Empties 2015 - Mar/Apr/May/June/July

I failed again posting this in April and May and June and July, so I'm combining all five months. Let's just say I'm efficient, k?

I had to break it down because of the amount of products I finished. Which is a win right?

16 & 17. Pantene Curl Perfection Shampoo. I really like this line of Pantene, my hair is clean but not dry. I have a few more already so will likely repurchase again at some point in the future.
18. Pantene Curl Perfection Conditioner. Lightweight to not weigh it down but heavy enough to moisturize. Love it. Repurchased already.
19. L'Oreal total Repair Conditioner. Really enjoy this line also. Does really well for me. Enjoy the specific Loreal scent but prefer Pantene scent over it. Unsure if I'll repurchase.
20. Pantene Beautiful Lengths Shampoo. Love this line, it's my fave of all their lines. I use it no matter how long my hair is. It's the only one that my hair doesn't get used to, and you know that means it's a keeper.
21. Pantene Beautiful Lengths Conditioner. LOVE THIS ONE THE MOST. If I had to pick one conditioner to use for the rest of my life this would be it. Hands down. No questions. It always makes my hair soft and easy to brush regardless of shampoo or products or detanglers. I can use less or skip the leave in conditioner when I use this and my hair is lovely.
22. Pomegranate. Animal friendly, cruelty free. Enjoyed the very bright pomegranate scent but it didn't linger on the hair like I'd have liked. It didn't do much for my hair and it was really dry, had to really douse it in oil to keep it soft. Won't repurchase.
23. Feria conditioner. Dyed my hair, used this after, Good stuff. Wish I could get it as a conditioning mask to use a few times a week.
24. Garnier Olia. ditto on above. Good stuff.
25. L'Occitane Conditioning Shampoo. Love the scent of this - where can I buy it?
26. L'Occitane Conditioner. Love the scent, again, where can I buy it?

27. Aussie You Can Shine hairspray. Used to help keep my curls curly. It was nice, I always like the Aussie scent of coconuts (at least that's what I smell). Very beach-y. I have other hairsprays and this one wasn't super special so unsure if will repurchase unless it's on sale.
28. Pantene Curls Spray Gel. OMG LOVE THIS STUFF. I fell in love and can't say enough good things about it. I love that it helps my hair be curly and shiny without being sticky (hello hairspray) or crunchy (hello mousse). It smells nice but it doesn't stick around which is fine with me. Easy to apply since you spray it, super quick to do my hair in the mornings, and after I fix my curls a but rinses easily off, no scrubbing or sticky hands after. Already repurchased and plan to use until they stop making it...
29. Pantene Volume Spray Gel. I like this stuff too but not quite as much. My curls aren't quite as curly and it's a little crunchier, but nothing I can't tease out (and it doesn't make that white flaky mess some hairsprays and mousse will do). Already repurchased this one too so I have backups.
30. Garnier Fructis Body Boost. This started my love of spray gel. Doesn't work as well as the Pantene but that's ok. I'm reusing this bottle for my spray de-tangler. Won't repurchase as Pantene has the market on that one for me!
31. One N Only Argan oil. Nice light leave in oil for my dry ends. Used it more when my hair was longer but I've since cut off about 8 inches so I don't need this, too heavy for my hair and it wreaks havoc on my scalp. Love the scent though. Light and nutty, I'd wear it as a perfume if I could! I purchased this at Sally's beauty Supply. Don't plan to buy again. I think I prefer spray dry oil for my hair.

32. Infusion 23 leave in conditioner. This was a bottle that was already partially finished and I used it up for the sake of using it up but leave in conditioner has become a staple in my routine now. Soft, light scent and helps my crazy permed curly hair de-tangle after showering. I'm not sure if I'll repurchase this specifically but I'll def be using leave in conditioner/detangler every day.
33. Generic Hair Treatment. Again, given this bottle partially used and I'm done with this one too! it's a generic for Infusion 23 which I think they work equally well. Again, not sure if I'll repurchase but I think this price is better than the name brand one and works just as well.

34. Everyday Shea Calming Lemon Lavender Shea Butter Shampoo & Body Wash. Pretty cool stuff. I have so many bath products in my shower it's nice to consolidate. I'm not super picky with shampoo so it worked fine. Love the pump. Smelled nice, very light and didn't linger. I don't plan on repurchasing. I did like that it's kind on eyes, cruelty free. I purchased this on iHerb.
35. Bath & Body Works Sensual Amber. Love this scent. Soft and feminine and musky. Enjoyed it. I have TONS of body wash so don't anticipate purchasing any for a long time, but I'd try this scent again.
36. Desert Essence Green Apple and Ginger body wash. Loved this stuff. Smelled like ginger and granny smith apples. Strange combination that was a little tart and spicy. As much as I enjoyed the scent, I don't think I'll go out of my way to repurchase unless there is a sale or something on their stuff. I did enjoy that it was animal friendly. Again, purchased on iHerb.

37. e.l.f. Acne Fighting Foundation in Porcelain. I've only used this a few times. It makes my eyes burn no matter how I apply it, even though I'm not applying it anywhere near my eyes. Goes on well, covers well, but then my oil wreaks havoc on it and it separates and comes off really easily. I look a hot mess by noon. Really wanted to like it but I couldn't find a good combo of moisturizer vs primer vs bare skin to make it work. Not even finished but it wasn't too expensive so tossing it to make some room.
38. Garnier BB Cream Combination to Oily in Light/Medium. Love this stuff. Applies easily with brush or fingers, covers well, don't really need anything underneath. Not full coverage but works for daily stuff (or for everything if you're like me and have never perfected "full coverage"). Thinking about repurchasing as I like having that option on hand and works well in dryer months, although now that I'm back in TX, we don't have a lot of dry weather here.
39. Philosophy the Present. Moisturizer/primer for oily skin, smells like lavender due to the lavender oil that goes away once it's dry. I've had this for years and the top seal broke so it dried out, feels like glue now. Didn't really use it a lot. Tried to make it a tinted moisturizer (fail), used as a moisturizer (fail), and a primer (fail). Won't repurchase.
40. Revlon ColorStay Normal/Dry in 150 Buff. Bought this one as I heard it had good staying power but blended better than the oily skin version. Did ok, never really figured out how to make these work. Didn't finish it but way too old to keep now. Likely won't repurchase.
41. Revlon ColorStay Combination/Oily in 180 Sand Beige. Bought this one as everyone loves it on the internet. Again, did ok, never really figured out how to make it work well. Not finished but so old so needs to go. I have repurchased this one recently to try again.
42. Mahya Eye Primer. Great primer, forgot about it and came back to it but it dried out before I could finish it. I liked the pot but they dry out soon quickly compared to the tubes. My makeup still creased and as it got dry I had a hard time applying my makeup over it, was too sticky and gummy. In the beginning, was a decent primer. Unsure if I'll repurchase, if I get my usual Urban Decay or Bare Minerals then I get free gifts from Sephora and Ulta.
43. Wet N Wild Fergie Take On The Day Mattifying Powder. Tried this as I love the WNW Fergie eye primer (using it daily currently). This powder was OK. Very soft and broke easily, even when just using a soft brush. Did look a bit ashy and I had to reapply a few times throughout the day but that's normal for me. Not super impressed, don't think I'll buy again.
44. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. Love. This. Stuff. I'll keep rebuying forever.
45. BareMinerals Prime Time eyelid primer. This is the original formulation, was a sample in a kit. Enjoyed it, can't say more or less than Urban Decay but it worked. I found out you can also mix their eyeliner powders in with this to make a creme liner which was very cool. Not sure if I'll repurchase since I'm currently enjoying WNW Fergie eyeshadow primer and it's doing what I need it to do for a fraction of the cost.

46. St. Ives Blemish Control green Tea Scrub. Use this a few times a week, switch between this one and the one for blemish prone skin with apricot seeds. Already have a few backups from a sale.
47. Carmex Healing Cream tin. I love the smell of Carmex, didn't like the cream. Too oily for my taste.
48. Yogini.  Don't even remember what this smelled like. Obviously didn't enjoy it too much but was nice to mix it up a bit in my perfumes.


There you have it! Almost to 50 products for the year!

Have you been using up stuff in your stash or just needing to clean it out of old stuff like me? I always feel a little better when I use something up, like I'm not being wasteful and purchasing stuff just for it to get old or thrown away before it gets used (don't look back at the makeup section, I'm really bad about that)!

Empties - Jan/Feb

Was waaaaaay late on my Jan Empties post so I just put Jan and Feb together. Not too shabby eh?

1. Neutrogena naturals fresh cleaning + makeup remover. Fantastic gentle face wash and I love that it gets the makeup off too. Verdict: Repurchased already.
2. Garnier Olia Color Conditioner. Dyed my hair red. Then brown again. Long story. Great little packet of conditioner. Verdict: Won't repurchase as not available by itself and I'm fine with my conditioners.
3 & 6.Wen Sweet Almond Mint Syling Creme. Didn't number these well. Oops. Enjoyed the creme, kept my curly hair curly without being crunchy. Didn't like the smell much but it faded after being applied and couldn't smell it anymore. Verdict: Won't repurchase, too expensive.
4. Aussie Sprunch. I can get past the coconut smell but it made my hair sticky and stiff and crunchy. Plus the nozzle kept clogging. It's still half full but I'm tossing it because I'm tired of unclogging the sprayer. Verdict: Won't repurchase.
5. Evoo & Moringa Repair & Extend Conditioner. Love. Bought off iHerb. Left my hair soft and silky and detangled. Verdict: Will likely repurchase when I need more conditioner.
7. Everyday Minerals Face Powder. Great setting powder, can build up easily and look very cake-y. Verdict: Won't repurchase.
8. Wet N Wild Mega Liner. Dried up so I'm tossing it. Was fine to wear, nice and cheap. Verdict: Won't repurchase, I have plenty of liners and wasn't that special.
9. Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara. Giving this one away. It runs like crazy on me. I have trouble applying on my small eyes with sparse lashes with this crazy bushy brush. Didn't do a lot for my lashes. Verdict: Won't repurchase.
10. Hard Candy Glossaholic Chill Out. Giving away. Sticky and strong vanilla smell. Holo particles are fun but a but young for me. Hopefully a friend's daughter in middle school will enjoy it! Verdict: Won't repurchase.
11. Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer. Supposed to be good for oily skin, it was fine but didn't see a huge difference in oil, makeup lasting time, or pores. Expensive! Verdict: Won't repurchase.
12. Hanae Mori. LOVE THIS SCENT. My husband likes it too. Going on my list of perfumes to purchase. Light and sweet with some musk, which is so my style. Verdict: Will purchase at some point.
13. Michael Kors Very Hollywood. Nice scent. Strong floral, not my taste. Verdict: Won't purchase.
14. Dolce & Gabbana L'eau The One. My fav perfume. See above description. Sweet, musky, and soft. Very feminine and sultry. Finished this while out of town, hence the different pic. Verdict: Repurchased already.
15. Aveeno Naturals Positively Radiant Intense Night Cream. Love this stuff. Even with my oily skin that breaks out like crazy, it soaked in to my skin within 5 minutes and didn't aggravate my skin. I slathered it on at night before bed and even on really dry mornings I could put a little on the dry spots and it would soak in quickly and not affect my makeup. It was heaven sent while in Denver, CO during January where the cold and dry weather wreaked havoc on my skin. Verdict: Will repurchase, if I can find it! I've been looking everywhere.

15 items in 2 months isn't too bad eh? I'm slowly working my way through the huge stash I've acquired. Hopefully March will be good too! I'd placed myself on a mini purchasing ban but that went out the window with a recent special at CVS.

P.S. I have no idea what that polish was that I was wearing. Had a mani/pedi and it was an OPI color. I wish I had bought it. I felt expensive wearing it haha. So eye catching!

October Empties

It's been a long time since I've done one of these! I just didn't have anything to post! My July post went down the drain since we moved and my husband, being ever so helpful, threw away my bag with all my empties! Who does that? Just because it was a plastic grocery bag filled with empty containers doesn't mean it was trash! Then August and September went by and I didn't finish anything as I started using some different makeup with the change in climate and weather. After being inspired again by Vita and her monthly empties post, I went back and found all the products I'd been working on to finish!

June Empties

I can't believe June is over, and we're almost halfway done with July. My hubby is in charge of all the moving biznaz so my only part of it is having to pack my overnight bag and a few other necessities! Ya'll will be glad to know that my nail polish and makeup is priority so it's going in the car with me and it'll be accessible once we're in our new place so I can stay on top of things!

June Goodbye's

June Goodbye's: Bath & Shower 

Wen Cleansing Conditioner in Sweet Almond Mint. Love this stuff. I've sang its praises before, so I won't again. Verdict: Will repurchase, as soon as my stash is gone.

L'Oreal Vive Pro for Damaged/Dry Hair. This was actually left at my place over a year ago by a friend and I've had it in my guest bathroom since then. I just used it up to get rid of some stuff. Decent stuff but weighs my hair down. Verdict: Won't purchase.

Lush Dragon's Egg Bath Bomb & Butterball Bath Bomb. Love these! They make your water pretty colors and generally have glitter so the water shimmers when you move. Great things. I have a few more to use before I move so I will be enjoying a few more of these. Caution: Dragon's Egg will make your water look like dirty urine. Just saying. Verdict: Def buy again!!

Hilarious conversation with my husband....

(Draining tub after using Dragon's Egg Bath Bomb, see above what water looked like)

Husband: Ewww, you must have been dirty! Look how brown that water is!

Me: I wasn't dirty, I dropped a bomb in there.

Husband: OMG you what?

Me: No! Not that kind of bomb! A bath bomb!

Husband walks away.

/end scene

June Goodbye's: Hair

Aussie Catch the Wave. I really like this stuff. It's mousse and leave in conditioner in one product. It's nice for when I'm in a hurry so my hair won't frizz and it's left nice and soft. Great combo product. Verdict: Will buy again!

June Goodbye's: Skincare

Philosophy Microdelivery Mini Peel. Love these pads. They keep my skin nice and soft. I swear I have leather for skin and I have to use an abrasive cleanser every morning to keep it smooth and even. I haven't had luck with regular peels, but these little babies are awesome. They have acids that gently peel your skin on a daily basis, so I use them before bed a few times a week and my skin is softer and smoother. Verdict: Will repurchase.

Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar. Before bed, I like something gentle since most nights I'm putting some type of treatment on my skin before going to sleep, and this is perfect! I got a mini bar to try and I will be moving up to a bigger bar or the liquid version. Great facewash for sensitive skin! Verdict: Will repurchase.

June Goodbye's: Makeup

Kirkland's Daily Facial Wipes. Bought a box of these on Amazon due to recommendations from bloggers/YT'ers as a nightly cleansing/makeup removing ritual. I like these more than I thought I would. They smell great, very moist so one wipe will clean off your entire face of makeup, and the box I purchased came with a 2 packages of 30 and 2 travel packages of 15. I used different packages randomly, and finished off three this month. I bought another version at a local store, but they suck. Verdict: Will buy again, as soon as I've used up my other ones that suck.

Too Faced Primed & Poreless. I got this sample and it went quickly. Smoothed my skin, tinted for better coverage (or can wear alone if your skin is better than mine!), no real scent to it. I have used this before and enjoyed it, but never purchased it, and this sample reminded me I like it, but it wasn't anything grand. Verdict: Meh, won't purchase.

Revlon ColorStay Active. This is so freaking old I don't think they sell this stuff anymore. Used it up, finally. Good coverage but balled up over primers (I guess it had some primer stuff in it so they didn't play well?). Dried on the face quickly so you had to work fast. It did stay on very well considering it went on bare skin with no primer. Verdict: Won't repurchase.

Almay SmartShade Foundation in Light/Medium. Interesting foundation that looks a little gray but gave decent medium coverage. Went a little orange on me, but some foundations tend to oxidize on my oily skin and become orange. Verdict: Won't repurchase.

Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Eyeliner in Aubergine. They don't even make this anymore. It was in a dark plum shade, which was nice for my brown eyes. I love dark colored liners, not so stark as black but give a nice color to pop my eyes. Dried out before I could finish it up. Verdict: Can't repurchase, and wouldn't even if I could.

e.l.f. Mineral Face Primer. This I purchased on a whim went I bought a ton of elf products. Feels very slippery but dries down once you apply it. White bottle but clear product. You never know how much you have left. Went fairly quickly. I used one pump, but my makeup stayed better with two pumps on my face. Too greasy for liquid foundation for me, but worked beautifully for mineral foundations. Didn't mind it going quickly since it's very inexpensive compared to other primers. I don't feel I can justify repurchasing it now considering it didn't quite work well for me, but I'll likely look into it again in the winter. Verdict: Won't repurchase now, but maybe later.


That's all I got for ya! Sorry this is so late in the month but I didn't want to flood your readers with posts so I'm trying to space them out.

Speaking of goodbye's, I'm leaving town tomorrow to pick up my dad since he'll be helping us move, so I won't be able to do any more nails or posts until we're settled at our new place. I have posts scheduled while I'm gone, but please forgive me if I'm slow to respond or comment. It's gonna be a busy couple of days for me!!

April's Empties!

I've decided to give a recap of products I've used up during the previous month to give you guys an idea of how much crap bath and beauty products I have and use! And hopefully it will motivate me to use more products up since I'm moving soon and I don't want to just throw it away, but I don't want to move it either!

So here is what I was able to use up during April ...