Finished It!!! Volume 12

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me except the Vaseline lotion, which was sent in an Influenster box, and the Tata Harper serum, which was part of a giveaway prize. All opinions are my own.

I'm really excited about this empties post for a reason that might seem a little strange. I recently found out where there is a nearby recycling drop-off, so I can actually recycle most of the empty containers I'm about to show you. Yay!

I'm also excited about the number of products I have to show you, especially lotions. For the majority of January, I was applying lotion to my arms and legs twice a day. I've since gotten a little lazy and only apply lotion once a day, but I'm still making progress working through my stash.

DermOrganic Daily Hydrating Conditioner - I really loved this conditioner. It made my hair feel really soft and moisturized. It's a little bit pricey (I found this bottle at TJ Maxx for $20), so I'm not replacing it right away, but I do plan on picking it up again in the future.

Organix Renewing Argan Oil of Morocco Conditioner - I happened upon the 50% more free bottle around the holidays, so I went ahead and picked it up. I liked this conditioner too, and the Organix line is a great cruelty-free option from the drugstore.

RenPure Solutions Sweet Pomegranate Cleansing Conditioner - I got out of the habit of using a cleansing conditioner a while back, and honestly, this bottle got lost in my stash of hair stuff. I've mentioned before that I like cleansing conditioners when I'm feeling lazy and don't want to do two steps. This is another product that I'll probably purchase again at some point, but I'm not running out to buy it now.

got2be Guardian Angel Flat Iron Balm Mini Size - I bought this for a long time because I thought it was cruelty-free. I've since seen got2b on a list of brands to avoid. Thankfully, I rarely use heat on my hair anymore, so it isn't a huge loss.

Nourish Organic Organic Hand Wash in Wild Berries, Almond Vanilla (2 - I'm reusing one of the bottles), and Fresh Fig - I made a big Nourish Organic order when they did a 50% off Black Friday sale. I love the principles of the company, and the soap itself was good. I probably wouldn't repurchase the hand wash though because I like using Dr. Bronner's soap even more, and it is less expensive.

Studio 35  Beauty Pure Honey Body Lotion - I made a point when I started focusing on using up lotions to use up ones that I knew weren't cruelty-free or ones that I wasn't sure about, and this one falls into that category. It was a cheap drugstore lotion too, so it wasn't anything special.

Scentsations by Bodysource Berry Burst Body Lotion - I don't know the status of this company either, and I didn't care for the lotion anyway. It was really runny and didn't seem to do much for my skin.

Vaseline Spray & go Moisturizer in Total Moisture - I like the concept of this lotion, but I didn't love it. This was part of an Influenster box I received last year. Vaseline isn't cruelty-free, so I wouldn't purchase it myself.

Paula's Choice Resist Skin Revealing Body Lotion 10% AHA - I have come to the conclusion that I have keratosis pilaris because I constantly have small bumps on my legs, and I have started getting them on the backs of my arms as well. I bought this to try and help. It didn't work miracles for me, but nothing has so far. I might buy it again in the future.

Wei East China Herbal Hand & Body Perfection - I bought this a long time ago because there was an awesome deal where this tube only cost a couple of dollars. I don't know the status of the brand and didn't like the lotion enough to check.

Bath & Body Works Pomegranate Citrus Body Lotion - I'm a sucker for Bath & Body Works scents and sales. This was a limited edition scent, and while I liked it, I wouldn't repurchase it if it was released again.

Essence of Beauty Citrus Coconut Body Lotion - I got this for free a while back with a CVS coupon. The lotion itself wasn't great, and I don't know the cruelty-free status of the brand.

True Blue Mini Shea Cashmere Hand Cream - The scent of this is beautiful and cozy smelling (don't ask me how it smells cozy though). I'm not running out to repurchase it, but I would definitely pick it up again if I happened to find it for a really good price.

Honest Face & Body Lotion - This is my second mini tube of this lotion that I've finished. It was a decent product, but I don't plan on repurchasing.

Luxury Lane Soap Nourishing Body Lotion in Vanilla Oak - This is a lotion that I would consider repurchasing once I work my way through my stash. I like the formula, and I love the scent.

Bath & Body Works Apple Blossom Citrus Body Lotion - Another limited edition scent that I couldn't resist trying. I wouldn't repurchase.

Bath & Body Works Cherry Vanilla Body Wash - I really liked the scent, and I like Bath & Body Works' body wash formula. I can't get this scent anymore, but I will repurchase other scents in the future.

Bath & Body Works Eucalyptus Spearmint Body Wash & Foam Bath - This came in the Black Friday bonus bag. I wouldn't have picked out the scent myself, but I liked it. I didn't like it enough to repurchase, but I would use it again if it came in another set.

Heritage Store Rosewater - I like using a rosewater spray after I've applied my makeup to help get rid of the powdery look that it can sometimes get. This is my second bottle from this brand. I have a couple of other facial sprays to test and use first, but I might repurchase this one in the future.

Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Ultra-Sheer Daily Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 30 - I like the brand Paula's Choice, but I really didn't like this moisturizer. The consistency was really runny, similar to what a traditional sunscreen feels like, and it felt gritty when I applied it. I won't repurchase.

Tata Harper Rejuvenating Serum - Just like a couple of other Tata Harper products that have ended up in my empties, this was part of a giveaway prize. The brand is too expensive for me to consider buying, but it was fun to try, and I like the principles behind the company.

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer - This came in a Sephora set that I bought over a year ago. It's a really nice primer, but it isn't amazing enough for me to justify buying a full size, which is quite pricey.

Silk Naturals Candie Blush Sample - Candie is a light shimmery pink blush. The color was pretty, but I don't wear my loose blushes enough for me to choose to purchase a full size.

Silk Naturals Translucent Cloud Finishing Powder Sample - I bought this to mix in with my beloved Sleep in a Jar Light Peach. It is supposed to help skin retain moisture, and I find Sleep in a Jar to be drying. I'm still testing my mix, but the sample jar is in my empties because the jar itself has been emptied.

Silk Naturals Sleep in a Jar Medium Peach Sample - I originally just planned on mixing the Cloud Powder with the Medium Peach, assuming that the mix would be light enough for me to use. However, the Cloud Powder didn't lighten the Medium Peach as much as I expected. They both ended up mixed in with my Light Peach.

The Body Shop Vitamin C Eye Reviver Duo - Just like a lot of my beauty purchases, this item got purchased because it was on sale. At first, having the two sides, one with a roller ball and the other with a doe-foot applicator, seemed fun. Later it just seemed annoying. Because of the two products in one gimmick, there's also less product overall. I think this product was actually discontinued, but I wouldn't repurchase it anyway.

Stila Lip Glaze Mini in Splendor - Stila, sadly, is no longer cruelty-free because the brand has started selling in China. I made a point to use this up to get it out of my collection. I didn't particularly care for the applicator or the formula, so it isn't a huge loss.

Chapstick Lip Balm in Cake Batter - I'm a sucker for cake, vanilla, and sweet scents, so I was weak and purchased this balm along with a red velvet one back in the fall, even though Chapstick isn't cruelty-free. I didn't love the formula, and the scent was just okay, so I'm glad to have this one gone and the other one about to head out the door too.

Hard Candy Concealer Pencil (comes with the Glam-o-flage Concealer) - I pitched my Glam-o-flage a long time ago, and this concealer pencil just kept hanging around. I used it up by using it to clean up my lip line. It wasn't special, and I didn't like the Glam-o-flage enough to repurchase.

That's all of my empties for the time being. Now I get to go sort them out for recycling.

Have you finished anything recently?

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me except the Vaseline lotion, which was sent in an Influenster box, and the Tata Harper serum, which was part of a giveaway prize. All opinions are my own.

Finished It!!! Volume 11

Disclaimer: Most of the products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. A couple were giveaway prizes or were given to me by a friend. All opinions are my own. 

My shoebox of empties was overflowing, so it is time to do another empties post. I need to work on a post of products I'm trying to finish up, but I'm having some trouble deciding how I want to do it. I started making  a list of products, and it was starting to feel too long. Then as I was doing my makeup, I saw more things that I'm working on finishing that weren't on my list. After that, I got to thinking that I should pull out the items that I own from brands that aren't cruelty-free and work on those.

Equate and Simple Facial Cleansing Wipes - I didn't love either of these. I used them to remove swatches from my arms and hands. Neither one of these brands is cruelty-free, but even if they were, I wouldn't be repurchasing them. 

Bath and Body Works Creamy Pumpkin Anti-bacterial Hand Soap - I got this as part of the fall bonus bag. I liked the scent of this more than I expected. I don't usually purchase hand soap from Bath & Body Works, but I would happily use any that come in value sets or bonus bags.

Bath and Body Works Fresh Sparkling Snow Foaming Hand Soap - I got this soap in the Black Friday bag. The scent was nice. It was crisp and fresh smelling. Like the other soap, I wouldn't rush out to repurchase this but would be happy to use it again.

Dr. Bronner's Pure-Castile Soap in Citrus Orange - I really love the Dr. Bronner's soap in the almond scent, so I thought I would try this one. The citrus orange scent wasn't my favorite. It smelled more like the orange peel than the actual orange. Because of the scent, I don't think I'll repurchase this one.

The Honest Company Shampoo + Body Wash in Sweet Orange Vanilla - I liked this body wash, but I didn't love it. It lathered well, and the scent was okay. It's a great option if you are really concerned about the ingredients in your beauty products. I might eventually throw another one of these into my Honest Company bundle, but I'm not rushing out to repurchase it. 

Jason Dandruff Relief Treatment Shampoo - I bought this shampoo because it has sulfur in it, which is what was in the Neutrogena T-Gel shampoo that I used for years to control my flaky scalp. I alternated this with my Nature's Gate Tea Tree Shampoo. It did a good job. I've already repurchased this and will probably continue to repurchase it in the future.

Bath and Body Works Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Body Wash - This was another item from the fall bonus bag. Even though I'm not a huge pumpkin fan, I really liked this scent too. I would definitely consider picking it up again when I've worked through my body wash stash.

Studio 35 Pure Honey Body Wash - I picked up a set at Walgreens over the summer that had this, a bubble bath, and a body lotion. I had a small milk & honey-scented body lotion a long time ago that I've been hoping to duplicate ever since. This scent didn't do it either.  I don't know if Studio 35 is cruelty-free. I would guess they aren't. I don't plan on repurchasing.

Spectrum Organic Coconut Oil - I jumped on the coconut oil bandwagon. I've used it for an eye cream, a body moisturizer, a face moisturizer, and a hair masque. I bought this particular brand because it was the one available locally. I've already purchased another jar, and I have a jar from another brand on the way in a Vitacost order. I plan on keeping coconut oil on hand for the foreseeable future.

Acne.org Benzyl Peroxide Acne Treatment - As you can probably see, this bottle was huge. When I purchased it, I also purchased a mini bottle that I refilled with this large one. It has 2.5% benzyl peroxide, which from what I've read, is the best strength to use (higher strengths are too harsh). I've still got most of my mini bottle left. I'm thinking about trying Paula Choice's acne line next, but I would have no problems repurchasing this product in the future.

The Body Shop Nutriganics Smoothing Day Cream - This was in last year's bonus bag during The Body Shop's Cyber Monday sale, so I didn't pick it out myself. Day creams that don't have sunscreen in them drive me crazy. I rarely use a daytime moisturizer with less than SPF 30, so I used this at night. It was okay, but it wasn't good enough for me to consider repurchasing it.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control 3-in-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment - I'm almost done with my back-stock of this product. After I finished this one, I started on my last tube. I'll be happy to finish that one and start using a brand that is cruelty-free.

Tata Harper Reparative Moisturizer and Hydrating Floral Essence - I won a set of mini Tata Harper products on Facebook a while ago. It sounds like a really great company. Although I didn't see it mentioned, I would be shocked if they weren't cruelty-free. I don't think the samples that I had were enough for me to decide if I loved these products. They are really expensive, so I couldn't afford to repurchase any of them if I wanted to.

The Body Shop Coconut Shower Cream Mini - I got this mini bottle as a bonus item in an Ulta order. I have the jumbo size in my body wash stash too. I like the scent and the amount of lather it gives. I might repurchase it eventually.

The Honest Company Healing Balm Mini - I think the primary purpose for this product is supposed to be as a diaper cream. It reminds me of Neosporin, and I have used it as a Neosporin substitute. I have also used it on my cuticles and on my heels, which are always really dry. If it isn't used quickly enough, it starts to separate and get really runny, which is a major downside for me. I have a full size tube already, and it is going to take me a long time to finish it up. I won't be getting another one any time soon.

Philosophy Creme Brulee Body Souffle - I loved both the smell and texture of this, but this particular formula is discontinued, and Philosophy isn't cruelty-free, so I can't repurchase, and I won't be trying other lotions from this brand.

Simply Me Lavender Body Lotion - A friend gave this to me because she either didn't like it or just didn't use it. I liked that it had alpha hydroxy acid in it, and I didn't mind the lavender scent. As a lotion it wasn't bad, but it wasn't amazing. I don't know about Simply Me's cruelty-free status, and I didn't like this enough to hunt down that information.

Pacifica Island Vanilla Body Butter - I LOVE this scent! I have a rollerball perfume in this scent too. The body butter was nice. I would probably buy it again if there was a good sale on it or it came in a good kit.

Olay Bikini Moisturizing Lotion - This came in a set with a razor and a bikini trimming blade that I bought years ago. It really annoyed me when I read in the small print on that back, "Also sold as Olay Advanced Healing Body Lotion." I thought it was a lotion made specifically for the bikini area, and it was just their regular lotion in different packaging. At this point it really doesn't matter. Olay isn't cruelty-free, so I'm not longer buying their products.

Bath and Body Works Midnight Pomegranate Body Butter - I like that this scent is a darker - for lack of a better word - fruit scent. What I mean by that is that it doesn't smell like summer to me. This is a great scent to use during the winter months. It is no longer part of Bath and Body Works's regular line though, and I don't know if it is one that still reappears during their semi-annual sale. The body butter is nice and heavy. I think I mostly used this on my feet before putting on fluffy socks in the evening. I would repurchase it in the future.

Bath and Body Works Black Raspberry Vanilla Body Lotion Mini - I think this is one of my favorite Bath and Body Works scents, and it isn't in the regular line anymore either, which makes me sad. It is a great scent to wear year-round. If I ran across this during a semi-annual sale, I would probably pick some up.

Bath and Body Works Fiji Passionfruit Body Lotion Mini - This scent was nice and summery. Like the other ones, it isn't available anymore. I don't think I would repurchase it if I did happen to come across it.

Luxury Lane Soap Nourishing Body Lotion in Blackberry Tea - I really like the formula of this lotion. I probably would have ordered more when I placed an order with Luxury Lane Soap in December, but I have too much lotion to work through first (I'll be tacking on a picture of my stash at the end of this post). The Blackberry Tea scent is one that I really liked, but my fiance said it smelled like soap. The scent was also really strong, which made me feel self-conscious using it in public. I would repurchase both the formula and the scent.

Mario Badescu Papaya Body Lotion - This was one of my free samples in an order I placed right before it came out that Mario Badescu sells in China. I won't be buying from Mario Badescu again.

Bath and Body Works Stress Relief Body Lotion in Eucalyptus Spearmint - This isn't a scent I would normally buy for myself, but it was part of a gift. I liked it, but I didn't like it enough to repurchase it.

Tarte Clean Slate Poreless 12-Hour Perfecting Primer - This was a decent enough primer. I've  had issues with primers in general lately, so I'm not really loving any of them. I don't plan on repurchasing this one.

Kiss My Face Lip Balm SPF 15 in Strawberry - In my hunt to get lip balms with SPF over the summer, I ended up ordering somewhere around six of these. I like the formula a lot. It lasts a while on my lips but doesn't feel overly waxy. I wish the SPF was higher, and it does get softer as I get to the bottom of the tube, but it is one of the best SPF balms I've found. I will probably repurchase when I run out.

Lip Smackers Lip Balm in Jelly Donut - This was part of a Disney lip balm set that I got on clearance at WalMart last year after Christmas. I hadn't used a Lip Smackers balm in years. Sometimes it felt really waxy and sometimes it felt okay on my lips. I don't know if Lip Smackers is cruelty-free. I want to say that they are, but I don't plan on buying more after I finish the ones that I have.

Simply Lip Balm in Pomegranate - In my last post with finished products, I said I had used the last Simply Lip Balm in my stash. Then I found two more hiding in the couch. I really do like this balms. I pulled up their website to remind myself which flavor this particular balm was, and I also visited their Facebook page, and I discovered that they are only being sold on Amazon. One listing that I saw had 20 for $14, which is a fantastic deal. I think they might just find their way into my next Amazon order.
 

Shea Moisture Organic African Black Soap with Shea Butter - I got this in a set a long time ago. I never even used it on my face. I just used it on my body. It had some natural scrubbing particles in it. I've accepted the fact that I just don't really like bar soaps. I won't repurchase. 

Lots of samples - Most of these aren't cruelty-free. I love Kate Sommerville's ExfoliKate, but I don't know about that company's cruelty-free status. Urban Decay Primer Potion is my favorite eye primer; the sample pod was the new anti-aging version, which seemed to work just as well as the original. Really, I'm just happy to have all of these little packets out of my life.

Taylor Swift Wonderstruck Scented Body Lotion - I mentioned in my Josie Maran Coconut Water Cheek Gelee review that I had a nasty rash break out on my arms and legs from a lotion. This is the offending lotion. I didn't finish it, but it is definitely going away.

And now for the promised picture of my lotion stash:

This is the majority of the lotions that I own. There's still a few more that are scattered around the house that I didn't bother to collect. As you can maybe tell in this post, I'm making some headway. I'm making a point to apply lotion to my arms and legs every morning and night. Last night I went through and pulled out all of the ones that aren't cruelty-free or have a questionable status, and I'm going to work on those first.

Note to self: Don't wait so long between empties posts.

What have you finished up recently?

Disclaimer: Most of the products mentioned in this post were purchased by me. A couple were giveaway prizes or were given to me by a friend. All opinions are my own.