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

[eshoe]

This is a movie @Shosh85 @scott1201 🤣??? This I must see!!!!

[Shosh85]

@scott1201 It's pleasure town! Haha! I literally just watched that movie with my hubs yesterday!! 😂

[itsfi]

The last of my December empties.

Loves - the three sheet masks on the top row are new loves; everything else are tried-and-true loves.

Spoiler

LOVES
It's almost a certainty that these Peace Out Acne Healing Dots will be in my life for so long as I experience periodic breakouts and nowadays, maskne. Since these particular dots are on the pricier side, I tend to use them on the more challenging cystic acne or larger blemishes. 

Innisfree intensive Hydrating Serum with Green Tea Seedis one of those serums I keep coming back to and if I would hazard a guess that it's probably a serum I would like to keep on hand in my skincare library. It works all year round for me, but I probably reach for it more frequently in the warmer months. 

Although I'm not the biggest fan of the scent on the Inna Organic Neroli Brightening Facial Mask (the initial neroli scent I like but there's something else in the fragrance that makes it less pleasing to me) but it dissipates quickly), the results from this one really are great and make it repurchase-worthy - my skin feels nourished and my complexion looks fresh, dewy and brightened.

The hydrating, refreshing cooling and brightening effects from the Yumei Water Glow Skin Renewal Facial Mask make it one worth seeking out. 

Etude House 0.2mm Air Therapy Mask (Olive) Firming & Moisturizing is new varietal to the brand's 0.2mm collection. It boasts a new essence formula, and one that this dehydrated and dry skinned gal loves. The milky creamy gel essence is rich, nourishing and emollient without being too heavy or greasy; and it's what makes this mask a winter must-have for me. ❤️❤️❤️ 
 
Not enough can be said about what a wonderful, versatile and practical beauty product the MegRhythm Gentle Steam Eye Mask makes - great for nights when I can't fall asleep, for headaches, sinuses, or just because. Another beauty product I don't want to ever be without. ❤️❤️❤️

I would love The Creme Shop Masquerade Eye Sheet Mask (Caffeine) even if it didn't smell like chocolate. That it does just makes me love it more. ❤️ Since it's much larger than your standard eye mask, covering about 3/4 of my face, it's actually perfect when my chin and jawline are breaking out or looking like an oil pool  . . . or when I want to eat while masking. 😉

Candles have been rather soothing and calming for me during this stay at home. One of the scents I've really been enjoying has been Trader Joe's Honeycrisp Apple Scented Candle- there's just something about my work space smelling like an apple orchard that makes going into "the office" that much more pleasant. 🍎

The Ordinary 100% Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil is a cold-weather staple for me. It keeps my skin happy and healthy. 

Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisture Serum has one of those formulations that just work extraordinarily well for my skin. I rotate through various hyaluronic acid serums throughout the year, as I'm always interested in trying out what's new on the market, but this one is one I always try to keep on hand. It's great for when my skin is in good shape and helps to restore it when it's looking and feeling less than ideal.

Thin, soft, comfortable hydrating masks are essential to my skin's wellness and I'm very particular about my hydrating sheet masks. The Etude House 0.2mm Air Therapy Mask (Manuka Honey) Rich Moisturization and boo Bamboo Bamboo Fiber Charcoal Sheet Mask (Hydrating) are two I consider solid, dependable, hydrating sheet masks, and ones I would happily include as part of a daily sheet masking routine. 

I rediscovered both the Mediheal / Mediental Bidanpo Balhyo-Mibaek Healing Mask (green packaging) and Mediheal / Mediental Bidanpo Balhyo-Jinjeong Healing Mask (purple packaging) while working through the last of my pre-2020 accumulated sheet masks. These were masks I received from a friend around the time I first started using sheet masks on a regular basis as part of my skincare routine. I think these were also my first introduction to the Mediheal brand. I'd forgotten how much my skin loves these masks - the traditional Korean hanbang scent and formulation and the healing, hydrating and nourishing results from these masks. Sadly, it looks like they've been discontinued, which bums me out because I could see these being a regular part of my sheet masking routine. 

Likes - lots of good products this month.

Spoiler

LIKES: I liked all these items and would happily use them again. The reason they fall into the "like" and not "love" category could be for any number of reasons, with the most common ones being either (i) there's another similar product that I find to be more of a "must have" due to their formulation, cost or results or (ii) I already have more than my fair share of a similar product to justifying purchasing or repurchasing the item.

Briogeo puts out some fabulous hair masks. If I didn't have so many hair masks, including multiple backups of the other hair masks from the brand, I'd definitely pick up the Briogeo Be Gentle, Be Kind Avocado + Kiwi Mega Moisture Superfood Mask.

Biore Nose Strips 1 Deep Cleansing Charcoal Pore Strip is good; I just like the original better.

Bath and Body Works 3-Wick Candle - Dutch Apple Waffle - B&BW candles have some of the best throws. This one smells delicious; I like the Trader Joe's Honeycrisp Apple scented candle better.

The Creme Shop Cold Brew Face Mask smells like cold brew and was one of the first sheet masks from The Creme Shop that I tried so it has some sentimental value for me. If I'm really looking at it from a results standpoint though, it's what I would consider not a fine mask but not a standout ... other than that coffee scent. 😉 

Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Joia Conditioner is also another product that smells amazing. The hair care items from the brand though aren't the standout products from the line. 

I tend to be a little nervous when it comes to kaolin clay masks. Don't get me wrong, they're great for drawing gunk out of pores and cleansing skin, but my dehydrated-combo skin is always a little apprehensive about how the drier and more dehydrated parts of my face will handle it, especially in the winter when my skin leans more on the dry side. Fortunately, Aesop Parsley Seed Masque also contains aloe vera, rosehip, grapeseed, panthenol and parsley seed (hence the name) to not only help to keep skin from drying out but to soothe and nourish it while also clarifying the skin. This will likely be something I purchase again after I've made may way through a handful of more wash off clay-based masks.

Holika Holika Pure Essence Mask Sheet (Lemon) makes a nice morning mask for its brightening and light hydration.

It's a competitive arena when it comes to snail mucin products and my mask library. I like TonyMoly Master Lab Intensive Damage Care Mask (Snail Mucin) but it suffers from there being a lot of other really great snail mucin sheet masks on the market that I like more. That said, I would happily use this one.

DryBar On the Rocks Clarifying Charcoal Shampoo isn't bad, but I much prefer Living Proof Triple Detox Shampoo.

If I didn't have as many essences and primers as I do (and that I really like), the Farsali Unicorn Essence would be one I'd consider including in my rotation. 

If I were traveling more (or at all), I would consider keeping stock of the Smell Like Lemon One Wet Cleansing Wipe. For now, it's one that I'll just keep a note of for when that day comes when these might be more useful to me.

Conceptually, I'm all for the Julep Cushion Complexion 5-in-1 Sin Perfector with Turmeric. I go back-and-forth on how I feel about the sponge tip applicator on this one and I'd probably be more inclined to repurchase this if I found a better shade match.

The foil size of the Innisfree Cica Balm with Bija Seed Oil and Innisfree Brightening & Pore-Caring Sleeping Mask aren't enough for me to form an opinion whether these would replace any of the similar products I currently consider 'must haves' in my skincare library.

I'm always on the fence when it comes to Blossom Jeju Red Camellia Soombi 2-Step Deep Nourishing Petal Mask. It's one that works well for my skin in the winter months but I'm not sure it works better than other oil-based sheet masks I've used in the past or that are more frequently included in my collection of sheet masks.

Missha Cho Bo Yang BB Cream SPF30 PA++ No. 21 is too light and too pink for my complexion. I do like having it on hand to mix with the No. 23 version of this BB cream, to get a better shade match.

If I didn't have a thriving amount of sheet masks and if I didn't mask as frequently as I do, the 111 Skin Rose Gold Brightening Facial Treatment Mask might be a mask I'd consider keeping on hand. Well, maybe if it wasn't $32 per mask. I'm not adverse to being spendy with my skincare but this one is a little more than I care to splurge on for myself.

Sephora Collection Cleansing Brush Wipes(x2) are great for cleaning brushes on the road. I'm not sure Sephora makes these anymore. I'd pick these up again if / when traveling becomes something I do, either for business or personally.

Bulgari Rose Goldea Eau de Parfum is a pretty rose scent; there are just other rose scents I like more.

I think I'd like Byredo Mojave Ghost Eau de Parfum better in candle form. Oh look, they do have a candle with this scent. Noted. 😉 

I've always wondered about the Innisfree Youth-Enriched Cream With Orchid, but shied away from it because I'd heard that the scent was overpowering. That didn't seem to be the case with this foil sample, but I also didn't have enough product to know how my skin would like it in the long haul. If samples are something stores can make for customers again, I might consider asking for a larger sample of this to try.

Ouai Hair Oil (original version) (not pictured) - I like the rose version better.

Trader Joe's Scented Candle (Grapefruit) smells very potently of grapefruit. While it can be a bit intense for my liking at times, but this TJ candle has one of the better throws to it.

Virtue The Perfect Ending Split End Serum was part of a gratis package a couple of years ago. I initially did not think it did anything for my hair but have since changed my tune. It does a nice job of smoothing out my hair and controlling the frizzies. I've also noticed my hair seems less ... mmmm, brittle, when I use it, along with hair oils and hair masks, on a consistent basis. 

Sephora Collection Orchid Eye Mask isn't bad; I like the pearl (old formulation) and caffeine / coffee (new clean formula) better. 

Celebeau Bulgarian Rose Radiance Mask is fine. The brand makes a black rose hydrating version of this mask that I prefer over this one.

Maybe's - these were fine.

Spoiler

MAYBE: With the exception of the DE micellar water (which I found to be better if I just used it to remove eye makeup) and the sun cream (which leaves such a white cast (and stIcky finish) even on my lighter complected skin), I probably would have liked these products better in the warmer spring and summer months.

Chesapeake Bay Candle Home Scents (Island Orchid)

Dior Capture Youth Plump Filler Serum

TonyMoly Pureness 100 Green Tea Mask Sheet Skin Soothing

Gucci Flora Eau de Parfum

I Dew Care In The Zone Pore Tightening Tea Tree Mask

Drunk Elephant E-Rase Milki Micellar Water
Dr. Belmeur Mineral Sun Cream SPF48 PA+++

Naruko Rose Astringent Mask

Meh

Spoiler

MEH:

Sephora Collection Rose Lip Mask is more fun than anything; it's also a good item to drop into my cart if I need to meet a minimum for a promo.

I'm convinced I'm doing something wrong with the Dr. Jart+ Focuspot Micro Tip Patches as I can never seem to get them to stay on, which definitely contributes to their "meh" classification. I have a few more left so I'll keep trying but their prospect for moving up in the ranks aren't looking great. 

I'm on the fence about Maison Margiela Mutiny Eau de Parfum; I don't know if I like it from beginning to end, it turns a little too sweet for me.

Nothing wrong with the Lancome UV Expert AquaGel Defense 50 Sunscreen; I like the lightweight texture, but there are just a host of other SPFs I prefer over this one.

The illustration on the packaging and the actual mask of The Creme Shop Glow Up, Skin! Face Mask are adorable but the results are just okay for me. I prefer the pink version of this unicorn mask. 

My face is very finicky when it comes to the natural alternative to salicylic-acid in the Sephora Collection Clarifying Serum. On the one hand, it works nicely to exfoliate, decongest and reduce redness from breakouts along my jawline, neck and the underside of my chin; it also does a nice job of keeping my nose clear and decongested, all without drying any of those areas. On the other hand, it can make things worse when I use it to clear up the area around my mouth. 

esfolio Hand & Nail Vital Mask is your typical hand mask - not bad, but nothing standout about it either.

The formulation on the Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado is too thick and heavy for my undereye area and can cause me to breakout if I'm not careful to use a light hand with it. As a result, I tend to use it as a hand cream or over my elbows. 

I had a love-hate relationship with Philosophy Amazing Grace Magnolia Eau de Toilette and found I appreciated it best when I re-purposed it as a room spray. 

DryBar On the Rocks Lightweight Replenishing Conditioner presents one of those rare instances where I like the shampoo counterpart of a shampoo-and-conditioner set more than the conditioner. I don't know what it was about this one in particular but my hair just didn't seem to respond to it as well as it does with most other conditioners. It did a fine job at detangling but I didn't find it to soften or condition my hair as I hoped it would

"Meh" is really a great descriptor for the SpaLife Hydrating Facial Mask (Wild Cherry + Collagen). I've used this on several different occasions and can't say I've found it to be anything other than just "meh" each time.  

Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Joia Shampoo leaves my hair very, very flat. As my hair is flat to begin with, that's not a good thing.

The scent on this Rituals Soap Bar (Mandarin Bliss - Mandarin & Yuzu) is wonderful - a burst of orange. I'm pretty sure this was a soap bar that was carried in one of the hotels I stayed at and one of the rare hotel toiletries I took home with me (because I've been interested in trying Rituals products). It's not bad - I can see how the scent might be nice for summer mornings, but overall, it's not a standout for me. 

The Sephora Collection sheet masks that come in the square packaging have not worked out very well for me. While the Sephora Collection The Blue Foil Mask fares better than others in that I did not have a bad reaction to it, it's not one that I would seek out. I find that all the foil masks from this brand to be just 'okay' or 'meh'. I'll stick to the reformulated masks from the brand's other line and in particular, the lychee and spirulina sheet masks.  

[haleyvvvv]

Great list of empties, @itsfi!! The DE micelle water is not great, but does work okayish to take off eye makeup, thats how I've been trying to use up my DS.

[itsfi]

Thank you @haleyvvvv! Agree about the DE micellar water. It was a big let down. For me, Bioderma is still the best for a pre-cleanse. I have a FS of the DE that I’ll be working on finishing up this year. 

[Shosh85]

@itsfi  Oh wow, so many empties! Nice job!I see we share a lot of the same loves 😉

I wasn't a big fan of the Sephora Blue mask either - but honestly, I don't remember liking any of the masks in the square packaging. 🤔

[itsfi]

@Shosh85, I’m the same - I haven’t really been fond of the Sephora masks in square packaging. I haven’t tried them all but have gone through a fair amount and while most of the ones I’ve tried haven’t caused any irritation, they haven’t been ones I’ve liked, not even as filler. 

Thank you! My plan last year was to go through all my partially used products, a lot of my sheet masks and as much of my foils as I could. It’s nice that I was able to get through most things but also very humbling and distressing too that I had so many products to get through. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Really hopeful there be a lot less empties this year; well, after I finish up the foils I didn’t get through last year. 😂 

[eshoe]

@itsficurious how you use the Virtue; all over or just the ends🤔 

[itsfi]

@eshoe, I apply it first to the length of my hair, working the product through to condition and if necessary, detangle my hair, avoiding the crown and ends so as to not weigh my hair down. Then I use what is left on my hands of the product and work it through the ends. 

[eshoe]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, @itsfi. I’ve been concentrating on my ends, but I am going to give your method a try:)

[itsfi]

Hopefully it worked out for you @eshoe.

[lmaster]

You did an amazing job!!! @itsfi 

[itsfi]

Thank you @lmaster! 🤗 It was eye opening how many foils and partially used full size products I had. Definitely don't want to do that again. I should have far less empties this year. 😁 The vast majority of my full size items are skincare and bath & body products, so I'm hopeful that I will be able to use or be able to find good homes (i.e, shelters, non-profits, family, friends, coworkers, etc.) for them.

[itsfi]

2020 SUMMARY

Full-size and deluxe / travel size products - I went into 2020 with an embarrassing number of partially used full-size and deluxe / travel size products that I had neglected and wanted to use up (thankfully, most were 1/2 to 1/3 full, but I had a handful that were 3/4+ full), and a lot of foil samples that I wanted to clear out. I am very happy with the results - with the exception of 5 products that I'm still working my way through (e.g., shampoo, conditioner, sleeping mask, exfoliating toner, and an eyeshadow palette I forgot about) and a handful of lipsticks that will likely be de-stashed sometime this year if I can't make them work for me, I've gone through all of my partially used full size products. Yes!!! I have about 40+ unopen deluxe / travel size items, approximately a dozen of which are new to me, which I plan to go through this year. The others are tried-and-true products that I keep in my gym bag or for travel. Given the prospects of those two things opening up for me, I may end up just working my way through these items this year as well. 

Foils- I am down to about 24 foils of products I've never used before, but am interested in trying. My goal with these is to try to finish everything by the end of the first quarter, if not by the end of this month. I also have a handful of foils of products that I consider staples that I've kept for travel. Similar to my deluxe / travel sizes, I may end up using these items this year given the prospects of travel in 2021 is highly unlikely. 

2020 YEAR-TO-DATE TOTALS / BREAKDOWN:

Spoiler

	YTD
Skincare	704*
Makeup	58
Hair Care	63
Bath & Body	61
Nails	23
Wellness	21
Fragrance	38
Home (Candles, Diffusers, Etc.)	39
Other	43
2020 TOTAL:	1,050

* of which 368 were sheet masks

	YTD
Full Size	694*
Deluxe / Travel / Mini Size	169
Foils	187
2020 TOTAL:	1,050

DE-STASH (7 total items de-stashed or tossed out before using up; these were not included in my total count):

Full Size	6
Deluxe	1
Makeup	4
Skincare	2
Nail Care	1

• Burt's Bees Flavor Crystals Lip Balm (Tropical Pineapple)- When I think balms, I think something that will help soften and moisturize my lips. This felt hard against my lips and took too much effort to get it even the slightest of product from the tube onto my lips.  DE-STASHED 2.2020
• Tarte SEA Surfer Curl Volumizing Mascara- This has a drier formulation and I initially really liked it, but after a few uses, it started to flake and smudge, and clump my lashes together.  DE-STASHED 2.2020
  
• Deborah Lippman Naked  - Sadly, the bottle ended up crushed. DE-STASHED 8.1.2020 
• Fenty Full Frontal Mascara - This smudges a lot. DE-STASHED 8.2020
• Sephora Concealer (x2) - It's aimed at helping to combat and conceal acne, but just gave me more to have to conceal. Sigh.  DE-STASHED 8.2020
• Ulta Winter Vanilla Lip Balm - I rarely if ever destash lip balms. This may be the first one and I did so because it was just too difficult to pick up any product and when I could, it wasn't very moisturizing. DE-STASHED 12.2020

[Shosh85]

@itsfi  I love how you recorded it all!..... but holy crap, 1,050!!! 😳 That's awesome! 😃🙌

[itsfi]

“Holy crap” is right @Shosh85! 🤪 I’m not proud that I had so many products to get through, especially as the vast majority of the empties were not new 2020 purchases. 😔 

It was helpful to see what I use a lot of. 👍🏼 The numbers are probably a little off with respect to the sheet mask count - I count the multi-day packs as 1, and not based on the actual number of sheet masks in the pack. Will be interesting to see how it compares to what I go through this year. 🤔 I’m expecting fewer total foils. Much less full size products as well considering that with the exception of a handful of products, all my full size items I use this year will be ones that have not otherwise been open or partially used. I may have more makeup empties as I’m trying to be good about using up what I have. 

[lmaster]

November empties: 33 YTD: 682

 

 

  ⬆️ Loves

 ⬆️Likes

 ⬆️ not for me

[ather]

@lmaster  Great job using up products!!! Voluspa candles are the best!

[lmaster]

@ather thank you!! They sure are wonderful!!

[itsfi]

Lots of sheet masks @lmaster! Ohhh, those Voluspa candles!!! I'll be interested to know which of the 4 in that set is your favorite, or how you would rank them.

[lmaster]

@itsfi oh my gosh these two are definitely both excellent!! They would be equally wonderful