December Empties | 2017

Welcome to the last empties post of 2017! Let's see which items I used up!

Face

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (30 ml/1 fl oz) - This was the first ever product that I had tried from this brand and I do have an entire post on it that you’re welcome to check out. I preferred using this at night and it was an extra step in my skincare routine that I didn’t mind. I got many compliments on my skin and my skin looked more radiant. I am excited to try out more from this brand in the future.  

The Face Shop - Jeju Volcanic Lava Aloe Nose Strips (7 count) - I do have an entire dedicated review/comparison on this product and it is a great product however, my personal preference is the Volcanic Ash Nose Strips. These still do work well and I have nothing bad to say about them!   

Estee Lauder Take It Away LongWear Makeup Remover Towelettes (45 sheets) - I purchased this at the Estee Lauder Warehouse Sale for $12 and sadly, they are discontinued but you can get the Estee Lauder Double Wear Long-Wear Makeup Wipes which are comparable to these. They do have a scent to this as there is fragrance low on the ingredient list. The only thing I must say is that I have a habit of using my makeup wipe in the inner corners of my eye area to get some leftover product out, but when I used one of these wipes there, it burned slightly and it turned my eyes red. Avoid doing this but they are sturdy wipes that got the job done!

Caudalie Grape Water (75 ml) - This lasted me under a month and it is $14 per can on the Sephora website. My can is the limited edition packaging but it is the same product inside from what I gather. I do have a more detailed blog post on this product that you can check out, but overall, I like the product but just wish that it didn’t run out so fast! I did use it both during the day and at night.

Tatcha Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil (25 ml) - I used this as the first step when I was removing my makeup and double cleansing my face. It did a great job at breaking down the makeup and the product was gentle on my skin. I purchased this on the Sephora website and it was part of the Kyoto Cleanse Set. 

GlamGlow SuperCleanse Daily Clearing Cleanser (30 ml) - I featured this in my Disappointing Products | Volume 1 post because the pump on mine was defective. It was hard to get product out and I tried cleaning the pump several times. I like the actual product itself and it’s great for oily skin, but the pump was the main problem for me on this cleanser. I do have a comparison post between the ThirstyMud and the SuperCleanse you are welcome to check out.  

Face Masks

Innisfree It’s Real Squeeze Mask (Bamboo) - This mask was very comfortable on my face and I leave it on for 20 minutes. There was enough essence for me to put it on both my chest as well as my neck. I would repurchase this in the future and I do have a review on this mask in another blog post. 

Nature Republic Real Nature Mask Sheet Bamboo - This sheet mask was a little bit too big for my face and I had to lie down when wearing it because at the bottom, I felt it lifting up. I also left it on for 20 minutes and about 2 minutes in, I could really feel a cooling sensation on my face which was quite nice. This made my skin look more radiant and definitely added moisture back into my face that was lacking. 

Tony Moly Shea Butter Mask Sheet Moisturizing - This was a bit too wide for my face but that didn’t bother me. I found it to be rather cooling and it was saturated in the right amount of essence but it wasn’t dripping when I took it out out the packaging. I noticed that there were small pieces on the mask which I haven’t seen on any other mask. It had a nice scent to it and the main purpose of this sheet mask is to help add moisture back into the face. The mask is made by non-bleached fabrics that does contain cottonseed and it is made in Korea. I left it on for 30 minutes and I really enjoyed using it! 

Innisfree It’s Real Squeeze Mask in Shea Butter - This mask looked like it was saturated in lotion and smelled like a Shea butter cream too. I still put it on my face for 20 minutes and it claims to be very moisturizing as well as helps to deliver moisture into dry skin. Like the bamboo mask, I put the extra essence down my neck and chest. The part on my chin lifted up twice but it wasn’t a big deal to lay it flat again. The leftover essence felt heavier on my skin than usual and I patted it in then left the rest to dry. This isn’t one of my favourite masks and I wouldn’t bother to repurchase it again unless if it was the only one left in the store to buy, then I would buy it. 

Bath & Body Works

Bourbon Sea Salt Caramel Car Fragrance Refill (6 ml) - This smells incredible and is definitely one of my favourite scents from them! It smells like dessert and I loved getting into my car every single time because I caught a whiff of this delicious scent!  

Spiced Apple Bourbon Nourishing Hand Soap with Pumpkin Butter (236 ml) - This scent smelled great and it is especially nice to use in the fall. There are notes of: juicy apple, cinnamon and a touch of bourbon. The pumpkin butter definitely gave my dry hands an extra layer of much needed moisture! 

Teeth/Hair/Body

Crest 3D White Arctic Fresh Icy Cool Mint Toothpaste (135 ml) - This was a decent toothpaste that I used both morning and night. It wasn’t outstanding but it did the job and I would repurchase this again.

Selsun Blue Anti-Dandruff Shampoo with Botanicals (325 ml) - When my scalp is very dry, I use this product which helps me out in the colder months. I also let it sit in my scalp for a few minutes before I jump in the shower which is most effective. I also use it on my body because I have a skin condition that this product helps me with. I have been using it on and off for many years now. During those years, I have found it cheapest at Wal-Mart and you can purchase it at any major grocery store.

Food/Miscellaneous 

Special K Nourish Bars in Coconut Cashew & Dark Chocolate Chunks (5 chew bars) - I received one of these bars complimentary somewhere and couldn’t believe how good it was! I finally got around to ordering another flavour and these are by far some of my favourite granola bars! It is made with quinoa and there are no artificial flavours or colours. I highly recommend these and I purchased mine online at Amazon but you can find these at any major grocery store.

Equate Baby Shampoo (592 ml) - This was purchased from Walmart and it is cheaper by about $2 from the leading brand name: Johnson’s. It performs the same in my opinion and I use it to wash my makeup brushes and my beauty blenders/sponges. 

Promo/Samples - Face

Fresh Seaberry Skin Nutrition Cleansing Oil (1.5 ml) - I selected this as one of my free samples off Sephora. I had used the Fresh Seaberry Facial Oil in the past and really enjoyed using it. This smells great and did a pretty good job at removing all of my makeup. It didn’t dry out my skin and left my skin feeling soft. 

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Strobing Light Highlighter - This was another sample off the Sephora website and I have been hearing all about it for many years now as I was anxious to try it out. I put this product on top of my foundation and concealer but before my powder. I did use quite a bit of the highlighter but it gave me such a beautiful golden glow. It is not overly shimmery and it would look better on me when I do have a tan. I really liked it and it shined right through my powder which some highlighters often fail to do. I was definitely impressed!

Boscia Luminizing Black Mask (10 ml) - This is a peel-off mask and it was a sample included with one of my Sephora orders. You are supposed to leave it on for 30 minutes or until dry and make sure to apply a thick, opaque layer onto your clean face. Avoid your: lip, eye, hair and eyebrow area. This is supposed to help boost the clarity of your skin and to minimize the appearance of pores. It also helps to remove any impurities as well as any dirt to give your skin a glowing complexion. It also helps to absorb any excess oil. I have to say that this mask is very messy but it claims to be good for all skin types. I put some extra product on my neck and I do not recommend that! The skin is thinner there and it hurt to remove as well as it turned my neck red. It did make my skin soft and more radiant but it was painful to remove the mask on some areas with hair. I do not recommend this for men with facial hair and I highly recommend that you leave a thick layer of the mask on your face for more than 30 minutes. I waited 35 minutes but it wasn’t enough and I ended up washing the rest of the product off which took some time. It is a little bit on the more expensive side as 80 grams of product will run you $45 and it has decent reviews on their website. I wouldn’t purchase, recommend or use this product again because it was a hassle and hurt to remove on some areas of my face. I much prefer the Gravity Mud Mask from GLAMGLOW which is also a peel-off mask.  

Boscia Tsubaki Oil-Infused Exfoliating Powder (2 g) - I also received this as a sample with my online Sephora order and this was nice on the face. It was definitely a powder, wasn’t too messy, smelled like my Grandmother’s former garden and made my skin radiant. You want to apply it onto damp skin and create a paste using water. 

Update: This product has been discontinued.

Hair 

Tresemmé Repair & Protect Shampoo & Tresemmé Repair & Protect Conditioner (8 ml each x 3) - I received this at a trade show and this system claims to repairs 7 types of damage in 1 use. This formula contains biotin and it also helps to strengthen the hair to protect it against breakage. The duo smelled great and I really liked the shampoo. The conditioner was a bit too thick for my liking. 

Briogeo Blossom & Bloom Ginseng + Biotin Volumizing Shampoo & Conditioner (9.7 ml) -These smelled amazing in the shower, especially the conditioner! This made my hair very soft and the scent lingered every so slightly! I enjoyed using both and they are made without any: sulfates, silicones and parabens. 

Teeth

Smile Brilliant Teeth Whitening Gel - This is my last syringe and I am completely out of this product. I can say that my teeth were definitely noticeably whiter and I received many compliments on them. I am going to test out some other whitening products but I enjoyed using this one. 

Until next time,

STAY CLASSY

Berrz

FTC: This blog post is not sponsored and all opinions are my own. All prices are in CAD unless stated otherwise. Items under promo/samples were gifted to me and I did not pay for them. Some links are affiliate. 

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