Empties #2 & an i-herb coupon code
I've posted an empties before ( link ), but that was at the very beginning of the year! I don't even think I've written up a proper post since then either, so I'm so sorry. I hope you've been enjoying the posts I've been reblogging though, as I really enjoy the little tips & answered questions that others here on tumblr post.
For those who don't know, an empties post is basically where I go through my empty products & give a small review of them & say whether or not I'd repurchase that item. I'm naturally a bit nosey, so I love these kinds of posts & I hope you enjoy mine!
Anyway, I'm not sure when I started collecting my empties, but I've collected up quite a few things. Let's take a look at what I've finished up:
Look at all those empties, I must've been collecting them for a while!
First up, let's take a look at the sample sizes/minis etc. This stuff makes up the bulk of my empties. I love little samples because they're great for trying out a new product & seeing whether they suit you. I love it when brands give you great sized samples that don't just come in sachets. I think I must've used up a few sachets too, but didn't collect them because they usually get so messy I just throw them out. For the same reason, I didn't collect cloth masks.
Aveda Botanical Kinetics Purifying Gel Cleanser: This stuff was super gentle. It didn't feel at all stripping or drying & gave such a nice gentle cleanse. It foamed up nicely, made me feel clean without being harsh & smelt herbally which I quite enjoy. It is also made of natural ingredients, which is usually a plus.
Repurchase? No. For about $AU32 for 150mL, I don't think it's too expensive however, there is another cleanser later on in this post that I prefer just because it's cheaper & does about the same job.
Formula 10.0.6 Best Face Forward Foaming Cleanser: Another foaming cleanser ( the type I find works best on my oily/combo skin ). This one smelt amazing & fresh - like berries! It was great for an everyday cleanse, especially in the mornings. Because of the wide nozzle, I ended up squeezing too much product out a lot, but that could just be me & my amazing co-ordination in the mornings ( can you tell I'm not a morning person? ). Again the cleanser foamed up well, didn't feel drying on my skin, & I felt like it was an effective, simple cleanser.
Repurchase? No. It's a great affordable drugstore cleanser, & if you're looking for something that smells incredibly fruity & uplifting, this is great. However, like I've said earlier, I just prefer another cleanser which is coming up later on in this post.
Lancome Advanced Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate: I wasn't sure how to use this so I just used it as a serum. It is very watery in consistency which meant that it was super hydrating, sunk in really quickly & felt lovely on the skin afterwards. This tiny little sample lasted me just over a week with use every day & night over my entire face & neck ( sometimes mixed in with some of La Roche Posay's Effaclar Duo ). I can't say much for it since I'm still a teenager, but I really did enjoy using it & my skin has been really happily hydrated even though it usually tends to dry up in the colder months. My mum uses the full size though, & that woman knows her skincare, so I bet it's amazing with continued use!
Repurchase? No. This is not a cruelty-free brand, & I feel like I'm a little too young. However, it was super nice when I was using it & I'm sad to see this little sample go.
Lush Big Sea Salt Shampoo: Lush is so generous with their samples! This sea salt shampoo is really weird to use at first, but once you get used to it, it's amazing. I found that I really needed a lot of water to get it to lather up, but once it began to do that, it was so easy & lovely to use. There are big salt pieces in the shampoo which were kind of exfoliating on my scalp, & I strangely liked it. They rinsed out really easily though & the end result was a little more lift to the roots of my hair ( not a huge amount, but enough to make me happy with the voluminous look it gave to my hair ). It also smelt of the sea: a lovely salty, slightly citrusy, yummy, scent. I loved it, although I could imagine it being too harsh on people with dry hair.
Repurchase? Hell yes!! I love Lush products & I love the way this made my hair look & smell.
Lush Curly Wurly Coconut Shampoo: Again an amazing Lush Shampoo. It makes your hair smell of coconuts a long time after your wash & the scent is stronger in the hair than that of Big. This is completely different however. Rather than being clarifying, this is a moisturising shampoo, which means if you have naturally curly, frizzy hair, it will moisturise your hair to define the curls, hence the name. You don't have to have curly hair to use it though! The only problem I had with this is that, unlike Big, the solid pieces of this shampoo did not wash out very easily, & I had to spend ages brushing them out of my hair both in the shower & the day after.
Repurchase? No, because it was such a hassle getting the coconut bits out of my hair. However, if you have dry hair, this would be absolutely amazing! It also smells sooooo good.
Lush Catastrophe Cosmetics Mask: Whoops! Looks like I kept this empty even though I'd included it in my last empties post! I have been keeping Lush containers ( although this one doesn't really count as one ).
Mirenesse Power Lift Foam Cleanser: The packaging of this sample ( & every other Mirenesse sample ) is super lovely! It made it really easy to just dispense as much as I wanted. I only needed a tiny amount of this, & it foamed up really nicely to give a gentle cleanse. It wasn't stripping or drying either.
Repurchase: Again no. I think the cleanser coming up is going to be the only gentle foaming cleaser I repurchase for a good while.
Alpha-H Balancing Cleanser: This one is a cream cleanser, which doesn't really suit my skin type too well but I have enjoyed using it in the mornings with a muslin cloth. I'm not sure it cleansed extremely well though, which is why I limited it to morning cleanses. I used it a few times at night after using coconut oil to remove my make up, & each time when I went in with a toner on a cotton pad, it still came away with a bit of stuff ( like dirt, etc ) from my face.
Repurchase? No. As I said, it wasn't an especially effective cleanse for me.
Angels on Bare Skin Cleanser: Same with the mask!
Mirenesse Matt Liquid Silk Foundation in Bronze: I actually quite liked this foundation. I had to shake it up quite a bit to mix it though, because when I first opened it to squirt some out, it had separated. However, once mixed up & all, it was really nice on the skin. It wasn't as matte as I thought it would be. Don't get me wrong, it was matte, but in a slightly more satin way - so it wasn't matte in a good way. It was a nice colour match on my skin, & I began to use the last bits of it as a mixer with shades that were too light for me. I loved it mixed with the Bourjois Healthy Mix! It actually lasted quite well on the oilier parts of my skin as well, but I didn't really test it out in a methodical way so I'm unsure of how long it lasted exactly.
Repurchase? Perhaps sometime in the future!
Lush Love Lettuce Face Mask: Again, a leftover from my last empties!
Lush Brazened Honey Face Mask: A lovely mask from Lush. This one is exfoliating, so it made my skin tingle a little, but nothing major. For those with sensitive skin, it may cause a bit of a sting, so I suggest getting a sample if you're into exfoliating masks but have sensitive skin. It left my skin so soft & smooth & I felt so amazing after using it!
Lush Cupcake Face Mask: Can you tell I love Lush? This one was lightly exfoliating because of the small granules ( not chemically exfoliating like the Brazened Honey ), & was recommended for my oily skin type. It felt like it help calm my break outs & it reduced the oiliness of my skin for the day after each use.
Repurchase? Again, yesyesyes!
Puretopia Rinse Away Face Cleansing Gel: This is by far my favourite cleanser! It was super gentle, foamed up super well & cleansed my skin so nicely! After using a bit of makeup remover, I could count on this to remove the remains of my make up & the dirt & grime from the day, without stripping my skin or making it feel dry. I really enjoyed using this & it's also pretty affordable, at around $AU9 ( but Puretopia is quite often on 20% off sales etc at Priceline so I bought it for something like $AU7! ).
Repurchase? Yes! Out of all the foaming cleansers I've tried so far, this is the most gentle yet effective.
Smartskin Scented/Unscented Cleansing Wipes: I found the unscented wipes after using the scented ones. Both were great & removed make-up effectively. They were soft ( not as soft as Swisspers ones ), effective & quite cheap at Woolworths.
Repurchase? Already have!
Now, the last section, body & hair!
Unfortunately, this photo won't load so I'll just tell you about the products.
Milk & Co Body Scrub: This was quite a gentle body scrub that I used every few days in the shower. At first, I didn't quite like the smell but I grew to like it. It was quite herbally, a little coconutty, a little beachy... I can't describe the scent! Anyway, it was a nice scrub that I could use more frequently than the harsher ones, & I ended up quite liking it.
Repurchase? Maybe, but after I try out a few others I have stashed first!
Palmer's Cocoa Butter Body Oil: This was a thick-ish body oil which was quite strongly scented of cocoa. It makes your skin deliciously soft & smelling like chocolate, & I absolutely loved using this after a shower. It took a while to sink into the skin but left the skin so moisturised. This small bottle lasted me ages as well!
Repurchase? Yes I will, but maybe after trying a few other body oils just to compare.
Garnier Instant Detangler Nutri-Repair 3 Spray: This was a lovely, light spray. There are two parts to it - a more milky kind of substance & an oil which you shake to mix up. It smelt amazing & refreshing! It also felt super light on the hair, so it didn't weigh down my hair if I sprayed it on in the morning. I'm not sure it would be super moisturising or anything on damaged or dry hair, but it was a nice pick me up when my hair needed to look a little bit shinier & healthier.
Repurchase? Maybe, but I wouldn't rely on it to repair my hair if I were to bleach it again.
Lush Twilight Bath Bomb: Basically everything a bath bomb should be! It smelt amazing, was super relaxing, a little sparkly & beautifully purple, & left my skin feeling super soft! Lovely lovely lovely!
Repurchase? A million times, yes!
Last thing, I promise! If you'd like Real Techniques brushes or Ecotools brushes, you can get them on a site called iHerb for quite a good price! Compared to prices here in Australia, they're about half price! Here's a code for $5-$10 off your first purchase there: GRD300, or you can click here ( link ).
iHerb also stocks Hurraw! lipbalms which are super yummy smelling organic, cruelty-free lipbalms, & other awesome stuff! Check it out.
Okay so that's the last thing! This was so super long, but I hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading, & I hope you're all doing well.