Empties ~ July 2020

With all the craziness that this year has brought, it’s no surprise that I haven’t done an empties post since January! When things become hectic in other areas of my life, I tend to turn to products in my beauty routine that I truly love. Since there is so much in this world that we can’t control, it’s comforting to use trustworthy products to have some sense of normalcy in all of the chaos. That’s exactly what I’ve been resorting to these past few months, as you’ll see with all of my recent empties!
All Pixi tonics that I’ve tried have been amazing and this Rose one is no exception. The Glow Tonic is definitely my favorite of them all, but I like using the Rose Tonic when my skin needs something extra gentle. This smells just like roses and leaves my face feeling calm and nourished.
The Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing Pads are my absolute favorite toner type of product ever. My skin always looks its best when I have these in my routine and they’re a product that I will continue to repurchase.

Since I’ve had such good luck with the Glycolic Fix pads, I was really interested in trying the Teen Skin Fix Breakout Rescue Pads. I’m definitely not a teen anymore and I don’t deal with breakouts as much as I used to, but I thought these would be good to have on hand. Unfortunately, something in these actually caused breakouts on my skin and I had to stop using them.
Two other facial pads that I used up are the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads and the Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads. Both of these came in different Boxycharms and although they did leave my skin looking clear and healthy, neither of them are a new favorite compared to the Nip + Fab Glycolic Pads. These two pads were much thicker and more sturdy, but it wasn’t enough to justify the price difference.
One Boxycharm product that I did end up loving is the Dr. Brandt Hydro Biotic Recovery Sleeping Mask. Although it’s marketed as a sleeping mask, I actually only ever used it in the morning. My favorite thing about it was its gel-like consistency. It felt so lightweight and smoothing on the skin, which was such a luxurious experience to wake up to. It did a great job hydrating, yet never felt heavy on my oily skin. A little bit of this goes a long way and I stretched it as much as I could because I didn’t want to run out!
I’m really picky when it comes to exfoliators and thankfully, the Derma E Microdermabrasion Scrub was one that I really enjoyed. The potted style packaging isn’t usually very common for exfoliators, but I didn’t mind it at all because the heavy glass made it feel super fancy. Although this has very small scrubbies, it has a lot of them and did a great job at exfoliating my skin. It also had a very pleasant citrus scent, which I really enjoyed. It’s definitely one I’d purchase again!
This is definitely no new favorite of mine and it’s nowhere near my first container that I’ve gone through, but I haven’t mentioned it in a while and it deserves another feature. I’ve been repurchasing this Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay for over six years and it has yet to be defeated by any other product.

I use it twice a week for twenty minutes and it keeps my skin absolutely perfect. I only use one teaspoon of the clay mixed with one teaspoon apple cider vinegar. That makes plenty for my entire face, so this tub lasts quite a while. It’s more effective and more affordable than any mask on the market!
I’ve actually used up quite a few lip products recently, which is a little out of the ordinary for me. The Tree Hut Sugarlips scrub was a nice product and I did enjoy using it while I had it. I only used it once a week, so it lasted for a very long time. However, it’s not one that I’d repurchase anytime soon because I still think that just plain white sugar and olive oil provides a better exfoliation.

The Smith’s Rosebud Salve used to be my favorite and while its comfortable consistency has yet to be defeated by any other product, I haven’t repurchased it yet because I’m trying to stay away from petroleum based lip balms. I’ve found that they don’t actually heal chapped lips because it’s just creating a barrier rather than absorbing into the skin.

In an attempt to find a new favorite lip balm, I tried the Milani Rose Butter Lip Mask. It’s not petroleum based and is instead made with Hyaluronic Acid, which is exactly what I was looking for. I did enjoy this at first, as I discussed in my full review of this product, but I don’t think it’s a new favorite because the consistency did feel a little too thick for my preference.
Using a leave-in conditioner has become an important step in my haircare routine. I have a few on my list to try, but the only one I’ve finished so far is the Healthy Sexy Hair Tri-Wheat Leave-In Conditioner. It didn’t end up being a favorite because I would’ve like to see it provide more shine, but it did leave my hair soft and helped prevent it from getting tangled.
Since my old favorite c.Booth 4-in-1 body lotion has become more difficult to find, I’ve been looking for a replacement and I’ve definitely found it in the St. Ives lotions. The one called Renewing smells so refreshing and I love how quickly it absorbs into the skin. It provides all the moisturization I need without feeling heavy at all. I’m currently using the Softening Coconut & Orchid lotion, which is just as enjoyable.
The St. Moriz Fast Self Tanning Mousse has been my favorite for years. You can read my full review with photos of its results here. It still is the best on the market when considering how affordable it is. However, the past few times I used it I was disappointed to see it fading so quickly and unevenly. I also don’t think it was providing as dark of a result as it used to. Next time I need to repurchase a self tan, I think I’ll try the Loving Tan Express option and see if the price is really worth it.
Using up an entire makeup product such as a blush or bronzer is pretty rare for me, so I think it’s safe to say that I definitely loved this Neutrogena Healthy Skin Blends bronzer in the shade Sunkissed. The tones in this bronzer are so natural-looking that it makes it seem as though you spent all day at the beach! Aside from the color, my favorite thing about it is the ingredients. I can’t use face products that include talc because it makes my skin breakout like crazy. Thankfully, this one is talc-free and you better believe I repurchased it immediately!
The Maybelline Color Tattoo Eye Chromes have been another favorite product of mine for years. The two shades I had were Gilded Rose and Beige Luster. I used them as eyeshadow primers and they did an amazing job at keeping everything in place all day, regardless of the weather. If I can ever find them again, I’d repurchase in a heartbeat!
The Pixi Black Lacquer Lash Primer and the Benefit Roller Lash mascara are two of my favorite lash products. I love each of them separately, but when paired together there’s almost no better combination. I have many other mascaras that I’m working through right now, so I don’t need to be buying any more. Though, when it does come time to purchase a new one these will definitely be at the top of my list. 
It took a long time to find a lash serum that actually made a noticeable difference and I couldn’t believe my results when I first used this Maybelline Lash Sensational Boosting Serum. I’ve been hooked ever since! I apply this twice a day (morning and night) and as crazy as it might sound, I even saw a difference in just one day. After finishing a tube, I usually like to wait a few weeks before using the serum again but I can’t wait to add this back into my routine! 
The last two empties that I have to share are both nail polishes from EMMA Beauty. Their Stuck On You base coat paired with their Quickie Top Coat has been the perfect combination for my nails. However, I think the base coat was getting a little old so I had to replace it with another one that I already had in my collection.

The top coat started getting really thick which caused my nail polish to literally peel off my nails like water color. If I ever feel like ordering these online, I would buy them again but for now I’ll just be picking one up at Target because it’s more convenient.
As much as I enjoyed using all of these products, it’s actually really satisfying to throw all of them away and start fresh with something new. I’m happy with the repurchases of my favorite products and for the ones I didn’t repurchase, I’m excited to continue searching for some new favorites.

If you found this post helpful, please feel free to share it using one of the buttons below. If you have any questions, leave them for me in the comments. Have you used any of these products before? What are some of your recent beauty empties?

XO ♥ Christina ♥

 

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