I cannot believe it has been over a year since my last Empties post! Where has the time gone?? Here’s a list of a bunch of products that I have used up within the past couple of months!

Will I re-purchase or pass??? 

BRTC
Jasmine Waterful Sleeping Pack

Thoughts: I received this sample/ travel size sleep moisturizer from an Ipsy Bag over a year ago and was primarily only using this when I traveled. The claims on iHerb say that this is suppose to help soothe and moisturize sensitive skin overnight. Some of the ingredients are glycerin, niacinamide, jasmine water, chamomile extract, grape fruit extract, eggplant extrant, lilac extract, and peppermint extract; but unfortunately, there is also dimethicone as the 3 ingredient which can be a turn-off for those trying to avoid silicone-based products. Since this is basically a sample-sized product, there wasn’t much product to test out. It takes a couple of months to see the true benefits of any skincare product, so it’s hard to tell if this product is life changing based on my short time testing it out. On iHerb the price for a 50/ml is $14.98, which isn’t bad. I’m not sure if I would go out of my way to re-purchase in the future.

 

COVERGIRL
Clean Matte BB Cream, 530 Light/Medium

Thoughts: This has been one of my go-to’s since I was in high school. If you are looking for a lightweight, oily-skin friendly bb cream… look no further. I wear this most often to work because it is lightweight but somehow offers a decent medium coverage. My only qualm is that I wish there was a few more shades in the range as light/medium is my perfect summer shade. I have already repurchased this, but in the shade 510 Fair.

 

dr. brandt
PoreDermabrasion – Pore Perfecting Exfoliator

Thoughts: I can honestly say I was devastated when this product was finally used up. I used this pretty sparingly, simply out of fear of using it up! Even though there is only 2 ounces of product in this small container, I somehow made it last for an entire year. The reason why I am so in love with this exfoliator is because it is so gentle but super effective! What makes this exfoliator different from the other exfoliators on the market is the “dermabrasion” aspect. Sure other physical exfoliators say they are deep cleaning your pores and removing dead skin cells and whatnot, but often times, there isn’t a life changing before-and-after. As someone who suffers from enlarged pores, oily skin, and blackheads, when I use an exfoliator, I am expecting clean pores and excess on the surface layer of my skin to be removed, while also not being so harsh and creating micro-tears. The first time I used the Pore-Dermabrasion, I noticed how gentle the microbeads were and after following the directions (this is key), I noticed how tight and clear my pores were! And even better, the very next day the built up sebum in my blackheads would literally pop out by themselves! The directions say to exfoliate for up to a minute and let the product sit for one to two minutes. I will be re-purchasing this in the future, but will wait for a holiday sale, because this little guy is expensive ($40)!!

 

COSRX
Two in One Poreless Power Liquid

Thoughts: This product claims to help clear and tighten enlarged pores, which was initially what got my attention. I don’t remember seeing a huge difference, but did like the way my skin looked while using this. I ordered a couple of COSRX skincare products off of Amazon that I liked a lot and some of them I am still working on. With the price being only $13.00, I would most definitely re-purchase this in the future, but might be after I try the BHA Blackhead Power Liquid from COSRX.

 

ApotheCARE Essentials
PhytoDEFEND Anti-Pollution Spray & Purifying Cleanser

Thoughts: I received this in a VOXBOX free from Influenster (don’t know what Influenster is, read about it here) in a trio set, which included the Anti-Pollution Spray, The Purifying Cleanser, and the Protecting Serum. I think out of the 3 products, I enjoyed the serum the most (and used it up first, which is why it is not pictured), then the cleanser. The main ingredients in this PhytoDEFEND line is bark & niacinamide. I am immediately drawn to anything that has niacinamides in it because of my acne-prone and oily skin. The Persian silk and White Willow bark apparently helps defend against skin fatigue from pollution, free radicals, and artifical blue-light. I did notice an overall healthier appearance in my skin when using all 3 of these products and would recommend to anyone. The price for the spray is $15.00 and for the cleanser is $12.00 on Amazon. Once I have finished up some of my serums that I am currently using, I think I will repurchase the serum only (which is $28.00).

 

LIVING PROOF
Full Dry Volume Blast

Thoughts: I got this in a past BoxyLuxe box and used it up fairly quickly. Initially the description was confusing to me. Is it a volumizer? Or is it dry shampoo? Apparently, it’s a volumizer and a texturizer. So folks with fine, flat hair would love this. The spray is pretty powerful & very direct, it’s not so forgiving if you applying too much. I think for the price ($29.00), it’s a pass for me. There are plenty of drugstore dupes that are cheaper & have the same results.

 

BATH & BODY WORKS
Rose Champagne Body Cream

Thoughts: On a regular everyday basis, B&BWorks is a little too frageranced for me, but this lotion was just subtle enough to pass. It is nice floraly-pink wine smell, which, I’m personally a red wineo but I can appreciate the pinks 😉 I think this may have been limited edition because I haven’t seen it since in B&BWorks. 

 

JOHN FRIEDA
Sheer Blonde – Go Blonder Lightening Conditioner

Thoughts: At the beginning of the summer, I got a few highlights and lowlights put it. Normally I am an all over color kinda girl, because… easy touch-ups! Since getting the high & low lights, I have regretted it because I don’t have time to get going back to the salon to get touch-ups every month. It’s also important to note, my hair grows like crazy, like to the point I have to trim my own hair monthly! So inbetween salon visits to help my hair not turn into a brassy mess, I picked up this guy! It definitely helps to lighten blonde hair. I found that it didn’t lighten the darker tones. Since I am about to dye my hair darker as we get into the colder seasons, I won’t be picking this back up for now but may pick it up next summer!

 

MUSCLE MILK
Coffee House

Thoughts: If you love coffee-flavor and are looking for a great, premium protein powder, you gotta try this! I’ve tried out a couple of protein powders (Vega, Women’s Best, Premier, etc.), and this is by far the best. It doesn’t taste chalky, clumpy, or like protein. It’s delicious! I got mine at Target and it lasted me about a month. I will definitely be re-purchasing in the future.

 

FARMACY
Green Clean Makeup Meltaway Cleansing Balm

Thoughts: I also received this product in a past Boxycharm box! While I did love this cleansing balm and it truly did an amazing job at melting away my makeup, I can’t reason with purchasing a $40.00 cleansing balm. Physician’s Formula came out recently with a Matcha Cleansing Balm that is only $8.00, which is much more affordable, but almost 2 fluid ounces less than Farmacy’s.

 

ETUDE HOUSE
Moistfull Collagen – Sleeping Pack

Thoughts: I bought this sleeping pack, along with a few other Korean skincare products, off of Amazon a couple of months ago. This was my first time ever using a sleeping pack and am kinda a fan. I woke up to skin that was plump & full of moisture! Even though I loved this product and it was hella cheap ($12.00), I think I want to test out some others to see how they compare to this one. This definitely has been saved on my Amazon for later purchases though 🙂

 

ETUDE HOUSE
Moistfull Collagen – Cream

Thoughts: Just like the sleeping pack, I woke up to skin that was plumper and full of moisture. I also found that I was less oily throughout the day when I used this product. My only qualm is that I hate sticking my fingers in products like this. A spatula was included but with nowhere to store the spatula, it eventually got lost. Would be great if they made some sort of device for the spatula to clip onto the inside of the lid! Or, just put it is a bottle with a dispenser and make my life easier LOL. I may purchase this in the future, because I see a noticeable difference, but I have a few more moisturizers that I am currently working through first.

 

KEH GEN DO
Cleansing Spa Wipes

Thoughts:  I can appreciate this product because it is a durable, spa-like cleansing wipe… but I will not be re-purchasing them. I did receive these in a past Boxycharm box, which I was super excited about because I have heard so many people raving about these cleaning wipes. For $17.00 you get roughly 10 wipes… That’s ridiculous! I’ll just stick to my Neutrogena or Simple wipes that are far less and have much more bang for the buck.

 

Have you tried any of these products? If so, did you like them, were they worth the money, and would you re-purchase them? Let us know down below!

 

Sincerely,

Lee.