January 2018 Empties!

I had a lot of empties this month alone, partially aided by a declutter of my collection. However,

the only “decluttered” things that I included in this post are some mascaras, as they had gone

off and that’s when I consider a mascara to be “empty”.

Keep reading to see what I thought of each product, and if I would consider repurchasing or

already have!

Sephora Collection Pomegranate Cleansing Wipes: I also emptied a pack of the Sephora

Collection Rose Cleansing Wipes but I forgot to keep the packaging! I really like these wipes

and have already repurchased them in the Yuzu and Coconut scents. These are good ‘standard’

face wipes with a variety of scents to choose from- my favourite so far have been the Rose.

They take makeup off fairly well, but I do sometimes find myself needing to go in with a single

cotton round and micellar water to get some of the remnants of my brows, mascara, and

liquid lipstick. My favourite way to use these is to work a cleansing balm like Farmacy Green

Clean or the Boscia Charcoal Makeup Melter into my skin with my fingers, and wipe the

messiness of oil and makeup off my face with one of these wipes.

Sephora Collection Sleeping Mask in Avocado: I adore these sleeping masks from Sephora

Collection, and I think I may have found a new favourite in Avocado! It’s less slippery-feeling

than the other sleeping masks that I’ve tried from Sephora Collection- it feels like a creamy gel,

if that makes any sense at all. I got about five uses out of this pod and I feel that it really did

make a difference in my skin! It was very hydrating, smoothing and nourishing. I will definitely

pick another one of these up once I get through a bit of my current mask backlog.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Cream: This was a mini size but it still did take me a long time

to get through. This is the third repurchase of this product that I’ve made, and I probably will go

back to it once I’m finished with other moisturizers because my skin looks great when I use this

consistently. It has a light baby powder scent, and while it can feel a bit heavy in the summer, it’s

a perfect night moisturizer in the wintertime. I’m really feeling the pull to go back to my Body

Shop skincare routine, because my skin just hasn’t been the same since I started introducing

products from other brands.

Boscia Sake Treatment Water: This was just okay, it worked like any other toner and I really didn’t

see any effect on my skin. I wouldn’t purchase it again. This was one of my project pan items

though, so I’m glad I used the last dregs of it all up!

Now for the makeup!

L’Oreal Brow Stylist Plumper in Med/Dark Brown: This product served me well over the time

I used it- the writing is all rubbed off the tube! There’s still some product in there, but I can’t

remember when I bought this and it started smelling a little off last time I opened it so it’s time for

it to go. It’s a tinted brow gel with some fibers in it and a tiny spoolie, but for me, I found it wasn’t

enough to create a put-together brow on its own. It was, however, very effective when used to

set my brow pencil or pomade. Alas, I won’t be repurchasing, but only because I’ve

found something that I enjoy more for a cheaper price!

NARS Audacious Mascara in Black Moon: No. Just no. I kept this in my work locker at the

retirement home for when I didn’t have time to put on makeup at 6 in the morning before my

shift, and that was the only reason I used it. The wand on this mascara is so insanely spikey and

the bristles are so far apart that it actually makes this mascara painful to use. On top of that, it

basically does nothing for your lashes except for group them into weird, distinct groups. Like

it separates them halfway and coats them with a half-hearted black liquid. No.

MAKE UP FOR EVER Excessive Lash Mascara: Is this a joke? I got a MUFE 500 pt perk mainly

because this mascara was in it- it’s one of my favourite mascaras ever. But this tube was the size

of my pinky finger, there was maybe 2 uses’ worth of product in that tube, and instead of the

normal wand that the Excessive Lash mascara has, there was a weird, round, eyebrow-spoolie-ish

thing in its place. Disappointment.

Essence THE FALSE LASHES Dramatic Volume Unlimited Mascara: I can’t remember how I felt

about this mascara other than that it definitely didn’t wow me. I don’t think I necessarily gave it a fair

shot, but I lost my tube of my favourite essence mascara and grabbed this one because my fave

was out of stock. I think I used it a few times and it either smudged or flaked on me, I can’t

remember which.

Givenchy Phenomen’eyes Mascara: This was an old favourite of mine, so I jumped at the chance

to pick up a deluxe sized sample. Unfortunately, whenever I used this tube, it made me look like I

had three jacked eyelashes. Not cute, wouldn’t repurchase or seek out another sample of this.

First Aid Beauty Hello FAB Coconut Skin Smoothie Priming Moisturizer: I picked this up as

an 100 point perk and I really loved it! I grabbed another perk of it before it went out of stock and

I’m currently working through that tube. Out of the hydrating primers I have, this is one of my

favourites because of the way it sinks into the skin instead of just drying down on top of it. I

don’t find it makes my makeup last longer but it definitely makes fuller-coverage foundations go

on smoother. It also looks great with no foundation at all, or under powder, to add a subtle glow

and healthy look to the skin.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow in Medium Brown: I loved the crap out of this, so much that

I revived it several times with maracuja oil until it finally bit the dust after two years of

near-everyday use. It was getting so clumpy and smelled like play-doh, so I knew I had to chuck it.

I’ve already bought a new one. Seriously, if you’re willing to tackle the learning curve that comes

with a very pigmented brow pomade, I cannot recommend this enough. It’s the most cost-effective

brow product on the market. I got two years of solid use out of this, so think 12 dollars a year as

opposed to replacing a brow pencil every 3-4 months. You can’t beat it!

Wet N Wild Coverall Cream Foundation in 815 Fair: I think this is the fourth tube I’ve gone

through. This used to be my HG foundation, and while I still love it, I’ve moved to other foundations

lately. Still, this is my go-to for mixing with other products, such as luminous primers or sunscreen or

moisturizer. Nothing will ever beat it for that. I guess it still remains my failsafe foundation in that I

know all its tips and tricks, and it’ll never take me by surprise in anything it does. Plus the squeezy

tube packaging is unbeatable for travel. I currently have another tube open of this foundation, plus

one last backup in my drawer.

Sorry for the word-heavy post, but thank you for reading! Have you tried any of these products,

or been through any tough-to-pan products lately? Let me know in the comments below!