Empties December 2017.

Well that came around quickly! I cannot believe that it is the New Year already and that it's time to wrap up the holiday season and take a peek at December's Empties. After a bit of a slow start to the month I managed to end up finishing eleven full sized products along with eighteen samples.

Skincare.

I finished my last ever box of Sephora Express Eye Make Up Remover Wipes. I loved these individually packaged wipes for travel but they are discontinued and I haven't seen them in the Sephora sale so I guess they are gone for ever...

Another discontinued item I finished was Rodial Glamtox Cleansing Balm which I love. I find that the light texture of this dissolves make up well and it emulsifies and rinses away like a dream. This also warms a little when you apply it which makes it feel even more special. I have one more of these unopened in my stash but after that this too is gone for good.
Tata Harper Purifying Cleanser is another favourite cleanser of mine. This is my third or fourth bottle and it won't be the last!
I also finished a mini bottle of May Lindstrom The Pendulum Potion which I used more as a treatment than a traditional cleanser - I applied a few drops of this before showering and let the steam from the shower help it to clean and balance my skin. It's a very aromatic oil and I did like it but there are other aromatic cleansing oils that I much prefer. 

I finished a bottle of Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater. This is one of my favourite inexpensive skin treats. I use it as a toner or to spritz between different layers of products, it is very soothing as well as hydrating.

Vitabird C12 Face is a high quality Vitamin C powder that mixes easily into serums. I found this surprisingly easy to use and it made my skin bright and luminous with regular use.

The Ginza Moisturising Emulsion is a very impressive basic moisturising lotion. I found it very nourishing and it was ideal to use at any time, day or night.

Darphin Exquisage Cream is a rich feeling cream that I used mostly at night. Usually I love Darphin products but this was only okay for me, I didn't think it did much beyond adding some moisture to my skin and I didn't like the scent of this at all (it smelled like a department store type of fragrance).

I used nine skincare samples up in December. Tula Purifying Face Cleanser was a little too foamy and drying for me, I also didn't like the fragrance of this one - it smelled a little too 'shower gel-ly' to my nose. I used another sample of Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm which I think is one of the most gorgeous balms ever, it leaves my skin softened as well as clean.

Tarte Ready, Set, Radiant Skin Mist was a little too viscous, more like an essence than a mist, this was just okay for me.
I've had several samples of 111Skin Space Defence Bright Eye Lift Gel and they have all had defective pumps which is annoying. I find that this clear gel does have a lifting effect but it doesn't do much in terms of hydration, it's also very expensive. 
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum is an iconic beauty product and while I quite like it there are so many other serums that I prefer. Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Oil had a very nice fresh scent but I found it to feel quite heavy on my skin, I generally prefer 'dryer' feeling oils and I found that this didn't absorb very well.
Verso Night Cream was the one sample that really worked for me this month. I find that my skin reacts well with all of the Verso range and when I next need a Retinol product I will certainly consider this night cream which I found effective but also gentle without any side effects.

GoldFadden MD Fresh A Peel Mask was a huge disappointment to me. The first couple of times that I used this it felt a little uncomfortable (I'm usually fine with exfoliating acid masks and treatments BTW) the third and last time I used this my face became unbearably hot and even though I rinsed this off and applied cooling products almost straight away it left inflammation around my lip area. Luckily I had some cooling treatments to hand but I certainly won't be trying this mask again. 

Derm Institute Anti Oxidant Hydration Masks are amazing! Very cooling and immensely hydrating, I love the fact that these are packaged in individual sachets which makes them perfect to use when traveling (I use these before getting on a plane to prep and protect my skin and again after flying to repair and replenish it). 

Haircare.

I used up two full sized and two mini products, none of which were new to me. I like Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Shampoo a lot, it's one of my favourite drugstore bargains and I found the beachy scent of this cheering even though it's freezing outside! Shea Moisture Weightless Creme Rinse is another product with a summery scent, although this one reminds me of a fruity creamy drink or dessert! I find this to be more of a detangler than a conditioner, but I like that it doesn't weigh down my hair at all and leaves it manageable.

It's a 10 plus Keratin leave in conditioning spray and Davines Oi All in One Milk are both multi functional leave in products. I like the effects of both of these but find that they both need to be shaken vigorously before use as they tend to separate into a water like liquid and a cream.

Body Care.

REN Moroccan Rose Otto Body Wash is a very lovely shower product, it feels gentle, lathers well and has a rosy fragrance that manages to smell like roses without being cloying and sickly. The only downside to this is the somewhat bulky packaging and the fact that the bag inside the container still contains a fair amount of product that I can't get out without attacking it with scissors. Even though I'm not a bath taker I managed to use up a bottle of Therapie Equilibrium Bath and Shower Essence by applying it before I got in the shower. This oil smelled amazing and left me with soft skin but I wouldn't repurchase it purely because it is more of a bath than a shower product and it is rather expensive.

I used up a huge tub of The Body Shop Body Butter, this one had the warm, floral scent of Moringa blossom and while I did enjoy this, I have to confess to being a little bored of it by the time I reached the end!

I used up a mini, mini L'Occitane Hand Cream. I find the Shea Butter in this very moisturising in the cold weather.

Make Up and Perfume.

I took a small sachet of Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer with me when I went on a recent trip. This is my favourite ever primer and I'm happy to report that I managed to get five uses out of this tiny 1ml sample.
I loved Benefit Roller Lash Mascara! It enhanced my lashes in every way without any clumping and I found the almost bristle-less applicator a dream to use. I don't often buy mascaras but if I ever need to this will be a strong contender.

I used two perfume vials: Elizabeth & James Nirvana Bourbon, a powdery vanilla, which reminds me of a sweeter version of Diptyque Eau Duelle and Replica By the Fireside whose sweetly, spicy notes remind me of a Christmas cookie. I didn't dislike either, but also they didn't make it onto my wish list. By the Fireside would make a fantastic candle however! 

Before the week is over I'm going to be totting up all of my 2017 Empties - list lovers this one's for you! - and as always I'll be back with a look at January's Empties at the end of the month. (I'm hoping for a big pile as February sees the start of Spring GWP's!)