One of my favorite guilty pleasures is watching and reading these “product empties” posts and videos. Basically, the concept is to wait until you completely finish a product and then give a review.
I’m pretty much obsessed. While I’m still a big fan of hauls, empties posts and videos are my go to for true reviews. When I watch or read other people’s hauls, I end up just wanting to buy everything. The products are new and the hauler is excited about it and in love with it, whether or not he or she has even tried it. With the empties, however, you get a much more honest review and learn a bit more about how the product fared over time and whether it will be a repeat buy or a one time purchase.
I feel like this is said at the beginning of every empties post, but it couldn’t be further from the truth: this took a long time to accumulate! Probably because anyone who actually has the desire to sit around and take the time photograph their garbage, let alone hold on to the empty containers until there are “enough” is most likely, much like myself, a completely obsessive product junkie. What that means is we have a lot of shit. A lot of products means one thing is probably used in rotation with several others so it lasts a lot longer than if it was the only thing being used. For example, my Kiehl’s Creamy Avocado Eye Cream is one of two eye creams I use alternatively, in conjunction with the plethora of samples of eye creams I have hoarded around my apartment. Alas, I finally have enough for a complete post soooo, let’s get to it!
Oils
Bio-Oil: I LOVE this stuff. I first discovered it after my breast augmentation. My surgeon recommended this along with Vitamin E oil to use a means to prevent stretch marks. I used this on my breasts three times a day and never got one stretch mark. While I was using it I noticed that my skin looked awesome and felt incredibly soft and smooth. I love face oils as a moisturizer and used to use them on my neck and chest, begrudgingly, as it would make the expensive oils disappear that much quicker. I realized that Bio-Oil was just as hydrating and moisturizing and a great product to rub into my neck and chest at night, without costing a small fortune. Plus, it smells great! I don’t have to worry about restocking this guy as I literally have a drawer full of backup in my CVS closet. Love it so much.
Josie Maran Argan Oil: Oh, this is my winter skin SAVIOR! I used this on my face along with coconut oil (every now and then I’d switch it up) every night and after I finished swimming in the pool. It was my best defense against the drying effects of chlorine and dry winter air and kept my skin perfectly soft, hydrated and dewey. I will be repurchasing this, but not until the winter. I have combination/normal skin so in the summer I produce a little more oil and fare better with a dry oil. I’m currently rotating between Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery and Laura Mercier Rose Oil. If my skin seems to be on the dry side, I use coconut oil.
Deodorant
Lavanila Deodorant: This is my favorite deodorant. I have the full size in my bathroom and bought this trial size one on impulse while in line at Sephora. I have another waiting because it came in a two pack but I won’t be repurchasing the trial size. As with regular drug store trial sized deodorants, I go through it way to quickly. I’m perfectly fine with just carrying a full size deodorant in my purse or backpack during the day.
Candles
Glade Cashmere Woods: My husband rips on me every time I buy these Glade candles because they’re from the grocery store but I don’t care, I LOVE them. This candle is proof that you don’t need to spend a fortune for a luxurious scented, fantastic candle. This is a wonderful cologney/warm scent with a fantastic throw that permeates an entire room. The glass is super thick and I clean them out and save them to store sample packets in my bathroom cabinet.
Bath & Body Works Dance Til Dawn: Ew. This candle was horrendous. The only reason I didn’t take it back was because I loved the sparkly lid and wanted to keep it to use as a coaster. This came out this past winter and I could not find them in any stores so I ordered them online. As much as I wanted a plethora of these sparkly lids, I didn’t dig any of the scents they came in and this one seemed the least offensive. I kid you not when I tell you it made my apartment smell like pee.
Bath & Body Works Tiki Beach: This candle redeems Bath & Body Works (who am I kidding, it didn’t stop me from buying a damn thing). I adore this fresh, beachy scent and love how strong these little guys are. Ok, so they’re not strong enough to scent my living room but for some reason I love keeping one of these mini tumblers in my bathroom. It’s the perfect size to give my bathroom a nice, soft scent without being overwhelming. Plus, my bathroom is teeny tiny anything bigger would not only overpower it scent-wise but look-wise as well. There’s no room for anything bigger. And yes, I need a candle lit when I shower and get ready. I can’t be the only one.
Soap
Bath & Body Works Coral Reef: What do you know, more B&BW! I’m a semi-annual sale hoarder, I have been since my friend Stacey took me to my first semi-annual sale back when I was in the tenth grade and we left with several giant bags each. It’s been a thing ever since. Back in the day I headed there mostly for lotion and some candles but now I pretty much only buy candles and hand soap. Their foaming hand soap is my absolute favorite! This scent was a lovely, fresh citrusy mango that was the perfect bathroom hand soap. Plus it looked really cute, as all their soaps typically do.
Skincare
Glamglow Thirsty Mud: I’ve raved about this stuff in just about every post that I mentioned products in. Instead of continuing to go on and on about how I live and breath for this magical concoction I’ll just let you know that I also have a stash of these tucked away in my CVS closet.
Kiehl’s Creamy Avocado Eye Treatment: Every time I repurchase this I love it more and more. I just got a new tub at the Kiehl’s store yesterday and the saleswoman told me that the avocado has a natural light reflector in it which brightens up your under eye area. She said if you wear it alone, it can act as a natural looking highlighter. You know how much I love me some highlighter and she’s so spot on. I had only worn this cream at night because it’s so thick and moisturizing but this morning (after waking up at 4am for the second day in a row) I decided to test out her theory and…..well, she wasn’t lying. At all.
Make Up
Mac Strobe Cream: Been using this since my very first visit to the MAC counter at 14 years old. The girl smoothed it onto my skin as a primer and I remember thinking that my face looked like Barbie’s. I bought two, one for my locker and one for my bag. I needed it on me 24/7. In high school I didn’t even know exactly what it was, but I loved putting it on my skin. Now I know better, it’s a radiant, luminescent moisturizer that can be worn alone or as a primer under makeup. It’s my secret trick for making my skin look flawless on the days I skip makeup and it’s the perfect primer for a dewey, radiant face.
NARS Bronzer in Casino: Yet another staple since high school. ALTHOUGH….I don’t know. I’m kind of hesitant to buy a new one…. I do love it so, so much but sometimes if I apply it with too heavy a hand it just makes my face look dirty. I can’t go down to their lighter bronzer, Laguna, because it just doesn’t compliment my skin tone. I think I’m ready to try a new bronzer, something a little softer and smoother but I still want a shimmer and I still want it to be as dark as Casino. I need to hit Sephora and figure this out. Do you have a recommendation for an awesome bronzer that fits this bill??
Well, there you have it! I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoy perusing through others’ used stuff. 🙂
xoxo
lindsayylovee 