Empties: Finished Product Reviews Winter 2018

I love reviewing my empty products, because I usually know by the time I’ve finished something how I feel about it. Reviews based on first impressions can change so empty product reviews are much more comprehensive. For items that I neither love nor hate, I am always willing to try them again, but I will not seek them out. This generally means I will only try them again if I receive them if they are: free, on sale, or in a set (sets are a great way to get a deal as long as the value of the items you want to try exceed the cost you are paying). Because I already shared my empties from December and January, this article will really only have empties from February and March. Empties from my February Foil Challenge are not here either, because I wanted to avoid the redundancy. My Spring Empties will be the first time I have a single season in one article. It will also be the first time where I test and share the ph of most products.

Anything in my Love category are items I consider a deal (even if purchased at the full retail price). That does not mean I will not seek out deals if I can find them. It does not necessarily mean I would buy them, especially if they are really expensive. Most are items I will typically buy again, although I will take a break from purchasing when I have too many similar items waiting to get tested. For items I really love, I spotlight ones I’ve finished and others I have yet to finish, so I can discuss them in even more detail. Items in the Not for Me category are items I say no deal to (even on sale). Occasionally, I will just toss them before they’re empty, but I try to finish items unless I can’t (allergic reactions or extreme loathing). If they are really bad, I will not even use them again if I get them for free. Thankfully, I can usually find someone to take them from me, because we all have different wants and needs in our products.

Loved

365 Foaming Hand Wash Herbal Mint-  This has a fresh scent. The only thing that keeps this from being a FabuFind is the inconsistency and potential product waste. Sometimes, one pump is enough and does a thorough job foaming (as it should according to the product name) and cleansing. Other times, it takes 2-3 pumps to get the same effect. While I am unsure why this happens, I am not okay with it. Unless a soap is very cheap, it is unacceptable to use multiple pumps for one hand wash.

Alterna Caviar Clinical Daily Root & Scalp Stimulator – This is still a FabuFind. Nothing removes product build-up better and leaves my scalp feeling more moisturized. When I regularly use this, my scalp barely ever has flakes. The flakes seem to pop up whenever I stop using this.

bliss grapefruit + aloe body butter – I am in love with this scent, which is my favorite thing about the product. For a body butter, it is not very thick. It does moisturize nicely though.

bliss lemon +sage body butter – For a body butter, it is not very thick. It does moisturize, but it does not moisturize as well as the grapefruit + aloe one. There are products where the formula varies slightly from scent to scent, and this is definitely one. Almost every single time I was around my sister-in-law while wearing this, she kept complimenting my scent. I know what to get her next time I need to purchase a gift. This does have a nice scent that smells very fresh, but I prefer the scent (and effect) from the grapefruit + aloe body butter.

Dial Spring Water Antibacterial Body Wash – I only use this on my hands in the shower, because I do not want to wash the good bacteria off my body. The smell is nice, and I like the price. After thinking it over for a while, I’ve decided I am not going to buy antibacterial soaps anymore. This will be my last even though I still love it.

La Mer the moisturizing soft cream – This is a very rich cream that makes my skin feel intensely moisturized. The miracle broth in this does seems to hurt the wallet more than it helps the face. Although I doubt I would ever buy this (because some cheaper creams moisturize just as well), I do really love it.

Lancome BiFacil – This is still a FabuFind. You know you have a great makeup remover when everything looks like it removed and you do not wake up the next morning with raccoon eyes. Where does all the makeup hide with other removers? While this occasionally leaves a hint of makeup I only notice in the morning, it consistently removes makeup more efficiently and better than anything else. It does not sting my eyes. The oil blend very soothing and moisturizing.

Lime Crime Unicorn Hair Pony – This came free with an Ulta order. I was reluctant to try this, because I did not want to fall in love with a product from a controversial brand. These testers do not have enough to color all the hair, but there is more than enough to dye two thick strands on long hair. The strands closest to my face on each side are what I chose to dye. My hair is dark blonde, and I left the color on for a little over an hour. It made my left side a lot darker than my right side, but it is possible I applied more product to the left side. A lot of product comes out with each wash, but after a few washes the color is still noticeable. Both sides looked nice, but I definitely preferred the left side. The lighter your hair is to start the darker and more vibrant the color will look on your head, but you can leave it on longer to get a deeper color on darker hair.

Lime Crime Unicorn Hair Valentine – This came free with an Ulta order. I was reluctant to try this, because I did not want to fall in love with a product from a controversial brand. My youngest son wanted red hair so I applied this to his head. These testers do not have enough to color all the hair, but there is more than enough to dye a large amount (especially on someone with short hair). His hair is medium brown, and I left the color on for a little over two hours. It definitely gave his hair a red tint. A lot of product comes out with each wash, but after a few washes the color is still noticeable. He loves it, but he does not like the hassle (both initially and rinsing off the dye from his face and neck after subsequent hair washes). The lighter your hair is to start the darker and more vibrant the color will look on your head, but you can leave it on longer to get a deeper color on darker hair.

Luvena Daily Therapeutic Wash – I originally tried a sample of this when my gynecologist insisted I stop using cleansers with fragrance. The funny thing is this has a fragrance, and it is not overly pleasant. After trying another vaginal wash, which I still have not finished, and feeling like that dried me out, I decided to try this one again. It is now my favorite. My skin does not feel dry, and I always feel clean.

Oral B Glide Pro Health Comfort Plus Floss Mint – This is still a FabuFind. Nothing glides through my teeth without getting stuck better than this. It is also thick so it rarely breaks.

Philips Sonicare Toothbrush Head – This is still a FabuFind. It cleans my teeth so much better than a manual toothbrush. My teeth only feel cleaner when they are freshly cleaned by a hygienist. I’ve noticed that I have less to floss when I use this, too.

SAGE & ROW bare shave cream – This thick, moisturizing shave cream is beautiful. I never cut myself when I use this, because it creates a great barrier. It also gives me a close shave. The problem is I cannot find a way to repurchase it. That’s a shame.

Secret Clinical Strength Smooth Solid Light & Fresh – This is still a FabuFind. It mostly prevents me from sweating in normal circumstances. Nothing prevents that in extreme heat or when exercising. Even when I sweat while using this, it always smells fresh. I never smell bad when I use this, but I have with other deodorants.

Sensodyne Pronamel Daily Fluoride Toothpaste – This is still a FabuFind. The taste is nice, and it keeps my teeth from getting too sensitive. I need to stop buying it from Sam’s Club though. They expire faster than I can use three large tubes of toothpaste. When you throw away more than you probably saved by purchasing in bulk, it is not worth it.

skinfix Lotion quotidienne – This does moisturize nicely for a lightweight lotion.

Softsoap crisp cucumber & melon Hand Soap – I’ve always loved cucumber melon since high school Bath and Body works days. This is a more subtle scent than the one I fell in love with, but I prefer it more subtle now that I am older. The soap lathers well and rinses clean.

Softsoap Soothing Aloe Vera – This cleans well and lathers nicely. For the price, it is a nice hand soap. There is not much scent to this for those who prefer that.

Soap & Glory Flake Away Body Polish – I really love the scent on Soap & Glory products. It scrubs really well without being too abrasive. The scrub leaves my skin feeling soft and flake free. This does not lather or have an oil base, but it is great at what it does.

tarte Pure Maracuja Oil – This moisturizes my skin nicely and does not seem to break me out. My skin does look shiny until it absorbs so I only apply it at night.

The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil Body Butter – I really love all these body butters. They are all rich creams that absorb beautifully into the skin leaving it so moisturized. It does not sink completely in so my skin still has that nice soft touch throughout the day. Scent is the only real difference from one body butter to the next. This one has a nice, light scent. The coconut scent is still my favorite.

Tony Moly I’m Real Mask Sheet Pore Care Red Wine – I purchased this directly from Ulta Beauty instead of Amazon where I purchased the last one I tried. My goal was to see if I noticed a difference in the performance. It performed almost the same way. There was an instant moisturization and my pores looked smaller the next morning. That makes me think the Amazon one may have been legit or at least a very good knock-off.

Wet Brush – I love this product so much that I have multiples all over the house and my car. It brushes through wet hair without too much pulling. My hair does not look overly frizzy after drying as it does with some other brushes. Because it pulls less, my hair breaks less. That results in less flyaways.

Willing to Try Again

Acure facial cleansing gel – This is not the best product for my skin type so it is a little more stripping than I generally prefer. It does make my skin feel really clean though.

Dial Vanilla Honey Hand Soap with Moisturizer – For $1, this soap is okay. There are so many soaps that are barely more than $1 that perform better so I would not purchase this again. The lather is inconsistent. At times, one pump is enough to get a nice lather. Other times, it takes 2-3 pumps. I cannot speak to how well it moisturizes, because I always apply hand cream after every wash. It does seem thicker than a lot of soaps so it probably adds moisture.

Dior Addict Lip Maximizer – It does have a slight plumping effect and it looks nice on the lips. This is pretty sticky though so I would not buy it.

Dr. Dennis Gross Ferulic + Retinol Wrinkle Recovery Peel – If there are any long-term effects from this peel, I cannot say after one use. I can say that I did not notice much difference from the one I used, but I would be willing to try it again.

Elements Reconstructing Mask – This does make my hair feel softer, but it does not tame frizz as much as other masks I’ve tried. Between the silicone and alcohol content, it surprises me how expensive per ounce this mask is. Masks that have a cheaper price per ounce perform better. I would use this again if it made its way to me, but I would never pay full-price for it.

Lancome Artliner – This felt tip is just too thick for me. I am already terrible with winged liner and my eyes are extremely hooded. No matter how careful I am, the line comes out too thick. Part of this could be user error so I do not want to knock the product. It is not something I would purchase again though.

Leaders Mediterranean Olive Brightening Mask – This mask definitely provided a lot of moisture and stuck to the contours of my face nicely. It did not seem to brighten or correct uneven skin tone. Those effects may come over time with continued use though.

Skin 79 Fresh Garden Aloe Mask – This mask should add moisture and have a soothing effect to dull skin. While my skin did feel more moisturized after using it, I did not really notice a soothing effect. It was not even the most moisturizing mask, because there is not a lot of liquid in it.

The Honest Co. hand sanitizer spray lavender with aloe – This does not dry out my skin or smell heavily like alcohol as some hand sanitizers do though. The container is not ideal. After only using it 3 times, it opened up and spilled all over my purse. For that reason alone, I would not buy this. It is too expensive to only get 3 uses, and the mess it leaves behind when it spills is no fun either. I have had typical hand sanitizer open in my purse before, but I usually catch it before the entire bottle empties out. When the product is the consistency of water (like this), it probably all spills out extremely fast.

Tigi Catwalk Session Series Transforming Dry Shampoo – This has a nice scent that can get slightly overpowering. It does remove oil, but it takes a lot of product to do so. There is a white cast that can mostly get rubbed away. A slight texture is left in the hair. My hair does not feel soft or get volume from this.

Not For Me

Vaseline intensive care advancedrepair unscented – This claims it is clinically proven to heal dry skin. I do not use these small lotion containers unless I am on the go so there was never a period I used it for 5 days in a row to test that. It is very thin and my hands started to feel dry again within a couple of hours of applying. As someone who applies hand cream after every single hand washing, I assure you this one does not even last from one wash to the next. My hands are thirsty for more moisture.

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