January, February & March 2017 Empties

As promised, I'm showing you all the products I've used up so far since the beginning of the year. It's not alot since I wasn't really taking care of myself because of being with my daughter in the hospital. Now that she's home, it'll be much easier using up products and caring about my health and happiness again. 

Starting off with skincare, I have finally used up the Clean & Clear Morning Burst Shine Control Facial Scrub. I used to like this, but over time I ended up actually hating it. The scent is overpowering and the scrubbing bits can be kinda harsh. 

The Fresh Soy Face Cleanser is something I'd buy over and over again if it wasn't so expensive! I LOVE this cleanser so much. It makes my skin feel clean, without stripping it dry. 

Jack Black lip balms are incredible. I had been trying to use up the Natural Mint scent since before Olivia was born. Granted, I lost it a couple times, but always ended up finding it. I have a few more of these in different scents to use up and would consider repurchasing once I go through my stash. 

Philosophy skincare is hit or miss for me, but the Renewed Hope in a Jar is a hit! I'm not a fan of the cult classic original moisturizer that everyone raves about, but this one is nice. I'd consider purchasing once I use up what I have. 

I got a sample of the Exuviance OptiLight Essential 6 Serum with a product I was sent to try ages ago. I got quite a few uses out of this, but I didn't find it to be anything special. Exuviance is a pretty expensive brand, and I'm sure if I had a bigger size, I would've seen a difference in my skin. 

I tend to get a few samples of the DDF Ultra-Lite Oil-Free Moisturizing Dew, and I think I may have another to use up. This is a pretty decent moisturizer that has a gel consistency, so it's great for Summertime use when my skin is more oily. 

You all know my love for Valentia and their skincare. I did a review of their Royal Rose Hydrating Serum, and completely love it. The rose scent isn't too strong, and it helps to hydrate my skin well. If I didn't have a million serums to use up first, I'd buy this again in a heartbeat. 

I didn't care for the Murad Oil Control Mattifier SPF 15. It smelled weird and made my skin look super pale. 

Philosophy body products are my jam, and the Gingerbread Girl body lotion is no exception. It's not the most hydrating moisturizer in the world, but it does the job well enough and smells like baked goods, which is a plus in my book!

The next four products I used up were hand creams. I went through so many handcreams while my daughter was in the NICU from all the hand washing. The Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Cream with Aloe is probably meant to be a body moisturizer, but it felt so nice and luxurious on my hands, and made them feel like soft baby skin. The Mitchell and Peach Luxury Hand Cream is far from luxury to be honest. It smells like nothing and didn't hydrate my skin at all. I think it made the dryness worse. Everyone talks about the Soap & Glory Hand Food and for good reason! The scent can be a little strong, but the hydration it gives is amazing. Out of all of these hand creams, the L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream is my favorite. It smells like baby powder and hydrates like no other. It's expensive as hell, but worth it and I will probably repurchase when I use up my stash. 

Lastly, we have some random products. Bath & Body Works hand soaps are amazing, but expensive, even when there is a sale. Crisp Morning Air smelled nice and fresh, but I like sweet smelling hand soaps more. 

The Colgate Cavity Protection Toothpaste is something both my husband and I used. He used it more than I did since I prefer toothpastes with sensitivity protection. 

Since having Olivia, I have been shedding like a German Shepard. It's so bad, but I know it's postpartum hormones that are causing it. I like the Natrol Biotin 10,000mcg because I feel like it really helps in normal, everyday life, and works great at making my nails super strong as well. 

Number of products used up: 16
Total used up for the year: 16

I'll be going back to monthly empties now that things are starting to settle down. Hopefully I can make my goal of using up 150 products, and that does include foil packets as well. I'm so bad at using my foil packet samples and need to make it a point to use some up this year. 

What are some products you've used up recently?   

November 2015 Empties

Hi everyone! It's time, once again, to share with you all of the products I used up in November. I'm so happy with everything I was able to use up, and I'm even more happy that there are a whopping 25 products! That's got to be the most I've ever gone through in a month. This might be a long one, so grab a snack and a drink and lets see the products!

Starting with a few miscellaneous products, my husband and I both used the Head & Shoulders Total Care Shampoo. Even though this says it's for men on the bottle, I used it anyway because I do occasionally get dandruff, and this brand is really good with helping it go away. 

Next up is the Hershey's Honey Body Butter. I ended up just dumping out the product in the container because it had separated and smelled a bit funky. 

I adore the L'Occitane Hand Cream, and the one in this particular tube is my favorite. This is a smaller size that came in a kit a while ago, but this hand cream makes my hands feel so soft, and it smells very nice too, sort of like a light baby powder scent. 

You all know how much I love the Philosophy Shower Gels, but the Gingerbread Girl one I didn't care for. It smelled fine, but there are shimmer particles in this that was kind of odd to me, and it didn't necessarily clean very well either. I never thought I'd see the day where I didn't like one of these shower gels!

I take a Biotin supplement daily, and the one from Natrol is pretty good. It's the maximum strength version with 10,000 mcg, which can upset alot of people's stomach, but I was fine taking this as long as I ate breakfast first. I'm starting to notice alot more that my hair is growing faster, it looks healthier, and I had family comment that it looks thicker as well, but I don't notice that honestly. 

Now for some makeup, which is a rare occurrence in an empties post! I decided to just get rid of the e.l.f. Everyday Eye Palette because most of the shadows have broken and I don't really like them, along with the BH Cosmetics California Collection trios. I got both from Ipsy, but really wasn't happy with them. The Lancome Colour Focus Palette most likely came in a gift with purchase, but I don't like these colors and I've had it for many years, so in the trash it goes. 

The Marbella Permanent Eyeliner Pen was fantastic while it lasted. It's very black, goes on nicely, and lasts all day long. The only downside is that it literally is almost permanent. I always had such a horrible time trying to remove it all from my lashline at night and could never get it off fully, which I didn't like at all. It finally dried out on me, so it's time to officially say goodbye. 

I also used up the Mirabella Perfecting Loose Powder. I got this in an Ipsy bag so long ago, and just now used it up. I loved this powder to set my under-eye concealer. It helped it last longer, but didn't look cakey or make me look like an old lady. 

Time for a whole lotta skincare! I finally used up the Simple Refreshing Facial Wash Gel. This was my nighttime cleanser, and I loved this so much! It's so gentle, has no scent, and takes off every last bit of makeup (minus the eyeliner mentioned above. That stuff doesn't go away!). It's amazing when used in conjunction with my Clarisonic, and once I use up my hoard of cleansers, I'll most likely purchase this again. 

I still have some deluxe sizes of Dermalogica products left, but I managed to use up the Multi-Active Toner and the Skin Prep Scrub. The toner is alright, but nothing to write home about. The scrub on the other hand, holy moly is this intense! The scrubbing grains are made of corn meal, which isn't harsh for me, but it sure does get off any bit of dry skin you may have. 

I had to throw away the Super Hand & Cuticle Cream because I'm pretty sure mold was growing inside the bottle. The product had changed from a white color to yellow and it smelled nasty, so it's going nowhere near my skin.

I really enjoyed using the Oz Naturals Hyaluronic Acid Serum. Even though I have pretty oily skin for most of the year, it can get very dehydrated, so serums with hyaluronic acid in them work miracles for my skin without making it more oily. 

I had used up some Ipsy points to get the Tarte Amazonian Clay Double Detox Facial Mask, and I don't know how I feel about this honestly. It had enough product inside for just one use, which was a complete waste of points used, and I didn't expect it to have grainy bits in it. It tingled quite a bit on my skin, but once I worked the mask into my skin when I rinsed it off, my skin was very smooth. I don't think they make this product anymore though, but I could be wrong. 

I also have both of the RevivSerum TelomErase Serums used up. I reviewed these here, and I honestly think that this is such a pricey product for what it is. The samples I got were so small, but if I had gotten a full size to try out more, my opinion could be different. 

I used the bareMinerals Purely Nourishing Moisturizer at night, and I absolutely loved it! It made my skin feel soft and hydrated, but it wasn't greasy at all. I had a hard time finding these products for a little bit, but it looks like Sephora does still carry some products!

If you have a sensitive nose to scented products like I do, stay away from the Shiseido Urban Environment UV Protection Cream SPF 40. This smelled so strongly of perfume, I almost threw it out after using it for the first time. It also made my skin look very, very white, if that was even possible, and if I didn't blot off the excess with a shine sheet, I'd get asked if I was feeling alright. 

I finally used up the Amara Organics Total Repair Eye Gel. This took forever to go through because I've been testing out a bunch of new eye gels/creams lately, but I did like this. It's a bit too light for the colder months coming up, but it's awesome for Summertime use. 

Finally, we have some samples I was able to use up. The BioRepublic Cucumber Breeze Soothing Fiber Mask wasn't too bad honestly! I'm normally not a huge fan of sheet masks, but this one did make my skin feel soothed after using a detoxifying mask that made my skin red and irritated. 

I love Fresh products, but not the price of them, so any samples I can snag, I'm always happy. The Black Tea Firming Overnight Mask was heaven sent when I went through a dry spell with my skin. Having really cold weather one day, then unseasonably warm weather the next makes my skin freak out, and this helped to really make it feel nice and supple. I was able to get a good three uses out of the little packet. 

I'm not a huge fan of the Grace line of products from Philosophy, but the Pure Grace Foaming Bath and Shower Cream really surprised me. It really just smells clean, that's the best way I can describe it. If I didn't have a massive amount of shower gels/creams to go through, I'd buy a full size of this in a heartbeat.

If you made it here to the end, you're awesome! I know that was alot to go over, but I feel so proud of myself for using all this up. 

What did you use up recently?

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May 2015 Empties

Hey everyone! May was an awesome month with using up products. I think this was the most products I've ever used up in a whole month, which makes me pretty darn excited. Anyways, get a snack or a drink since this may be a long post. 

I tried putting the products together in categories, so first up is the skincare. I used up the Adeline Anti-Aging Moisturizer. I did a full review of this here, and since using it up completely, I'm a bit indifferent on it. I liked it, but wasn't wowed by it. It smelled really nice, kinda like peppermint, and it just seemed like a regular moisturizer.

Next up is the Boscia Charcoal Pore-Minimizing Hydrogel Mask. I also did a review of this here, and it just didn't work for me. I hear so many good reviews of these masks, So I'm not sure what the deal is. The only thing I liked is that it actually fit my face well, otherwise it's just a meh product.

I always say this, but it's never an empties post for me if I don't have The Body Shop Aloe Calming Toner in it. Absolutely love this stuff and it will probably always be my favorite toner of all time. 

I had used the bareMinerals bareVitamins Skin Rev-er Upper a long time ago as a treatment under moisturizer. When I found it in my stash, it wasn't as good as I remembered it being. It used to make my skin feel and look nice, but this bottle didn't really do much for me. I'm honestly not sure if this product is still around, but I highly doubt I'd buy it again if it was available. 

I was a pretty big fan of the Origins A Perfect World Antioxidant Cleanser with White Tea. It lasted me quite a while too because you need the tiniest bit to get a good foam. This cleanses well, but the only gripe I had is it burned like Hell around my eyes. 

I've loved the Clinique Moisture Surge for years, and this one is their Extended Thirst Relief version. I only used this at night and it made my skin feel amazingly soft and hydrated. This product in its full size is pretty expensive, but I may consider buying it once I use up what I have in my stash.

I didn't actually get to use the Philosophy Hope in a Jar Moisturizer because when I open it, it smelled awful and was yellow. Just nasty, so in the trash it goes!

I'm also throwing out the Valentia Organic Rosehip Oil. I did a full review of this, and I'm not a fan. I did like how it made my skin look and feel, but I can't get past the smell of it. I'm not sure if I got a bad batch, but it smelled rotten to me. 

Now for some health/body products. I have finally used up the Perlier Limone Italian Sorbet Body Water. I had done a review of this ages ago here and found it so interesting. It's not necessarily a moisturizer, it's like a gel that crackles on your skin and it's so refreshing to use after a really hot day and a nice shower. I'm not sure if I would buy it for myself, but it's such an interesting product that I might consider it. 

Another Perlier product I used up is the Volcanic Stones Thermal Scrub. I reviewed this here, and at the time, I did like it. Now that it's used up, I love how this smells, it's like a spa, but the scrubbing particles kinda hurt my skin. 

I finished up a Natrol Biotin 10,000 mcg tablet bottle. I take one of these every morning to help with my hair, skin and nails. My nails are always nice, but I don't think this works for my hair. I keep using it in hopes it will eventually. 

I used up the Wegmans Topcare brand of Sensitive Toothpaste. I liked this alot and it only costs about $3. Much better price than other sensitive toothpastes around. 

Now for a few random makeup type products. I'm actually sad to have used up the Skindinavia Bridal Makeup Finish Spray. I bought this for my wedding back in September 2013. I loved it back then and I loved it til I used it all up. I'm not very picky with setting sprays and can kinda use whatever and be happy, but there are sentimental reasons to this one!

I hadn't used this Bare Escentuals Rare Minerals Skin revival Night Treatment since I was probably a teenager. I remember using it and thinking it never really did anything. It was a powder that you put all over your skin at night and it was supposed to help with skin turnover and large pores. Since it is so old, I don't want to chance it so it's getting thrown away.

I reviewed these Dermalogica Precleanse wipes here and I didn't really care for them. At first I wasn't using them correctly, and found out that I had to wet these after an initial use to remove the rest of my makeup. I'm not a fan of these and mainly used them for rubbing off swatches. 

Last few products! I used up the Suave Keratin Infusion Color Care Shampoo and Conditioner, but not at the same time. I always use up shampoo first for some reason, and a couple weeks later, I used up this conditioner. I'm a big fan of suave hair products because they make my hair feel so soft and healthy. 

The last product is the Bath & Body Works Anti-Bacterial foaming hand soap in the scent Creamy Pumpkin. I love their hand soaps so much and always stock up during a sale. This scent was really nice, kinda like pumpkin pie but without the cinnamon. 

Well, that's everything I used up! Not too shabby if you ask me, and if you made it til the end, you're awesome and I love you :)

How many/what products did you use up in May?

November 2013 Empties!

November was a great month with empties! I haven't been buying as much as I have in the past, but I'm on a serious mission to use up as many products as I can. I gave myself a goal to use up at least 20 products between November and December, and in November I used up 13 products! I haven't used up much so far this month, but I may be pretty surprised by the end of December. Anyways, lets see what I used up in November!

First I'll start off with shower and bathroom products. I used up the last of The Body Shop Banana Shampoo and Conditioner I had left. I did a review on both of these last year here, and while I like these products, I got so tired of them and just wanted to use them up. I have so much shampoo and conditioner to use up, and these are pricey, so I probably won't repurchase. 

I used up a Philosophy Shower Gel called Celebrate Love, and the scent is a blackberry musk smell. I love these shower gels so much and really only buy the larger sized bottles when they have a sale, since they're normally priced around $16 each. I have a bunch of the smaller bottles that I bought from kits. I'm usually not one for musky scents, but this one was light enough for me so I ended up liking it!

I finally used up The Body Shop Satsuma Body Butter that I had been using since the Summer. I love these body butters, and this Satsuma scent smells so yummy, like just peeled clementines. So delicious!

I used up a Creamy Pumpkin Antibacterial Deep Cleansing Hand Soap from Bath & Body Works. I like getting the deep cleansing ones, especially for my husband because he works in construction, so he gets dirty quicker. I personally like the foaming ones a bit more, but these are still nice. Plus this creamy pumpkin scent is amazing!

I finally used up the Garnier Nutritioniste Daily Exfoliating Gel Cleanser. I didn't particularly like this stuff as it smelled overwhelmingly of perfume and mint. It's also pretty harsh to me, so I don't know why this was called a daily exfoliating cleanser. I'm never repurchasing this. 

I used up another one of my beloved Aloe Calming Toners from The Body Shop. I've talked about this a million times, and I'm already almost finished another one. This toner is just fabulous. 

The Garnier Fructis Volume Extend Instant Bodifier Dry Shampoo was interesting. It smells amazing, like all Garnier hair products, and when you spray it in your hair and rub it in, there's no white cast. For me, it didn't do any kind of volumizing and it didn't make my hair feel clean like Batiste does. I swear, Batiste is truly my Holy Grail hair product. I've tried numerous dry shampoos, and I do have another one to try other than Batiste, but they never ever compare. I will not repurchase this product!

I used up a hand cream from The Body Shop, and it's the Absinthe Purifying Hand Cream. This hand cream is terrible! Seriously, never buy this stuff! All it did was make my hands even drier and it made them crack on the knuckles. The smell of this also smells like aftershave that old men use. Nasty stuff man. The best hand cream they have is the Hemp Hand Cream. That's one amazing product, but this one is the biggest dud I've ever tried!

I used up Natrol Biotin 10,000 mcg. I took these to help with my hair, skin and nails. I don't notice much difference with my hair, my nails have always been pretty good and my skin has it's ups and downs. I still take biotin pretty much everyday hoping it'll make mostly my hair better. I've been struggling to have good hair for years, but it never grows past a certain length and I get split ends like crazy. 

I used up another one of my Similasan Allergy Eye Relief Eye Drops. These are the only eye drops I can use. Other brands burn and sting like crazy, but this brand is amazing! I do have very sensitive eyes and horrible allergies that always affect them, so this is perfect for me. I use these twice a day, morning and night.

Last two products! I finished up the Luster Now! Instant Whitening Toothpaste, and to be truly honest, this didn't whiten my teeth at all. I got this product in an Influenster box, and I'm happy I got to try it, but it did absolutely nothing. It didn't even make my teeth feel clean. I definitely won't go out and buy this!

I have a makeup product! This is a blush from The Body Shop and it doesn't have a color name, just the number 04 on the back. Now I bought this when I got a job at The Body Shop, get ready for this, 4 years ago! I had used this almost daily, and it still took me 4 years to go through. I know there's still some product in there, but I couldn't wiggle my brush enough in it to get any product on the brush. This was actually a nice blush. It was a peachy pink color with shimmer in it and it was nicely pigmented without being overly pigmented, if that makes sense. I have to say, I'm incredibly happy with myself that I was able to use up a blush. I never thought I could!

That's everything I used! I'm pretty happy with the amount of products I have here. I definitely feel a sense of accomplishment when I use up something, especially makeup!

What did you use up in November?