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:

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

[ather]

@lmaster  Same. I feel the older I am getting the less coverage I want. I hate when it settles into my lines 😬

[caitbird]

@ather  awesome empties! All full size, wow! Do you mix the 2 shades of foundation, or do you use them for different times of the year?

[ather]

@caitbird  I use both ways. Winter I usually use 2 and summer 4 and for the in between I use both! 

[itsfi]

November 2024 Empties

Month-to-Date = 32 (includes November Foils)

Year-to-Date = 404

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👍  I like to keep wipes like the Johnson's Hand & Face Wipes on hand for a quick cleanse or refresh; these come in handy for wiping off swatches, and are not irritating on sensitive skin.

🐐  Sephora Collection Caffeine Eye Mask - love these. 

👍  Touchland Glow Mist Revitalizing Hand Sanitizer Rosewater - love the hand sanitizer 💖; the rose scent on this one is just alright.

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🐐   CosRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence is a well loved, sought after product for a reason. I've been using this off and on for as long as I've been on BIC if not longer, and have made it a staple in my skincare routine - I always appreciate what it does for my skin more after I've gone through periods of not incorporating it into my routine. 

🐐  Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin™ Skin Barrier Moisturizing Cream 1.7 oz / 50 mL soothes my skin's redness and barrier. Now that my skin is normal-to-dry for most of the year, I find myself reaching for it more frequently, not just in the wintertime.

👍  I was surprised how well I liked Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Find Comfort Niacinamide Hydrating Body Lotion - the semi lotion, semi balm consistency makes my skin feel nourished without feeling heavy. The scent on this one isn't bad either - soft, light, slightly herbaceous.

👍  Biossance Mini Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Firming Oil 0.5 oz / 15 mL - the combination of rose hip seed oil and vitamin C makes it quick and easy to get in to good-for-my skin ingredients to brighten and moisturize. It's one I like and would use if I had another on hand (which I do), but it's not one I'd necessarily run out to pick up when I finish.

🐐  Shiseido Super-Soft, 100% Natural Facial Cotton 165 sheets continue to be the best in the market.

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🐐  EADEM Milk Marvel Dark Spot Serum with Niacinamide and Vitamin C 1 oz/ 30 mL is a staple in my collection. I've lost count of how many bottles of this I've gone through.

👍  Sephora Collection Mushroom Sponge (limited edition) (discontinued) is really cute; I found its smaller size helpful with blending out liquid blush and liquid highlighter. 

👍  Rhode Barrier Restore Cream is a nice, no muss, no fuss moisturizer. It's better suited for me in the summer. 

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😘  Cutex Swipe & Go Nail Polish Remover Pads has been one of the best individually wrapped nail remover pads I've tried (not that I've tried thaaaat many). I like to bring a couple with me whenever I travel. 

👍  Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Sin works well with shimmery, sparkly eyeshadows. Though not my favorite, it is a great one and may be the one I go to when I finish the Valentino eyeshadow primer - seems as if the Valentino has been discontinued 😞

❤️  LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask Intense Hydration with Vitamin C  is always a good lip balm / mask to have on hand. The original berry flavor is nice, though not my favorite.

👍  #StriVectin TL Advanced™ Tightening Neck Cream PLUS with Alpha-3 Peptide ™ # is a good neck cream for those who like a thick but not too thick of a neck cream. Has great ingredients. I'd use it if I had another but I prefer a serum formulation for my neck creams

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👍  SEPHORA COLLECTION Mini Daily Brush Cleaner is great for quick clean of my brushes between deep cleansing sessions.

❤️  The sweet, fresh, green fruity-floral blend of the peach and floral notes in the Bridgerton Diamond of the Season by Bath & Body Works Fragrance Mist (limited edition)(discontinued) is a win for me. I wish they'd bring this and the candle in this scent back permanently. 

👍  Kérastase Chroma Absolu Anti-Frizz Leave-In Treatment for Color-Treated Hair 5.1 oz/ 150 mL  is a good one; the herbaceous scent that is a signature for his Chroma Absolu line takes a little getting used to - it's more prominent in this mist than in the shampoo and conditioner from this collection, which are also good.

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👍  SEPHORA COLLECTION Organic Cotton Swabs 200 Swabs do what they're intended to do and are one of the "cart fillers" I consider picking up when I need to hit a certain minimum spend to qualify for a promo gwp. 🤣

🙁  I used to like the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge more than I do - not sure if they went through a redesign but this one felt less bouncy and more dense and firm than I cared for.

🙁  Love the red glass component of the Jo by Jo Loves Candle but the interplay of the notes in this one didn't play out the way I thought they would - the black pepper, woody and vetiver scents were stronger than I liked and overwhelmed the citrusy notes. 

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👍  Nest Autumn Plum Candle has a good mix of woodsy, fruity, spicy. I like it best though paired with the Nest Pistachio & Wild Fig Candle.

❤️  I wasn't expecting the chocolatey cocoa scent from Nest Pistachio & Wild Fig Candle but I love it! All the goodness of chocolate minus the calories. 

🙊  I like the crackling wick on the Threshold Leather & Embers Candle and while I'm usually a big fan of smokey candles, the leather notes on this one were too much for me. I ended up using it by burning it with another candle - either a strong, sweet one or one with a prominent vanilla scent.

👍  The woodsy, warm, boozy scent of the Threshold Whiskey & Oak Candle, on the other hand, were right up my alley and with the crackling sound from the wooden wick made the house smell warm and cozy.

❤️  Similarly, the woodsy, spicy notes of the Voluspa Cinnamon Wood Candle hits the spot on a cold, crisp fall or winter day. 

❤️  Threshold Pumpkin Woods Candle was recommended to me by my hair stylists and I am so glad he told me about this one. Pumpkin scents can be overwhelming to my nose and I find some pumpkin scents to be cloying. Not this one. The mix of pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and something woodsy, earthy and almost pine-like make this an incredible scent to fill the house in the fall and winter months.

Emoji Key:

Products with a love or above rating are generally ones I would repurchase (or have already repurchased), unless I have a GOAT product in that category that is better suited for my skin under certain circumstances or conditions. Items with that I consider "great" 🌟 or that I "like" 👍 may or may not be repurchased, depending on what is currently in my collection.

🐐= GOAT = Greatest Of All Time (have gone through at least two of the particular product and other comparable items)
😘= Chef’s Kiss = Outstanding - think of this as GOAT status in the making 😉
❤️= Love
🌟= Great, better than a like but not quite a love
👍= Like
😕= Okay; “It’s fine.”; “meh”
🔬= Undecided = “Still looking into it”
🙊= Not for me, my preferences or skin type
🙅🏻‍♀️ = ❌ = “No, non, nein, nyet, …”

[Mellmars1185]

@itsfi Great month (and year) of empties! All of your photos are lovely. You got through many candles this month! I am very curious about the Cosrx snail mucin product. Is it a serum? Hoe do you use it? Congrats on finishing the Kerastase!!

[itsfi]

@Mellmars1185, it’s been colder than usual here so the candles have been working overtime 😆 - a couple of these were ones I started last year and pulled back out for the season. Thank you, I didn’t think I’d ever finish the Kerastase - it took 2 years of off and on use. I actually forgot I had it for a period of time and found it earlier this year when I was unpacking.

The CosRx is a snail mucin essence, but the consistency is more of a cross between a traditional essence and a light serum - it has some viscosity to it. The full size has a pump that makes it easy for dispensing the product.

Typically, my skincare routine after cleansing would be toner (if I’m using one) - essence - serum - moisturizer - SPF (daytime), with the caveat that the order might be adjusted based on the consistency of the products (with the idea that they should be applied from thinnest to thickest).

For the most part, I apply the CosRx after cleansing and before whatever serum(s) I’m using. This has been in and out of my skincare routine for, oh gosh, almost a decade. Always one I come back to. What, if any, essences or serums are you currently using in your skincare routine(s)?

[Mellmars1185]

@itsfi Thank you so much for sharing your skincare routine. I do follow a similar routine with consistency. Right now I am using the LANEIGE Glowy Makeup Serum 1.0 oz/ 30 mL . I am trying to finish it up as I have had it for a long time. I just finished a bottle of the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops Serum . I prefer the GR serum. I noticee that my makeup is now pilling with the Laneige. I am wondering if it has anything to do with how long it has been opened. An essence sounds like a wonderful step before serum!

[Mellmars1185]

@itsfi ! Look what I just found in my stash. I must have received it in a sub box.

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I was excited to find this and it was also a wake up call. I truly do no know what I have.

[itsfi]

Yaaay!! Hope it works well for you @Mellmars1185. I’ll be interested in hearing what you think of it. lol, it’s amazing how products pop up. 

[lmaster]

How did I miss a pistachio candle?? @itsfi it sounds amazing,  fabulous job

[itsfi]

@lmaster, the pistachio and fig candle was really a nice surprise. Thank you.

[Shosh85]

@itsfi Well dang, you've been busy, haven't you?! Nice job! The Dr. Jart Ceramidin cream is definitely the GOAT 🐐 for me too! 

[itsfi]

@Shosh85, the Ceramidin line is really good on my skin; it used to be something I’d reach for in late fall and winter but now it’s year round. I even picked up some items from this line that have (so far) only been available in Korea, to see how they work together.

[ather]

@itsfi  Wow!!!! 🤩 amazing job! How did you get through so many great items??? Wow! All those candles too! Good job!! 

[itsfi]

Thank  you @ather! Some of these products have taken me more than 2 years to use up, like the Kerastase. Timeline for others, like the Eadem serum, is months, depending on how often I use them - I use the Eadem pretty much daily, sometimes twice per day. This time of year, I have at least one candle burning (though it's often more than one) when I'm home so I can go through a good number of candles in fall and winter. 

[CynthieLu]

Ooh I absolutely love those nail polish removing wipes too @itsfi! They are the best I've tried 👌 And so easy to take anywhere. I love effective and easy to use products. 😀 Where did you find yours? They only seem to carry these at random drug stores here but I but then wherever I stumble across a pack a grab one. 

[itsfi]

@CynthieLu, I've only found these Cutex polish removers in Target (my recollection is that Target's in house brand has a good one too). I'll grab a couple boxes when they go on sale. I find they do a good job with removing nail toppers or polishes with glitter/flakies, ones with some texture to them. Out of curiosity, which other brands have you tried for individually wrapped nail polish removers?

[caitbird]

@itsfi  awesome empties! You have gotten through a lot of products this year & month! I loved reading your little mini-reviews of everything, especially all the candles. I've never tried Threshold candles, but I may have to check them out! I feel the same way you do about pumpkin scents - a bit hit or miss for me, some of them are too cloying - but this one sounds really nice. Out of curiosity, which Laneige lip mask scent is your favorite? I think I've only tried the berry one, but I know they have a ton of different ones now.

[itsfi]

@caitbird, I love that you love candles, too! I have a handful of candle brands that I tend to gravitate towards - niche brands, local indie ones, mainstream brands, etc. Of the mainstream ones, Target's Threshold and Trader Joe's have some great candles. 💗 

[caitbird]

@itsfi  I was never a candle person until this year, and all of a sudden I've discovered that actually, I love them 😅 what can I say, I've never been good at doing things halfway 😂 it's definitely fun to try different candle brands, and see what brands others in BIC are picking up! I wish there was a Trader Joe's near me; I think there is a Target not too far from here so maybe a field trip is in order one of these days...🤔🤣

[lmaster]

November empties and declutter:68 (410/500)

I don't know if I'll make my goal of 500 for this year,  but I'll be decently close 🙌

 

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⬆️⬇️ these were all loves 

 

 

 

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⬆️ these were good, nothing i would repurchase 

 

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⬆️ this is also a declutter,  I just didn't reach for it

 

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⬆️ this was really hard, but a good declutter was needed 😥 this is the reason I'm not buying as much as I used to, this is money down the drain