I’ve noticed a trend. I can go all month without buying any beauty products and then the last week, I go a little nuts. Example:

I ended up buying some NYX lip products like the Cosmic Metals Lip Cream in Extraterrestrial, an olive green with silver shimmer. I also bought a Tree Hut Shave Oil. It’s more like a gel than an oil but works very well. My favorite purchase from this Ulta order was the NYX Pro Foundation Mixer in White. I needed this in my life. I’m now using more expensive foundations that I bought but are a little too dark. I can customize with this and it doesn’t compromise the foundation’s formula. It’s one of my favorite products that I’ve bought in months.

I made a ColourPop order to get some lip liners in  hard-to-find shades. Since they give free shipping at $30, I threw in a few lipstick shades that I totally don’t need.

I ran out of a lot of skincare so I made a Garden of Wisdom order which was introduced to me via a Boxwalla Beauty box. I also bought some indie bath bombs from a seller on etsy.

I’m a predictable human.

Here’s my Empties for July and let me warn you that they’re a collection of the most random stuff ever:

SKINCARE

I used considerably fewer sheet masks, switching over to wash-off gel masks. It was a month where I ran out of all lip balms and tried to use up fancy skincare samples. 

Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean Multi-Action Creme Cleanser – This cleanser basically just moved my makeup all over my face and I had to follow-up with another cleanser. It did not make me perfectly clean.

• Repurchase? No.

Atomy SPF 50+ Suncreen in Beige – I really liked this because it’s a high SPF that’s tinted so it blended perfectly into my complexion. The smell is fresh, actually smells just like Club Clio sunscreens. The texture is “expensive” feeling. Korean brands know what I want in sunscreens.

• Repurchase? Yes. This has been my second tube of this.

Andalou Naturals Luminous Eye Serum – I adore this serum. I notice a difference when I use it. I use it in the morning under an eye cream with SPF.

• Repurchase? Yes. It’s like HG for me.

Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Serum – I love this stuff because the texture is smooth and I like the subtle rose-colored shimmer. Plus, there’s no scent.

• Repurchase? Yes.

Hurraw! Moon Balm – This is a natural lip balm with a peru balsam flavor. I got it through Boxwalla. I ended up buying more from this brand because I liked this one. It’s slightly thicker than the others.

• Repurchase? I like it but I like Almond the best.

Burt’s Bees Lip Balm in Pumpkin Spice – My mom sent me these saying that I should try them because it smells like goth cigarettes. And it does.

• Purchase? Dude, I like something pumpkin spice. I’d buy these.

Nature Republic Real Nature White Tea Sheet Mask – The essence in this one is really watery and I had to cut the mouth hole to make it fit over my lips. It smells like green tea. It was OK.

• Repurchase? Probably not.

Epielle Facial Essence Mask in Green Tea & Aloe – These sort of had some buzz for being sheet masks available to the US market that sell for real cheap. I bought some at a Grocery Outlet. Anyway, They are so <meh> and the cotton is too thick. Even at $1, I’ve found better sheet masks than this.

• Repurchase? No.

Tatcha Deep Brightening Serum (travel-size) – There’s very little I can say about this product. It didn’t do anything positive for my skin nor did it do anything negative either. The fragrance is like alcohol and an aquatic/brine that is sort of like Heeley Sel Marin…which is odd for a serum.

• Purchase? Nope. I mean, this small size is like $40. The full-size is $185. I can find much better for way less.

Bionova Cleanser for Normal/Dry Skin (travel-size) – I’ve used a few Bionova samples so far and I’m not really impressed. This cleanser smells like a multi-vitamin and it’s like a liquid. It doesn’t remove makeup very well but it’s good for morning use. I do find it drying so there’s no way I’d recommend to dry skin types.

• Purchase? No.

Coola Classic Face Sport SPF 50 in White Tea (deluxe sample) – I was very disappointed with this Coola product. Nothing about the feel felt luxurious or like it should cost as much as it does. It’s greasy and leaves a “film” on my skin that’s gross. It will also get in your eyes because it never “sets”. The scent is OK.

• Purchase? Nope.

Caudalié Polyphenol C15 Anti-Wrinkle Defense Serum (deluxe sample) – It’s lightweight and smells like dried grass clippings. I liked how it made my skin feel but didn’t use enough of it to comment on efficacy.

• Purchase? Maybe. But, I can probably find something for cheaper.

Garden of Wisdom Healing Lip Balm (deluxe sample) – The more I wore this, the more I like it. There’s no scent and the finish is matte. It doesn’t disappear in 5 minutes either. More here.

• Repurchase? Maybe…if I’m already making an order.

La Colline Cellular Vital Eye Mask (deluxe sample) – Well, this stuff made my eye area look great. I use A LOT less concealer when I use this mask.

• Purchase? I probably should.

Mila Moursi Dual Action Serum – The first few times I used this, I noticed some redness. The formula has these lovely subtle shimmers. It was OK.

• Purchase? No. Actually, it reminded me of a more irritating version of that Olay that I emptied.

Nature Republic Jeju Sparkling Mud Cleansing Cream (sample) – Nature Republic really has mastered weird textures. This is like a jelly mud that smells like white tea.

• Purchase? Probably. It’s cheap and a cream cleanser for oily skin.

Chanel Le Lift Crème (sample) – With most French skincare, my skin gets irritated. This sample didn’t. It was fine and I admit that sometimes I want to splurge on useless skincare.

• Purchase? I mean, maybe for the packaging because I’m shallow.

FRAGRANCE

I didn’t really wear much fragrance in July. I’m trying to use up home fragrances that I’ve had around for years. 

Bath & Body Works Stress Relief Pillow Mist in Lemongrass Cardamom – It doesn’t really provide any relief from stress or smell like lemongrass but it smells good. It’s like a fresh citrus meets cardamom. It was good for a home fragrance.

• Repurchase? Nope. This stuff is discontinued and people are paying $50+ for it. I’d rather have a Cire Trudon candle anyway.

Escada Turquoise Summer EDT (sample) – My confession is that I tend to like all these super fruity limited edition Escada perfumes because they make me think of when I used to watch “The Simple Life” and wear Just Roberto Cavalli. Review here.

• Purchase? I may. I’m a wildcard, you know.

Green Tree Reiki Energy Incense (sample, 2 sticks) – Apparently, reiki smells like cherries and sandalwood.

• Purchase? This reminds me of the cherry incense I’d burn in junior high while wearing royal purple lipstick listening to Morrissey and writing in my journal so you know, nostalgia may make me.

BATH/BODY

None of this makes any sense. There’s no theme here. 

The Body Shop Sumptuous Silk Body Gel in White Musk – In the late winter/early spring, I went through a white musk phase. This stuff is super fragrant and the scent will linger on the skin. I liked it but since I’ve been using it for months, I’m a bit burnt out on the scent.

• Repurchase? Maybe in the distant future.

A Beautiful Life Mermaid’s Kiss Body Creme – This is one of those fruity scents I like and I love the subtle “dewy” shimmer. Full review.

• Purchase? Probably not and not because of the product. I need to switch over to unscented body products in the future.

Dalan Bar Soap in Cucumber & Milk – I’ve noticed that this Turkish soap brand is super accessible in New Jersey. It’s your basic harsh/commercial bar soap. And sometimes I want that for when the weather feels like 100° outside with 100% humidity. After using Hermès and Malle bath products, I have to use stuff like this to keep me in check 😉

• Repurchase? Probably not.

TonyMoly Peach Hand Cream – I love this delicate peach scented hand cream in the nipple/butt packaging.

• Repurchase? Yeah.

Soap & Paper Factory Hand Cream in Snow Drop – This is a lightweight cream with a really strong fragrance. I’d apply it at night and wake up still smelling it. It’s not a bad fragrance but I it does compete with my perfumes. More here. 

• Purchase? No. I like for my lighter weight hand creams to be unscented.

Red Castle Bath Bomb in Meet Me in Tahiti – I’ve been trying to support smaller businesses so instead of buying LUSH, I took a chance with someone smaller. I’m glad I did. This one left the water the same color as the bath bomb. The scent is tropical flowers meet a creamy vanilla.

• Repurchase? Probably.

Whish Shave Cream with Vitamin K (travel size) – This was a stupid shave cream that claims to get rid of varicose veins that was in a stupid Birchbox. It feels like a lotion and smells like white tea. It’s perfectly fine but there’s no way I’m paying $24 for it.

• Purchase? No.

HAIR

This is a major accomplishment. I used up two large bottles of hair products at the exact same time. Wow.

Kerasys Ori*ntal Premium Shampoo (big ole bottle) – As you can see, this is why it takes me forever to empty shampoo and conditioner. I buy huge bottles of Korean hair care products. For my straight, dry hair Kerasys works like magic.

• Repurchase? Yes.

Kerasys Ori*ntal Premium Conditioner (bit ole bottle) – Basically the same as the shampoo and my hair loves it.

• Repurchase? Yes.

FAR Botanicals Verde Oil in Vanilla Narcotique (deluxe sample) – My hair loves this stuff. Review here.

• Purchase? When I run out of these, I’ll choose a scent.

MAKEUPhair

I used up cheap brow pencils even though I own other more expensive brow pencils. 

Covergirl Intensify Me! Liquid Eyeliner in Intense Black – The worst liquid liner I’ve ever used. The tip is hard and tugs (which I absolutely do not want on my eye area). However, the biggest issue is the formula. The formula is patchy, dry and the shade is not dark. It is truly terrible so I’m throwing it out. Which I don’t feel bad about because it’s all dried out anyway.

• Repurchase? No.

Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil in Dark Brown – I have all these expensive brow products and use up this cheap pencil. Go figure. The formula is simple but good.

• Repurchase? Probably not but I don’t know. It’s not bad.

Milani Easybrow Automatic Pencil in Natural Taupe – See above. I really like this formula because it’s a steal at its price. BUT the shade is a little too warm for me, especially as something labeled “taupe”. If the colors work for you, I recommend this as a “value” brow pencil.

• Repurchase? No because the shade doesn’t work for me.

Total: 33. 20 full-size. 9 travel/deluxe samples. 4 samples

Before counting these, I thought that I hadn’t emptied much at all. It was a busy month even though a lot of these are samples.

Going into the next few months, I need to elect to put myself on a no-buy. I’m buying too much and need to focus on using up the stuff that I already own. I also want to make it a goal to use up all the surplus samples that I have. I need to do this before all those amazing sales that start up in November 😉

What about you? Which products did you empty in July? Did you buy anything new?

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