April Empties

Hello all! Prepare yourself! I’ve got a ton of empties to go through. You wouldn’t believe that I already posted my second decluttering post of the spring about two weeks ago.

First up is hair!

OGX Thick & Full Biotin & Collagen Shampoo – I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect sulfate-free shampoo as I was using my last favorite for too long and started building up a resistance to it. I decided to get this travel size to see what the line was like, even though I would have purchased a frizz shampoo. It lathered well but I still felt the need to use way more shampoo than I should and my hair did start getting greasier earlier than I’d prefer. Would I repurchase? No, but I may grab the frizz version if I ever need a shampoo on the fly.

Aussie Mega Moist Conditioner – I used to bleach and dye my tips all the time and so needed all the help I could get. This was very good for my hair problems then, though I cut the tips back in November for my job and haven’t really needed this since. It also is a very strong conditioner scent that kind of burns my nose. Would I repurchase? No.

Rusk Elixir Mist Thermal Shine Mist (throwaway) – This was from Ipsy or Birchbox a long while ago, and I don’t use shine-enhancing products. I also have other products that give heat protection while also doing other stuff that I want, like fighting frizz and detangling, so this has just been sitting around and will never really be used.

Perfumes:

Penhaligon’s Levantium – I got this as a Birchbox sample and fell in love. It smells amazing and lasts forever (I could smell this on a shirt two months after wearing the two). However, it is very strong and I normally only needed one spray, meaning I couldn’t apply it normally on both sides of my neck and on my wrists. It is also only available in a 3.4 fl oz bottle and is pretty pricy. Would I repurchase? Eventually, when I can justify spending that much on perfume.

Marc Jacobs Daisy (throwaway) – this was the April Sephora Play! scent, and I didn’t like it. It’s just too sweet and not my style.

Skincare:

Lather Ultra Mild Face Wash – By ultra mild, it means for sensitive skin, so I found that if I used too much product it could strip my skin. However, I could use this with the recommended dime-sized amount without a problem. Would I repurchase? No.

Dermalogica Skin Resurfacing Cleanser (throwaway) – I don’t care for this either as a cleanser or exfoliant. It’s a very mild chemical exfoliant that didn’t seem to do much for my skin, and I’m not crazy on the formula. Granted, this is from the anti-aging line so I’m not the target audience.

Mario Badescu Botanical Exfoliating Scrub – I enjoyed this scrub. It wasn’t too harsh, you only needed a small amount for your whole face, and it did work very well. Would I repurchase? Maybe.

Lush Mask of Magnaminty (throwaway) – I recently reviewed this here, and like I said in that post, it has an explicit four-month expiration date from creation and it can be hard to use the entire tub by then. I did get through over 90% of it, though I didn’t like how the little ground-up pieces always clumped together on my skin and made even layers of the mask impossible.

L’Oreal Pure Clay black mask – I thought this was a decent mask, and good especially for the price. It could be a bit stripping for my skin and could sting a little when I went to wash it off. It also didn’t seem to do as good of a job of cleaning out my pores as everyone raved about. Some of this might be that I prefer acne-fighting products that include salicylic acid over charcoal masks. Would I repurchase? Probably not.

Boots Simply Sensitive Refreshing Gentle Toner – I really liked this toner, as it left my skin feeling soft and healthy and didn’t leave any residue on my skin. I could just use this after cleansing and felt like my skin was in its normal state. Would I repurchase? Yes.

Burt’s Bees acne toner – This includes alcohol in it, which means I won’t use it on my face. Instead, I use it on my body, as using a toner-like product is the easiest way I’ve found to clean my skin at least twice a day. It doesn’t work as well as my HG, the Formula 10.0.6 So Totally Clear acne treatment. Would I repurchase? In a pinch (it’s an easier brand to find).

Laneige Bright Renew Original Serum – This is a very watery serum that I liked using in the morning because it just sank into the skin and didn’t interfere with applying makeup. It did a very nice job brightening my skin. I normally don’t go for brightening products, which is more of using and preferring hydrating and acne-fighting products, but I don’t have a good product other than this that really works well as a morning treatment that complements my makeup. Would I repurchase? I’m not sure.

Dermalogica Overnight Repair Serum – This is a blend of rose and argan oils, and I really did enjoy this as one of my first face oils. It seemed to improve some redness/acne scars and helped keep my skin feeling healthy and hydrated. Would I repurchase? Probably, but it is pretty pricy.

Olay Active Hydrating Beauty Fluid – This has been my go-to drugstore moisturizer for years. My skin likes it and it gives a nice level of moisture that’s enough for a night cream without being thick for the day. Would I repurchase? Undoubtedly.

Skinfix Nourishing Cream – This was just too thick and broke me out. I’m still not really sure if I liked the packaging or not – the entire top of this is the pump and the product comes out in the middle, which is unique, but then you have to scoop/wipe the cream off of the top, which is annoying.

Makeup:

L’Oreal Voluminous Miss Manga Rock Mascara – There was a ton of product on the brush since I got it, like it was all clumped on there. It’s a rubbery tip with very short spikes going in six rows, which just made the extra product more annoying. It gives thicker, kind of clumpy lashes, which isn’t my preference. Would I repurchase? No.

Butter London Lippy Liquid Lipstick in Dahling (throwaway) – I really like this color, however I don’t like the formula. It’s a thick, goopy lip gloss, essentially, not a matte, long-wearing liquid lippie like most of us are more familiar with. It can pull and gather a little as well. This does smell wonderfully like marshmallow, though.

BeautyBlender – This is very old and probably hasn’t been used more than twice in the past six months, so I’m saying goodbye. I’m not big on sponges and feel like they’re more of a nuisance with wetting and cleaning them. I also never really had a great time using the BeautyBlender and preferred the Real Techniques sponge. Would I repurchase? No.

Hope you enjoyed my empties!

-xo, Andi

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