Empties, empties and more empties!

This is a big one folks, be prepared. I think this is maybe 6 months to a year worth of empties. I was de-cluttering the other day and thought it was grand time to do this post!

This may not look like a lot, but keep in mind that there are some products I've thrown out before adding to the "empties" pile. I usually just chuck mascaras, big shampoo bottles and face wash. So forgive me!

Let's get on with it shall we!

1. Redken Color Extend Shampoo - One of my staples. I usually buy a ton of this shampoo when the Christmas kits go on sale on boxing day and use them throughout the year. It smells delicious, and leaves my hair squeaky clean, while still being gentle on colored hair. Love!

2. Redken Color Extend Conditioner - Same as above. One of my favorite conditioners.

3. Aveeno Moisturizing Body Wash - One of my favorite body washes ever! Repurchased a few times since I used up this bottle. Super moisturizing, and the best part is the delicious scent! This is the Fig version, but the Lavender one is just as heavenly.

4. Tigi Bed Head Color Goddess Conditioner - I bought this because it smells like heavenly caramel, but I didn't really like the product. The conditioner weighed down my hair, and didn't untangle at all.

5. The Body Shop Almond Hand & Nail Cream - Love this stuff! Switched things up from my usual Hemp Hand Cream from The Body Shop, and I think I prefer this version. It sinks in a lot faster than the Hemp cream, and smells even better!

6. Bioderma - This needs no introduction. It's awesome, I love the product, but I'm using up other makeup removers at the moment. Once those are done, I'm bringing it back baby!

7. Avène Cleanance Soapless Gel Cleanser - I love this cleanser, and I've been using it for quite a while. It works great with my Clarisonic and even if it claims it's "soapless" it still does give a bit of a lather.

8. Beauty Secrets Pure Acetone - The name explains it - it's pure acetone for gel nail polish removal!

9. Batiste Brunette Dry Shampoo - Some of these Batiste dry shampoo smell disgusting, so I thought it was quite lucky that I love the scent of the brunette version! This brunette version is a LOT easier to blend in than the regular dry shampoo. I've repurchased this product many times.

10. Caudalie Instant Foaming Cleanser - I wouldn't really recommend this product. It's a bit drying (even on my oily skin) and uses up quickly. And I couldn't really use it effectively with my Clarisonic. So this was a bit of a dud.

11. Nuxe Creme Prodigieuse Normal to Combination Face Moisturizer - This is maybe my 3rd used up tube? After I used up this one, I moved on to my Vichy moisturizer, but I still love my Nuxe moisturizer.

12. Too Faced Shadow Insurance - This used to be my go-to shadow primer until I moved on to the Make Up For Ever Eye Prime. Great product - I just find the MUFE primer works a bit better.

13. Clinique Stay-Matte Foundation - I LOVE this foundation (reviewed here). I'm planning on repurchasing it again after the summer. It's the perfect match for my skin tone and keeps my oils controlled! A clear winner for me!

14. Anastasia Brow Whiz - Loved this product, but I replaced it with the less expensive and better Clinique Superfine Liner for Brows.

15. Clarins Be Long Mascara - I loved this mascara (reviewed here) but the high price point, and backlog in mascaras I wanted to try out prevented me from re-purchasing it. Great mascara though!

16. L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes - I don't even remember if I liked this or not - but I don't think I did. If I did I would have repurchased it! Haha!

17. The Body Shop Hemp Hand Scrub - This took foreeeeever to use up! And truthfully, it wasn't really all that great. I loved it at first, but - who really needs a hand scrub? The scrub beads kept getting stuck in my nails when I used it - ugh. This is discontinued anyway, so no re-purchases here!

18. CoverGirl Flamed Out Mascara - I love this mascara! I'm already on my 3 tube I believe and it's quite good. Coats the lashes well, lasts all day, and removal is easy! A+

19. Aveeno Calming Body Wash - Love this body wash (see #3) but I think I do prefer the Fig scent over this one. If I had to choose. But I love both.

20. Estee Lauder Day Wear BB Cream - A staple in my daily routine, I especially like using this in the summer when I'm a little more tanned. Excellent product and I'm on my second repurchase. A little goes a LONG way with this!

21. Make Up For Ever Eye Prime - Love this product (reviewed here) and I'm on either my second or third repurchase. Read the review to see why I love it so much!

22. Peter Thomas Roth AHA/BHA Acne Clearing Gel - I actually really liked this product! While I thought it wasn't as effective on my face as other products I own for clearing acne (and it was a bit drying), I ended up using it to clear up body acne and it worked wonderfully!

23. The Body Shop Aloe Soothing Night Cream - Didn't really like this product. I barely used it and then it started smelling funky so I threw it out. Sad.

24. Nuxe Demaquillant 3 Roses - Wasn't too sure about this product at first, but the more I used it, the more I loved it! It takes a few swipes on a cotton pad to remove makeup, but it's such a gentle non-drying cleansing water that I forgive it for taking a bit more time to remove makeup. I could see this working really well on sensitive and dry skin.

Are you still with me? If not, I totally understand because this was the longest post ever! However, I'm pretty happy with the amount of products I've used up lately - this means less makeup is coming into my already sizeable stash, and that was my goal this year. Have you been using up a lot of products this year?

Empties... a bunch of empties!

I don't even remember the last time I did an empties post, but I guess these guys have accumulated for a long time. I serious can't wait to throw all these bottles out - I hate clutter!

Redken Shampoos & Conditioner - Loved these. Don't know what took me so long to switch to these types of shampoos, but Redken doesn't leave any residue in my hair, doesn't dry my mane out, and smells delicious. I only need a tiny amount to wash my massive head of hair, and I can wait longer between washes with this shampoo. Already using a backup bottle.

LUSH Blousey Shampoo - Absolutely LOVED this shampoo. I didn't use it every day, but tried to use it when my hair needed a deep clean, or after using a lot of product and it clarified the heck out of my scalp. I'd repurchase but I'm not anywhere near a LUSH. Perhaps when I visit a LUSHed city?

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser - A staple in my household, and a regular on these "empties" post, this cleanser is amazing. My boyfriend uses it regularly and I tend to use it only in the mornings. It's great at cleansing your face without stripping your skin of all its moisture. This is already repurchased and currently hanging out in my shower.

Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash - I always have this body wash on hand for the simple reason that I am very prone to back acne. Using this after workouts is enough to keep it at bay so I always have one in the shower.

La Roche Posay Effaclar Oily Skin Cleanser - I can't believe I finished this massive bottle! But truthfully, this is a great cleanser. It gives a deep clean, but doesn't irritate at all. I moved on to my Avene Cleanser after using this up because I felt it was a tiny bit too drying on my skin. I actually think I prefer the Avene cleanser, but they are very similar.

Bath and Body Works Anti-Bacterial Hand Wash in Eucalyptus Mint - I buy these all the time. Just don't buy the Fig scented one ... your hands will smell like pot. Unless you like that sort of thing.

Moroccan Oil Treatment Oil - This was a mini and it took me foreeeeever to finish it. That's a good sign! I really liked this oil - it was perfect for my very thick hair. I have other products to use up at the moment, but I'll definitely repurchase this when the time is right. I wish their hair products were less expensive though because I really want to try their shampoos and styling cream!

Say Yes To Cucumbers Facial Wipes - Love these face wipes but I stopped buying them when I realized it's probably not the best thing to use when removing makeup. Wipes tend to dry out my face, and leave residue, so I generally prefer using my Bioderma and giving my face a good cleanse after. I can see myself repurchasing these again though as they are the best wipes I've found so far, and they are quite practical for traveling.

Bourgeois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation - Loved this foundation! I'd repurchase it again if I didn't have so many to use up already. It's lightweight, but has decent coverage, and it smells amazing. Go me for using a foundation up!

Caudalie Eau de Beaute - I'd repurchase this again, but geez, it uses up waaay too fast. It's such a good toner for when your face needs a refresher. I've finished this bottle months ago and writing about it makes me long for it! Argh, Caudalie, you've pulled me in again! Maybe it's only because it's ridiculously warm and a nice cooling facial mist would make me so happy right now...

MAC Moisturecover Concealer - Loved this concealer! Most people say this doesn't give enough coverage and I agree, but at the same time I actually loved that it was sheer. I tend to have a hard time working with concealers in pot form but this concealer was so easy to buff in. I'd repurchase, but I have other concealers (in pot form! ARGH) to use up. Bummer.

Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet + - This shade was simply too pale for me and while I did try to mix it up with other foundations, I just never got to use it up before it passed its time limit. Too bad, I would have liked to have tried it properly!

So this is it! Empties from the last few months! A lot of these products I actually really liked and I'm sad to see go, but I have plenty (#makeupaddictproblems) of makeup to use, which will hopefully produce another empties post!

Empties of the last few months

I got kind of bored of writing empties post every month, partly because I didn't have enough to write about or to justify a post. I thought it might be fun, however, to post what I've been using religiously over the past 3 or 4 months, and emptied through that process. I forgot to keep some products for this post such as mascaras and sampler - I just never think to keep them. 

1. Body Shop Olive Shower Gel - I actually really liked this body wash, but at the same time, I'm glad to see it go. I get bored of scents really fast, so using up a body wash completely is difficult for me! I don't think I'll repurchase this immediately, but I did like it.
2. Bioré Warming Blackhead Cleansing Scrub - I received this little guy in a Glossybox and actually quite liked it! I didn't expect to think much of it because I thought it would be too harsh. While I didn't use it every single day, it was great for a deep cleanse to my face. I don't think I'd repurchase this though since I prefer chemical exfoliants at the moment.
3. Bioderma Sensibio Cleansing Water - Ahhh, the ol' faithful. I already have another bottle of this. I pretty much use it every day to remove makeup. Don't think I'll ever switch it up!
4. Body Shop Ginger Scalp Care Clarifying shampoo - I love this shampoo! While the ginger smell is quite strong, I love that it clarifies my scalp while still being (somewhat) natural. I already purchased another. My heads feels so clean and fresh after using this. Highly recommend, especially if you use a lot of hair products.
5. MAC Brush Cleanser - Love this for spot cleaning brushes. Sometimes you just don't have time to deep clean your brushes and then wait for them to dry. I'm already using another bottle.
6. L'Occitane Hand Cream X 2 - Winter is deadly on my hands. L'Occitane hand cream has been helping moisturize my skin without leaving my hands greasy. There's nothing I hate more than leaving greasy hand marks everywhere - this hand cream sinks in immediately. Too bad the scent is too strong and I can't bring it to work.
7. L'Oreal Creme Deep Condition - It came with my hair color and seriously, I don't know why they don't make this in a regular bottle because it's awesome. I don't know why I added this one to my empties, because it's kind of lame, but it's there.
8. Bath & Body Works Sleep Vanilla Lavender Body Wash - I purchased a mini format of this body wash/bubble bath, and absolutely loved it. Once I'm done with my backlog of shower products, I'm buying this. It's such a soothing smell. I can't wait to use it again.
9. Acetone Nail Polish Remover - I use this to remove glitter nail polish, or gel polish. My friend gave me her leftover bottle because she moved away. Thanks girl, it's now all gone!
10. Caudalie Eau de Beaute - I've raved about this enough. I'm now on my third bottle. I love this stuff. I kind of hesitate at purchasing any more of it since it uses itself up so fast... but it's so good!
11. Joico K-Pak Color Therapy Shampoo - Meh, I didn't like this one. I didn't find it cleaned my hair very well and kind of left a residue. I don't think I'll be repurchasing any Joico shampoos in the future, especially since I'm so satisfied with Redken at the moment.
12. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser- Already repurchased this. The boy and I use this to wash our face in the morning. I also use it if my skin is particularity sensitive. This cleanser doesn't remove makeup at all, so you have to remove it before using this.

And there it is! Proof that I actually use up stuff!

Hope your day is going well! Project "clean-the-second-bedroom-and-make-it-into-an-office" is now officially underway for 2013. This means making it NOT a storage area! Hopefully I'll update with the finished results after we purchase a desk.

July Empties

I thought July wouldn't bring many empties but here I am! I tried to concentrate on finishing up some shower products specifically, to make more room on my shelves.

Redken Color Extend Shampoo - I love this shampoo. Too bad it's so expensive (for my cheap shampoo tastes!). I found it smelled amazing, was great at calming and clearing my scalp at the same time, and helped my red color stick around longer. No complaints about this baby except for the price which is why I think I'll wait to repurchase it.

Dove Nourishing Oil Care Conditioner - I bought this conditioner based on Vivannadoesmakeup's suggestion. Her hair seems similar to mine (AKA, very long and thick!) so I thought I'd give it a go. I actually quite liked it! It's very thick, smells great, and detangles beautifully. I didn't find it to be weighing my hair down but then again, my hair weights itself down as it is, so I'm not the best judge for this. I think I'd repurchase this again!

Nuxe Fondant Body Scrub - This is the only Nuxe product that has ever disappointed me. Don't get me wrong, it's not a horrible product, it's just not as good as other body scrubs I've tried. The scrub particles (walnut shells) are a bit too abrasive for my taste and I did not find the product moisturizing at all. It smells great though, as all Nuxe products do. I'm glad this was a sample sized product because I would've been very disappointed having bought the full size version (at $27!!). There are much better Nuxe products than this one on the market - save yer monay for those! :)

The Body Shop Coconut Body Scrub - Now body scrub, I can get behind. I've loved using this. It was moisturizing, smelled amazing and did wonders for my legs, specifically. I think of all the scrubs The Body Shop produces, this is my favorite.

Estée Lauder Day Wear BB Cream - We all know how much I love this BB Cream. I pretty much wore it every day since I purchase it in March (review here) with absolute delight. Seriously, this thing rocks. It's why it's empty and already repurchased!

So I don't have very exciting discoveries this month except maybe for the Redken shampoo. But such is the life of a blogger trying to downsize all the products she's hoarded! I'm on vacation for the week but I'll still be updating throughout the week! :)

Used up in May!

A little late but here we are! I've been really trying to finish products this past month because I'll be moving in about two weeks! I don't want to drag along bottles that are half empty to the new place so I've been concentrating my efforts on the following products. 

I'm happy to say that I loved most products I've finished!

First off, I finished my bottle of Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash. This is a go to for me as I do get a bit of body acne once in a while. This helps it stay under control. I usually use this every couple days as it doesn't smell especially good and is a bit drying. Still, I've already repurchased the grapefruit version.

The Body Shop Lychee Blossom Shower Gel has been so-so for me. I love the body wash itself, but the smell is a bit too fruity/flowery for me. It's a nice smell but I'm more into earthy, natural scents. I can't repurchase this because it has been discontinued at The Body Shop. Oh well!

I absolutely loved my Infusium 23 Color Defender Conditioner. It was amazing at detangling my hair, moisturizing it, and keeping my hair color fresh. Plus, it smells AMAZING. I seriously can't think of a better smelling conditioner - it smells fresh and lingers in the hair. Mmmm. I definitely will repurchase this conditioner in the future, but I'm currently finishing up some other bottles.

Ugh, the Avene Cold Creme Hand Cream has given me some grief. To sum up this hand cream, I think I'm just going to say simply that it sucks hard. It doesn't moisturize at all - it actually leaves my hands feeling drier than before I've applied it. Do not buy this, there are much much better hand creams out there on the market, namely, The Body Shop Almond hand cream.

I randomly picked up this EOS Vanilla Bliss Shaving Cream at Shoppers Drug Mart because it was on clearance for something like $3 and I had read about it on makeupandbeautyblog.com. I thought I'd give it a go. And guys, I am not joking, this is the best shaving cream EVER. I'm very very sensitive to shaving. Every time I shave, my skin gets very itchy and irritated. This shaving cream moisturized my legs while shaving and didn't leave mt skin irritated. I wish I could repurchase but I'm not sure my local Shoppers carries this anymore. Plus, I have a crappy shaving cream to use to up. I miss this product so much already!

Lastly, I finished my Aveda Madder Root Color Conditioner. At $18 (I think!), this isn't cheap, but for any redheads that keep losing their color, this is amazing. First off, I must say, this isn't a very good conditioner. I always use a secondary conditioner after using this to make my hair a bit softer. But the color depositing properties of this is amazing - it always leaves my hair much much redder and brighter. I love it. I wish I could find an equivalent for this on the market that is a bit cheaper but I can't seem to find anything! If I don't find anything, I will most likely repurchase this product. I think it's worth the price but I'm also open to cheaper options since this isn't particularly conditioning.

That is it! I didn't use up any makeup products sadly... but honestly, that rarely happens! Oh, the life of a beauty blogger!

Hope you all had a great weekend!