March Empties | 2017

Hey everyone! Another month has passed and it's time for me to share all of my used up products for the month of March!

Face

Aloe Vera Scented Cleansing Wipes (25 count) - These do not have a brand name but I purchased 4 packs of these in different scents from Michaels. These retail for $1.50/pack and these are extremely affordable. I stocked-up when they had a sale and I managed to get all 4 packs for under $5. I use these on my face as well as for removing swatches.

Ole Henriksen African Red Tea Foaming Cleaner (45 ml) - This is great for all skin types and it is marketed as a revitalizing anti-oxidant facial cleanser. It really enjoy the scent of it and I love that it has a pump. Foaming cleansers are pretty much my favourite and I also love that you can see how much product you have left instead of guessing. This is a great face wash all around and it came in the Try Us, Love Us! On-the-Glow Essentials that I featured in my Black Friday Haul.

Estee Lauder Take It Away Makeup Remover Lotion (30 ml) - This was in the $4 bin at the Estee Lauder Warehouse Sale that I attended a few months back however, it isn't my favourite makeup remover and I would not purchase it again for a few reasons. First off, my face felt very greasy when cleansing my face and I would even do a double cleanse but, it wouldn't even break down the mascara underneath my eyes. It would just stay there and I was still removing far too much makeup with a wipe after double cleansing my face.

Estee Lauder New Dimension Sculpt + Glow Mask (15 ml/.5 oz) - This was another product that was purchased at the Estee Lauder Warehouse Sale for $4 and I found this on the counter randomly. I don’t know if someone had forgot to take it with them or if they changed their mind last minute, but that worked out well for me because I ended up purchasing the last one! This mask retails for $94 CAD for the full size which is 5 ml/.17 oz. I really do like the packaging which is a sliver top and a metallic blue container. The directions I find to be strange because it says to apply generously over your face and after 5 minutes, take a tissue to remove the excess. I never followed that because I think that it is a waste of product! I did like the scent and it isn’t overly strong. When it is on your face, you no longer smell it and my skin absorbs all of the product therefore, I don’t need to wipe away any extra product. It is a thick consistency and the product is white in colour in-case anyone is wondering. I wouldn’t purchase the full size because it is quite expensive and I much prefer the Water Sleeping Mask by LaNeige that I featured in my February Empties post!

Burt’s Bees Sunscreen with Hemp Seed Oil (85 ml/3 fl oz) - I honestly have had this product for much longer than I should and it’s actually embarrassing that I still had it tucked away in my drawer! I managed to use up about half of the tube and it wasn’t my favourite sunscreen. I wouldn’t repurchase it because if you don’t rub it in all the way, you will definitely have a white cast on your face and/or body. It only has an SPF of 15 and I definitely like to use something higher such as 50 or 60 on my face.

Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips (8 count) - I have been using these for years and you have probably seen these in many of my past Empties posts. I repurchase them all the time and I always try to have a box in my cupboard as back-up because I can’t be without them!

Boscia Pink Peppermint Blotting Linens (100 sheets & Limited Edition) - I have super oily skin in general, and need to carry blotting papers with me at all times. I really enjoyed using these and they lasted me a long time! I have two other packs of Boscia blotting papers that I have as back-ups.

Hands

Origins Hand Lotion in Spearmint & Lemon (30 ml) - This was another item that was purchased at the Estee Lauder Warehouse Sale and it came in a trio. This scent honestly reminded me of spearmint gum which overpowered the lemon scent. The consistency of this hand lotion was not thick enough for my liking and it was rather liquid-y. It didn’t do much for my hands and I would not repurchase it. 

Bath & Body Works

Bath & Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap Marshmallow Pumpkin Latte (259 ml) - This is a great Fall scent to have in the house and all of my family members loved this scent! I definitely repurchase it again next season! 

Bath & Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in Vanilla Bean Noel (259 ml - x2) - I love vanilla scents in general and this was a great one! This soap came out around the holidays hence the Winter themed label. I would definitely repurchase this in a heart beat!

Bath & Body Works Scentportable in Honolulu Sun - This is a great scent for Spring going into summer and it reminds me of the hot summer sun! I even went through the hand soap in this scent awhile back! 

Hair

Tresemme 24 Hour Body Shampoo (1.17 L) - I am honestly so relived to have finished this bottle because I really do not like this shampoo. I feel like it did absolutely nothing for my hair and it took me forever to finish this huge bottle! I have gone through another one of these in the past that I featured in my November Empties a few years ago, and I will never purchase it again nor will I ever recommend it to someone. Tresemme makes much better products other than this shampoo that you can check out in-stores.

Vitamins/Beverages

President’s Choice Chocolatey Chai Herbal Tea (20 tea bags) - This was such a great tea from the grocery store! I love chai tea in general and this did not disappoint! You can taste both the chai flavour as well as the chocolate notes and I drank this tea black!

Emergen-C Effervescent Powder in Lemon-Lime (30 packets) - This is by far my favourite flavour of Emergen-C and if you aren’t familiar with this product, it has 1,000 mg of Vitamin C in one packet. It is a great source of electrolytes and antioxidants. I take this regularly in the fall as well as the winter time and for that reason, I am convinced this is why I was able to fight off my cold!

diem B12 Methylcobalamin (1000 mcg - 100 tablets) - I honestly found these in my medicine cabinet and started taking them because I felt like my B12 intake was low. These are super easy to take as you take a single tablet once a day and you dissolve it underneath your tongue. Of course, you should always consult with a doctor if you are unsure of any medication before taking it.

Other

Johnson’s 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner (532 ml) - I bought this on sale instead of the usual baby shampoo that I buy from Johnson’s. It worked just as well but I prefer the yellow coloured formula better because that is just my personal preference. They both equally as good in my honest opinion though.

Oral B Healthy Clean Medium Toothbrush - I purchased mine from Wal-Mart and green is my favourite colour therefore I was drawn to this particular one! They did not have any soft bristle toothbrushes from Oral B and that’s why I had to purchase a medium bristle toothbrush instead. Oral B is my favourite brand when it comes to toothbrushes and this one did not disappoint!

Samples/Promo

Face

Sunday Riley Martian Mattifying Melting Water-Gel Toner (8 ml) - This was a deluxe sample from Sephora that I added to my cart in exchange for 100 of my points as it was one of their perks you could redeem points for, and I wanted to try it because of the mattifying properties that really could be beneficial for my oily skin. I also wanted to try a product from the Sunday Riley brand in general because I’ve heard nothing but good things, especially from her oils. This claims to: absorb oil, clarifies and minimizes the appearance of pores. It transforms from a cooling gel to a water toner the face which is pretty interesting. I love using my Rose Water to tone my face at night and with this toner from Sunday Riley, I felt as though I had to use more product than I normally would. I was originally applying it onto a cotton round and I felt that it was absorbing a lot of the product. I then used my fingers to apply the toner directly onto my face and I found that it was better but you have to be careful or the product will shoot across the room (as it did happen to me!) I used two pumps at night and I found that it absorbed quickly into the skin.

Also, I like that there is a green tint to the product and that it didn’t dry out my skin. It reduced the oils on my face and if you’re wondering, I used this product at night before my skincare routine. I’m not sold on purchasing the full sized version (130 ml) yet because I have another bottle of toner that I want to finish-up first. Another point I want to mention is that the second ingredient on the list is alcohol which can really dry out your skin and/or irritate it. Be cautious of that, and I have also heard of people who said the gold trim on the packaging was flaking off getting all over their face.

Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream (1 ml) - I already went through an entire deluxe sample of this that I featured in my December Empties post. I still think that it is a standard eye cream that does what it is supposed to do. It hasn’t exceeded my expectations and I’m still on the hunt for the best eye cream on the market!

Clinique Pep-Start Quick Cleansing Swipes Pop-Ups (2) - I really love the concept of these and they were be absolutely perfect to travel with! They won’t take up much room in your suitcase, you won’t have to worry about them drying out because they are individually packed and they do a decent job at removing your makeup. You basically just push up the middle part which contains the cloth and the liquid absorbs into it as you push it up. You take it out, unravel it and it is ready to use on your face. This can seem somewhat gimmicky and the price is rather steep at $13 CAD for only 9 pods which works out to about $1.44 per makeup wipe. They do remind me of cleaning cloths for your house and they aren’t thick enough if my opinion. I would not purchase them unless they reduced the price and made the cloths for heavy-duty as well as soft for using on the face.

Nuface by Carol Cole Prep-N-Glow (1 Dual-sided Cloth) - This claims to ‘cleanse + exfoliate + hydrate’ which I would agree with. It did a great job at removing my makeup and the other side is for exfoliating. It is oil-free, alcohol-free and paraben-free. This did make my face feel very clean but the only downside is the price. It is $25 CAD for 20 cloths on Sephora’s web site. I find that to be rather steep and I usually don’t pay more than $6-$8 at the most on a pack of face wipes. I would only purchase them when they are having their VIB sale because that is a lot of money to spend on something that you use only once and then throw away.

Elizabeth Arden Superstart Skin Renewal Booster (1 ml) - This claims to be an ultra-light formula and it is best to apply it before your serum/moisturizer. This is a gel-like consistency and there is a fragrance that I can’t quite pinpoint. However, I am not sold on it and I would not purchase this product in a larger size because I feel like it didn’t do anything to my skin that another moisturizer already doesn’t do.

Benefit Pore-fessional (0.15 ml) - This product was actually featured in my Project Pan Round 4 and Project Pan Round 5. I have gone through a whole tube of this and then a deluxe sample of this. It is that good and it made me realize how much that I missed using it! I will definitely purchase another tube of this once I use up my other primers. It helps minimize the appearance of your pores and it also smoothes your skin. 

Smashbox Insta-Matte Lipstick Transformer (1.5 ml) - This is a really concept and it allows you to turn your favourite cream lipstick into a matte lipstick just by applying this product onto your lips. It won’t work with glosses, lacquers or balms so keep that in mind. Instead of finding your favourite shade of lipstick in a matte finish, this product does the work for you!

Dr. Brant 3-D Lip PLUMPfix Matte Lip Perfecting Serum (0.25 g) - There are two different lip plumpers: one for the AM (plump & prime) and another one for the PM (nourish & restore.) There is definitely a slight tingling sensation for the AM side (not for the PM one though,) and you want to let the product completely absorb into your lips. It absorbs rather quickly and the AM side had a rosy pink tint to the product that isn’t very noticeable. I wouldn’t purchase this product because I feel that it is gimmicky and it doesn’t do much for my lips in-general. It doesn’t plump them enough to my liking.

Lancome Dual Finish Multi-Tasking Powder & Foundation In One All Day Wear in #555 Suede (40 mg) - This is available in 25 different shades and it claims to work with all skin tones. You can use it as a powder or a foundation. You can build-up the coverage to your liking to make it full coverage or you can sheer it out. This can be applied either wet or dry. This was a nicely packaged sample as it came with a makeup sponge to apply the product and you can write the name of your shade on the packaging along with the store as well as the name of your Beauty Advisor (if applicable.)

Hair

Nubi Hair Boosting Hair Serum - This was given to me at a show and it smells great. It contains marula oil and it does not leave the hair greasy. However, it isn’t my favourite hair oil to use and I will be sticking to the one that I am currently using.

Teeth

Smile Brilliant Teeth Whitening Gel (1) & Desensitizing Gel (1) - I have really been enjoying using this system to whiten my teeth and I can tell a difference! I have an entire blog post dedicated to Smile Brilliant that you can check out!

Fragrance

Chloe Eau De Parfum - This scent is described as ‘a sublime powdery rose, feminine, natural, sexy & chic.’ The notes include: peony, rose, honey and cedar wood. My friend actually tried out the sample and liked it so much that she bought the larger sized bottle. This scent works better on her body chemistry that it does on mine. It smells matronly on me and be advised that a little bit of this fragrance does go a long way as it is on the heavy side. It takes a while for the scent to die down and not be nearly as strong as when you first applied it. 

Supplements/Vitamins & Miscellaneous

Platinum Naturals Extra Gentle Easy Iron Minerals (3 pack - 2 capsules in each) - These were sent out to me in exchange for my review and to be honest, I have had a difficult time taking iron pills in the past because they have been hard on my stomach. These were gentle on my stomach, they did not constipate me and were easy to swallow. I usually took these when I would eat my lunch and you take one capsule daily. These have many great ingredients and they are vegetarian. I would definitely consider purchasing these in the future!

Until next time,

STAY CLASSY

Berrz

FTC: This blog post is not sponsored and all opinions are my own. Anything that falls under the samples/promo category were not purchased by myself and/or was a sample. Some links are affiliate. 

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July Empties | 2016

Hey everyone! I feel like I wrote my June Empties blog post just the other day and now it's time for another round of empties! As always, you can see which products I have finished and my honest review on each one.

Face

M. Asam VinoLift Lipo Pearls Cleansing Cream (200 ml) - This is a German brand that I found through watching The Shopping Channel. My mom enjoys using this brand and I loved how effortless this removed my makeup at night! The only minor complaint I found was that when I took this into the shower with me, the next time I would use this product, water would accumulate in the cap and spill everywhere making it messy when I would open it up to use again especially if it was over the sink.

Olay Total Effects 7 in One Anti-Aging Eye Treatment - This was a decent product and I purchased it on sale. It is light weight and I used it every single night before I went to bed. I am in my 20’s and do not really have any major skin concerns right now therefore I did not see any drastic differences after using this eye treatment. 

Nice’n Clean All Purpose Wipes - These wipes are AMAZING! I loved them for multiple reasons: they are extremely cost effective, they are multi-purpose, they are a decent size, they do not rip when you use them, they did not dry out, they lasted me quite awhile because there are 80 unscented wipes and the packaging is such a nice shade of blue! Once I use up all of my other wipes, I am going straight back to Wal-Mart and purchasing another pack!

Teeth - DenTek Triple Clean Floss Picks (90 Count)

These were great to use and they claim to be made with ‘extra strong floss.’ They did not rip or break when I was using them and keep in mind that I have a wire at the back of my back teeth as well as my behind my front teeth because I used to have braces. 

Colgate Total Whitening Gel Toothpaste - This is a very basic toothpaste as it does the bare minimum for my teeth. I have more back-ups of these and you will see this product a few more times in the upcoming months.

Hair

Selsun Blue Anti-Dandruff Shampoo - Deep Cleansing Micro-Bead Scrub - You already know that I have a scalp that is hard to manage: it is oily in general, and then the humid weather dries it out and leaves my scalp dry. This product used to work for me years ago but I think that my scalp got used to it and it is no longer effective. I also wanted to point out that they have non-plastic micro beads in their formula.

Hands

Bath & Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in Boardwalk Vanilla Cone (x2) - You have seen this before and it is a staple in my household. My dad and brother even enjoy this scent!

Body

The Body Shop Body Butter in Smoky Poppy - This was a free perk I received with my purchase a few months ago and I really enjoyed the scent! It is musky and more of a warm scent! It is perfect for fall and winter! I would get this scent again in a heartbeat!

Johnson’s Baby Wash with Shea Cocoa Butter - This is the one with the yellow formula and it is one of my favourites! I have been using this for quite some time now and it makes my skin very smooth.

Vitamins & Other

Nature’s Bounty Hair, Skin & Nails Gummies with Biotin (80 Gummies) - This is something that I take on the daily and have been doing so for many months now. It has really strengthened my nails and made my hair stronger as well as thicker.

Cotton 100% Pure Cotton - Cotton Rounds (100 Count) - These are the ones from Wal-Mart and I absolutely love them! They are sturdy, get the job done and are very affordable.

David’s Tea Peanut Butter Cup - This was a tea bag given to me by my friend and I loved this flavour! It was sweet enough for me to drink black and because of that, I did not have to add any sweetener or honey! 

Samples

Crest Pro-Health Jr. Fluoride Anticavity Toothpaste  - I received this as a sample and let’s just talk about the obvious for a minute: the packaging. I absolutely love the packaging! If I had known that this toothpaste was Frozen themed, I would have stocked up! The formula of this product was great too as it was a blue paste called ‘Rockin’ Mint.’

The Face Shop Mango Seed Silk Moisturizing Facial Butter (4 Samples) - I absolutely love this product! It claims that it is gives ‘intense moisture’ to the face which I would have to agree with. I received these samples with my purchase and I am so glad that she gave me this product to try-out because I would have never thought to try it on my own! It smells great, it absorbs into the skin quickly enough that I can follow-up with my makeup right after, and the formula luxurious! After I am out of my other moisturizers, I will definitely consider buying this in the full-sized version!

The Body Shop Drops of Youth - Youth Concentrate (x3) - I received these samples in-store and after being able to try this product out for a while, I feel like it absorbed quickly into my skin, the formula was not sticky and it made my skin softer overall. What I noticed is that the dropper wasn’t ideal for this product and often times I would take product on the exterior of the dropper instead of squeezing it to apply it onto my face. I also noticed that I was breaking out less on my face when using this product. It retails for $40 CAD for 30 ml which is on the more expensive side but The Body Shop always has sales and promotions going on that you can take advantage of!

Biore Baking Soda Pore Cleanser - I loved using this product! I couldn’t get enough of the smell, it took off my makeup effortlessly and I really felt like it was giving my pores a good cleaning! My skin was soft and smooth after use! I used it both in the morning as well as at night and I felt that it was perfect for my combination skin! I am certain that males can use this product too because the scent is fresh smelling and not girly.

Fresh Soy Conditioning Eye Makeup Remover with Soothing Mallow Extract - This wasn’t my favourite eye makeup remover and it did burn when it got into my eyes. The formula is white and not too thick. I wouldn’t purchase this on my own.

The Estee Edit Dissolve The Drama 2-in-1 Makeup Remover + Cleanser - I just used this to clean-up under the eye area and it wasn’t anything special. The formula is clear and I feel like I have to try it again to have a real opinion of it because I didn’t try it as a facial cleanser.

L’Oreal Paris Advanced Haircare Extraordinary Oil Transforming Oil-in-Cream - I really enjoyed this product! I would apply it to my hair after I came out of the shower. A little bit goes a long way as it states that you only need a dime sized amount. I would agree that it was very nourishing, ultra lightweight and it left my hair very soft!

L’Oreal Paris Advanced Haircare Extraordinary Oil Nourishing Shampoo & Conditioner - This was a great duo to use in the shower! It is a very lightweight formula and it is non-greasy. I did find my hair to feel silky smooth after one use.

Tresemme Expert Selection Step 1 - Pre-Wash Conditioner & Step 2 - Shampoo - I used Step 1 the night before and applied it evenly into my hair. I slept, woke-up and then washed my hair with the shampoo. I did like the reverse treatment and found that it was effective. It also smelled great in the shower!

OGX Bamboo Fiber-Full Shampoo & Conditioner - There are bamboo fibers and soy proteins in both the formulas. It had a nice smell to it but it didn’t WOW me. I would only purchase both the shampoo and conditioner if it was on sale or on promotion.

Pantene Pro-V Daily Moisture Renewal with Moisture-Silk Complex Shampoo & Conditioner (x2) - It claims to help ‘lock in hydration from root to tip.’ I would agree with that and I must say that I certainly loved using both the shampoo and the conditioner! It smelled amazing in the shower and left my hair feeling silky smooth! I would consider buying this dynamic duo!

Until next time,

STAY CLASSY.

Berrz <3

FTC: Not sponsored. Some links are affiliate. 

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Hautelook - A flash sale web site where I get most of my footwear and accessories from!