Thursday, February 1, 2018

That's a Wrap: A Collection of Empties

Greetings, dear readers! I have something on the blog today that I haven't posted about in several months: a collection of empty product packages! I had mixed feedback about whether or not I should continue with a monthly set as I was doing or holding back for fewer posts. In the end, the "less frequent" requests won out because I had other things pop up as I was preparing to photograph my empties. They've just been collecting in a box in the corner of my desk. I've decided it is finally time to get that box cleaned out and start fresh, so here we are! I have to admit that some things I've shared before got tossed rather than saved, so this post isn't going to be quite as busy as it otherwise could be. Let's jump in and check out what products I have finished up over the past several months and whether or not I will be repurchasing any of them!


Wipes had become quite a staple in my beauty routine for a little while, although it wasn't exactly my top choice. With having to leave town with the wildfires destroying my community and then the stress of the holidays, wipes became a larger part of my routine than usual as I was just too tired at the end of the day for a more complicated routine.

Acure Organics - Unscented Argan Oil Cleansing Towelettes
Argan oil is supposed to be one of the best types to use on your skin, and I was really excited to try these wipes. They are cruelty free, vegan, and unscented, all qualities I am trying to incorporate more into my beauty routine, so this was a promising product for me. The down side is the wipes were a little on the drier side, and I never really felt like my face was clean after using these. I'll admit that when I use wipes, I expect them to clean fully because I just was to crash in bed within 30 seconds. I wasn't planning to pick up any more of these, and a quick search shows they are not longer offered on the website. They do have a coconut + argan oil towelette option though, so while my results with the argan oil wipes wasn't ideal, I'm not sure that I want to write off all the products. I'm also eager to try out other product offerings from the brand at some point in the future.

Equate Beauty - Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes
For when I want to save some cash, Walmart is sure to deliver with their Equate brand! Sure, most skincare products I tend to prefer to pay more when I know I'm getting better quality, but cleansing towelettes are one of those items that I refuse to spend a fortune on. I picked up this small pack for one of my trips out of town, and they worked reasonably well for me. I wore a full face of makeup, none of which was waterproof, and these wipes removed all traces of makeup. That being said, I did end up using two wipes for removal since there was some left on my face after the first wipe. It's not a deal breaker for me, but if you wear a full face and want a wipe to do it all in one go, I'm afraid these likely won't impress you. I'm sure we would all love to have Disney's Mulan's skill of wiping half a face with a sleeve and having all makeup come off. If someone knows the secret, fill me in! But for a cheap pack of wipes, these get the job done and weren't too harsh for my skin.

Kirkland Signature - Daily Facial Towelettes
This is far from KS's first time on this blog when it comes to empties, but that shouldn't be surprising given that they come in a large box from wholesale store Costco. While not the first time, I am ecstatic to report this should be the last time- I finished off the stupid box! I didn't think it was possible, but I hated these things! The wipes themselves were rough and I felt like my face was getting exfoliated with each wipe of the towelette. They weren't super expensive, but since I opted to buy the big box of them, my stubborn self was determined to suck it up and just use them. I actually couldn't use these every day as they affected my skin that much, but my stubborn self won this battle. Needless to say, no, I will NOT to buying these again. Good riddance!

Neutrogena - Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes (hydrating)
I don't think I'd go so far as to say these towelettes are hydrating like the packaging claims, but they did remove all makeup from my face nicely and didn't leave it feeling dry. I read a review of these recently where they were too harsh for the writer's skin, but my experience was never like that, even with my skin normally sensitive to most products. It just goes to show that person chemistry really can affect how well a product does or does not work for you! Neutrogena is a brand that consistently works well for my skin, and I already have a replacement pack of these on hand for my lazy evenings!


I haven't been using face masks as often as I would have liked, although to be fair, I actually bought multiples of some of these and opted to just toss the extra packaging rather than save them for a post.

BioBelle - #beautyscoop
I've been using BioBelle masks for a year and a half now, and it is a brand that I keep going back to. I'm always been happy with how my face feels after using the #beautyscoop mask, and it is my most used mask! I don't think I use it often enough to say that I can see any diminishing of wrinkles or fine lines, but then I'm not seeing any new ones so they must be helping do something, right? I try to stay on top of keeping my face moisturized anyway, but the #beautyscoop mask does noticeably add a boost to my skin's hydration. While this can easily be ordered from the website, I often found my BioBelle masks at my local Kohl's store and I would grab a few at every visit. Sadly, my Kohl's store was partially burned due to the fires here in Sonoma County and has been closed. In the grand scheme of things, it sustained far less damage that many other building that were destroyed, and it is slated to reopen some time this spring. That being said, I need to get a mask order in so I don't have to wait that long!

BioBelle - #HappyHour
Continuing on with BioBelle is the #HappyHour mask with red wine and retinol. My face definitely felt great after using it, although I can't say I noticed any real difference between this and the #beautyscoop. Again, I'm sure consistency in use is key, so I sadly cannot report on this as I'm a once-a-week masker at the best of times. The past several months do not fit this qualification. If there is any interest, I may have to do a serious trial with the BioBelle masks over a period of time to see how well they really work. I can say they do make my skin feel moisturized after each use!

KoCoStar - Slice Mask Sheet Watermelon
I spotted this mask from Korean brand KoCoStar at my Target and snatched it up immediately. What I was expected was a normal sheet mask that sits on your face, but this mask is not that. I realized after opening that instead of one piece, you end up with a set of perhaps ten small rounded pieces that are coloured to look like watermelon. I was caught totally off guard and would have snapped a photo if I wasn't already a hot mess to show you, but believe me, it was a strange experience. I did my best to spread them across my face, but the round shape left areas of my skin exposed. In the end, I looked like I had giant warts or something on my face. Also, I found that I couldn't move around too much since the small pieces would slide around and start to fall off my face after the 20-ish minutes was up. My skin felt nice and soft after I pulled the pieces off, but the small slices was a little off putting and will likely prevent me from purchasing these in the future. That being said, if you like to wear different masks on your face at the same time to address different concerns, these may be what you are looking for. I just don't find them to be a good fit for me.


My empties post continues on with more skin care items!

Algenist - Complete Eye Renewal Balm
Algenist is a Bay Area-based company that I was first introduced to a year ago, and it has quickly become one of my favorite brands. Their Complete Eye Renewal Balm is one of my favorite products and one that I have replaced a few times already! I have another jar ready for me after I finish trying out a different brand for the time being. It has a great texture that perfectly merges the rich texture I like in my eye creams with quick absorption into the skin.

MyChelle Dermaceuticals - Refining Sugar Cleanser
I love this Refining Sugar Cleanser so much, I am now working on my third bottle of it right now! I've actually written up a dedicated review, so I'm going to just direct you to this post if you want to check it out. The TL;DR for the post is just buy it since it feel amazing and leaves your skin feeling so smooth and refreshed!

Olay Regenerist - Regenerating Serum
If you prefer to have your skincare items readily available, Olay is a brand that is easy to find just about anywhere. I actually picked this up as part of a multi-part from Costco (yes, I might have a Costco issue), so the bottle looks a little different than what I found recently at my local Target store. If you are in the market for an affordable skincare serum that helps the overall look of your skin, the Regenerating Serum is one of my favorites that keeps finding its way back into my skincare routine. If you haven't guessed, it's part of my current skincare routine now!

Pacifica - Cactus Water Micellar Cleansing Tonic
Pacifica is another vegan and cruelty-free brand that I've been using off and on for a few years. I only recently tried using the Cactus Micellar Tonic, and I'm kicking myself for not using it sooner! The formula is gentle enough for my sensitive skin but still strong enough to remove my makeup easily. It leaves my face feeling clean, and I didn't have any issues with my skin feeling too dry like I sometimes do with other micellar waters. I'm currently trying out a different micellar water, but I am eager to get back this one from Pacifica!

Seoul Ceuticals - Day Glow Serum
Have you ever had a product that just catch your eye? I stumbled across this product on Amazon one day this summer and bought it totally on a whim. When I picked it up, it had a few positive reviews, and with the affordable price tag, I figured why not! Since then, it has blown up with positive feedback on Amazon, and if I weren't so lazy busy, I'd be adding onto it myself! This serum has left my skin brighter and just looking so healthy! The consistency is thinner than I was expecting, and it absorbs beautifully into the skin in no time. Because I've been testing a few different skincare products over the past few months, I've sadly not been using this glorious product since emptying this bottle. That being said, I already have a replacement in my Amazon cart waiting to pull the trigger when my skincare product load thins out more!


I've been wearing makeup more consistently than usual over the past several months, so I have no idea why I seem to be really limited with empties in the cosmetic department!

Calvin Klein - ck one mascara
I have had this mascara sitting unopen/not used for longer than I care to admit, and I was really kicking myself when I first used it. This mascara was amazing! While not waterproof, it stayed on my lashes better than many other mascaras I'v tried recently, and I had no issues with flaking. Now that I'm done kicking myself, a part of me wants to kick whoever at Calvin Klein decided to discontinue this amazing product! I'm sad to see this go, but we had a great run!

Hard Candy - Fast & Fabulous Makeup Setting Spray
I had never tried this setting spray before, but I picked it up when my go-to was unavailable everywhere I looked around town. To be honest, this bottle is still about half full, and I just decided to throw the darn thing away. How's that for a testimony on how much I did not like this product! While I didn't expect a super-fine mist experience, I was shocked to see just how much of this setting spray, well, sprayed out of the bottle! I would have large volumes of a horrible wet sensation on my face from a single pump, and since I generally don't wear waterproof mascara, I would occasionally have mascara running immediately if I wasn't careful about where I sprayed. Sadly, dear readers, that wasn't the worst of it! About half the time I would use this setting spray, my skin would start to burn. I have no idea why it happened only half the time, especially since I wouldn't change up my face products from day-to-day. While the burning sensation would disappear pretty quickly, it still was unpleasant and just not worth keeping this bottle around any longer. I'd rather go with either a bare face or risk makeup smearing that put this monstrosity on my face again.

Lush - Mint Juleps Lip Scrub
One of the hardest things about leaving Tucson four years ago was moving someplace without a Lush store, and I was beyond thrilled to discover one in my mall recently! I have mixed feelings about the scents of many of their products, but their lip scrubs are one of my favorite Lush products that I keep picking up. The Mint Julips variety is one of my favorites along with their seasonal coke-flavored Santa Baby. A little goes a long way o gently exfoliate the lips, and once done, just lick of the yummy sugared concoction! A very light layer of oil stays on the lips to keep them moisturized, and the mint version has a little bit of a short-lived tingling sensation. Since emptying this jar, I've doing a little DIY sugar scrub on my lips, but I need to make a trip to pick up another jar from Lush ASAP!


I'm terrible about holding onto the empty containers from my body products, but I do have a few items I can share with you!

Burt's Bees - Body Lotion with Cupuacu Butters
My skin has been having a hard time with the cold (for us) weather we've been having lately, and this body lotion from Burt's Bees worked wonders for my skin! The lotion is really thick and absorbs quickly into the skin. I could actually resume shaving my legs in the winter again thanks to this product! I was seriously contemplating staying a Sasquatch mode just to not dry my skin out even more, but thankfully it never came to that. The only iffy thing about this body lotion for me was the scent. It is scented with natural products, and while I don't hate it, I don't particularly care too much for it. It won't stop me from picking up another tube when my skin needs some extra tlc in the future, but it could be a turn off for some readers.

Ginger Fizz Boutique - Lemon Meringue Pie Bath Fizz
For those unfamiliar with the brand, Ginger Fizz Boutique is a great little one-woman show indie brand! Her signature bath product is the macaroon-shaped bath bomb, but this was a cute cupcake-shaped one with the unicorn placed on top. The lemon meringue scent was scrumptious, and I hope to see these being offered by the brand again at some point! Until then, you can get your wax fix with one of the many colourful and beautifully decorated loaf wax melts or wax melt shots.

Soak It! - Bubble Bar Pina Colada
I had picked up this bubble bar in addition to another one awhile back. Sadly, this bubble bar came from the same batch as the other and yielded virtually no bubbles. Rather than rehash the review, you can check out my thoughts on this on a previous post here.


Girly Bits Cosmetics - Monoi de Tahiti Frazzle Fizzer Cuticle Oil
While I may not be fond of floral scents in general, I had to have the Monoi de Tahiti scent in Girly Bits cuticle oil! My husband and I went to Tahiti for our honeymoon, and the scent of tiare brings back many fond memories. Add to that a quality cuticle oil, and I was a happy camper! The bottle + brush application method isn't my preferred when it comes to portability, so this resided on my swatch desk. Girly Bits offers a variety of other scents to choose from as well as the option of a plastic dropper bottle instead of the glass bottle shown here.

Swisspers - 100% Cotton Rounds
Swisspers is THE brand I always see wherever I go to pick up cotton rounds. I naturally go through a lot of cotton rounds when it comes to removing nail polish, but this particular version was used for my facial products only. I prefer the quilted back option for easy polish removal, but this works well with my micellar waters and BHA liquid solutions. I've not picked up any more of these particular rounds since I bought a large package of my preferred type from Amazon, and those work with my skincare products as well.


And this, dear readers, concluded this long post of empties! Some products I've enjoyed and have already replaced while others I'm on the fence about. There are also some that I am choosing to avoid in the future. Obviously this post is all my opinion based on my experiences with these products, and some people may have a different experience.

Have you tried any of these products? I'd love to hear what you enjoyed or hated! Also, if you have any product substitutions or just something you want to recommend that I try, please feel free to chime in below!

Until next time, dear readers, have a wonderful day!
XO!


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12 comments

  1. I've yet to try a sheet mask but kinda want too! I haven't tried any of those wipes but great info! I think the last ones I has were the simple ones. Lately I've loved the Simple micellular water!

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  2. GIRL! That's a lot of empties! I also love those BioBelle masks - I have a few left in my cabinet. Also I haven't finished a bottle of cuticle oil in awhile!

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  3. I'm really interested in the Seoul Ceuticals Day Glow Serum and those BioBelle face masks. I also loveee my Neutrogena wipes! I rely on those and don't even bother with any others haha.

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  4. Wow. What a ton of empties. Every time I think I'm going to write a post on this subject I realize I threw away half the empties or just get tired of having the garbage hanging out. You did a great job using things up and telling the pros and cons.

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  5. Im glad to aee you have Acure! You finished a lot, good jb!!!

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  6. I’m very intrigued by the Day Glow Serum, with such fantastic reviews. I think I will try the Lush Lip Scrub too, I’ve been looking for a good one.

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  7. Well done on using up so much! You know I'm a huge fan of reading (and posting) about beauty empties LOL. You just sold me on the Seoul Ceuticals Day Glow Serum - it will be mine on my upcoming K-beauty haul.

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  8. Oh my gosh we have so many of the same Empties. The Neutrogena wipes are such a lifesaver. I have it in both travel size for my purse and regular size for make kit

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  9. I feel like with all face masks, I don’t know if they actually do anything in the long term, but they feel great on and right after haha

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  10. I have tried sheet masks from k-beauty stores (snail essence and such) and loved them. I am really intrigued to see a CK mascara, I am in search of a good mascara. Where did you get it?

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  11. My lips are actively trying to peel off my face... I need to go get another jar of the scrub from LUSH to see if I can exfoliate enough to get them back to normal.

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