September '21 Empties
During the month of September I did a pretty good job with finishing a lot of my open hair care products. The one product that I’m sad that I finished was the Amika Nice Cream. Unfortunately, it has been discountined for the moment to be reformualted. For the next few months I definitely want to work on finishing up a lot of my opened travel size perfumes. What are some of the products in your routine that you’re looking to finish up?
Face Care Empties
Kat Burki Vitamin C Nourishing Cleansing Balm
Price: $65 for 2oz
This may be one of the most expensive cleansing balms that I’ve had the chance to try. The glass and silver packaging really gives a luxe aesthetic. But as for the performance, this is a product I did not enjoy using. The balm is almost like a jelly pudding texture. First, I don’t think it worked well to remove heavy eye makeup for me. It took me some time of rubbing it into my skin before it really removed my makeup. Second, after removing the cleansing balm, I would often feel a film/oily residue on my skin. After several uses I stopped using it on my face and ended up using it on my body as shaving cream/balm.
Alpha-H Hyaluronic 8 Super Serum
Price: $62 for 1oz
I always thought all Hyaluronic serums were the same. In reality some are have very thin consistencies and others are thicker. The Alpha H HA is a very thin watery hyaluronic acid. I found that it paired well my other serums because of the consistency. The Super 8 serum is formulated with 8 anti aging ingredients including PrimalHyal Ultrafiller. This is described as a topical hyaluronic acid that performs like a dermal filler. I like that hyaluronic acid also contains ingredients like Lumicease and Pollushield, which protect the skin against blue lights and air pollution. Overall, I like the hyaluronic acid and think that it hydrates well butt other than that I didn’t notice much a difference using it. I don’t think it offered me much of a plumping effect. For these reasons I wouldn’t personally repurchase it.
Supergoop Play Everyday Lotion SPF 50
Price: $32 for 5.5oz
I have a bunch of reviews on The Supergoop Play Lotion and this one initially took me by surprised. I found the texture of this spf to be like a medium weight lotion. It absorbed into my skin well and provided a nice level of glow. I do think this sunscreen would’ve been better suited for my normal-oily skin during the cooler and drier months. The Supergoop Play is definitely a sunscreen I would repurchase in the future.
Body Care & Etc. Empties
Osea Salts of the Earth Scrub Body Scrub
Price: $42 for 12oz
The Osea Salts of the Earth Body Scrub is formulated with Himalayan Pink Salts, Algae, rose salt and various oils. The overall texture of the scrub feels very soft and has pink salt pieces in it. I enjoyed using this on damp skin when I was looking for a light level of exfoliation. When I needed a deeper level of exfoliation I would actually apply it to dry skin prior to getting in the shower. Both methods left my skin exfoliated and feeling super soft. This is definitely one I would recommend!
Price: $48 for 7oz
Key Notes: Crushed Coconut, Amber, Vanilla-Infused Musk
This Nest 1 wick candle smells so good. It was such a nice mixture of being lightly sweet with a hint of freshness. I love how evenly and well the Nest candles burns. The coconut and palm was such a great summer scent if you don’t want something that’s overly sweet. Also can’t forget the beautiful vessel that I will be upcycling.
Price: $32 for 16 oz
The Ouai hand soap smells amazing and fresh (dean street scent). This is an exfoliating hand soap that is formulated with jojoba esters. If you’re familiar with their scalp scrub, this feels slightly gritty and almost like it. I absolutely loved the light gritty feeling and how well it cleansed my hands without drying them out. This 16oz size lasted so long in my bathroom. This price is a little higher than a typical hand soap, but using it really gave me luxe vibes. I would definitely repurchase this one!
Hair Care Empties
Price: $57 for 7.8 oz
This may be one of the thickest hair masks that I’ve used! The honey infused scent smells so good and is not overpowering. As for the overall performance, this mask works exceptionally well for my curly dry hair! I’ve tried masking with it for various times. Whether, I used it for 10 minutes or 2 hours, my hair was left super soft and moisturized. My only con is the price! I go through hair masks pretty quickly and I tend to use a lot of product at a time. I found myself sparingly using it 1-2x a month and with that usage it lasted me about a year. I don’t think I could see myself spending this much on a hair mask when I go through them pretty quickly and for the fact that I found some great drugstore options that are a fraction of the cost. If you’re looking to treat yourself with something from the Gisou line, this would be my number one product pick!
Gisou Honey Infused Conditioner
Price: $34 for 8.1 oz
The Gisou Conditioner is described as a nourishing hair conditioner that deeply moisturizes. The first thing I noticed when using the conditioner was how thin the formula was. Because of the reason I felt like I had to use more product for each application. The overall conditioner smells nice and it provides an okay level of conditioning for my hair. But I do not think this is worth the price for my hair type and needs.
Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Coconut Oil Micro-exfoliating Scalp Scrub Shampoo
Price: $42 for 8oz
The Briogeo Scalp revival charcoal shampoo is an exfoliating shampoo scrub. It’s pretty much marketed as being great for all hair types. I tried to use this with every other hair wash as a detoxifying/clarifying shampoo. As someone with super dry hair, I’m pretty reluctant when it comes to hair products that claim to exfoliate as they can be super drying to my hair. I found that this shampoo did not tangle my hair, it cleansed my scalp and the length of hair well without over drying it. This shampoo is pretty a staple in my collection at this point and will continue to repurchase!
Amika Nice Cream
Discontinued: Price: $22 for 8.45oz
As I previously mentioned, the Nice Cream has been discontinued and I’m super sad about this. The Nice Cream is a cleansing conditioner. This means you could use this alone as a co-wash to cleanse your scalp and hair or use it after a traditional shampoo or conditioner. As the name states, it’s a cream that does not lather. I typically wash my hair once a week and I loved using this as a second cleanser. I typically would wash my hair with a regular shampoo and then follow-up with the nice cream. I love how moisturizing the formula was. The Nice Cream allowed me to thoroughly double cleanse my hair without stripping to be squeaky clean, which I love. I really hope the new reformulated version is just as good or even better than the original version. Until then I’ll be sparingly using a mini travel size of the Nice Cream that I have left.
Briogeo B. Well Organic + Cold Pressed Castor Oil
Price: $26 for 1.5 oz
The Briogeo Castor Oil is described as a natural humectant and rich in vitamin E. I enjoyed using this oil for my hair. The pump makes it very convenient to use. I do find it’s pretty pricey for castor oil compared to other brands that I’ve tried.