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December Empties

December was a light month for empties for a couple of reasons.  First, I tried using some face wash that my Dermatologist had prescribed and it did a number on my moisture barrier. I spend about two weeks of December sticking to the very basics and so I did not make any progress on serums or actives in December.  The second reason is that I went into work less. I do my skin care routine (more or less) every day, but I don't generally wear makeup products if I am not leaving the house.

I had 3 Full sized empties, 4 sample sized empties and used 3 foil pouch products. I had one declutter/expiration.


Full Sized Products:

1. FineVine Tea Tree Body and Foot Wash
I like having a strong tea tree wash for my feet in the shower. I don't generally use this anywhere else on my body. I tend to try to use very moisturizing body washes, sometimes even body oils, and I like having stronger soap for my feet.  This soap was fine. I don't feel like it was super strongly scented which I missed. Apparently I ordered is on July 16th, so this bottle lasted about five and a half months.  I already ordered a replacement about a week ago, the Viking Revolution Tea Tree Oil wash.  This is apparently cheaper.  I have been using it for about a week now and it is fine, but the next time I am out I want to find a really strong and maybe exfoliating bar of soap to use for my feet in the shower. I am trying to get away from plastic bottles.

2. Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater
I bought this item, along with the Green Tea spray on Feb 16th 2018.  I just finished this spray last month and have almost the entire Green Tea spray left. I hate the packaging on these products and the spray is just average. I have been using it as a cooling spray, a setting spray and a moisturizing spray after washing my face, and it is just never ending.  I won't buy this again and even though I always keep a setting spray around, I bought this more as a moisture spray to use at night before actives. I am not sure that I need or want this type of product. 

3. Sunday Riley CEO Glow Vitamin C + Turmeric Face Oil
This was included in one of the subscription boxes I had. I believe it was the Allure Beauty Box which would mean that I received this in July 2019. It feels like I have had this a lot longer than that, but we can just go with it for now.  The smell of this reminds me of oil paintings and art school and I find that oddly nice, but I wouldn't use an oil during the day and I don't like using Vitamin C at night so this has always been a strange product for me that doesn't quit fit into my routine. I did go through a lot of this while my face was angry with me and it seemed fine for that, but I don't think it did anything more than a normal face oil would have.  I don't be repurchasing this, and I have a bottle of Rose Hip Seed oil from the Ordinary that I can use if I want a face oil.

Moving onto the sample sizes:

1. The Porefessional by Benefit
I am not sold on primers. I haven't found any that make any sort of noticeable difference except maybe for the blurring effect of some silicone heavy primers (think Maybelline Baby Skin). I don't feel like they make my makeup last longer. I have tried color correcting, blurring, pore filling, radiant, and more.  That probably won't stop me from getting more primers to try out, but I have a Dr. Brandt Luminizing Primer that I don't think will ever run out and an Elf Poreless Putty primer to use before I get anything else.  This was just ok.

2. A Sample of Spiked Cider Soap Fluff from Sucreabeille
This was part of one of my most shameful purchases last year. I had heard good things about this brand. They had some interesting sounding fragrences and a dupe oil for a Lush product I have always wanted in purfume form. They had a sale around Labor Day where you would get extra stuff with minimum purchase. The more you spent, the more extra stuff. I ended up spending about $160.00 at a company that I had not smelled at all.

The box came, and it was full, heavy and leaking.  One particular scent that was sent in a dropper bottle had leaked a significant amount all over the inside of the box. The scent that had leaked is one that I didn't order (It was one of the freebies) and was a heavy buttercream sweet scent.  It didn't sit well with my stomach at all. I tried to clean everything up as well as I could and tried all of the scents that were sent.  Whatever base or carrier or something didn't agree with my chemistry and out of the 15 or so that I ordered, I could only tolerate one. Because of the leakage, I couldn't even really try to sell most of the items that I got because the labels were seriously smeared.

I don't mean to talk about about Sucreabeille. They are an amazing company, the owner seems like a genuinely nice person, the things that I got smelled really great until they got on my skin and leaks happen.  The fact of the matter is, however, that the only thing I will likely end up using 100% in this order is the sample of Spiked cider soap pictured above, making that soap about $800.00 an ounce.  This is the classic example of the kind of thing I would do without budgeting.  I still have the rest of the purfumes on my desk and I get furious with myself every time I see them.

3. Oddity Perfume Sample by Rag and Bone
I used this at night before I went to bed. It was ok, but not something I would buy. I tend to avoid leather notes in fragrance. 

Foil Samples

1. Charolotte Tilbury Wonder Glow
This is an example of a decent decision that I made. I had watched a Wayne Goss video about how the Hollywood flawless filter was amazing and started a frantic search to purchase it.  I ended up getting a couple of foil samples off of Ebay and this was included with them. I didn't find this, or the Hollywood Flawless Filter to be that amazing on my skin. 

2. Playa Foil Packets of Shampoo and Conditioner
Pretty sure this came with a Sephora order. I remember nothing at all about this and I don't use this type of shampoo conditioner combo in my hair. I would not repurchase.

Declutter/Expired
1. Wet and Wild Megaslim Skinny Mascara
Hello YouTube!  Thank you yet again for getting me to purchase something I didn't even know I wanted.  To be fair, this is a very inexpensive mascara. It was sort of deceptively difficult to locate and once I did find it, the formula was very dry and it was difficult to get any product on my lashes. I didn't get any better results with this than with one of my tubing mascaras. I am guessing this was old stock?  

That about covers it!  My next post will go over what I consider a skincare or makeup staple. I am not sure if I will be writing over the weekend, but there should be a post by Monday.

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