December 2018 Empties

I really made an effort this year to not buy as indiscriminately as I had the previous year.

My skincare stash was just bulging at the seams - and lots of the products were items that I just wanted to finish up, rather than really enjoyed using.

It didn't help that I kept amassing more deluxe samples and minis from Beauty Subscription Boxes which kept the numbers up - so I cancelled all beauty box subscriptions except for the Skin Organics Clean Beauty Box (because I couldn't be without this!) and just the three-product Latest in Beauty Option (because they often have really great selections).

 

It took far longer than I anticipated to work my way through products (even the minis could last a month or more) and I'm still not at the numbers that I'd like to be. I'll be doing a full inventory in January and next year will continue to get those numbers down and to try and not impulse buy!

I've also had a bit of a tidy up and have been pretty militant with de-cluttering too!

 

So here are the empties (and de-clutters) from December:

 

Key:

WR - Will/Have repurchased

MR - Might repurchase at a later date

WNR - Will not repurchase  - either didn't work for me or is too expensive to repurchase again.

 

* Garnier Body - Intensive 7 Days Body Lotion MR - This was one of my 20/20Vision Project choices and I kept it in my swim bag for after the shower. It didn't take me too long to get through this 400ml bottle. I really like this body lotion - it absorbs easily and really does leave my skin smooth and hydrated till the next use. I've got a couple more of these to get through and plenty of other body lotions, creams and butters - but I would certainly reconsider this for future re-purchase.

 

* The Body Shop - Vitamin E Toner WR - Although I was eager to get this used up, I'm actually missing it a bit now it's gone! Extremely hydrating - I actually used to think that it was sometimes a bit too hydrating (although now I'm wondering why I considered that to be an issue?!). I think maybe it's because it felt like it took a couple of minutes to really penetrate my skin, but after it had dried down it didn't leave any residue and my skin always felt completely hydrated and plumped. A good staple to keep in, so I will be repurchasing this.

 

* Ishtar Skinlights - 1% Bioactive Retinol WR - I absolutely loved this and have reviewed it here. It's such a fantastic entry-level Retinol and I would highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't used retinol before and would like to start. Like all Ishtar Skinlights products, this serum applies beautifully, absorbs well and works well with other products in your skincare routime - no tackiness or pilling. I also never experienced any discomfort, dryness or peeling with this. I have  already repurchased, but this time, the Ishtar Skinlights 2.5% Bioactive Retinol.

 

* Merumaya - Gentle Exfoliating Toner MR - I'm always reminded how great Merumaya products are when I use them, but have never actually bought a full size (these minis are often in Beauty Subscription boxes). This was a gentle yet effective exfoliating toner that I was comfortable using every day.

 

* Maui Moisture - Shea Butter Shampoo MR - Another beauty box mini. I thought that with this containing Shea Butter it might leave my hair feeling greasy or crispy when dry, but this (and the conditioner, which I haven't finished yet) was surprisingly easy to wash out and left no residue at all - just lovely, soft, manageable hair. It's a really thick shampoo (thicker than the conditioner) and my only complaint was that it was actually too thick to successfully get out of the bottle through the cap, so I always ended up removing the cap completely and having to squeeze the bottle hard to actually get the shampoo out. So more of a packaging fail than a product fail.

 

* Filorga - Meso Mask MR - When I first started using this sample I was absolutely smitten and thought that I'd be definitely repurchasing a full size. However, it's not particularly cheap and other masks have superceded this in my affections. I'd be more than happy to own this again, but not at its full retail price.

 

* Jurlique -  Refining Foaming Cleanser MR - This was a fantastic second cleanser. You only needed a tiny bit for it to give you an incredibly creamy foam wash. Left my skin feeling very clean and soft.

 

* Merumaya - Melting Cleansing Balm MR - Another brilliant product from Merumaya. I love this melting cleansing balm but you can't use it on your eyes so that's a negative for me and would probably be a reason why I wouldn't repurchase.

 

* Holika Holika - Gudetama/Lazy and Joy Cushion Foundation WNR - This was my first ever cushion foundation and I was impressed with it's performance. It had an amazing radiant finish, but was quite strongly perfumed. The main problem with this is that I chose a shade that was too light for me. Absolutely no complaints with the performance, but I've decided that I'm not necessarily a fan of cushion foundation.

 

* Emma Hardie - Moringa Cleansing Balm WR & Moringa Renewal Treatment Mask WNR - Have already got a mini back up of the cleansing balm as I really love it, although it's not one of my absolute favourites. Unfortunately, because it was a small sample, I couldn't really get a feel for the treatment mask. I managed to get two uses from this sample sachet, but wasn't wowed or even particularly impressed with results on both uses.

 

* Miller Harris - Powdered Veil WNR - Considering how much this retails for, I was surprised at how weak this perfume was. Hugely disappointing.

 

* My Scheming - Provence Lavender Soothing Mask WR - My single sheet mask for the whole mask! I love these budget masks for a good relaxing mask session - short-lived results, but then most masks are the same.

 

* Annabelle Minerals - Mineral Foundation Sample WR - After using this sample just twice I immediately ordered myself a full size! This is amazing stuff - such great natural coverage and very lightweight to wear but lasts all day.

 

* Evolve Beauty - Superfood 360 Serum WR - After only just trying Evolve Beauty products in the last month, I'm loving everything I've tried so far! This serum is gorgeous - layers well and is so hydrating and nourishing. This sample pot lasted a good few uses and is available on the Evolve Beauty website for just £1.00, or you might get lucky for it to be one of your three free samples (as I was) with any purchase.

 

* Yellow Gorse - Herbal Sleep Sachet WNR - This smelled beautiful and relaxing when held close, but unfortunately, when it was placed under my pillow I just didn't smell anything at all.

 

 

De-Clutters

 

 

* Nuxe - Huile Prodiguese (Gold) - This fell prey to being hidden for too long in my stash. This has been opened for ages now and also lost. When I discovered it again and used it, it had unfortunately, very definitely, gone off! I prefer the plain version of this oil anyway, so not too sad to see this go.

 

* Acqui Di Parma - Blu Mediterraneo - Chinotto di Liguria - This was a perfume that I thought I'd love. And in fact, the initial spray is a lovely scent BUT when it dries down it has that very strong indole scent that makes me feel a bit queasy, so I couldn't eve finish the sample.

 

* Lipsticks - All part of the New Year Cull - these are all shades that didn't suit me, so off they go.

 

* Model Co - Lash Primer - I used this a few times but didn't see any benefits to having a pre-mascara primer, so it was just taking up space.

 

* The Ordinary - Alpha Arbutin - I bought this to tackle some hyperpigmentation issues on my neck, 50% of the bottle used with absolutely no discernible improvement. Also, I think this may be the culprit for causing a rash on my neck on more than one occasion, so off it goes.

 

* Nature's Ingredients - Lemon Verbena Lip Butter  - A lip balm well-past it's expiry date.

 

* Chantecaille - Bio Lifting Cream - This was a disappointment! I really expected to love this cream and had even been holding off using it as it's only a mini and I wanted to 'save it for best'. However, it's far too rich for my skin, even as a night cream. I'd usually try and persevere, but this was really making my skin feel too congested.

 

* Mavala Nail Polish - This is a duplicate in my stash. I did intend to finish it off but it's pretty old and had gotten quite stodgy towards the end of the bottle and was applying horribly. It's a lovely shade though so I'm hoping my other bottle isn't as gloopy as this one was.