October '22 Empties
Face Empties
Price: $20 for 100 cotton squares
I’ve been purchasing the Chanel Le Cotton for over a year now. Over the past several years I’ve tried different types of cotton rounds, but nothing compares to these. I love that these are larger in size and 1 is enough for my entire face. The Chanel Le Coton is also the softest cotton rounds that I have tried so far and the most durable.
They do not break apart and feel super soft on the skin! This is very much a splurge in my skincare routine. Being that 100 comes in the package, it lasts me several months at a time. The only thing that I don’t like is that these are pretty difficult to locate in stores, so I always purchase online. When purchasing online directly from Chanel the shipping is free and two free samples are included in the order.
First Aid Beauty - Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner
Price: $24 for 6oz
The FAB toner is such a favorite of mine- especially for my night and winter routines. The Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner is formulated without alcohol and incorporates nutrient rich ingredients like Colloidal Oatmeal and Honey to soothe, nourish and protect the skin. This is the type of toner I prefer to use without a cotton round. I apply a few drops to my hand and then gently press it into my skin with my fingertips. I love how hydrating this toner is without is feeling heavy or greasy on the skin. I have normal to combination oily skin and I can see this working for all skin types. This toner is well worth the price and hype!
Tatcha -The Water Cream Oil-Free Pore Minimizing Moisturizer
Price: $68 for 1.7oz
The Tatcha Water Cream may just be my favorite moisturizer of all time. I’ve done several reviews about it over the years and my thoughts about it have not changed. I honestly think this is such a great moisturizer for those that have oily skin types like myself. It’s formulated with key ingredients like Japanese Wild Rose, Japanese Leopard Lily and Tatcha's Signature Hadasei-3 to help balance the skin, reduce oil production and improve the look of pores. The Water Cream does a great job at these plus more! I love how light weight the moisturizer is- its almost has a gel like consistency. It absorbs into the skin so well and immediately after my skin looks and feels plump. If you have dry skin, this moisturizer may not be hydrating enough for you and I would recommend The Dewy Skin Cream Plumping & Hydrating Moisturizer.
Price: $14 for 1oz
The Elemis Superfood Mist is described as a 4-in-1 treatment to hydrate the skin, tone, primes and sets makeup. I kept the mist in my bathroom and I loved misting my face with it immediately after washing my face.
I have very dehydrated skin, so I like having a mist in my bathroom to provide immediate hydration before I can sit at my vanity and do my full skincare routine. The mist is formulated with antioxidant-rich coconut water, rooibos tea and kefir ferment. This mist worked so well to hydrate my skin. I really wanted to keep this for travel, but I enjoyed using it daily. Even though I only had a mini size, it lasted a few months. I’m hoping to purchase a full size of the mist in the future.
Price: $38 for 0.5oz
The GR Guava Eye Cream is formulated with a 10% Encapsulated Vitamin C Complex, Niacinamide, Peptides and Green Caffeine. This is a combination that sounds like it would depuff, brighten and smooth out any texture issues.
I don’t want to say I’m bias when it comes to eye creams, but I really don’t notice much of a difference between different eye creams. Even with that said, I still use an eye cream in both my morning and night skincare routines to moisturize the area. The GR eye cream did a great job at providing moisture and helping with depuffing, but I don’t really think it made much of a difference in terms of brightening the under eye. Darkness under the eyes is often a hard thing to reverse and it’s often caused by genetic or health reasons. I used the eye cream in both my AM and PM skincare routines over the course of a few months. I do like that it has a soft pump packaging and made dispensing it much easier. But when I got to the very end of the bottle it made it difficult to get the last remainder of product that was left in the container. For the quality and price I do think it worked out well, but overall I really didn’t notice much of an brightening effect.
Excluded from the total as this was only a sample size
Price: $19 for 20 healing dots
I received a sample pack of the Peace Out Acne Dots and I really enjoyed using them. These are hydrocolloid patches that aim to reduce and help with the healing of active breakouts. I don’t breakout often, but when I do I have problems with healing spots and they often leave behind hyperpigmentation. I usually get underneath the skin spots on my cheeks, whiteheads on my forehead and random spots on my face. These patches have been great for whiteheads and helping them heal quicker! I find that they stuck to the skin so well and stayed in place. Once applied they were very flush to the skin and wasn’t too noticeable. I’ve already repurchased these so I’m prepared for future breakouts.
Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel (sample size pictured)
Excluded from the total as this was only a sample size
Standard Size: $39.50 for 8.4oz
The Special Cleansing Gel was included in a Dermalogica gift set that I had. It’s described as a gentle foaming cleanser that helps to remove impurities to the skin while also providing moisture at the same time. The foamy texture really added to the experience of using it. I typically used this as a second step cleanser in my night routines and I found myself reaching for it daily. It did such a great job at cleansing and removing makeup. Afterwards my skin always felt hydrated and never stripped. My only con is the price with it being about $40. I find the price to be a little steep but maybe if it were on sale I would purchase it the full size.
Price: $20
The Boscia Resurfacing Lip repair is a leave on lip treatment that aims to resurface the lips by the usage of bakuchiol, a plant based retinol alternative, provide antioxidants from cherry blossom and lastly it incorporates lactic acid to plump and also smooth fine lines. I really appreciate that the lip balm is housed in a squeezable tube and that it has a silicone like lip applicator. The gloss is itself is clear and unscented. I was hoping it was going to have a sheer tint and a bit of scent, but it didn’t and I think these two would’ve been a nice addition to the experience of using the gloss. As for the functionality, I think the gloss performed like any other gloss/balm. It helped to keep my lips moisturized, but I can’t say I noticed any long term effects. I think this is nice lip balm and it’s a really nice option to use at night before bed, but I don’t think it really provided me with any noticeable changes or results.
Haircare Empties
Aquis Water Defense PreWash
Price: $29 for 12oz
The Aquis Primer Water Defense Prewash is a moisturizing treatment that is sprayed onto dry hair prior to washing it. The prewash is formulated with keratin and amino acids to help improve the texture and elasticity of the hair. I used the Aquis Prewash about once every 2-3 weeks and my hair loved it! I noticed my wash days were always better when using it. The Prewash helped my hair to tangle less during the shampooing and detangling stage. Overall it helped against frizz and really kept my hair feeling really soft. Unfortunately, the Prewash has been discontinued. I’m currently on the hunt to see if I can find it somewhere in stock.
Olaplex No. 6 Bond Smoother Reparative Styling Crème
Price: $30 for 3.3oz
The Olaplex No.6 Bond Smoother is a leave-in treatment that is formulated to help speed up the blow drying process, provide 72 hours of frizz control and in the process infuse the hair with bond building protection. It’s meant to be applied to damp hair after washing but prior to styling. I used this as a leave-in for when I would blow dry my hair straight. I can’t really say I noticed much of a difference while using it. I do think it did a pretty good job to detangle and provide some moisture to my hair. But I really wished it had the benefits of a heat protectant included. For the price and how much product that is needed for my hair, I can’t say I would repurchase this one again.
Price: $15
Scent: Eucalyptus
I’m very skeptical when it comes to natural deodorants. For the past 4 years I’ve only been using natural deodorants due to health reasons and this one from Necessaire has been so good to me. The Deodorant Gel goes on clear and is formulated with 5% AHA, Niacinamide and Chamomile Extract. This combination is said to help to combat odor, help with the look of discoloration under the arms and calm the skin. Since using it I can say that my underarms appears to be more even toned and really has helped with smelling great all day long. It even held up well during the summer months! I typically apply my deodorant in the mornings and I recently heard that it’s also a good idea to apply at night right before bed. I’ve been doing that and it has really helped with odor protection even longer!
I know $15 for a deodorant sounds pricey, but this one has lasted me 6 months with everyday usage! I love this one so much that I’ve already repurchased and I’m continuing to use it. The only thing I wish is that Necessaire would expand on the scent range. Right now the Deodorant Gel is only available in Eucalyptus and Fragrance-Free.
October Empties Total $258
The Samples sizes were not included in the overall price