May 2013 Empties

Want to know what products I most recently finished up? Catch them here in my May Empties! As I mentioned in my May Favorites blog post, I was traveling a lot so I actually used it as an opportunity to take and finish up nearly empty products on my trip. That way I wouldn’t be heartbroken when a full bottle of foundation or full bottle of nail polish exploded in my luggage. Good strategy, right?

Get the low down on each of the products I used up last month in the video above and mini product reviews below.

Diorskin ‘Forever’ Fluid Flawless Perfection Fusion Wear Makeup
This is my favorite foundation of the moment because of it’s longevity, flawless finish, and comfortable wear. It’s my ideal everyday foundation because it contains SPF, keeps me looking great all day, and it doesn’t break me out. Perfect for all skin types, this is a foundation I find worth the pretty penny you pay for it. We all deserve a little splurge sometimes, and foundation is one product I spare no expense on. I wear this product in shade 22 Cameo, if anyone is interested. Read my full review on this amazing foundation on OMGbuymeTHIS.

MAC Fix+
I’ve talked about MAC Fix+ in many blog posts here but in case you’re unfamiliar with this product, it’s a multipurpose makeup mist. I love  spritzing this on my face after I set my makeup with powder in the morning. It’s also wonderful for touch ups at the end of the day when you need a refreshing pick-me-up.

eos Smooth Lip Balm in Sweet Mint
I’m sort of over the eos lip balms, despite their adorable packaging, because they just aren’t the best at truly hydrating my lips. Sweet Mint was my favorite scent along with Summer Fruit. At the moment I just prefer my Burt’s Bees Lip Balm and Vaseline Cocoa Butter Lip Therapy.

Visine For Contacts
If you work at a startup like I do, you likely work long hours. I tend to wear my contacts many hours longer than my optometrist recommends so I often get redness and irritation. Visine is what keeps me going on those long and late nights working and blogging away.

AHAVA Mineral Hand Cream
This is a lovely hand cream that is light yet rich. It really gives that healed feeling to severely dry and dehydrated hands. Although, it kind of smells like Grandma’s house, and this is one of the few products I just can’t get past the scent on.

Duo Lash Adhesive Dark
Pro tip: don’t keep a tube of this longer than 2 years. This lash glue sat so long in my collection, it totally solidified and I had to cut the container open to salvage the remains. I did like this dark lash glue since it wouldn’t leave globs of white glue on my lash line, but I wear fake lashes so rarely I’m not in a rush to go out and buy this.

Benefit Erase Paste in 2
This color correcting concealer was too emollient for my liking. I noticed petrolatum is the main ingredient so it made sense why my undereye would stay wet and slippery after applying this product. I felt it sinking in my fine lines, and if it wasn’t doing that it was just sliding off. While I tried a sample, there were at least 30 applications in that one sachet. It’s not for me, but I know lots of other people love this product.

Kiko Nail Polish Remover Pads
I picked up this container of nail polish remover pads in fall 2011 when I was last in Europe. These pads were acetone-free yet really effective at removing polish. The container was really travel-friendly so I was stoked to bring this on my trip to the Midwest. These also smelled like grapefruit and lemon oil, so they weren’t unpleasant to use. Sadly these aren’t sold in America, so I’m now on the hunt for a American dupe!

OPI Ridge Filler
This was my nail polish base coat for the past year or so and I loved it! It filled in the unevenness in my nails and provided a nice matte base that would reduce streaks in the coats of colored nail polish I applied after.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Cherish
If you like low maintenance makeup, this is a lip product you’ve got to try from the drugstore. This is a slightly minty lip stain that is easy to apply just like a lip balm. Cherish is a beautiful medium pink shade that can be worn sheer or layered up for a deeper pink. Check out my full review on OMGbuymeTHIS.

NYX Green Tea Blotting Paper
These are fantastic blotting sheets from the drugstore. While they are thinner than the ones by Clean & Clear, you get many more in a pack. I also think they were more effective at absorbing oil. And another great thing to note is that NYX is cruelty-free!

Dr. Bronner’s 18-in-1 Hemp Pure-Castile Soap in Peppermint
This is a total cult favorite product that I haven’t used in ages. This soap is super concentrated, but really easy to work with in the shower. It’s all natural and fair trade, so you can feel great about using it as well. It also works great cleaning Beauty Blender sponges and makeup brushes as well.

Opti-Free RepleniSH Multi-Purpose Disinfection Solution
This is just the contact lens solution I use. Not a whole lot to rave or rant about here. I just wish it was cheaper since I keep a large bottle at my place, my boyfriend’s place, and my parent’s place.

Skintimate SignatureScents Moisturizing Shave Gel in Strawberry Tangerine Twist
I’m pretty bored of this shave gel, and last month I found a new shave gel favorite from Target. I’ve switched from Skitimate to the Up & Up brand shave get with soy, which is supposed to be similar to the shave gel by AVEENO. I have some quality control issues with the packaging of the Skintimate shave gels — I’ve had two cans totally plug up after a few uses. I’m switching to the Up & Up brand from here on out.

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Dark and Deep Brown
If you know anything about my hair, you know I love my Batiste Dry Shampoo. This is a fabulous dry shampoo, but I still prefer the Blush variety better. This brown tinted dry shampoo gives your hair a little more grit and build up, so I prefer the uncolored formula which leaves less residue. I just make sure to blend the white dry shampoo really well into my roots so I don’t have crazy looking hair. Overall, the dark dry shampoo is not a bad pick, just not my favorite.

L’Oreal Evercreme Intense Nourishing Conditioner
This is my favorite drugstore hair care product, hands down. It’s sulfate-free, which is pretty hard to come across at this price point. I’ve never found a conditioner this affordable that leaves my hair so soft and silky. Read my rave review on OMGbuymeTHIS.

Alba Sunscreen (discontinued)
This product sat in my bathroom cabinet a little too long, so I sadly have to throw it out. It’s easily 2+ years old and I read that you shouldn’t keep sunscreen for more than a year. I do love the brand’s Coconut Dry Oil so I totally recommend checking that out if you’re looking to get your bronze goddess on at the beach. Here’s another sunscreen by Alba that’s similar to what I talked about in my empties video.

Crest Baking Soda & Peroxide Whitening Fluoride Toothpaste in Fresh Mint
This is the toothpaste I’ve been using on and off for the past few years. It works decently at maintaining my whiteness shade, which isn’t particularly stunning. If you’re looking for whitening, try something else.

LUSH Angels on Bare Skin
This is a solid cleanser by LUSH that you massage into your skin with water. While this is a decent cleanser that is mildly exfoliating, I need a cleanser with a few more ingredients geared for treating acne. This cleanser does nothing for my acne, so I’ve moved on to something that does. Read my in-depth review on OMGbuymeTHIS.

Aveda ‘Tourmaline Charged’ Exfoliating Cleanser
If you want a serious, heavy duty exfoliant, this is it. The granules in this scrub feel like sharp shards of sand that really buff and exfoliate the skin. I can only use this once every two weeks or so since it’s so powerful.

Dior ‘Hydra Life’ Pro-Youth Sorbet Creme
May was sad because I finished up not one, but two Dior products I love. Dior’s Hydra Life line is all around fabulous, but I especially love this moisturizer. It’s thick but absorbs well. It’s light yet gives ample moisturization. Get a sample next time you’re at the Dior counter; you won’t regret it. Read my full review on OMGbuymeTHIS.

 

What products have been sitting stale in your beauty stash or bathroom cabinet? Let me know in a comment and don’t forget to catch up on my most recent May Favorites as well. If you can’t get enough reviews on empties, be sure to catch my round ups for April, March, and January I’ve also featured on the blog. Go even further back in time on my Empties Playlist on YouTube.