End of 2016 Empties

Sunday, January 15, 2017 - Posted by Unknown at 2:20 PM


New Year's resolution? Remember I have a blog!

In the past year I have moved to a new house, so all the empties I had been saving... well, those are long gone. We moved in October 1, so this post will cover empties from October 1 - December 31.

Rahua Body Shower Gel 9 oz. $30 - This was accidentally sent to me when buying something else. I generally use castille bar soap. This is very thick and when I started using it it was quite gritty, but after the first few uses that went away. I would not buy this again as I think the price is quite high for what it is, and I didn't like the smell at all.

Aleavia Cleanse Prebiotic Neutralizing Facial Cleanser and Makeup Remover 8 oz. $19.99 - Okay, this is probably the best facial cleanser I have ever used. Because it is 8 oz. and I generally only use cleanser once daily this bottle lasted me around a year. The packaging and name of the product seems to have changed so I am linking to what I assume I will purchase in the future. I was really impressed with this because it left my skin softer than anything else I have ever used, but also fully cleansed and removed makeup from my eyes. HG Cleanser!

Andalou Naturals 1000 Roses Floral Toner Sensitive 6 oz. $12.95 - This is listed as $12.95 retail but sells for $11.01 on IHerb, which is where I get a lot of my products! I highly recommend this as is it very gentle, refreshing, and smells amazing. I have to use a spray bottle for any toner I use so I am currently reusing this bottle to house the next product I will discuss.

Madre Labs Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner 12. oz. $3.95 - This toner is currently being clearanced out at $3.95, and I highly recommend purchasing one at this price! This Rose Petal Toner is not quite as luxurious as the Andalou Naturals one, but it contains twice as much product for a fraction of the price. I have been using this toner (inside of the Andalou spray bottle) and still have almost half the bottle left. I know it doesn't really qualify as an empty but the actual bottle is empty and I was ready to get it out of my bathroom since I have already purchased another one and still have the unscented one from the same order. This was pretty much the best deal ever since I originally got it at the trial price of $1. The only unfortunate thing about purchasing Madre Labs products is they do tend to get clearanced out quickly, so if you find something you love it might go away.

Derma E Vitamin E Skin Oil 2 oz. $11.50 - This Vitamin E oil retails for $11.50 but you can purchase it on IHerb for $9.20. I use this to moisturize my scalp. I have tried a few other brands and always come back to the Derma E as it is the perfect consistency and very moisturizing.

Dove Advanced Care Sensitive 2.6 oz. $4.16 - So this is definitely not a natural product. After years of only using natural deodorants I broke down and tried a real antiperspirant again. The first tube went okay, but by the second I was developing skin sensitivity, so I'm trying to save this for days I really need it and sticking to natural deodorant when I can.

Honeybee Gardens Pink Grapefruit Body Wash 2 oz. - This was a Honeybee Gardens Buzz Box Exclusive that I used for travel. This item can't be purchased on it's own, but I will definitely reccomend Honeybee Gardens Buzz Boxes as I have discoved a lot of amazing products through them and they are affordable!

Meow Meow Tweet Face Cleanser 1 oz. - The full size version of this is 3.8 oz. and retails for $27. I didn't feel like this product worked particularly well for my skin. It's very gentle but I never felt like it was cleansing as well as I needed. The essential oil blend made it smell very woodsy which is a pleasant scent but not one I necessarily wanted in a face care product.

Oh My Gosh Nail Lacquer 022 Nude Champagne .2 oz. This polish was made in France. I regularly host nail painting nights and a friend of mine from Europe left this in my collection! I absolutely love the color and wore it several times. It's very thick and covers opaquely in one coat, but I still do two. I am assuming this brand would be difficult to acquire if you live in the United States.

Osmia Organics Facial Calibration Serum .45 oz. $50 I haven't subscribed to Petit Vour in over a year but I am still using up things from my old subscription! This serum retails for $50 and I am shocked to say that this .45 oz. bottle appears to be full size! I generally consider anything in the facial oil genre should be compared to argan oil, which I use frequently. I did not find this to be anywhere near as moisturizing as argan oil and it is significantly more expensive.

Madre Labs Madre Magic Skin Cream 2 oz. - This is one of those items obtained from IHerb that was sadly discontinued. I have extremely dry hands especially in the winter and I absolutely loved this skin cream, which is made of olive oil, beeswax, manuka honey, bee pollen extract and royal jelly. Luckily IHerb is now selling Sierra Bees Argan Balm which has a similar consistency and has been making my dry hands very happy.

Innisfree It's Real Squeeze Mask Strawberry 20 ml - My sister Megan who lives in South Korea brought back masks for me and our other sister J. Unfortunately this was a little tough on my skin so I haven't tried one lately but J uses these religiously!

Sierra Bees Organic Cocoa Butter Lip Balm .15 oz. $5.99 for 8. These balms are a great deal. They don't stay on lips for a very long time but at this price you can reapply frequently! They have a nice range of flavors and are very affordable.

The All Natural Face Vegan Lip Gloss Angel Wings .43 oz. 4.60. I was very sad when The All Natural Face discontinued their subscription box, but it was probably good for me as I have way too many products stocked up! I generally do not choose wand style lipgloss as I feel like it's a great way to harbor germs. This formula is very nice if you like a gloss that is not sticky.

Reviva Labs HypoAllergenic Mascara SuperLash Black .25 oz. $4.59 - This is hands down the most affordable natural mascara I have ever found. I have purchased this one several times and this is the first time the tube has broken on me, causing mascara to go everywhere. I will still buy it again in the future as it is a great deal, especially since I have to change my mascara every 6 weeks or so due to sensitive eyes.

Honeybee Gardens Truly Natural Mascara Espresso .20 oz. $11.99 - I generally prefer black mascara to brown, but I can definitely reccomend the Honeybee Gardens mascara formula. I have used this one many times. It definitely performs better than the Reviva Labs and I can regularly get them in Honeybee Garden's Buzz Box.

The All Natural Face Magic Vegan Eye Shadow Primer .43 oz. $7 - When I went natural and gave up Urban Decay Primer Potion this became my HG. This tube could last me over a year but I generally replace it in January. Highly recommended!

Brija Cosmetics Pink Frosting& Brija Cosmetics The Girls Room Mini Jar $2.75 each - In my first Brija order I made the mistake of buying both of these colors in mini jars. I have already bought full sizes of both of these! They are both very unique shades of pink that I love and wear frequently.

Marie Veronique Organics Pacific Face Oil and MVO Face Oil - These were trial sizes I used up that I did not have much of an opinion on.

Josh Rosebrook Moisturizing Cleanser and Deep Hydrating Serum - These are samples from Integrity Botanicals. I loved the Moisturizng cleanser and I would definitely try that one in the future.

Please note this post contains affiliate links to IHerb and Amazon. This is my first time using affiliate links. As always I appreciate feedback and comments!

Massive End of 2015 Empties Post

Posted by Unknown at 12:47 PM
This post will cover empties from October, November, and December. I apologize for the lack of posts!

Zoya Remove+ 8 oz. and 2 oz. - This is my HG nail polish remover which I consistently re-buy.

Alvera Aloe & Almonds all Natural Roll-On Deodorant 3 oz. - This is my new HG deodorant. Already almost finished with my second container! It smells amazing and lasts all day without irritation, which is very hard for me to find!

Grab Green Thyme with Fig Leaf Hand Soap 12 oz. - This was a decent hand soap but I wouldn't go out of my way to get it again. It includes sodium laureth sulfate.

Trilogy Vital Moisturizing Cream 1.18 oz. - I really, really loved this moisturizer. I have been using argan oil as of late but I would definitely get this one again. It is very moisturizing and comfortable and smells amazing.

The All Natural Face Organic Green Tea Hydrosol Toner 1 oz. - This made a nice travel toner but I prefer a more moisturizing one, usually rose water.

Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil .5 oz. - This argan oil is expensive but quite nice. All argan oil is great but the standout thing here is the bottle, which is glass and has a built in dropper.

The All Natural Face 100% Pure Organic Moroccan Argan Oil 1 oz. - This argan oil feels quite nice but does seem somewhat greasier than the Josie Maran. I'm currently using Acure and that has been my favorite so far.

Blisoma Pure Sensitive Skin Soothing Complex .5 oz. - I know a lot of people really like this, but I didn't find it very moisturizing and it smells odd to me, sort of like raisins. This was manufactured with a dropper to pick up product which did not work. I would not repurchase this.

Zoya Get Even Ridge Filling Base Coat .5 oz. - HG base coat. The ridge filling aspect is quite nice as painting my nails tends to make them very brittle.

Zoya Armor Topcoat/UV Block .5 oz. - HG top coat. This will keep your polish on for 7 days if your nails are in good shape, and there are times I've gotten 10!

Silk Naturals Beach Bum Multi-Purpose Trio - This was a GWP from several years ago. It was for sale but does not appear to be on the site anymore. This was a very pretty trio but due to the size of the containers it was difficult to use as a blush, so I ended up removing the product and using it in dish. This works quite well as both blush in that context or in the container as eye shadow.

Silk Naturals Catch GWP - This is a beautiful shimmery champagne light pink shadow that I would definitely purchase if it were permanent, but this was a LE GWP color.

Lucy Minerals Lucy Light Cream Foundation sample - Lucy foundation can be a bit drying but it looks gorgeous on. I use it more in warmer months. This color isn't quite right for me but pretty close and wearable. Lucy colors in general are a bit yellow on me as I am pretty red! Lucy is my HG for loose mineral foundation.

Silk Naturals Shirley Temple Organic Lipbalm .15 oz. - I love Silk Naturals balm formula. The Shirley Temple scent is quite strong. I probably wouldn't get it again as it isn't my favorite scent, but you really can't go wrong with any of the Silk Naturals lip balms!

Burt's Bees Sensitive Facial Cleansing Towelettes with Cotton Extract 30 ct. - I wouldn't call these HG as I feel like I might like something better in the future, but for the price these are great and cause minimal irritation. I have repurchased many times.

Acure Unscented Argan Oil Cleansing Towelettes 30 ct. - I prefer these over the Burt's Bees ones as  they are a bit less irritating and a bit more moisturizing.

Squiggle Enamel Saver Toothpaste Peppermint 4 oz. - This does work quite well but due to extreme sensitivity I am transitioning back to traditional Sensodyne.

Herban Luxe Cosmetics Mascara Superlash Black .3 oz. and Superlash Navy .25 oz. - This was my HG for several years but I am starting to branch out a bit. This is a great mascara for a natural look but it does not provide significant lengthening or volume.

Honeybee Gardens Truly Natural Mascara Black Magic .2 oz. - I am preferring this one over the Herban Luxe lately as it provides more definition and is buildable. It is also reasonably priced which is important for me as I change mascaras often for safety!

Christopher Drummond Beauty Duo-Phase Hydrating Concealer Medium .3 oz. This concealer is actually my everyday foundation, so I go through quite a lot of it. I have had much to say about it in the past. Major, major HG. I still have some Christopher Drummond so I have not bought any since the rebranding to Hynt Beauty but I will be repurchasing soon.

Box Naturals Lavender Towelettes, 2 sample towelettes - These burned my eyes. I would not repurchase them. I'm not really sure what the purpose of these is as they have essential oils in them. They may work on other parts of the face but not the eyes.

Mun No. 11 Anarose Rejuvenating Rose Toner sample - Rose toner is generally my favorite. This one was quite refreshing.

Silk Naturals N40 HD Foundation sample - I quite like the Silk Naturals cream foundation but it doesn't have enough coverage to hide my redness. This shade is one shade too light for me but blends pretty well.

The All Natural Face Vegan Glow Champagne Rose sample - This glow is a very nice light matte pinky peach. I would use this as a blush but it could be used as highlight on darker skintones.

Silk Naturals Opal Eye Color sample - This one is a beautiful iridescent white with pink glow. Love! Would definitely get this one.

Silk Naturals Conspiracy Eye Color sample - This one is a very light pearly bronze, a dupe for Urban Decay Suspect.

The All Natural Face Lemon Ice sample - This is a very light pale yellow, almost white, highlight color. Very shimmery and pretty.