EMPTIES: Products I Used Up In January 2015

by - January 30, 2015


After last month's empties post, I realized that it had been way too long since I had done an empties post. This is fine, as far as posts go, but as far as life goes I feel like I need to put more of a focus on using stuff up. I have definitely reached Goo Hoarder status and in 2015, I want to curb that somewhat. I am an admitted crow... and my shiny things are always the things that are new. I have a tendency to want to try different things even when I've found products that I absolutely love. I also have a weird tendency to not want to use up things that I love, because then they're gone and that will be a bummer. My brain. Anyway, I digress. Basically, my plan is to try to stop that by putting actual effort into trying to finish up things that I have in my collection in 2015, so hopefully I will be diligently doing monthly empties this year! 

With further rambly adieu, onto the empties! Keep reading to see what I've used up and to read mini-reviews!


1. Shiseido Facial Cotton
Okay, straight up... This package costs $11 at Shoppers. I know this for a fact because I literally went and repurchased these yesterday. $11 for a pack of facial pads may seem completely over the top, but there's a very specific reason why I absolutely love these and why I keep repurchasing. First of all... Yes, it's 1 package for $11, but there's actually a lot of pads in there and I feel like it actually lasts a long time. Second, I find them really soft and gentle on my skin, which can't be said for a lot of cotton pads that I just find to be scratchy and uncomfortable. Third, and the thing that I love the most about them, is that you can use them to apply product. I usually use a night cream from a pot and I really don't love putting my fingers into it, so I'll use one of these and just kind of tap it into the pot and then apply to my face straight from the pad. These are great because they don't really absorb much of the product at all and it almost feels extra luxurious to apply them this way. Anyway, I love these and I'll probably keep repurchasing.

2. Amie New Bloom Gentle Cleansing Wipes
I reviewed these earlier this month, so if you're interested in a more in depth review of them I would suggest you head over there. In short, these are good and they get the job done, but they're not my absolute favorite wipes. Still, I would repurchase if I was in need and happened to be at Shoppers because they're solidly good, just not ride or die amazing.


3. Bioderma Sensibio H2O
I love Bioderma. Who doesn't love Bioderma? I also extra love these tiny bottles of it that I find sometimes at Rexall. I always seem to pick them up, because they're just so cute and handy at this size. I've only actually bought a full size bottle once, otherwise I always buy these. I haven't repurchased this yet, because I'm trying out another cleansing water at the moment, but I'm sure that this will be a product that I repurchase many times in the future.

4. LoveyDovey Perfume Fabric Mist in Elegant
I got this in a Memebox, I believe it was the Office Essentials box, and it actually did live on my desk to be used when I needed a little freshen up in the afternoon. I don't actually remember the last time I used up a mist like this, so I suppose that says something. If this were easily available for repurchase... or really, if I could find it to purchase anywhere at all, I would probably invest in another bottle. I'm not running screaming because I can't find it, grant you, but I did quite enjoy using it.

5. Equate Strengthening Nail Polish Remover
This also lived in my desk at work, because sometimes I am a horrible employee who removes her nail polish at work. Horrible? Yeah, probably, but I can't abide chipped nail polish. I'm just not having it. Anyway, this was fine, though I don't buy the "strengthening" claims and I feel like it was super mega drying on my cuticles. I've since replaced my desk bottle of this with the Sally Hansen Strengthening Fast & Gentle Nail Polish Remover and I like that one a lot more, so I don't think this will be a repurchase.

5. The Body Shop Almond Hand & Nail Cream
I love this stuff. Anyone who reads this blog... pretty much at all, really, knows that I love anything with an almond scent, so I was sold there. I also really like the formula of this hand cream. It soaks in pretty quickly for me and leaves my hands feeling really soft and lovely. It's not my favorite hand cream, but it's pretty damn good so I would probably pop it onto an order from TheBodyShop.ca if the spirit moved me.


6. Laura Mercier Foundation Primer - Deluxe Sample
Remember how bummed I was that this wasn't included in my Ipsy bag last month? I love this stuff, but I can't justify the expense of a full size so I just keep wishing for samples. I find a lot of primers don't really do a lot, but this particular primer seriously extends the wear of my foundation and keeps everything looking flawless all day - no matter what foundation I'm using. It's good, friends. It's really, really good and I want some more. I will likely buy the full size of this at some point.

7. Hard Candy Sheer Envy Skin Illuminating Primer
This isn't actually empty, but I'm throwing it out anyway. I believe I picked this up when the primer from Hard Candy that I really liked was out of stock and I figured I'd like this one too, but I really don't and it just feels old and even worse now. I don't like the texture of it and I feel like it actually works against me as far as staying power is concerned. Definitely no repurchase on this one.

8. Nivea Pure & Natural Milk & Honey Lip Balm
This is my favorite and another product that lived in my desk at work. I love the amount of moisture that this gives my lips and I feel like it's one of those basic products that maybe doesn't blow a mind, but is a workhorse and gets the job done. Definitely will repurchase this once I work my way through a couple of other balms that I have going in my life at the moment.


9. Physicians Formula Sexy Booster Mascara
I reviewed this a long time ago and it's actually needed to be thrown out for a while, but I'm just now finally getting around to cleaning out some of my older mascaras that I'm not using anymore. I actually really like this mascara. I feel like it builds really solid length and volume, wears really well without flaking, and smells absolutely wonderful. Mascaras are a tricky thing when it comes to repurchasing because there's always something new at the drugstore to try out, but if this was on sale and I was in need I would definitely pick it up again.

10. tarte Lights, Camera, Flashes Mascara
When it comes to mascara, I think tarte really knows how to get it done and this was no exception. I'm not about to start singing the praises of this from the rooftops or anything, and it definitely didn't beat my ride or die holy grail tarte Gifted mascara, but it was quite good and if someone handed me a tube I would definitely use it. Probably won't actually repurchase though, just because there are high end options that I prefer.


11. Jordana Fabuliner Liquid Eye Liner
I ordered this online after seeing it hailed as amazing and highly affordable all over Youtube and it convinced me once and for all that felt tip eyeliners are just not my thing. It had good pigmentation and staying power, but this is just not my preferred application method. Will not repurchase.

12. BH Cosmetics BH Liquid Eyeliner
This came free with a BH order and I used it once and then it dried out. This is another felt tip eyeliner, which was a mark against it right from the jump, but I found this to definitely be dry and it was more grey than black in application. There are a lot of things that I like from BH Cosmetics, but this isn't one of them. Pass.

13. em Cosmetics Waterliner in Royal Amethyst
I believe I got this from Ipsy, which would make sense since it's from Michelle Phan, and it ended up breaking and then falling out of the tube. I'm not such a huge fan of this particular shade, so I really didn't use it much and can't really say whether I liked it or not since I honestly don't remember. I guess that does say something though, doesn't it? Would not repurchase.

14. Too Faced Perfect Eyes Waterliner
This eyeliner came in a holiday set that I bought ages ago and didn't really get a lot of use by me. To be perfectly honest, this mostly got used up for my boyfriend's Day of the Dead Halloween makeup and it worked pretty well in that regard. I found this eyeliner to be quite smudgey when I used it on my eyes though and didn't find that it stayed in my waterline without kind of getting everywhere, so I didn't think it worked for what it was intended. Wouldn't repurchase.

So there you have it, another month of empties! I didn't realize until just now how many eyeliners I was getting rid of that I really didn't like. Seems weird, but I guess it is what it is. Check back next month for another empties post, since I'm determined to get through just as many products next month as I did this month!

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