Blogmas #18: December 2013 Empties
I wasn't going to do my empties quite yet because I don't think they are particularly interesting, but I'm leaving to go to my parents' place and needed to clean out my apartment. It seems silly to have a shopping bag full of trash under my desk for any longer than it has to be, so might as well get it out of the way now.
Herbal Essences Bye Bye Breakage Shampoo and Conditioner
I had picked this up at the drugstore before I left for the summer and didn’t bring it with me. I found it in the bathroom cupboard when I got back and used it up. Both of these products have a very heavy floral smell and leave quite a bit of residue in the hair. I was overall not terrible impressed. I’ve already mentioned that I’m using a new shampoo and will probably stick with that.
Repurchase? No.
Redken Diamond Oil Shampoo and Conditioner
These were inside of a Topbox that I received. The conditioner was just okay. I didn’t think it was spectacular. The shampoo was great though. It smells amazing and makes your hair shiny and sleek and feeling way more healthy and gorgeous than normal. The problem with this is it does leave a lot of buildup in the hair, enough that I would need to use a clarifying shampoo every other wash, making this unsuitable for everyday.
Repurchase? No.
Tresemme Platinum Strength Shampoo and Conditioner
I reviewed these in my last empties post, and my opinion is much unchanged. It’s pretty good. It’s not exceptional. There’s nothing about it that makes me need to run out and buy it, but I keep getting more and more of these samples in the mail, and they always find a place in my overnight bag.
Repurchase? Maybe.
John Frieda Volume Express Shampoo and Conditioner
These were just packet samples, so I only got the one wash out of them, but I wasn’t impressed. My hair already has a lot of volume (too much volume, if you ask me) so I feel like I am not the person that this is meant for. It did provide a lot of increased volume, but for me that translated to white girl fro, and that isn’t the look I’m going for.
Repurchase: No.
Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly Mousse
I have been using this since I was about 15, and I have yet to find a mousse that I prefer. I use mousse on a nearly-daily basis, so it’s good to have one that you trust, and for me, this is it. Matrix makes one that comes close, but still just isn’t the same. Every couple of months, I try out a different kind, but I always come back to Tousle Me Softly (what a terrible name).
Repurchase? Yes.
Dove Visible Care Softening Body Wash
This is pretty alright. It doesn’t have a scent, and gets you clean. I don’t know about softening. I didn’t notice a difference in my skin when I was using it, but it doesn’t make anything worse. I can take it or leave it.
Repurchase? Nah.
EOS Smooth Sphere Lip Balm in Sweet Mint
I love these little guys. I get a different flavour every time and think they are great. This one did a better job of moisturising than the strawberry one I had before, and tastes great. And it’s easy to toss in your purse.
Repurchase? Yes.
Benefit Porefessional
I talked about this when I got it in my advent calendar, and I do really like it. I like the 15-hour stick primer better, but this works well. It reduces the appearance of pores and makes your foundation stick on for hours. You also don’t need much to cover your entire face. I only used up this tiny bottle, but it felt like I had it forever.
Repurchase? Maybe.
Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser
This was just a sample, but it did entice me to buy the full size. I used this at night after I took my makeup off to give my skin a good cleanse, and it is pretty fantastic. I have gotten it straight in my eye and it doesn’t sting at all. It also gets off the very end of my eye makeup that my makeup remover missed.
Repurchase? Yes.
Revlon Lash Potion Mascara
I talked about this in this post. I was really conflicted about this because it looked really great but would not stay on. I’d get like two hours of wear out of it before it slid off and left black panda eye circles. But it looked so good for those precious minutes. One of my friends actually got me the waterproof version and it’s brilliant. All the look and none of the panda eyes. So go with that. But not this.
Repurchase? Only in waterproof.
Maybelline The Rocket Waterproof Mascara
I finally used this up. I had heard really great things about it, and it didn’t live up to my expectations. It did stay on forever and a day. You have to really work it off at the end of the day, and more than once I woke up with residue that I had missed. I didn’t much like the way it looked. It gets clumpy, but I wore it on days when I needed to have something that was going to stay on all day. I get emotional sometimes, and need a mascara that can withstand all that. This one can for sure. I’ve been exploring the other Maybelline mascaras, and I’m sure I’ll find one I like better.
Repurchase? Nope.
Clinique Different Lipstick in Think Bronze
I have had this for what feels like my entire life. This was the first high-end lipstick I ever purchased. Are you supposed to keep lipstick that long? I have no idea. It still looks nice, so that’s that. You can tell how old it is from it’s weird green package that they don’t use anymore. I love it. I’m going to get another one. It’s a great pink with gold shimmer and just looks really nice.
Repurchase? Yes.
Mario Badescu Kiwi Face Scrub
The chunks in this, which were kiwi seeds, didn’t provide enough abrasion to scrub anything.
Repurchase? No.
Mario Badescu Collagen Moisturizer
This doesn’t moisturise. That’s all I have to say. My skin feels no different once it is on, and I have really dry skin, so that’s not okay with me.
Repurchase? No.
In the advent calendar today, I got a Sunbeam Highlighter.
I don't know why I need multiple highlighters. This is one more yellow whereas High Beam is really white. I guess that this one is more subtle. I'm not 100% sure on what occasion this is more appropriate than High Beam. More research is necessary?
Have you used anything up lately?