December 2012 Empties!

I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year’s celebration! I am very full from yet another big family dinner and I feel like I’m all “celebrated out”! I sort of just want to get 2013 started and get those resolutions going! Empties seemed like an appropriate post to end the year with as I’m saying goodbye to both 2012 and product!

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1. skoah Kupkakes Body Lotion (30mL)

Smells wonderful, but a little bit too watery in consistency for my liking. Purchase? No

2. L’Occitane Bonne Mere Gentle Cream Milk (15mL)

This is a moisturizer that can be used on the hands, body and face and I loved every bit of it. The consistency was wonderful and the scent was subtle and sweet. This is suitable for sensitive skin as well. Purchase? Yes

3. Chloe Perfumed Body Lotion (30mL)

I received this in a previous Topbox and as strong as I thought the scent of this lotion was when I first smelled it, it actually grew on me the more I used it. The consistency of this lotion was on the thinner side and I feel like this is something I would only buy if I was just IN LOVE with the perfume, which I am not. Purchase?  No

4. Anderson Soap Company Oatmeal Cookie Whipped Soap (4oz)

I have purchased probably 10 of these whipped soaps over the last six years and they come in a variety of scents and all are wonderful! They are fun to use and I kind of went crazy and am still working through all of the other scents I purchased ;-) Repurchase?  Yes

5. Cake Citrus Squeeze Sinfully Smoothing Brown Sugar Body Scrub (625g)

I NEVER thought that I would be able to get through this, but because I do exfoliate almost every day, this massive tub took 2 months to finish! Like most Cake products, this smells absolutely delicious, but the crystals are quite large and coarse so I only used this body scrub on tougher areas like my legs and feet. On a occasion, I would use this on my arms, but I had to be quite gentle as this scrub can leave more sensitive skin areas quite raw! I like my body scrubs to be for all over so based on that requirement, Repurchase? No

6. L’Occitane Rose Body Milk (8mL)

Very milky, practically liquid which made things quite messy! I had a feeling this lotion would have a very strong scent and it did. My fiancé could smell it from a couple of rooms away while I was applying it! Purchase? No

7. The Body Shop Aqua Lily Body Lotion (60mL)

This was a travel size that I had purchased back in 2009 and I gradually started to hate the scent and stopped using it at the halfway point. I rediscovered this while going through my stash and was determined to use up every last drop! I was so happy when the last bit was used up! The consistency was again too watery for my liking and the scent a bit too floral for me. Repurchase? No

8. Mainely Cole’s Silky Body Butter in Coconut Lime Verbena (28g)

The scent of this was exactly how I would imagine it to be based on the name and was of fairly thick consistency. I started using this in the summer, but found it to be too thick for the heat as my skin would not absorb it at all! It was a different story this winter though and I enjoyed using it. Purchase? Yes

9. Atelier Cologne in Vanille Insensee (2mL)

I received this sample in a past Glymm bag over the summer and at the time the scent of vanilla just wasn’t quite right. This is definitely a colder weather scent and I enjoyed wearing it. Purchase? Yes

10. Happy Pumpkin Organic Skincare Pumpkin Soap Scrub (1.5oz)

I received this in my October TNBB and I loved the scent and how fine the scrubby granules were in the soap. It lathered well and I didn’t need to use an exfoliator after using this. Purchase? Yes

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11. Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco Argan Oil Sulfate Free Shampoo (250mL)

I’m so annoyed that I still have the matching conditioner left over, but I liked this shampoo and have mentioned it before in my May Luvs. It worked best for me with heat and left my hair feeling soft and silky. Repurchase? Yes

12 & 13. Redken Color Extend Shampoo and Conditioner (10mL)

These both left my hair feeling soft, but because I don’t have colour-treated hair, I probably won’t be buying the full size of these. I know these shampoos are much more moisturizing than others, but I don’t really see the need at this point. I might come back to these if I start dying my hair. Purchase? Maybe

14 & 15. Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Olive Oil Shampoo and Conditioner (9mL) 

The olive oil part of these really caught my attention! The scent of both of these were different, but still pleasant. Did they make my hair super shiny? My hair is generally always shiny, so I really can’t say for sure! This brand isn’t the cheapest so I don’t see myself picking these up anytime soon. Purchase? No

16 & 17. John Frieda Weather Works Frizz-Ease (8.3mL)

I am ashamed to admit that I have probably had these samples for around 5 years?? They still worked though and smelled great! I don’t think it really prevented any of the frizzies from coming up on my hair though. Once I was out in the rain, my hair did its thing and all the control disappeared. Purchase? No

18 & 19. Arbonne Nourishing Daily Shampoo and Conditioner (6mL)

There really wasn’t enough in these sample packets for me to have an accurate idea of whether they really worked, but both had a pleasant scent. I received these from an Arbonne representative and would not purchase the full size mainly because you can only buy them online and the shipping charges are just not worth the hassle. Purchase? No

20 & 21. NuMe Hydropunch Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner (20mL)

I received both of these in various beauty boxes and even though I enjoyed their candy scent, I didn’t find these all that hydrating…my hair felt nice in the shower, but once I blow dried it, the moisture felt practically gone. Purchase? No

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22. MaskerAide Beauty Restore Hydrating Facial Sheet Mask

These are AWESOME. Just fantastic. I bought one of each of the MaskerAide masks and I am so happy I did! I feel so much better after using one of these, both mentally and physically. This particular one was soaking in a thick white “essence” that smelled of lavender. I used this the other day after a particularly long day and just breathed in the lavender oil in this mask. I was even able to get another use out of this as there was leftover essence which I used for a second face mask! Repurchase? Hell yeah!

23 & 24. My Beauty Diary Earl Grey Tea and Macaroon Sheet Mask

These are the first sheet masks that I have used from this well-known Asian brand and they were actually quite nice! It actually smelled like Earl Grey tea! The mask also felt very plush and of high quality. The only thing that bothered me about this particular mask was that the essence made my eyes burn a bit when I first put the mask on my face. I’m not sure why. I may not get this mask again, but I will try some of their others. Repurchase? No

25. L’Occitane Immortelle Cream Mask (5mL)

This is an anti-aging face mask and was quite thick in consistency. The thickness allowed me to have probably 4 uses out of this little sample. I didn’t really notice too much of a difference in my skin after use, but that might just be due to my age. I should probably try this again in about 5 or 10 years if the product is still around! Repurchase? Maybe

26. Balea Skin Firming Peel Off Face Mask (15mL)

I could not wait for this mask to be finished and it took well over 5 uses! It is supposed to rehydrate and tighten the skin and I feel like it did none of that. The only fun part was peeling this off. Repurchase? No

27. Nesura Charcoal Nose Strip

These smell funny and didn’t even get all of my blackheads out. Purchase? No

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28. Clinique Repairwear Intensive Night Cream (15mL)

This was VERY hydrating and almost felt like a sleeping mask! The consistency was almost gel-like and was pleasant on my skin. Purchase?  For winter, yes

29. skoah Hydradew Mask (60g)

Can you believe I listed this as December Luv from 2011?! I have been using this every other night since then and I only just finished it in December 2012! It’s a gel mask that I wear every other night for a blast of moisture and a refreshing scent of honeydew, but it lasts FOREVER! A little bit of this stuff goes a long way! Repurchase? Yes

30. Lancome Cream to Oil Massage Cleanser (60mL)

This is another product that I was really trying to get through because I much prefer my Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel. This left a bit of a residue on my face and I much prefer a squeaky clean finish. I received another one of these as in a gift with purchase, so I will be making my way through another one in the near future. Repurchase? No

31. Lancome High Resolution Triple Action Renewal Anti-Wrinkle Cream (15g)

I have probably 5 of these jars because these are given away like candy in Lancome gift with purchases! This has a whipped consistency and was pleasantly surprising to use! My face was perfectly moisturized all day as well as protected from the UV rays. I almost want to wait for more GWPs instead of buying this at the full size! Purchase?  Maybe

32. L’Occitane Precious Night Cream (3mL)

I’ve finished a sample of this before and I still say that I prefer my Clarins night time moisturizer routine more and will stick with that for now. This night cream was nice, but not amazing enough to make me change my routine. Purchase? Maybe

33. Caudalie Vinexpert Anti-Aging Serum for Eyes and Lips (7mL)

The consistency was quite liquidy as a lot of serums are, but I still prefer my Clarins serum as it feels more like a cream. Other than this personal preference, I loved the fact that this was for both the eyes and lips. Purchase?  Probably not

34. Vasanti BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejeuvenator (12g)

This is a FANTASTIC face scrub! I was not expecting to like this, but my skin actually glows after I use it! It has such fine granules that you can actually use this 3-5 times a week without irritating the skin. I have to do a review on this in the new year! Purchase? Yes, I actually got it from a friend for Christmas!

35. H20 Restorative Eye Cream (4mL)

I received this in my first BB5 and is an eye cream that promises to reduce dark circles. To be honest, it didn’t really do that. I think I just need to go to bed on time! Purchase? No

36. Mario Badescu Strawberry Face Scrub (5mL)

This scrub is fun, pink and has little strawberry seeds in it that make it visually very appealing, but it really wasn’t for me. I felt like I was rubbing something oily on my face and making it dirtier…it also smelled like artificial strawberries and did not feel like it was lifting off any dead skin or impurities like other face scrubs. Purchase? No

37. Lily Tibetan Chrysanthemum Matrixyl 3000 Max Strength Age Rectify Cream (10mL)

I received this in the Shopping Channel Summer Beauty Tote and as scary as the name sounds, this is a delightful moisturizer. It was a little bit light for my skin in the winter months, but would be great in the summer. It is a purple gel and feels refreshing when used.  Purchase? Maybe

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38. Shiseido Gentle Cleansing Sheets (30 sheets)

I did not like these as I found them too thin and rough in texture. I prefer my facial wipes to have a bit more “quilting” in them and especially when removing eye makeup, I like the cloths to be extra soft. Repurchase? No

39. Make Up For Ever Sens’Eyes Waterproof Sensitive Eye Cleanser (25mL)

These worked wonderfully against waterproof mascara! And they didn’t make my eyes burn! The only thing I didn’t like was the hard plastic sample bottle as I kept trying to squeeze the product out (it was a thick cream) and eventually broke the bottle right in the middle! Purchase? Yes

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40. Out The Door Topcoat (15mL)

You all know how much I love this topcoat! I use this on ALL of my manicures and it gives my nails a fantastic shine that lasts. I have 4 bottles in my house as we speak for “the future”! Repurchase? Yes!

OMG! That is probably the most number of empties that I have had ever! Great way to end 2012! See you in 2013!

20 comments

  1. whooohoo you go jayne! i am going to do one of these empties posts this week - my first one ever!! i am really trying to go through my mountain of products :)

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    1. Oooh, I cannot wait to see it! We need to start burning through our samples!

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  2. holy moly! haha that was a whole lot of empties! What a great post for the end of 2012! :D
    I can't wait to get the resolutions going too lol
    Happy New Year, Jayne!!

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    1. Happy New Year Traci!
      I was pretty amazed at how many empties I was able to plough through! The timing was just such that they all ended up in December.

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  3. Holy carp! That's a whack of empties there. You are diligent!

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    1. LOL, I try really hard to stick to using the same things! It's just so satisfying to finish! The samples are much easier to finish than full size products though.

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  4. So many empties!! You're so good at using up product! I need to commit more lol. Ps, happy new year!!!! :)

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    1. Happy New Year to you too!
      Yes, I tried VERY hard to stick to what I had chosen/products that I've had for awhile and it's always so satisfying when they're all done!

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  5. WOW lots of empties and loads I've never tried before x

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  6. Fabulous job with the empties! I'm really trying to push to use a bunch of stuff up too.

    Happy New Year!

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  7. Wow you had lots of empties! And it looks like you used quite a bit of samples which I desperately need to do since I feel so over-whelmed with all the samples I have kicking around!

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    1. It is getting overwhelming so my goal is to get my boxes of samples down to halfway at least! Especially skin care. I have so much skin care.

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  8. #4. Anderson Soap Company Oatmeal Cookie Whipped Soap (4oz)
    I also purchase many of his Whipped soaps & just love them.

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  9. I wish I could finish as much as you did here! lol

    Happy New Year!

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    1. I think the timing was such that a lot of the products I was working on happened to be eliminated in December. I don't know if I will have those number again in awhile!

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  10. oh my goodness... so many empties this month!! you go girl! finishing a product from 2009 even though you didn't like the scent... now that's perseverance. i'm sure i have something like that kicking around.

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    1. I was determined to see it gone! I hate wasting things so unless it smells bad or makes me react, I will use it until the end!

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