Empties: October 2012

I know I've said repeatedly that there will be a slow down with my empties, but I prove myself wrong month after month, and again for October. I don't know how I go through so much product, honestly. This post is, of course, dedicated to the original Beauty Reductionista, Liz. Without further ado, here is my empties tally, collected from October 1 to October 31:

• The Body Shop Satsuma Shower Gel (750 ml)
• Lush Rehab Shampoo (250 ml)
• Origins A Perfect World Highly Hydrating Body Lotion with White Tea (200 ml)
• Bliss Blood Orange + White Pepper Body Butter Maximum Moisture Cream (200 ml)
• L'Occitane en Provence Shea Butter Hand Cream (10 ml)
• MAC Wipes (100 sheets)
• MAC Cremewash (100 ml)
• MAC Lightful Marine-Bright Formula Essence (30 ml)
• Dior Hydra Life Skin Energizer Pro-Youth Hydrating Serum (50 ml)
• MAC Studio Fix Powder+ Foundation — NC40 (15 g)
• MAC Haute & Naughty Too Black Lash Mascara (9 g)
• Bath & Body Works Anti-Bacterial Deep-Cleansing Hand Soap — Fresh Picked Pears (236 ml)
• Bath & Body Works Anti-Bacterial Deep-Cleansing Hand Soap — Cucumber Melon (236 ml)
• White Barn 3-Wick Candle — Lavender Vanilla (411 g x 2)

Total: 15 products (13 full size, 1 jumbo size, 1 travel size)

Bodycare/Haircare:

The Body Shop Satsuma Shower Gel (750 ml) — Okay, so I bought this two years ago during The Body Shop's Boxing Week sale. Satsuma is my favourite scent from The Body Shop, and this double-sized bottle was like, $9. I still like the scent, but this doesn't foam up nearly as much as I like my body wash to. And the pump also dispensed the teensiest amount of product, so I had to pump it like, six times just to get the right amount on my shower pouf. So I ended up using this as hand soap. Re-purchase? Maybe, but not in the pump bottle, and only if it's on sale.

Lush Rehab Shampoo (250 ml) — This shampoo is meant for "damaged and abused" hair that is in serious need of repair. I didn't really notice a huge difference in my hair with this, but it did make my scalp and hair feel clean. It foams up nicely, too. But the smell? Oh, wow, it smells really, really bad. Like herbal medication or something. Re-purchase? No.

Origins A Perfect World Highly Hydrating Body Lotion with White Tea (200 ml) — I got this at the Estée Lauder warehouse sale in September, and I've already used this whole tube up. Besides the fantastic scent, which is reminiscent of mangosteen fruit (or peach gummy candy), it is a thinner consistency so it absorbs really fast and doesn't feel sticky, but leaves skin feeling perfectly hydrated. It is very pricey, however, considering how much is in each tube (and how fast I use it up!). Re-purchase? Yes, at a discounted price. Otherwise, no, too expensive.

Bliss Blood Orange + White Pepper Body Butter Maximum Moisture Cream (200 ml) — I bought this as part of a set when I was in New York in September. There is nothing I don't like about this product. It's thick like a body butter should be, but it also has a slightly whipped consistency to it so that it spreads easily and absorbs well into the skin. It moisturizes really, really well and keeps my ultra-dry skin soft, smooth, and flake-free. And the smell is fantastic; it reminds me of San Pellegrino Aranciata. Re-purchase? Yes, at a value price. Otherwise, it's too expensive ($32!). 

L'Occitane en Provence Shea Butter Hand Cream (10 ml) — When I was in New York in April, there was literally a parade of L'Occitane employees handing out these travel size tubes of their Shea Butter Hand Cream to everyone on the street. When I realized they were handing out my favourite hand cream for free, I was like, "Must stock up!" So I think I ended up with eight tubes of these. It's very rich and kind of greasy, so I only use it at home and before bed, but it really helps repair super-dry, chapped, on-the-brink-of-bleeding hands. I am indifferent to the scent, which is a clean, baby powder fragrance. Re-purchase? Yes, when I'm done all these little tubes.

Skincare:

MAC Wipes (100 sheets) — Honestly, this is still the best make-up removing wipe I have ever used. It was originally made to use at fashion shows and photoshoots for a fast and effective way to remove make-up, and it's used by all artists at MAC counters and stores to take off any and all make-up including long-wearing and waterproof. I do prefer using a separate eye make-up remover for mascara, but for everything else, these wipes are the best. I use these mostly on my clients and for removing swatches nowadays, but if I need to take off my make-up in a pinch, these are great. Re-purchase? Yes, these are a must-have in my kit. 

MAC Cremewash (100 ml) — MAC's skincare is so underrated, but many of their products are surprisingly worth trying. This has quickly become one of my favourite cleansers. It seriously takes off all my make-up (you're not meant to be using this in the eye area, but I do and it takes off everything, even stubborn mascara!), and leaves my skin feeling so soft and so smooth and so clean. It foams up beautifully and has such a rich, dense lather. And it smells really clean with a hint of sweetness, kind of like apples and flowers. Re-purchase? Yes. 

MAC Lightful Marine-Bright Formula Essence (30 ml) — Amazing at evening out skintone. You have to use it to believe it. All the redness in my face was much less noticeable even after a week of use. MAC's Lightful line is essentially their "whitening" line, so it's meant to fade dark spots and even out skintone. I don't know if my beauty marks and freckles are any less noticeable, but it really does help with skintone. Re-purchase? Yes. 

Dior Hydra Life Skin Energizer Pro-Youth Hydrating Serum (50 ml) — I was using this on and off over the summer, usually on its own as a moisturizer because it was so hot and my combination/oily skin didn't need this plus moisturizer on top. But as the weather got colder, I found my cheeks starting to flake using just moisturizer alone (my skin has more than enough oil, but not enough water) and noticed a huge difference when using this underneath. My skin looked smoother and softer and more plump, and stopped flaking. Plus, it's fast-absorbing, ultra-lightweight, smells really good. Re-purchase? Yes, I just bought a bottle of the new version of this.

Make-up:

MAC Studio Fix Powder+ Foundation — NC40 (15 g) — I've been using this for years. I've realized that I actually hate using liquid and cream make-up products on my face, and was looking for medium-to-full coverage in a matte finish, and this powder foundation was the answer. It's sort of a love-it-or-hate-it product, but I am firmly in the "love it" camp. It's completely easy and effortless to use, and I get smooth, nearly full coverage in about 30 seconds. It's more ideal for combination-to-oily skin types, though, because it will emphasize dryness and is prone to caking on dry skin. Re-purchase? Yes, I always have a back-up. 

MAC Haute & Naughty Too Black Lash Mascara (9 g) — This is the carbon black version of my go-to mascara. I have really long, but really thin and straight lashes, and this amps up the volume like no other. And it doesn't smudge, even though it's not waterproof. I use the plum-lidded brush to separate and feather out my lashes, and then the sparkly purple-lidded brush for intense volume. The formula is really wet, though, so it can be prone to clumping and it can get a little messy around the tube opening... but the effect is totally worth it, 'cause I love huge, dramatic lashes. I seriously go through one tube every month. Re-purchase? Yes, I always have two back-ups.

Miscellaneous:

Bath & Body Works Anti-Bacterial Deep-Cleansing Hand Soap — Fresh Picked Pears (236 ml) — I go through Bath & Body Works hand soaps like they're going out of style. I wash my hands like crazy because I am a germaphobe. I buy these when they're on sale, so they're usually $3 a bottle. I bought this scent at the beginning of summer, when Bath & Body Works was rolling out their new range of "Fresh Picked" scents. Whereas I loved the apple scent (it smells like real green apples!), this one smelled too sickly and artificial, more like pear-flavoured Jelly Bellies than real pears. Re-purchase? No, not this particular scent. 

Bath & Body Works Anti-Bacterial Deep-Cleansing Hand Soap — Cucumber Melon (236 ml) — As mentioned, I go through a ton of hand soap. I bought this one during their Semi-Annual Sale over the summer, when they brought back some of their classic scents. Cucumber Melon was one of the first scents that I fell in love with at Bath & Body Works (before they came to Canada), so aside from the fresh, sweet-but-not-cloying scent, it also makes me nostalgic. Re-purchase? Yes, when they bring this back. 

White Barn 3-Wick Candle — Lavender Vanilla (411 g x 2) — My favourite candle this season! Never thought I was a fan of lavender or vanilla, but I love, love, love this scent. There's a hint of cedarwood and jasmine in there that keeps it from being too sweet. It's warm and calming, and it's just amazing on a cold night. I love it so much, I already used two of them up. Re-purchase? Yes, I need to buy more before they're all gone!

And just like that, another month is gone.