Ever since 2012 started, emptying has been a quick process. There was one week where I managed to empty four full sized body products at the same time. This could possibly be my best record so far. And now that it's a quarter way into the new year, it's time for another epic empties post!
Skincare
My Beauty Diary Sheet Masks - My new rule is that every 10 sheet masks will count as one full size product. The count today? 10.
Hada Labo SHA Facial Wash - I still really, really love this cleanser and I am sad to see it go. However, the AHA + BHA cleanser is much more effective so I'll be repurchasing that one more over this one.
Marcelle Hydra-C 24H Energizing Hydrating Gel - If you haven't read my review on this fantastic gel moisturizer yet, do it now. It will be the perfect moisturizer during the Spring and Summer. It's refreshing, lightweight and cheaper than my old HG - Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief!
Lip Care
100% Natural Lip Roll-On Coconut* - This isn't actually emptied but I'm tossing it on account of it is a strange lip oil?? I feel nostalgic each time I use the roll on but the actual oil inside isn't moisturizing and rather greasy.
Sweet Leaf Bath Co. Pomegranate Lip Balm* - Also unfinished but I'm tossing it out. My lips used to love beeswax-based lip balms but not so much anymore.
Nivea Milk & Honey Lip Balm - The only lip balm that is actually emptied! I quite like this lip balm and when I thought I had lost it, I bought another tube of it. Soon after, I found the first tube under my car seat. It's cheap and it works, what else can I say?
Hair Care
Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo Spray - This is my second can of Suave's dry shampoo and while I don't use it often, it seems to run out very quickly. It's cheap, it works, I like the scent but it is not available in Canada as far as I can tell. I bought four back ups the last time I crossed the border.
Korres Hair & Scalp Scrub - Discontinued but I'm not mad or sad about it. This stuff sucked big time.
Dove Intensive Repair Conditioner - Average conditioner, not much to say about it. It weighs down my hair if I use it too often and it doesn't fight the frizz too well.
The Body Shop Rainforest Moisture Hair Butter - I love this stuff to death! It's the best deep conditioner/hair treatment I have used to date. It's lighter than most conditioners but I still get that deep hydration my hair craves. It fights the frizz, the scent isn't too salon-ish.
Body Care
The Body Shop Earth Lovers Apricot & Basil Shower Gel - I thought I liked the smell of Apricot & Basil until half way through the first bottle, I realized I don't. And by first bottle, I mean that it's the first of three to go.
Lush Honey I Washed the Kids - "Mmmmm" is all I can ever say when I smell Honey I Washed the Kids. The scent doesn't last long but it's enough to make me want to eat my own arm off.
Soap & Glory Scrub 'Em and Leave 'Em - UGH. Have I mentioned how mad I am that Soap & Glory prices were raised? I have? Well I'm still pissed. For $20+, I say pass on this body exfoliator. It melts quicker than I can spread the stuff over my body. Between Scrub 'Em and Leave 'Em and Scrub, Actually, the latter is much more worthwhile. It works and the squeeze tube packaging is easier to handle in the shower.
eos Refresh Hand & Body Lotion - I will forever hate the smell of this lotion but forever love the formula. If you've ever tried the hand lotion, they're exactly the same. As I hand lotion, I own and use better but as a body lotion, it's great for the warmer seasons. The lotion delivers the perfect amount of hydration without any residue. It spreads easily and it's also fast-absorbing. Though, the SO whom has acute dermatitis can't use this lotion. Each time he's used it, he break out in itchy hives.
Deluxe Samples
Elizabeth Grant Biocollasis Complex Gentle Cleanser - When Luxe Box was still called Loose Button, I jumped on the subscription band wagon. In my box was this cleanser. The cleanser has a thin, fluid consistency similar to the Korres White Tea fluid cleanser. However, this cleanser turns into a foamy, drying mess. Although the cleanser is touted to re-balance the skin's natural pH, it does the opposite for me. Do not recommend.
Avène - No idea what this stuff is called but it's one of Avène's makeup removing lotions but with a gel texture. I hate it.
Sonia Kashuk Eye Makeup Remover - Love, love, love! To be fair, I will officially review this eye makeup remover when Canada opens its first Target.
Korres Vitamin E Face Primer - No matter what moisturizer I used underneath, this primer would always pill. Instead of a smooth canvas, I ended up with little bits on my face and my foundation would look uneven and streaky.
One 'n Only Argan Oil - My hair dresser gave this oil treatment way back when my hair was damaged to no end. Of course, I forgot to use it until now and even with my healthier hair, I find this argan oil to be "meh". Dimethicone is the very first or second ingredient listed in the back while "argan oil" is further down. This probably explains the "meh" response my hair had.
Pond's Evening Sooth Wet Cleansing Towelettes - Surprisingly good but I won't be repurchasing. Pond's still tests on animals *sadface*
Murad Time Release Acne Cleanser - No good. NO GOOD!
Nexcare Acne Dressing - I am waiting for the perfect angry pimple to review the Nexcare Acne Dressing, I swear. These little sticker things are magnificent and everyone and anyone needs an emergency pack on hand!
Samples
Lastly, the samples I managed to plow through (not many) since January. I mainly focused on hair shampoo & conditioner packets and now it's time to go through some tinted moisturizers and foundation samples. I have many skincare samples to go through too but I'm happy with my regimen at the moment. Time to tally!
Full size: 10
Deluxe/Travel size: 8
Samples: 14
Tossed: 2
I will admit that there are moments where I want to simply throw out a product but when I can help it, I do my best and persevere and that is what makes emptying such a rewarding experience for me. But that's just me.
What about you? What do you like about emptying and how well have you been doing with your emptying challenge?
* Items marked with an asterisk were a part of a giveaway prize.
I lied. Before 2011 comes to an end, I want to pump out one last empties post for 2011 so that next year will start on a fresh slate. Plus, neither part 1 or 2 features any makeup (excluding mascaras) but part 3 will!
Up first are the skincare empties:
Avène Thermal Spring Water - I finished a much larger size early in the year which made an appearance in Pt. 1 but this travel sized lasted much longer (say what?!). It's a staple, much better than the Evian spray but I'm going to branch out next year.
St. Ives Naturally Clear Green Tea Cleanser - Too drying and strongly scented. In the end, I used it as a brush and wash cloth cleanser. This happens to all bleh facial cleansers.
MAC Volcanic Ash Thermal Mask - When did the Volcanic Ash collection last come out? Well whenever it was that's how long I've had it for. The tube is actually 50% full but I'm tossing it. Never EVER listening to the certain Youtube guru that raved so highly about this mask ever again. It's expensive and.. IT DOES NOTHING AT ALL.
Fresh Soy Face Cleanser - Technically, this was the SO's and it was about 1/5th full when he left it with me to finish. Absolutely hate the smell which is very much like an ebi sunomono. The consistency kind of grosses me out too; reminds me of boogers and slime.
Etude House AC Clinic Acne Foam Cleanser - Almost as good as my beloved HadaLabo Tamagohada Face Wash but this one stings my eyes. Strangely enough, I enjoy the Glysomed-like scent.
The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Cream - Nooooo! This is my last travel sized tub of this cream. At first I didn't think it was worth it is. It has saved me from a lot of scarring. Must repurchase this ASAP in case of emergencies!
Murad Sensitive Skin Soothing Serum - Seems like all the Murad products I've tried finish off extra quickly. If you haven't already read my full review, don't bother. In short - I don't recommend this serum.
Hair Care:
Earlier this year I made a P5P for shampoo's & conditioners. Well, I broke that project but I finished everything but the humongous Shiseido Tsubaki conditioner. Since I also finished a few other hair products this year, I'll say the P5P was successful. Hurray!
Essential Nuance Air Shampoo and Treatment - A year after I bought this pair, Kao reformulated the line. Not sure how the new formula compares but the shampoo was very meh. The SO loved how the shampoo smelled but all it reminds me of is the $12 Cut & Wash salons. Read: cheap hairspray.
John Freida Frizz Ease Serum - I'm trying to cut out silicone's from my hair products so after I finish my back up of this serum, I'll be leaving John Freida behind. Can't believe I used to call this stuff HG - it did nothing for me this fall!
Body Care:
Vaseline Intensive Rescue Extra Strength - Be gone! Finally finished off the LAST bottle of the Intensive Rescue. The first bottle made an appearance in Pt. 1 and the last bottle makes an appearance in Pt. 3. Good riddance, I hate this lotion but the SO loves it. Must convert him to something animal friendly next year!
The Body Shop Raspberry Ripple Bath & Shower Gel - The scent, oh the scent! If you like raspberry and cotton candy, this is a sweet mix. I want to gulp this shower gel down - it smells that good but burping out bubbles isn't lady like. Plus, I hate the taste of soap. How people willingly eat soap candies baffles me...
Makeup Removers:
There was a P7P made earlier this year on all make up removers in my stash. Well, I broke that project too... I know, I'm horrible BUT I finished all but one remover which was the humongous bottle of Shu Uemura's cleansing oil. I'll also claim this as a successful run because I finished a few new makeup removers.
Kracie Naive Cleansing Oil - This is a good cleansing oil and far better than the cult favourite Shu Uemura cleansing oils. For no more than $15, I'd buy this again but it's hard to get a hold of. I bought this of YesAsia.com almost two years ago!
Marcelle Essentials Purity Soothing Cleansing Water - Read Rae's review on the Marcelle cleansing water and I jumped aboard the cleansing water train. Best enabled purchase of 2011!!
Yes To Cucumbers Hypoallergenic Facial Towelettes - The pack probably has about 20 left but into the trash they go. This year I have learnt a lot about myself like how I despise cucumber scented products. Aside from the awful vegetable scent these towelettes strung my face red. That's no good!
Miscellaneous:
OPI Matte Nail Envy - MUST review this nail strengthener! Forget about Sally Hansen Nailgrowth Miracle Salon Strengthening Treatment, Nail Envy is 100x better. It's slightly more expensive but ooooooh so much better. Yeah, I seriously need to review this soon.
eos Medicated Lip Balm in Tangerine - Where is the tangerine scent in this lip balm? WHERE? eos has some of the best smelling drugstore lip balms around but Tangerine is not it. None of the eos
Masks:
A stack of empty My Beauty Diary mask packs. This collection started back in August (or September?) and up until today there are 17 masks here. That is nearly one used each week up until today! They all smell amazing and hydrate well but my favourite is the new My Beauty Diary mask in Royal Jelly.
Samples:
Who else is swimming in samples? I still have a drawer full of samples but these were the first ones I decided to clear out. None of them were impressive enough to warrant future purchases but that's all good because I clearly do not need anything for a long, long time.
And what everyone has been waiting for.... the makeup!
Too Faced Eyeshadow (depotted) - This eyeshadow is from the Too Faced Naughty or Nice palette which came out in 2009(?). It's a beige eyeshadow that I used as an all over colour. After 2 years, it's FINALLY finished. This is the first eyeshadow I have ever finished but truth be told, I don't think the pan it was held in was all that big... *hangs head*
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer - Not bad but the Sonia Kashuk Radiant Tinted Moisturizer is better and cheaper. Good thing I never splurged on the full size!
Baviphat Magic Girls Plus BB Cream - I won this on an eBay auction earlier this year. Funny how I finished this one first but not the other dozen BB cream samples I've had since 2010. Then again, Magic Girls Plus is the only BB cream that matched my skin tone!
Skin79 Diamond The Prestige BB Cream - Grey. Grey. Grey. Next!
Too Faced Shadow Insurance - So... this eyeshadow primer is still 50% full but I've had it since December... of 2009. Now to go through the two back ups. In my defense, the back ups came with two Too Faced palettes I have. - I don't hoard that badly, really!
Shiseido Eyeliner - Tossing this. It's from 5 years ago, need I say more?
Clinique Quickliner For Eyes - There is no way I could ever finish up a full sized eyeliner which is why I'll admit the Quickliner is a sample. The sample lasted three uses but each time it would smudge.
Wait! There's more!
Mascaras galore! These are all of the mascaras I have used this year; nearly one tube per month. It seems kind of wasteful but I had to toss half of it due to a) flaking b) smudging c) curl killing.
My favourite mascaras out of the bunch:
Kiss Me Heroine Make Long & Curl - Long & Curl is a waterproof mascara that volumizes, lengthens, and holds a curl. It will flake later in the day but there is virtually no smudging. Two words: HOLY GRAIL.
Imju Dejavu Fiberwig - Fiberwig will forever be my favourite lengthening mascara and it's so fun to remove too!
Prestige My Longest Lashes - My Longest Lashes deserves an honorable mention. While it isn't waterproof and it smudges (only a little), it thickened my lashes and held a curl better than any other Western mascara I've tried all year.
Pheeeewf, all done! After all of this emptying and tossing I realized the tallying system needs to be revised but only slightly. From now on, every two travel/deluxe sample sized items will equal to one full size and every ten sample packets will equal to a full sized product.
In total, there is 20 sample packets, 10 deluxe samples, and 11 full size which equals to... *drum roll* ... 20 empties (37 if you including the sheet masks!) and 9 tossed!
Sweet relief! Now I feel a whole lot less guilty about the never-ending shopping & splurges since November. Until next year (for serious this time)!
Now and then, Sephora will have guest make up artists or skincare consultants from specific brands to talk to and examine customers needs. Late in July I stumbled upon a very sweet Murad specialist and was swayed by her ravings. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate falling for recommendations by skincare consultants? The products they recommend me usually perform like crap. Case and point: the Murad Sensitive Skin Soothing Serum.
I'll give the Soothing Serum this, it really is safe to use on sensitive skin. When I was fighting the nastiest cold of 2011, I couldn't use many creams or gels around my nose as they'd burn the very raw and irritated area. The serum was safe to use though - no stinging, no burning, nothing.
Where it all goes downhill is the lack of redness relief. Murad claims that their serum will decrease irritation and redness but my redness never went away! No matter what the circumstances were, the serum just didn't work. While I know I have broken capillaries that runs deep under my skin which can never be treated, even the spontaneous blotching couldn't be calmed.
Lastly, this serum should be dubbed "liquid moisturizer" or "lotion" instead as I expect serums to do more than moisturize. The texture is similar to the HadaLabo SHA Lotion but it is slightly thicker and sticky. While it isn't as hydrating as HadaLabo it does do a good job on it's own. I wouldn't wear this under foundation, tinted moisturizers or BB creams though because they'll turn into "eraser bits". I strictly use this as night time moisturizer because of this issue.
As a serum/liquid moisturizer, this stuff is expensive. Imagine paying $49.50 for a 1.0 fl. oz. bottle that lasts a mere 2 months and doesn't live up to the claims.
Bottom Line:
I do not recommend the Murad Sensitive Skin Soothing Serum. It's overpriced for what it does(n't) do and while it certainly didn't hurt my skin , it didn't "soothe" what I needed it to either.
IngredientsWater (Aqua), Glycerin, Methyl Gluceth-20, Glycolipids, Hyaluronic Acid, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Lecithin, Tocopherol, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Algae Extract, Palmitoyl Hydroxypropyltrimonium Amylopectin/Glycerin Crosspolymer, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Yeast Extract (Faex), Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Malva Sylvestris (Mallow) Extract, Hedera Helix (Ivy) Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Parietaria Officinalis Extract, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Tetrasodium EDTA, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Blue 1 (CI 42090), Yellow 6 (CI 15985)
As diligent as I am with plowing through my stash, I just can't get through it fast enough!
Adopting Liz's rule of thumb, every two travel/sample sized items will equal to one full sized product and one jumbo sized product will equal to two full sizes. The first 3 contenders:
Skincare: Korres Pomegranate Cream Gel, Mask, and Scrub
The Korres Pomegranate Cream Gel and Scrub have already been reviewed but the mask deserves no such mention. It's mediocre at best.
I briefly mentioned the Bioré cleanser in my first empties post but this is my second bottle. I don't use it on my face because it's too drying but it's a decent brush cleaner.
Makeup Removers: Soap & Glory Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser + Lancôme Bi-Facil
I will genuinely miss the hot cloth cleanser. I wish it were available at Shoppers Drug Mart but I purchased my tube at Target before the brand was pulled from their stores. Sephora carries it on their website but the price has been raised along with many other Soap & Glory products. I'll give the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser instead of repurchasing Soap & Glory's.
Lancôme's infamous duo-phase eye make up remover - doesn't need further introduction. If you're looking for an affordable dupe of it, try the Sonia Kashuk Eye Makeup Remover. I absolutely love it and I have to review it soon!
Evolution of Smooth (EOS) Ultra Moisturizing Shave Cream + Shiseido Tsubaki Golden Repair Shampoo
I reviewed the Shiseido shampoo at the beginning of the year but count me excited that it's finally out of my shower caddy! Even though it's a huge bottle, I don't count it as a total success because the conditioner is still half full *sigh*.
The EOS shave cream is good; much better than the average shaving foam. It leaves my legs soft and has helped prevent ingrown hairs. Since it goes on sale often at Shoppers Drug Mart, I'll be repurchasing this one over and over again.
Moisturizers: HadaLabo GOKUJYUN Moisturizing Cream + AmorePacific Moisture Bound Rejuvenating Cream
I actually finished the HadaLabo cream right after my first empties post of the year so this one has been sitting on the counter uselessly for awhile. Click the link above for my first impressions of the AmorePacific cream but if you've already read it, you know I already like it!
Lip Products: Carmex Moisture Plus + C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve + Neutrogena Naturals Lip Balm
Now the Neutrogena lip balm is obviously 80% full but it's one of those lip balms that should never be used - it does more harm than good. Stay away - far, far away from it!
The Carmex Moisture Plus Tint and infamous C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve are legitimately empty though. I'm actually really depressed that the Carmex tint has been polished off but that's why I got back ups *maniacal laugh*.
Whether you use Smith's or C.O. Bigelow, a tin of rosebud salve lasts forever. I hope to finish my two back up tins quicker than this one as it is no longer a must have for me.
In total there are 13 empties; 6 samples, 8 full sizes, and 1 jumbo sized product. This has been a very successful run but not as successful as the first. I am still very proud of myself though and I promise to do better on the third run!
What have you emptied lately?
After a marathon of Korres reviews I thought I'd take a breather and review some make up. However, I stumbled back onto the skincare train and it's time to review one of two Murad products I have been using lately.
The Murad Vitalic Energizing Pomegranate Cleanser has been on the market for ages. It's a dual-action foaming facial cleanser which cleanses and tones in one simple step. The witch hazel, a key ingredient, tones & tightens pores while removing excess oil, and combating acne.
My dry skin hated this cleanser last winter but luckily, it worked perfectly with my summer skin. It washes away all traces of dirtiness (pollution, oxidized oils, sweat) without leaving my face feeling stripped and tight. It couldn't handle make up but that's okay! I'm only glad that it helped reduce shine and the AHAs in the cleanser combined with the Clarisonic, very gently exfoliated dry patches left from healing blemishes and old acne scars. I didn't particularly notice a reduction in blemishes but it sure sped up the healing process.
The nit-picker in me would prefer it if the red and yellow dyes were removed from this cleanser. They serve no purpose as the foam comes out white instead of pink like it is in the bottle. If the color is supposed to coordinate with the pomegranate theme, I still don't care. It's good enough that the scent is a close match to a pomegranate but a touch refreshing for those groggy early mornings.
A real drawback would be the price. A 150 ml bottle costs $26 and while I have used mine on and off for over a year now, half a bottle lasted only a month and a half. This means that a full bottle would last me 3 months. When I do the math, four bottles for a whole year costs $104 and this doesn't included taxes. I can't stand to spend that much on a cleanser when I've tried many for much less.
Bottom Line:
The Murad Vitalic Energizing Pomegranate Cleanser works best with combination or oily skin. Since the ingredients aren't all that impressive, I really don't find the price justifiable. I have already found better so you can safely skip this!
Ingredients
Water (Aqua), Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Alcohol, Punica Granatum Extract, Alnus Firmifolia Fruit Extract, Glycine, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Lactic Acid, Sodium PCA, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Copper Gluconate, Artemia Extract, Polysorbate 20, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate, Buteth-3, Tributyl Citrate, Tris(Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol) Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylisothiazolinone, Benzyl Salicylate, Fragrance (Parfum), Red 33 (CI 17200), Yellow 5 (CI 19140)
Disclosure
Make-Up Kismet is a personal blog written and edited by myself. This blog was created to share my experiences with whom ever reads it.
All reviews posted are written by me and are my honest opinions. All products reviewed are purchased by me for personal and/or review purposes unless stated otherwise. Each person is different, as are our experiences. With that said, I cannot be held responsible for any unsatisfying reaction to a product I review or recommend.
Photos on this blog are either from Google, other Bloggers or, my own. I try to depict all products as accurately as possible. I may edit photos for this purpose.
