It's been a while since my last post so I thought I would ease in with one of my favorite posts to write about: empties! With what's going on in the world right now, I have time to devote to this space and also, I wanted to reconnect with y'all! So, let's get started with what I used up in the month of January.
MAKEUP
Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick in 2.5 Warm Sand (non-CF/purchased) $44usd for 0.31oz / $141.94usd per oz -- I've had this product since 2015 so it was high time for this foundation to be done. I have this weird habit of using something almost all the way up and then leaving the tiniest bit around to languish for years. I ended up scraping out what was left in the plastic bit into a smaller container to use as a concealer. My review that I've linked above is still valid but I do want to update that this doesn't cause my skin to have a reaction at all. The yellow-leaning foundation does match me well and helps to reduce the redness around my nose. It layers well over liquid foundation as well as itself to cover any imperfections I have without emphasizing texture. Still one of my favorites after all this time.
Bottom Line: Since Bobbi Brown is not cruelty-free, I will not be repurchasing.
Garnier Skin Active Soothing Facial Mist (non-CF/sample) $8.99 usd for 4.4 oz / $2.04 usd per oz -- Garnier made one of my favorite Vitamin C serums and this spray was nice for the purpose I needed. It wasn't sticky and the rose scent was lovely. I used up the two I got as samples and I don't miss it.
Bottom Line: Would not purchase.
Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist (CF/sample) $90 usd for 3.3 fl oz / $27.27usd per oz -- Right off the bat, the exorbitant price tag definitely would put this out of my budget. However, the smell was divine and I'm glad to have gotten to try it. Don't think it did anything special for my skin but it was a nice treat in the morning.
Bottom Line: Would not purchase.
Tarte Cosmetics Colored Clay Liquid Foundation in Light (CF/purchased/discontinued) $39 usd for 0.68 fl oz / $58.35 usd per oz -- This has got to be one of my all-time favorite foundations. While the color selection wasn't great, The undertone matched me perfectly. The finish was a natural dewy look that covered most of my imperfections even though the texture was so light, like water. During the winter, it made my dehydrated skin look luminous and didn't need setting powder at all. This was horribly expired but my skin didn't break out, luckily. I did get rid of the color Medium because it was too dark for me, but I think I have another one floating around somewhere. The included SPF 15 physical sunscreen didn't irritate my skin and didn't cause flashback in photos. The only thing I didn't like about it is the mesh packaging. The opening is large enough to fit most buffing brushes but when it gets to the bottom, it got hard to pick up the product due to the mesh netting. I had to cut through it and stick a flat foundation brush in to get product that was sticking to the sides. Needless to say, I loved this product and am so disappointed that I can no longer buy more.
Bottom Line: Loved this product but it's been discontinued. Do you know of a similar formula? The back of the packaging says that it was made in Korea which is why it reminds me of so many cushion foundations and the color matching me so well.
Tarte Cosmetics LipSurgence Matte Lip Tint in Exposed (CF/purchased/discontinued) $24 usd for 0.10 oz / $240 usd per oz -- This is actually a delcuttered product. I'm not even sure how long I've had it but there's a weird white powder on the tip and I'm not going to bother seeing if it's still useable. The strong peppermint scent put me off since I don't like minty lip products. The colored Exposed is an iconic color for Tarte and I still have the blush in this color. I believe this product has been discontinued and reformulated but lip crayons aren't my style anymore.
Bottom Line: Would not repurchase.
Tarte Cosmetics LipSurgence Lip Gloss in Exposed and Blushing Bride (CF/purchased/discontinued) $24usd for 0.27 fl oz / $88.88 usd per oz -- Again, these are from way back in 2014-2015 so it's high time I got rid of them. There's black specks in them so I'm not going to open up the packaging. I remember them having a sweet vanilla scent. They weren't very pigmented but added a hint of color to my pale lips.
Bottom Line: While I appreciate lip gloss now, I don't think I would specifically purchase these again.
Too Faced Hangover 3 in 1 Setting Spray (CF/sample) $32usd for 4 fl oz / $8 usd per oz -- This has been sitting in my samples basket for years so I'm glad that it's finally gone. I like to use a hyaluronic acid product in the morning to keep my skin plump throughout the day and this spray beforehand helps the product to not pill up on my face. I got enough uses to know that it's nothing super special to my routine. The coconut scent didn't bother my nose and didn't break out my skin. It was also a fine and lightweight spray that wasn't sticky. But I do realize that facial mists are a must if I am to continue using hyaluronic acid products in my skincare routine.
Bottom Line: Would not repurchase.
Urban Decay all Nighter Makeup Setting Spray (CF/sample) $33usd for 4oz / $8.25usd per oz / $4.13 for 0.5 fl oz -- I received this as a birthday gift from Sephora last year. I'm not sure if I notice a major difference when I do versus when I don't use this setting spray. My main use for this is to refresh my skin right before I add a concealer for touch ups to prevent cakiness. I do use it at the end of my makeup routine for some insurance and foundation does seem to not break down as quickly. However, I find that using less foundation is a way better technique to look fresh throughout the day than piling on powder and setting sprays for a flawless face. I am using up a full size bottle at the moment so I can't wait to be done with this kind of spray.
Bottom Line: I will not be repurchasing this setting spray but I will move onto the UD De-Slick instead.
SKINCARE
C&C So Wiped Tropical Facial Wipes (nonCF/sample/discontinued) $6.99usd for 7 wipes -- I believe I got this in a GWP from ULTA but curiously enough, it's not available for purchase on the site. $1usd per wipe is an exorbitant price in my opinion; I'm not that boujee. Also, wipes are terrible for your skin and the environment. However, I do acknowledge the convenience when running water isn't readily available, which is the only situation I can see myself reaching for wipes over my cleansing oils. I did use one wipe to test it out and liked it enough. However, the seal isn't very strong so the rest of the wipes ended up drying out. The tropical scent reminded me of a piña colada which made for a pleasant experience.
Bottom Line: Would not purchase.
Herbivore Moon Fruit Superfruit Night Treatment (CF/sample) $58usd for 1.7 oz / $34.12usd per oz / $5.80 usd for 0.17 oz) -- My issue with "clean" products is that they go off so quickly. For someone like me who takes a long time to go through something, that isn't ideal. It went from a lovely lavender color to a scary-looking grey brown with a rancid scent so I'm tossing it. From what I can tell, this is a nighttime treatment with AHAs and butters to brighten and moisturize your skin. The texture was solid due to the shea butter and very hard for me to scrape out with my fingers; a tool is definitely necessary. Reviews on Sephora aren't that great either. Don't think I'm missing out on much. The glass jar is cute so I will reuse it for something else.
Bottom Line: Will not be purchasing.
Skin&Co Roma Truffle Therapy Essential Face Toner (CF/sample) $27usd for 6.8 fl oz / $3.97usd per 1 fl oz -- I was able to find info on the CF-status of this brand on one website called Free The Bunnies. While I normally stick to exfoliating toners, this was a nice refresher when I didn't feel like washing my face with a proper cleanser. I was under the impression that witch hazel is drying but actually, it was the added alcohol and not the witch hazel that was drying my skin out. This formula doesn't have any alcohol. There are a lot of plant and flower extracts (sage, lemon peel, rosa canina, bitter orange, lavender, rosemary, calendula, cucumber, and others) that may be irritating to some but added a nice scent that did irritate or dry out my skin.
Bottom Line: While this was nice to use, it doesn't really have a space in my streamlined skincare routine.
The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion (CF/purchased/reformulated) $15usd for 1.69 fl oz / $8.88usd per oz -- I've had this since 2013 and it's time for it to go. It's now called the Tea Tree Skin Mattifying Lotion. Even when I had majorly oily skin, this was drying and caused so much irritation. I now know what works for my skin and will not be going back to this.
Bottom Line: It does look like the ingredients list has changed a bit but no way am I putting my skin under the stress of this lotion again.
ULTA Beauty SPF 30 Sunscreen Lotion (CF/purchased/reformulated) $10.99 usd for 6 fl oz / $1.83 usd per oz -- I've finally used up my final bottle of this SPF. I've included it in a previous empties post back in January 2019 and my thoughts remain the same. My favorite SPF is from Supergoop! which has also undergone a makeover recently and reformulated to be reef-safe. I will definitely be going back to that. Fingers crossed that the formula is still good!
Bottom Line: This formulation has been discontinued so I will be going back to the Supergoop! Play Everyday Lotion.
Yes to Tomatoes Daily Repair Treatment (CF/purchased/discontinued) $9.99 usd for 1.7 fl oz / $5.88usd per oz -- In my quest to find the perfect product to control my acne, I picked up this treatment. It was so drying to the point where my skin hurt. I put it away and moved onto other things that worked better for me. It's been sitting in my drawers for years at this point and I don't think I can repurpose this so in the trash it goes.
Bottom Line: This particular product has been discontinued and good riddance!
HAIRCARE & BODY CARE
Nivea Extra Whitening Anti Perspirant (nonCF/gifted) 0.85 fl oz -- My mom gave this to me and I'm not sure where she got it from. I no longer use anti-perspirants because I don't actually need it. I can't attest to the whitening properties as I don't have dark armpits. This product has been collecting dust in my drawers for long enough and it's time to say goodbye.
Bottom Line: Would not purchase. The implications of such a product goes against my morals. Colorism is an issue that I am passionate about. There's so much I could say but a small blurb here isn't appropriate; I may dedicate a post to it in the future.
TRESemmé Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray (nonCF/purchased) $5.49 usd for 8.0 oz -- I've had this heat protectant spray since high school and finally finished it. I'd maybe curl my hair once or twice in a year so this lasted for nearly a decade. Since getting my new haircut, leaving it straight isn't as nice as having it curled. The original packaging broke on me a few years back so I had been housing it in the blue spray bottle. Overall, my hair doesn't have many split ends and doesn't feel dry so I guess it's doing the trick. It dries pretty quick and doesn't interfere with my curler nor affect the longevity of the curls.
Bottom Line: Since TRESemmé isn't CF, I will be looking into CF ones once I've finished the two I currently have. Let me know if you have any recommendations!
Zoella Beauty Double Creme Body Cream (CF/purchased/discontinued) $3.25 usd for 5.4 fl oz -- I used to be a fan of hers on Youtube but I outgrew her content. When I saw this on sale, I decided to purchase a bunch of items from her line. I liked the texture enough to cut open the packaging but the scent was a sugary sweet vanilla that made me feel like a walking sugar cookie. Didn't help the weird patch of skin on my thigh but to be fair, that part of my skin is always dry and itchy. It wasn't sticky but spread easily on my skin.
Bottom Line: Seems like this brand has been discontinued for some time. Seems like I wouldn't be able to repurchase anyway.
Looking at the numbers, I used up 12 products and decluttered 7:
- 11 of them were full size
- 4 were deluxe sizes
- 4 were sample sprays
The value of my January 2020 empties without taking into account sales, taxes, shipping etc. is $220.61usd. I don't have any particular feelings about this number but I am curious to see how the numbers will change over the year.
What have you all been up to during this quarantine?
I've been enjoying doing my makeup twice a day, haha.
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