Finally, I am caught up with my empties! These are supposed to be monthly posts but with the chaos that my life is, they got really backed up. Looking back over this group of items, it seems that a lot of the ones I will not be repurchasing have to do with the fragrance. I’ve become more sensitive to fragrances myself over the years but more importantly, I’ve become more aware of others’ sensitivity to fragrance. The item that piqued my interest the most was Billy Jealousy Liquid Sand Exfoliating Facial Cleanser.
Repurchase Legend:
- Yes – Already repurchased, have a backup, or will repurchase in the future.
- Maybe – I liked it but I either don’t need it at the moment, it costs a lot, or I need more time to evaluate.
- No – Didn’t work for me, wasn’t happy with the results, didn’t like some aspect of the product, just want to try something else.
Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle Shampoo – Good, cheap, does the job. I’m bored of it though, so I’ve switched to a Pantene Shampoo for now.
Dear Clark Resurrecting Wash Shampoo – This was an interesting product. It was VERY moisturizing and it left a slick, almost oily, feel in my hair after rinsing out, but my hair felt normal, not weighed down after drying. For me, this a product I’d use as a spa night treat, not everyday. I LOVED the orange-spice fragrance. I could be tempted to buy the full size if I got a deal.
Thierry Mugler Angel Shower Gel – This was highly fragranced and slightly different from the perfume. I like the smell of this better than the perfume for some reason. My fiancé is pretty sensitive to this particular fragrance so I will not be purchasing this. It was a good quality body wash, not watered down.
Billy Jealousy Liquid Sand Exfoliating Facial Cleanser – This was another unique product. This is marketed as more of a men’s product but of course it’s perfectly useful for anyone. The full size costs $24 but you get a whopping 8 oz of it which is much more cost effective than The Body Shop Vitamin C Microdermabrasion and is just as good an exfoliator. It is densely packed with exfoliating grains which are slightly larger and the base is a bit more creamy and moisturizing. I will probably purchase this when I run out of my current facial scrubs.
The Body Shop Vitamin C Microdermabrasion – I am almost out of my stash of these. I have bought them in bulk during sales for the last few years but I’m going to move on from this. It’s a good product but I would like to explore the market and see what other great exfoliators there are out there.
Trader Joe’s Spa Natural Facial Cleansing Pads with Tea Tree Oil – These are still going strong for me as an acne treatment. I finally figured out that these are the same as the cleansing pads from Desert Essence, same ingredients, almost the same packaging. So, if you don’t have a Trader Joe’s near you, you can order the Desert Essence ones online or look for them at a health-food store like Whole Foods.
Butter London Scrubbers – I got a single use sample of this and it worked well for me. One wipe is supposed to be enough for all 10 nails and it lived up to that claim for me. I’d buy these if I was going on a trip but probably not as my regular nail polish remover.
Mac Brush Cleanser – I have already repurchased this. It’s not the cheapest but it works well for me and doesn’t dry out my brushes.
Marrakesh Endz Argan & Hemp Oil Therapy – I got this a little sample last spring and it took me all summer to use it up. It has a very summery scent and worked fairly well as a detangler. I have many more products I need to use up that are similar so I won’t be purchasing this.
J.R. Watkins Lemon Cream Hand Cream – I already bought another one of these. This cream is wonderful for someone who has to wash their hands frequently because it’s so thick it survives through a couple of washes before needing to be reapplied.
Bath and Body Works Sweet Pea Body Lotion – I used to be more into this brand of body care but I’ve gotten tired of the scents. This is one of the few scents that I like because it is softer and tends to be less bothersome to people around me. This lotion did a decent job of moisturizing but it was a bit sticky after drying down.
Tree Hut Shea Body Butter in Coconut Lime – I was so excited to get this because I love coconut but it’s actually less coconut-y than I expected. It has more of a tropical cocktail type of scent. It was thick but felt lightweight and was easy to spread over the skin. The fragrance was a bit too strong for me to wear on my whole body so it ended up being used mostly as a hand cream. I’d look into other scents because I like the formula but I wouldn’t buy this scent again.
The Body Shop Olive Body Butter – Similar to the Tree Hut body butter, this was also thick, easy to spread over the skin, and had a heavy fragrance. But this one was more moisturizing and would be good for the dead of winter or dry skin types. This wasn’t my favorite scent from this line so I will not be repurchasing.
Trader Joe’s Pomegranate Body Butter – I think I may have mentioned this once before in an Empties post and I believe it wasn’t something I liked that much at the time. I first tried this in winter and wasn’t all that thrilled about it because its quite light for a body butter and almost feels like a lotion. However, I used it over the summer and it was fantastic for that. I hate feeling sticky during hot weather so lighter moisturizers are in order. I like the fragrance – fruity, sweet, not too strong and it dissipates shortly after applying. This was a seasonal item but I’d buy it again if they have it this year.
Laura Mercier Foundation Primer – I used this tiny sample over a month ago so I’m going off memory here. I remember it felt lightweight (not like smashbox and other heavy silicone-type primers), non-sticky, but also not slick. This small packet wasn’t enough for me to test out thoroughly so I’m not really compelled to buy a full size version of this.
Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes (2) – I already bought more of these. The towelletes are soft, the makeup remover works well but it leaves a slick residue on the skin so I always wash my face afterwards.