Beauty and Etc.

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April '23 Empties

Another month and another round of Empties! Out of all of the Empties from this month, my favorite has to be the Tatcha Violent C face mask! As for repurchases, I’ve already repurchased the Shiseido facial cotton squares and the Necessaire eucalyptus natural deodorant.


Face Empties

Typology - 7-Ingredient Micellar Water

Price: $19.10 for 6.76 oz.

I typically like to use a Micellar water during my morning routines when I don’t need to a full on cleansing. I apply a little to a cotton pad and massage it into my face. I loved that the 7 Ingredient Micellar Water was very gentle. It did a great job at cleansing my skin without over drying it. The micellar water itself always felt really light on my skin and never left behind a residue or film. In fact after cleansing with it my face always felt cleaner, softer and more hydrated! I can’t speak on how it performed in terms of removing makeup, since I didn’t use it for those purposes. But I do think this micellar water performed well in terms of refreshing my skin and removing excess sebum. This is a product that will definitely be missed from my everyday routine.


Cerave Hydrating Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm

Price: $12.99 for 1.3oz

I love so many of the cleansers from Cerave, so I was happy to see that they expanded their line to include a cleansing balm. It’s formulated with key ingredients like jojoba oil and ceramides to help breakdown makeup and to help keep the skin moisturized at the same time. Unlike other cleansing balms that I’ve tried, this one is more on the thicker side. It’s marketed as a makeup cleansing balm and I used more for makeup days. A little went a long way to help breakdown stubborn eye makeup and multiple layers of sunscreen. This is definitely one of those cleansing balms that you have to follow-up with a second step cleanser, which I didn’t mind since I always double cleanse at night. I really enjoyed this one and it’s great drugstore and travel size option – especially since it is a balm!


Agency Cloud Care Cream Oil Cleanser
Price: unknown- trial size

I really enjoyed using this cleanser. I received it with my prescription order from Agency Skincare. I wasn’t sure what to expect - but this really exceeded my expectations. The texture of the cleanser is almost like a fluid liquid balm. I used this for various routines - but I especially enjoyed it for morning cleansing. The Cream Oil Cleanser does a great job at cleansing the skin and breaking down makeup. Being that I found it very moisturizing and nourishing for me skin, I reached for it more during my morning routines during the winter months.

Glow Recipe - Strawberry Smooth BHA + AHA Salicylic Acid Serum

Price: $42 for 1oz

The Strawberry Smooth Serum is formulated with 2% Salicylic Acid, 1% AHA Blend and Strawberries. This combination aims to gently smooth the skin and help with the appearance of breakouts and refine the pores! I used this serum in my routine 1-2x a week. Being that I’m on Tretinoin, I’ve had to scale back on using extremely potent exfoliating products. I found this one to feel gentle on my skin but it worked so well. While using this in my routine I noticed less breakouts. This is a serum that I plan on keeping in my routine.

Glow Recipe Watermelon Ultra Fine Mist

Price: $29 for 2.5oz

Previously Reviewed: May’21 Empties

I absolutely love this face mist from Glow Recipe and could easily rank this as being in my top 5 favorite face mists of all time! I love how fine the mist is and how hydrating the formula is. I typically used this as a skincare product -instead of in my makeup routine. However, the fine mist makes it perfect for a refreshing your skin during different makeup steps.


Tatcha Violet-C Radiance Mask

Price: $70 for 1.7oz

Previously Reviewed: August’21 Empties

The Violet C radiance mask is a Kaolin clay base mask that incorporates Vitamin C (via vitamin c derivatives) and AHA’s (derived from mild fruits). The mask itself has a purple hue and why it has the name of Violet in the title. It’s basically like a gentle clay mask that brightens the skin. I love that this one doesn’t fully dry down and it doesn’t leave my skin feeling tight or dry after it’s been removed. I typically used it 1x every 2 weeks and I really loved using it. My only con is the price. I do wish it was priced a little lower- but a little goes a long way with this one! It’s one I will definitely miss using!


Bodycare Empties

Trader Joe’s Brazil Nut Body Butter

Price: $6 for 8oz

Last summer the Trader Joe’s Brazilian Nut body butter was such a hot commodity. It was coined as the dupe to the Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, but just as a fraction if the price!

Being that I’ve tried both, I can definitely say I prefer the Trader Joe’s version more for quite a few reasons. The scent is pretty identical, but the TJ’s version of the cream seems to be a little thicker than the Sol one with a lighter scent. The TJ’s Body Butter provides a more lasting hydration to the skin. When using it my skin felt thoroughly nourished for hours on end. When using the Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Cream it felt like it just sat on top of my skin and only provided a light level of hydration. I know the Trader Joe’s version is a seasonal item, so if you see it in the upcoming months, try to stock up. As for the Sol body creams, the Bum Bum version is my least favorite. If you want one with superior moisturizing levels, try the Beija Flor Cream !

Necessaire Deodorant – The Deodorant Gel 

Price: $15 for 1.7oz

Previously Reviewed:  Top 10 Products of 2022 |

At this point a I’ve repurchased the Necessaire The Gel Deodorant quite a few times! Finding a natural deodorant that works all day can be so difficult, but I’ve put this one to the test through all seasons and it’s always worked so well. I always purchase the Eucalyptus scent and it also comes in a fragrance free option. Through my experience of only wearing natural deodorant for the past 4+ years, I notice that scents that are more earthy and not too sweet tends to hold up when sweating and odors.

I really hope Necessaire expands the deodorant scents to include their sandalwood scent. While using this deodorant I haven’t experienced any type of discoloration or sensitivity. In fact since using the Necessaire deodorant my underarms look more even toned – which is likely due to the incorporation of the Mandelic Acid and Niacinamide

Taos Aer Deodorant

Previously Reviewed – July’21 Empties

Price: $15 for travel size

I previously reviewed and loved the Taos Aer deodorant, but over the past few months of use I found that it didn’t agree with my skin. It made my skin super sensitive and discolored- almost like a chemical burn, but not so intense. I also noticed that it didn’t have the lasting power compared to the other natural deodorants that I’ve recently tried out. Unfortunately, this one no longer works for me. I also think the deodorant and company has been dissolved.


Sol de Janeiro Coco Cabana Cream

Price: Unknown- gift with purchase size

Fragrance Notes: TOP: Coconut Cream, MID: Warm Vanilla, Tropical Orchid, DRY: Creamy Sandalwood, Toasted Praline

The coco cabana was the first scent that made me fall for Sol! When they initially launched the scent it smelled more like sweet toasted popcorn. Shortly after that they changed the scent and it more so reflects the scent notes listed above. As for the cream, I found this one to be pretty moisturizing and the scent lingered for such a nice length of time. I recently found out that the Coco Cabana Mist has been discontinued. I don’t know if that means the body cream will always be discontinued, but it saddens me to hear this as I found the scent to really stand out compared to this other scents from the Sol collection. It looks like the cream is still available on the Sol site.


Misc. Empties

Ouai Mini Melrose Perfume - Travel Size

Price: $26 for 0.34oz

Keynotes: Fresh Florals- Champagne, Bergamot, and Rose

The Ouai Melrose Place has such a special place in my Rose Fragrance Collection. I would classify this as more of a Fresh Rose and one that can be worn all year round. I originally purchased this mini some time last year, but used it sparingly until I was able to purchase the full size.

This mini was such a perfect size to throw in my bags and reapply on the go! Being that this is more of fresh Rose scent the longevity of the scent isn’t the longest, but it’s still decent. I probably wouldn’t purchase another mini anytime soon as I already purchased the full size of Melrose Place, but I’m tempted since it would be nice to a have a travel size to touch up during the day and when traveling.


Shiseido Facial Cotton

Price: $13 for 165 squares

I’ve been using these on and off for several years! I try to purchase them when I find them on sale in stores like Marshalls / TJ Maxx. I know the regular retail price of these can be a little off putting. But I honestly feel like these cotton squares work so well, so I’ll never stop purchasing them. First, these cotton squares are of a pretty decent size with a decent amount of thickness. I can use one cotton square front and back to cover my face and neck.

What I really love about them is how soft they are! They always feel so gentle on my skin and the same time I feel like they perform so well to pick up dirt and sebum when I use them with toners! If you’re able to find them on sale, I highly recommend giving them a shot. But just know once you start using them, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll go back to the scratchy ones at the drugstore!


The 125 Collection - The Lipbar Candle

Price: $38 for 12oz

I received this candle in gift bag from the Lip Bar and the scent blend is Lavender + Sage. I really like the all black aesthetic of the candles- even the wax was black! I burned this candle for hours on ends for a few months and it burned so well and very evenly! As for the scent, I found it very relaxing and comforting. It had a really nice throw that wasn’t overwhelming. So many of the candles from the brand has fun messages on the label and really nice scent blends, so I’m hoping to check out more of their candles in the future.


Monthly Empties Total: $286


May Blog Giveaway

HOW TO ENTER:

  • Subscribe to my Newsletter listed below (don’t forget to add in your Instagram name so I can contact you).

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Rules:

+ The Giveaway is open from now until Thursday 5/11/2023 and is open to those that reside in the USA and Canada

 + The winner will be announced via my IG stories

This Month’s Giveaway Prize is everything featured in the giveaway picture

+ and of course I’ll be throwing in some extras