Empties ~ August 2018

August 03, 2018

Empties ~ August 2018

It’s been so long since I’ve posted about my empty products and things I’ve used up. I didn’t even realize it either! I have been too busy enjoying all the other posts I had planned that I didn’t notice my empties bin beginning to overflow. This has to be one of the most exciting ones that I’ve done just because it has so many new products that I haven’t had in my empties bin before. I have mentioned most of these products a few times and we definitely need to update a couple things!

Holy guacamole do I have a lot of empty skincare products! Like, how though?! There are a few favorites such as the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay mask that I absolutely swear by and the Clinique Acne Solutions All Over Clearing Treatment that I can never live without. I repurchased both of these immediately!

I loved the Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Age Defying Exfoliator. The exfoliants in it are extremely tiny, but there are a ton of them to really scrub away all the dead surface skin. I enjoyed working my way through this product and it is one that I would definitely recommend. However, it is pretty pricey in my opinion, so it’s not one that I’ll be repurchasing right away.

The South Mane Eye Gels were really nice and better than most other eye gels that I’ve tried in the past. My favorite part is that they were completely gel on both sides, which made them super comfortable to wear. The Lancome Rénergie Lift Multi-Action moisturizer was just okay. It smelled like perfume and moisturized nicely, but I had multiple foil packets of this and didn’t notice any difference. And it is beyond expensive (over $100), don’t buy that!

I actually forgot I had the Ole Henriksen Find Your Balance Oil Control Cleanser sitting around and decided to use that up. I liked using it in the morning because it has a slight cooling sensation and scent. I would recommend it, but probably won’t be purchasing it for myself because I prefer the price of my favorite Cetaphil wash.

This Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Moist Deep Conditioner has been a favorite of mine for years and something that I will continue to repurchase. I always buy it in the twin pack, just so I know I won’t be without it. I use this in my hair twice a week. It smells like delicious coconuts and leaves my hair more smooth than anything else I’ve compared it to. I’ve tried others in this line also and the Moist is by far the best!

It seems silly, but it’s taken me years to find a deodorant that I actually like. After learning about the aluminum in most deodorants, I tried switching to the natural options. I’m a cold body and rarely ever sweat, but those made me sweat even when I was inside. I tried three different “natural” options before just giving up. I picked up one from the Secret Outlast Xtend line and all my problems were solved. I’ve repurchased this twice already.

Lotions seemed to be another type of product that I ran through. The c.Booth 4-in-1 body lotion is my absolute favorite, but I actually had quite a difficult time replacing it this time around. Normally I buy this for around $10 at Ulta or Target’s website. Since I just finished the Vanilla Butter scent, I ordered the Passionfruit from Target. I think that one was bad because it was as thick as a concrete ice cream! I returned it and ordered a new one, this time from Walgreens because they had the fastest free ship-to-store option. The formula seems to be a little better, although it’s still thicker than all the other bottles I’ve ever had. I hope they didn’t change anything!! Right now I have the Coconut Fig scent and I have to say, I can’t wait till I finish it (these always last me 6 months) and can get the Vanilla Butter again.

I buy the Walmart brand tub of Aquaphor and use it in many different ways. This tub lasts forever and the price savings between the off-brand is insane. It works just as good and I’ve already repurchased it. One store brand product that didn’t work very well is the Walmart After Sun Cool Lime Lotion. I had never used it before and I won’t buy it again. It was so watery and didn’t absorb into the skin very well.

Amlactin is a new lotion I’ve been using on my thighs in hopes of controlling what I believe to be keratosis pilaris. For not knowing exactly what the bumps on my legs are and not being properly diagnosed, this has done a really good job of clearing up my skin. I use it every night after I get out of the shower and have already bought another bottle. I still have moments where my skin flares up, but this has kept it under control for the most part because of its lactic acid ingredient.

There’s actually quite a few makeup empties this time around. Normally, that’s my least full category! I’ve finished my first bronzer ever, the Makeup Geek Contour Powder in the shade Bad Habit. I repurchased it over the holidays so I knew I had a backup waiting, but I can’t find this on their site anymore and I’m so upset about it.

I’ve also finished my second Elf High Definition Under Eye Setting Powder. I immediately repurchased it because it’s super affordable and works better than anything else. The Ulta Nude Matte eyeshadow primer isn’t completely empty, but I had to get rid of it because I believe the product dried up. I stuck a toothpick through the opening to make sure it wasn’t clogged and nothing still came out. It’s such a shame because I really did like this at first and would have purchased the full size if this hadn’t happened.

I finished the Maybelline Falsies mascara in the shade Brownish Black. This is what I used on ‘no makeup’ makeup days because the color made it look a little more natural. I did like this more as the formula started to dry down and I would recommend it.

My DIY Lash Serum is still a staple in my nighttime routine, I just upgraded the size of the bottles I put it in. I continue to notice the health of my lashes and eyebrows improve, along with the length.

Aside from my beloved Maybelline (Cherry Me) Baby Lips, I rarely ever go through any lip products. The Clinique Chubby Stick in the shade Super Strawberry is one that I loved all the way down to the very last bit. I mean, I was practically scraping plastic on my lips trying to get out every last bit of color. It was really comfortable and one that I would definitely repurchase in the future.

The two Nivea balms are the only products in this post that aren’t actually empty (aside from the Ulta primer). I’ve had the Kiss of Shimmer and the Kiss of Cherry in my drawer for so many years, I don’t even want to admit it. But it’s been so long that I realized I have to throw them out because they’ve dried up and gotten a white cast on the surface. I know, it’s embarrassing. They just weren’t my favorite, so they never got used.

Now for the last miscellaneous category. I’ve included one of the old school cloth scrunchies. I think maybe these might be making a comeback, but I don’t care if they’re “in” or not. They’ve made the biggest difference in the health of my hair and I’m wearing them! This is the first one I’m having to throw away because it’s gotten too stretched.

I used to think the Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Hardener was the best base coat because it improved the strength of my nails while also working well as a base for many years. Recently it’s been allowing my polish to peel up within a few days and once I started noticing the formula thicken, I decided to toss it. I’m currently testing a new one that’s working great so far. Check out Monday’s favorites post for the details on that!

The Aphrodisiac essential oil from Earthbound has made it on my blog a few times and this is the second bottle that I’ve finished. The name is a little out there for me, but I love how fruity and sweet the scent is. I mostly likely will repurchase it again in the future for my essential oil diffuser humidifier. Right now, I’m trying to find some orange and vanilla essential oils without breaking the bank. It’s actually harder than it sounds!

I can’t believe how many empties I had! I remember wanting to do these more often with fewer products and now look at me. It was nice to see my empties bin so full, though. And it was even more nice to finally put them all in the trash after all these months. Although I’ve repurchased most of these, I’d still appreciate some suggestions on an effective healthy deodorant and where I could find those essential oils!

If you have any other questions, please feel free to leave them for me in the comments section below. Have you used any of these products before? What are some of your recent empties?