Happy November! It’s the start of a new month, which means I have a whole month’s worth of empty products to review (and then toss). In my September empties, I was surprised at how many products I was able to go through, and the same thing happened this month. I guess I just didn’t realize how many things I finished until I started keeping track!
Here’s what I finished this month:
- Viva Labs Organic Coconut Oil – I love coconut oil as a multipurpose product – I’ve used it for shaving cream, hair masks, oil pulling, a moisturizer, and I particularly love it as a makeup remover. I bought a different brand after finishing this one, because it came in a bigger jar, but I actually don’t like it as much because my hand can’t get all the way in lol. I’ll probably buy this brand again when I finish.
- GlamGlow SuperMud Clearing Treatment – This is a face mask sample I got as a 100pt reward at Sephora. I recently discovered GlamGlow masks and I LOVE them, and this one is no exception!! I felt like it had an immediate effect on my skin and I felt so refreshed and clean after. You can see I literally cut it open to get all the product out! I got 3 uses out of the sample. I think I might have to put the full size on my list for the next VIB sale…
- Tony Moly I’m Real Rice Mask – I used more clay masks than sheet masks this month but I did do a few! This Tony Moly mask is supposed to be for clear skin. These masks don’t fit my face super well but the serum itself is luxurious and smells good. I’ll probably use up the rest of the Tony Moly ones I have and then try a different brand.
- Sephora Rose Eye Mask – I am obsessed with these eye masks. They are sooo relaxing to put on and help moisturize my undereye area so well. I really liked the faint rose scent of this one. I want to buy like 50 of these and just use them every day.
- Caress Daily Silk Body Wash – I bought this on a whim when my last body wash ran out, and I liked it enough! The scent is White Peach and Silky Orange Blossom – aka “fruity” to someone like me who can’t pinpoint smells. It’s fine, but I didn’t love it enough to get it again, you know?
- Lush Dark Angels Cleanser – I wish there was a Lush store closer to me because I love their stuff! This is a charcoal-based cleanser with a texture that’s kinda like clay. I like it for how clean it makes my face, but I probably wouldn’t repurchase it at this point… with as much as I’ve been getting into Asian skincare, I’m not sure it has a place in the routine with all the gentle non-abrasive products. Also, it stains my sink really bad lol
- Sephora Algae Face Mask – This mask is supposed to be for purifying & detoxifying. I used it last week when I was sick and really liked it a lot! It fit my face really well and I had put it in the fridge before using so it was very cool and soothing.
- Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation – This came in my September Sephora Play box. I actually really liked it as a light daytime moisturizer! I thought I wouldn’t wanna repurchase it due to the price, but it was actually one of my favorite things from the September box. I’m really sad it’s gone lol
- Speed Stick Regular Deodorant – I included this only because I feel like it’s weird to actually finish a deodorant??? I don’t know?? I use men’s deodorant because I think at some point I convinced myself that it’s stronger than women’s. And I like the smell of it. I feel like I have made this weird so we are going to continue on to the next item lol
- EcoTools Makeup Brush Cleansing Cloth – I got this in my fall Walmart box. This was honestly such a gimmick lol it was literally just a makeup wipe…. The one thing I could see this being useful for is switching colors on the same brush, but I feel that most people will just find it easier to switch to a fresh brush. I wouldn’t repurchase this!
- Covergirl Plumpify Mascara – this was sent to me for free in an Influenster box. This mascara wasn’t anything special for me, but it wasn’t bad. I wouldn’t get it again, just because I have many others at the moment and don’t feel any particular attachment to this one.
- First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser – I’ve been using this cleanser since about July. I actually have another sample of it from a Sephora box. The smell is meh but the texture is really nice. I’m not sure if I would buy it again just because I have others that I am using now, but it’s pretty good.
- NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Taupe – I finished one of these in my September post too – looks like I go through these about one a month. My favorite brow product!!!!
- Dove Purely Pampering Body Wash in Sweet Cream & Peony – Okay so this was from the Walmart box too and I actually fell in love with it lol. Normally I’m indifferent to what body wash I use…as long as it gets me clean, right? But I finished up the Caress stuff up there and started using this and omg it’s so smooth and smells so good!! I actually ended up purchasing the full size when I finished it!!
- NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray – This is a decent setting spray. I like that the bottle is small so I was able to take it on the airplane with us on our Seattle/Disneyland trip (which will be blogged about soon, btw!). However, I won’t get it again because I got a BOGO on the Urban Decay setting spray!
- NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla – This is something I’ve heard people RAVE about, but…I don’t know about this one. I bought it looking for an undereye concealer that wouldn’t crease but alas, it still creased. Also, the little doe foot applicator started wearing off (I took a pic here), which I’ve never had happen before! I don’t think I’d buy this again…I’ve heard NYX has one that’s pretty good, so I might try that next.
- Nature’s Bounty Hair, Skin, & Nails Gummies – I got this in the Walmart fall box too. I am actually more irritated than anything about this product because they literally gave me two gummies lol. What purpose does a sample of TWO GUMMIES have?! That’s literally one serving. I wouldn’t buy this again just because that made me so angry haha
- Biore Deep Cleansing Charcoal Pore Strips – This is another one from the Walmart box and I liked it a lot! My skin felt very smooth and fresh after I used the strip. I’ll throw these on the pile to buy eventually.
- Pantene Intense Hydration Shampoo – I got this from an Influenster box a while back. I finished the conditioner in my September empties, and I still have another full size of each of them that’ll probably be done soon too. As I’ve said before, I’m not picky about my shampoo and conditioner so I love getting it from these boxes. I haven’t had to actually buy it for a few months now haha
So that’s 19!!!! things I finished in October. More than last month, AND less single-use items this month too… I’m trucking right along!!
This month, I’m also going on a self-imposed buying freeze that I call No-Buy November. The last one I did was No-Buy July (it really rolls off the tongue, right?). We’re moving at the end of the year AND Christmas is coming up, so I really need to save more (read: stop buying so much makeup). It’s really going to be more of a “low buy” because I’m allowing myself to indulge in the annual Sephora VIB sale, but other than that no frivolous spending for me! The best part about limiting my buying for the month is that I’ll be able to use up more of my current products, so I’ll hopefully have an even bigger empties post next month 🙂
That’s all for today! I plan on checking in halfway through the month to update my no-buy status and see how I’m doing. until then <3
xo, kaela
