March /April 2019 Beauty Empties
The hardest part of putting together an Empties post is remembering to hold on to each and every product after it’s been completed. During the month of March and April I had a few empties of products/items that I’ve repurchased in the past. But I do have a few new products that I can review. You may also notice that the majority of the products that I mentioned are all mini sizes. Minis are my favorite way to try out new products. Keep reading to see which products I plan on repurchasing and which products I will not.
Masks
Caudalie Instant Detox Mask (left)
Price: SIZE 2.5 oz/ 75 mL $39
I really enjoyed using the Caudalie Instant Detox Mask. I was pleasantly surprised that this pink clay mask did not dry out my skin as most clay masks do. The directions calls for the mask to be left on for 5-10 minutes. I really like how quickly this mask worked. After the 10 minutes of the mask being on it draws out imperfections.
I’m on the fence in regards to repurchasing. I really liked the mask, but I’m currently on a mask overload with my collection. I may purchase the full size in the future.
Dr.Jart Water Fuse Hydro Sleeping Mask (MIDDLE)
Click the link for the full review! The full size retails for $48 for 1.7 ounces. I love this sleeping mask and picked up a full size a few months back when Sephora had it on sale for $29 during one of the their weekly wow specials.
Fresh Umbrian Clay Purifying Mask (END)
Price: $23 for 1oz
This mask is super drying! As per the directions, it’s to be left on for 3-5 minutes. The mask is a little difficult to remove without the aid of an soaking wet wash cloth. After removing the mask I noticed my felt would often feel dry. I guess that is to be expected as it is a clay mask. Every time I used this mask I followed up with a hydrating sheet mask. This lead me to use the Umbrian clay less frequent. The 1 oz size lasted a decent amount of time. I don’t plan on purchasing this mask again.
Moisturizers
Belif True Cream
Price: varies by size SIZE: 0.84 oz/ 25 mL for $22 or SIZE: 1.68 oz/ 50 mL $38
In the past I used and loved the Belif -The True Cream -Aquabomb. That formula is water based moisturizer intended for those like myself that have have normal, oily and combination skin types. I absolutely love that formula. I was a bit surprised that I would actually enjoy the Belif True Cream as the formula is richer and intended for those who have drier skin types. I really enjoyed used this during my night time routines after using actives/acids.
The Belif True Cream kept my skin hydrated and super smooth. Now that the weather is warming up, I know that this formula would be too heavy to use. Therefore, I’m going to hold off on purchasing it. But as soon the temperatures drops in the fall I plan on purchasing another mini size.
Tatcha Water Cream
Click the link for the full review! The mini size retails for $20 for the 5ml size. I typically would only this moisturizer the day time hours as the formula is very much on the light side. The Tatcha Water Cream is one of my favorite moisturizers ever. I compare every single water cream and gel moisturizer to it. Every other moisturizer that has come close retails around the same full price range around $60.
Biossance Squalane + Probiotic Gel Moisturizer
Price: $52 for 50ml or $16 for 10ml
I had this sample for a while and I really enjoyed using it! I figured I would enjoy using this particular Biossance moisturizer as it’s a gel based formula. My skin type is normal to oily and I’ve found gel textures to work best for my skin. I enjoyed using this gel moisturizer during my morning routine. I like that it provided a significant level of moisture but didn’t leave my skin looking too dewy or greasy.
I would consider purchasing this in the travel size or the full size. I love that Biossance products contain Squalane oil. I love their Squalane oil and wrote a full post on it (click here). Check out that post to see why I love using products that contain Squalane oil.
Eyes, Serums and Etc
Youth to the People Superfood Antioxidant Cleanser
Price: 2oz for $10.00
This mini cleanser may be the longest last mini I ever owned!. I can’t rave enough about this cleanser. The green food cleanser smells like a fresh green salad. The scent is not too overpowering and I actually enjoy it. I find it to smell more on the fresh side.
The superfood cleanser is a balance cleanser meant for all skin types. I have normal to oily skin. I love that the cleanser provided a deep clean, but I don’t find it to be over drying. The gel texture of the cleanser provides a low lather. I would typically use this cleanser with my Foreo cleansing device.
I would typically use it multiple times a week (2-3x), but not everyday. Someone asked why I didn’t use it everyday and to sum it up- I rotate through multiple cleansers daily. I found the superfood cleanser to provide a deep clean that I don’t think is necessary for my skin on a daily basis. I really enjoyed this cleanser and I fully intend on purchasing the full size in the future! The full size retails for $36 for 8oz.
LeDew Baby Smooth Hyaluronic Acid Serum
Price: .67 fl oz for $24
Click the link for the full post review! I love this serum and I definitely planning on purchasing it in the future. I purchased this bottle during a Black Friday sale in November and this bottle lasted me until April. I typically used it 1-2x per day.
Dr. Jart UV Sun Fluid Broad Spectrum SPF 30
This was one of my favorite sun screens that I ever used! The formula is light weight, absorbed well and most importantly it never left a white cast. Unfortunately, I believe Dr. Jart discontinued this sunscreen. I’ve been unable to locate it on the Dr.Jart website or from any big beauty sites. I prefer not to purchase to from Amazon or eBay due to the risk of purchasing a fake or expired product.
Purity Made Simple Hydra-Bounce Eye Gel
Reviewing sample size (Full Size Price: 0.5oz for $24.00)
I thought this eye gel to be pretty mediocre. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. It’s not an eye cream/gel that I would purchase in the future. I found it okay at hydrating. It didn't do much for the eye area, at least for me.
The Sephora Collection Lip Balm -Coconut
This is one my favorite my lip balms! The coconut flavor is my favorite. The balm is hydrating and smells great. The best thing about it is it’s only $6! I will definitely repurchase this balm - but only in the coconut flavor.
Hair
Amika Soul Food Nourishing Mask
Price: $12 for 2 oz.
This 2oz bottle provided me so many applications! I was a bit skeptical prior to trying this hair mask as its heavily scented. The mask smells like perfume. In my experience, extremely scented hair products usually would indicate that it includes a lot of fragrance; thus leading to it being drying. BUT I didn’t experience that with the Amika Soul Food Mask. I found this mask to keep my hair hydrated and soft. It also made aided in the process of detangling my hair (naturally curly-coily). The directions calls for the mask to be applied and left on for 5-7 minutes. I typically applied the hair mask and sat under my hair steamer for about 10 minutes.
The Amika mask contains some unique ingredients such as:
-Jojoba Seed Oil: Strengthens hair.
-Asorbic Acid (Vitamin C): Assists in hair growth, repair, and the reduction of free radicals.
-Panthenol: Restores hair’s resilience, protecting against breakage, strengthening, smoothing, and reducing split ends.
-Sea Buckthorn Berry (Obliphica): Protects, hydrates, and nourishes hair.
The million dollar question.. would I repurchase it? Yes, I would! This would be great for travel for the size and I imagine it would be great to combat saltwater and chlorine while on vacation.
Ouai Treatment Mask
Price: $32 for 3.4 oz
I received a small travel size in a kit that I received a few months back. The mask is lightly scented and smells pleasant. The mask is described as a restorative healing mask. I found the mask to be quite thin in texture. This 1 oz. mask was only able to provide me with 1 application. I found the hydration level to be okay, but not enough for my hair. Therefore, I will not be purchasing this in the full size.