March Empties | 2015

As often as I can, I will display my empty products of the month. These are for the month of March. I don’t know about you guys, but I feel like it is one of the most satisfying feelings to actually finish up a product you bought. It sometimes feels like it was worth the money.  I can’t promise doing this series every month, just because empties are a rare thing to me. I am actually really surprised that I was able to finish up seven products to the very last drop. Another thing to know about empties is that I will also let you know if I would repurchase the product, now that I am out of it.

List of Products:

The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Shower Cream – I always love trying out and purchasing these Shower Creams. They are great for winter time because they are the most moisturizing body wash that I have ever used. I know it’s more on the lotion side of body washes but they are really good. This was my first time trying this particular scent. I liked the smell of this one. It was not the strong cocoa butter smell I was expecting. It was a lot more subtle than that.

Repurchase? No, not because I did not like the product, but because I could do without the cocoa butter smell. I think it has to do with the fact that I am using a cocoa butter lotion and I end up smelling like a cookie.

Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter – I actually like getting mini pots like this when Sephora has little sets from Soap & Glory. I will always use up those sets. I think it is so fun to try products out that way, especially when it has to do with body products. I am hesitant to try skincare sets, but body care sets, I am all about those. Soap & Glory has the most amazing distinctive scent. Sniff a product of theirs if you can. I ended up adding Tarte Maracuja Oil to the body butter and mixing it in my hands before applying. I felt that this body butter could have been more moisturizing as I was using this in the winter time. I definitely think that this is more of a Spring/Summer body butter when it comes to moisture.

Repurchase? No, I would not purchase a full size (only in a set.) I do not think that this is moisturizing at all for winter time skin. I like it more for the scent that it has and leaves behind.

Benefit They’re Real Mascara –  On and off I have had samples of this mascara and I always really like it. I think this mascara is really good for nights that I go out. They add just the right amount of oomph to my lashes, enough to make me look like I have long lashes. At some point, the formula changed. Maybe I had it open too long or something, but it changed a little bit on me. It wasn’t performing the way I wanted it to. It felt sticky and the brush was carrying too much product, always making me ruin my eye makeup. I’m not the best with mascara, but this new formula did not help me either.

Repurchase? No, I would never purchase this mascara especially when it comes in Sephora samples all the time.

Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer – I have a review on this product here. This is an SPF product that does not break me out or make me look greasy. I layer it over my non-SPF moisturizer and under my makeup. I mostly enjoy using this product for no makeup days. And when I say no makeup days, I mean just moisturizer and lip balm.

Repurchase? I already have a back up. Enough said.

Cetaphil Cleanser – This, I have learned, is my most reliable cleanser. I left it for another cleanser and I always come back to it and it always acts the same! I try to stray away from it for fear that my face gets used to it, but it is so gentle that hopefully that does not happen anytime soon. I love this cleanser. I have sensitive, acne prone, oily skin and this is just a holy grail face cleanser for me. I have yet to find one that beats this. I’ll keep looking, but I doubt I’ll find anything as good as this for my picky skin.

Repurchase? YES, OF COURSE.

The Body Shop Hemp Lip Conditioner – I got this when I was searching for a lip balm that could make my dry, chapped lips from the wintertime better. I don’t understand why this lip balm “for very dry skin” has such a high rating and such rave reviews in the comment section of this product on the website. It’s one of the reasons I thought that this was going to be a staple in my lip balm collection. Sadly, it is not. When I have dry, peeling lips and I apply this, nothing happens. I just put this on top to temporarily soothe them, but once it’s off my lips, the dryness is still there. I never saw a huge difference in my lips, and it is not as moisturizing as I thought it was going to be. I did, however, finish this up entirely.

Repurchase? No, it did nothing for me especially when I had dry patches on my lips. I love lip balms that heal them for the long run, not just soothe them for the time being.

Non-makeup Empties:

Up & Up Advanced Whitening Dental Strips – I have used these before special events such as weddings and my own graduation. These whitening strips do work to make your teeth look whiter. Back when I wasn’t a beauty blogger, I took pictures of my teeth before and after the strips. There was a significant difference. If only I still had those photos (I was always a beauty blogger in my heart!) You can use up the whole box up right away in the 1-2 weeks before the event OR you could do what I’ve been doing recently — I use one treatment every time I feel I need a touch up, and they still show results.

Repurchase? Yes, I love these. Although, they are difficult to find. I always see the more expensive Crest 3D Whitening Strips in full stock while these (the inexpensive alternative) are sold out.

Have you tried any of my empties? What did you think about them?