February + March '26 Empties
There’s something oddly satisfying about reaching the end of a product—like a tiny victory that says, *yes, I actually used this*. February and March were a mix of cold-weather comfort staples, a few surprise standouts, and, of course, some products I was more than ready to see the last of.
So let’s get into the empties—what I loved, what I’d repurchase, and what I’m leaving behind without a second thought. And with every post I like to give back to my community, so be sure to check out the full post for a nice surprise at the end!
Skincare Empties
Rael Purifying Twist Up Cleansing Balm
Price: $18.99 for 1.69oz
The Rael Purifying Cleansing Balm is formulated with Heartleaf Extract, Cherry Blossom Extract, and Rice Bran. The formula combination helps to soothe and protect the skin. As with most cleansing balms the Rael formula helps to melt away makeup, sunscreen, and excess oil. Something interesting about the Rael Cleansing Balm is it has a twist-up features that dispenses as little or however much that you want by twisting the twist-top design. Most cleansing balms requires the products to be scooped up with your fingers/spatula, but the Rael has somewhat of airless design.
Performance wise, the product works great! The balm is dispensed with a really good consistency, and I didn’t feel like it needed to breakdown the balm prior to applying it my face. It worked well to seamlessly remove my stubborn makeup, which usually consists of like 3 coats of mascara all whilst being gentle on my skin. I used the product pretty much every night and I would say that this jar lasted me about 2 months, maybe longer. I’m really happy that I have a backup of this one, because I really enjoyed using it!
Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water
Price: $4.99 for 3.4oz
The Garnier Micellar Water was one of the first formulas' that I tried and instantly fell in love with it! I can really feel the difference with this particular formula as its formulated with Hyaluronic Acid and Aloe. The formula feels gentler on my skin along with it leaving my skin feeling feel smooth and soft. Even though this new formula appears to have a more gentler on the skin, I feel like it works just as well as other versions. The micellar water works well to breakdown stubborn makeup - especially with eye makeup. I also love that this formula wipes away clean. If you’re on the hunt for a micellar water at a drugstore price point, I highly recommend this one!
Tower 28 Daily Rescue Facial Spray
Price: $28 for 4oz
The Daily Rescue Facial Spray is said to reduce redness and soothe stressed skin. Hypochlorous is naturally produced by the body's immune system, it's anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties help defend your skin from harmful bacteria, reduce redness, and soothe irritation. I’ve been using the Daily Rescue Facial Spray on and off for years. When I initially started using the face mist I viewed as a regular face mist. I thought it would be good for hydrating and I was slightly aware of the benefits of Hypochlorous acid.
For the past 2-3 months I’ve been dealing with what seems to Perorial Dermatitis. While conducting my research on how to care for this condition, The Tower 28 spray came up frequently. I started using this spray in both my morning and evening skincare routines immediately after washing my face. I used a generous amount with each application and with that I saw a significant change. The redness and discomfort that I was feeling started to diminish and I love that spray provided an extra layer of moisture. It’s hard time to say if the Tower 28 version is better than other brands, but I do feel like with this particular formula I started to feel more of a relief quicker. Since finishing this bottle I opened a back up in my stash. I also decided to pick up another popular brand, so be on the lookout for a future comparison post!
Price: $63 for 5.07oz
I’m unsure of the current status of this face mist and if it’s still in production. The Hibiscus Tea Glow Mist is bio-phase formula that combines Raspberry Seed Oil and other skin nurturing ingredients. The mist is activated by shaking it, which helps to combine the ingredients together. I really loved how moisturizing this mist was. I used it as more of a toner, so after washing my face. I also used in between steps in my skincare routine if I felt like my skin needs more moisture. I really enjoyed this mist and hopefully it’s a product that will be returning back to the Byroe line up.
Prequel Universal Skin Facial Solution Hypochlorous Acid Spray
Price: $16.99 for 4oz
The Prequel Hypochlorous Acid Spray serves as superoxidized solution that’s formulated with hypochlorous acid, electrolyzed water, and soothing mineral concentrate, which aims to calm and alleviate reactive/sensitive skin. I was initially using this as a regular mist for a few months. Then about 2 months ago I noticed what appeared to be Perioral Dermatitis on my face and I thought this would be a good product to use on it. Hypochlorous Acid is meant to be applied clean skin and its supposed to completely dry before applying any other products over top. I noticed when I started using this Prequel Hypochlorous Acid Spray this way, it helped to alleviate the redness I was dealing with along with helping to soothe my skin. I kept my spray in my bathroom, and it was the first product I reached for immediately after cleansing my face in the morning and night. Hypochlorous Acid is said to mimic the body’s natural immune response, and it acts as a barrier to affected areas.
If you have PD, or any other skin issues on your face or body, it’s worth checking out Prequel mist! The price point and size is really reasonable compared to other options that are available!
Lancome UV Expert Supra Screen Invisible Sunscreen Serum SPF 50+
Price: $50 for 1.7oz
Definitely one of the pricier sunscreens that I’ve tried, but I was pleasantly surprised by the formula and how it felt on my skin! This Lancome sunscreen is the first sunscreen that has the efficacy of an anti-aging serum! The formula claims to be proven to help with photo-aging: dark spots, wrinkles, fine lines, brightness, tone evenness & smoothness. Being that this is a chemical-based sunscreen, there’s no issues with a white cast being left on the skin. The sunscreen itself has a milky consistency. It feels really light on the skin, but at the same time it provided a nice level of moisture for my combo skin (normal -oily). I typically wore this sunscreen without the need to wear a moisturizer underneath, making it great as it helped to streamline my routine. I also really liked how this sunscreen wore on my skin and also happy to say I had no issues with it pilling or disrupting my makeup. The only con I was say is the price but being that its sold at Ulta and they’re always having sales, it could easily be purchased they’re for a reasonable price! I often see it on sale at Ulta for a really good, discounted price.
Omorovicza Soothing Salve
Price: $125 for 1.7oz
The Soothing Salve is aimed to instantly soothe the skin, help with redness, and to help strength the barrier of the skin. I initially started using it as a moisturizer for my night routines during the winter. I found that the thicker texture did a great job to moisturizer my skin and lock it in. A few months ago I had to make some changes in my routine due to Perioral Dermatitis and I thought this would be great for my routines. It really helped to the keep the area moisturized and help soothe my skin as it was feeling irritated. It was also nice to see that formula does not contain niacinamide, as I’m trying to eliminate this ingredient from my routine. I do think this moisturizer is really expensive. Being that the texture is a little thicker and I only used it at night, I felt like this salve lasted a decent amount of time!
Use code Toni to save on your Dermstore orders!
Farmacy 10% Niacinamide Night Mask
Price: $45 for 1.7oz
The Farmacy Niacinamide Mask is a leave-on overnight mask that that aims to soothe the skin along with improve the skin texture, refine pores, and support the barrier of the skin. One of ingredients that always stood out to me regarding this treatment is the inclusion of Panthenol, which is known to help aid in barrier support. The texture of the treatment is also like a thicker water cream. It easily spreads on the skin, so yes, a little product truly goes a long way.
Being that the mask is advertised as an overnight treatment, that’s how I always used it. But being that this doesn’t have the typical strong actives, I think this can certainly be used during the day without disrupting over products in your routine. As I mentioned, I used this mask at night, and I always could feel a difference the next morning with my skin looking and feeling smoother.
Being that the mask has great ingredients that supports barrier support, I often used it in my Tretinoin night routine. When using it in this manner I noticed that the treatment really helped to offset some of the side effects I would often get from Tretinoin ( i.e. dry, peeling skin, skin sensitivity).
I really enjoyed this mask and saw great results while using it. A few months ago I decided to scale back my routine and ingredients and one of the ingredients I’ve decided to eliminate is Niacinamide. Being that this is a major feature of the mask and it’s included at a higher percentage, I had to stop using the Niacinamide Night Mask. If you don’t have a sensitivity to Niacinamide, I highly recommend giving this one a try!!
Makeup Empties
Urban Decay Mini All Nighter Waterproof Natural Finish Setting Spray with 24HR Wear
Price: $18 for 1.0 oz
The Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray has been around for a while, and I think it’s one of the first setting sprays that I’ve tried! I’ve used on an off since then and it’s always been a formula that I’ve enjoyed! I find that the bottles last me a while since I really don’t need to spray a lot for it to lock in my makeup. In comparison to other setting sprays that I’ve tried I’m happy to say that it doesn’t leave my skin feeling sticky/tacky, it’s long wearing, and I think it does a great job with keeping my makeup in place. Right now, I’m currently testing out the All Nighter Hyaluronic Acid Dewy Setting Spray, and I plan to do a follow-up as to how the two formulas compare.
Previously Reviewed: April’25 Empties
Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara
Price: $13.99
Prior to trying out this mascara, I wasn’t really seeking out mascaras from Maybelline, but this one really changed my mind. The Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara is described to give full volume and length. The formula includes bamboo extract, which my guess is to nourish and strengthen the lashes. I really love the mascara wand for the Sky High mascara. The wand has a silicone like feel to it with bristles that range from short to long. The wand also has some flexibility to it, and it can be felt during the application. As with many mascaras, the formula can be very wet and a little messy upon opening it, but this usually subsides as the formula dries out a bit.
There’s something about this brown shade that I absolutely loved. I feel like the mascara did a great job to make my lashes look longer and it provided a nice level of volume. Overall, I really loved how this mascara made my lashes look – especially as the formula dried out a bit. I love that this mascara comes in so many fun shades and I already have a few others in my current rotation.
Price: $28
The Charlotte Tilbury Brow Cheat is a micro precision brow pencils that helps to mimic tiny brow hairs. The pencil has a waxy texture, but goes one extremely smooth. I’ve been using this brow pencil on and off for a few years, but I always find myself coming back to it. It’s likely due to how long the formula lasts. I have pretty oily skin, especially near my forehead, and I find that the formula is very long lasting. I do appreciate that the pencil is available in so many shades, but I tend to stick with shade dark brown.
One side has the brow pencil and the other side has a spoolie to help diffuse product and comb out the brows. The pencil side is actually refillable and I used to buy the refills all the time. I’m not sure what happened, but they’re no longer sold at sephora. The refills have also been out of stock on the CT site and I’m not sure if they’re going to bring them back. In the meantime, I plan to keep using this the backups I have. I would also like to find a brow pencil at a drugstore price point, so if you know of one that is similar, please let me know in the comments!
Ami Cole Lip Treatment Oil (discontinued)
Price: $20
This is the product that made me fall in love with the brand Ami Cole. The shade Excellence can be described as light brown nude-ish shade. I really loved the shade on it’s own and I also loved pairing it with different brown lip liners. I really liked the thicker texture of the gloss and I think it really made it feel like a true lip treatment. Unfortunately Ami Cole is no longer in production and its one of the reasons I stocked up on a few of these prior to company going out of business.
Bodycare Empties
Dove Hydration Boost Serum Body Wash Drenches Dry Skin with 6% Hydrating Serum with Hyaluronic Acid
Price: $11.19 for 18.5oz
The Dove body wash is said to instantly hydrate the skin as it’s formulated with hyaluronic acid and squalene. Upon opening this body wash I didn’t see any reviews on it, but I did take notice that the formula contained hyaluronic acid. I’m aware of the benefits of HA and thought this body wash would be a good addition into my winter skincare routine and I was correct!
The Dove Hydration Boost Serum body wash really lives up to its claims. The body wash has a creamy texture, but when emulsified with water it lathered up really well. Being that it lathered really nice and made the shower experience feel somewhat luxe. The body wash worked well in terms of cleansing my body as well as leaving my skin feeling moisturized. Scent wise, the Fresh Jasmine Bloom was really nice. I would described it as a fresh, and slightly sweet floral scent. I really think this is worth checking out.
Beekman 1802 Milkshake Moisture Mist for Body
Price: $29 for 2.1oz
I feel like this is my 3rd bottle of the body Milkshake Moisture Mists that I’ve finished. I found the coconut cream scent to be warm and very inviting. As mentioned in my previous reviews, I love the spray applicator and I think it does a great job at dispensing the product and I find it to be really hydrating. I’m not sure if I’ll repurchase this scent again, since I’m absolutely smitten with their cherry one, but I do know this is a product I will be repurchasing again in general.
Previous Review: Top 10 Products of 2025
Price: $52 for 5.1 oz
I feel like I may have used this body serum in the past, but may have forgotten to report back. The Body Serum is a hydrating treatment for the body that is formulated with Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide, Ceramide. The formula is also fragrance free, which is great for those that are sensitive to scents. I typically used the serum right after showering on damp skin. I typically used the serum during the winter months and followed-up with a moisturizer. This combination really helped to add in extra moisture. On some occasions, I used the serum on its own, but felt like my skin needed more. But I do think this would be great to use on its own during the summer months when my skin doesn’t need as much moisture and there’s more moisture in the air. For what it is, I do think the product is on the pricier side. There’s several products from the Necessaire line that I truly love, but I would like skip on repurchasing this one unless it was on sale.
Handcare Empties
Price: $10 for 1oz
The Touchland hand sanitizers have been a staple in my routine and in my handbags for several years now! I appreciate the fact that the package has a spray applicator. In several situations that spray applicator came in handy when I wanted to sanitize handles, carriages and such. I find the scents to be interesting including this mango passion scent from their smiley collab. I use these sanitizers and spray them liberally and I find they last a decent amount of time!
Origins Handcream - Light Rose
Price: $20 for 2.5oz
This was a hand cream that really surprised me. First, I wasn’t aware of Origins getting into more of the bodycare ralem. The hand cream is said to be a sensorial blend to help hydrate and soften dry hands. The quality of this hand cream was so good! The cream moisturized well and always left my hands feeling super soft. The light rose scent was pleasant without being overbearing.
Price: $34 for 5.1oz
In my previous blog post I quoted this as the best hand creams and I still stick beside this! Also reflecting back on that review, I can see that this hand cream used to be $2 less just a year ago! I still very much love this hand cream and it’s a staple in my routine during the winter months when my hands are dry and cracking.
Previous Review: March ‘2025 Empties
Price: $55 for 1.8oz
The Le Labo hand pomade aka hand cream has a nice rich consistency that quickly moisturizers and absorbs in the skin. I appreciated how well it moisturized my hands without making them feel greasy. I’ve had this hand cream for so many years and it’s finally come to an end. While I had the hand cream I’ve rotated from using it in my handbags, leaving it in my work bag along with using at different seasons throughout the year.
I really loved the Hinoki scent of the cream. It’s an earthy scent that I’ve always found to be sultry, sexy side. If you don’t enjoy this scent, there’s a good chance you will not enjoy this hand cream as the fragrance profile of it is pretty high. I enjoyed using the hand cream, but since I’ve finished this tube the price has seem to go up, so I likely will not be repurchasing anytime soon.
Fragrance Empty
Price: $99 for 1.7oz
Hands down, the Missing Person fragrance is my favorite Phlur scent, so it’s not surprising that I would actually go through a full-size bottle at a decent rate – even with having an extensive fragrance collection.
As someone who loves skin scents, I found Missing Person to be such a perfect scent for me. I enjoyed wearing on its own along with other Phlur scents. With this being a skin scent, I easily wore this daily, for various occasions, and different seasons. In my current rotation, I’m still using the Missing Person Body Oil, and I have a travel size of the fragrance. I also have a backup of a full size of the Missing Perfume that’s also ready to go.
Scent Notes:
Top: Skin Musk, Bergamot Nectar, Sheer Jasmine
Heart: Fresh Cyclamen, Neroli Blossom, Orange Flower
Base: Sandalwood Australia Oil, Blonde Wood, White Musk
Previous Post: Top 10 Beauty Products of 2024
Haircare Empties
Briogeo Superfoods Avocado Leave in Conditioner
Price: $25 for 5.8oz
The Briogeo Avocado + Kiwi line has to be one of favorites. In the past I’ve used the hair mask, Mega Moisture Hair Mask , from the line and loved it! I really liked that I was able to use this leave-in multiple ways. I used it as a tradition leave-in prior to blow drying my hair. It helped to provide moisture and detangle. I also used the spray to refresh my curls throughout the week. With this leave-in the formula is on the lighter side, but I found it easy to just add more product when needed. As much as I enjoyed it, I can’t say I’ll be rushing to repurchase this very soon. It mostly due to the fact that I have other products in my collection and I think they work just a little better.
Innersense Organic Beauty - Sweet Spirit Leave In Conditioner
Price: $10 for 2oz
The Innersense Leave-in Conditioner is described as a light-weight detangling spray to moisture and hydrate the hair. This is a brand that seems to be really popular within the curly hair community - especially with this product!
I really like this has a spray applicator. It did a pretty good job at distributing the product. I also noticed that the product feels on the lighter side. I think the product did a great job at detangling my hair along with providing extra moisture to my hair - even with the texture feeling lighter than what I’m used to. I really noticed a difference when using this product in my routine! It helped to moisturize, add shine, and detangle my hair well. I think I’ll be repurchasing this again in the future!
Curls Blueberry Bliss Control Paste
Price: $9.14 for 4oz
Previously Reviewed: March + April ‘24 Empties
My thoughts on the Bliss Control Paste has remained the same. I still love this curl pomade for slicking my hair back. The fact that it adds moisture to my hair and doesn’t flake keeps me coming back to it!
Josie Maran 100% Pure Organic Argan Oil
Price: $22 for 0.5oz
Not quite sure which category Josie Maran would label their Argan oil, but being that I mostly used the oil on my hair, I’ll categorize it as such. I found this oil to be a nice middle ground oil in terms of moisture and weight. I like that this oil did well to lock into moisture into my hair without weighing it down. I really enjoyed using this oil. I also appreciate the fact that JM sells a refill to this, so the glass bottle can easily be reused!
DPHue Gloss+ [Dark Brown Shade}
Price: $39 for 6.5oz
The DPHue is a semi-permanent deep conditioning formula that helps deposits color into the hair that claims to last for up to 8 washes. The treatment is to be used after washing the hair and applied to damp hair. The color treatment is said to work on both natural and color treated hair. I choose the Dark Brown shade to help cover some of my greys. I found the treatment to be quite messy, but I guess that is to be expected when working with a color depositing product. When applying the deep conditioner treatment to my hair I always made sure to use gloves, because the product will stain your nails.
One of the caveats about the product was the fact that the consistency is on the thicker side. With the product being thicker, I was able to apply it and not have to worry about it dripping or splattering. I would usually let product sit in for about 20 minutes. The process of washing out the product takes longer than I would like and it definitely stained my shower in the process. In terms of coverage I would give it a 6.5/10. It helps, but fades very fast. I also noticed the color bleeding until the next time I washed my hair.
Do I love using the product, no, but I’ve already repurchased another bottle because it doesn’t contain harsh ingredients and is a decent temporary fix.
Candles & Etc
Price: $60 for 8.4oz
I’ve always known Overose for their simplistic, but beautiful candles. I love that they choose bright fun pastel colors for their candle vessels with a matching wax shade. Over the years, they’ve introduced fragrances to their lineup and the same time scaled back on their candles. I was holding on to the Aesthetic candle for a while because I really wanted to savor this scent. The Overose candles has a great cold throw, so if you have the candles out, but not burning, you can still a faint smell of it. Unfortunately, I think this scent has been discontinued by the brand. The Aesthetic candle smelled like a warm floral.
Mala the Brand - Candygram Candle
Price: $32 for 6.8oz
I was kindly gifted this candle by the brand and it was one of my go to for the month of February and into March. Mala the Brand candles are known for their metal like vessels, which in my opinion almost looks like a can. Unlike their usual wood wick, this one actually had a cotton wick, which is why it probably burned so well. The Candygram candle has a warm cinnamon aroma that beautifully filled small spaces., which made it a perfect candle to burn around Valentine’s Day. I really enjoyed this candle, but I do wish the size was a little bigger.
Scent Notes: Spice, Cinnamon, Sugar
Snif- Half Baked Gingerbread Smash Candle
Price: $46 for 8.5 oz
I actually had the candle for like 2 years and would sparingly burn it during the winter months. The half baked gingerbread smash candle is such a perfect candle to burn when you’re looking for a warm comforting scent! The candle is described as having a spicy vanilla aroma and I agree that’s the best way to describe it. I would usually burn this scent in a medium sized room and I think the candle did a good job with decent filling the space. The Snif candles are formulated with a clean blend of soy and vegetable wax, so the candles burn on the clean side. Based on the scent project and how well this candle burned, I would definitely check out more of their candles in the future!
The Smell: Baked Gingerbread, Chai, Cinnamon Swirl, Spiked Eggnog, Frothy Vanilla, Sugared Leather
Sephora Collection Cotton Squares
Price: $4.50 for 50 pads
I’ve raved about these cotton squares for the longest and my feelings about it has remained the same. I still love them. I tend to stock up on them during Sephora sales since they’re often on sale for 30% off!
Previously Reviewed: Nov & Dec Empties’ 24
Canopy Cann Grapefruit Oil Diffusers
Price: $40 (variety set of 3) ($13.33)
I’m pretty sure the CANN scents were a limited edition collaboration with Canopy. I typically used the felt diffuser to apply the drops on (looks similar to the cardboard air fresheners) and used this in my shower. The oil can also be used with the Canopy Humidifier. The Grapefruit Rosemary scent was mirrored after the CANN grapefruit rosemary drink. I’m not usually the biggest citrus fan, but I found this one to smell very clean and bright. The scent mixed with the shower steam really helps to enhance the scent. I’ve tried quite a few of the canopy oils over the years and this is the first one I’ve actually finished, so that should speak for itself!
Grapefruit Rosemary - Top: Pink Grapefruit, Lime Zest, Middle: Rosemary, Crushed Mint, Base: Soft Musk, White Woods
Use Code BEAUTYETCBLOG10 to save on your Cann orders.
Use Code BEAUTYETCBLOG to save on your Canopy purchases.
Lip Smacker Lip Balm - Hello Kitty Set
Price: $5 ($9.99 for the set)
This was one of those instances where the cute factor really took over. I used to use the Lip Smacker lip balms from elementary school all the way to high school. I always found the lip balms to be a nicer equivalent then Chapstick. My thoughts on these still remain the same. I really like how they feel on and this Cheerful Cherry scent also had a nice tint to it. I typically kept the balm at my work desk and applied it throughout my workday. The Hello Kitty packaging definitely added a fun touch to it.
Empties Value Total : $1,008.12
BLOG GIVEAWAY
PRIZE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING:
Urban Decay Makeup Bundle, which includes the following:
9 of the 24/7 Liquid Stick Liners
3 Mascaras - Brown, Black, and Platinum
Rael Collagen + PDRN Hydrogel Mask Set
Hyper Skin Cleanser
Hyperskin Hyper Even Fade and Glow Mask
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The Giveaway is open from now until Monday, 05/04/2026
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