Empties: August 2012

So, I was totally set on doing my August empties post at the end of August, but I didn't end up finding any time to do it because of my New York trip. And, of course, when I got back from New York, I was so busy posting about the trip that I sort of forgot to do my empties post... until today. Yeah, I realize September is already more than half-gone (!!!), so there will be another empties post in a couple weeks, but I didn't feel like merging the two together because I had already taken these photos (I didn't want to waste the effort, you know?). This post is, of course, dedicated to the original Beauty Reductionista, Liz. Without further ado, here is my empties tally, collected from August 1 to August 31:

• Lush Big Shampoo (325 g)
• Bath & Body Works Shower Gel — Pearberry (295 ml)
• Bath & Body Works Body Lotion — Rays of Citrus (236 ml)
• Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 — Black Tea & Blackberry (7 g)
• Philosophy Purity Made Simple Foaming 3-in-1 Cleansing Gel for Face and Eyes (225 ml)
• Lush Ocean Salt Face and Body Scrub (120 g)
• MAC Fix+ Spray (100 ml)
• MAC Lightful Softening Lotion (150 ml)
• MAC Lightful Marine Bright Formula Essence (30 ml)
• Estée Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher (50 ml)
• Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex (50 ml)
• Lancôme Artliner Precision Point Eyeliner — Noir (1.4 ml)
• MAC Haute & Naughty Too Black Lash Mascara — Black (9 g)
• MAC Eyebrows — Lingering (0.09 g)
• Bath & Body Works Anti-Bacterial Foaming Hand Soap — Summer Escape (259 ml)
• Shiseido Facial Cotton (80 g) x 2

Total: 17 products (all full size)

Bodycare/Haircare:

Lush Big Shampoo (325 g) — You can read my review of this here. Basically, I love it.

Re-purchase? Yes.

Bath & Body Works Shower Gel — Pearberry (295 ml) — I got this during the Semi-Annual Sale for $3. It was a classic Bath & Body Works scent that was discontinued and now makes a re-appearance once or twice a year, but it's still one of my favourites. As the name implies, Pearberry blends the scents of "juicy pears" and "ripe forest berries." It's definitely on the sweet side but it somehow remains fresh and non-cloying (to me, anyway). The scent is quite strong, but it doesn't linger on skin. I don't find this shower gel particularly moisturizing, but it's not drying, either. I buy Bath & Body Works' signature shower gels for the scents, not for any other reason, really.

Re-purchase? If it becomes available again, yes.

Bath & Body Works Body Lotion — Rays of Citrus (236 ml) — I got this during the Semi-Annual Sale for $3. Rays of Citrus blends the scents of lime zest, tea blossom, and fresh ginger. Fresh, summery, non-cloying. I don't think this particular formula is better than many of the other body lotions out there, but it's lightweight and non-greasy and good for warmer months when your skin needs hydration but not repairing.

Re-purchase? If it becomes available again, yes.

Skincare:

Philosophy Purity Made Simple Foaming 3-in-1 Cleansing Gel for Face and Eyes (225 ml) — I didn't really like this at first and then it grew on me, and now I love it. I hate the original version of this cleanser purely because of the consistency, but when I heard they made a foaming gel version, I was excited to try it. It still doesn't foam up as much as I want it to, but it takes off make-up like nobody's business (including all of my mascara!). This may be my new holy grail make-up removing cleanser.

Re-purchase? Yes.

Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 — Black Tea & Blackberry (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). As the name implies, this one smells like berry tea. It's not offensive, but I like the other scents more.
Re-purchase? Yes, but in a different scent.

Lush Ocean Salt Face and Body Scrub (120 g) — I liked this as a body scrub before, but I found one I like better that has a lower cost per use (Kiehl's Gently Exfoliating Body Scrub). So I bought a little tub for facial use, but holy crap, is it abrasive! I felt like my skin was raw after using it, even when I was being gentle. My skin felt smoother after, but it hurts while using it.

Re-purchase? No. 

MAC Fix+ Spray (100 ml) — A must-have in my bathroom cabinet, in my kit, and even in my purse. I use it to set make-up, to soothe irritated or itchy skin, as a toner, as a hydrating mist when my skin feels tight, to make my make-up look softer and dewier if it's too powdery... 

Re-purchase? Yes, I always have a back-up! 

MAC Lightful Softening Lotion (150 ml) — My friend gave me this because she doesn't use toner anymore and she had a new bottle of this, so it's the old Lightful formula. The purpose of the Lightful line is to brighten the skin and help fade pigmentation. This toner is meant to "condition the skin for a smoother, more radiant look and feel." I'm not sure if my face has gotten smoother or more radiant because of this toner, but it feels great on the skin — it makes it feel softer and more hydrated without leaving a film. And it smells good.  Re-purchase? Yes, I get the Marine-Bright Formula version now. 

MAC Lightful Marine-Bright Formula Essence (30 ml) — Amazing at evening out skintone. You have to use it to believe it. All the redness in my face was much less noticeable even after a week of use. MAC's Lightful line is essentially their "whitening" line, so it's meant to fade dark spots and even out skintone. I don't know if my beauty marks and freckles are any less noticeable, but it really does help with skintone.
Re-purchase? Yes. 

Estée Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher (50 ml) — I've been using this for years as my day time serum. It's a skin refiner, so it's main goal is to make skin look and feel smoother. Aside from making my pores look smaller and my skin more even, it also helps with any flakiness or roughness. Especially amazing to use before applying make-up.
Re-purchase? Yes. 

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex (50 ml) — As much skincare as I buy and use, I credit this serum as single-handedly fixing all my skin problems. I thought it was just for old people with wrinkles and dry skin (the opposite of what I have), so I was totally wary of using it... but within a week, my skin was clearer, smoother, more radiant, more hydrated. It makes pimples heal and scars fade faster. My skin's texture has never been better. Seriously a skin saver, if there ever was one.
Re-purchase? Yes!

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 $38 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.
Re-purchase? Yes.

MAC Haute & Naughty Too Black Lash Mascara (9 g) — This is the carbon black version of 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. I use the plum-lidded brush to separate and feather out my lashes, and then the sparkly purple-lidded brush for intense volume. 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. I seriously go through one tube every month.

Re-purchase? Yep, I have two back-ups.

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

Miscellaneous:

Bath & Body Works Anti-Bacterial Foaming Hand Soap — Summer Escape (259 ml) — I go through Bath & Body Works hand soaps like they're going out of style. I wash my hands like crazy because I'm a bit of a germaphobe. I buy these when they're on sale, so they're usually $3 a bottle. Summer Escape blends orange blossom, sparkling bergamot, apricot nectar, and sheer jasmine. Love, love, love this scent.

Re-purchase? If it becomes available again, yes.

Shiseido Facial Cotton (80 g) x 2 — Best cotton pads, ever. Ridiculously soft and fluff-free, and holds product better than any other cotton pad out there, so you end up needing less product. And before you think $9 is too steep for a package of cotton pads, think again. In terms of cost per pad, it's about the same as your typical drugstore brand. Also amazing to use to remove nail polish, because it holds remover like no other so it's always soaked. I managed to finish both of my packs at the same time last month (I keep one in my room to remove nail polish and one in my bathroom for facial purposes).
Re-purchase? Yes, I always have back-up packs.

Not too shabby last month. I thought I was having a slow down period, but apparently not!