best to remember to alternate them each night.

[sephoraaddict918]

Nice empties @RGbrown!! I totally agree the Zoya Remove+ is the best nail polish remover I've ever used. I no longer use anything else! It's been a while since I've used the Soap & Glory Moisture Mask, but I think I liked it. Most sheet masks aren't that memorable to me, and as long as they are hydrating, I am usually satisfied. 

[RGbrown]

@sephoraaddict918 

The S&G mask is a two piece hydrogel, and if I enjoyed sheet masks more than I do, it would be a repurchase for me. It does give nice hydration!

[Anonymous]

@RGbrown Okay, then.  Let me go take that Mad Hippie mist out of my wishlist.  lol

Thanks for the write-ups, as usual.  They are very helpful!!

[RGbrown]

@Anonymous 

That Mad Hippie broke my heart 💔 It's a fantastic product otherwise, and I'd continue buying it for eternity if it didn't smell like a whole sanctuary packed to the brim with dying flowers 😥

[jen81]

 Loves

Ilia mascara is 👍👍. Rest are okay. 

 

 

[sephoraaddict918]

Lots of nice empties @jen81! I used the Pixi Milky Mist a few months ago, and I felt meh about it. I liked the fine mist, but I didn't like the scent. It smelled too floral to me. 

[jen81]

I’m at 217 empties for the year! 

[RGbrown]

May as well get all the way up to date and start knocking out my November empties while I'm playing catch up 😋

YTD 313

Notes coming soon to a spoiler near you!

Spoiler

Ulta Body Sorbet (Creamy Cocolada): I bought this for Xmas gifts last year, and while I had no business buying one for me, the reviews had me intrigued...people seemed to love and adore this stuff, so I couldn't resist trying it myself. I finally dragged it out of the cabinet when Ulta decided to clear out the whole line, so I could decide if I wanted to grab a couple more while they were $2ish. This stuff is pretty fantastic! It's got a light texture that soaks in immediately and makes my skin feel like silk, and the scent was nice, a creamy coconut that wasn't too sweet. And while I generally hate tubs, it really wasn't bad for this. The texture isnt quite solid, but it's certainly not quite a typical lotion or body butter either; it almost held itself together in chunks and clumps (sounds weird, I know, but it was neat!). It was easy to bump the container on its side and slide the sorbet up to the top, where I could get it out without digging my fingers in or getting it under my nails. Not long after opening this one, I grabbed up watermelon and pineapple in the old packaging, and was greatly relieved to see Ulta recently relaunched the sorbets with their new Whim labeling, so I can pick up more in the future. 

Yuni Shower Sheet: perfectly fine for a quick clean up

Sweet & Shimmer Peppermint lotion: terrible, horrible, no good, very bad lotion. First off, the scent is nothing like peppermint at all; it reminds me of old, cut flowers that have been sitting in water too long... simultaneously dried and musty combined with damp greenery. Ew. I would have powered through that (I'm using it as a foot lotion before bed, so while it's unpleasant, I'm sleeping it off), but at the same time, it makes my feet feel drier somehow. Nope.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple Cleanser: basic staple. I likely won't buy if I ever run out of minis, but I'm not sure I'll ever run out of minis 😋

Paula's Choice Resist 4% BHA: staple. I use it once every week or two, as needed, as a boost over the 2% variety. 

Herbal Essences Argan Oil Conditioner: meh, left my hair dry and frizzy.

Exuviance AF Vitamin C20 Serum Capsules: 20% LAA in a simply stellar waterless formula that stays stable much longer than many other formulations on the market. I love this stuff, HG status.

[RGbrown]

Big ol batch; I've been bad with posting again!

Reviews in the spoilers 😊

YTD 305

mid-September to mid-October staples and loves

Spoiler

BBW lotion (Limoncello) and body wash (Twilight Woods): BBW lotions and shower gels are a basic staple that I went overboard with buying at one point several years ago, and thankfully, I still love them just as much as I did then. Perfectly content to keep using them up for many years to come 😂

Cala Peppermint Moisturizing Foot Mask: fantastic basic foot mask that's easy to get cheap at TJM. Have more and will continue buying

Paula's Choice Resist 2% BHA: BHA is a must for me, and I love that this version has peptides. Fragrance free (and no real scent to speak of), soaks in well, excellent formula, and never interferes with anything I put on top of it. Have more and will continue to buy and use 

Ulta Lip Oil (Cranberry Pomegranate): lip oil is a nightly ritual for me, and I find this works just as well for me as the pricier options like Clarins and Dior. This is my favorite scent so far as well. 

Clarisonic brush head (Radiance): I only use my brush a time or two a week, and will give it up when I finally finish off the last couple of brush replacements I have, but it's been a nice tool for several years for me now

Redken Deep Clean Dry Shampoo: love this stuff, it's one of my top 3 favorites (with Bumble and Fekkai The One). The scent is hard for me to describe...sweetish floral? As someone who hates "too sweet" and "too floral", this ones falls right in the middle of both of those very nicely; it's a fun scent without being too overwhelming for me. It works amazingly well, taking care of oil without stubborn white spots, and gives a touch of volume without any crunch or grit.

Smashbox Primerizer: a lovely extra layer of moisture without being heavy or oily. A cold weather staple for me

System Professional Hydrate Shampoo: a really nice clean without being overly drying or stripping. Nice scent as well, light and fresh.

We Are Paradoxx Secret Weapon 3-in-1 Conditioner: I've only used it as a regular rinse-out conditioner so far, but holy cow was I impressed. I noticed a huge reduction in frizz on my drier ends, but it didn't weigh down my oily scalp. I've got one more mini I keep trying to get to (good grief, I have way too many samples and minis in progress lol), but I liked this enough that I went ahead and snagged a full size while they were on sale last month, just in case I wind up liking it as much long-term as I think I might.

Ulta cotton (rounds, swabs, balls): just a basic staple 

mid-September to mid-October fine to nah

Spoiler

Sephora Charcoal Gentle Exfoliating Wipes (gratis): these are the new "cleaner" version, and if you remember the older, scratch-your-face-off exfoliating wipes, you'll probably be pleased that these are nowhere near as scratchy. They're quite plush for a wipe; it's a thick material, kind of "woven", with spaces between the "threads", giving it a soft surface with a bit of a scrubbing ability. The scent was light and fresh, sort of grassy. The downside with the reformulation is that the package size shrank; the old ones came 25 to a pack, but these only have 20. All in all, these are fine, and I'd use them again, but I don't use a ton of wipes, and have quite a few others in my stash already, so these aren't a rebuy for me personally.

It Cosmetics Confidence in a Gel Lotion: I really liked this and need to try it again at some point; it could move up to a true love. It's very lightweight with a surprising amount of moisture. Little to no scent. Thumbs up from an oily gal!

Alpha Skin Care Dual Action Skin Lightener: 10% glycolc acid and 2% hydroquinone. I tried using it as a spot treatment on a few spots I'd like to lighten, but was never consistent enough with it to get much in the way of results. I have other exfoliants, so I never really wanted to use it full face either. It's a couple of years old now (or more), so it was finally time to just toss it out instead of trying to finish it...it's 90%+ gone anyways. I like and recommend Alpha as a brand, this particular item just never really fit my routine.

Bumble and bumble Surf Shampoo/Conditioner: I like this stuff every now and again; I've got a full size of each in the shower, but it's not a daily use set for me. It helps accent my waves a bit, but also leans a bit frizzy. Falls into the "will use, but won't rebuy" category for me.

Clinique Moisture Surge 72-Hr Auto-Replenishing Hydrator: a nice moisturizer that I would use again. Lightweight but plenty of moisture, fragrance-free. Clinique cleansers and toners can be very hit or miss, but I really like their moisturizers.

Burt's Bees Vanilla & Clove Lip Butter: eh. Very much a creamy, butter-type consistency, but it lasted for approximately 2.3 seconds after application. Nice scent, but the tub, combined with a need for near-continual reapplication, makes this a nope.

Kerastase Nutritive 8H Magic Night Serum (gratis): smells absolutely *fantastic*; I'm tempted to keep the bottle just so I can crack it open and get a whiff every now and again lol. Warm, nutty, slightly spicy? Heaven! But...I couldn't really tell that it did anything for my hair, other than make it smell good. I'd use it on dry hair before bed, on particularly frizzy days, and...my hair would be just as frizzy the next morning. I do my best to control other frizz-factors by sleeping with my hair up, on a silk pillowcase, so the total lack of any sort of difference was a bit disappointing.

BASD Mint Body Lotion: this took some work to rub in; it's one of those that stayed white and hung out on the surface of my skin for what seemed like eternity. Wound up finishing it as a foot lotion, as I slather that stuff on thick and get in bed, so I'm not terribly worried about it, but it wasn't quite thick enough for my taste in that regard either. Dang shame, as it's got a lovely minty scent that I'd love to have around.

Commodity Bergamot: a bit too sharp on my skin, but made a lovely pillow mist

Lip Smackers Cherry 7Up lip balm: so much nostalgia in a tube. Decent balm for the price, and a fun flavor to boot.

Kenra Moisturizing Conditioner: this was almost gel-like, maybe equivalent to a "water cream" in skincare. Not quite as moisturizing as I had hoped for.

Sephora Clarifying Peel Pads (gratis): Eh. I'm really picky about my BHA, and these didn't make the cut. Citrus extracts and fragrance really don't need to be included, and even though they advertise glycolic acid, there's not any to be found on the ingredients list. I used them up on my chest, and they were fine for that, but BHA can be done better, and these are not a rebuy for me. I'd recommend Paula's Choice (of course!) or even Stridex over these.

the rest of October

Spoiler

Briogeo Be Gentle, Be Kind Banana + Coconut Nourishing Superfood Shampoo (gratis): eh. Way too thin/watery; I'd wind up losing half of what I put in my hand before even getting it to my head, and I felt like I had to use 2-3 times as much as I would normally use to get the lather I like. I found the scent to be a little on the cloying/sweet side as well. However, this gratis did serve a purpose for me: it helped me figure out that I actually prefer shampoos that contain SLS/SLES. In the right formulation, they aren't drying or stripping, so exploring shampoos with alternate cleansers isn't really something I'm worried about after all. 

Wella Nutricurls Milky Waves Nourishing Spray: I've never found a spray that does more for my hair...love this stuff! It's great for detangling, helps tame frizz, works great for reactivating curls if I've brushed them out, and never ever weighs my fine hair down. I could always count on a good hair day when I used this. The only con is the scent...ugh! It's a super strong rosy floral, and rose is probably one of my least favorite scents around. Debating whether or not to rebuy...in the mean time, I've got other sprays I'll continue to work through.

Tarte Hair Goals Dry Shampoo: I was surprisingly pleased with this. It worked well with low white stuff, and didn't add any crunch or stiffness. Light scent, a bit dry, maybe nutty? All around nice.

The One by Frederick Fekkai One To Believe In Leave-In Conditioner: I really like the scent, but unfortunately, the product doesn't do much for me. And neither bottle actually worked...had to dump them into another spray bottle. Sigh.

Oribe Mystify Restyling Spray: I didn't see much benefit from this, not that would justify the price tag, especially. Sure, it dampened my hair so I could reactivate curls, but water does too, and this didn't tame frizz or do anything else in the process.  :shrug:

Klorane Anti-Pollution Purifying Mist: while I question "anti-pollution", this is a nice, lightly mint scented mist that helps cut that musty scent of hair that's been in a ponytail for far too long. The mint itself dissipates pretty quickly, this is more of a quick freshener than a perfumed mist.

Duke Cannon Cold Shower Cooling Field Towel: love these for a quick freshen-up!

Leaders Aquaringer sheet mask: cotton fiber, maybe medium thickness. Stays on my face relatively well, though it doesn't move well with any facial expressions or movements. Light scent, though perhaps a bit on the perfumey end of the spectrum. Nice moisture. I think I might have more, and I'll use them (eventually), but sheet masks just aren't my cup of tea.

Tonymoly Minions Hydrating Foot Mask (Banana): fun scent, nice moisture. Would use again!

Ulta Aromatherapy Shower Tablets (Verbena + Lemongrass): love these things. They are discontinued, but I have a rather large, perhaps borderline embarrassing, stash that I will continue to power through lol

AHAVA Time To Clear Purifying Mud Mask: this was great for me in the warmer days not so long ago, but I've noticed as the air dries out, this has become a touch drying on me as well. No added fragrance is a nice plus though.

Burt's Bees Lip Balm (Pink Grapefruit): lip balm is a basic staple for me, and BB is one that I always have laying around. Nothing special, but perfectly fine for something I use nearly continually.

Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief: I liked this a lot, but I think it's been discontinued and replaced with the 72Hr version. No biggie; I generally like the Moisture Surge stuff.

Tinkle dermaplaning tool: just a basic staple

Commodity Rain: wow, I really loved this. A lot of watery scents leave me bored, but this was really nice. Kinda hate that I found it after they closed up. I had heard at one point that someone bought them and was planning to revive the brand...if that happens, I'll keep my fingers crossed that this is one of the scents that comes back.

Kate Somerville +Retinol Firming Eye Cream: the absolute best fine-line reduction I've ever seen. It's also my first retinol eye cream, so I'm trying not to declare this my HG yet, but dang...this is some really nice stuff. Lightweight texture, somewhere between gel and balm, and it soaked in beautifully. I've got issues with tiny bumps (tiny closed comedones? baby milia? Not sure what they are exactly) appearing under my eyes with some creams, but I had zero trouble with this one. Really looking forward to coming back to it if none of my other eye creams in my ridiculous stash compare.  

Julep Boost Your Radiance Reparative Rosehip Seed Facial Oil: lovely lightweight oil that typically goes into my AM routine.

Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum: niacinamide for my PM routine. I wouldn't pay full price, but I'll happily use all the samples I can get my hands on.

ELF Hydrating Coconut Mist: I think I finally narrowed this down as the cause of small bumps on my forehead. Fungal acne, maybe? I'm not sure exactly what they are, but they seem to go away every time I pull this out of my routine, so buh-bye

Cosrx AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner: very nice AHA exfoliant that I can use daily. Have more and will buy again!