July 2019 Empties

July seems to have flown by and here we are with another round of empties. I also keep noticing that I have a pretty big batch of empties recently, although that is easily displaced by the fact that I’ve been receiving and trying a lot of new products lately. Still, it feels nice to clear out some older products and open up some new fresh products. 

SKINCARE

Sans[ceuticals] Goji Body and Face Cleansing Oil – is a deluxe sample I picked up from Ivy Wild in DC. It’s a New Zealand-based clean beauty brand, and this cleansing oil seemed great to take with me on trips, except that the bottle leaked. The full size comes in a pump bottle so that was only an issue with the travel size. The cleanser itself was pretty good – it felt emollient, and rinsed off pretty well with water, though I felt it worked better with a wash cloth so that it wouldn’t have any residue. I think I still prefer my favorite DHC Cleansing Oil over this since it rinses off so nicely without the need for a washcloth, but this is perfectly fine.
Wouldn’t repurchase.

Thayer’s Witch Hazel Toner – this is a lovely gentle toner that helped get rid of any leftover residue from my cleanser, and it didn’t feel drying or harsh at all. I wouldn’t call this an absolute must have in my routine, but most days I do like adding a toner before I apply all my other skincare, and this one is effective and affordable.
Would repurchase

Erno Laszlo Light Controlling Lotion – this toner worked really well at balancing my skin and preventing any excess oil production. The big downside to this is that it has a really strong floral-powdery scent that was a little too overwhelming to me sometimes. I kind of have to be in the mood to deal with fragrance in order to use this, but when I am, I like how it works. I have a full size bottle of this to use but probably wouldn’t repurchase because of the scent.
Would not repurchase.

Milk Makeup Water Serum – this literally just felt like water? I suppose it felt pretty refreshing, especially on a plane or on a hot day, but any moisturizing elements were so light that I didn’t really feel like it made a difference.
Wouldn’t repurchase.

Iunik Rose Galactomyces Synergy Serum (gifted)is supposed to be a watery serum to hydrate and balance the skin to prevent excess oil. While I loved the Synergy Propolis serum that I finished last month, this one was not as effective for me. I didn’t notice any significant difference in hydration or decrease in oil production when I used this.
Would not repurchase.

Lumene Bright Eyes All-in-One-Eye Treatment (gifted) is a great affordable eye cream that has some light hydration with some brightening and depuffing effects. I liked this especially in the mornings and I thought it had some subtle but still noticeable brightening and depuffing. I also love that it’s around $15 and will certainly buy it again when I need eye cream again.
Would repurchase.

Ole Henrikson Invigorating Night Cream was just an ok night cream for me. It has glycolic acid and other AHAs to help exfoliate and brighten skin, and definitely was effective at that. I generally just prefer my AHAs to be in toners or serums in higher dosages, but this would be great for someone who is just starting with chemical exfoliation or has more sensitive skin.
Wouldn’t repurchase.

Caudalie Overnight Detox Oil was a beautiful oil that was on the drier side, which was great for my oily skin. It was supposed to guard against environmental stressors. I loved how hydrated my skin felt, even in the morning, and it helped my skin retain a healthy glow. I also loved the earthy green scent, which I realize might not be for everyone. I would definitely consider repurchasing in the future.
Would repurchase.

Supergoop SPF50 Setting Mist – I loved the high spf of this mist, though it left me with a weirdly shiny finish if I sprayed too much. I might repurchase but I’ve just started using the Coola SPF30 mist which has a more matte finish that I like.
Might repurchase.

MAKEUP

Estee Lauder The Smoother Primer  was a fine primer, though it was one of those very silicone-heavy primers. Silicones don’t really bother me, but I don’t love the feeling of them. They just tend to always feel heavy, even if they have smoothing properties. I didn’t love this.
Would not repurchase.

ELF Peachykeen Blush – this was actually a really beautiful shimmery peachy blush. I liked the glowy finish, and it was kind of a blush-but-no-blush kind of blush. It was pretty powdery, which is how I was able to go through it so quickly. I have so many blushes it’s hard to imagine me repurchasing this specific one, but if I were in a pinch, I would certainly reach for this.

Might repurchase.

Chanel Ombre Premiere in Memory is not really an empty, but a cream shadow I’ve hit pan on. I use this pretty frequently, especially when I want a bronze base, and I love how long it lasts on my lids. I will definitely keep using this until it’s gone.

Laura Mercier Caviar Eyeshadow Stick in Rose Gold was a great neutral cream shadow that I loved using. It provided an ultra subtle shimmery base that also worked great as an inner corner highlight. However, I do find that these crease on me more easily than other cream shadows, although it’s not something that’s so noticeable that it bothers me. I have a few other mini sizes of different shades that I will happily use.
Might repurchase.

Benefit Bad Gal Bang Mascara was actually a really nice mascara. It was a very defining mascara that added some light length and volume, but is not a super dramatic mascara by any means. This made my lashes visible, but didn’t quite give it an oomph, which is pretty much the effect that I go for everyday. I wouldn’t purchase a full size but I would use free samples if I got another one.
Wouldn’t purchase a full size

HAIR AND BODY

Elizabeth and James Nirvana Bourbon Dry Shampoo is an HG dry shampoo that is unfortunately discontinued! This has the most wonderful smoky warm scent while also being an amazing dry shampoo. It applies pretty much invisible but makes my hair look volumized and revived without feely gritty or heavy at all. I have a couple backup bottles but will be devastated when I run out. If anyone knows of a similar formula, please let me know!
Would repurchase…if I could

Jungle Botanics The Ecru Clay Soap (gifted) was a great soap that lathered up well and felt really cleansing without being dry. I have super dry skin on my body and the whole time I used this soap, I didn’t feel that my skin was super dry when I got out of the shower. I am really lazy when it comes to buying soaps, and this is only available through Wishtrend, as far as I know, but I would love to have this around again.
Would repurchase.

Essie 5^th Avenue Nail Polish is a gorgeous bright red nail polish. This was a gift from a friend many years ago and I obviously used the crap out of it. I felt polished (ha…) and chic wearing this polish. Although I have a similar shade from Butter London that I’m using now, I would repurchase this again.
Would repurchase.

FRAGRANCE

Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine is an old favorite of mine. I love the bitter orange scent that was bright while still being complex. I don’t think this is quite my signature scent but I always love having this around – so I would definitely buy a rollerball, but probably not a full bottle.
Would repurchase.

Bulgair Omnia Paraiba was a nice summer scent. It was light and slightly fruity without being too much for me, but I generally don’t gravitate towards fruity scents.
Would not repurchase.

Fresh Citron de Vigne was what I’d describe as a green citrus scent. I enjoyed it about 75% of the time I used this sample, but the earthy green scent was just a little bit too much for me to really justify a bottle.
Would not repurchase.

Have you all tried any of these? And let me know what products you’ve finished lately!

As always, thanks for reading.