{Old} Empties, part III: bath & body

Hello! I hope everyone had a good weekend! Mine went by pretty quickly because I was busy on Saturday. When are legislators going to create a law mandating each week includes a three-day weekend? Studies have proven we need that much time just to feel rested...probably a huge reason why so many people struggle on Mondays! Anyway...

The next part of my {old} empties round up features a handful of skin care products:

The Body Shop's Mango Body Sorbet
I mentioned in a previous post that I am a fan of The Body Shop's body butters. When these body sorbets hit the stores a couple of years ago, I thought they would be a lightweight alternative for the warmer months. While the mango scent was pleasant, I wasn't too pleased with the performance of this product. It iwa nowhere near as moisturizing as the body butters. It also had a strange consistency...it feels kind of gritty when rubbing it into the skin. I would not re-purchase.

Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Creme
I use Burt's Bees cuticle creme on a nightly basis, so I figured this would be a good product for those nights my feet need a little extra TLC. Burt's Bees did not let me down! Not only did it have an appealing peppermint/coconut scent, the creme sank into my skin, leaving my feet (or other areas) feeling supple and moisturized. Use this after a DIY pedi using an Amope, and you're good to go! I only use this on an as-needed basis, so one tube lasts quite a while (I'd say at least a couple of seasons). 

Palmer's Swivel Stick Cocoa Butter 
Occasionally I use cocoa butter to help eliminate dark spots from scars (mainly from my dog's sharp claws) or blemishes. I thought I would try this as opposed to the typical container you dip your fingers in. In addition, this has the purest content of cocoa butter in its ingredients when compared to other products. It had the natural scent of cocoa butter (not artificial or manufactured) and it did its job. The swivel stick made it easy to apply when spot treatments were needed. I would repurchase...if I could find it again! I think I got this from Dollar General a couple of years ago, but haven't seen it there or in drugstores since.

Jergens' BB Body Perfecting Skin Cream
This is a sample-sized product. I believe I got it via Target's samples page. Of course the concept is similar to that of a BB face cream; it is a 5-in-1 moisturizer that hydrates, illuminates, evens, firms and corrects. I received the shade designed for lighter skin tones, so I used it in inconspicuous places because it wasn't quite a match for my skin. I got enough uses out of the sample to determine that I liked the product, but not enough to determine if it would actually meet or surpass its claims. I would consider repurchasing, but it seems a bit gimmicky to me, so it is not a necessity.

Lavanila - The Healthy Deodorant
I decided to try this product after having concerns with using clinical strength deodorant containing aluminum and reading/hearing reviews about this deodorant on various blogs and YouTube channels. I like the variety of scents and the option to buy the .9 oz travel size or the larger 1.7-2.0 tubes. Skeptical that an all-natural, aluminum-free deodorant would work for me, I have used this for quite some time now. Overall, I enjoy the product. Under NORMAL circumstances, it gets the job done. However, it does not always hold up well for me during heat waves or when I experience stress sweat. Remember, this is not an antiperspirant, so it only helps prevent the smell, not the feeling of sweat. I will likely continue to using it, but I have resorted to having an antiperspirant for back up in extreme cases.

Cheers to a pleasant, productive week!

{Old} Empties, part II: toners and moisturizers

Hey there! How was your weekend? I had a good one. I got to relax a bit on Saturday, so that balanced out the rest of the time that I was busy. I really think the Monday after the Super Bowl should be a national holiday. Who wants to go to work after watching the biggest game of the NFL season? Especially if your team lost. While I am not a Panthers fan, I do like Cam Newton. I feel so bad for him; he seems so devastated by their loss. Understandably so, given the great run they had in the regular season. But he good at what he does, so I'm sure he and the Panthers will be back soon. Besides, there were some entertaining commercials in between the game...and who wasn't here for Queen Bey's performance?

Anywho, I am back with the next part of my {old} empties, featuring a few toners and moisturizers!

From left to right: Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel: Pore Perfecting Toner, Thayers Alcohol-Free Lavender Witch Hazel Toner, theBalm's Vanilla Oil-Absorbing Face Moisturizer, Befine Food Skin Care Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15, L'Oreal Youth Code Skin Recharger

Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel: Pore Perfecting Toner
I originally started using toner as an attempt to eliminate the oiliness my t-zone tends to experience during the warmer months. I found this at CVS at a reasonable price. While the label touts the all-natural claim, this product still contains alcohol, so it was not the gentlest nor best smelling product on my skin. I have not purchased any more since using this bottle, nor do I plan to since discovering...

Thayers Alcohol-Free Lavender Witch Hazel Toner
I first learned of this brand via Mattieologie's YouTube channel (she also has a blog). Enticed by her review and the packaging, I sought out this toner and found it at my local Vitamin Shoppe. I fell in love with it and have been using it ever since. Not only does it provide a soothing, gentle skin treatment, but it also has a light, pleasant scent! I originally tried the rose petal scent, but I have since switched to lavender, which has calming properties that suit me much better, as I now use toner every morning and night. Thayers has other scents in its witch hazel, as well as an unscented variety. The company recently changed the product's packaging. While smaller and more contemporary, I have an affinity for the retro look. Holy grail product!

theBalm Vanilla Oil-Absorbing Face Moisturizer
After trying and loving some of theBalm's makeup, I wanted to try something from its skincare line, Time Balm. I bought this during one of HauteLook's flash sales featuring theBalm. It has a nice, light scent and spreads across the skin well, so one or two pumps will suffice. I tried using this during the summer to aid in combating my oil t-zone. I suppose it helped somewhat, but I did not observe any earth-shattering results. While I probably would not purchase this particular moisturizer again, I would be willing to try a different one from theBalm.

Befine Food Skin Care Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15
I received this generous 1.5 oz bottle in one of my Ipsy bags while subscribed to the beauty service. I had not heard of this brand prior to receiving the product, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Unlike many moisturizers with SPF, this one did not have that noxious sunscreen smell. While it did have a consistency pretty typical of a sunscreen, it did not feel as heavy as the kind one may apply to the whole body. I preferred this to The Body Shop's Seaweed Mattifying Moisture Lotion SPF 15 that I was using around the same time. This was decent; I may want to try other facial moisturizers with SPF before trying this one again.

L'Oreal Youth Code Skin Recharger
Quite some time ago, I received a sample of the L'Oreal Youth Code Day/Night Cream in an order from HauteLook. I LOVED the product from the sample! The scent, the consistency, the way it left my skin feeling so supple...I knew I had to get a full-size of this product...until I saw the price. I know some people argue that one should not put a price on skin care, but compared to prices I typically paid for skin care products, the prices of some of the drugstore skin care products from L'Oreal, Olay, etc. surprised me! I said I would wait to catch a sale...to get a coupon I could use toward the purchase...but I just could not justify the purchase. Recently, I noticed this product was marked on clearance at Kroger...and later at CVS and Walgreens. I used the markdown as my chance to finally try it, even if it meant not being able to get my hands on the product again. While I still liked the scent and the consistency, as well as the way the product made my skin feel, I was not impressed. I did not feel like this product met its claims. My skin did not look any brighter or more hydrated than usual, and I have had some rough nights of sleep here lately. Maybe I did not see much difference because my skin is still youthful...? I would not purchase this again...sale or not.

Part III coming soon. Have a blessed week!

{Old} Empties, part I: cleansers and removers

Happy Humpday! Hope your week is going well!

Some time ago, I began saving various beauty products I had used up with the intentions of sharing them in various empties posts I would compose on the blog I never created...until now!

I have lumped those products into categories so I could share a bit of my thoughts on them before recycling the packaging.

This edition of {old} empties features facial cleansers and eye makeup removers:

From left to right: The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter, Michael Todd Jojoba Charcoal Facial Scrub, Olay Foaming Face Wash, Rimmel London Gentle Eye Makeup Remover, Wet n Wild Eye Makeup Remover

The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter
I have been a huge fan of The Body Shop for quite some time. I originally began shopping there for the body butters, but slowly began trying its other products. In the midst of the cleansing butter and micellar water trend, I decided to give this product a try after reading a review about it on Nouveau Cheap. I thoroughly enjoyed the product, as a little went a long way and it left my face feeling soft and clean...no icky residue and no dryness. I noticed, however, that I couldn't use it to remove eye makeup without getting oily residue in my eyes! I am a part-time contact lens wearer, so that was a big no-no for me. It seems that none of the cleansing oils are good for eye makeup removal, though, so I would likely buy this product again.

Michael Todd Jojoba Charcoal Facial Scrub
I received a trial size tube of this scrub while I was subscribed to Ipsy. I have never been big on facial scrubs or masks, but when I tried this product, I fell in love! This stuff truly pampers my skin while working to exfoliate and cleanse it. My face feels so soft and plump after using it. I have since bought a full-sized version of this product and use it about once a week as an extra cleansing/pampering step. 

Olay Foaming Face Wash
I guess one could say I grew up with Olay, as my mom and grandmom swear by its products. I usually pick this up from Dollar General, but have also found it at Target and CVS. Aside from the reasonable price, it has a pleasant scent and does exactly what its name suggests. It's gentle and doesn't dry my face out. Though the sensitive variety is pictured here, I have used the other one for combination/oily skin and experienced the same results. This is my go-to (i.e., holy grail) facial cleanser.

Rimmel London Gentle Eye Makeup Remover
When I first started using eye makeup remover, I eventually noticed that certain brands would publicize a product as "oil free," yet, if one were to tilt the bottle left and right, she would easily see oil separating from the liquid! What is that about? As I mentioned earlier, I wear contact lenses, so that type of "oil free" eye makeup remover is a no-go for me...and I have actually had an experience where I had to buy an eye wash to get some junk like that out of my eyes! I was so excited to come across this product from Rimmel, because it is truly oil free. It is also gentle--in contrast to the next product I will discuss--yet it gets the job done. I have even used it in a pinch to remove staining left behind from lipstick! This is another holy grail for me; I hope Rimmel never gets rid of it!

Wet n Wild Eye Makeup Remover
This product is an example of "you get what you pay for." It is cheap, but it is not good. Yes, it is oil free, but notice the label does not include the description "gentle." This stuff smells and feels like alcohol. I am surprised I used the entire bottle because I distinctly remember the burning being a huge turn off. Even at $.99, I would never buy this again!

Stay tuned for part II of my {old} empties...coming soon!