June 2019 Empties

In another round of “what’s in Stephanie’s trash?” we have another empties post today. I hope you all aren’t getting tired of these because they’re actually some of my favorite posts to read.

After last month’s big round of empties, I didn’t think this month would have as much, but alas, here we are with a very full bag of empties to talk about.

MAKEUP

MAC Fix+ – this little vial of Fix + was perfect for taking with me on planes when I needed a little hit of hydration. I wish I had more little samples like this or that this one was refillable. Either way, I always have multiple bottles of this around.
Already have a backup.

EOS Lip balm appears in here once again. I use this every single morning to prep my lips while I get ready and these work well under lip balm. I’ve actually found better lip balms since them but I bought a big set of these from Costco awhile back and am still working my way through them.
Already have a backup.

By Terry Baume de Rose Lip Balm – I have such a love/hate relationship with this balm. I really didn’t like it at first, feeling that it was too thick without actually moisturizing, but over time, I learned to really like it. I’m not sure I’d repurchase such a pricey balm, but it is a nice treat.
Might repurchase. 

Pur Cosmetics Perfecting Primer was just an ok primer. It had a very light dose of AHA, hence the “perfecting” claim, but I found this to pill over most of my sunscreens. It just wasn’t my favorite texture.
Would not repurchase. 

Covergirl Lid Lock Up Primer was from an Influenster voxbox. First, the lasted a really long time. I think I used this for over a year as a primer for my brow powders, because I didn’t find this too great on my eyelids. While this did prolong the wear of my eyeshadow by a few hours compared to no primer, it didn’t keep my eyeshadow on the whole day without creasing. There are better drugstore options, like the Wet n Wild primer.
Wouldn’t repurchase. 

Temptu Warm Glow Bronzer came from a Birchbox a few years ago, and I actually loved using this as a liquid bronzer, or as a mixer into my lighter foundation. This is not something essential to my makeup routine but it was nice to have.
Wouldn’t repurchase. 

Becca Beach Tint Shimmer Souffle is one of my favorite cream blushes that was discontinued. This shade in Papaya/Topaz was my FAVORITE shade, and it sadly dried up on me as I was working my way through it. I haven’t found a dupe for this lightly shimmery orangey coral shade so I’m so sad I have to get rid of this.
Can’t repurchase. 

LOC One and Done Shadow Stick was just a failure for me. It came from a Birchbox, and I believe Tati Westbrook created it. The shade was pretty, but the texture was just off. It seemed really pigmented at first, but kind of just blended away into nothing.
Wouldn’t repurchase. 

Marc Jacobs Highlighter Gel Eyeliner in Blacquer was such a great eyeliner. It was super black, glided on smoothly, and lasted all day without smudging or fading one bit. The only downside is that it only took me 3 or 4 months to go through this, which makes it pretty expensive for the amount of product in the tube. I would probably still repurchase during a sale.
Would repurchase. 

Guerlain Mon Guerlain Perfume is a beautiful sweet floral with hints of jasmine, my favorite perfume note. It probably leans a little too sweet for my everyday taste, but I did enjoy using this sample while I had it.
Wouldn’t repurchase.

SKINCARE

Lancome Bi-Facil Makeup Remover is a great makeup remover for waterproof mascara, and I’m glad to get these minis in GWP or sets though I prefer my Clinique Take the Day Off eye and lip makeup remover (and it’s cheaper).

Would not repurchase.

Fresh Soy Face Cleanser totally surprised me with how much I loved it. It was gentle, but I also felt like it cleaned my face really well. One of my friends kindly passed this on to me and I am so grateful to her because I’m now a convert. I have several cleansers to go through but I will definitely repurchase this.
Will repurchase. 

Iunik Propolis Vitamin Synergy Serum was gifted by the brand and I was also blown away by how good this was. It is super hydrating while feeling like a lightweight serum, but my favorite property of this serum is how soothing it is. This completely soothes my skin when it’s too dry, wind chapped, or when I over exfoliate and need something to calm my skin down. This is kind of hard to get a hold of, although it is available on Amazon. I don’t need this as much in the summer, but once the weather cools down again, I’ll want to have this in my arsenal.
Will repurchase. 

January Organics Daily Brightening Tonic was really just an ok toner for me. I didn’t notice any dramatic brightening effect although it did have the slightest tingle going on, so it probably added just a bit of extra exfoliation. I don’t find it a necessary product in addition to the vitamin C serums I’m already using.
Wouldn’t repurchase.

Clinique Moisture Surge 72-hour Auto-Repleneshing Hydrator is such a good moisturizer that has intense hydration while still feeling pretty light. I somehow have multiple deluxe samples of this and they are so great to throw in my bag when I’m traveling and need something ultra moisturizing. Once I go through my many samples, I would seriously consider buying this.
Might repurchase. 

Bliss That’s Incredi-Peel Glycolic Acid Surfacing Peel Pads were also gifted by the brand and they were a pretty good exfoliating pad that I noticed brightening effects from, but it was not nearly as effective as my HG Dr. Dennis Gross pads – even though the Bliss versions are much more budget friendly. I would repurchase these in a pinch.
Might repurchase. 

Patchology Illuminate Face Masks – I love that Patchology makes masks that work in just 5 minutes. It makes it easy to pop on a mask in the morning after a long night and I don’t have a lot of time to sit around. I don’t consider these an absolute necessity but I do enjoy them. I’ll probably buy another pack when I see it on sale.
Would repurchase.

Patchology Restoring Night Eye Gels –I love the regular eye gels for quick morning fixes, and I don’t feel as strongly about these nighttime versions. Are they hydrating and soothing? Yes, but I find that they aren’t really as necessary for me as they are doing the mornings after I’ve had a really long night. I would still use these if I had them, but I would rather repurchase the day time versions.
Would not repurchase. 

BODY/MISCELLANEOUS

Aesop Classic Shampoo and Conditioner – these came from a travel set that my boyfriend bought me as a gift, and I took these with me every time I went on a longer trip. It still lasted an impressively long time. I love Aesop products but I don’t feel like the shampoo and conditioner were anything spectacular, so I wouldn’t repurchase.
Wouldn’t repurchase.

Natura Brasil Maracuja Whipped Body Butter is a wonderful body butter that really does hydrate while feeling light and almost moussey. The maracuja scent also smelled amazing, and like I was on a tropical vacation.
Would repurchase.

Twice Early Bird and Twilight Toothpaste – these were sent to me by the brand, and I really enjoyed them. It took awhile to get used to the idea of using 2 different toothpastes – but the flavors – Early Bird was wintergreen and peppermint, and Twilight was peppermint with vanilla and lavender – made sense. These toothpastes are designed to be gentle, without any SLS, and were vegan and cruelty free. I really did enjoy using these toothpastes, although $17 for 2 toothpastes (and $9 for a single) is quite pricey for me.
Might repurchase. 

Muji Cut Cotton Pads are a great dupe for the Shiseido cotton pads for ¼ of the price. I always buy a pack of these when I’m at a Muji. The Shiseido ones are just slightly softer and silkier feeling, but it’s not so different that I feel like they cannot be replaced by the Muji ones. I use these mostly to take my makeup off since I actually prefer round cotton cloths for toner (how high maintenance of me!). I actually have a pack of Shiseido ones replacing these since I got those on major sale, but I will definitely repurchase the Muji ones.
Will repurchase. 

And that’s it! 

What did you finish this month? 

As always, thanks for reading!