Hi guys! You may or may not have noticed that I neglected to post my May & June empties at the beginning of last month. I ran out of time, to be honest- plus, didn't have a ton of finished products to show. At any rate, this time you'll get to take a look at my beauty trash from the last three months. Boom.
Let's get started!
Hair One Hair Cleanser and Conditioner for Color Treated HairI feel neutral about this product. It's basically a cream cleanser- along the lines of a cleansing conditioner. It's SLS-free, and contains a lot of nice oils.
A couple of concerns:
- I did struggle with the pump bottle. About halfway through the product, it became nearly impossible to pump, so kind of negated the point of a pump altogether.
- It smells very menthol-like, and does actually contain menthol. That could be troublesome for some people. It does tingle a bit on the scalp.
- It's not silicone-free. It has Amodimethicone, which you can read up on here. Although a very protective type of silicone, for people avoiding SLS, Amodimethicone can eventually build up in the hair, which did happen to me.
- In order to properly wash your hair, it takes a lot of product. I had shorter-than-shoulder-length hair when using this, and it probably took 25+ pumps for each wash. That's because there aren't many ingredients in here that lather (which is fine), but it also was slightly difficult to distribute, not having a ton of slip like normal conditioner. So, expect to burn through this at a rapid pace, especially if you wash your hair frequently.
Triple Lanolin Aloe Vera with Lavender Hand and Body LotionI've written about Triple Lanolin before. It's, so far, my holy grail basic daily hand lotion. This one is essentially the same as the last, except it's a 20oz bottle, and it is lavender-scented: lovely! It's just a rich, soothing lotion that sinks in quickly, and is great to use sporadically throughout the day. I'm already using a back-up bottle.
Mini hand & cuticle moisturizers I've kept in my bag for use on the go. I've also spoken about all of these previously so won't beat a dead horse. (Gosh, my empties must be getting boring!)
Aquaphor Healing Ointment
I've talked about Aquaphor in a previous Empties post. This is a product that I like to localize to my cuticles.
Triple Lanolin Coca Butter Creme
Here's my original review about this other Triple Lanolin product. I don't love it as much as the Aloe Vera one, but it is pretty nice (and a thicker consistency too).
Gold Bond Ultimate Healing with Aloe (x2)
Formerly, the shea butter version of this was my favorite hand cream. That is, until the Triple Lanolin came along. I still like to pick up the mini 1oz tubes for use as a portable moisturizer.
Everyday Minerals It Base and Jojoba BasesThese are mineral base sample sachets from Everyday Minerals. You can get a free five piece sample kit from everydayminerals.com- useful when trying to color-match over the internet.
I've talked about their matte base in 'Sunkissed Fair' before, but recently EM has done a package redesign on their bases, and along with that, I suspect, a formula change. The new version doesn't match me as well. It's almost like it oxidizes, which I didn't realize a powder mineral base could do? It also doesn't sit on the skin as well.
At any rate, I was curious about their new jojoba bases, so decided to try a few new shades. The differences between these four (one of which is actually an 'It' base) are pretty subtle, but I actually ended up purchasing the 'Vanilla' jojoba base in the full size. So far, I like it a lot! It seems to sit on my skin very well. Each of these sachets got me about four full applications, but I don't use a ton of powder.
Paula's Choice RESIST C15 Super Booster
I received this tiny sample vial free in a promotion some time ago, and was pretty disappointed to discover that I liked this a lot. Why disappointed? It's not cheap! At $45 for .67oz, splurging on a product like this in addition to my existing skin care routine is more than a little painful! However, I waited until PC ran another promo (they do them frequently, so sign up for the mailing list if you're interested), and recently snagged the full size for $36- still pricey, but acceptable for skincare that works, IMO.
Anyway, I'm currently using the C15 to fade a few hyperpigmentation spots I have. It is working- albeit slowly! There are many ways to utilize the C15, which is essentially a Vitamin C serum, and Paula's Choice recommends mixing a drop of it into other serums or skincare treatments. It is essential that you use a good sunscreen with it though.
EOS Smooth Sphere Lip Balm in Honeysuckle Honeydew
I've tried many different flavors of these internet-famous EOS lip balms. This flavor/ scent is one of my favorites, but the balm itself is waxier than some of the others. It's good as a layer of protection, but doesn't seem to ever sink in and actually hydrate the lips.
Indigo Bananas Cuticle Balm in Grapefruit
This is perhaps my favorite scent so far of Indigo Bananas' cuticle balm! It's citrusy, but interestingly enough, not in a generic way. You can specifically detect grapefruit, which I love! As always the balm is amazing, and I'm currently working on another pot of it at the moment.
Cherimoya Nail Polish Removal Pads with Cuticle Oil
I received these in an Ipsy bag. They're not something I would buy for myself. For regular creme polishes, the removal pads work decently, but struggled to budge polishes with even a small amount of shimmer. One side of each pad is a bit textured, and would eventually separate from the rest of the pad's material. They're also extremely oily. I honestly don't see the point. I always wash my hands after using remover, since it's basically cuticle-death otherwise. I don't think slathering on oil without rinsing first is the greatest idea ever.
TLDR; mediocre product, didn't like.
Zoya Remove + 2oz
I've mentioned Remove + before, and definitely like it! This was just a small bottle that I got free in an order.
Ruby Stone Crystal Nail File
This file dates back to when I first learned that normal emery boards were terrible for your nails- so, a long time! I picked it up at Sally Beauty, thinking it would be the same as a glass file. Nope. It's much coarser than glass files I have now; and, it also didn't hold up, losing it's filling ability over time. I don't use it any more, and it is fairly ancient, so out it goes!
I have a flock? herd? of mascaras to talk about! Not all of these are entirely depleted, but all of them are way older than the 3 month-old rule, so out they go!
Maybelline Full'N Soft Mascara
This is a basic staple in many peoples' makeup kits. It's a good daily mascara, and has great reviews in general. I find it really easy to get a natural look with Full'N Soft, which I think is the point. I don't think it layered on top of itself particularly well, but I did have success a few times layering other mascaras over it. It's good as a base layer. It didn't flake on me, held a curl, and didn't dry out at all, even though it's about 6 months old. Would repurchase.
Max Factor 2000 Calorie Dramatic Look
This is another favorite of mine. It's a drier formula than Full'N Soft, but I definitely prefer that. It's also a little more volumizing. There is something about the brush that grips your lashes very well, and helps to comb out clumps and curl lashes at the same time. If you pile this on, it can be clumpy, but with a metal lash comb that's no big deal. As the formula gradually became drier, the application only got better! It also does have a strong paint-like smell. I love this one, would repurchase.
L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara
A tubing mascara! These are great for people with sensitive eyes, and also fun to remove since it comes off of your lashes in entire pieces, resembling spider legs or something. As far as I'm aware this is one of the few drugstore tubing mascaras, so it is a great option to have. A thing about "beauty tubes," though, is that they tend to form a point on your lashes, so it's not a great formula with which to gain volume. Because of this, L'Oreal has offered a primer in this packaging. Good in theory, but I hated this primer! It was way, way clumpier and wet than an initial lash primer should be, and didn't create a nice base layer for the actual mascara.
I almost forgot to mention that, although the wand is a bit oversized, I like it a lot! The shape and spacing of the normal bristles really helped add volume. Eh. Might repurchase.
L'Oreal Double Extend Eye Illuminator
This, I guess, is a sister to the tubing version of Double Extend in name only. It doesn't actually create tubes on your lashes. As you can see, one end is a normal black mascara, and one end is a colored 'overcoat,' that you can use to contrast with your eye color.
I have mixed feelings about this one. I enjoy the normal side of the mascara a lot! It's a lot like Maybelline Full'N Soft, just with better volume. The colored side, in theory, would be great against blue or green eyes, but is super, super glittery. I can't emphasize enough how much it irritated my eyeballs. I also had to pile on a ton just to get it to show up. To make matters worse, that weird ball-end wand shape is dumb, and did not help in any way to apply the bronze color evenly. Would not repurchase.
Benefit They're Real!
This is one of the most famous mascaras in this group! The formula was OK, but I don't love the wand. Like many people, I can't tell you how many times I brutally stabbed myself in the eye trying to get that stupid spiky death ball into the corner lashes. Just poor design! I don't mind plastic bristles as long as they aren't too long (these are a bit too long and spaced out, IMO). There's also just not enough tapering going on with this brush.
I did find They're Real! a little difficult to remove, even though it isn't waterproof. Overall, I don't hate it by any means, but I have enough issues with it that I wouldn't pay full price. A sample tube was enough to satiate my curiosity!
...And, that's it!
What do you guys think? Have you tried any of these products?
Did you finish any notable beauty items recently?
Nice empties for the past three months! It was great to read your thoughts on each one of them. I'm thinking of doing some empties post but I'm not sure if anyone would be interested in it.
ReplyI am always intrigued by empties posts, especially if they give their thoughts and whether they'd repurchase or not. I so rarely finish anything! I either hate it/don't use it, am meh so buy other similar things, or love/hoard it. Though I did pick up some items at Sally's today that are my second or thirds, so obviously I do finish something, rarely. It was Beyond the Zone hair primer (Smooth Operator being product specific name, I think?). It's a detangler and heat protectant.... Third bottle of that, tho only half thru 2nd bottle, but it seemed to be the last one in the store. Also an Ion clarifying shampoo that claims to be for colored hair. Almost done with first or second bottle of that, can't remember....
ReplyI think the Indigo Bananas Cuticle balm sounds fun! I love grapefruit, but I generally prefer cuticle balms in the form of a stick, like the ones from rainbow honey. The They're Real! Mascara was a complete disappointment for me. It made my lashes stick together, that's all.
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