January, February and March 2026 Empties

I can't believe it is already May! Yikes! I guess we better get into the empties I had from the first part of the year and my mini reviews of them. 

Bondiboost Thickening Therapy Spray - I bought this on a total whim last year when Sephora had it on sale. I wanted to try the brand and sadly, I must say, I was not impressed at all with this product at least. First of all, the spray nozzle is awful, it comes out in clumps. Impossible to get an even application. This works better in wet hair than dry but it says you can use it on both. The product makes my hair sticky and nasty after use. You can forget about combing your hair after it sets. I have used thickening sprays that work better than this and I have also tried some that are even worse. So it will thicken your hair but the result is not extreme and you can't do much of anything once you have applied it. Even blow drying becomes difficult after it is in your wet hair. So stiff, sticky and gross! I had to use small amounts to use up the bottle and even doing that, the product was still not nice feeling in my hair. Will not be repurchasing. 

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue - This was a full sized glass jar and it took me eternity to finish and I was not mad about that. It felt nice on the eyes and was a good foundation under makeup. I can't say that it did anything for my undereye circles though. However, what does? I am trying to use 4 or 5 other eye creams that I have hanging around to get rid of them and all of them are inferuior overall as an eye cream to this. I would conisder repurchasing this, but I won't for quite awhile. My search for a great eye cream continues. 

Klorane Floral Water Make-Up Remover - Love this. There is no substitute. Will always buy this until it is no longer available. Have purchased countless bottles of this. 

Cake Beauty "It's a Slice" Supreme Body Mousse - It took me 10,000 years to finish this monster sized bottle of body cream (1 litre!). I cannot even begin to tell you how delighted I am to have accomplished this. I have another similar bottle in another scent that I am working on as well. I think I paid around $12.99 for this in Winners which was a steal and a half. While not even close to my favourite body cream, it works well enough and at the price I paid, it was worth it. The scent is that of an orange creamsicle and it's quite nice. I believe this scent may now be discontinued. 

OGX Beauty Nourishing + Coconut Oil Weightless Hydrating Oil Mist - I bought this ages ago and it was way too heavy of an oil for my hair. I also wasn't keen on the scent - too coconut for me. So I had it sitting in my bathroom gathering dust until recently when I started using it as a pre-shampoo oil treatment. Seemed to work ok, but I have a better oil for that. Anyway, I used it up finally. Won't be repurchasung because of the smell and also that there are better products for my purposes out there. 

Fresh Tea Elixir Skin Resilience Activating Serum – I'm so sad. They discontinued this serum! They have a new one that I have to try. In the meantime, I bought another brand that I hoped would be a cheaper substitute and it was not at all. This made my skin look glowy, feel bouncy, minimized fine lines and softened. 

Skinfix Barrier + Triple Lipid + Collagen + Niacinamide Activating Serum - Another refill done! I may repurchase but I won't right away as I have so many products I need to use up and I am on a mission. I primarily use this when my skin is acting up and needs calming. This is great for keeping my face hydrated and reducing redness.

Caliray Come Hell or High Water Mascara - I am not sure how many of these I have gone through but I love this mascara. Already repurchased. I love the fact that this 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. 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. 

Maybelline Fit Me! Concealer in 20 Sand - There was a time when this was probably the best concealer you could buy at the drug store. Times have changed and now this one seems drier compared to modern concealers and the shade range is not great. Coverage is also medium at best. I bought two of these ages ago and use them when I am in a pinch or running to the store quick etc. They were never good enough really for going out all day or going somewhere special. The shade 15 Light is more rosey, cooler toned than the 20 Sand. Finished 15 Light as noted in my last Empties entry and now 20 Sand is done. So glad to be done with both of these. Will not be repurchasing.  

Estee Lauder Little Black Primer - This was a travel sized tube. I should have thrown it out ages ago. I recently opened it and it was off so out it goes. This is a good product and I would consider purchasing it but I try to stick to mascaras that don't need a primer.

Origins Eye Doctor - Yep, I went back to this and again, as soon as I put it on, my eyes sighed with happiness. It's a great eye moisturizer, but my dark circles are bad and I don't feel this does enough for that issue. I will likely repurchase, but I have some other eye creams I want to use up and/or explore first. 

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Vanish in Medium -  This was the second one I purchased and it works well but I wish it worked a bit better. I am currently trying two other colour corrector products to see if I prefer them to this but I have a funny feeling I will be repurchasing this again. 

Sephora Collection Instant Moisturizer - I believe this specific product has been discontinued. This was a small sample I used up and it was actually pretty good. I was sad when I finished it. Too bad for Sephora, they should consider bringing it back. 

Aveda Invati Advanced Thickening Conditioner - I found what was left of this sample in my stash and decided to use it up. When I have used this product in the past, it did seem to thicken my hair but as soon as I stopped using it, the effect was gone. I would consider repurcashing this regardless. 

Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Soft-Lit Naturally Luminous Hydrating Longwear Foundation in 185 - This is one of the best foundations to come on the market in the last couple of years. It works well with my dry, sometimes combo skin. Coverage is full and gives you a nice glow. The colour I have is perfect for me. Already repurchased.

December 2025 Empties and Trash

December was a heavy empties month for me for some strange reason so without further ado, let's jump into it. 

fresh Rose Deep Hydration Face Cream - This may not be my favourite day or night cream, but I do quite like it and it's in my Top 5 for sure. This was a sample sized jar that I have taken on vacation and ended up finishing at home. The product is very moisturizing and makes my skin feel really nice. Works well on no make-up days and also under make-up. When a regular sized jar of this went on sale for 50% off recently at Sephora, I pounced. So already repurchased. 

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

Aveda Invati Advanced Scalp Revitalizer - I got this as a sample awhile back and recently decided to use it. Sadly, it didn't last long so I don't know if it would be very beneficial to me or not. It made my scalp tingle in a good way and I like that it dried fast and gave some root lifting action so you could use this between washes without ruining your hair. I would consider purchasing this, but I see a lot of online reviews saying they have changed the formula and it is not the same. Plus, it is expensive so the jury is out on this one. 

Davines Melu Anti-Breakage Conditioner for Long Hair - This was a mini size of this product and I quite like it. It took a long time to use up surprisingly. It made my hair very soft and manageable. Hopefully, it strengthened it too. I am currently using the shampoo as well. A lot of people say this smells like laundry detergent and I would say no, it smells like fabric softener. Haha. I don't mind the smell though. Already repurchased another mini. 

Tatcha The Rice Wash Soft Cream Cleanser - Love this cleanser. I wish I could use it more often, but my skin has to be in good shape and not having a sensitive skin day in order to use it. I kept it for use in the shower so that is why my tube is so beaten up. This was a smaller sized tube and I have other samples which I will be using up before I repurchase. One of my Top 5 cleansers for sure. 

Caudalie Vinotherapist Hand & Nail Repairing Cream - I bought of set of 3 of these for Holiday 2024 and I bought another set this past Holiday 2025. Love these for my purse. This was the last of my 2024 batch. What I really like about it is that is works on both skin and nails. Especially in winter, this is a must have for me in my purse. 

tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Hydrating Balm Gloss in Rose - There are so many of these tarte lip products that look similar it isn't funny. I am not touching the plumping one. I really liked this product in the Raspberry colour but I was not a keen on this Rose one as it was practically clear. It's nice and glossy, looks plump and very moisturizing but I am not paying the cost of this for clear gloss. I got this one in a set with a lip liner and I quite like the matching lip liner as it has some colour but I think it leans orange on me which I am not crazy about. Would repurchase the Raspberry again, not the Rose. Would maybe repurchase the lip liner but in another colour. 

Beautyblender - I keep trying other sponges to save a buck but the original Beautyblender is still the best. Not repurchased yet but will do so soon. In the meantime, I have other knock off ones I can use. 

Shiseido Facial Cotton - How many of these I have gone through, not sure. Nothing compares. Already repurchased. 

Maybelline Fit Me! Concealer in 15 Light - There was a time when this was probably the best concealer you could buy at the drug store. Times have changed and now this one seems drier and the shade range was meh compared to it's new counterparts. Coverage was also medium at best. I bought two of these ages ago and use them when I am in a pinch or running to the store quick etc. They were never good enough really for going out all day or going somewhere special. The shade 15 Light is more rosey, cooler toned than the 20 Sand I am still trying to use up. I am delighted to have finally finished this. Will not be repurchasing as I have many, far better concealers in my collection. 

Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm in Vanilla - This was a mini from a set I bought for Holiday 2024 and it was the last one of them I used up. I think I have bought about 7 or 8 scents/colours now and I have to say that Vanilla is my favourite. I previously used up a full sized tube. Sad to see this go. I have 4 full sized tubes of other scents at the moment and I will be using at least 1 or 2 of those up before I restock on the Vanilla. Trying to be good and use up what I have. Needless to say, definitely will be a repurchase. 

Origins Modern Friction - I was never crazy about this product, but it did seem to get the job done if I needed exfoliation. It was very thick and I didn't care for the smell. It could be more harsh than I liked at times. I don't believe I ever bought one of these as a stand alone product. I usually received them as part of a set of Origins products or sample sizes. This particular tube I have had for a long time and it has gone off. The colour and smell has changed so it is trash. I didn't get to use up even a third of this but that is ok as it is a bit harsh for me to use on my sensitive skin these days. Won't be repurchasing as there are similar products I prefer. 

The Inkey List Supersolutions 10% Azelaic Acid Serum - This product has been just what I needed 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. 

Burt's Bees Sweet Mandarin Moisturizing Lip Balm - These are good to have lying around the house but I do prefer my Laneige or Summer Fridays lip products. They are very inexpensive so worth buying for sure. I got a set from the hubby as a stocking stuffer in the past so I have a few of these to use up. This is the second one I have finished in recent months. 

Rare Beauty Eye Primer - One of my favourite YouTubers loves this product and I bought it on her recommendation. Sadly, I hate it. It doesn't stop my eyeshadow from creasing and it blends out to be pretty sheer so it doesn't cover any veins or unevenness on my eyelids. It's basically a bust unless you have dry eyelids that look fantastic with or without eye makeup. Some people do, but I am not one of them. I am not sure how I managed to use this up but I only used it when I needed my eye makeup to look passable for an hour, two max. The tip of the wand broke off as the final insult when I was nearing the end of the product so I used a thin Q-tip to scrape out the rest. I believe Sephora may have stopped selling this product even though they carry most of the Rare Beauty line still. Wonder why? Will not be repurchasing. 

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Stay-in-Place Makeup in 2.0 - This was my ride or die foundation for years! They discontinued it a few years ago and I was crushed. This was my favourite shade. I kept this tube unopened when I found out it was discontinued and recently decided enough was enough so I used it up. So bittersweet. I have to say though that this foundation is no longer working for me as well as it used to. I had oily/combination skin my whole life until a few years ago and then it changed to dry and sensitive. This foundation was the best when my skin was oily/combo. Now it's ok but too drying for me really. Also, foundation has become a lot more innovative and hydrating since this product was discontinued. Won't and can't repurchase. 

L'Occitane en Provence Nail & Cuticle Nourishing Oil - I own 3 of these because this product is so good. Expensive, but good. Perfect for the purse. If your cuticles look ratty, apply this and you are set for the rest of the day once it sinks in. I kept misplacing one of these and then would reach for another one and then would find the one I misplaced so I have all 3 in use. Finally, I finished one. Already repurchased. 

Charlotte Tilbury Hyaluronic Happikiss Lipstick Balm in Pillowtalk - Love, love, love this product. I believe this was the third one that I finished and I have another one waiting for me to use. Paired with Charlotte Tilbury's Pillowtalk Medium Lip Liner, this is a combo that cannot be beat. It goes with every makeup look and outfit pretty much. It feels great on the lips. This product is both something and nothing at the same time as it is very unassuming at first glance. If you wear it alone or with another lip liner than the one I recommend, it's not as great but still good. Already repurchased. 

Stay warm everyone! It's freezing where I am!