June Empties + Recommendations
Hey guys!
If you haven't read my previous two posts on my minimalism introduction and clearing my makeup collection, click on the links to get some more context! Anyway, I have recently been inspired to use up more products I own in order to make some progress with my minimalism journey. I have mentioned before that minimalists come in many different shapes and sizes, and for me personally, makeup does make me very happy. What makes me unhappy is the fact that my collection is growing at a rapid pace, and therefore I am unable to give most of my products a fulfilling life span.
On YouTube, empties videos have always been around but I never thought to myself that I should give a go using a product up. The hardest thing about using an entire product up is that if you dislike the product, you begin to feel unmotivated to use it. At the moment, I am also working on a project pan with products that I reach for the least, and it is really difficult to like a product that you hate.
Below are some products I have managed to complete in 3 weeks, as most of them were either almost empty or extremely nice products, so here we go:
This Norsca deodorant was originally my sister's, however she let me use it up when I ran out of my beloved Dove Clinical Fresh Touch deodorant (pictured below). I personally hate deodorant sprays, and this scent in particular was very soapy and floral which I did not like. It retails for $6.59 which is not very cheap compared to other better brands, but considering you get 245ml it is not so bad.
At the moment, I am using the Lady Speed Stick for $4.49 which I have found to love just as equally to my Dove deodorant. And honestly, I love the scent of the Lady Speed Stick better. I always love finding cheaper alternatives. Yes I just wrote a whole paragraph on deodorant sue me haha. Would I recommend the Norsca spray? No. Plus, I think it is worse for the planet and your lungs.
I find myself very lazy sometimes when it comes to taking my makeup off, so I always opt for some face wipes. I picked up these Kmart face wipes for $2 and didn't expect too much. And lucky I didn't because the wipes are very scratchy. I like the Nivea face wipes because they have a more oily formula that melts your makeup off, but I hate the generic scent that Nivea has. I also did not like the coconut & vanilla fragrance too much, but I didn't exactly hate it. Not sure why I picked up this version instead of the plethora of other wipes that Kmart sells; including unscented.
Would I recommend these? Not really. But if you're somehow in desperate need for face wipes, and happen to be in Kmart I would probably pick up the unscented wipes. (The unscented ones are now selling for $1.50. I'm not sure if it is for a limited time because Kmart are lowering most of their prices as of last month).
If you don't really care about face wipes, I would scroll down. But I heard that the Neutrogena face wipes are the best on the market (as recommended by Shani Grimmond on YouTube). I have owned these in the past, but I honestly don't remember much about the quality. The only downside is that I go through face wipes so fast that $7.99 becomes way too expensive. If they go on sale, I will purchase them. But currently, I am just on the lookout for cheap face wipes that are good quality.
A friend told me however that there are face wipes in Target that are extremely good quality, and I think she told me that they are around $2-$4. The Target website in Australia does not show any beauty products, so hopefully it isn't a myth and that next time I am in Target I remember to pick them up.
Continuing on, I recently made an order on Sephora as I had a discount code. It's a funny story, but I purchased their Zoeva Golden Rose palette online and found a fingerprint on one of the eyeshadows that was not mine. Luckily I emailed them because I received a discount, which surprisingly worked in conjunction with my $10 off Sephora White discount. Talk about change of luck! I saved almost $40 on my order :)
I picked up their skincare kit (which is now sold out), which includes the Sephora brand face wipes. The Sephora brand offer plenty of different kinds of face wipes, including 25 scented wipes for $10 (if you don't mind scents) and as well as many other types of face wipes. I personally don't see myself owning these any time soon as my nearest Sephora is in the city, and shipping isn't free. But if I do I will let you guys know.
In the skincare set I purchased, there are only 10 sheets of the Express Cleaning Wipes, but I may review these (as well as the other products) when I receive my order.
I'm getting so carried away but last face wipe mention I swear! One of my sister's purchased the Essano Rosehip Face Wipes and I used one because I was too tired to wash my face. They are so luxurious. If you have not smelt Essano products before, I would highly recommend picking one of their products up because it smells like heaven. Their prices are mid-range which is surprising because they can easily be mistaken for high end, and best of all all their products are natural, vegan, and easily recyclable. You can purchase them at Coles or Priceline, so they are easy to repurchase. I swear I'm not sponsored by Essano, I wish I was! Nothing but love for their products!
Another holy grail product. Antipodes Apostle Skin-Brightening Serum. I received this beauty for free in the annual Priceline skincare bag (spend $x amount of money on particular brands, and get a MASSIVE goodie bag. So worth it!). The only sad thing about this range is that it is so darn expensive. I had never tried a skin-brightening serum, and it changed my life.
Natural products are right up my alley, so I loved this product to death. It has a very satisfying strawberry-like scent, and it made my skin tighter and brighter! I have seen Antipodes products have a 3 for 2 sale several times, but I was always off put by the hefty price. Hopefully next time I will grit my teeth and buy it, because I had no problems with the sample.
Juicy Couture was always a fragrance that I begged my mum for every time I set foot in Chemist Warehouse. I have always bought all my fragrances from Chemist Warehouse by the way, because they always have the cheapest prices no matter what!
When I was on holiday in Queensland in 2015, they had a massive perfume sale so I finally purchased a bottle of Viva La Juicy. I used up this fragrance fairly quickly due to its small size, and I must've loved it as well. I am not so great at explaining scents, but it is a sweet smell that isn't too offensive. It has a minuscule hint of muskyness which tones down the sweetness.
However, as I have matured, I have found that I have slightly grown out of sweet scents. My current favourite fragrance is Paco Rabanne's Olympea and I am lusting over Marc Jacob's 'Decadence' after smelling a sample in Sephora (I have since begged my mum again for a bottle of it for my upcoming birthday; old habits die hard I guess).
Would I recommend Viva La Juicy? Yes, but I feel as though judging perfumes is very subjective. I would recommend giving it a whiff at your pharmacy if you are into sweet smells. I would also recommend purchasing smaller perfume bottles as bigger ones can be a burden to use up if you later dislike them (I have learnt that the hard way as part of my project pan).
I had very mixed feelings about the Australis Makeup Finishing Spritz. Sorry guys, I took off the label so that I could re-use the bottle, possibly to wet my beauty sponges. I feel like it did absolutely nothing to set my makeup, and it always made my mascara run.
What I did like about this product was the delicate rose scent. And I found it to be very refreshing to mist in summer, but that was about it. After purchasing MAC's Fix + spray, which melts down your powder to give you a nice glow, I realised how the Australis mist did nothing to improve the quality of my makeup. Would I recommend it? If you're on a budget and are looking for a mist, I would consider picking this up as I have not found any other cheap sprays that are nice.
I did also recently purchase the ELF Makeup Mist & Set from Kmart for $8. But it was no surprise that I hated it. I've mentioned in my other post how I dislike ELF as a brand, and I do think that their products are massively overhyped. The reason why I hate it is because it has a very strange herbal scent. It almost smells like it is off. Luckily it is a small bottle so I can get away with using it up. But like with my face wipes, I am bound to find a good cheaper alternative to my MAC Fix +.
Another beloved product is my Bourjois Radiance Reveal Healthy Mix foundation. I was shocked to find out a few weeks ago that I had ran out of this foundation. I do have a back-up, however it is a different gel formula and it is around 1 shade darker. What angers me is that my Priceline have stopped stocking this brand. I absolutely loved this foundation. It gives the perfect medium coverage, and has a very satisfying fruity scent with it that I particularly like.
Their new formula comes pretty close to the old one. It is also currently on sale for $24 on Priceline, but I already own it and I am also currently working on minimising my makeup collection. I would however, call this foundation one of my holy grails. It never appeared cakey, and it is a very buildable formula. It also leaves my skin feeling nice. I have dry skin so I would highly recommend it if you do too.
Here we go again with Essano. I love this brand with my whole heart. However, I don't see myself buying the full size of this as it closely resembles the Essano hand cream I am trying to use up (I received a sample of 120ml and it is taking forever to use up!).
I'm not planning on purchasing the full size as I am currently in love with my Thankyou body lotion in French vanilla and coconut. There seems to be a trend with me liking organic skincare, and it is true. I favour natural scents over artificial any day!
I would recommend the Essano body lotion if you intend on discovering the brand for the first time. But otherwise I would rather pick the Thankyou body lotion for $7 cheaper and 100ml more product.
When I was in Europe almost 4 years ago, I picked up a few nail polishes from a local boutique. And of course it is just my luck that these nail polishes have to be amazing quality. They haven't dried out yet, except for this glitter top coat which isn't a surprise to me as glitter nail polishes always dry out on me.
I tried reviving it with nail polish remover but it did not help at all. If you do find yourself overseas, I would keep my eye peeled for this brand because I always reach for these polishes. They have a nice curved brush and a glossy formula, that has not even degraded in quality and it is now 4 years old.
I checked out the GoldenRose website and they do not have any stockists in Australia. They do have stockists all over Europe and most of Asia. The formula I do enjoy can be found here, but it is sad that I can't repurchase these, as most nail polishes can not be sent overseas, and I couldn't find any online retailers.
I bought the Palmer's Skin Therapy Oil on a whim. Although I did not pay much attention to this product, I did find that I really enjoyed it. The only thing I disliked about the product was how it mislead me. It says that it has rosehip, but after I purchased I re-read it and it says 'Rosehip Fragrance' which bummed me out. After finding that out, the product felt artificial to me. I love natural skincare, and there are many other oils on the market that do not include fragrances with them.
Would I recommend this product? I feel like Bio Oil is more effective for stretch marks if that is your concern. But if you're on a budget I would pick up the 60ml bottle just to give it a go. It is a very light oil, perfect for if you have dry skin. But I would much rather use a lotion for my body, and facial oil because my face is often the driest. It did last me a long time, but that may be because I was constantly using lotion to moisturise instead.
Speaking of lotion, I've had this Vaseline Dry Skin Conditioning Lotion for a very long time, I'm pretty sure it was a sample too. It just goes to show that a product may be small, but it could last a lifetime. This may also be due to the fact that I had this product hidden in a drawer which also goes to show that when something is out of sight, it is out of mind.
What do I think of this lotion? It is actually one of my all-time favourites, and sadly I have forgotten about it! I do have dry skin so it helps a lot. They also have a cocoa scent which I adore more, and it gives me a really nice glow that is not oily or tacky. Maybe if I run out of my Thankyou lotion, I will purchase this one only because I think it is just as good.
That's all of my empties! I've added up how much I've spent in total(not including samples & free items): $107.22.
That is quite a lot, but considering I used up these products over a stretch of time it is not so bad. The items I would not repurchase:
- Norsca Deodorant ($6.59)
- Kmart Face Wipes in Vanilla & Coconut ($2)
- Australis Face Mist ($15.95)
- Golden Rose Jolly Jewels Nail Polish ($5.70)
- Palmer's Skin Therapy Oil ($9.99)
I spent $40.23 on products I would not repurchase. That is almost half of the money I spent which isn't too good. But I feel like searching for good skincare, fragrances and makeup is an investment. Yes you can read reviews, but I feel like once you experience using a product yourself that is when you finally get to judge a product.
Thanks for reading guys! And stay tuned next month for another empties post. Let me know below if you have tried any of these products yourself, and if you have different opinions on them because I would love to hear!
- Amanda.S
P.S - It is so satisfying to finish an entire product nowadays because I know it is bringing me closer to my minimalist journey.
If you haven't read my previous two posts on my minimalism introduction and clearing my makeup collection, click on the links to get some more context! Anyway, I have recently been inspired to use up more products I own in order to make some progress with my minimalism journey. I have mentioned before that minimalists come in many different shapes and sizes, and for me personally, makeup does make me very happy. What makes me unhappy is the fact that my collection is growing at a rapid pace, and therefore I am unable to give most of my products a fulfilling life span.
On YouTube, empties videos have always been around but I never thought to myself that I should give a go using a product up. The hardest thing about using an entire product up is that if you dislike the product, you begin to feel unmotivated to use it. At the moment, I am also working on a project pan with products that I reach for the least, and it is really difficult to like a product that you hate.
Below are some products I have managed to complete in 3 weeks, as most of them were either almost empty or extremely nice products, so here we go:
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| Retails for $14.79. It is expensive but it lasted me for a very long time, and it is very heavy duty that when I shaved, my razor would not budge over the waxy texture. 100% would recommend! |
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| What I am currently using! Retails for $4.49 and has the same amount of product (45g) as the Dove deodorant. |
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| Retails for $2 at Kmart for a generous 30 wipes. |
Would I recommend these? Not really. But if you're somehow in desperate need for face wipes, and happen to be in Kmart I would probably pick up the unscented wipes. (The unscented ones are now selling for $1.50. I'm not sure if it is for a limited time because Kmart are lowering most of their prices as of last month).
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| Fragrance Free wipes from Kmart now $1.50. |
If you don't really care about face wipes, I would scroll down. But I heard that the Neutrogena face wipes are the best on the market (as recommended by Shani Grimmond on YouTube). I have owned these in the past, but I honestly don't remember much about the quality. The only downside is that I go through face wipes so fast that $7.99 becomes way too expensive. If they go on sale, I will purchase them. But currently, I am just on the lookout for cheap face wipes that are good quality.
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| For 25 wipes, it retails for $7.99 at Priceline. |
A friend told me however that there are face wipes in Target that are extremely good quality, and I think she told me that they are around $2-$4. The Target website in Australia does not show any beauty products, so hopefully it isn't a myth and that next time I am in Target I remember to pick them up.
Continuing on, I recently made an order on Sephora as I had a discount code. It's a funny story, but I purchased their Zoeva Golden Rose palette online and found a fingerprint on one of the eyeshadows that was not mine. Luckily I emailed them because I received a discount, which surprisingly worked in conjunction with my $10 off Sephora White discount. Talk about change of luck! I saved almost $40 on my order :)
I picked up their skincare kit (which is now sold out), which includes the Sephora brand face wipes. The Sephora brand offer plenty of different kinds of face wipes, including 25 scented wipes for $10 (if you don't mind scents) and as well as many other types of face wipes. I personally don't see myself owning these any time soon as my nearest Sephora is in the city, and shipping isn't free. But if I do I will let you guys know.
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| 25 exfoliating charcoal wipes for $10. Might give these a go one day! |
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| Includes a cleansing milk (200ml), Renew & Peel Super Serum (30ml) and 10 face wipes. Was a whopping $58, but I snagged it for $24. |
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| 20 wipes for $9.99 |
Natural products are right up my alley, so I loved this product to death. It has a very satisfying strawberry-like scent, and it made my skin tighter and brighter! I have seen Antipodes products have a 3 for 2 sale several times, but I was always off put by the hefty price. Hopefully next time I will grit my teeth and buy it, because I had no problems with the sample.
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| A full size (30ml) retails for $58.99 at Priceline. I would recommend grabbing it when they have a skincare sale. |
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| Retails for $34.99 for 30ml at Chemist Warehouse |
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| Viva La Juicy - 30ml |
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| Current favourite! Retails for $69.99 for 30ml at Chemist Warehouse. I own the 80ml but got it as a gift. |
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| On my wishlist! $89.99 at Chemist Warehouse for 50ml. |
Would I recommend Viva La Juicy? Yes, but I feel as though judging perfumes is very subjective. I would recommend giving it a whiff at your pharmacy if you are into sweet smells. I would also recommend purchasing smaller perfume bottles as bigger ones can be a burden to use up if you later dislike them (I have learnt that the hard way as part of my project pan).
I had very mixed feelings about the Australis Makeup Finishing Spritz. Sorry guys, I took off the label so that I could re-use the bottle, possibly to wet my beauty sponges. I feel like it did absolutely nothing to set my makeup, and it always made my mascara run.
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| Retails for $15.95 at Priceline |
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| You get 150ml of product. |
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| Retails for $8 at Kmart. |
Another beloved product is my Bourjois Radiance Reveal Healthy Mix foundation. I was shocked to find out a few weeks ago that I had ran out of this foundation. I do have a back-up, however it is a different gel formula and it is around 1 shade darker. What angers me is that my Priceline have stopped stocking this brand. I absolutely loved this foundation. It gives the perfect medium coverage, and has a very satisfying fruity scent with it that I particularly like.
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| You can still purchase online. Price range from $25. However, this formula is discontinued. But the gel version is nearly the same. |
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| In the shade No51 - Light Vanilla |
Their new formula comes pretty close to the old one. It is also currently on sale for $24 on Priceline, but I already own it and I am also currently working on minimising my makeup collection. I would however, call this foundation one of my holy grails. It never appeared cakey, and it is a very buildable formula. It also leaves my skin feeling nice. I have dry skin so I would highly recommend it if you do too.
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| This is the backup I own. Retails for $32 at Priceline. |
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| I used up the sample really quickly and did enjoy it |
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| Essano Intensive Hydrating Lotion retails for $16.99 for 400ml |
I'm not planning on purchasing the full size as I am currently in love with my Thankyou body lotion in French vanilla and coconut. There seems to be a trend with me liking organic skincare, and it is true. I favour natural scents over artificial any day!
 |
| Retails for only $9.99 at Priceline for 500ml! |
When I was in Europe almost 4 years ago, I picked up a few nail polishes from a local boutique. And of course it is just my luck that these nail polishes have to be amazing quality. They haven't dried out yet, except for this glitter top coat which isn't a surprise to me as glitter nail polishes always dry out on me.
I tried reviving it with nail polish remover but it did not help at all. If you do find yourself overseas, I would keep my eye peeled for this brand because I always reach for these polishes. They have a nice curved brush and a glossy formula, that has not even degraded in quality and it is now 4 years old.
 |
| Bought it for 16 Polish Zloty which at this time is worth $5.70 |
I checked out the GoldenRose website and they do not have any stockists in Australia. They do have stockists all over Europe and most of Asia. The formula I do enjoy can be found here, but it is sad that I can't repurchase these, as most nail polishes can not be sent overseas, and I couldn't find any online retailers.
 |
| Retails for $9.99 for 60ml. |
Would I recommend this product? I feel like Bio Oil is more effective for stretch marks if that is your concern. But if you're on a budget I would pick up the 60ml bottle just to give it a go. It is a very light oil, perfect for if you have dry skin. But I would much rather use a lotion for my body, and facial oil because my face is often the driest. It did last me a long time, but that may be because I was constantly using lotion to moisturise instead.
 |
| Retails for $12.99 at Priceline for 750ml! |
Speaking of lotion, I've had this Vaseline Dry Skin Conditioning Lotion for a very long time, I'm pretty sure it was a sample too. It just goes to show that a product may be small, but it could last a lifetime. This may also be due to the fact that I had this product hidden in a drawer which also goes to show that when something is out of sight, it is out of mind.
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| This is probably one of the best moisturisers I've used by far. Shocked I forgot about it, repurchased it that many times! 400ml at Priceline retails for $8.49! |
That's all of my empties! I've added up how much I've spent in total(not including samples & free items): $107.22.
That is quite a lot, but considering I used up these products over a stretch of time it is not so bad. The items I would not repurchase:
- Norsca Deodorant ($6.59)
- Kmart Face Wipes in Vanilla & Coconut ($2)
- Australis Face Mist ($15.95)
- Golden Rose Jolly Jewels Nail Polish ($5.70)
- Palmer's Skin Therapy Oil ($9.99)
I spent $40.23 on products I would not repurchase. That is almost half of the money I spent which isn't too good. But I feel like searching for good skincare, fragrances and makeup is an investment. Yes you can read reviews, but I feel like once you experience using a product yourself that is when you finally get to judge a product.
Thanks for reading guys! And stay tuned next month for another empties post. Let me know below if you have tried any of these products yourself, and if you have different opinions on them because I would love to hear!
- Amanda.S
P.S - It is so satisfying to finish an entire product nowadays because I know it is bringing me closer to my minimalist journey.
The Essenzza Cleanse and Exfoliate Natural Facial Cleansing Wipes smell really nice - like pineapple. If you haven't tried them already you should :) I also love the simple wipes from priceline, I always grab them when priceline has 40% off skincare.
ReplyDeleteI love most products from the Simple range. And ooooo pineapple that's different! I'll have to give those a go :) It is actually quite funny because a few days after writing this post I found some awesome face wipes at Coles for around $1.60. Its the brand 'True Essentials', and they're actually micellar wipes that come in a pack of 30. Nothing too fancy but it melts off my makeup in an instant, I am keen on writing a post about it.
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