March 2019 Empties

Another month, another batch of empties.

SKINCARE

This month seemed to be all about the mini and travel sized products, especially with skincare. There’s a lot of product here so I’ll skip the rambling and get right to it.

The Neutrogena Makeup Remover Wipes are my favorite wipes for removing any light makeup that I wear. It does a good job of removing any light base, my eye makeup, and even most of my waterproof mascara. I buy a big box of these from Costco so I pretty much always have some on hand.
Already repurchased.

There’s a couple serums that I finished this month – the Luzern Labs Firming Collagen Booster Serum and the Vichy Mineral 89 Daily Skin Booster. Truthfully, I didn’t see much happening with the Luzern serum, but the Vichy one added a really nice layer of hydration for when my skin was feeling extra dry. I don’t see either as a necessary product so I don’t currently plan on repurchasing them.
Wouldn’t repurchase.

Something I did love is the Cerave Eye Repair Cream. It’s a pretty basic eye cream, but that’s what I liked about it. It was moisturizing, not too heavy but not too light, either, and it’s pretty affordable. I liked using this at night, but it was a great multipurpose eye cream. I have a lot of eye creams to use up at the moment, but I would definitely repurchase this if I needed something in a pinch.
Would repurchase.

I also finished a couple moisturizers, both of which were pretty good – the Kate Somerville Goat Milk Moisturizing Cream, which felt surprisingly light and moisturizing. I really enjoyed using this cream, which I also tried at the same time as the Skin Food Anti-Aging Regenerative Face Cream. The Skin Food one was slightly heavier than the Kate Somerville one, but I think they both worked really well. I have a lot of moisturizers I like already, but I would consider either of them.
Might repurchase.

My mask empty of this month is the Boscia Charcoal Pore Pudding Mask. This was a pretty good mask for when my skin was feeling congested and I felt like I needed a deep clean. As far as charcoal masks go, I think I still like the Origins one or the Glamglow one better, so I would rather repurchase those.
Wouldn’t repurchase.

I also finished a couple of sunscreens – first up is the Peter Thomas Roth Max Sheer All Day Moisture Defense Lotion SPF 30. I was not a fan of this. It was way too greasy for my oily skin, although I’ve heard good reviews from people who have dry skin. I couldn’t use this under my makeup, so I only used it on no-makeup days when I was running errands.
Wouldn’t repurchase.

The Neogen Day Light Protection Sunscreen SPF 50 was pretty good. It applied like a lotion, didn’t feel heavy, and didn’t make me more oily throughout the day. It might be a little too rich for the summer, but it worked great for my winter skin.
Might repurchase.

MAKEUP

The first item is the Becca Beach Souffle Tint in Fig/Opal, which actually dried out. I’m devastated that I can’t use this anymore since they’re discontinued. They lasted so well on my cheeks and I loved the finish of this. I still have 2 other shades that are still hanging in there, but it will be a sad day when they’re both gone.
Would repurchase if I could.

Another couple of items that didn’t really work for me are the It Cosmetics Superhero Mascara and the Stowaway Cosmetics Mascara. They were both really dry formulas that dried out just a couple weeks after I opened them. They both had similar flaking issues…so they were easy passes.
Would not repurchase.

Onto a couple items I actually did finish…the Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Moonstone was my favorite shade to highlight the inner corner of my lids. I find that these don’t last as well on my actual lids as other cream shadow sticks, but the inner corner, this was fine. I have another mini size of this ready to go but I would definitely repurchase.
Would repurchase.

I also finished the Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyeliner in Black. This is a fantastic black eyeliner that doesn’t transfer or smudge on my oily lids, though I’m now using the Marc Jacobs Blacquer liner and am finding that to be just a bit better. If I had never used the Marc Jacobs one I probably would have repurchased the MUFE one, but I think I’m a convert.
Would probably not repurchase.

HAIR

So…I might be becoming a hair…person. I finished just a few things in March, but I just made a huge haircare purchase.

I’ve had a different haircut these past couple months that just looks better with a bit of heat styling, even though I am supremely lazy with my hair. Because I’m either blowdrying or straightening my hair (relax, it’s only like 2x a week), I make sure to add a heat protecting oil to keep my hair looking healthy. I had a small mini of the Ouai Hair Oil that I thought was pretty good. The only reason I wouldn’t repurchase is I’m not a huge fan of the owner of Ouai and how she reacts to negative feedback or her overall presence on Instagram (do a google search on her).

Would not repurchase.

I’m also trying to make my hair last longer between washes. I finally got it to go 2 days, and now I’m “training” it so that I only have to wash my hair every 3 days. Because of that, dry shampoo is more important than ever, especially for days I’m at the gym. The Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk has been my go to, and I love how well it refreshes my hair without leaving any gritty residue. I get mini travel sizes of this whenever I can but I think I’m actually going to have to purchase a full size one…
Will repurchase.

I also used a mini of the Batiste Dry Shampoo – the cult favorite and first dry shampoo I ever used. This stuff is seriously potent. It can revive my hair even on the worst of days, but it does leave just a little bit of a residue that I can’t seem to completely work into my hair. I still would get this when I need something quickly just to have on hand, though.
Would repurchase.

FRAGRANCE

I only used up a couple of sample vials this month, and sadly, both of them were kind of fails for me. The first was the Clean Warm Cotton, which was just a little too fresh smelling for me. It gave me a headache when I sprayed it on my skin, but I actually liked it sprayed on my sheets and clothes. But do I need to spend $100 on a perfume when I can literally get it from a detergent? Nope.
Would not repurchase.

The other fragrance was the Lancome La Vie Est Belle, which was the opposite of Warm Cotton. It was waaay too sweet and gourmand for my taste, and it was just too unbearable for me to wear for too long. Not a fan.
Would not repurchase.

From reading my empties, it would seem I always hate the products I use up! That’s not the case, I swear. I have a high standard for products, and also like to try samples and mini versions before I buy a full size, and I’d rather dislike a mini that I’ve received for free as a GWP, or paid less money for. That’s what they’re for, right?

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading this month’s roundup!

As always, thanks for reading!