EMPTIES┊August & September 2014 ♡

I didn't post an August empties so I decided to combine two months' worth of empty products. There's a lot of items to go through so I'll cut to the chase now! I mis-numbered the items so I actually have 16 products, not 17 but just ignore that little flub ^_^

 1. Crest 3D White Luxe Anti-Cavity Toothpaste -- A basic product. Not much to say other than it keeps me from getting yellow teeth. I have never gone for professional whitening but I do notice a difference when I use this versus a different brand. I drink a lot of coffee and tea so whitening products are a necessity for me. I don't know why I wrote Radiant White but it's actually Glamorous White. I think I got it confused with Radiant Mint but meh, I'm sick so my brain isn't making much sense lately. All of these different flavors basically taste and smell the same: minty fresh. Bottom Line: Would repurchase!

2. Tory Burch by Tory Burch -- I usually try to pick up a couple of perfume samples before I pick up the full size. So far, I haven't really liked any scent enough to purchase the full size other than Fame by Lady Gaga. This one is citrusy without being too citrusy, if that makes sense. I prefer fruity-citrusy-floral scents that are lighter and fresh but don't actually smell like something one can pinpoint. It's pretty complicated which is why I don't have a signature scent as of now. Here are the notes for a more specific description: Neroli, Grapefruit, Cassis, Bergamot, Peony, Tuberose, Jasmine Sambac, Vetiver, and Sandalwood. Bottom Line: Would repurchase but maybe in the rollerball version for easy touch ups. 

3. Yellow Diamond by Versace -- This one is a good scent as well. It's light, floral, and fresh, perfect for daytime. It lasted well on my skin--about 6 hours. The specific notes are Citron from Diamante, Pear Sorbet, Neroli, Bergamot, Nymphea, Freesia, Orange Blossom, Mimosa, Amber Wood, Palo Santo, and Musk. Bottom Line: Would repurchase but in rollerball version.

4. Psssst! Instant Dry Shampoo --  I'm a fiend for dry shampoo because my fine hair gets oily so quickly. On days I don't have time to shower in the mornings or after the gym, this absorbs the oil until I can reach a shower. It doesn't really do any volumizing. There is a white cast on my dark brown hair if I spray too much but a quick finger combing gets all of that to disappear. There is a scent but I can't really pinpoint it. However, the fragrance on this is a lot lighter than the Batiste, which is my all-time favorite. It lasted a really long time--about 3 months or more. My hair was oil-free for about 4 hours or so. I could still comb my fingers through my hair and it looked natural, not ashy. Bottom Line: I wouldn't repurchase as I'm still looking for an unscented one. Might have to give the Lush one a try.

 5. Goldbond Ultimate Skin Therapy Lotion Healing with Aloe -- This is probably my second or third bottle of this lotion! I have really dry skin so I need something with heavy duty moisturizing benefits to really get in there and hydrate. I don't like body butters as they make my skin feel really oily and greasy. This is quite heavy but absorbs quickly considering its texture. The fresh scent also lightly scents my skin but doesn't linger around for long.I like that it comes in a pump because it's easy to dispense. The only issue is that when the bottle comes to it's last third or so, it gets really hard to pump out product. I end up cutting the bottle in half and scraping out the remaining lotion into a travel squeeze tube, but it's not a major issue considering how well it moisturizes. My skin is a bit better in the summer so I only use it on my feet but when the dry winter comes, I'll be purchasing another to keep the flakey and itchy skin at bay. Bottom Line: I would definitely repurchase!

6. Simple Pleasure Shower Gel in Blooming Tulip -- When the bottle was full, the gel was a pretty turquoise color. I didn't know tulips had a scent but this shower gel reminded me of the hair gel at the barber shop. Either way, the scent was okay but it didn't linger on my skin for long. When they say gel, they really do mean gel--it came out in clumps and lathered well. I found myself using more of it than my other body washes and shower gels; I used the 4 fl oz up in about 8-10 showers. It doesn't contain SLS but it does have SLES, fragrances and dyes. Bottom Line: Would not repurchase.

7. Simple Pleasures Shower Gel in Lilac & Freesia -- I liked this scent even though it reminded me of the air freshener my mom used in our bathroom back home. Same as the Blooming Tulip other than scent and color. I think this lathered better than the Blooming Tulip but that might just be because I used more. I forgot to mention it but I got this in a set of 7 from Ross last Christmas thinking that I would use it to make gift baskets but I had these left over. Decided to pull them out and use them now instead of buying more shower gel for myself. You'll probably be seeing the rest over the next couple of weeks since I use them up so quickly. At least they don't dry out my skin like the Bath & Body Works ones did. Bottom Line: Would not repurchase.

 9. The Body Shop Mattifying Moisture Lotion SPF 15 --  "mattifying" and "moisture" seem to negate each other and this product is a bit of a contradiction. It does help control oil for those with slightly oily skin. However, I don't think this would do much on someone with really oily skin. If you have normal skin that gets a bit shiny after about  hours outside, this might help keep you shine free for another hour or two (assuming you don't use anything else but this). Wouldn't recommend this to dry skin people--not moisturizing enough. I do have a review of it on the blog. Bottom Line: Would not repurchase.

10. Paula's Choice Pore Normalizing Cleanser -- So this month has been an overload of PC products but I swear, this will be one of the last times I talk about this cleanser. It's really good at removing makeup and oil without drying out my skin. It is unscented and colorless, great for blemish-prone skin. Triclosan is one of the ingredients which is a dealbreaker for me. I don't know if it actually normalizes my pores but while I was using this in conjunction with the PC Anti-Redness Solution I'm going to talk about and the Daily Clearing Treatment, I did notice a reduction in my pore size. An overall, great cleanser. Bottom Line: Would not repurchase but I recommend it to those who don't have an issue with triclosan!

11. H2O+ Deep Sleep Recovery Cream* -- I have a review of it on the blog already so I won't go into much detail. Not much has changed since that review. It didn't moisturize my skin as well as I would've liked on its own--definitely needs a facial oil or moisturizing toner to help it along. It had a light scent that didn't irritate my skin or my nose. I didn't notice any lift or whatever, not that my skin needed it. Maybe I need the full size but too expensive for what it is, IMO. Still haven't found a HG night cream but I will continue to search for one! Bottom Line:  Will not be buying the full size.

12. Paula's Choice Anti-Redness Solution -- This has worked wonders for my skin! I noticed an overall evenness in skin texture and a radiance that no highlighter can recreate. I swear, my skin felt perfect and I would have gone without foundation if I didn't have a ton of hyperpigmentation marks on my cheeks and chin. My foundation glided on beautifully without a hitch and I didn't need as much as I used to use. I'm trying to use other stuff at the moment and my skin has gone back to having little bumps on my chin and cheeks--really sad. I wasn't going to repurchase this but PC was having a 20% off sale and I couldn't resist, especially since my skin has reverted back to it's pre-PC state of little bumps. Definitely a holy grail product that I now know my skin can't live without! One caveat: if you are allergic to salicylic acid or any its derivatives (ie. aspirin), don't use it. Bottom Line: Have already repurchased and will continue to do so until the day they stop making it--hopefully never!

13. It's Skin Cleansing Oil in Brightening -- I didn't want to shell out the big bucks for the famous Shu Uemura one so I decided to pick this up after seeing it on Get It Beauty, a Korean beauty show. There were three formulas for different skin types and this one was made for combination skin. It did a good job of removing my face makeup, eyeshadow, and lip products. This didn't remove waterproof mascara and eyeliner as well as I would've hoped but I usually use a separate eye makeup remover anyway. In a pinch, this would do the job but if you want less tugging and a more thorough cleanse, use a separate remover for best results. Keep in mind that your vision might be a little blurry if you use this near your eyes but you will regain normal vision after a couple of seconds. The pump is really good at dispensing product--3 pumps was enough to remove everything. It even reached all the way to the bottom so I didn't have to find a separate bottle to use it all up. Bottom Line: I would not repurchase. I want to try others and see if I can find one that can do it all!

14. Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover -- I'm not much of a loyal buyer kind of person. I switch it up quite often, trying to find the best products but this is the one product I find myself repurchasing over and over. My mom is the one who got me hooked on this product and I've been buying bottles of this for 6 years now. When they made it in a larger size, I was over the moon! It does leave an oily residue but it doesn't make my vision blurry or irritate my eyes. Bottom Line: Will definitely repurchase!

15. CVS Makeup Remover Cleansing Cloth Towelettes -- Quite a mouthful, that name. It does an okay job of removing makeup. Makeup wipes don't do as good of a job of removing all my makeup as a cleansing oil does but if if too tired or lazy, they will do. It isn't saturated with product as I would like. It has a calming scent but isn't heavily fragranced like the Ponds. I got this a 3-pack and am on the last legs of the second one. Bottom Line: Would repurchase if they're on sale.

16. Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in 0L matte black -- This one has a sad story. The lid cracked somehow when I had this on my travel bag so the pencil dried up. I've had other pencils where the lid cracked but didn't have a problem with them drying out. This one definitely requires an airtight cap. I'm going to be more careful with my other Aqua Eyes pencil after this. You were a good pencil, Aqua Eyes. Tightlining my eyes never looked good without you. Bottom Line: I have two other pencils in this shade so will not immediately repurchase. 

17. NYX Hot Singles Eyeshadow in Psychedelic -- Green eyeshadow is not my thing when it comes to eyes but it's perfect for color correcting my foundation. Buying foundation from the drugstore, I cannot test the color beforehand. Instead of returning a used product, I decided to make it work by adding a matte yellow green powder to correct the pink undertone. I have a whole step by step tutorial on how I do this right here on the blog so check it out if you have the same problem! Bottom Line: I would repurchase but I think I'm going to try using green primers to see how that works. 

18. Studio 35 Beauty Textured Cotton Rounds --   Not much to say on these. I get these from Walgreens. Each pack contains 80 rounds. Half a round removes eye makeup, while the other half can be used to apply toner. One round completely removes polish from both hands (if I'm wearing glitter polish, it'll take 2 rounds). I like that they're more durable than these other squares I got from Rite Aid. Did I mention that they're 100% pure cotton? Bottom Line: Will continue to repurchase, especially when they come in the 3-pack sale :D

Kind of anti-climatic to end on cotton rounds but I hope you enjoyed this round of empties. I'll try to do them on time next time because there was so many products to talk about this time. October might be a little lacking but we'll see how many products I can squeeze in xD

What products have you used up recently?

If you want to buy Paula's Choice products, you may use my PC referral link here!

XOXO,

MWAH ♥

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Disclosure Statement: All products mentioned were purchased with my own money. I am not sponsored by any of the companies mentioned above and was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own. Links are not affiliate links and are provided for the readers' convenience. I cannot guarantee that the product(s) will work for you. I do not approve or endorse the products or information available on these sites. Proceed at your own risk.