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Post in Makeup Is Life
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Empties - V2

Seeing product empties is so satisfying 🙂

 

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

 

Product-Empties-September-2016-1.jpg

 

Previous Empties thread:

Spoiler

Re: Empties - V2

Love the honey bear @faeriegirl and nice updated profile pic too!

Re: Empties - V2

@ShortErica I thought the same think about @faeriegirl 's new profile picture 🙂  Once I use down some of my other hair masks I will definitely have to pick the honeybear up.

Re: Empties - V2

Have you tried a lot of hair masks @l8totheparty? Any standouts and any duds?

Re: Empties - V2

https://community.sephora.com/t5/Best-Hair-Ever/Top-3-hair-masks/m-p/4861941

 

I recommend perusing this thread for top hair masks, @ShortErica 

Re: Empties - V2

Thanks @l8totheparty!

Re: Empties - V2

Thanks @ShortErica

Re: Empties - V2

July Empties - for me this is a lot and August I'll have some full size things too. Woohoo to adding to the count!

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Spoiler
Peter Thomas Roth FIRMx™ Exfoliating Peel Gel 3.4 oz/ 100 mL - although the Holika Holika egg is adorable, in terms of results, the PTR beats it out. I was able to get quite a few uses out of this - thanks for sending it to me @Alphaboo! Sometimes I found get peeling on the tips of my fingers but I was never able to certainly say it was the PTR that caused it. I'd consider purchasing

Obagi Clinical Kinetin+ Hydrating Cream - this was in unicorn mail from @keana1 and boy did it impress. The sample came with a pump which was super cool. It was a thick cream with no fragrance. Instructions said 1-2 pumps but I need 3 for face and 1 for neck. Not sure if the sample size pumps less. I'd like to try this longer term but it has a hefty price tag. We'll see what happens but I'd put this in a fantasy basket

CeraVe Baby - I had been a dedicated CeraVe PM user - I like the ceramides, HA, niacinamide. I opted to try the CeraVe Baby which had similar ingredients but a better price point. It is thicker since it has dimethicone and emulsifying wax which I didn't mind using for nighttime. I put serums on damps skin and then do moisturizer over top. This didn't absorb as nicely. I think it is geared more for body vs face. CeraVe PM's consistency has gotten a lot thinner after the reformulation so my goal would be to find something inbetween the two with those nice ingredients.

Caolin Pore White Care Pack was a gift from @missjeanie - I've been enjoying trying a variety of pore mask samples as a new Monday ritual but unfortunately this was the bottom of the barrel vs Kiehl's Since 1851 Rare Earth Deep Pore Minimizing Cleansing Clay Mask 4.2 oz/ 125 mL, Peter Thomas Roth Irish Moor Mud Purifying Black Mask 5 oz and Origins Mini Clear Improvement™ Active Charcoal Mask to Clear Pore 1 oz/ 30 mL. The Caolin had a strong peppermint smell and little granules. My face looked a bit red but faded after use. The others just seem more gentle and effective at clearing oil and dirt. Still happy to have tried it for my experiment. It helps me narrow down what I want.

Onto sunscreen..

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Activewear Lotion Sunscreen 60 - I got 3 uses out of the sample which gave me a few times to try and get a feel for it. It balls/pills up when I'm applying so I'm not sure how much is rubbing in vs. rubbing off. There wasn't a white cast on me but I'm pale. It sticks horribly in eyebrows which was the other big downfall. It does have silky skin feel and natural finish. If only I knew it was staying on my face and wasn't blaring "white mineral sunscreen" from my eyebrows. On to the next!

Algenist Alive Prebiotic Balancing Moisturizer SPF 15 - this must have been mismarked even in clearance - $2! It expired in August 2020 and I found it in January so I knew I couldn't let it sit on the backburner. As an SPF 15 I hoped it would be a quick daily wear one for when I didn't plan to see much sun. Also because of the lower SPF, despite it being mineral I was hoping it wouldn't have a white cast. I found the white cast could be blended in (again I'm pretty pale). It only has spf 15 so I really would want more. It did get stuck in hairline and eyebrows though not as horrible as the La Roche-Posay. It feels heavy on the skin. Another use for it was reapplication on my way to an afternoon sport (so that happened pre-pandemic). I sweated white drops/streaks when wearing it for that purpose which was not flattering. I found my "good" use was for brief outside experiences like after work when going outside with the kids - enough to feel I'm getting some protection without needed lots of SPF or caring how it looked if I did sweat a bit. I would not purchase even at that low price again.

Nivea SPF 50 Water Protect Gel PA+++ - easy to apply formula that dries quickly. Has non US chemicals. It does have alcohol - probably for that fast drying. It can be shiny though tends to fade and can be toned down with setting powder. I think I've found a better face sunscreen in the Purito Unscented Green Level but want to use this on hands and arms daily going forward because it is easy to apply and not very expensive.

Schmidt's Sage+Lavender Deodorant - For me the sage was a bit much. I thought it made me use it more sparingly but based on start and finish dates, seems in line with others. It did work, even when the sage smell faded I did not stink. It also seems like it keeps stink away even when not wearing - less likely to stink when not wearing anything. Schmidt's has been the best for me in terms of natural deodorant but there scents are all a bit overwhelming. I have a couple more scents and then a Kopari deodorant to try but I'm looking forward to seeing if Native works after those.

Bite Glace (birthday mini) - sometimes I felt it leaned brown on me and other times was a more pleasant pink. It did smear outside the lip lines when I would wear it which I didn't like. I'm happy to have successfully used an entire lipstick (even a mini) but wouldn't say this formula or color was the perfect match for me. Still a good birthday gift from Sephora

Now to the hair..

Invisibobble Strong - so I had some original Invisibobble ones and they were great for keeping my hair up at night when I slept. They could not hold a ponytail for working out and even were a bit awkward for everyday ponytail wear without it swishing around crazily while running. So I higher hopes with the strong version and unfortunately it didn't live up to its "strong" claims. It also couldn't keep my ponytail in place while working out. I did the hot water trick and it was still pretty elongated and stretched so I think it's time to use another out of the pack. I feel invisibobbles have a place in my hair routine (for night, lounging, etc) and I would repurchase when all the ones I have stretch out but I need something different for athletic activities so these would not be the only hair ties in my life.

DevaCurl Decadence Shampoo - this was fine. It didn't weigh my hair down even though I have waves. It is interesting how DevaCurl has such different scents in the different lines. I preferred this scent to both the original and delight.

DevaCurl Decadence Conditioner - this worked pretty well. Most days when I used it my hair turned out good but there were a few ones were it just didn't do well. It was nice to try the samples and I'm still on the hunt for the conditioner for me and wouldn't think to buy this one.

Love and Planet (shampoo and conditioner) - 2 uses out of the shampoo and 1 out of the conditioner. Had a strong lavender scent. I enjoy lavender in the bath for relaxing but didn't like it for my hair. As far as shampoo and conditioner, my hair was no better or worse than it normally was when I tried these.

SoCozy Kids Conditioner - this stuff was interesting. It is sooo thick. I could get away with not wearing a styling product and my hair wouldn't be very frizzy because it seemed moisturized. Although I think it was good at moisturizing I don't know that it helped my curl. Still on the hunt. I'm trying the Hask Argan Oil Conditioner now.

Re: Empties - V2

Outstanding empties!! @ShortErica 

Re: Empties - V2

Thanks @lmaster! I'm proud of myself

Re: Empties - V2

I also found that the Obagi required a fair bit of pumps (from the DS size) to get good coverage; makes me think I'd quickly go through a full size. Nice job on the empties, @ShortErica!!

Re: Empties - V2

Thanks @haleyvvvv! I got 6 uses out of the 5ml sample so that would be ~60 uses for the full size so a little less than a dollar a use. That just seems like a lot to me.

Re: Empties - V2

Glad you got to try out the Caolion @ShortErica , I believe they have a few different versions of the masks and some I preferred more than others.  I think the one that heated up was my favourite.  Good info on the LRP sunscreen, I've had that one on my list to check out and just haven't gotten to it yet.  Might need to move it to the bottom of the list lol.  

I'm following along with your natural deodorant journey as well.  I'll be curious to see how you like the kopari.  I just ordered three new native ones and thus far they've been good through an 11 hour shift waiting tables and bartending.  I was sweaty for sure, but I was sweaty all over my body since it was a crazy hot day and I was outside.  But... I didn't stink! lol. I might need to check out the kopari if you end up loving it. 

Re: Empties - V2

@missjeanie the one thing about the LRP is that because it was a sample, I'm not sure of a date on it. I snagged a different LRP sunscreen, a tinted one, from the dermatologist so I'll report if it is better.

 

And for deodorant, it's been interesting. My latest Schmidt's is a sensitive skin one so no baking soda. Curious to see if there's a difference because of that. Did you get some new Native scents? Which one(s) are your favorite?

Re: Empties - V2

I did decide to finally toss my Schmidt's as it just wasn't for me.  The scent (Pineapple Coconut) was too strong and changed from a tropical scent to something pretty not quite right once I was wearing it, and it left wayyyyy too many white marks on my clothes, and I never felt like I had that clean feeling with it.  I ended up buying three more Native ones in a pack and I'm alternating between two of them right now.  I like that they have a standard set of scents as well as seasonal ones so it'll be fun to look at them again in the colder months and pick out new ones.  The scent on these ones aren't too strong so they fade nicely into my skin.  

Let us know how the new LRP turns out, I love quite a few things from the brand so I'm curious about the SPF.

@ShortErica 

Re: Empties - V2

Too crazy @missjeanie ..the one I'm using now is Pineapple Coconut. I'm not crazy about the scent but it is the least overwhelming of the ones I've tried..at least in recent memory (sage+lavender and the rose ones). I agree about the white marks. I think the other scents didn't leave them as bad as this one.

 

And with LRP, I've read/heard some positive things about their products and SPF. I think I tried a different spf (in a sample packet) that was also a dud. Maybe that packaging just doesn't work for the product or they were old. I bought one of their cleansers to replace the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser once I'm done with it. 🤞

Re: Empties - V2

@ShortErica The Cicaplast B5 Baume from LRP is one of my favourites of their products so far.  I have very dry skin especially in the winter and it makes a great moisturizer.  The only product of theirs I haven't enjoyed so far was a cleansing oil for the body.  It worked fine, next to no lather, and I was clean.  But I need a little more joy in my showers.  I need a nice fragrance or feel on the skin.. something ... more.  lol.  LRP is a line my dermatologist recommends all the time so I keep trying more of their stuff.  I want to pick up their HA serum next. 

Re: Empties - V2

Ooo let me know what you think of the HA @missjeanie. @faeriegirl posted about finding a replacement/cheaper alternative for Drunk Elephant B-Hydra™ Intensive Hydration Serum with Hyaluronic Acid 1.69 oz/ 50 mL so she might be curious too since from my quick Google it seems to be HA and B5.

Re: Empties - V2

@ShortErica @faeriegirl I've used up a few bottles of the DE BHydra.  I tend to be dry skinned, especially in the cooler months and found that it was okay, but not amazing as a hydrating serum for me.  I've since polished off the Versed Hyaluronic Acid (it was way too watery for my liking but did deliver a similar level of hydration as DE), and an Inkey List HA (it was okay but didn't wow me in any way, I also tried adding their fpolyglutamic acid to this and while again, it was fine, I still wasn't wow'd) this combo was better than the Versed for me simply in ease of use.  I'm currently working with a Bioderma Hydrabio Serum and so far I really like this one.  I have a deluxe sample I've been using for almost a week and I could easily see myself grabbing a full size.  Its got nice spreadability on my skin, I feel super hydrated using this with a few different moisturizers after that aren't exactly all stars for me.  My skin doesn't feel dry in the mornings in at all and the little bit of fragrance isn't noticeable to me (last ingredient). I still have serums here in my 'to open' drawer, I believe PTR and TCS, and Sweet Chef... maybe lol.  I hope you find a great hydrator faeriegirl, I'll try to keep an ear/eye out for how your dupe search goes, hopefully some of this helps a bit!

Re: Empties - V2

So ... I just spent all this time writing about my empties all for my post to be lost in the ether. I don't want to go through all that again, so I'm just posting pics of my May empties and heading out like SpongeBob. LovesLoves

 

LikesLikes

 

MehsMehs

 

Nahs / DecluttersNahs / Declutters

 

Re: Empties - V2

The leaders mask and banila zero cleanser are amazing @sephoraaddict918 ! Sorry you lost all your reviews.

Re: Empties - V2

Thank you, @jen81! The Leaders has become a staple for me! I pick it up every time I see it. This was my first time using the Banila Co, and I instantly fell in love. I will definitely pick up a full size. 

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