March/April 2025 Empties

Welcome to another empties post with mini reiews! I didn't have a ton of empties in March so I lumped them together with April's. Let's dive in! 

Cerave Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser (Removes Makeup) - This was by far one of my best finds back in 2023. The fact that it is easy to get (any drug store) and is reasonably priced is fantastic. This cleanser is very hydrating, gentle, does not play with my skin barrier and removes my makeup including eye makeup! Makes my skin so clean! I tend to use this only at night but I think you could use it in the morning too if you want. Already repurchased. This is easily in my Top 5 cleansers. 

Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm in Vanilla Beige and Iced Coffee - I got a mini set of 4 of these last Fall during the Sephora sale. I bought them as I wanted to try a variety of scents and colours. The Iced Coffee one grew on me quickly and I would repurchase that scent no problem. The Vanilla Beige was ok. I really like Summer Fridays lip butter balms and although I wished they lasted longer on the lips, I think they are one of the best lip balms you can get on the market. I have already repurchased a regular sized tube in Birthday Cake and will be reviewing that one for you shortly. 

The Inkey List Supersolutions 10% Azelaic Acid Serum - This product has been a lifesaver for my rosacea. I have already repurchased. Can't live without it now. This is a must have for anyone with rosacea and the beauty is you can layer it with other serums. I highly recommend using it twice a day for full effectiveness. I am not sure how many of these I have gone through now but I will be buying it likely forever. 

Sol de Janeiro Rio Deo Refill in Brazilian Jasmine & Pink Dragonfruit - I quite like this deodorant and have gone through a few of these already. I am starting to get confused with all of the scents. I think I like the original one the best. The refills never seem to sit right in the containers and the temporary lids are awful. All that being said, I do like this product and have repurchased. I would'nt say it is workout appropriate, you would need something stronger but it's great for day to day.

AOA Studio Super Soft PawPaw Wonder Blender - I don't care what anyone says, these sponges are far inferior to the Beautyblender. I don't find these to be as porous as the Beautyblender and therefore product tends to sit on top of the sponge and slide around more. You don't get as good of a blend. Also, I find these dry weird and can get moldy after a bit which I never had happen with the Beautyblender. Since I bought a bag of 6 I will use them up but then it's back to spending good money on Beautyblenders again and I am ok with that. 

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask in Berry - I really enjoy a lot of these Laneige Lip Sleeping Masks and I have to say that the Berry scent is by far the best scent from their regular line. In general, I tend to prefer some of their limited edition scents. Already repurchased in a few other scents. 

Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion - I bought this a long time ago online from the U.S. At the time, I couldn't find it here in Canada. I was starting to get some dry patches on my hands in winter and this was recommended by a beauty influencer that I follow. It did seem to work well and I think I had two bottles of them and this was the second one. First one is long finished. I hadn't used it in awhile. I noticed it was nearly empty so I decided recently to use it up. If this was readily available, I might repurchase, but I don't think it is. I also think other creams have come onto the market in recent years that are better so I would likely buy those first. 

Aveeno Restorative Skin Therapy Repairing Cream – This was one of the best Aveeno lotions that I have tried and let me tell you, they are not all created equal. I really liked this cream and I will likely repurchase.

Caudalie Hand & Nail Repairing Cream in The des Vignes (The Vines?) – I got a set of 3 of these in a Holiday Set a year and a half ago. I have used up 2 of them so far and am on my 3^rd and final one. I really liked this hand cream and I will be repurchasing once I have used up the last one I have. It’s great to throw into your purse and I do find that it moisturizes both my nails and my hands well. 

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix - First thing I have to mention is that the wand inside broke off very quickly and I had to use a Q-tip to get the product out. That was disappointing. This s a sample size though so the packaging was not going to be stellar. I think the product was nice enough. It was soothing on the eyes and I think I may have looked a bit more refreshed when I woke up after wearing it overnight. I didn't really notice it doing anything for my dark circles in general though. It is an expensive product so not sure I will purchase it in the future, but I won't rule it out. 

Makeup by Mario Moistureglow Plumping Lip Serum in Rosewood Glow - I got this as a Sephora birthday gift along with a lip liner from the same brand. I liked the colour, but I think it is more of a autumn shade so I wouldn't rush to wear it in spring or summer. Even though this is a minty plumping product and not terribly tingly, I really detest plumpers and as a general rule, will not buy them. I don't need them and I don't care for the sensation. It was a decent product, but since it is a plumper, I will not buy it. The packing was awful and the inner tube would not retract if you turned it up too high. Since this was sample, I don't know if the regular sized tube would be the same. 

Biossance Squalane + Marine Algae Eye Cream x2 - I thought I only had 1 of these sample jars, but somehow I had two and was using them simultaneously. Part of my confusion was that I have the same sized jar by the same company with face cream in it. Anyway, I managed to finish both of the eye creams recently. I didn't find it was any better than any of the other eye creams I have used and it did didley squat for my dark circles. Some days, I even found it burned a little so I had to be careful to not place it too high up under my eye. Would not repurchase, but I love the glass jar and will be reusing it for travel with another product in it. 

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream- This is my ride or die. I've spoken about this at length so will spare you all. Already repurchased. 

I already have my May empties piling up so should be back soon with more mini reviews. 

February 2025 Empties

I had a few empties piling up and some I am desperate to get rid of/recycle so I figured I had enough to do an empties post. Here are some mini reiews on what I used up in February: 

TRESemme Tres Two Extra Hold Hairspray – I have had this can for YEARS. I don’t use a ton of hairspray in general and this can is huge. I am so happy that I finally finished it. I think this is a great, cheap drugstore option, but there are better out there so I likely will not be repurchasing.

Drybar Triple Sec 3-in-1 – I really want to love a dry finishing spray so badly as I think it would be the answer to so many of my hair prayers, but they always end up leaving me flat. No pun intended. So far all of the ones I have tried are basically like spraying air into my hair.  This product is supposed to provide instant volume, texture and refresh your hair. It did none of that. Honestly, it was like I sprayed nothing into my hair whatsoever. Unless I get a glowing recommendation from someone I know and trust for a finishing spray, I think I am done with them. Needless to say, will not repurchase.

MAC Cosmetics Zoom Lash Mascara – At one time, this was MAC’s best mascara. I wouldn’t say it is any longer. It’s ok, but not much better than a good drugstore mascara. In fact, it appears to be discontinued. I’m not sad about it.

Bumble and bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Conditioner – This was a travel sized conditioner that I used for travel and then decided to finish at home. This is one of my favorite conditioners ever! Will definitely repurchase. I am waiting for the Sephora sale at the moment. Have a bunch of other conditioners in my current rotation so I am good until then. 

Living proof Perfect Hair Day 5-in-1 Styling Treatment – I have gone through countless bottles of this product and I already have repurchased another two. I really love all of the volume, thickness and manageability that this product gives me. My only complaint is that it makes my hair a bit stiff.

fresh Soy Cleanser -  I got this in a gift set from fresh and I really do like it. I would say it is now in my top 5 cleaners. My skin was oily/combo for most of my life and then a few years ago it turned dry. So I say I love this as a dry skin woman. I am not sure if it would work for me if I still had oily/combo skin. This tube was a large travel size at 50ml. It took me a while to use it up, which is a good thing. I would definitely repurchase. I have a few other smaller sized tubes kicking around my bathroom from gift sets so I may try to use those up first. Also, I have a number of other favourite face cleansers in my regular rotation, so I am good for now.

Nivea Soft Moisturizing Crème – I have had this jar for far too long and I decided it was high time I finished it so I could get rid of it. It was nice and worked well but was a tad greasy. The smell can be a bit much some days. I would consider repurchasing but I do have better creams so likely will not.

Bumble and bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Heat Protectant Leave In Conditioner Primer - Love this stuff and will be repurchasing for sure. It's a fantastic hair detangler, softener and heat protector all in one. I'm waiting for the Sephora sale which is in 3 weeks to buy it again. I have another similar product to use up so I will be using that in the meantime. 

MAC Cosmetics Bronzing Powder in Golden – I believe this is discontinued. It wasn’t my favourite bronzer in world and it was a tad shimmery and too “golden”. However, it worked in a pinch as an everyday go to and I decided over the past several months that I wanted to use it up. Mission accomplished.

Caudalie Premier Cru (The Rich Cream) – I really enjoyed this as a night cream. My skin looked and felt so glowy, plumped and healthy each morning after use.  It lasted me about a year with somewhat consistent use. The jar is refillable so I will be repurchasing, likely when the Sephora sale happens next month. 

So that's it for February empties! For those of you on March Break, enjoy! 

December 2024/January 2025 Empties

Back with some more empties! Lots of minis this month but I was trying to get rid of some products I had kicking around and wanted to finish. Let's get into it. 

Caliray Come Hell or High Water Mascara  I love the fact that this mascara doesn’t budge or smudge so it is great when I am wearing my glasses. It gives good length, volume and curl too. Not my favourite mascara, but definitely in the top 5 and it serves a specific purpose for me.This was my third and I have already repurchased my fourth. I buy the travel sized one as it lasts me 3 months plus and it's great to throw into my purse. The regular sized one would be a waste of money for me as it would go bad before I finish it. 

Shiseido Facial Cotton - Another one done! Already repurchased. I really try to load up on these during the Sephora semi-annual sales as they have gotten quite expensive but there are no other suitable substitutes in my opinion.

Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil UV Protective Dry Oil Finishing Spray - I love me some Bumble and Bumble and I am a big fan of their products, but this particular product is by far the worst one they've ever made. It's like spraying literal air into your hair. It doesn't smoothe, add shine, no softness, offers no hold nor refresh your hair in any way, shape or form. This was a travel sized can and I think I may have bought two but "used" the other one up some time ago. When this can was almost finished, I sprayed the "air" into my hair until the can was used up and still it did nothing to my hair. Would never repurchase.

Beautaniq Beauty Guardian Angel Revitalizing Eye Gels - I got these in a subscription box I used to get. I didn't really find that they did anything much for my undereye area. I would not repurchase.

Diorshow Maximizer 3D Triple Volume Plumping Lash Primer - This isn't a bad product and I would repurchase a regular sized one maybe but I don't feel it lives up to it's hype. It can help a so so or crappy mascara be better. If you have an amazing mascara though, not sure this helps a lot and it is an extra step. This was a travel sized tube and it's made very crappy. The wand is awful and twisted and another one I had in the past the wand broke off completely very soon after I started using it. Was not impressed with that. 

Charlotte Tilbury Collagen Lip Bath Gloss in Refresh Rose - I have mixed feelings about this product. This is a mini size. I got a set of 3 in different colours. This was the second one and the colour was too warm for me but it worked in a pinch. So far, the two I have tried are pretty colourless and the difference between the shades is close to undetectable for most people. So I don't love that. They are minty and do appear to make your lips look more juicy with less lines. I normally hate lip plumpers and the discomfort they cause but this one has zero discomfort. This is where the product excels. I tend to dab a bit of this over whatever lip product I am wearing if it is looking a tad dry. Works wonders. A full sized tube is $47.50 Canadian which I think is outrageous for a what amounts to a fancy, clear, slightly plumping gloss. I would never pay full price for this. There are other products on the market that work just about as well for half the price such as the Fenty ones. I would consider buying these again in a mini set if I got them on sale. 

Caudalie Resveratrol-Lift Instant Firming Serum - I have said it before, but Caudalie serums do nothing for me. I like their Premier Cru cream a lot, but the serums don't work for me. This was a mini but I do like that it came in a glass container. I was happy to finish this and will not be repurchasing. 

Ilia Lip Wrap Hydrating Mask - I have not yet formulated in my mind how I feel about Ilia products in general. I hated this lip product with a passion and yes I still used it up! I also have 2 Ilia eyeshadow palettes and I like them enough but not sure I love them. Anyway, back to the lip product. I didn't care for the smell first of all. It was like a minty lemon car wax scent. Some of the product was hard and in tiny hard chunks which I would have to pick off my lips. The product would slide off my lips in a matter of seconds and I would have to reapply almost instantly. To say this product was not long lasting is the understatement of the year. I kept this handy in my family room for when I was watching TV and my lips felt dry so I had time to reapply as desired. Would never repurchase. 

Estee Lauder Little Black Primer - I have had this small travel-sized tube for a long time. Longer than I care to admit. I've had it so long that the writing is completely gone from the tube. In my opinion, this is one of the best mascara primers out there and I really like the fact that it is black. It does make a difference, but how much of one, I am never sure. I would purchase this but I have a lot of other primers in my collection to use up first. 

Clarins Extra Firming Jour (Day Cream) - I got a sample size of this and used it on my neck. I have to very careful what I put on my sensitive face so I opted not to use it there. I think this was a fantastic neck cream and I would consider trying it on my face. It was super nourishing and moisturizing. Would definitely consider buying this. 

SkinFix Barrier+ Skin Barrier Restoring Gel Cream - Hated this. Did nothing for me and my skin barrier was not improved at all. I don't know if it was because of the gel formulation, but this was night and day compared to the cream version for me which was 10x better. This was a small sized jar that I believe I got in a set of SkinFix products. Would not repurchase. 

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup - I love this foundation. I don't know how many bottles of this I have used up. Already repurchased. It's matte with a tiny bit of glow. If you want your makeup to stay put all day, this is the one for you. I use shade 2N1 Desert Beige 12. 

SkinFix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Cream - I really liked this product when it first came out. I credit it with helping me get my rosacea under control. I don't find it to be very moisturizing but it does seem to help a lot with my skin barrier. My empty was a small jar that came in a SkinFix set of products. I have repurchased the regular, full sized jar a few times but it seems to not be as effective as it was. I have seen some online chatter about SkinFix changing the formula and I believe it. I am planning to finish up what I have, but I am not sure if I will repurchase as I have found other effective products that manage my rosacea for cheaper and work better. 

Peach & Lily Match Pudding Antioxidant Cream - This too was a small jar that came from a Peach & Lily set of products. I do like it, I am not sure if I love it. I have repurchased a full sized jar and hopefully by the time I am done with it, I will have a more well formulated opinion of it. Will report back. 

it Cosmetics Confidence in Your Beauty Sleep Skin-Transforming Pillow Cream - Another small jar (really small jar) that I got in a set of it Cosmetics products. I thoroughly enjoyed this night cream. So much so that I was all set to order a full sized jar but I stopped because the reviews are not great on Sephora's website. I realize that shouldn't stop me, but it did give me pause. I do plan to push past my concerns and buy a jar during the next Sephora sale. Will keep you updated. 

Fable & Mane HoliRoots Hair Oil - This was another smaller sized bottle that I used up. I have purchased a full sized bottle. This product smells amazing and it moisturizes my scalp nicely. I am not sure if it is doing anything further for me. I hope to have a better idea and a fully formed opinion once I finish the regular sized bottle. Promise to update all of you once I have finished it.