Empties - V2

[scott1201]

Seeing product empties is so satisfying 🙂

Post your weekly, monthly, quarterly, whenever-ly empties and let us know how you felt about them!

Previous Empties thread:

Spoiler

https://community.sephora.com/t5/Insiders/Empties/m-p/589003

[lmaster]

Excellent job!!! @itsfi 

[itsfi]

@lmaster, thank you. Just chipping away at things ... all the things, lol.

[CorgiMommy]

@itsfi you are inspiring, congratulations on all your empties 

[itsfi]

@CorgiMommy, thank you for your kind words. It's been nice to work through what I have 👍, and it motivates me to keep working through the rest. 😆

[ather]

@itsfi  Wow! Amazing job this year!! I forgot how good the JVN shine drops are! I need to pull them out and use them up! Wow candles!! Great job! I love you have been on a hair foil frenzy! Do you find you go in waves with what you use for foils or mainly use what’s needed? 

[itsfi]

Thank you @ather! 😀 It feels good to use up products I have. 

Oh, that is fantastic question. My very first foils challenge, which was what? maybe 5 or 6 years ago, was eye opening on so many fronts - how a person can amass so many foils is beyond me but somehow I did it - they are small and thin so there are a lot of nooks and crannies around the house to store them. 🤣 Before, I think usage came in waves and not deliberate ones either. I just used whatever I had, if I remembered I had it.

With the foil challenges over the years, I feel like that's changed a bit. I still experience waves when I use a certain category of products more in foil sizes, but usage is more driven by what's needed and, that makes me a little more intentional about the foil samples I pick up or request. Shampoo, conditioner, hair care products or body washes (depending on the fragrance) are ones I find myself reaching for more frequently when I pack for trips. It opens up more space in my TSA 3-1-1 liquid bag and foils of those particular types of products are less likely to leak all over my bag or luggage. Other beauty products can leak as well, especially if they are liquids, but it could just be me, but I feel like those types of products are more likely to leak and they're just bulkier to travel with. I probably just need to find a good refillable vessel to include them in. Until I find that, it's foils for me! 

What about you? You've been killin' it with working through your foils collection. 🙌 Are you finding your foil use is more focused, based on what you need, or does it come in random waves?

As for the JVN, we'll thank some extra processed hair for my reaching for it more. Masking, hair oils and having lots of days, weeks even, when I didn't use any heated products on it have helped a lot.

[ather]

@itsfi  I think over Covid my foils seemed to get out of hand. Now sure if I didn’t use them as much or gift them as much or if it was because I didn’t travel. I remember @eshoe  packed 12 bags with foils to use each month of the year I think that was 2020 or 2021 maybe. I tried that but even with 12 bags I didn’t use as much as I packed into the 12 bags! I knew I needed to set a better goal. I know being held accountable is something I need! I think I was better at the beginning of the challenge when I had more to choose from. I had 66 left when I counted last. I have a bunch of acids which I have been avoiding since my skin has been finicky. I also noticed I use more when travelling. And when I have them in my sight. Hair products are harder for me since I wash my hair once a week!! 

[eshoe]

@ather 66 left is amazing! Funny how some of the 'leftovers' were the usual suspects...acids. Knowing what your skin needs is way more important than just finishing off some foils for the sake of finishing them; I think you did outstanding 😊

[ather]

@eshoe  Thank you! I would definitely rather gift them than use them and hurt my skin! I may try and use an acid a week and see how I am able to tolerate it. We did just get a cold spell so I will need to be extra careful with making sure I moisturize after. But if it doesn’t work I will just use them in another way or pass them along! It’s funny you could have guessed acids are my leftover! You know me so well! 

[itsfi]

@ather, it's awesome that  you wash your hair once a week! 🙌 I keep meaning to ask, have you always been able to do go with a weekly washing? At best, I'm 1-2 times per week, but it's probably more 2.5 - 3 times per week. I try to extend it whenever I can. Kérastase Nutritive 8H Magic Night Serum Hydrating Treatment for Dry Hair 3.04 oz / 90 ml and amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo helpe to extend the number of days between washes, most of the time. 

For folks who can use random foils in a bag every month, more power to them. I would need to be more deliberate in choosing the foils for each month and even then that could change, unless, it was something like all body lotions, but even then, the fragrance could be an issue. It's sorta like sheet masks and skincare, best for me to listen to my skin and give it what it needs. I used to be able to mask every day but most of that also involved making sure I was using sheet masks that were well suited towards my skin type and concerns (and finicky-ness) during various times of the year.

That's great that you have less than 100 foils in your collection - excellent work! I hear ya on the exfoliants. Do you think they would work for different parts of your body, like elbows or the soles of your feet?

[ather]

@itsfi  I am pretty good with just weekly washing. I’ve been doing weekly for a few years now! I use to bleach my hair and when I did I found weekly was better for me. Now I’m doing less bleaching and less colours. I’ve been really being more mindful with my hair in 2023 and making sure to do more masks! I feel like my hair has transformed! I also chopped a lot off in the fall so that helped! I usually air dry my hair and I’ve been using less heat. I try and leave my hair natural for a few days and once it’s getting flat I use the heatless curls for the rest of the time. I have very thin hair. I don’t get very oily so I think that helps with extending my wash too. If I have done a more sweaty workout I will go to 2 times a week but I mostly just once! I don’t use much product in between my washes since my hair is so thin it’s hard because it gets weighed down. I do love amika Mini Perk Up Talc-Free Dry Shampoo  I always have a bottle of that on hand! I think I may need to look into Kérastase Nutritive 8H Magic Night Serum Hydrating Treatment for Dry Hair 3.04 oz / 90 ml  sounds amazing! My hair is very dry! I also found since I double cleanse my hair it gets oily less and I can extend my styles longer. I use the Kitsch rice shampoo for my first cleanse and I use the other bottle I am trying to get through as my second cleanse! I think you are still doing a great job! Even 3 times a week is better then every day! I’m sure your hair is amazing! 

[Samtian]

@itsfi Wow amazing job!! I love your breakdowns. Some of those candles sound good, and that packaging oh my 😍

[itsfi]

Thanks so much @Samtian! I love candles but don't really go through a lot during the warmer months here between June thru mid-to-late October. I was good this year about pulling out the ones that were partly used and finishing those before starting on a new candle, lol. I'm a sucker for what the jar looks like when it comes to candle. Yes, the scent is given more weight, but not too much more. 😂🤣😂 

I need to do a better job of posting my candles to the Home Fragrance Thread. Going to try to post to that thread this year. 

[Samtian]

@itsfi Ooh I need to post in that thread too, good idea!!

[itsfi]

Yeah, my only reseravation is that it will give me more candles/diffusers/home fragrances to add to my list @Samtian! 🤣 But that's how it goes, lol. 

[CynthieLu]

Your so organized @itsfi it's incredibly admirable. Amazing work this year! 🥳 and I have no doubts that you'll hit your goals in 2024 with more full size empties.

I think only getting 2 pumpkin candles during the fall season is very respectable. 😉

[itsfi]

@CynthieLu, thank you. More full size empties would make me happy. I'm pretty sure it's just me but that makes me feel like I have a routine that I'm sticking to. 

"I think only getting 2 pumpkin candles during the fall season is very respectable." lol, does that mean I can treat myself to a purchase? 😅 Noooooo! Gotta fight that. There's only a few more hours until 2023 is behind us and with it, the need for strong willpower to stick to my low buy. 

[missjeanie]

@itsfi Amazing record keeping and that's a whole lot of empties!  Well done in 2023!  

[itsfi]

Thanks @missjeanie! Most of the foils and deluxe samples were of products that I've used before or favorite products. The plan will be to decant products from my full sizes into travel or mini sized jars when my travels are for longer periods. That seemed to work out pretty well when I did that this year - foils take up less space though... I don't have anything on my travel calendar at the moment for next month so I guess I'll decide when I know I'll be out of town. 

[missjeanie]

Love the delux sizes for travel @itsfi .  I'm trying this year to keep a 'go bag' of sorts ready  at all times.  I feel like most of my work travel has been last minute and I'm always trying to figure out what I need to bring with me in one evening.  How is a gal meant to properly plan a beauty routine so quickly??? Fingers crossed it works better this way!  I feel you on the foils... less weight, easier to pack into a small ziplock for flights... I've been trying to pick up shampoo and conditioner foils for exactly this.  If I ever run out of DS... which will likely be when I'm 80 at this rate.... I've saved a few of the DS to refill as well.  Let me know if you come up with a solid strategy... I'm 100% willing to latch onto something! lol

[itsfi]

The "go bag" is a marvelous idea @missjeanie! Ugh, I'm so sorry; last minute work travel is not ideal, and least not for me on a regular basis.

Yes, yes, yes!!! I find that for the most part shampoo and conditioner foils work out best for travel. I have a harder time with cleansers and moisturizers because my skin can be sensitive to products, so foils are usually of things that I've used before and know work for my skin. New to me foils usually get put to use when I'm home or on shorter trips - as in, I'll use one the last day, the day I check out of the hotel. 

Will definitely let you know if I come up with something that works. If you find a good approach to the 'go bag' that you love, let me know. 

"If I ever run out of DS... which will likely be when I'm 80 at this rate...."  hahahaha! I literally snorted aloud when I read that. The plan for this year is to be ruthless when it comes to decluttering samples - foils or deluxe samples that I don't use. The only ones I'll keep are of tried-and-true products. If it's a new-to-me product and I don't use it within the next 3 months, it will be donated, rehomed, or tossed. The only caveat to that will be if it's a product that isn't suited for me during the winter months. The Show Me Your Declutters! thread may be seeing more posts from me this year.