Summer Empties and Chuckers

EMPTIES

L'Oreal Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil
This is a staple in my house these days. I have another one on the go and a back up in the cupboard. I just love it. I buy it from eChemist, which also has free international shipping on most things. It's on sale a lot so I just wait til then and buy a couple at a time.

L'Oreal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution
Another staple I get from eChemist, and again, it's often on sale. I only use this to remove eye makeup, but Lily uses it to remove all her makeup and we both really like it. Got a couple stored up, but I also have a bottle of the new Garnier one, which is available here, so if that turns out to be as good I might switch just for ease. I don't understand why we don't have these products in Australia though. Annoying!

Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner
I love using toners, and Paula's Choice make some of my favourites. I would definitely buy this again - and probably will in a few weeks when I do a big PC order to stock up on some other things.

Paula's Choice Earth Sourced Perfectly Natural Cleansing Gel
There's a certain irony in Paula releasing a line of 'natural' products given how dismissive she is of them generally, but whatevs. Girl's gotta eat. This is a slightly foaming cleanser that I used to wash my face in the mornings in the shower. I liked it because it didn't dry out my skin or make it feel tight, but I didn't love it so I wasn't really intending to go out of my way for it again. However, Lil told me the other day that she had used it as well and she really liked it, so she asked if I'd get some more. I guess we are getting some more.

Olay Regenerist Skin Renewal Cleanser
This was a little trial size cleanser that came with an Olay face brush thing I was sent to try (it was crap, don't bother). I didn't much like it - it had tiny granules in it so there was an exfoliating action as well, which I didn't mind, but it left my skin feeling really tight after until I put toner on. I wouldn't repurchase it.

NYX High Definition Eye Shadow Base
I find this to be exactly the same as Urban Decay Primer Potion, and I'm not super jazzed with either of them. This was a much better deal of course, being about a quarter of the price of UDPP. It lasted a long time - I've had it for a couple of years, and it did pretty much what it was supposed to, but I don't think I would bother repurchasing. I've tried better options since buying this.

CHUCKERS

Rimmel Scandaleyes Flex Mascara
WTF is with mascaras and these ginormous brushes? I have big eyes but this brush is HUGE. So much so it was hard to work with. What made me actually throw it out though was that after about two or three weeks it started to flake and I was constantly getting little bits of it in my eyes and rubbing them. Terrible stuff. 

NYX Better Gloss in Peaches and Cream 
I used this one day before realising I had a cold sore (ew). So now it's germy. I'm not that devo because I never really liked this colour much anyway.

Firebird Lip Balm in Chocolate Chai
As above. And again, didn't love it so don't much care.

December Empties and Chuckers

EMPTIES

Clarins Toning Lotion with Camomile
Shouldn't that be Chamomile? Anyway, this is another of the 5 GWP size Clarins toners my friend Jodi sent me a while back, as she doesn't use them. I have cracked open the 3rd now, and it's an old favourite.

Paula's Choice Moisture Boost One Step Facial Cleanser
This was a freebie I got for spending a certain amount, and I've had it in the shower for washing my face every morning. It's a lovely light cream cleanser that rinses away and doesn't leave my face feeling tight, and it lasted for months. Definite repurchase once I've worked through other cleansers I have.

Derma E Vitamin A Glycolic Toner
Like most toners, this doesn't do much other than refresh. That wouldn't bother me except that it has a very strong floral smell that hangs around way too long and it's a bit much. I wouldn't buy this again.

Absolutely Gorgeous Skin Care Pink Clay Creme Cleanser
Didn't really get the point of this - you're supposed to apply it dry and it was just kind of weird. I wouldn't buy it again.

CHUCKERS

David Jones Cocoa Butter Cream
This is a really old body butter that we've had way too long. Lily still likes it but to my nose it's kind of funky so I'm throwing it out while she's not home. She has plenty of others, she'll get over it. It's okay, but nothing amazing - I probably wouldn't buy it again.

Echolife Magnesium Gel
I love this stuff - it's great for sore muscles and I use it when my arms and wrists are sore from typing at work. There's only about an inch left of it, but I noticed the other day it's past its use by date and after comparing it with a newer bottle it looked and smelled kind of different so out it goes. Will definitely repurchase when I've used my next bottle - it's a staple now.

Revlon ColorStay Makeup for Combination/Oily Skin in Sand Beige
This used to be one of my favourite foundations - hard core lasting power and full coverage. However, I've been spoiled by the Covergirl Outlast. I opened this recently and used it once, then realised I hate it now - it feels really masky and heavy and it oxidises. How did I not worry about that before? Anyway, I thought maybe because it was a humid day it might have just been a fluke so I tried it on a cooler day and same thing. Yuk. Never again.

November Empties and Chuckers

Palmolive Naturals Ultra Moisture Milk & Shea Butter Shower Milk
Blah blah blah. You see this pretty much every month. Moving on.

Alfaparf Diamond Illuminating Shampoo
This came in one of those stupid Bellaboxes with a conditioner that I also used but can't find now. Judging by the RRP for the full size it's a salon brand, though I've never heard of it, and I didn't find it any better than the cheapo Sunsilk I often use. I would not repurchase this.

Maybelline City Rescue Total Clean! Express Eye & Lip Makeup Remover
This stuff replaced the daggy old blue one, but I liked the daggy old blue one. This one doesn't seem to do as good a job. I wouldn't say I'd never repurchase it - maybe if I saw it cheap somewhere because eye makeup remover will always get used in our house - but I wouldn't go out of my way for it.

Clarins Lotion Tonique with Chamomile
My friend Jodi always buys her Clarins skincare when they have a GWP, and they have a lot of GWPs, which are also really good. The one thing she doesn't use is toner, so a while back she sent me 5 of these little half size one that she had collected from various GWPs. I love me a toner, and I love me some Clarins, so I enjoyed this. I don't need to repurchase for quite some time as I still have 3.5 bottles left, but I would buy it again, and I have a couple of times in the past.

Benefit It's Potent! Eye Cream
I don't much rate Benefit - I love their Creaseless Cream eyeshadows, but a lot of their other stuff I've tried I've been pretty meh about. I think it's overpriced and over-rated. I fully expected to feel the same way about this eye cream (which was sent to me by Beauty Heaven), but I LOVED it. It's very light and absorbs easily, and definitely seems to do something to make my fine lines appear (and feel) smoother. I will definitely repurchase this when I've used up the half jar of Youth Code eye cream I'm currently finishing off. Two thumbs up!

MAC MSF Natural in Medium
This thing has been threatening to give up the ghost for about 3 months but kept hanging in there. There's actually still a teeny bit of powder still stuck to the base, but the brush doesn't seem to be picking it up so I'm calling it. I am not a powder fan normally and I only ever use it if I have to, but I freakin' love this - it doesn't feel heavy or cakey and it doesn't look powdery on my face. I will probably buy it again soon but first I have a couple of cheaper alternatives to try out, as I hate paying RRP for MAC in this country. Gouging bastards.

Mascaras: Rimmel Glam'eyes, Maybelline Big Eyes, Benefit They're Real! 
Until earlier this year I had been pretty good for a couple of years about only opening one mascara at a time. But then I Iwas sent the Benefit one to trial, I saw the Maybelline one in Allure magazine and had to grab one each for Noodles and myself on eBay, and the Rimmel one was on spesh one day at Priceline, and things just kind of snowballed. These are all pretty dead now and I'm back to my one-at-at-time routine (Covergirl Clump Crusher - so far unimpressed). As to whether I'd repurchase, I don't know. I liked the Rimmel one, though I didn't love it. I liked the Benefit one quite a bit at first but it didn't take long for it to go gluggy and clumpy, and it's expensive, so probably not. I didn't like the Maybelline one at all - it was waterproof and a pain in the arse to get off, and it made my lashes clumpy after a while.

Real Techniques Stippling Brush
Yep, I've killed another brush. I don't know how it happened - I am very careful not to use hot water or let them get wet past the bristles. But one day I washed and then squeezed out the water and out came the clump of bristles. The fluffy eye brush that comes in that 5 piece set is looking ready to do the same thing - the bristles feel loose when I wash it. Hmmm. I don't think I'd repurchase this brush if it's that delicate, and I didn't really use it much except for cream blush and highlighters anyway.

NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Sweet Heart (not pictured)
I went to put this on yesterday afternoon and noticed it smelled a bit funky, so after some comparisons with the smell of other Mega Shines, I decided it's had its day and needs to go. I woudn't repurchase it - it's a nice enough gloss but I hardly ever used it.

October Empties + 1 Chucker

I thought I was going to have loads of empties this month - I have a foundation, concealer, powder and several blush samples that have been ready to give up the ghost for weeks, but they JUST. WON'T. DIE. It's becoming a battle now - I'm ready to smear the walls with foundation just to rid of the damn stuff.

Solstice Scents Creamy Whipped Soap in Cenobite
You add a blob of this to a shower puff and it lathers up beautifully, and Cenobite is an awesome grown up boozy vanilla scent. I've mostly used this for shaving my legs (which it's great for), because as I've said before I don't have a shelf in my shower so trying to open a jar, extract the contents and put the lid back on is an annoying palaver. Therefore, while theoretically I'd buy this again because I love the soap itself, in practice I don't know if I can be bothered dealing with the jar issue.

MooGoo Milky Wash
This was okay, but nothing amazing. I know people rave about MooGoo and I've only tried two of their products so far (the other one being a moisturiser) but I haven't been blown away by either of them. I wouldn't bother repurchasing this.

Beauty Without Cruelty Facial Cleanser Herbal Cream
I like using cream cleansers after using an oil cleanser to remove makeup. This one's okay, but again it's nothing amazing. I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it again, but it did the job.

L'Oreal 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution
It's mostly Noodles who uses this because I have the oil cleanser one, though I use it for eye makeup - as long as I'm not wearing waterproof mascara because it's a bit pants at removing that. We both really like it and I have already stocked up with two more, one on the go now and another in the cupboard.

AlfaParf Illuminating Conditioner
One of those things I got in my Bellabox when I was stupid enough to sign up for one for a couple of months. This is supposedly $25 for a full size so I'm assuming it's a salon brand but I've never heard of it. It was meh. No better than Sunsilk or Pantene.

Guerlain Tonka Imperiale edp sample spray
I don't think this is available in Australia - I've never seen it anywhere, and believe me, I've been looking. Several times I've tolerated the withering stares of the counter staff at the David Jones Guerlain counter so I can get close enough to examine their perfumes. It's a gourmand with a tobacco note that stops it being too foody, and it's gorgeous. I haven't bought a full size commerical fragrance in forever but I'd definitely cough up for a full bottle of this.

Miller Harris Terre d'Iris edp sample spray
A lot of Miller Harris perfumes smell similar - variations on a crisp, green floral. This is one of them. It's nice, and I enjoyed wearing it, but I doubt I'd ever bother with a full bottle.

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle edp sample spray
Despite a jarringly sharp citrus note when I first apply this, I like it a lot when it mellows. However, I wouldn't buy a full size because a) it's more of a 'young' perfume, and b) I smell it on people all the time so it's common as muck. I like to be a special snowflake with my perfumes.

elf Cream Eyeliner in Black
This is a chucker because it's dried up. I could probably fix it but it cost about $3 and I have other black gel/cream eyeliners so there's no point trying to save this one. It was okay, but nothing special. I probably wouldn't buy it again.

September Empties and Chuckers

EMPTIES

L'Oreal Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil
I've already raved about this. Love it, have another bottle on the go already and I think it might be a holy grail makeup remover. I wonder if they will ever bring it out here?

Cutex Nourishing Nail Polish Remover
It's a nail polish remover. Does what it's meant to do and I'm sure I'll buy it again many more times.

Paula's Choice Earth Sourced Purely Natural Refreshing Toner
I didn't love this. I'm a fan of Paula's products and especially a fan of her toners, but this one has a weird gel-like consistency that made it annoying to apply. I wouldn't buy it again, but I have a couple of her other ones on the go.

Maybelline City Rescue Total Clean Express Eye & Lip Makeup Remover
I don't like the new formula of this stuff - I preferred the old blue one. However, it's handy for when I accidentally buy waterproof mascara (which I did recently), because my usual favourite eye makeup remover doesn't cut it in that department. I have another one in the cupboard for such occasions.

Face of Australia Face Base Primer
My holy grail primer. I have a couple of things to use up first (including the version of this with SPF) but then I will definitely be buying another one. No matter what other primers I try I always come back to this.

CHUCKERS

Nude by Nature Soft Focus Illuminator
As with most of this month's chuckers, this is going because a) it's a couple of years old, and b) I never use it. I'm not even entirely sure what it's supposed to be for. And it smells weird.

Maybelline Fit Me Foundations #220 and #120
God, I hate these. I was given the #220, which was too dark, so I bought the #120 during a Priceline sale to see if mixing the two would help. Colour-wise it did, but then I realised I hated the formula. I have tried on and off over the last couple of years to make this stuff work, but life's too short and I have other foundations I actually enjoy using so I'm binning these.

Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick in Rosy Nude
I bought this online before this range of lipsticks was released here, so it's quite old, and it was not the colour I was expecting. I've always found it a bit too much on the brown side, and I've rarely used it.

NYX Round Lipsticks in various shades
I've had these for years, and I don't think I've worn a single one of them in the last 12 months. They still look okay and smell okay, but given their age and the fact that they are about $2 each, I think I can safely give them up. I tend to buy lipsticks in similar shades anyway, so I'm sure I would have dupes of most of these.

OPI Nail Lacquer in Chic From Ears to Tail
Right. So. I'm just going to come out and say OPI is one of the most over-rated beauty brands there is. Their formulas are inconsistent, they are way over-priced (here in Australia, anyway), and they are responsible for this ridiculously annoying punny naming trend. This nail polish in particular is shit. It's streaky and uneven and no matter how many coats I apply it never smooths out. I did not pay for this, and I'm glad I didn't - I would never spend another cent on OPI.

OPI Start to Finish Base & Top Coat
I did pay for this - two in fact, because Noodles has one. The lid is jammed on and I've tried everything I can to remove it (don't give me tips - I've tried them all and I'm over it). Out it goes, and goodbye to you and your shitty products, OPI.

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Very Black
Every few years I buy this, and I always regret it. But you know how it always comes up in 'best of' and 'model's favourite' lists and beauty editor must have articles and whatever? So I think, "Huh - what did I not like about it? Maybe I misjudged it". Then I buy one and try it and think, 'Nope, this is shit. What was I thinking? And why does everyone go on about how great this is? Is it some kind of conspiracy?". Then I keep it around for a few months and throw it out eventually. I want to say I won't buy this again, but in two or three years, I'll be reading a magazine...

Blueberry Muffin lip balm
This is just old - it's from some Etsy shop, and it's not a great formula, and it's been sitting around for a couple of years so I'm throwing it out.

elf Shimmering Facial Whip in Toasted
The formula of this is weirdly separated, and it was like that when I got it. I've tried shaking it up madly but it's never quite right, and it's just a little cheap thing so I don't care about it. I wouldn't buy these again - there are much nicer drugstore brand highlighters out there. This one is kind of '80s shiny'.

Empties and Chuckers August 2013

The charger for my laptop died this week and I am currently using Noodles' old school laptop, which is about the size of a matchbox and has a teeny tiny keyboard that my stubby Simpsons fingers are really struggling with. It is also mega slow and has hardly any useful software on it, so I feel like I'm back in 1998.

I don't know why this picture is sideways. I rotated it and saved it on the ancient Paint but it didn't seem to work for some reason. 

Empties:

Palmolive Naturals Ultra Moisture Milk & Shea Butter Shower Milk
This is a staple - it's pretty much in every second empties post. Definite repurchase.

Garnier Body Intensive 7 Days Hydrating Lotion
This is not a particularly interesting body lotion - there's no WOW scent or anything. It does a great job though, and both Noodles and I use it regularly. Definite repurchase.

L'Oreal Revitalift Laser X3
Despite being in a jar, I love this moisturiser. It's rich enough to make me think my wrinkles are going away (they're not really), but light enough that I can use it during the day under makeup. I have some other things to use up first but this will be a definite repurchase. Might wait for a sale though- paying $45ish for a drugstore moisturiser makes me wince.

Chuckers:

MorroccanOil Intense Hydrating Mask
This has been in my shower for a couple of years and I noticed the other day that it was about 6 months past its use by date, so ewwww out it goes. It still smelled and looked okay, but considering long it's been around and it's still about 1/3 full, obviously we are not getting much use out of it. I wouldn't repurchase it - it's okay but nothing amazing.

Nivea In-Shower Rich Body Lotion for very dry skin
I cannot say enough about how much I absolutely hate this stuff. It's greasy, it leaves a gross filmy feel on the skin, it STINKS - it smells like diesel. It's no less cumbersome than putting lotion on after a shower. It's disgusting and stupid and pointless and I don't think I have ever hated anything as much as I hate this shit. I will never, ever repurchase this.

I had a pencil clear out because I found a pencil I don't ever remember even buying and that clued me in that maybe I had too many, which is crazy because I don't even use liners that often.

Out because they're too hard:
Mirenesse Magic Point Eye Highlighter Duet
Lime Lily Waterproof Eye Pencil in Jet
Essence Kajal Pencil in #19 All I Want

Out because they're old:
Milani Easybrow in Natural Taupe

Out because they are crap:
ELF Lip Definer and Shaper in Nude
ELF Eyebrow Lifter and Filler in Ash

Out because they are a colour I'd never wear:
Mirenesse Tight Liner Hydra Gel Eye Liner in Saphire (sic) Blue

Empties and Chuckers

These are not really July empties and chuckers, as I'm sure it's been a couple of months since I last did one of these posts, and I don't tend to use up all that much stuff within a month. But let's just get on, shall we?

EMPTIES

Couleur Caramel Short Eyelashes Mascara in Black
This was a Christmas gift from the ever thoughtful Sabine of Echolife, who very kindly sent one for me and one for Noodles. Noodles is a one-at-a-timer with mascara and ploughed through hers within a couple of months. I try to be a one-at-a-timer, but in the past few months I also acquired various mascaras from clearance bins and online sales, so it's taken me a while to get through this. I find it adds a lot of length and volume, but the formula is quite wet and never feels completely dry on the lashes. This is great for not getting the crispies, but not so great for someone like me who has a tendency to rub my eyes. That's the only reason I wouldn't repurchase it, because otherwise I found it to be a lovely mascara.

Al'chemy Avocado & Calendula Conditioner for dry and long hair
You've seen me talk about Al'chemy shampoo and conditioner before. I like them. I will probably repurchase this at some point when I've worked my way through all the other shampoos and conditioners in the house. I'm being strong and using what I have. Go me!

Maybelline Express Care Eye & Lip Makeup Remover
This has recently been repackaged and I swear they have reformulated it as well because this stuff was ace, and the new version is shite. I'm slightly disappointed as it was a staple in my bathroom for a long time, but luckily I now have L'Oreal Skin Perfection Micellar, so you can suck it, Maybelline.

Garnier Hand Intensive 7 Days Protecting Hand Cream Aloe Vera
Eh. It's a cheap hand cream. Slightly better than a most cheap hand creams, but still a cheap hand cream. On my hands it didn't do a lot. I actually sometimes use the body lotion version of this stuff on my hands and it works a lot better. I doubt I'd repurchase it.

Michael Todd True Organics Pearl and Silk Facial Mask
Remember when Michael Todd was a makeup brand that no one other than scroungy beauty vloggers who got everything for nowt ever talked about? When did they become a skin care company? Anyway, this was okay - I can't really remember anything about it so I don't think I'll be rushing out to buy a full size.

Paula's Choice Resist Optimal Results Hydrating Cleanser x 2
I love Paula's Choice products, with the exception of most of the moisturisers - not so jazzed with those. This is a lovely cleanser that doesn't make my skin feel tight afterwards. It's on my wishlist, but I have a ton of cleansers on the go at the moment (including a couple of other Paula's Choice ones), so although I probably will get a full size, it won't be for a while.

Paula's Choice Weekly Resurfacing Treatment 10% AHA x 2
I got a couple of samples of this to try after my friend Jade raved about it on Twitter and her blog. I nearly lost all of the first sample I opened because I expected it to be a creamy lotion and it's actually a liquid, like a toner. However, crisis averted and I saved enough of it to get on my face. This stuff is freakin' AMAZING. It makes my skin feel ridiculously smooth and soft the next morning (I put it on and left it overnight), and I am sure it toned down redness as well. I've just ordered a full bottle while Paula's Choice has a 50% off sale going.

Poison Apple Potions Body Butter sample in Garden of Graves
This is a pretty funereal floral with a touch of dirt - I do like those kinds of scents but I already have at least a couple of them in perfumes. I'd buy this in a perfume (though it's discontinued so I think I've missed my chance), but I'm not in love with PAP's body butter formula - I find it doesn't absorb that easily.

Love by Kilian Don't Be Shy perfume sample
This is a gorgeous, sweet gourmand fragrance that reminds me of a more grown up MOR Marshmallow. It was sent to me by Su ages ago but went astray in my perfume drawer (not hard) and I forgot about it until it turned up while I was looking for something else. I loved this so much that I wore it for several days in a row and used it up. Now I want more but I think it's discontinued. SAD FACE.

Solstice Scents Quiet Night perfume sample
I reviewed this a while back on my perfume blog, and although I don't wear it as a daytime scent, I love it at night because I think it helps me stay asleep longer. I just got a full size last week so that's already a repurchase.

CHUCKERS

Benefit The POREfessional 
I have had this primer for at least a couple of years and I bought in on Strawberrynet so who knows how old it is. It still smells and feels okay but I was sent another one a couple of months ago for review, so I decided to just chuck this one.

B Collections by Bloom Prep and Prime Primer
I got this free when I spent a certain amount at one of those discount perfume and cosmetic shops. I never even opened it, and the expiry date is July 2013 so out it goes.

Bourjois Flower Perfection Foundation in Light Vanilla
Jacquie bought this and hated it, so she gave it to me to try. I hate it too - it goes into every pore so I look like I have tiny white dots all over my face. I find that happens to me a lot with Bourjois foundations - I've never found one I liked much.

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream in Light 
Erg, why on earth have I been holding on to this for so long? It was given to me so it's not even like I lose money for tossing it. I have hated it since day one, but for some reason I keep trying periodically to make it work. I give up now. It's going in the bin. And good riddance.

Poison Apple Potions Body Butter sample in Red Queen's Rage
As I said above, I'm not jazzed with the formula of these, and I really don't like the smell of this one. It's like a rose that's had pepper poured all over it. I have used most of it so I don't feel bad about turfing the wee bit that's left.

Benefit Erase Paste
This is another thing that's just been around for too long - at least two years, maybe longer. There's not much left because I really did like it for a long time, but I've since moved on to other concealers and I just never come back to this so it's going.

Pixi Eye Bright Kit #1 and #2
These are little concealer/highlighter quads that I never really did get much use out of. The formula of the product was too sheer and greasy - they didn't give any coverage and the highlighter colours just faded away really quickly. They're a bit useless and they're out.

May Empties - only three weeks late

Beauty Without Cruelty Vitamin C Facial Cleanser
This is just a foaming facial cleanser I got from iHerb to use in the shower in the mornings. It doesn't do anything exciting, but unlike a lot of foaming cleansers it doesn't dry my skin out or make it feel tight, so I quite like it. And it's cheap. I'd probably buy it again if I were in need of a cleanser and doing an iHerb shop.

Sunsilk Addictive Brilliant Shine Shampoo and Conditioner
I am currently working my way through all the half used hair products in the house and these are two of them. I buy Sunsilk for Lily because she really likes it, but I don't use it all that often myself. It's okay for a supermarket shampoo but nothing special. I'll probably get it again for Lil if she still wants it when we've used everything else.

Palmolive Aromatherapy Shower Gel Anti-Stress
Didn't think much of this - I like the moisturising kind of body washes because I'm lazy. This one was a bit drying and I probably wouldn't buy it again.

Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Post-Treatment Regenerating Moisturiser
This came in a duo with a scrub, and it's nothing special. It wasn't overly moisturising and I wouldn't bother with it again.

MAC Brush Cleanser
Good stuff, but I'm thinking of trying out some of the cheaper ones to see what they are like. I go through this really quickly because I'm a bit fussy about cleaning my brushes.

Beauty Without Cruelty Balancing Facial Toner
Bog standard toner - doesn't do anything special but I do like a toner and this one was cheap. Again, if I needed a toner and I was doing an iHerb haul I'd probably buy this again.

Al'chemy Ginkgo & Jojoba Intensive Moisture Vitamin Masque
Part of a birthday gift from Sabine at Echolife last year - I really liked this. Because my hair is so thin - and thinning - most hair masks are too heavy for it, but this one was light and fresh and didn't weigh my hair down. I used it about once a fortnight as my hair doesn't need any more than that. I'd buy it again for sure.

John Plunkett Essentials Anti-Ageing Multi-Vitamin Moisturiser
Very thick, reminded me of those old school kind of moisturisers like Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream. It didn't make my skin feel especially moisturised though. I wouldn't buy it again.

Lancome Advanced Genefique Youth Activating Concentrate
I feel that there's more than a whiff of the emperor's new clothes about Lancome. People rave about their skincare but I've been unimpressed with everything I've tried. I was sent this to try and I'm glad I didn't pay for it - it was a nice enough serum but it did pretty much nothing.

Pantene Clinicare Fullness-charge Revitalising Conditioner
How on earth do they come up with these names? Another one I was just using up - I think it came in a travel set free with a magazine. Meh. It's a conditioner. It doesn't do anything exciting and I doubt I'd buy it.

Paula's Choice Earth Sourced Purely Natural Toner, Cleanser, Moisturiser samples
I used to be all over Paula's Choice skincare a few years ago but then I moved on to natural stuff and got into Silk Naturals and using Echolife Rosehip Oil and whatnot. However, lately people have been raving about PC products again and I did like them a lot so I decided to get a few things when I'd run down enough existing products. I wanted to try the Earth Sourced range because Paula is famously dismissive of natural skincare and hates many plant-based ingredients, claiming they are little more than irritants. Reading the ingredient list, nothing sounds 'natural' in the sense that I understand it, but nonetheless, these are really nice products. I bought a few full size things as well as samples, but I think next time I'm going to go for the full sizes of these ones.

Ava Luxe Love's True Bluish Light
This is a perfume sample that Su sent me ages ago and I loved it so much I've been stingily ekeing it out forever. I finally got down to the very last drops and there's nothing more there so I think I am going to have to splash out on a full size. It's a gorgeous warm, creamy vanilla musk - nothing really unique, but a beautiful example of a very simple blend. Love it, love it, love it.

Empties and Chuckers (and culling 30 Day Challenge)

Okay, I'm giving up the 30 Day Challenge. The questions are kind of lamo and I can't be bothered. Let's just talk about empties! I don't have that many because I haven't used many products or worn much makeup in the past few months - I go super basic in hot weather.

Maybelline Express Care Eye & Lip Makeup Remover
A regular purchase for me - it does the job it's supposed to and it's cheap. I've got another one on the go already.

Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Daily Regenerating Serum
I don't think this is available on Australia - I got it on Strawberrynet. It's okay, but it's nothing special and it's not really a serum - it's more of a light moisturiser. I wouldn't bother repurchasing.

Physician's Formula Concealer Twins Light/Green
Old school Physician's Formula! This is about the third one of these I've owned and I really like it - the light for under eyes (not so much for concealing as brightening) and a dab of the green on my cheeks when they're a bit red. I don't even know if these are still made, but I have a million concealers at the moment, so I wouldn't repurchase this one again for a long time regardless. Good stuff, though.

Twyla Perfumes & Apothecary Cannabis & Jasmine Face Cream - dry skin
This was a sample I got a while back and it was 10ml so I got a good couple of weeks out of it. I really like this cream - it doesn't do anything miraculous, but what moisturiser does. I don't think it's really for very dry skin - it's not rich enough. I'm normal/combo though so it was perfect for me. It absorbs nicely and my skin felt beautifully soft the next morning. It goes nicely under makeup too. The smell is a bit medicinal/herby but it doesn't hang around anyway. I will definitely buy a full size of this, but I have some other stuff to use up first.

Hawaiian Butterfly Organics Hibiscus Sugar Lip Scrub
I wanted to like this because it was cute and it smelled nice but it was just too much of a mess. The two different oils didn't really mesh together that well - sometimes it would be runny and goopy and other times it would be solid on top but as soon as you scooped some out you'd get the messy goopy stuff oozing over the top. I wouldn't repurchase this. I just use a smidge of brown sugar now. 

Garnier Fructis Thermo-Active Spray Sleek & Shine
This is really Lily's though I used it a couple of times because it's quite light. The problem is that after a few uses the squirty thing stopped working and I could never fix it, so it's just been sitting around. I guess I could put it in another bottle, but meh. There's no shortage of hair products in this house, so I'm chucking it.

Face of Australia Impact Curl Extreme Volume & Curl Mascara
I really liked the effect this had for the first few weeks and then it went all gluggy and started to clump my lashes together and start smudging. The brush is one of those bendy rubber ones I constantly poke myself in the eye with too. I wouldn't repurchase this.

Empties March 2013

It's been a while since I did an empties post, because in the summer I rarely use up anything - in fact, most of that time I only use the very basics - soap, shampoo, deodorant. I don't even wear moisturiser on my face most days when it's hot. So this is not a month's worth of empties - it's more like 3 or 4 months, or from whenever I did my last empties post. I did have a bunch of chuckers as well as I had a bit of a clean up, but I forgot to keep them aside and actually chucked them. Now you will never know what they are. Try not to let it eat at you.

Coles Nail Polish Remover
Eh, it's nail polish remover. It does what it's supposed to do. Weirdly I think they have tried to make it smell nice - it's a strange toxic vanilla scent. Don't bother, Coles - no one expects nail polish remover to smell good. I'd buy it again - it's cheap, it does the job.

Puretopia Whisk Away Creamy Face Cleanser
This is my second tube, and I like it a lot. I don't think it's any better or worse than most other cream cleansers I've tried, but I'd buy it again.

Garnier Clean Sensitive 2 in 1 Gentle Makeup Remover and Gentle Eye Makeup Remover
I hated these at first, left them in the cupboard for ages, then pulled them out again when I had run out of everything else and quite liked them. However, by the time I got to the end of them I hated them again. They don't remove anything but the lightest amount of makeup - think tinted moisturiser and cream blush. The eye one is bloody useless with any kind of mascara. I don't know why I liked them at all, and I definitely won't buy either of them again.

Beauty Without Cruelty Facial Cleanser 3% AHA Complex
Just another foaming facial cleanser - I like to have one in the shower for cleaning my face in the morning. It's non-drying and doesn't do much of anything except refresh. I like it and it's cheap (I got it from iHerb - and no I'm not telling you my iHerb code), so I'd probably buy it again when I was doing an iHerb order.

Hugo Naturals Shower Gel Vanilla & Sweet Orange
I threw this in with my last iHerb order just to get to a certain amount where the shipping would be cheaper. It smells nice but it's not moisturising or anything, and since I'm too lazy to bother moisturising my body most of the time despite having a large collection of body butters and lotions, that's a necessity for me in a shower gel. I wouldn't buy it again.

Dove Triple Moisturising Deeply Nourishing Body Wash
See, now we're talking. This one is moisturising and I buy it pretty regularly - whenever it's on special. It's full of those nasties that hippies hate, but I don't care - one less step and count me in!

Imperial Leather Foamburst Foaming Shower Gel Passionflower & Jojoba
I bought this because people on YouTube and blogs rave about it all the time. It's shit. It's like washing yourself with shaving cream - super drying and not very foamy. I ended up using it to shave my legs because I couldn't stand it as a soap.

Al'chemy Ylang Ylang Colour Care Shampoo
I don't have coloured hair at the moment but I think this one was sent to me from Echolife. I like all the Al'chemy shampoos and I nearly always have one on the go (though at the moment I'm trying out one from iHerb). I'd buy any of them again, and probably will in the near future.

endota spa organic hand cream lavender & alpine pepper
This had a horrible smell - really herby and medicinal. It did bugger all as a moisturiser too. I can't remember whether someone gave me this or if it came in a monthly samples box, but I know I didn't buy it. And I wouldn't - it's craptacular.

Swisse Hand Cream with Vitamin F and Pomegranate
Another annoyingly non-moisturisy moisturiser. I think Jacquie gave me this from one of her monthly sample boxes. Again, crap - wouldn't buy it.

Ayelet Naturals Firming Organic Under Eye Nourishing Cream with Primrose
Every now and then I get into this healthifying kick where I start buying only natural products and swearing off parabens and chemicals and blah blah. Then I realise that pretty much everything in life has something in it that will kill you and there's not much point getting freaked out about it so I go running back to my nasties-laden commercial products. This was purchased during one of my organic greenie natural phases from an Etsy store called Ayelet Naturals. I liked it. It didn't do anything amazing but it was a nice eye cream. I'm not sure I'd buy it again, but I'd certainly not be averse to trying other products from the store.

Bourjois Liner Feutre Felt Tip Eyeliner
Sadly I didn't put the lid back on properly and this dried up. I would buy it again if I didn't already have eleventy million black eyeliners - I like the texta kind, as this one is.

December Empties and Chuckers

This is my 100th post. I should have thought of a more interesting topic for it. Oh well, just look at these empty bottles and jars and pretend it's art or something.

EMPTIES

Radox Cocoa Butter Shower Cream.
Eh, it's okay. Nothing bad but nothing great either - I just bought it at the supermarket because it was on special. I probably wouldn't buy it again.

Al'chemy Unscented Very Gentle Shampoo
I really like this stuff - it's about my 3rd or 4th bottle. I'm currently experimenting with using this and no conditioner, just a spritz of detangler. So far so good, but I've only been doing it for a week or so, so it's too early to tell whether it's helping anything yet. I might do a post about it when I've been at it a bit longer.

Aveda Invati Exfoliating Shampoo and Thickening Conditioner
I didn't want to say much about this last time I mentioned it in my empties because I was trialling it for a Beauty Heaven review and I hadn't submitted it yet. Well, now I have and I can tell you I hated it. It's supposed to be helpful for thinning hair, but I had a ton of hair fall out while I was using it and I am convinced that it was this that caused it, as I wasn't doing anything else differently. I actually used up two lots of this, thinking maybe I was just imagining it, but I am definitely not. My hair is considerably thinner than it was 3 months ago, and I will never touch this stuff again.

 

Nutri Synergy Natural NS-8 Heel Balm Complex
I have had this around for ages because I kept forgetting it was there. It works pretty well on rough feet when you remember to use it. I'd probably buy it again and then put it somewhere prominent to remind me about it.

Beauty Without Cruelty Balancing Facial Toner
Just a toner, nothing amazing but it feels nice and has a pleasant scent. It's also cheap as chips and doesn't have any nasties in it. I have already got another bottle on the go and both Noodles and I use it so we're ploughing through it.

Bioderma Crealine H2O
Good lord, is this stuff over-rated! I was given this by Jac as she got it in a Bellabox and wasn't interested in it. I was really excited to try it after all the raves I've heard. It stung my eyes (which are not particularly sensitive) and it didn't clean my mascara or foundation off properly. Frankly, I thought it was crap. So glad I didn't give in to the temptation to spring for a bottle of this on eBay.

Ayelet Naturals Under Eye Cream with Zinc and Green Coffee Extract (sample)
This was a good size sample - I got about 2.5 weeks out of it, using it every morning. It's one of my Etsy skin care sample purchases, as I've been picking up small things here and there from Etsy stores to try them out. It's a nice eye cream but nothing amazing. I probably wouldn't buy a full size.

Pure Luxe Luxurious Facial Mask (sample)
It's spelled 'Luxurios' on the little container, which annoys me no end. This is a clay based mask that is quite nice, but I probably wouldn't buy a full size because I have a couple of huge Queen Helene masks that are going to last for ages.

Sigma Travel Size Blending Brush (#224 dupe)
Another Sigma brush bites the dust. I haven't bought any of their brushes for a couple of years now, and given my history with them, I'm not likely to any time soon.

CHUCKERS

Silk Naturals French Lavender Lotion
Yesterday I was looking through my bathroom cupboards to see if I happened to have an unscented body lotion (I don't) I could use to moisturise so my perfume would last longer. I did, however, find a few others that were a bit past it, like this one. It smells weird so it's going. I never liked it all that much anyway, which is why I have had this little tube for well over a year and only used half of it.

Arbonne Ultra Hydrating Hand Cream
Another one with a funky smell, and there's only a tiny bit left so out it goes. I never liked the smell of this - it was strong and herby and hung around forever - so I wouldn't repurchase it.

Haus of Gloi Depravity and Olde Cider Haus
These still smell like they're okay but I hate the scents of both (as does Noodles), so they never get used. I had them hanging around thinking I would find something to do with them, but - eh. They're only minis, they were probably about $4 each, they can go.

LA Color Craze Nail Polish
The formula of this is streaky and horrible and no matter how many coats I apply it looks like crap, so it's going.

NYX Powder Blush in Natural
I dropped this on the bathroom floor the other day and I was a bit devo as it's one of my favourite blushes - certainly one of my most-used. I know I could press it back together, but I can't be bothered. I'll just pick up another one when Cherry Culture or Nonpareil has one of their 20% off sales.

November Empties and Chuckers

Le Empties

Aveda Invati Exfoliating Shampoo, Thickening Conditioner, and Scalp Revitalizer
I'm in the middle of trialling these at the moment (I have a second lot I'm working through) so I won't say anything about them as yet.

Puretopia Whisk Away Creamy Face Cleanser
This was one of the products I picked up for gratis in Beauty Heaven's first Beautorium, and I really like it. I have already blagged another one that Jacquie gave me from one of her blogging get-together freebie scores. I don't even know how much it is, but I would repurchase it for sure - I loves me some cream cleanser. I use it after removing make up at night, and I like that it doesn't leave my face feeling tight.

Burt's Bees Facial Cleansing Towelettes with White Tea Extract
Sabine from Echolife sent me these a while ago, and I do like them quite a lot, although it says on the packet 'removes dirt, oil and make-up without rinsing'. Dirt and oil, sure, but makeup... noooo. It didn't do much to remove any of my makeup at all. That's not really a deal breaker for me since I rarely use face wipes to clean makeup off anyway (that's naughty!) - I usually use them at night when I've had a makeup free day and can't be bothered going through a full cleansing routine, which is at least a few days a week in the hotter weather. For that purpose, they're great, and I would repurchase them. I liked them a lot better than the Wot Not ones I got a while ago from the Beautorium - those leave a weird film that I hated.

Palmolive Naturals Ultra Moisture Milk & Shea Butter Shower Milk
I think this turns up in about every second empties. It's cheap, I like the smell, and it feels nice. I will continue to buy it.

Garnier Ultra Lift SPF15 something or other
It doesn't say what it is on the jar. Some kind of moisturiser. I picked it up at the supermarket when I needed a moisturiser with SPF in a hurry, and I actually really liked it. It doesn't do anything fancy, but it's nice under makeup, and it was pretty cheap from memory. I would buy it again. It does have a weird smell though - bordering on citronella.

Olay Total Effects Anti-Ageing 7 in 1 Eye Cream
I bought this because I was totally out of eye cream and just needed something in a hurry (I have gone from having way too many different products to forgetting to replace or stock up until I'm down to the last drop of things - ugh, must meet somewhere in the middle). How can an eye cream fight 'the seven signs of ageing' when it doesn't even have  a sunscreen in it? The cream itself felt nice - it reminded me of Clinique All About Eyes - but it really didn't do anything much, and it's not worth the $35 or whatever it was that it cost. I wouldn't repurchase it.

Luxe Organics samples: AHA Cream Exfoliant, AHA Toner, AHA Cream Cleanser, Antioxidant Toner
I really loved these products, and I would have bought full sizes of at least some of them, except that somewhere between the time I first bought the samples and the time I decided to get more, they stopped shipping overseas. I sent an enquiry about it, they didn't respond. I sent another enquiry four days later and they did respond to that one, with an apology for not replying the first time (and there was me ready to give the benefit of the doubt and assume they didn't get it), but not exactly falling all over themselves to sell me anything. Yes, they would ship to me if I spent at least $35 (not a problem - what I wanted would have been over that amount) and shipping would be $30 (for stuff weighing less than a kilo, that's a problem). From memory it was a few weeks from my order before they shipped it too, so given that their customer service just came across as... well, less than stellar, I decided to give it a miss. Shame, because some of their stuff is REALLY good. Noodles had a little trial pack of stuff suited for her skin too, and she also really liked it. Oh well. Onward and upward!

Pure Luxe Cleansing Oil
I bought this a while back with some eyeshadow samples, and I really like it. It doesn't have mineral oil in it, as most of the commercial cleansing oils do. I'd probably consider getting a full bottle when I'm closer to using up a bunch of other makeup removers I have around the place.

Le Chuckers

Bio Sculpture Gel Cuticle Conditioner
Another Beautorium freebie. I have very dry cuticles and this just did nothing at all for them. I used it most nights, just because it was there, until it got down to where it was hard to get anymore on the brush, so it's going in the bin. Needless to say, I would not repurchase.

Silk Naturals Organic Lipstick in Fashionista
This was more brown than I had expected, and therefore I never wore it. It also had a soft, slightly greasy texture that I didn't love. I wouldn't repurchase it.

Silk Naturals Lip Stains in Vamp and Doll
Now these I did like, but I kept forgetting about them because they are so small and they got lost in among a box full of other lip products. They are super stainy and last for ages, and the formula is similar to the BeneTint one. They are a little bit drying on the lips though. I'm throwing them out because one of them smells a bit weird now, and since I bought them both at the same time, I figure the other one is probably not far behind. I doubt I'd repurchase, not because I don't like them, but just because I already have eleventy million lip products I don't use.

Rocktober Empties and Chuckers

Apologies for the blurry picture - I really must get 'my' camera back from Ben one of these days.

I haven't done an empties post for a while, and not because I haven't had any - I've actually been ploughing through stuff. I just couldn't be arsed, to be honest. 

EMPTIES

Silk Naturals Oatmeal Serum, Super Serum, Apricot Cleansing Oil x 2, AHA Toner

These have been floating around for a while and all were almost used up but still a bit leftover, so I made the effort to finish them all and get them out of the cupboard. I really like Silk Naturals skin care products, and I used them faithfully for quite a few months, but no matter how much I like something I just get bored with it after a while and I want to go off and try something else. I'd definitely repurchase any or all of these in the future though, when I'm done sowing my skin care oats. 

Palmer's Gentle Daily Cleanser

I bought several Palmer's face care products a while ago when they were 30% off in a supermarket, and I HATED them. They're really thick, but not at all moisturising, which is very strange. The others were moisturisers, and I detested them so much I just threw them out. This one I threw in the shower to use in the mornings. It was really thick and hard to get out of the packaging, but the product itself wasn't too bad - a nice, creamy, semi-lathering cleanser that didn't dry out my face. I wouldn't buy it again though. 

Nivea Soft Hand Cream

Meh. As usual I bought a cheap hand cream on the fly and it didn't do much of anything. I'll probably buy it again some time just because that's what I seem to do. 

Maybelline Express Care Eye Makeup Remover

This is a staple - it's cheap and it does the job. I haven't replaced it as yet because I wanted to try a Garnier one that was on special (it's crap), but I'll definitely go back to this when the Garnier is done. 

Elixia Night Renew Complex

Worst. Packaging. Ever. This has a pump thing on top of a jar, so you have to press it down and the product comes out of a hole in the top and just sort of sits there - you have to swipe it off with your finger or a brush or a spatula. It's unbelievably stupid and all sorts of unhygienic. The product itself is nothing special, and certainly not worth the hefty price tag. I would not repurchase it. 

Lancome Genifique Youth Activivating Concentrate

This was a trial size that came in a set of serums from Adore Beauty. I've used this serum before and I find it pretty meh. According to Paula Begoun, it's almost identical to one of the L'Oreal ones - Youth Code, maybe? Same company, so that makes sense. Anyway, not worth the price tag and I would not buy a full size.

CHUCKERS

L'Oreal VolumeMillion Lashes Mascara

L'Oreal mascaras always smudge on me, which is annoying enough, but this one also had a rubber brush, and I was continually poking myself in the eye with it. The formula was wet and made my lashes clumpy, so I had to always comb through with a lash comb after. In short, I hated it. I lasted about a month and couldn't stand it any longer. 

Essence Clear Brow Gel

This is looking really gungy so it's going. It was cheap - maybe $3 - and I bought it along with a handful of other Essence things when they first made an appearance in Target just to see what the brand was like. I wasn't really impressed with any of it, and this was the only thing I've really used regularly. It doesn't do much - you could do a better job with a bit of hair spray on a spoolie, which I'll be going back to doing now. I just used it for the sake of using it, really. Definitely not a repurchase. 

ELF Eyelash Curler

A lot of people rave about this, and for the price it's a bargain ($1.25US from Nonpareil), but I didn't find it anything special. The little black thing died and I can't remember if it came with any spares, and if it did I don't know where they are, so I'm chucking it. I wouldn't bother repurchasing this.

Everyday Minerals Flat Top Brush

The handle broke off and the brush started to shed dramatically, so I think the glue has died. I'm a bit sad about this, as I love my EDM face brushes. I considered buying another one immediately as I use this several times a week with my MAC MSF Natural, but I have one of those Crown Flat Bronzer brushes that does the same thing, so I resisted. I might buy another one one of these days.

March Empties and Chuckers

It hasn't been a good month for me. I've not been well for quite a bit of it, work is still awkward and annoying after the pre-Christmas drama, work and health stress seems to have made my hair start falling out again and it's thinning quite alarmingly, various people are pissing me off for various reasons, and blogging is getting on my last nerves for reasons I don't really want to go into because I can't say it without sounding like a bitch. But Natalie can. Anyway, the short version of that is that I haven't been wearing much makeup or using many products, so I don't have much in the way of empties this month.

Al'chemy Unscented Very Gentle Shampoo: I really like this, it's light and doesn't build up in my hair like a lot of shampoos do. I already have another one on the go, as I stocked up a few weeks ago from my favourite hippie go-to store, Echolife.

Avène Thermal Spring Water: I've had this floating around in my bag for about 6 months, and though it's nice to spray on oneself in a hot, crappily air-conditioned office, let's be real. It's a can of water. WATER. I think I paid about $8 for it. That works out to be $160 a litre. FOR WATER.

Gaia Bodycare Lavender & Frankincense Body Wash: I don't love the smell, but this has a really nice skin-softening effect, which is perfect for me because I'm too lazy to use body lotion more than about 8 days of the year. I have already repurchased one in the other fragrance they have - Jasmine and something. Again, don't love the fragrance - there's a vague hint of tobacco in it that's kind of weird.

Nivea Rich Nourishing Body Moisturiser: This would be one of those 'luxe' samples that came in one of those stupid monthly boxes (I don't think that word means what they think it means). I used it on my feet at night, and I have nothing more to say about it lest I get into yet another rant about stupid monthly boxes. I would not repurchase.

Silk Naturals Firming Moisturiser: I didn't like this much at first, but eventually came around to it. I found I liked it more when I mixed it with a few drops of Echolife's Rosehip Oil. I'm not sure whether I would repurchase; I think I'd probably go for their Intensive Moisturiser instead.

Perfumatory Body Cream in Vixen: The last of my Perfumatory products, I eked this one out because it was my favourite of their scents. I wish I'd bought an enormous jar or seven of this - loved it. I've bitched before about their lacklustre customer service, but I'd definitely go back for this - the quality of the body products is excellent. Unfortunately, they don't seem to have this fragrance anymore.

Only two chuckers this month, and one not even mine. This NP Set lip gloss palette came free with one of Noodles' teenybopper chick mags and it looks pretty, but the colours have pretty much no pigmentation. It also stinks - a hideous plasticky cheap smell, like candles from The Reject Shop.

And sadly, my Benefit Creaseless Cream in Get Figgy is for the bin. This was one of the ones I bought from Strawberrynet and it was way marked down - maybe $10, I think. Caveat emptor - obviously it was really old. I've bought others from there without problems, but they were more expensive so they obviously weren't such old stock. I decided to finally turf it after getting the ELF Cream Eyeshadow in Eggplant, which is a pretty good dupe for this one.

February Empties

Al'chemy Conditioners Macadamia and Wheat and Unscented Wheat Free: I hate that I always run out of conditioner before I run out of shampoo - it ruins my love of symmetry! I really like these conditioners - I've already bought another bottle of the unscented one.

Palmolive Naturals Shower Milk Milk & Olive: An old staple, though I usually get the one with the brown lid. I'm trying to go more natural with this sort of thing, so not sure if I'll buy it again.

Silk Naturals Intensive Moisturiser: I was a bit iffy about this at first - it didn't seem overly moisturising - but once I got used to it not having all the silicones and slippy fillers that come in commercial moisturisers I liked it quite a bit. I would repurchase this, but not until I've used up other things I have. Trying not to be wasteful!

Balmain Ambre Gris EDP 5ml decant: Love this, even though it's a cheesy old lady fragrance. What am I saying, I adore cheesy old lady fragrances. I would definitely buy a full bottle - in fact it's on my FB list - but I'm on a total perfume ban for the forseeable future, so not sure when that will happen.

Silk Naturals Coconut Argan Cleansing Conditioner: Noodles used this and really liked it, so I'll probably get her a full size next time I do a Silk Naturals order.

Silk Naturals Vitamin C Peptide Serum: Really liked this and will definitely buy it again, but as above with the moisturiser, I'm using up other things first.

Clinique Turnaround Concentrate Visible Skin Renewer: This came in a GWP a couple of years ago and I never used it. It's been knocking around for a really long time now, so I'm chucking it.

January Empties and Chuckers Part 2

I already did a January Empties post in the middle of the month because things were starting to pile up. The second half of the month was slower, so there weren't that many more after all.

EMPTIES

Cetaphil Oily Skin Cleanser
This belongs to Noodle Arms, though I used it a few times. I'm undecided about whether to repurchase - at the moment she's using Silk Naturals cleansers, and after reading the ingredients on the back of this I'm not overly impressed with its contents, so I'd say probably not.

Nature's Goodness Olive Leave Mouthwash
I talked about this in my Echolife haul post, so I won't say any more about it except that it's a definite repurchase once I finish the Listerine Zero bottle I'm working through.

Garnier Clean Sensitive Gentle Eye Makeup Remover
I found I had to do a bit of pulling and rubbing to get eye makeup off entirely with this, so I wouldn't repurchase it.

Silk Naturals Pore Refining Toner
This is the third bottle Noodles and I have gone through - it's a really lovely hydrating, moisturising toner. It's really annoying that it only comes in 60ml bottles, though. Definite repurchase.

Silk Naturals Awesomesauce 5ml sample
Another of Silk Naturals' many serums. I liked it, and I'd probably buy a full bottle at some point, but I've got the Vitamin C one still going at the moment.

CHUCKERS

Apologies for the hair there - gross! I'm afraid my bathroom always has stray hairs around no matter how diligently I clean it, because I shed like a mofo.

Maybelline Lash Stylist Mascara
I'm pretty sure this was discontinued a couple of years ago - I picked it up a while ago for $5 in a Chemist Warehouse clearance bin. In theory I love mascaras with a comb instead of a brush, because I hate clumpy lashes and they do a good job of separating them. Unfortunately, in practice I got sick of poking myself in the eye at least 4 times a week, so it's going.

Bioeffects EGF Serum 3ml sample
This was some high-falutin' serum sample that came in one of those monthly boxes and I was using it under my eyes because I didn't really know what else to do with it. However, after reading this article that Sarah posted on Twitter, I stopped immediately, and frankly I wish I'd never touched it now. :-/

Mid-January Empties and Chuckers

I'm doing a mid-month empties post as I've done a bit of cleaning out recently and things are starting to pile up.

EMPTIES

Gaia Geranium and Palmarosa Creamy Cleanser
The smell of this is quite strong but that doesn't really bother me. I double cleanse with an oil cleanser first and follow with a cream cleanser. I usually use Clarins Cleansing Milk but this one's cheaper and I like it quite a lot, so I will be repurchasing this as soon as I have a chance to get to Priceline.

Bobbi Brown Cleansing Oil
One of those trials that comes in a monthly box. Meh. It's not bad but there are plenty of other cleansing oils out there that do the same thing for less money. I wouldn't repurchase this.

Silk Naturals Green Tea and Aloe Serum 5ml
I talked about this in my last empties post, when I used another one I had. Wouldn't repurchase for now as I have my beloved Oatmeal serum, though this is nice.

Kerastase Elixir Ultime
Another one from a monthly box. This is a hair oil that Noodle Arms used and LOVED. She wants me to buy a full bottle, but she already has a Macadamia one, a Silk Naturals one, and the Moroccan Oil that is technically mine but I never use, so I told her she can use all those first and then we'll talk.

NP Set Lash and Dash Mascara
One of Noodles' contributions, this came free with a Dolly or Girlfriend mag. She said it was crap.

CHUCKERS

Pantene Aqua Light Shampoo and Conditioner
At first I didn't mind the shampoo but I always hated the conditioner. And now I hate the shampoo too - it doesn't rinse out properly! No matter how much I rinsed, when I put the conditioner in it would get all frothy again. I'm not a Pantene fan, and I don't buy into their bullshit "myths about Pantene" campaign. Those "myths" are true, though to be fair, they're not the only shampoo and conditioner guilty of loading up with silicones. I didn't pay for these, and I certainly wouldn't buy them. I've been using them for a while now to try to get rid of them without being wasteful but I just can't stand them anymore.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleanser
I can't stand companies that pretend to have a philosophy (see what I did there?), which is why I generally avoid The Body Shop and Dove. This cleanser is the same garbage you'd buy in any supermarket brand but it's marketed as something 'pure'. It even has COLOURING in it. I've had this in my shower for months as I like to have a quick face wash in the mornings with a foaming cleanser, but I can't seem to get through it. There's not much left but I just can't bear looking at it in the mornings anymore. It pisses me off too much.

Perfumatory Night Shift Body Cream in Death By Vanilla
The quality of the product itself is quite good, but it smells like a kid ate a bag of caramel lollies and then threw them back up. I would not repurchase.

Revlon ColorStay Foundation in Sand Beige
There's only a smidge of this left but again it seems to just keep going forever. I've had this for a couple of years and I've noticed it starting to oxidise fairly rapidly lately so it's time to go. I would repurchase, though not at the prices we pay here.

Naked Tan Goddess Bronze Self-Tanner
I'm starting to believe the monthly boxes are largely a glorified throwout table (particularly after reading Stacey's latest box post). This came in the first Lust Have It box in August and the use by date was December. Noodles was using it and she liked it, so she'd probably repurchase it.

Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Firm and Total Eye Care SPF15
Both almost full, both expired - wasteful of me. I didn't like either of them (hence sitting around being wasted) and I wouldn't repurchase.

NYX As If Stick Concealer in Green
I haven't tried the NYX concealer in the pot, but the stick and the liquid ones are craptacular. This is cheap, nasty, waxy, just bleh. And it doesn't work. Definitely would not repurchase.

L'Oreal Panoramic Curl Mascara
I'm pretty sure this was discontinued ages ago - I picked it up for $5 in a clearance bin at Chemist Warehouse. It was snatched up by Noodles, who used it for a couple of weeks and then announced that she hated it. When you take the brush out it has huge globs of formula on it. Ugh.

Bourjois Liner Feutre Felt Tip Liner in Black
Another one that Noodles took and the goober played with it a few times and then announced she didn't like it. She's been hoarding it for months so it's dried out and useless now. Grr! I quite like these so in theory I would repurchase it, though in reality I already have a ton of pencil eyeliners and I don't really use them that often anyway.

December Empties and Chuckers

It probably makes me sound like a complete saddo, but one of my favourite things of 2011 was really getting into the whole "Empties" vibe - actually using things instead of just buying them, playing a couple of times and then shoving them into a drawer or on a shelf. I've become much more aware of how wasteful I've been in the past (not just with beauty products, but consumables generally - I plan to talk about food waste at some point in the next week or so as well), and I'm mindful not to get trapped into the MUST BUY MUST BUY cycle in 2012. God help me, I think I'm turning into a hippie! You will never see me walk around barefoot though. NEVER.

Not too many full size products this month - though a few are teetering on the edge so January should be a bit more of an empties haul in that regard.

Face of Australia Gentle Makeup Remover
I reviewed this here so I won't say much more about it. I liked it enough to buy another bottle after receiving a freebie. Repurchase? Yes and no. In theory I would buy it again because it's a good makeup remover and it's pretty cheap, but I am loving the Silk Naturals cleansers for the moment. Maybe in the future.

Silk Naturals Pore Refining Toner
Love it! This is the third bottle I have bought because Noodles and I both use it morning and night and annoyingly it only comes in a 60ml size. Repurchase? Definitely.

Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes
A staple in my house, but more used by Noodles than by me. I'm not a fan of removing makeup with cleansing wipes other than as a last resort - I use them occasionally when I am being super lazy or am super tired. Noodles uses them to remove mascara before she washes her face. Repurchase? Yes.

Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Lash Extending Treatment Mascara
This was given to me by Harriet Archer, who received it in a showbag at the races or something. She is a sensitive flower who can't use certain brands, and Elizabeth Arden is one of them. I was unimpressed - the formula was quite dry and flaked like a mofo, and it smudged on my eyelids EVERY TIME I applied it, no matter how careful I was. I used it for about 6 weeks but it kept getting drier and flakier so I think it's done. Repurchase? Definitely not.

Shu Uemura Skin Purifier
This is a cleansing oil that was given to me - it came in one of those monthly boxes. It was nice enough but nothing spectacular. There are oils out there equally as good if not better that don't cost as much as this one. Repurchase? Doubtful.

Silk Naturals Oatmeal Serum 2 x 5ml (one not pictured)
Oh my, how I loved this stuff - it's gorgeously hydrating. I use it in the mornings under makeup. Repurchase? Already have - I bought a full bottle in my last Silk Naturals haul.

Silk Naturals Green Tea and Aloe serum 5ml
Similar to the Oatmeal serum in that it's a hydrating serum. It's lovely, but I didn't love it quite as much as the Oatmeal. I'm still using up the second sample - these Silk Naturals samples go a long way! Repurchase? Maybe down the track when I'm over the Oatmeal serum, but not for now.

Silk Naturals Argan and Goji Berry Moisturiser 2 x 5ml
A rich moisturiser that's nice to use at night. Repurchase? Undecided. Pretty much the only skincare product of Silk Naturals I'm not entirely sold on is their moisturisers, and I haven't worked out yet whether that's just because they don't contain all the silicones and slippy ingredients that make commercial moisturisers 'feel nice'. Kind of like how your hair looks like crap for a couple of weeks after you go from something like Pantene to a silicone-free shampoo and conditioner, it might just be a matter of getting used to them. I have full sizes of two other moisturisers of theirs so I'm pretty set for the moment anyway.

Silk Naturals Hemp Moisturiser 5ml
Noodles used this - apparently it's good for acne-prone skin. She didn't like it at first - again, seemingly because it didn't have the 'feel good' things in them, but she seems to have come around to it. Repurchase? I did already as Noodles said she wanted a full bottle.

Silk Naturals AHA Toner 5 ml
I used this every second night in place of the Pore Refining Toner. I like AHAs because I'm not keen on exfoliating with scrubs anymore. Repurchase? Yes, I've already bought a full size.

ASAP Sheer Tint Moisturiser SPF15
Another freebie, this was okay but nothing special. You may notice I chopped the top off it to scrap all the last bits out but don't get the idea that's because I loved it. I was just scrabbling around desperately one day for something with SPF in it to put on my face before I went outside. Repurchase? No.

The Perfumed Court 5ml decants in Jean Paul Gaultier Classique, Chanel Gardenia EDT, Miller Harris Coeur de Fleur and Fleurs de Bois
I'm fickle, especially with perfumes. No matter how much I love them I get bored and want something different, so because of that, and because I don't care about the pretty bottles, I buy a lot of them in small amounts from The Perfumed Court. Repurchase? No to the Miller Harris scents - neither of those were anything special. I've bought Chanel Gardenia a few times because it's a good Spring/Summer fragrance, but I'm getting sick of it. I might give that one a rest for a while. I'm considering buying a full bottle of JPG Classique as I'd forgotten how much I loved it - this was a favourite of mine when it first came out in the 90s, and every time I wear it, it takes me right back there to the days when I had a life. *sigh*

Schwarzkopf Deep Nutrition Instant Repair Treatment
Noodles used this - she loves anything hair-related. Repurchase? Unlikely, she has a ton of similar products already, though she did say it was nice.


Garnier Body Intensive 7 Days Ultra-Softening Lotion
Another one used by Noodles. She loved it, and I've already bought her a full bottle.


Kerastase Ciment Thermique Heat-Activated Reconstructor Milk
This came in one of those monthly boxes - there were 2 samples of this and two each of the shampoo and conditioner to match. All of these made my hair feel so gorgeous, to the point where I couldn't stop touching it. Repurchase? Normally I would be YES PLEASE NOW, but since I've resolved to go as natural as possible with hair products from now on (or at least when I use up what I have) for both Noodles and myself, and Kerastase is chock full of those things that hair hippies consider nasties, it's a sad-face no from me for now. :-(

Clarins Skin Illusion Natural Radiance Foundation
I intend to do a review of this as I took before and after pics while I was testing it, so I won't say much about it now.

NYX Tinted Lip Spas in Jewel, Vintage, Sake, Juicy and Copacobana
I've talked about these in the past and I do like them, but mine are all at least a couple of years old and generally kind of ugh, so they have to go. Repurchase? I don't think so - I have so many other lip products and although they're nice for hot weather there's nothing particularly awesome about them.

Clarins Lipstick #705
This was in a GWP and would have to be at least 3 years old, so it's going. Repurchase? No, the reason I still have it is because I never much liked it and it just sat in my box of lipsticks in the fridge.

Buzzplanet Chocolate Bacon Lip Balm
I hate to bag out an Etsy seller but this is pretty much the worst lip balm I have ever used. It does nothing - it's not the least bit moisturising. It's like rubbing a cheap Reject Shop candle all over your lips. And it doesn't smell or taste anything like either chocolate or bacon. Noodles has a chocolate macadamia one that is just as craptacular. Repurchase? Definitely not.

ELF Luscious Liquid Lipsticks in Pink Lemonade, Bark, Cherry Tart and Baby Lips
Again, these are just getting old. I was rummaging through a drawer the other day looking for something and I noticed that one of these was looking particularly crusty so I figured it was time they went. They had a good run though, and for about $1US each, I think I got my money's worth out of them. Repurchase? I think so, except for Baby Lips, because the name creeps me out.

Palladio Herbal Brow Gel
I can only put up with those clear brow gels going all brown and scuzzy for so long before I can't stand looking at them anymore. I got a couple of months out of this one and it was pretty cheap, so again I think I got my money's worth out of it. Repurchase? Not sure, it's not a bad product but it really doesn't do anything that a bit of hairspray on a spoolie couldn't.

Dermalogica Total Eye Care SPF15 and Multi Vitamin Power Firm
Both of these eye products are past their use-by date. See, this is what I mean about being mindful about using stuff. Repurchase? No, I didn't much like either of them and I'm not a fan of Dermalogica.


Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch
I have had this FOREVER and used it frequently but there's only a bit of a dip in it.

This damn stuff lasts forever. I am throwing it out because I'm just a bit grossed out by how long it's been around. Repurchase? Doubtful. I really wish companies would make smaller sizes of products that are likely to last a really long time. It would be so much cheaper and less wasteful for the consumers, and chances are they'd make extra sales too because who doesn't end up buying something else when they go to restock on a product?

Phew! That was a lot of stuff. I'm worn out from typing now. If you've done an empties post, link me up so I can check out what you're using. And if you've used any of these things and love or hate them, tell me all about it!