Hey guys! It’s been a hot minute since I’ve done a product empties blog post! I’ve been doing them more often on my Youtube channel but thought it was time to do one here. My product empties posts are a great time for me to give an in-depth review on a product since I’ve finished it! I’ll let you know if I like the product and whether I would consider repurchasing the product. If you ever want to go through my past empties posts, you can click the “EMPTIES” category at the top of the post. Let’s get into it!
If you’ve followed me for a while then you’ll know I’ve been on the hunt for a good hair mask. My friend recommended the Amika Soulfood Nourishing Hair Mask. Even though it’s not silicone-free I decided to give it a shot and I was pretty underwhelmed. Even though it was hydrated and my hair felt soft after, it was curls were always weighted down after I used this mask. I think if you have straight or thicker hair you might like this mask, but it’s not for me so I won’t be repurchasing it.
The next product is a deluxe sample of the Necessaire The Body Lotion. I love testing out body lotions and heard great things about this one. It has a nice consistency and it absorbs quickly into the skin, leaving my skin feeling soft and smooth. I like that it comes in a squeezy tube so it’s easy to get out all the product. I prefer scented lotion but if you’re looking for an unscented lotion then you’ll love this. I won’t be repurchasing but I would still recommend the product.
I finished two different deodorants. And if you’re looking for natural deodorant I’m not the person to ask. The first one is the Mitchum Women Advanced Control Antiperspirant & Deodorant. This one was good but it did smell a little baby-powdery for my taste. It’s good for everyday wear but isn’t the strongest for heavy workouts or hot, humid summer days. The other I finished is my go-to, the Old Spice Deodorant in Fiji. I’ve been wearing Old Spice Fiji on and off since I was a teenager and I always go back. I’m not sure why but I find that the formulation is stronger and just helps me not smell. The Fiji scent is pretty well-known among my friends as being the best scent for women as it doesn’t have any strong musky undertones but just smells tropical. I have repurchased the Old Spice Deodorant!
The next product was a sample of the Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Extra Strength Daily Peel Pads. These pads are a strong chemical exfoliant to help with fine lines, skin tone and texture. I’m not sure how people could use this daily because I found it to be strong. My skin felt so soft and smooth after using it. I don’t think I could purchase a full pack at $124 but I could see myself maybe getting the mini-pack and using it before an event to help clear up my skin.
One product I didn’t enjoy was the TRESemme Ultra Define Hair Gel. I’ve been having trouble finding my favourite hair gel so I decided to try this one out. It’s way too thick and heavy for my hair. My hair always felt crunchy after. I think this could be nice if you have thicker hair or if you want something for slicked-back hairstyles. But it’s too much for my curly hair so I won’t be repurchasing.
I find that eye creams take forever to finish so I was happy to be done with the Glow Recipe Avocado Fine Line Eye Cream with Retinol. I very rarely notice any effects from an eye cream and this one was no different. This eye cream is supposed to help firm, smooth and reduce the appearance of dark circles. I noticed some hydration and that was about it. I also found it took a while to sink into the skin so I would have to wait if I was applying concealer. Still on the hunt for a good eye cream.
The next product is the Sol de Janeiro Brazilian 4 Play Moisturizing Shower Cream-Gel. I love the scent of the Sol de Janeiro products so this was nice to use. But besides the scent, I’m not sure I noticed any difference between my Bath & Body Works shower gels. I rather spend more money on a lotion that will sit on my skin than a shower gel that I just rinse off. While I enjoyed the product I won’t be repurchasing.
Another product that I enjoyed but won’t be repurchasing is the Juno Skin Clarifying Cleansing Powder. This product is a powder that terms into an exfoliating cleanser once water is added. I think the product was good at gently exfoliating the skin. It’s only available online currently so it’s harder to ship into Canada and I already own a similar product from Dermalogica. But if you’re in the US, check this out because it’s also on Amazon!
I finished a sample of the Youth to the People Polypeptide-121 Future Cream. I thought it was fine. I didn’t use it enough to say if the peptides and ceramides made any difference in my skin. It wasn’t too thick and moisturized the skin. I think people with more combo/oily skin types would like it more as it’s not very thick. It was fine but I didn’t love the sample enough to want to go out and buy the full-size.
One of my favourite moisturizers is the CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion. I use this on my shoulders and chest because those areas are acne-prone and don’t like scented lotions. But I have also used it on my face and loved it. It’s lightweight but still moisturizing. I love the pump as well. I have already repurchased and I highly recommend this lotion if you’re looking for a drugstore moisturizer.
Another moisturizer I finished was the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream Moisturizer. This moisturizer has been hyped up online but I thought it was fine. It’s quite thick so I think people with drier skin types would like this more than me. It also does have a pretty strong rose scent so watch out if you’re sensitive to fragrance. It was fine but nothing special so I won’t be repurchasing.
I finished both a sample and a full size of the Dermalogica Precleanse Cleansing Oil. I’ve tried lots of cleansing balms but thought it would be nice to try a cleansing oil. It does a good job of breaking down all my makeup and leaving my skin ready for a second cleanse. It didn’t clog my pores or strip my skin. It also doesn’t sting or make my eyes blurry. I had two complaints though. The pump on my bottle didn’t work very well so it would squirt all over the place. It also has a weird smell that I can’t quite put my finger on but I don’t like it. I think it’s a good option if you don’t like cleansing balms!
This isn’t an empty but a product I’m getting rid of is the Korres Santorini Grape Velvet Skin Drink. I don’t get this product. It’s an oil that’s supposed to hydrate but also blurs imperfections and smooth skin texture. I was going through a lot of skin issues in the spring and this product was just not messing well with my routine. I just found that it made my skin pill up whenever I used it with other products. Since it doesn’t work with my routine I’m just going to get rid of it (since I got it in my Boxycharm box I can’t return it).
I finished two primers, both of which I loved! The first one I finished is the Touch in Sol Pretty Filter Glassy Skin Balm. I’m surprised how much I loved this primer because I’m usually not into the whole glassy skin trend. But man this primer made my face look so plump and juicy but not oily. It also was moisturizing at the same time. I loved this primer in the summer. The second primer I finished was the Rodial Soft Focus Glow Drops. This primer reminds me a lot of the Glow Recipe Dew Drops. It delivers that lit-from-within, dewy look. I would apply this primer just on the high points of my face and I sometimes would skip highlight, it was that dewy. I think both of these primers are amazing and I would highly recommend both. I won’t be repurchasing just because I have so many other primers but man they are good!
Another haircare product I liked was the Living Proof Restore Repair Leave-In. It helps my hair feels soft and smooth. I notice a difference in my hair health when I use this leave-in and I’ll also use it as a heat protectant. It’s silicone and sulphate free, comes with a pump and has a light, almost peppery scent. I’m currently using other leave-in products but would repurchase this again in the future!
I finished my last pre-reformulation Nivea Hydro Care Lip Balm. The lip balms were reformulated sometime before the pandemic and I find the new formula is much waxier and not as hydrating. I found an old formula lip balm in a backpack the other day and I finally finished it. I will not be repurchasing this lip balm and I’ve very sad about it.
I always seem to get the Realher brand products in my Boxycharm. I usually declutter them but I did finish their Definer Brow Pencil. Brow pencils are one of those products that are so hard to review because they’re so boring to talk about. Like it works but it’s nothing to write home about. I don’t think it’s worth ordering from their site (which seems kinda sketchy). The NYX brow pencils are more affordable and accessible so I wouldn’t recommend or repurchase this brow pencil.
The final product empty is the Tree Hut Coco Colada Shea Sugar Scrub. Now if you’re also Canadian and wondering how I got a Tree Hut scrub, I did order it off Amazon and paid a pretty penny for this scrub. I think the Tree Hut scrubs are pretty good but not mind-blowing. It’s not super coarse so it’s gentle on the skin but still exfoliates. The scents are delicious. I have repurchased but when I was in the US. It’s cheaper to buy in the US than to buy off Amazon so for that reason I’ll only repurchase when I’m in the US.
And that’s it (twenty products later haha)! Let me know in the comments if you have tried any of these products and what your thoughts were.
xoxo
Lea
Leave it to Lea 