Empties March 2019.

Although I only managed to use up twelve full-sized products in March, and a set of eye masks, I did manage to use up twenty-seven minis and samples.

Skincare.

I emptied just three full-sized skincare items.

Shiseido Benefiance Extra Creamy Cleansing Foam was okay as a first or a.m. cleanse. It wasn't drying or excessively foamy (it is more creamy) and like other Japanese cream cleansers that I have used I found you only needed a tiny amount so this tube has lasted me for quite some time. This contains a grain of some sort that felt like bran but I wouldn't call it an exfoliating cleanser. I did find it a little hard to remove completely as it was so thick and creamy and although there isnt actually anything wrong with it there are so many other cleansers that I prefer I can't see a repurchase.

I love Caudalie Vinisource SOS Serum, it is very soothing and supremely hydrating. It is very easy to fit into any routine, smells fresh and feels cooling. My only complaint is that I run through a bottle very quickly!

Sarah Chapman Skinesis Eye Recovery is a good multi-purpose eye cream which absorbs well and doesn't irritate my eyes. It used to be possibly my favourite eye cream and while I have others that I prefer these days I would repurchase it.

I was pleased to have used up eighteen skincare samples and minis.

Chantecaille Rose Eye Makeup Remover is delicately scented with roses and has a water-like consistency. I love how gentle this is when I use it, it works well but some waterproof mascaras don't always dissolve instantly. It is also very expensive  - too expensive for an eye makeup remover in my opinion so I relished using this sample.

I used up three samples of cleanser. Omorovicza Cleansing Foam is a lovely morning face wash with a light, whipped consistency and a neroli scent. Beauty Kitchen Seahorse Plankton Everlasting Radience Cleansing Gel is a gel/cream cleanser that reminded me a little of Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip. It has quite a strong scent that I enjoyed, is non-foaming and left my skin clean and very soft. I would happily repurchase this if it is ever sold stateside. Eve Lom Cleanser is a classic but it's not my favourite balm as I don't find it the easiest to rinse off completely and I'm not a fan of the scent.

I used two eye cream samples. Dr Dennis GrossHyaluronic Marine Dew It all Eye Gel is a creamy gel that is very light in feel. It is very hydrating, and smoothes and soothes the eye area. I like it so much I already have a full size. Derm Institute Youth Alchemy Eye is a thick cream that absorbs well. You only need to use a small amount of this as it is so rich. It has an immediate cooling and lifting feel to it that is a little uncomfortable but not offputtingly so. It is extremely expensive however.

I used three mini serums up.

Rodial Pink Diamond Instant Lifting Serum is an expensive serum that I wouldn't buy for myself as I don't feel that it does anything other than add a layer of hydration. Derm Institute Cellular Rejuvenating Serum is a fluid-like gel that melted into my skin. It had a slight chemical fragrance but felt cooling and hydrating and left my skin soft. I liked it a lot though it is another expensive one.

Drunk Elephant TLC Framboos Glycolic Night Serum is a gentle nighttime peeling serum in a lightweight gel form This 5ml mini lasted me for ages. I like this serum and it definitely brightens my skin but I do prefer Sunday Riley Good Genes so would buy that in preference to this.

REN Glycol Lactic Mask is a gentle peeling mask with a jam-like consistency and apricot scent. I find it fun to use and it leaves my skin even and glowing. I like to use this as part of a three mask routine.

I used four samples of La Roche Posay Toleriane Double Repair Moisturiser. This is a basic moisturising fluid that sinks in well and is good to use as a  nighttime top layer or after treatments.

I also used a sample of Kat Burki Vitamin C Intensive Face Cream. This rich cream is easily absorbed, layers beautifully with other products and has a gorgeous white flower fragrance. It is pretty much the perfect face cream as far as I'm concerned!

I user a couple of samples of sunscreen both by La Roche Posay. I found Anthelios 60 Face and Body Activewear SPF far too thick and heavy to wear on my face, so much so I didn't even finish using the sachet. However, Anthelios Mineral 60 was very good. I found it to be light, non-greasy and very natural looking with no white or grey cast. It evened out my skintone rather than giving it BB type coverage but I did like it a lot and would get it again.

I used up a mini tube of Fresh Sugar Rose Lip Balm. I love these balms but they are expensive. They smell and taste pleasantly lemony, and the rose colour of this was a natural buildable pink. I love the sturdy metal packaging of these but the bullet itself is a little soft and easily broken, especially in warm conditions. 

Finally, I used a pair of 111Skin Celestial Black Diamond Eye Masks. These felt rubbery but fitted so well I forgot I had them on. I wasn't expecting to be impressed by these but they were amazing! They did a great job of smoothing fine lines and brightened and depuffed my eye area - they really perked things up and I would recommend using them before a big event even though they are quite pricey.

Makeup.

Its rare I finish a make up item so I was pleased to finish three this month.

NYX Nude Matte Shadow 04 Maybe Later is a powder eye shadow that wears and blends well. It has a good amount of pigment and was quite finely milled so there was very little fallout. This shade is a mid brown with a slight gingery undertone that I found flattering and easy to wear.

These two Dream Bouncy Blushes by Maybelline are both discontinued and I have to admit to keeping them and using them for longer than I should have simply because I can't replace them! Both of the cases are broken and they are getting a little dry but in their prime they were a dream to apply and blend with buildable colors. 06 Coffee Cake gave a natural sunkissed bloom and 45 Orchid Hush was a delicate pink with blue undertones that gave a healthy flush to cheeks. Easy to apply and wear, I'm going to miss not having these two creamy blushers around.

Haircare.

I only used up one full sized haircare item, Herbal Essences Bourbon Manuka Honey Conditioner, I thought that this was a good drugstore conditioner, it detangled well and didn't weigh my hair down and it had a nice fresh scent that was slightly floral.

I'm on a quest to finish up my many mini haircare items so I was pleased to get through nine of them in March. Vitabird Scalp Shampoo was a generously sized mini, it smelled like grapefruit and had a light runny consistency. This shampoo was SLS free but lathered and rinsed well. 

Philip B Oud Royale Shampoo has a curious stretchy consistency, it smells wonderful though and again lathers and rinses well - it is a pricey shampoo that feels very luxurious and it left my hair in great condition. 

Rahua Hydration Shampoo and Conditioner were lovely but I do prefer the original Rahua range. The hydration range smells very sweet, like an old fashioned candy but they worked well and left my hair feeling lovely.

I love the scent of Moroccan Oil products! The Structure Repair Conditioner was no exception and left my hair soft and manageable. 

Sachajuan Hair Repair is a quick (5min) hair mask that I repurposed as a conditioner. It was very thick and while I found it too rich to use every day It did condition well. I don't like the smell of Sachajuan products however as they smell quite chemical like and the fragrance lingers in my hair.

I finished three mini leave-in conditioners. I have used OUAI Leave In Conditioner before and really like it. It is far too thick to dispense from a spray nozzle so I always end up pouring a little into my hands and applying it like that. I've not used R+Co Waterfall before but I liked it a lot. This lightweight leave in cream smelled great and worked well, I was so impressed by it that it is on my wishlist! IGK Thirsty Girl was a leave in conditioner that came in an aerosol - a first for me! It took a couple of goes to gauge the correct amount to use but once I had I liked this and it left my hair feeling great, I was disapointed that it didn't smell of coconut though.

Bodycare.

I used two full sized body washes. OGX Extra Creamy coconut Miracle Oil Body Wash was indeed creamy. This lathered well, was non-drying and smelled like coconuts. The Body Shop Atlas Mountain Rose Shower Gel had a slightly sweet almost almondy rose scent. It lathered up nicely and was altogether a lovely body wash.

The Body Shop Black Musk Body Lotion was nourishing without being greasy and sank in well but I found the scent a little too overpowering and a bit sickly. I'd get The Body Shop body lotions again - but not in this fragrance.

I finished two hand creams. The Body Shop Wild Rose Hand Cream was a big tube of pale pink cream. I loved how this smelled, it had a fresh green rose scent but I didn't find it to be quite nourishing enough. 

There's frequently a handbag sized Crabtree & Evelyn Hand Cream in my empties! This time it was a Spiced Earl Grey version. I love the consistency of these creams and the packaging is perfectly sized for carrying around. I could definitely detect tea in the fragrance of this but I didn't find it spicy smelling, it was a clean and refreshing scent.

I was disappointed that I didn't finish too many full-sized products in March but I have quite a few things that I'm almost done with so perhaps April will be a bumper month for empties! 

Let's see!

Empties: February 2019.

February may have been a short month but that didn't stop me from producing a lot of empties! I managed to use up sixteen full-sized products, thirty-five samples and one sheet mask.

Skincare.

I finished eight full-sized skincare products

Tata Harper Purifying Cleanser is one of my favourite cleansers. It is a light non-foaming gel/liquid with a zesty lemongrass fragrance that is perfect to use as a morning face wash. It's not the cheapest cleanser out there but you don't need to use much so a bottle of this lasts me a good while.

I used up two facial sprays. Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe Chamomile and Lavender was perfectly okay but I didn't find myself reaching for it that often for some reason. There was nothing wrong with this one at all but I much prefer the Rose facial spray from MB so I don't see myself repurchasing the Lavender one. 

I always have a spray canister of mineral water in my stash for rinsing, cooling down or making a hydrating layer between products. I'm not particularly fussy on which brand I purchase, it really comes down to whatever they have in CVS and lately it has been  Vichy Eau Thermal which I like a lot.

I finished three full-sized serums.  

I actually gave a little yelp of disappointment when I finished my bottle of Drunk Elephant C-Firma. I've been using this daily under a simple Hyaluronic Serum and a day cream, it is very easy to apply and sinks in beautifully, leaving my skin with a little extra glow. It protects my skin also. I've noticed a definite improvement since I have been using this serum and while currently, I have quite a few other Vitamin C products in stock I will certainly be getting this again in the future.

Ren Evercalm Anti Redness Serum is great to use in the cold weather. It is a wet serum that is hydrating and soothing, it also smells great.

Dr Dennis Gross Ferulic & Retinol Wrinkle Recovery Overnight Serum is a creamy retinol. I'm not sure of the percentage but it feels quite strong and I did get a little redness and flaking if I used it too frequently. However, it did appear to be effective so I can see myself seriously considering this when I need another retinol product.

Verso Super Eye Serum left my eye area looking a lot fresher. It's another retinol product (which normally I would avoid around my sensitive eyes) and while it was a bit too strong it did work. I didn't particularly enjoy this - it could leave my eye area looking quite red so I'm on the fence as to whether I would repurchase this one. Unlike the majority of eye creams, this is a big 30ml bottle rather than a 15ml bottle so it lasts a long time.

Lixir Vitamin C Paste is a quick morning face mask that you apply after cleansing and leave for a few mins before rinsing. I didn't notice this doing much my skin was already quite bright from the CFirma so maybe it maintained it) and I found an extra step in the morning to be a bit of a faff,  I'm also not sure how protecting a rinse off product can be. I'm happy I got the chance to try this but wasn't really impressed by it.

I used seventeen skincare samples in February.

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil is very effective at dissolving makeup. It is a really nice formula as well with Squalene and Lavender Oil. This small bottle lasted me for ages, I enjoyed this one! Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm is effective and very, very nice. I used this as a second cleanse and loved it.

Goldfaden MD Bright Eyes is a great all-around eye cream suitable for either day or night time use.

I used Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Resist 24 Eye Cream at night as it was quite a thick oily feeling cream that took some time to absorb. It was okay but I prefer something that feels lighter.

Chantecaille Bio Lifting Neck Cream is a lightweight easily absorbed gel/cream. I was happy to use this but generally I don't see the need for a separate neck cream and I wasn't particularly keen on the smell of this one.

Maria Stella Maris Facial Oil was a blend of safflower and jojoba oils. It felt very heavy and oily and sat on top of my skin without sinking in. I didn't enjoy this oil at all unfortunately.

Dr Dennis Gross C+Collagen Deep Cream has a gel-like texture and a fresh scent. It was very moisturising while being light so you don't need very much - I liked it. Cowshed Quinoa Daily Moisturiser is also light feeling and fresh smelling. It is a great basic facial moisturiser that is pleasant to use, I always make sure to grab a couple of tubes of this after a Cowshed facial. I prefer La Mer The Moisturising Soft Cream to the regular La Mer Moisturiser as it is much less oily feeling. Its powdery scent is comforting but it's just an okay moisturiser for me that does nothing to warrant its high price tag. I used two of these small samples.

I'm almost out of sunscreen so I'm using up the ones I have that I like the least! La Roche Posay Anthelios Ultra Light SPF60 is a little too oily for my liking and leaves a little bit of a white cast on me. I did use up three of these though because any sunscreen is better than none. Farmacy Green Screen SPF 30 is too heavy feeling for me and also left a white cast. It took a while to sink in as well. I didn't like this one much I'm afraid.

Omorovicza Deep Cleansing Mask is my favourite clay type mask. It rinses easily and doesn't leave my skin feeling dry or tight. It's expensive but I have a full size of this as I like it so much!

Alba Botanica Hawaiian Detox Warming Face Mask came in a single-use sachet. it smelled like coconut and had a honey-like consistency. It warms slightly on application warms slightly and rinses easily. My skin felt nice and had an even tone no tightness. I would get this again.

Chantecaille Bio Lifting Mask has a slight tingle then feels cooling. I didn't notice any lifting effect but it was hydrating and was very nice to use. 

Patchology Just Let It Glow Sheet Mask fitted well. Strangely there was no extra serum in the packet. It contains Niacinamide but I didn't notice it having a brightening effect. It did leave my skin feeling nicely moisturised but overall it was just ok and the iridescent sparkly serum felt gimmicky.

Haircare.

I used three full-sized haircare items and eight samples.

Kerastase Reflexion Shampoo has a berry scent and made a good lather. It has quite a thin consistency so you don't need to use much. However, I didn't find it to be any different from a drugstore shampoo and it didn't feel particularly indulgent in the way that other luxury haircare brands do. I also didn't like the packaging - I thought that it looked dated and the twist off top was impractical and cumbersome.

Pantene Pro v Foaming Conditioner Breakage Defense was also berry scented. It didn't feel very moisturising. I thought it was somewhat gimmicky and wouldn't recommend it.

I find the tube packaging of Phyto 7 Hair Cream a little odd as it is more of a milky lotion than a cream but it is an exceptionally good leave-in conditioning product that leaves my hair looking sleek and straight with no frizz. This is the first time in ages that I have used this but I will certainly get it again soon.

Aveda Invati Thickening Conditioner is a really nice conditioner. It left my hair feeling very soft and had a deep earthy patchouli like scent that I liked.

Davines Quick Fix Circle Hair Mask is a quick three-minute mask. I was a bit freaked out by the deep terracotta colour of this and while I appreciated the minimal packaging it was odd that it couldn't be resealed once opened. It did leave my hair soft and manageable though.

Rahua Omega 9 Hair Mask smells nutty. It left my hair straight and soft but not weighed down. I used two sachets of these as a conditioner and found them to be very good.

Pantene Pro-V 3 Minute Miracle has a lively fruity fragrance and works well as a conditioner.

Garnier Whole Blends Repairing Hair Mask was another three-minute mask. It had a lovely honey scent and a thick consistency. This intensive treatment was a bit too heavy for my hair.

Garnier Fructis Damage Repairing Treat was a one minute mask with a fruity scent. This was good but I felt that it was a conditioner rather than a mask.

Oribe Dry Texturising Spray smells amazing and a quick spray of it is an instant cure for 'hat hair'!

Bodycare.

I used four full-sized and four samples of bodycare.

Rossano Ferretti Vivace 24/7 Hair and Body Shampoo was okay. I only used this as a body wash, it foamed nicely but I wasn't overly keen on its aftershave like fragrance. (I'm not a fan of multi-purpose products I'm afraid).

Dial 7 Day Moisturising Lotion - Soothing Care Collagen Infused was a huge bottle of unscented lotion. It absorbed well and was hydrating. Although it was a bit boring I would repurchase this as its cheap and effective with a pump that works well.

I love Korres bodycare. 'Japanese Rose' Body Butter had a lovely rose scent with touches of almond and cherry. It leaves my skin lightly veiled with fragrance and very soft. I  appreciate the 'clean' formula of Korres products and their easy-to-read way of labelling is very informative (see photo below).

I don't normally include hand soaps in my empties but I'm making an exception for the super pricy

Byredo Suede Handwash. (I got this by redeeming Space NK NDulge points, I would never spend $60.00 on a hand wash!) It smells divine as you would expect a Byredo product to, Suede is a strong white floral scent that lingers in the air, but otherwise, it's pretty unexceptional. The formula is SLS rich so it didn't condition my hands at all (although to be fair it doesn't claim to). I was also disappointed by the packaging of this, the plastic bottle feels rather basic and isn't presented in a box so it doesn't even make for a sumptuous gift. For the cost, I think a refillable beautifully boxed glass bottle would be more suitable. All in all, this wasn't worth the money (or points) for me. 

Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash smells of coconut and lathers well, I probably wouldn't buy this but I was happy to use it.

Garnier 3 in 1 SkinActive Day Night Mask smells delightfully of roses. Although it's a facial moisturiser I used it on my upper body as it contains shea butter which can cause me to break out. I found it worked well as a body cream!

Makeup and Perfume.

I used up four makeup items and three perfume vials.

Clinique QuickLiner '03 Intense Chocolate' is a twist up pencil liner. I haven't finished this but I'm letting it go as it has dried out. When it was useable I did enjoy it and I like having a brown eyeliner for the daytime as it is a little less harsh than black.

I found It Cosmetics Superhero Mascara to be claggy and clumpy. On the plus side, it was very black and didn't flake off during the day.

Hourglass Caution Mascara gave thick defined lashes but they weren't subtle, its a mascara to be used for a night out rather than during the day. I was impressed that it doesn't smudge and removes easily. 

Covergirl Katy Cat Eye Mascara had bulky packaging and a large brush that I found unwieldy. It was very clumpy - I disliked this mascara and barely used it.

Diptyque Eau Rose EDT is a fresh green rose scent that I like. It is light and easy to wear but doesn't have much longevity.

ETRO Rajasthan EDP  is another easy to wear fragrance. It is a powdery floral citrus, not unpleasant but I find it a bit boring.

Le Labo Another 13 is a sweet pear scent on application that dries to be warm and a bit musty but with clean notes like paper or linen. It is one of those non-fragrances (like Essentric Molecules) that I find myself a little puzzled by if I'm honest!

I must admit that I'm very pleased with February's empties. I managed to use up a number of things that I have had open for a while and I've made room for some new skincare and beauty goodies!

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