Thursday, November 12, 2015

Empties #5 (decluttering edition!)

Well, technically not empties. You know how sometimes your closet gets so full of old clothes you don't wear anymore that there's no room in there for the clothes you actually wear? My makeup stash is like that. Lots of super old stuff tucked away neatly in drawers while products I'm actually using were scattered everywhere on my dresser. I went through my stash earlier this year (you can see the beginnings of it in Empties #4) and tried to be a little more ruthless/a little less sentimental in an effort to make some room.

Tackling my bathroom:

Daiso Nose Pack - a charcoal-based mask you apply all over your nose and peel off to remove blackheads. This is one of those things that are simultaneously fun and gross to do with friends and family to compare your results, but I quickly forgot about it. The contents of the tube have become super super thick, rendering it unusable.

Nivea Eye Make-Up Remover - it had more of a lotiony texture so I thought it would be hydrating for my eye area. It burned. Stopped using it immediately but stubbornly (hoardingly?) didn't throw it out for some reason. I don't think they make this one anymore.

Actual empties:

Marcelle Ultra Gentle Cleansing Gel (press sample) - I really like this one. It's called a gel but it's more of a lotion or lightweight cream that doesn't leave my skin feeling too tight. It's the one I use on no-makeup days or as a follow-up to a cleansing oil. This one was a press sample but I've since purchased another one during a sale.

Marcelle Essentials Soothing Cleansing Water - I liked this one so much that I literally called my review of it a "love letter". It's since been repackaged as Marcelle 3-in-1 Micellar Solution, which I've also repurchased. Amazing for sweeping all over the face to catch any leftover makeup, or removing non-waterproof eye makeup and lipstick.


Maybelline Mega Plush Volum'express Mascara - it was okay, I guess? /shrug

Kibio Pure Radiance Mask - a nice SA at Shoppers threw in this sample with my purchase. I had it laying around on my desk for a while, then decided to look at the ingredients and noped out upon seeing alcohol and black pepper oil. I've since relaxed my position a bit on denatured alcohol in beauty products but I still feel wary of using black pepper oil on my face.

Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm - super old, time to chuck. A lip balm in a tin has to be really good for me to deal with the inconvenience/mess, and this was just okay. (For an example of a tinned balm I love, see L'Occitane Ultra Soft Balm.)

Carmex Lip Balm - also meh. I started shying away from lip balms with that minty feeling when my eczema started; the minty-ness tended to irritate rather than soothe.

Kiehl's Super Fluid UV Defense - expired, and it's best to not ignore expiry dates where sun protection is concerned. The runny, liquidy texture takes some getting used to, but it's great if you hate the heavy feeling of conventional sunscreens.

Peacekeepers Superfruit Balm - bought on a whim probably from London Drugs. It's been a while and it smells a little off now. I regret not giving this one more use because the ingredients list shows a lot of great emollients.

Yes To Carrots C Me Blush Lip Tint in Coral Sunshine - shimmery bits in this lip tint/balm weren't very forgiving on my lips, which were chronically dry at the time.

Jo Malone White Jasmine & Mint - a legit empty. I love the fresh green floral of this one. Still waffling on buying a full size bottle.

e.l.f. 6-pan eyeshadow palette - I think this was some kind of winter/holiday palette. It had more shimmer than any colour or pigment. It also kicked up a lot of e/s dust so it was SPARKLY EVERYWHERE, in a messy-not-fun way.

Red Earth 3-pan eyeshadow palette - oof, I think I'm really dating myself with this one. I think I bought this in my teens and had been holding on to it for sentimental reasons. Blue was teenage me's favourite colour and I seem to have bought a lot of blue eyeshadow, shoes, clothes, etc at this time.

Wet'n'Wild 6-pan Lust eyeshadow palette - I also went through a purples phase post-high school. I don't remember this being a bad palette, I just think I've accumulated better plums and purples now.

Giovanni baked eyeshadow - the bronze shade in this one is really pretty and I'm sure I gave this eyeshadow trio a lot of use in the past. I haven't used it in several years, so it was time to let go.

Bombay Brow Bar lip gloss (press sample) - nothing against the performance of the product itself, but this Barbie-pink just wasn't a colour I would wear on my lips in a million years--especially since they're discoloured blue/purple.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream - denatured alcohol is super high in the ingredients list for this moisturizer. I can understand the usefulness of alcohol in lower concentrations in some products, but third on the ingredients list seemed a bit much.


That's it for now! What have you emptied recently?

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