Empties: February 2012

It's the last day of February (Happy Leap Day!), which means it's Empties Time! This post is, of course, dedicated to the original Beauty Reductionista, Liz. Without further ado, here is my empties tally, collected from January 31 to today:

• Bliss Spa Lemon + Sage Soapy Suds Body Wash + Bubbling Bath (473.2 ml)
• Principessa Beauty Dolce Dreams Whipped Body Lotion (355 ml)
• Fresh Seaberry Restorative Body Cream (240 ml)
• Lush The Jilted Elf Shower Jelly (100 g)
• L'Occitane en Provence Shea Butter Hand Cream (150 ml)
• Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 — Lemon & Chamomile (7 g)
• Lancôme Crème Radiance Clarifying Cream-To-Foam Cleanser (125 ml)
• Lancôme Pure Focus Matifying Moisturizing Lotion Oil-Free (50 ml)
• Lancôme Bienfait Aqua Vital Continuous Infusing Moisturizer Lotion (50 ml)
• MAC Cremewash (100 ml)
• Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser (150 ml)
• Kiehl's Yerba Maté Tea Toner (250 ml)
• Estée Lauder Perfectly Clear Fresh Balancing Lotion (400 ml)
• Lancôme Artliner Precision Point Eyeliner — Noir (1.4 ml)
• MAC Eyebrows — Lingering (0.09 g)
• MAC Prep + Prime Vibrancy Eye Primer (15 ml)
• MAC Prep + Prime Face Protect SPF 50 (30 ml)
• MAC Haute & Naughty Lash Mascara — Black (9 g)

Total: 18 products (15 full-size, 3 jumbo-sized)

Body Care/Haircare/Miscellaneous:

Bliss Spa Lemon + Sage Soapy Suds Body Wash + Bubbling Bath (473.2 ml) — Nice scent, foams up nicely, doesn't irritate, and doesn't leave skin feeling stripped, but is not worth $20.

Repurchase? Not on its own. Maybe in a value set with the Body Butter.

Principessa Beauty Dolce Dreams Whipped Body Lotion (355 ml) — Smells good, hydrates well, and doesn't leave skin feeling greasy. But I hate the pump bottle, which gives out half-assed squirts.

Repurchase? Yes, but in the squeeze tube.

Fresh Seaberry Restorative Body Cream (240 ml) — Truly amazing body cream for those who have extremely dry, sensitive, eczema-prone skin. Has a nice cooling effect for itchy skin, as well. But the smell was absolutely awful. It reminds me of sour haw flakes.

Repurchase? No, the smell is not worth it for me.

Lush The Jilted Elf Shower Jelly (100 g) — Smells lovely (like ginger ale and cinnamon), great for travel, doesn't leave skin feeling dry, and is super-fun to use. (You can read my review here.)

Repurchase? Yes! But it's only available during Christmas.

L'Occitane en Provence Shea Butter Hand Cream (150 ml) — I didn't realize how amazingly reparative this hand cream was until I stopped using it. It's very rich and kind of greasy, so I only use it at home and before bed, but it really helps repair super-dry, chapped, on-the-brink-of-bleeding hands. I am indifferent to the scent, which is a clean, baby powder fragrance. This is a must-have for me in the winter.

Repurchase? Yes!

Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 — Lemon & Chamomile (7 g) — Best emollient lip balm I have ever used. It really hydrates lips and repairs cracked, chapped, generally dry lips, instead of just protecting them (like Vaseline).

Repurchase? Yes, I always have back-ups, and I keep them everywhere.

Skincare:

Lancôme Crème Radiance Clarifying Cream-To-Foam Cleanser (125 ml) — This is my "holy grail" cleanser. I've been using it since it came out a few years ago, and even after trying all sorts of different cleansers, this is the one I always go back to. It takes off all of my make-up (including eye make-up and mascara) and also cleans my skin effectively without leaving it feeling dry. It foams up, but it's also creamy, which I love in my cleansers (as opposed to gels or foams or milks). It is pricey, especially now that I don't get a discount, but it is worth the money for me.

Repurchase? Always.

Lancôme Pure Focus Matifying Moisturizing Lotion Oil-Free (50 ml) — Smells good, and hydrates while keeping skin matte. My go-to day moisturizer. This is especially fantastic for me in warmer months, though I do pair this with a hydrating serum in the winter.

Repurchase? It has been discontinued (!!!). Will need to find a good replacement.

Lancôme Bienfait Aqua Vital Continuous Infusing Moisturizer Lotion (50 ml) — It has a subtle clean scent, and hydrates extremely well. I've actually been using this for years (this was previously called Aqua Fusion). It doesn't keep my face matte, so I use this as my day moisturizer in the winter, and my night moisturizer in the summer. This is oil-free and doesn't break me out at all. I have been trying different day moisturizers recently, and they have not performed as well as this so far.

Repurchase? Yes!

MAC Cremewash (100 ml) — My back-up make-up removing cleanser when I'm out of my Lancôme Crème Radiance. It actually does just as well as the Lancôme in taking off make-up, but this one isn't opthamologist-tested, so I have to use an eye make-up remover prior. This is actually the sole reason I like the Lancôme better (though this is $10 cheaper!).

Repurchase? Yes.

Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser (150 ml) — Amazing deep cleanser. I like this more so in the summer when my face is greasier and sweaty, but this is actually really gentle, especially for one that is also supposed to be exfoliating. It's definitely mild enough to be using in the winter. I don't love the clay smell of this product, but it's not so strong that I can't stand it. It keeps my skin clear and blemish-free, and my skin feels super-clean afterwards without feeling stripped.

Repurchase? Yes!

Kiehl's Yerba Maté Tea Toner (250 ml) — Nothing special, whatsoever. And it smells like herbal tea. I might as well have been rubbing tea on my face, which would've had the same effect and be way cheaper than $32.

Repurchase? No.

Estée Lauder Perfectly Clear Fresh Balancing Lotion (400 ml) — I've been using this on and off for years. I actually really like this toner, and it always becomes my back-up when I'm trying other toners. It leaves my skin feeling fresh and clean, but comfortable and smooth, and it smells really nice.

Repurchase? Yep, I always get the double-sized bottle.

Make-up:

Lancôme Artliner Precision Point Eyeliner — Noir (1.4 ml) — I do classic, winged, liquid eyeliner every day, and this is by far the best I have ever used. It has been my go-to for the last six years. It is ridiculously expensive for what it is, at $37 a pop, but one will last me about four or five months. It's not the most black eyeliner out there (I actually use MAC's Boot Black on top of this to make it carbon black), but it has the best pointed felt-tip applicator that is not too hard or too flexible, and it gives me the best precision of any liquid eyeliner I have ever used.

Repurchase? Yep, I always have a back-up.

MAC Eyebrows — Lingering (0.09 g) — I have been using this eyebrow pencil for years. I love that it's self-sharpening and that it has the finest point I have ever seen on an eyebrow pencil. I have thin, patchy, asymmetrical eyebrows, and this really helps fill them and shape them with precision. And Lingering, a soft taupe brown, is the perfect shade for me.

Repurchase? Yep, I go through one in about two months, so I always have two back-ups.

MAC Prep + Prime Vibrancy Eye Primer (15 ml) — I've actually never tried Urban Decay's Primer Potion or Too Faced's Shadow Insurance or any other accoladed eye primer, but this one does the job of keeping my eyeshadow fresh and non-creasing, and it doesn't feel heavy or add colour. I do notice that my eyeshadow will start creasing after about ten hours of wear, but I rarely need to wear eyeshadow for longer than that, anyway. I love that this is also a skincare product, 'cause I use it under my eyes as an eye cream in the day as well, and I do find it keeps my eye area hydrated.

Repurchase? Yep, I always have a back-up.

MAC Prep + Prime Face Protect SPF 50 (30 ml) — My go-to face primer. It keeps my face looking completely smooth and matte and perfect throughout the entire day. It doesn't leave a film on my face (e.g. Smashbox), and it has SPF 50!

Repurchase? Yep, I go through one in about two months, so I always have a back-up.

MAC Haute & Naughty Lash Mascara — Black (9 g) — This is now my go-to mascara. I have really long, but really thin and straight lashes, and this amps up the volume like no other. And it doesn't smudge, even though it's not waterproof. The formula is really wet, though, so it can be prone to clumping and it can get a little messy around the tube opening... but the effect is totally worth it, 'cause I love huge, dramatic lashes.

Repurchase? Yep, I go through one in about two months, so I always have a back-up.

I think I'm getting pretty good at this empties business, guys.