2013 has come and gone, but I still had my December Empties lying around! Here they are...
***Each item either purchased by me or was a sample. Affiliate links included.***
The usual suspects:
Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water - Review HERE. I've gone through many bottles of this, and have the travel set on backup (here from Sephora). However, recently I've discovered that it can actually dry my skin out if used too often. For awhile I had been using it day and night to cleanse my eye area, regardless if I was wearing makeup or not. My eye area had gotten so dry and crepey and I couldn't figure out what was going on. Seriously thought old age had just gotten the better of me, but then I realized that couldn't be it because it seemed to happen so quickly. As I got down to the bare minimum of products to try to figure out what was going on, I decided to stop using the KGD water. Guess what - that was the culprit. I'm still using it, but sticking to only when I need to remove eye makeup…and even then I try to alternate it with my Tatcha cleansing oil. Not sure if I'll purchase again after I get through the travel bottles?? I don't like it being drying :-( Ack and I need to update that review!!!
Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Intensive Eye Contour Cream - Review HERE. I've been using this for many, many years now and will continue to purchase it.
Shiseido Facial Cotton - Love it and so worth it!!! Will continue to purchase!
Aquaphor - I have tubes of these all over, and will continue to do so! It's just a great all around fix it :-)
L'Occitane Hand Cream - My favorite hand cream that I always have a tube of somewhere, no matter what I'm testing out.
The others:
Vivant Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Exfoliating Cleanser - Review HERE. Finally finished this huge bottle, and only have a little 2oz bottle left. I still like this better than ExfoliKate, but I'm onto testing other things so I don't think I'll purchase this again anytime soon.
Rodin Lip Balm - Review HERE. This was my second one! Love it and will repurchase at some point, but I have several to test at the moment so I'll wait for a bit.
Trader Joe's Honey - Featured in my Skincare Routine HERE. I don't think this is necessarily better than any other honey, I purchased it because I find myself at TJ's often enough!! I have since repurchased this :-)
Skin Beautiful Perfectly Spotless Serum - Another product featured in my Skincare Routine HERE. I have since purchased another bottle because I thought I loved it!!! But about 1/3 way through the second bottle and I've realized my skin doesn't like it as much??? I started developing itchy, slightly raised areas on my face that would linger unless I used cortisone cream and/or sulphur treatment. After a few days of self treatment they would go away, but would come back shortly thereafter. Finally I stopped using this serum and haven't seen those spots since. I had a mini vent in a Diary post HERE, and while I didn't name the product Pearlessence said that maybe my skin just got used to it?? IDK…I might try using it again intermittently at some point because I really did notice a difference in pigmentation. Otherwise I'll just finish it on my hands.
Deep Sleep Pillow Spray - Review HERE. Love! Have repurchased another bottle.
Skin Beautiful Refining Micro-Peel Pads - Review HERE. Love and have repurchased! The review has a different name, but it's the same product in a repackaged and renamed design - the new product also is in more convenient pads vs. a dropper bottle.
Shiseido Benefiance Pure Retinol Instant Treatment Eye Mask - Review HERE. I like these a lot, but have not used them as much as in past months. I do have a backup box already though!
Juno Transformative Lipid Serum sample - Review HERE. While I think this is a lovely oil, I don't use this on my face anymore because I've found I get either the same or better results with other (much less expensive) oils. This was added to my CeraVe Cream.
Mr. Gummy Empties!!!
Garden of Wisdom Aloe Oil - He's already on another bottle of this and really likes it because it spreads easily. He really likes it because he read it's supposed to be really good for your skin, but he hasn't said specifically if he's noticed a difference.
Jungleman Deodorant - He's finished this before, and recently purchased a bunch more because he seems to go through them pretty quickly. There's a minty scent that he ordered to try! He likes it because out of all the straight up, non aluminum deodorants this one seems to be the most effective.
Bottega Veneta fragrance sample - This smelled really good! Dunno if he'll purchase this though because he still has a big bottle of cologne he hasn't finished plus I think he kind of likes trying the samples?
Givenchy fragrance sample - I can't remember what either of us thought about this one??
How did you do for December?!!! Yay Empties!!! :-)