Nov & Dec '24 Empties
I’ve bid farewell to a variety of beauty products during the past two months – some of them I’ll genuinely be sad to see go, while others... not so much. It’s always a mixed bag of emotions when clearing out items that have been part of my routine. Let’s take a deeper dive into my November and December empties and explore what made the cut and what just didn’t quite work for me.
Skincare Empties
Esfolio Gold Snail Hydrogel Eye Patches
Price: Usually $16.00 for 60 patches (30 pairs) (linked here – for $7.19)
I found the Esfolio Eye Patches again at Marshall’s. Being that I really enjoyed using them daily and was able to get them discounted, I had to repurchase it. The eye patches worked well to hydrate my under eyes along with decreasing puffiness that I tend to experience in the mornings. Previously Reviewed: September& October ’24 Empties
Peach & Lily Glass Skin Veil Mist
Price: $16 value for the travel size of 1.35oz
The Glass Skin Veil Mist was ranked as of my favorite products in my 2022 Top Products list, and I still stand by it! I ‘ve gone through a few bottles of the full size and I loved having this mini size for travel. This mini size helped me get through so many trips this year! I still think this Glass Skin Viel Mist is one of the best and most hydrating mists that I’ve tried! Top Products of 2022 List
Peter Thomas Roth Goodbye Acne Max Complexion Correction Pads
Price: $48 for 60 pads
The PTR Goodbye Acne Pads are medicated double sided pads that are formulated with 2% salicylic acid and 10% glycolic acid that aims to clear up acne along with the look of pores and texture. It’s recommended to use it 1-2x daily. I know these are marketed to be used on the face, but I personally found them too strong to use on my face much less to use them daily. Being that I found the pads to strong to use on my face, I instead used it on my body. For the most part I tried to use the pads and focus them on the area of my body that I have KP (keratosis pilaris) present – like the back of my arms. Using the pads in this manner gave me great results!
Even with the impressive results that I had with using these pads on my body, this is not a product I would repurchase in the future. I think $48 is too steep of a price for body care product that would only last me 30 days or so.
Cocokind Chlorophyll Discoloration Serum
Price: $21.99 for 1oz
The Chlorophyll Discoloration Serum is formulated with 1% alpha arbutin that combines chlorophyll, licorice root, and panthenol to reduce the look of discoloration, post-blemish marks, and signs of UV damage. This is one of my favorite serums and I love how affordable it is. I like how hydrating the serum is and how well it works with other products in my routine. Being that this serum is suitable for sensitive skin. I was able to use this serum for both my morning and evening routines- especially the routines that incorporated Tretinoin. I used the serum for spot treating, and I think it did a pretty good job at slowly helping to fade dark marks. Being that the serum is on the gentle side, it’s not one that will deliver results right away, but with consistent usage the results will come.
Paula’s Choice C15 Super Booster
Price: $55 for 1oz
I recently reviewed this, and my detailed review can be found in my on-going blogpost of all the Vitamin C serums that I’ve tried over the past years HERE. The C15 Super Booster is a reformulated version of the C15 serum. I tried that serum several years ago and I liked it, but it wasn’t in love with it. I found some issues with the serum, but Paula’s Choice was able to address these issues and improve the serum with this new reformulation. To summarize it, I really love this vitamin c.
If you’re interested in in seeing a detailed review and how the reformulation varies from the previous version, check out my Vitamin C Serum post.
Paula’s Choice Youth-Extending Daily Fluid SPF 50
Price: $39 for 2oz
At this point I’ve lost count of how many bottles of the Youth Extend Sunscreen that I’ve gone through over the years. I have normal to oily combination skin that leans more on the oily side. During the summer months when my skin is on the oilier side it’s often hard to find a sunscreen that doesn’t make my skin look and feel overly shiny. I’m happy to say that this Paula’s Choice sunscreen works great for my skin all year round. It’s also one of the reasons I’ll keep coming back to this sunscreen.
Previously Reviewed: Sunscreens for Combo Skin
Supergoop Triple Prep Weightless Multitasking Moisturizer SPF 40 Face Sunscreen
Price: $48 for 1.7 oz
The Triple Prep sunscreen is hybrid formula that moisturizes, provides barrier support, and of course sunscreen protection. The sunscreen has more of whipped texture that feels a lot lighter than other sunscreens that I have tried in the past. The sunscreen indeed felt lighter on the skin, but at the same time I found it to be very moisturizing for my normal to combo skin. Even with the sunscreen being on the lighter side, it often felt a little heavy on my skin. This is one of the reasons why I preferred to use this sunscreen during the cooler months and for days that I was just staying at home.
Previously Reviewed: Try-on and Demo
Paula’s Choice RESIST Barrier Repair Advanced Moisturizer with Ceramides
Price: $39 for 1.7oz
The Barrier Repair Moisturizer is formulated with ceramides, tripeptide-5, and watermelon seed oil. This combination of products helps to replenish the moisture in the skin, protect the barrier of the skin, and provides collagen support. Being that the cream is formulated with ceramides and skin replenishing ingredients, I preferred to use the cream in my tretinoin routines.
The cream itself has a medium weight level of consistency. It didn’t feel extremely heavy on the skin but helped to moisturize my skin deeply. Being that the cream didn’t feel very heavy on my skin, it was perfect to use during the summer and fall months for me. I think the cream performed well to keep myself moisturized and provided good barrier support.
The cream is housed in an airless pump packaging bottle. I really don’t like how badly the lettering on the packaging peeled off. I thought it was just a one of issues until I saw other people’s bottles online and noticed that their bottles looked as bad as mine. Tretinoin 4 year check-in and Routine -
By Terry Hyaluronic Global Face Cream
Price: $88 for 1.69oz
The ByTerry Hyaluronic Global Face is one that really took me by surprise in the best way possible. Prior to trying this face cream I’ve only tried out a ByTerry makeup item, which was a setting powder. The Hyaluronic Global Face Cream is fragrance free and formulated with plant-based squalane. The cream combines 8 different hyaluronic acids of 3 different molecular weights that helps to hydrate and plump the skin.
I think the cream feels like a heavier water cream texture and consistency wise. I typically reached for this cream during my evening skincare routines. I think it did a great job at moisturizing my skin. I feel like my skin looked and felt hydrated in the mornings, when I used this at night. Being that this is more of the luxury side of skincare, I would likely not repurchase it due to the high price tag, but I really did enjoy using it while I had it!
Beekman 1802 Goat Milk Facial Cleansing Wipes
Price: $12 for 30 wipes
The Beekman 1802 Facial Cleansing Wipes is said to deeply cleanse the skin, which helps to aid with removing makeup and dirt along with gently exfoliating the skin. The Glacial Mint & Eucalyptus scent gives a spa-like aroma to the wipes. The wipes are also available in an unscented version along with several other scented options.
I know people are over the thought of using makeup wipes for various reasons, but they still have a place in my skincare routine. Most people generally use makeup wipes for cleansing their skin instead of washing their face, but I tend to use them differently. I typically used the wipes as a quick refresh for my skin during morning routines and to remove face masks. The wipes are a nice size and durable in quality. I really enjoyed using them and really liked how my skin felt after using it, which was refreshed, clean, and moisturized.
Price: $20 for 3 bottles of 2.02 fl.oz
The Son & Park Beauty Water is one of my favorite micellar waters! It’s also been in and out of my routine for the past 6 years. It would’ve been more constant but being that this is a K-beauty product it can often be hard to locate it in-store here in NYC. The Beauty Water is described as a multi taking toner, but I more so used it so as a micellar water. I think the beauty water did a great job of giving my skin a light cleanse during my morning routines and when traveling.
Previous Review: Top 10 Beauty Products of 2018
La Roche Posay Eau Micellar Water Ultra
Price: $19.99 for 13.52oz
The LRP Micellar Water is a one-step no rise cleansing water that helps to remove makeup and excess sebum from the skin. This gentle no rise formula of the micellar water can be used on the face, eyes, and lids. The Micellar water is formulated with molecules called micelles that trap dirt, oil, makeup, and pollution so impurities can easily be wiped away.
I use micellar water more in my morning routines when I want to refresh my skin without doing a full-on soap and water cleansing routine. I love that the LRP formula did an excellent job of cleansing my skin and left it feeling hydrated and clean. I reach for micellar water also during my winter morning skincare routines as my skin is more on the drier side. Using micellar water helps to cleanse my skin without over stripping it. I also like to have micellar water on hand when traveling and cannot easily get to a rest room to wash my face. I know many people like to use micellar water to remove stubborn makeup and mid-day after a workout. For a drug store formula, it’s very comparable to luxe brands that I’ve tried. This is a product I would repurchase in the future!
Elf Cosmetics Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm
Price: $11 for 2oz
The Elf Cosmetics cleansing balm is a solid balm form melts into a luxurious oil and turns into a nourishing milk texture that rinses off clean. The balm felt comparable to higher prices cleansing balms that I’ve tried in the past. I love how well the cleansing balm performed to remove sunscreen and makeup without stripping my skin. After emulsifying and washing away the cleansing balm my skin was left feeling hydrated and clean. For the price point and performance, I can’t recommend this enough!
Double Cleansing Routine and demo of the Elf Cleansing Balm
Tatcha The Clarifying Clay Mask
Price: $70 for 1.7oz
The Tatcha Clay mask is formulated with formulated with clay, konjac, and volcanic ash to open the pores, absorb excess oil, and gently exfoliate the skin. I feel like a good clay mask is a must for my routine, even though it’s not a product I use daily. I feel like a lot of the clay masks that I’ve tried over the years can be overly drying, which strips the skin and can often be very hard to remove. Thankfully the Tatcha clay mask is nothing like this.
The mask starts off as a slightly textured greenish color mask then transforms into pink shade that lightly warms up when rubbed into the skin. The mask only needs to be left on the skin for 3-5 minutes. I really liked the warm feeling of the mask and found the mask quite easy to remove as it doesn’t harden on the face. Upon removing the mask, my face always felt toned, somewhat hydrated and very smooth to the touch. My only con about this is price tag.
Makeup Empties
Lune +Aster PrepStar Lash Primer
Price: $22
The Lune + Aster PrepStar Lash Primer helps to prime, enhance and condition lashes to intensify the effects of your mascara. The primer itself has a white base with a soft silicone teeth brush applicator. I think the lash primer did a pretty good job of prepping my lashes. I did find the wand to be more on the flimsy side, which made the applicator process a little tricky. Overall, I thought the primer was okay and I would unlikely repurchase it as I have a few other lash primers that perform better that are also less expensive.
Loreal Telescopic Lift Washable Mascara
Price: $14.99
The Loreal Telescopic Mascara aims to instantly lift, volumize, and length the lashes. It’s even said to provide as much as +5MM of a visible length. I really loved this mascara so much! As someone who has lashes that I would categorize as having a decent length to start with, the Telescopic Lift mascara helped my lashes to appear longer and thicker. The applicator of the mascara has a plastic/silicone wand, which some of my favorite. I feel like applicators like this do a great job to evenly distribute products throughout my lashes and help with lifting my natural lashes. The actual formula of the mascara removes easily with my facial cleansing balm and cleansers. I really don’t have any cons of this mascara except that I wished it was available in a brown shade.
Charlotte Tilbury Contour Wand in Medium-Deep
Price: $42
The Charlotte Tilbury Wands are some of my favorite beauty items in my collection. The Hollywood contour wand is a semi-matte wand with a cushion sponge applicator. The contour wand aims to contour the face by creating shadows and defining features of the face. I had shade Medium/Dark and wasn’t sure what to expect with it. Even though the product is advertised as a contour product, I used it as a bronzer. This medium- deep shade pulled very warm on me, which I really loved. I found myself constantly reaching for this wand. I love how well it blended out and the natural bronzy look it gave my skin. The contour wand was a must in my travel makeup for the past year. It’s so hard for me to finish makeup products, so if I do finish something there’s a good chance that I really love the product!
Biossance Squalane + Rose Vegan Lip Balm
Price: $16
The Biossance Squalane Rose Lip Balm is an unscented clear lip balm that’s formulated with rose wax, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and sugarcane derived from squalane. The lip balm has somewhat of thicker consistency that felt like lip mask on the lips. Besides being housed in this cute tube pink packaging, this lip balm did a great job to keep my lips looking and feeling moisturized. I’m unable to find it in stock anywhere, which leads me to think that it may be discontinued at this time. A replacement for this one is likely the Pro-Peptide™ Hydrating Lip Perfector Balm with Hyaluronic Acid.
Body Care Empties
Butta Drop Whipped Oil Hydrating Body Cream Mini
Price: $24 for 2.5oz
The Fenty Skin Butta Drop body cream is formulated with 7 different types of oils to help nourish the skin along with shea butter and glycerin. The cream has a thick whipped texture that provides a long-lasting moisture to the skin. The cream has a fresh scent with a slightly fruity undertone to it. For a mini size, I found this size to be pretty substantial. I was able to bring the cream with me on several vacation trips throughout the year.
Saltair Serum Deodorant in Golden Hour
Price: $12 for 1.7oz
At this point I’ve gone through quite a few bottles of the Saltair serum deodorant. I actually ranked it as one of my favorite products of 2024. If you’re interested in seeing a detailed review of it, check out my Top 10 Products of 2024 post. I’ve already opened up another bottle because I really enjoy the formula of this one!
The Feelist Necessity Everyday Body Cream 250mg CBD
Price: $48 for2.5oz
The Necessity Everyday Body Cream is said to be a moisturizing cream infused with 250mg of Broad-Spectrum CBD. Bergamot, Vetiver and Citrus oils. I really liked the scent, but not sure if I reaped any of the benefits of the CBD included. I found the cream to be moderately moisturizing, which I’m not surprised at since the cream was more on the thinner side. I used the cream as a hand cream for when I was at home. Using the cream in this manner worked well. Lastly, I’m not a big fan of creams that are housed in this type of metal tube packaging. I feel like they often leak, and it is difficult to get the last bits of the cream out.
Price: $22 for 8oz
The Cocokind Retinol Body Cream is a lightweight body moisturizer that is formulated with 0.05% retinol to help firm the skin along with improving the tone and uneven skin. The cream is fragrance free and is said to be fine for sensitive skin types. The cream is very fluid/running. Being that I have several areas of KP on my body I was interested to see if the cream and the incorporation of retinol would help to combat the KP.
The cream moisturized my skin nicely without it feeling heavy or sticky on my skin. But I think that’s about it. I really didn’t see a change with my KP, but I can say my skin felt softer and moisturized when I used it. The packaging made it easy to dispense the product and I feel like I was able to get every bit of the cream out when it came to an end.
Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter - Vanilla Vibez
Price: $36 for 6oz in the reusable jar
The Josie Maran body butter is a favorite of mine and I’ve gone through numerous jars over the years. Recently they’ve changed the packaging. The jars are now made with 20% recycled glass. The refills are sold in BPA-free package and hold enough product that can refill the jar 2.25x times. The Vanilla Vibez scent is a new addition to the JM line up and it smells like vanilla ice cream. I really enjoyed the scent and of course how well it moisturized my skin. Being that the jar is recyclable and refillable, I will be reusing my jar to refill with my Josie Maran refills.
Previous Review: April’22 Empties
Bath and Body Works Shower Gel in Pink Chiffon
Price: $13.50 for 10oz
Fragrance notes: sparkling red pear, jasmine petals, tiare flower, vanilla orchid and chiffon musk.
I really don’t think there’s been a Bath and Body Works scent that I haven’t enjoyed! The Pink Chiffon scent is a sweet floral scent that gives spring/summer vibes. There’s something about the scent that really embodies the color pink. I really enjoyed the body wash and the scent and would likely repurchase it in the future.
Korres Pure Greek Olive Shower Gel
Price: $19 for 8.45oz
The Pure Greek Olive Shower Gel is described as a luxurious foaming olive oil shower gel that locks in lasting hydration. The shower gel has a light green coloring like olive oil and is on the thicker side. It’s basically like bathing in olive oil, but in the best way possible. It’s hard to describe the scent, but I can confirm that it smelled really nice. The shower gel had a really nice level of foam to it, and it was super moisturizing. This surprised me in the best way possible. I would highly recommend giving this a try if you’re able to.
Luesta Beauty Rose Oil Body Wash
Price: $14.00 for 16.9oz
The Rose Oil Body Wash was an instant love for me when I first tried it back in 2020. Since then, I’ve influenced one of my sisters to try it and she now loves it too. The rose oil is a moisturizing body wash that has a beautiful rose scent, which initially caught my attention. It’s said to calm breakouts, restore the skin, and moisturize dehydrated skin. I really love that body wash has a pump applicator as it makes it easier to dispense. The body wash is formulated with rose oil, and it can really be felt with each application. The body wash has a beautiful foamy texture when emulsified with water. I love how well the body wash cleansed my skin and how soft and moisturized my skin felt after using it. I tend to see Luseta products being sold at Marshall’s/TjMaxx and now I’m currently on the hunt to repurchase this one!
Price: $28 for 8.45oz
The Kopari KP Body Bumps Be Gone is formulated with 10% AHA of chemical exfoliant to help combat Keratosis Pilaris. The 10% AHA is broken down into Glycolic Acid (5.5 %) and Lactic Acid (4.5%). Over the years I’ve tried many scrubs and treatments, and I’ve always compared everything to the First Aid Beauty KP Eraser Scrub, and I haven’t found any that compared until I’ve tried this Kopari scrub. The KP Body Bumps Be Gone has a grayish volcanic look to it. It has a nice level of grit and distributes very nicely over the body. I was happy to see that a little product went a long way. Based on the level grit and how my skin looked and felt after using it, I would definitely recommend and repurchase this. If you’ve tried the FAB KP Eraser scrub and you feel like it may be abrasive, give this one a try.
Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Body Scrub
Price: $6.99
The Pumpkin body cream from Trader Joe’s has been around for some time, but I believe this body scrub launched in the fall’24. I really love the level of grit that the TJ’s body scrubs provide, and this pumpkin one was no different. The granules of this scrub were somewhat on the medium side, which helps it to be not too abrasive, but also not too soft at the same time. This scrub did such a great job at physically exfoliating my skin. After each use my skin always felt super soft and smooth! As for the scent, this one smells like a Thanksgiving dessert in the best way possible! I will definitely repurchase this during the fall months!
Haircare Empties
K18 Leave-in Molecular Repair Hair Mask
Price: $29 for 0.5oz x2 = $58
Over the past several months I’ve gone through quite a few bottles of the K18 Leave-in and I really can’t say I’ve noticed a big enough difference to continue to purchase. The K18 leave-In is said to reverse the damage from color, chemical services and heat styling. It’s supposed to strength the hair along with providing softness and smoothness to the hair. With each bottle I was only able to get around 3, maybe 4 applications of it. After each application my hair did feel soft, but any softer in comparison to other treatments that I’ve tried in the past. I’m currently growing color out of out of my hair and I haven’t seen a significant difference with it restoring the strength of my hair and this is why I don’t think I’ll be repurchasing this anytime soon. For the time being I’m going to focus on the hair treatments that I already have in my stash.
Previously Reviewed – May’24 Empties
Price: $8.00 for 4oz
The Curls Control Paste has been a long-time favorite of mine. I consider it more of a pomade gel that is great slicking the hair down and taming frizz. Unlike other products that I’ve tried that fall into this category, this one has a light hold, provides a great level of shine to the hair, and leaves my hair feeling somewhat moisturized. Being that I love this product so much, I’ve already repurchased another jar. I’ve tried so many hair products, but nothing that I’ve tried comes remotely even close to this one!
Previously Reviewed – March & April ’24 Empties
Gummy Professional Ultra Hold Styling Wax
Price: $8.99
If you’re looking for a styling wax/gel that will give you the sleekest hold, this is the product to try! I’ve been repurchasing Gummy Professional hair wax for over a year now. I really love this to slick down baby hair and to get really sleek buns. The styling wax gives my hair a nice level of shine, doesn’t flake, and doesn’t give my hair a hard feeling. One thing to mention is once you put this in your hair, your hair will be stuck in almost a sold hold cast that will not move- meaning there’s no brushing through this. If you want to remove this shampooing is a must! Even with that said, I feel like I’ve really figured out how to use this for my hair and I’ve already repurchased a new jar!
Previously Reviewed: January’24 Empties
Act+ Acre 3% Stem Cell Peptide Scalp Serum
Price: $120 for 3oz
This may very well be the most expensive hair product that I’ve ever tried! Thankfully this was gifted to me! The Stem Cell Peptide Serum is a daily scalp treatment that helps support advanced stages of hair loss to help promote thicker hair. The first thing that initially surprised me by the product was the package. Unlike most hair serums having a droplet to dispense product, this one has a spray nozzle that easily applies to the scalp. The serum has a light consistency and made my hair feel hydrated and soft. While using the serum I noticed less shedding, but I didn’t see much improvement in terms of hair growth. Due to the fact that I didn’t experience a big difference, I wouldn’t repurchase this serum. I do wonder if this product needs to be used for a certain amount of time to notice a difference. Most hair products and supplements that I’ve tried usually have a range that consists of several months of usage before results can be seen.
Fable & Mane SahaScalp Amla Soothing Serum
Price: $36 for 1.8oz
The Amla Soothing serum is formulated with amla, which is known for being rich in vitamin C. Amla is an ancient Indian super berry that’s being used in this formula to help balance the health of the scalp. The serum had a very watery consistency that easily applied to my scalp. I didn’t find the texture to feel overly greasy either. I pretty much used the serum a couple of times a week and really helped to alleviate the itchy feeling my scalp would sometimes get. Other than it helping with an itchy scalp, I didn’t notice any other beneficial haircare features.
Candles & Etc.
Sephora Collection Cotton Squares
Price: $4.50 for 50 pads
One of my favorite Sephora Collection products that I’ve tried. I really loved the size of the pads along with the durability. I’ve been slowing stocking up on them each time Sephora has a sale on the Sephora collection products. I highly recommend picking them up if you’re interested in trying them out.
Previously Reviewed: July ’24 Empties -
Target Threshold Cookie Exchange Candle
Price: $12 for 19oz
I picked up on the Cookie Exchange candle on a whim. When I initially burned it, I picked up on the notes of brown butter and caramel. For a 3-wick candle, the candle burned well and the scent project was pretty good. I did enjoy burning the candle, but at a certain point the scent become a little overwhelming. I think it was ultimately just a little too sweet for my liking. I believe this 19oz size candle is now of stock being that this is a seasonal scent, but if you feel like the scent may be something that you would like, there’s still candle wax melts available in this scent.
Target Almond Croissant Candle
Price: $10 for 15.oz
This Almond Croissant candle has notes of powdered sugar and vanilla. Based on the notes you would think the candle would be super sweet, but this one really nice! The scent starts off very mild. I feel like I didn’t get a good feel of the scent until the second time I burned it. I really loved burned this candle during mornings hours or during the day when I just wanted a nice lingering scent in the air. Being that I really enjoyed the scent, I ended purchasing a back-up, which I’m happy I did as this is another seasonal candle
November & Dec Empties Total: $1071.14
I have to say I’m in shock over the total value of products from these past 2 months!!