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

[faeriegirl]

@itsfi  It is still my favorite lip scrub. I still have 2 of them and I’m going to be so sad when I use them up.

[QueenMarceline]

@faeriegirl Nice job! How do you like the TJ's scrub? I just purchased my first scrub from them in the whipped cocoa scent, very excited to give it a go 🙂

[faeriegirl]

@QueenMarceline  I really like the scrubs from Trader Joe’s and the Brazil nut is my favorite. I got the pumpkin one this fall and it was really good too. I just picked up the cocoa one and I am really excited to try it out!

[CookieGirl1]

@faeriegirl good to know about the iNNBEAUTY PROJECT Bright & Tight Dark Circle Firming Eye Cream with Vitamin C & Peptides 0.5 oz / 15... being a new fav; I recently tried their lip glazes and really like them so I wouldn't mind trying something else from them.

[faeriegirl]

@CookieGirl1  I really like it! Next I want to try iNNBEAUTY PROJECT Green Machine Vitamin C Dark Spot & Hyperpigmentation Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL 

[caitbird]

@faeriegirl  wow, great job! Glad you found so many loves among them!

[itsfi]

November 2023 Empties

Month to date: 37

Year to date: 400

Details regarding foils in the Foil Challenge thread

Lots of deluxe / travel and foil sized empties in November. 

Empties Review: 

Spoiler

I would happily repurchase (or, for the samples products, purchase) everything here except the MARA Mini Chia + Moringa® Algae Enzyme Cleansing Oil 2 oz / 60 ml, which itself isn’t bad, it’s just not for me. It contains an ingredient that my skin has been known to have some sensitivity. 😞 I can use this cleanser, but not everyday, and, for something I would use as a first cleanser, I prefer it to be something I can use everyday.

I've struggled with adult acne for more years than I can count. 😩 I still get an occasional breakout, but it's not been as frequent this year as in years, no, decades, past. I kid you not, I used to go through a pack of these acne dots (Peace Out Acne Salicylic Acid Day & Night Duo are my favorites), from one brand or another every 4-6 weeks. This year was a breakthrough year, in that, the last time I posted an empty pack of these pimple patches was 4 months ago! Months, not weeks. That feels good; real good! 😁

Gucci Brume de Beauté Beauty Mist 2.7 oz / 80 mL - this is a love, must have product for me❣️ I'm on bottle #2 and am contemplating picking up another bottle just to make sure I have one on hand. This makes my skin look luminous and helps to keep it hydrated! 

Sol de Janeiro Mini Beija Flor™ Collagen-Boosting Elasti-Cream with Bio-Retinol and Squalane 2.5 oz/... is a repeated repurchase for my own use and for gifts to others.

OLEHENRIKSEN Mini Skin Barrier Strengthening Moisturizer with Peptides and Niacinamide 0.5 oz / 15 m...  is part of my cool weather squad rotation, along with Tatcha, Dr Jart Ceramidin, and Farmacy Honey Halo. Love ‘em and my skin is grateful for them. This OLEHENRIKSEN Strength Trainer Skin Barrier Moisturizer with Peptides and Niacinamide 1.7 oz/ 50 mL I have in multiple sizes.

Chloé Chloe L'Eau and Chloé Chloé Naturelle Eau de Parfum are two fragrances I would purchase as full sizes, though I won’t be picking any bottles up until next year because I am trying to be good and not go for all the fragrances at once. Pacing myself is hard this time of year with all the deals.

Likewise with the reformulated JVN Nurture Hydrating Shampoo For Dry Hair 10 oz / 295 ml and JVN Nurture Hydrating Conditioner For Dry Hair 10 oz / 295 ml (shout out to Maria at Corte Madera store for making me such a generous sample of each, holy moly). Ideally, I’d have no more than 3 shampoo and conditioner sets open and in rotation, 2 detox masks or shampoos, 3 hair masks, and maaaaaybe a new-to-me s/c that I’m testing.  I’ve exceeded my limits in a couple of those categories so I must (try to) be good.

[Mellmars1185]

@itsfi Amazing empties! I am so glad to hear you have been needing less of the peace out patches lately. Do you have an idea of what is helping you out with experiencing less acne? I could use tips! I go through waves. I also have experienced adult acne my whole adult life. I thought it would stop (at the latest) in my twenties. If my memory serves mw correctly, is that the Gucci spray you discovered in NYC? Two bottles? I think I need to check this out.

[itsfi]

@Mellmars1185, I rarely had breakouts in my teens, which was great, but I made up for that big time as an adult. I've read that it is common for women in our 30s, 40s & 50s to experience acne for the first time or to experience again. Yaaaay us <<please say this with an extra dose of sarcasm>>

My acne occurred along my jawline, chin or upper lip and was the result of changes in hormones and often around that time of the month. I still occasionally have a breakout but it is not as bad as it was - I used to break out at least once per month and then the pimples would stay or leave a scar that would stay until literally a week or so before the next breakout. It was utter job <<insert more sarcasm!>> I can say though that adult Fi is probably better equipped to handle that emotionally than teenage Fi. So there's that. 

I started noticing less frequency and severity in my breakouts about 24 months and marked improvement (to the point where I might have a breakout once 3-4 months rather than every 3-4 weeks. Now, for the most part, when the breakouts occur, they are much milder and, if I get ahead of it, I can flatten it and keep it from forming. There times when that doesn't happen and I have to wait it out but those are much less frequent. Here's what I found to help manage my periodic acne:

• Taking probiotics regularly - this helped to regulate the bacteria in my gut. I did this in the form of a glass of kombucha. Ideally, every morning but some weeks, I'd only get in a glass 3-4 days per week. 

• Cutting back / cutting out dairy & gluten - I don't cut it out completely as I enjoy having pizza, pasta, a sandwich, dessert and the like every so often, but I'm much aware of when, how much and how often I take it in.

• Upping my veggie intake - I have tried to be good with just getting in extra veggies whenever I can, not just when I'm away from home. So a veggie smoothie in the morning or a green juice in the afternoon. Of course, it's best if my vegetable intake comes in the form of actual greens that I chew, but I will supplement even if I am eating my daily recommended value of vegetables. I doubt my doctor will ever tell me that I'm eating too many vegetables. 

• Staying hydrated throughout the day. I try to get in 10-12 glasses of water a day. It doesn't always happen, but I feel like I did a good job if I can get 8-10, the extra glasses are a stretch goal. 

In terms of my skincare, I've found that the more streamlined my skincare routine, the happier my skin when it comes to breakouts. I used to have a 10+ skincare routine and it was lovely, but these days, my evening routine consists of anywhere from 3 - 6 products and my morning routine is anywhere from 2 - 4 products. I also make sure not to over exfoliate my skin, even when it's at its most oily. 

From a treatment / mask perspective, these are the ones that I've found to be helpful when it comes to fighting or preventing a zit:

• Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting BHA 9 Treatment 0.3 oz/ 9 mL  - this I use as a spot treatment for the area(s) where I break out.

• For masks to flatten or tame an angry zit, any of the following are great, depending on how gentle or intense I'm going for - these are used as a spot treatment:

• The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Masque # - mildest / most gentle

• innisfree Volcanic AHA Pore Clearing Clay Mask 3.38 oz/ 100 mL - I've been through 2 full size jars, I think. It's a good one. 

• Tatcha The Clarifying Clay Mask Exfoliating Pore Treatment 1.7 oz/ 50 mL - this one is the strongest of the three and can sting. It's also the most expensive. There's a mini size available on the Tatcha site.

My jawline was a larger area where breakouts occurred and to treat the larger area, I would apply a resurfacing mask once every 7-10 days - ones I like are Peach & Lily Super Reboot or RANAVAT Resurfacing Saffron AHA Masque - Radiant Rani 1.7 oz/ 50 mL ##. Another good, gentle and effective mask is Origins Clear Improvement Charcoal Honey Mask - sadly, it's not as widely available as it used to be. I only see it on QVC. 

And, of course, there were/are the Peace Out Acne Salicylic Acid Day & Night Duo 20 Acne Day Dots / 20 Acne Healing Dots which are super helpful when a pimple that has broken through the surface of the skin. These nighttime ones really do a great job of sucking out all the gunk (or much of it) overnight and flattening the zit. The day time ones are super thin and do a wonderful job of concealing the pimple or at the very least, making it less noticeable. 

[Mellmars1185]

@itsfi Thank you so much! I wish I could save this post. I will definitely try some of the things that work for you. I know I need to drink more water and I do the grocery shopping so I can definitely make some changes there. I so own the innisfree Volcanic AHA Pore Clearing Clay Mask 3.38 oz/ 100 mL . Do you spot treat or apply to your whole face?

[itsfi]

You're very welome @Mellmars1185. I went through such a long period of breaking out, some times periodically and others with such regularity that it didn't seem like I would ever not breakout all along my jawline or around my chin / upper lip. If there's something that I can pass along that I tried that might work for someone else, I'm all for sharing that. 

Oh, here's a permalink to the post - Re: Empties - V2 - Page 4 - Beauty Insider Community (sephora.com) - if there's a post I'm interested in referring bak to, I'll get a permalink of the post and then paste that link in a note on my phone or in a draft e-mail with a note as to what the link is about. You can also bookmark the post, but I find that I can have a lot of bookmarks after a time and it takes more effort to go back through those. lol

I just remembered another mask that works, Sunday Riley Saturn Sulfur + Niacinamide Spot Treatment Mask 0.5 oz/ 15 mL - this tingles. There are, of course, also prescription medication that work depending on the nature of your breakouts - hormonal, cystic acne, etc. but that's best for a conversation with your doctor. I've been on a couple and they worked but after being off them for a period of time, my hormonal acne came back. 

Your skin leans more oily, yes? If so, I think that the innisfree can be used all over your face once per week, with spot treatment on other days during the week. My skin is normal now (a modern miracle) but for the longest time it was dry & dehydrated for all but the summer months when it was combo (oily lower T-zone, normal forehead & dry cheeks), but dehydrated under the surface. For me, I tended to use the innisfree mask only on the oily parts of my face and as a spot (or area) treatment. So when I had breakouts (or, if I could time it, a week before I would start breaking out), I would apply the innisfree mask all along my jawline (and my lower T-zone) and leave it on for 10 minutes. Then, I'd wash off the clay mask and either apply a hydrating serum & my moisturizer or use a sheet mas (to put back in hydration). For the rest of the week, I'd alternate every couple of days between using the innisfree as a spot treatment to remove excess oil from the pimple(s) and with the aim of flattening the spot and using the Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting BHA 9 Treatment 0.3 oz/ 9 mL - for something so potent, it was not as drying as I thought it would be, but because it has a higher concetration of BHA, I would use it just for a spot treatment.

[Mellmars1185]

@itsfi Thank you so much for the suggestions! I am going to read about these. In the meantime I have a reason to start reaching for my Innisfree mask. I think that if I apply skincare it will also help me avoid picking.

[itsfi]

Yes, as hard as it is, no picking. No touching your face. It's not the easiest thing to do, I know; but it does help @Mellmars1185. It's a fight with myself but I have to remind myself constantly to not touch my breakouts. 

[itsfi]

Good memory @Mellmars1185  on the Gucci Brume de Beauté Beauty Mist 2.7 oz / 80 mL - it is the one I purchased when I was in NYC for Sephoria. I'm slightly OBSESSED with it, and while I love many beauty products, there are only a few I would say I was obssessed with. This is one of them. I would pay full price for a bottle, but since this sale came up, I thought, why not?! I also figure that if I get it now, I will be less likely to get distracted when I'm on a low / much low(er) buy next year. 😂 So, there is a strategy to my purchase. Hahaha!

It says it can be used as a hydrator, refresher and/or setting spray and it's true - it works very well for any of those 3 functions and all of them. One of my favorite ways to use it is with my powder foundation. I spritz the compact sponge before picking up the product and apply. It gives me a smooth, pretty, lightly luminous finish. 😍 

Gotta take care of something but will be back later with some thoughts on adult acne. 😞 Where do you find yourself breaking out a lot? 

[Mellmars1185]

@itsfi Thanks for the feedback. I may need to pick one up before a no buy too. Great strategy. I find i get acne mostly aro my jawline. This past month I got some extra above my lip which was painful and around my temples.

[itsfi]

Ouch @Mellmars1185, the ones above the lips huuuuurt. 😟 I'm so sorry. 

For the ones along your temples, are you using different hair care products than you normally do? Or have you been sweating more in those areas? Or wearing a headband/hat/cap?

[Mellmars1185]

@itsfi I think the ones around my temples could be from having the scalp oil in for too long. Sometimes I will leave it in for more than one day. I noticed that i got symmetrical acne when I had it on my temple area. I thought that was an odd coincidence.

[itsfi]

Ah, that makes sense @Mellmars1185! Good thinking! 👍

[Samtian]

@itsfi Great job and beautiful photo! I love love love the Chloé Chloé Naturelle Eau de Parfum It will actually be my next finished full size bottle. 

[itsfi]

Awww, thank you @Samtian! 😊 Ohhh, Chloe Naturelle is a beautiful fragrance - one of my favorite rose scents, actually.

[Samtian]

@itsfi I can see why. I don't detect the rose very much when I wear it.