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I don’t know why, but I didn’t follow with posting my regular empties posts, even though I’ve been diligently drafting them throughout the year. As I’m resuming the Empties series, here are some of the finished beauty products that I’ve finished back in April 2019. Since I’m posting them a year later, I’ve updated some of the old comments to make sure that everything you read it up-to-date.
As always, I’m going to go through every product mentioned here and share my experience with it, and what is more, let you know if any of the formulas is worth repurchasing or trying.
Biossance Squalane + Probiotic Gel Moisturizer (sample) – a very lightweight gel moisturizer with a “Clean at Sephora” seal. This one didn’t irritate my sensitive skin, but I find it too lightweight for my skin type as it sinks under my skin in seconds. I think it works best with oily to combination skin types. Repurchase? No.
L’occitaine Hand Cream – one of the best hand creams on the market. I’ve been using these hand creams for years, and so far cannot find an alternative to it. Even though the formula is not fully “clean”, it keeps my hands in perfect condition in the winter and summer. The one that you see on the picture has a festive packaging, but the content matches the original one with 20% Shea butter content. Repurchase? Yes.
Caudalie Vinosoruce S.O.S Thirst Quenching Serum (sample) – This is the best hydrating serum out there. After finishing the sample, I’ve been repurchasing this product several times. To my surprise, it is better than my favorite Chanel Hydra Beauty Micro-Serum. The best part: the serum is lightweight, super-hydrating, non-sticky, works perfectly under makeup, has clean ingredients, can be used during the pregnancy and much more affordable than the one from Chanel. Repurchase? YES.
Drybar Triple Sec 3-in-1 Finishing Spray (sample): this is a three-in-one product that texturizes, amplifies, and refreshes hair. Honestly, I find the scent of it very strong and I’m not a big fan of texturizing sprays. I can’t say it gives me a lot of volumes or can replace a regular dry shampoo. Repurchase? No.
Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk – A dry shampoo I used to love a lot before, but unfortunately, I can’t say the same this time. While the product is much cleaner than most of its alternatives, I find it volumizing enough for my bad hair day. Repurchase? No.
L’occitaine Shea Butter Extra Gentle Soap – this soap is another amazing product from L’occitaine that I’ve been using for years, and now my whole family is using it too. My husband uses it as a body soap, while I use mine as hand soap and this is the only cleansing product that keeps my hands moisturized. If I get a dry skin during the cold winter, this is the only thing along with the L’occitaine hand creams that helps me restore cracked skin on my hands. Even though the formula is not completely clean (even though it’s almost clean), I cannot find alternatives to this soap. Repurchase? Yes.
Origins High Potency Night-A-Minis Mineral-Enriched Renewal Cream (sample) – this is a very gentle night cream. I loved its clean formula, delicate citrusy fragrance and the gentle glow on my face after using it. Unfortunately, the old formula has been discontinued and the replacement has AHAs in it now. I might try the new formula someday, but I don’t think I would buy the full-size product right away, as I don’t know how those new resurfacing ingredients will work with my sensitive skin. Repurchase? No
Bareminerals Pure Transformation Night Treatment – this overnight powder was a discovery for me. The overnight treatment reminds me of bareMinerals cult-favorite Original Foundation loose face powder with a sifter, but this one also has a built-in brush. I purchased it few years ago before moving to the US. At that time, I had an oily/combination skin with enlarged clogged pores on my cheeks around my nose, and this tinted powder works wonders overnight. Upon waking up, my pores were smaller and the redness was calmed down. Unfortunately, it is discontinued and my skin type has changed after I moved to the US, otherwise, I would consider repurchasing this product. Repurchase? No.
Kat Von D Tattoo Eyeliner (sample) – I tried and reviewed this product before, and this is one of my favorite gel eyeliners. You can read more about it in the linked review. Repurchase? Yes.
MARC JACOBS BEAUTY Highliner Gel Eye Crayon Eyeliner in Blacquer is one of my favorite gel pencils. I use it to tighten my lash line for a more dense lashes effect, as I showed in this video. I reviewed a similar gel pencil in a different shade earlier, so you might be interested in the review as well. Keep in mind, that the formula is not fully clean but it Repurchase? Yes.
KIEHL’S SINCE 1851 Calendula & Aloe Soothing Hydration Mask – I really enjoyed using this calming face mask from Kiehl’s, which I have reviewed earlier (read here). Since I’m concerned a little about the ingredients, I would probably opt for a cleaner alternative. Repurchase? No.
ESTÉE LAUDER Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II – This recovery serum has amazing reviews all over the web. Nevertheless, I can’t say I noticed any dramatic effect after using it, but to be honest, I wasn’t using it consistently enough. While there are a lot of people who swear by this serum, I prefer the foil sheet mask from the same collection, so I’m skipping on repurchasing this serum. Repurchase? No.
BRIOGEO Farewell Frizz™ Blow Dry Perfection Heat Protectant Crème – I’m a big fan of Briogeo, a clean haircare brand, however, this heat protectant cream was a miss for my hair, and all of a sudden, I was getting more split ends than ever before. Once I switched the protectant cream, my split-end situation got much better. Repurchase? No.
La Mer The Eye Concentrate (sample) – I’ve been using this product for years, and it has been the best eye cream for dark circles so far that also erases small line and hydrates the delicate skin. It is a high-end product and the price is hard to swallow, but it is so worth it. I only wish it could have a cleaner formula so that I could use it during pregnancy. By the way, La Mer has updated the formula, and the results are expected in the first 21 days. Repurchase? Yes.
OPI Original Nail Envy Nail Strengthener – if you need to repair your nails fast, this would be the best nail treatment for you. It works as a clear nail polish that you need to reapply every other day for 7 days. I’ve been using it for years and I keep repurchasing it over and over again. The only drawback – it contains formaldehyde, so this is something to consider if you try to follow clean beauty routine. While I’m not going to use it during pregnancy or breastfeeding, I’m definitely keeping one for the time when I can use it to get my nails in shape. Repurchase? Yes.
KIEHL’S SINCE 1851 Ultra Facial Cream – This is a very nice moisturizer that I have been repurchasing several times before I started to dive deeper into ingredients in my routine. While there is a new updated version of this cream, it is still not as clean as I wish it was, and while it worked for my skin without irritations, I’m interested in trying cleaner alternatives for now. Repurchase? No.
Biossance – Squalaine+Antioxidant Cleansing Oil – If you want to make sure you take all the makeup and grime from your skin, you might want to opt for double cleansing with oily cleanser as the first step in your routine. This is a “Clean at Sephora” oil cleanser that cleanses without stripping the moisture or irritating the skin. However, after trying balm cleansers, in particular, Farmacy Beauty Green Clean that I’ve recently reviewed, I prefer cleansing balms more. However, if you are more into cleansing oils, you might be interested in trying this one. Repurchase? No.
What to do with Empties?
Recycle! I have a separate dedicated post about how to get the most (and be rewarded!) by recycling your used beauty pans and bottles, so make sure to check it as well.
Do you see any of your favorites on the list? Let me know in the comments down below!
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