I couldn’t believe my empties box was overflowing again! My last beauty empties post was just this past July. I must have been on the verge of finishing several products. So here we are again with another honest review along with my thoughts if the product was a buy or bye! Spoiler alert – We do have a couple misses but overall this is a lot of great products we are about to dive into. Let’s jump in!
Skincare
We can start with the misses first to get them out of the way and into the good stuff. There were actually two skincare misses for me this empties go-around. One may also be an unpopular opinion. The first miss for me was Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum. This was an odd one for me. I used a touch more than half the bottle and felt like I was really forcing myself to use it. With half the bottle left, it made it to the empties because I’ve had it for over a year and I think it most likely isn’t good anymore. The smell is on the citrusy side which isn’t bad but on my skin it didn’t smell great. Overall, for me the serum just didn’t do much and I didn’t notice any difference in my skin.
Onto what may be an unpopular opinion. Tula Glow & Get It Eye Balm was a miss for me. Maybe it is user error but I find myself saying what is the point of this product every time I use it! For me, it also can get crusty under my makeup. I can take partial blame for that piece as I think I was putting a little too much on in hopes it would do something for me!
From here on out I think we are green lights ahead! For this next product, it was the first time I have used anything from their line and I am a huge fan. For the last few years I’ve added in a hydration serum into my morning skincare routine. I recently finished the Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum and this product quickly jumped into top 5 skincare products. Not only is it super affordable for a serum but my skin feels so great when I use it. This is hands down no questions asked, a buy for me!
Another ride or die for me is the Clinique Moisture Surge Hydrator. The benefits of this product for me that make it a buy are that it is a gel formula so it wears great under makeup, a little goes a long way, and it is one of the more affordable hydrators. I have two backups of this product under my bathroom sink. It’s safe to say this one is also a buy for me.
Last but not least in the skincare category is the Mario Badescu Glycolic Foaming Cleanser. I do want to preface that this is not an everyday face cleanser. Typically, I will use this twice a week as a gentle exfoliator and for me it does the trick. I feel like it does a great job of keeping my face feeling smooth without leaving behind any redness as more abrasive exfoliators tend to do. During the Nordstrom sale this year they had this in a set with a pump bottle and I was instantly sold! It is still available and under $40 for the set!
Bodycare
For body care empties, I have a miss for what the product is intended for but actually used it for something else and it worked great! The Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser I bought for Tristan as a face wash and he hated it, lol. I tried it as well and was not a fan. My face didn’t feel that clean afterwards. I did however use it shave my legs and it worked great! My opinion is that this face wash would be great for a pre-teen or possibly a teenager but for an adult, I have to say this was a bye.
Up next, I have shared this brand more times than I can remember! Native deodorant and Native body wash. I can’t say enough good things about Native. They now are available at Target and that makes it even better and easier to access! For the body wash, I just finished up my last two scents from the Jungalow line and I’m so sad they were limited edition. If they ever come back, stock up! I know I will. I’m normally not one to seek out all natural products but when I made the switch a few years back to Native as a natural deodorant, I tried the body wash not expecting to like it. I was totally wrong! I also love that at Target only you can get the Coconut & Vanilla body wash in a larger pump bottle!!
While we are on the subject of deodorant, this next product reminds me of my wedding! So, long story short is that a few months back I was forced to try Schmidt’s Charcoal & Magnesium deodorant. At first I was so distraught. This was a weekend leading up to the wedding and we were out of town at wedding appointments and I forgot my freakin deodorant. Can you believe it?! We went to the grocery store and this was the only natural deodorant in the only scent and it was my only choice. I stood there starring at the shelves like another brand or scent was going to appear. I begrudgingly took the deodorant and we were off to our appointments.
Till this day I die laughing at what Tristan said to me as I was starring at the shelves. He was trying to be so sweet about it and said “Well, it’s probably better than what we are working with now.” I literally lol’d in the aisle and said well, I guess that’s true. As it turns out, this deodorant is amazing!! Once applied the scent dissipates. It dries clear and there is no white marks on clothing or under your arms. In super hot weather, truth be told, it works better for me than Native. I can’t believe I’m saying this but it’s true! I even used it on my wedding day since I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about re-applying.
This next product is on auto-ship to our home once every 3 months. Poo-Pourri. If you haven’t tried it, you want to do that A-SAP. Also, you’re welcome 😉
Lastly, for body care is a lotion. Billie Dry-Bye Lotion feels super hydrating right after shaving your legs. It does contain shea butter and I think that’s what does it for me. It is on the pricey side for the size of the bottle but it lasts quite awhile for me since I just use it on my legs.
Haircare
For haircare I have two empties this time around. I wash my hair twice a week so it definitely takes me longer to use up my haircare products. Starting with a new to me product, Redken Invisible Dry Shampoo, was okay. It is one of those middle of the road products where it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great either. For me, part of a dry shampoo great experience is the great smell that some of them carry. I didn’t realize when purchasing the Redken one that it is fragrance free. I will say, it did not leave any residue behind and it actually does work well. Just missing that scent. If you are someone sensitive to scents or simply don’t care for them then this product is for you!
Second up for haircare is my holy grail hair mask. If I could insert vocals in a blog post, this is where I would be singing! So many great things to say about the Colleen Rothschild Quench & Shine Restorative Mask. From the spa like smell to the softness it brings to my hair I look forward to using this product each and every time. It’s often sold out so if you catch it in stock grab one while you can!
Makeup
Surprisingly enough, all my makeup empties this time around are base products. As you’ll see, I use multiple products at a time and rotate them day by day depending on what I’m doing that day. Let’s start with the first products I see left in my empties box, primers. Yes that was plural, I have 3 of them to share!
First primer up, let’s go with Too Faced Hangover RX. This is a strong bye for me. It pained me to have to finish the whole thing. It was watery, had a poor smell, and it didn’t hold my makeup hardly at all. The other two primers I would buy again in a heartbeat. They are Tula Filter Primer and Smashbox Photo Finish Super Light. Both of these primers held my makeup well throughout the day and gave a very smooth finish. With the Smashbox one I do want to mention that for my skin, the regular Photo Finish is too heavy for me. The Super Light is perfect!
Next up, concealer. This next product I can’t link because it’s not sold anymore but I absolutely loved it! Urban Decay Naked Skin Color Correcting Fluid in pink was the greatest consistency, color, non-caking, best color corrector I have used. To date, I have not been able to find one that I equally love. If you have a color corrector that you love, let me know in the comments and I’ll give it a try!
Most of you are probably no stranger to this next concealer, Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer. I wear this in the shade 1C-Light. This would be a re-purchase for me. I liked the staying power and there was no caking throughout the day.
For foundation, this is actually a ride or die product for me. Too Faced Born This Way is a foundation that I know I can always default to and it will never disappoint. I love that it’s buildable but never heavy feeling. It always blends well and the consistency is perfect! I’m always sad when this one is empty. I usually wear this in the shade Vanilla.
Whew, we made it! I still love writing these empties posts and hope you find them helpful. If you have a ride or product that you think I would love to try, drop it in the comments and I’ll test it out!
Till Next Time,
