June Empties

Hey everyone! Exciting news – my blog turned one earlier this week! Just wanted to thank all of you for supporting me and showing me how I could improve my site.

It’s once again time for my June empties! And I once again have lots of things to trash this month!

First up, as usual, is skincare. I got down as far as I could with the Garnier cleansing oil. It’s not my favorite since I find mineral oil to have a kind of thick, goopy texture. My bottle leaked, which was the main reason why I didn’t bring it with me to school back in the summer (travel). The straw inside is a bit too short to easily get this bottom bit, and I’m more than willing to see this off instead of try to salvage that last bit.
Would I repurchase? No (and thankfully it’s been discontinued).

The Laneige Power Essential Skin Toner for Normal/Dry has been my favorite toner pretty much since I started using it. It tones, hydrates, and smells divine. I love toners that you pour onto a cotton round (rather than spray), and just always loved the packaging.
Would I repurchase? Yes.

I got the mini Mario Badescu Oil Free Moisturizer SPF 17 with their acne kit. I never found this to be anything spectacular, but it got the job done. The SPF did make it feel a tiny bit greasy when applying, and I HATED the cap. It clogged at times and then spit out half the bottle in a second at other times.
Would I repurchase? Maybe. In better packaging.

I ended up using the Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Spot Treatment more as an all-over serum instead of a real spot treatment, but I find that I get acne on so many parts of my face that it’s easier to just apply kind of everywhere. It worked okay and while I notice a difference, it doesn’t do as much as I’d like or as other products can.
Would I repurchase? For the price, probably.

29 First Crush Lip Scrub was a really easy-to-use tube scrub. It never felt harsh, has anti-aging properties, and has nice packaging. Towards the end, the last bit in the tube fell out and got stuck in the cap, so finishing it up was a bit tricky.
Would I repurchase? I got a second at Target on clearance when the band stopped being sold there. Now that it’s only available on the 29 website (and at higher prices), no.

In comparison, the e.l.f. Lip Exfoliator was a horror. It’s a sugar scrub (possibly with ground coffee, as well, since it smells divinely like coffee) and rubbing it against my lips hurt. A lot. And none of the sugar or whatever actually rubbed off. I’m not sure if I got a bad stick (dried out or a weird mixture of too much sugar), but I’m not putting up with that.

The last thing is the Top Care Cherry Lip Balm. Pretty much a store brand of Chapstick, which I love, especially in cherry. It can keep my lips soft and moisturized overnight, which not a lot of lip balms do.
Would I repurchase? Yes.

I apparently didn’t close the cap to my Butter London polish in So Major! It’s been a couple months since I last wore it, and I wondered why it was so empty.
Would I repurchase? Probably not. It’s pretty, but expensive. This came exclusively in a set of minis, of which I wouldn’t repurchase since having the same colors is a waste, and even if it was full-size, it’s way more expensive than I like paying for polish.

I finished off the Maybelline Fit Me pressed powder in 130. I love this stuff and have been buying it for years.
Would I repurchase? Yep!

I got four samples of the Anastasia Beverly Hills concealer, and have finished off shade 2.5. I couldn’t get 2.0 to work for me, so I’m also throwing it. 2.5 was a bit dark for me, but I managed and found that something a slight bit darker actually works wonders for under-eye circles. It’s strange. The packaging was a bit annoying since I have to leave it out all the time, and they weirdly came with this mini brush that was an inch long and cute but pretty impractical. The numbering system is also really strange. I’m still using 3.0 and 3.5, which both can help me cover my undereye circles.
Would I repurchase? Yes.

I finally finished off the e.l.f. Illuminating Face Primer! It’s an okay primer, and my review of it back in August or September is still my most-viewed blog post, which is weird because I had no idea what I was talking about back then because it was the second face primer I’d ever used.
Would I repurchase? For the price point, probably.

The Too Cool For School Dinoplatz Pearl Bay Invasion highlighter in 2 Baby Pink Clam was very pretty. It looks more golden or tawny on the skin than pink, but I guess it does really depend on the lighting. When you pour a little bit onto the back of your hand or whatever, it can look a lot more pink then, but the pink gets lost when blended out. It’s a very pretty color, either way.
Would I repurchase? Yes.

I’m getting rid of the Too Faced Melted Lipstick in Melted Coral. It just wasn’t my shade and has sat around for months, with me on the fence with whether I should actually chuck such an expensive and infrequently-used product since February, at least.
Would I repurchase? In different shades, after swatching them in person!

I have two Maybelline Color Tattoo cream eyeshadows that I never use. One is in Edgy Emerald and the other in Chocolate Suede from the Leather line. I’m just not a big fan of cream shadows, since you have to layer them and apply them in a certain way and it gets all over your brushes and isn’t quite as precise as others. And neither of these shades are really everyday sorts of shades.
Would I repurchase? No.

I’m getting rid of the Essence I ❤ Punk Jumbo Eyeliner Pen. It’s just too wide for me to use with consistent results – a slight shake in my hand, and I’ve now got liner on half my lid. I’ve always had easier-to-use options around, so never had to really commit to learning how to use a wider pen. I admit, I do go for some thick wings, but the thinner areas like starting at my inner corner was a nightmare.
Would I repurchase? No.

I really liked the Clio Kill Black liner pen. It wasn’t super smudge-proof for a long amount of time, which was the only downfall, but otherwise it was easy to use and a really great dark black.
Would I repurchase? Maybe. It’s a bit pricy.

At first, I wasn’t a fan of the Rimmel VolumeFlash Scandaleyes Mascara. The wand is giant, and it felt like it was overcompensating and that it was really difficult to get the wand through my lashes. It just kind of pushed against them. But, like most mascaras, it grew on me and I did start to enjoy it after a couple months. I did really like it.
Would I repurchase? Yes.

Up at school, I was trying to finish off this old Tresemme dry shampoo, but only finished it off this month! It works decently, and does smell like aerosol. It’s not great but not horrible.
Would I repurchase? Probably not – I’ve got lots of other dry shampoos to go through, and have never tried brands like Batiste.

And apparently at some point in the past, I decided to finish of my Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo instead of the Tresemme one, because I got home and realized it was pretty much empty! So I finished it off, too. Again, a decent dry shampoo, and while it smells better, it’s still not the best out there.
Would I repurchase? No. I already have another of these from Birchbox, and I’d rather get something cheaper.

This Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition conditioner was the one I’d leave at home while I was at school. It works decently for my bleached, damaged ends, but I wasn’t crazy about the scent. I’m picky about that sort of really clean, conditioner scent being too strong.
Would I repurchase? Maybe.

I had this old Herbal Essences spray hair gel for seven or eight years. Seriously. I got home, saw it on my bureau, and knew it had to go.
Would I repurchase? No. I don’t really use gel any more.

I think the Up & Up (Target brand) cotton rounds are my favorites. A lot of other brands seem to change shape and pattern every time I buy them, and so while I’ve had better, I at least know what I’m getting with these.
Would I repurchase? Yes.

And I finished off this $3 Passion Flower candle from Target. I like the sweet floral scent, especially for spring and summer.
Would I repurchase? Already have!

I once again have a ton of stuff to throw! Honestly, I have no idea how I used to manage to go two or three months before doing empties posts, because I’ve been consistently getting a lot month after month since Febraury or so.

-xo, Andi

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