Empties ~ May 2018

May 14, 2018

Empties ~ May 2018

Every now and then I’ll try to stretch a product as much as I can, if it’s a really good one, because I don’t want to use it up and have to throw it away. But now I’m kinda getting to the point where I’m looking at everything that I have sitting around and realizing that I just need to use the products. It’s starting to bug me how many products I have opened and haven’t finished. Slowly, but surely I’m emptying them one by one and it feels so good to finally get rid of all the clutter!

I’ve finished up two lotions, both of which are from Bath & Body Works. I don’t typically buy many of their products, but that seems to be a common gift when someone doesn’t know what else to get a girl. Has anyone else experienced that? The larger of the two is the White Citrus scent, which was just okay. It was more of a clean scent than what I would prefer.

The smaller one was called Golden Pineapple Luau. I’ve had this one for what feels like forever and would use it on my hands every night before bed. That was one I was actually sad to get rid of because I brought it on our honeymoon and every time I smelled it, it brought me back to that amazing experience. That will definitely be a repurchase if I ever see it again!

Another Bath & Body Works product is this Beautiful Day body spray. I believe this is the one and only body spray/perfume type of product that I’ve ever repurchased, but I can’t remember if this is my second or third bottle. Either way, it’s amazing and I’ll definitely be buying it again. It is so fresh and sweet with a few hints floral and fruit.

The Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Night lotion is one of my favorite products. I spoke about all of the details of this in my full review. I do have a different Neutrogena lotion that I’m working on finishing at the moment and once that runs out, I will definitely go back to this one. It’s wonderful!

I really love the Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing Pads, so the last time I needed to replace them I decided to go with the Extreme Night Pads instead to see how they compare. I do think these were nice also, but they are slightly more expensive and I think I prefer the Daily Cleansing Pads better anyway.

The last facial skincare product that I used up is a small tub of the Clinique Moisture Surge lotion. I did get a sample of this when I bought something from Clinique a while ago and although it is a nice basic moisturizer, it’s not necessarily something that I need for my skin. If you have dry or normal skin, you might enjoy it a lot more.

I have two different masks, one of which was a single use and the other one ended up in the empties bin due to unfortunate circumstances. I’ve never tried the Nugg face masks before, but I finally gave in and got the Charcoal Detox that is supposed to be targeted for oily, acne prone skin. It was just okay, it definitely didn’t wow me in any way and after purchasing it I still felt the same way as I did before. I think it’s just a waste of money for a one-use mask.

The second mask is one that I even posted a full review on quite a while ago. The L’oreal Purify & Mattify Clay Mask was nice to use, but it wasn’t one that I would repurchase. It smelled really good and didn’t have to be left on the skin for a very long time. However, I didn’t get to use up the entire product because it dried out on me. I love trying face masks, but I still don’t think anything will ever beat my favorite Aztec Clay Mask.

I actually ran out of two different primers, which almost never happens. I don’t know how some people run through makeup products so quickly because it takes me forever to use something up completely. I used to really love the Garnier 5 Sec Blur primer, but once I got to the end of this one it started allowing my makeup to get blotchy throughout the day and wear off very easily. It’s great for blurring pores, it’s just not the best at extending the wear time of makeup.

I also used up the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. This one I did actually like the entire way through. The only thing that bothered me was the packaging. Because it’s in a square bottle, the last little bit of product went to the corners and I had a really hard time trying to get it all out. It’s not a very cheap product, so I wanted to make sure I didn’t waste any of it. Other than that, it worked amazingly well as a primer and is one that I would recommend when considering its effectiveness.

If you were to see me in real life, you would know how much I completely adore this Maybelline Baby Lips lip balm in the shade Cherry Me. I try to use different lip products when I can, but most of the time this is always what is on my lips. It’s the only lip product that I keep in my purse because it’s so comfortable and has great pigmentation. I already had one sitting off to the side to replace this tube, I can’t ever be without it!

I only have one nail polish that I’m throwing away and that’s because I’ve just had it for way too long and it got too thick to use anymore. This is the Sally Hansen polish in the shade Big Money. Even though I didn’t get to use the entire bottle before having to dump it, I definitely got my fair use out of it. I probably won’t repurchase it right away, but it is one that I would recommend.

The last few items in my empties bin are all miscellaneous and don’t really fit into any other category. The first is a Target Signature Soy candle in the scent Hot Buttered Rum. I got this during the holidays and I did really enjoy it. It was a nice warm scent with just the right amount of spice.

The second item I’m throwing away is a Morphe G3 brush. I loved this brush for blending in concealer or a cream contour. As you can see in the picture below it has lost many bristles. It’s been losing bristles for a while now, but I kept trying to save it by cutting them so I could keep using it. Eventually it’s just had enough and it’s time to move on. I do have the G1 brush from the same line and that one’s not giving me any problems. However, Morphe isn’t a brand that I support (read why here), so I won’t be replacing this brush or recommending it.

The last product is the Gem Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This is definitely the most random product in this entire post. I only use this for beauty purposes, which is why I buy the cheapest one available. I’ve already replaced this one because I have to have it on hand to make my favorite DIY lip scrub, I wash my makeup brushes with this, I use it to spot heal dry skin patches, and so much more. It’s a necessity!

This was a lot of stuff that I am more than happy to get rid of. There were a few essentials that needed to be replaced immediately, and then there were other things that I couldn’t wait to get out of my sight. I’ve already started filling up my empties bin again, so hopefully this decluttering streak continues successfully!

~Mani Monday~

I have no idea what is going on with my nails right now, but I’ve broken two toenails within ten days. I can’t even remember the last time one of my nails got broken. In order to disguise the missing pieces, I’ve replaced my toenail polish with something more natural looking and decided to do the same for my fingernails. The shade I chose is Orange Cream by Sinful Colors. It’s one of my favorites because it always looks beautiful and matches with everything!