I went on a day vacation in upstate New York and spent $50 at a drugstore because they had all the stuff that is always sold out in NYC, like that new L’Oreal Lash Paradise mascara and the chrome shadows. That Lash Paradise Mascara is amazing! It makes me look like I have lashes (and I pretty much don’t in real life). I ran out of cleanser so I bought La Roche-Posay Hydrating Cleanser, which I really like (no fragrance, low pH, no foam, huge bottle). I was feeling terrible about the state of my skin and bought a Vichy Pore Purifying Clay Mask to try to make myself feel better. And finally, I bought a 50% scrub at & Other Stories (Fig Fiction) and it smells like Diptyque Philosykos (so I love it).
Here’s what I emptied in July:
SKINCARE
My skin was flaring up, so I really simplified my routine to the basics. I used less masks, etc.
CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser – No scent and has the right pH. One of my favorite totally boring and basic cleansers. Full review.
- Repurchase? Yes.
Ramosu Hyaluronic Acid Solution 100 Ampoule Set – This is a basic hyaluronic acid that does plump up my skin. This is a set of 3 ampoules that should get you through the month. I love this stuff. You can mix it in anything (serum, BB cream, essence) or apply it like a serum on damp skin. There’s no scent.
- Repurchase? Yes.
Hurraw! Vata Lip Balm – I really like this brand’s formula. This one smells/tastes like cherries and cardamom.
- Repurchase? Yes.
Clinique Take the Day Off Makeup Remover (deluxe sample) – I love a dual-phase product. This one works and doesn’t have a scent.
- Purchase? Maybe. I have bought it in the past.
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum (deluxe sample) – They sell so much of it because it’s so good.
- Purchase? I always do (but right now I’m using up stuff that came in GWPs).
Marula Pure Marula Facial Oil (deluxe sample) – I love how marula wears on my skin. This one has added essential oils that I’m not crazy about, but it feels good.
- Purchase? No. I’ll go for plain, boring marula (that’s much cheaper).
SHEET MASKS:
Biobelle #IWokeUpLikeThis Sheet Mask – This brand is made for Americans. It contains some problematic ingredients like menthol and peppermint. It smells like roses and the essence is watery. The Tencel claims are overblown, imo. It did leave my skin dewy/radiant the next day.
- Repurchase? No. Luckily it didn’t irritate my face. But, maybe I was lucky?
Leaders Amino AC-Free Mask – If you have oily, problematic skin, this is one of the few sheet masks for you. It has AHA/BHA, Vitamin C and Snail Secretion Filtrate. So, it helps to lighten post-acne scars and redness. I love it.
- Repurchase? Yes. It’s one of my all time favorite sheet mask formulas.
Cos Face Natural Essence Sheet Mask in Bee Venom – This are hella cheap sheet masks (under $1). The ingredients are basic (which isn’t a bad thing when your skin is fussy). The cotton is thick but the essence is OK.
- Repurchase? Probably not but it’s not bad at all for the price. I do think it’s a good mask for acne.
FRAGRANCE
I met my goal of emptying a sample a week! For me, this was a lot of fragrance empties.
Greenleaf Room Spray in Roses – This is one of those dewy tea rose scents. The scent does linger and the bottle sprayer is great.
- Repurchase? Maybe. I’m trying to work through my home fragrance backlog.
Votivo Breath of Lavender Candle* – This candle sort of reminds me of Jean Paul Gaultier Le Mâle. It has great throw and I love it’s fragrance. Review here.
- Purchase? I may…but I need to get through my candle backlog.
Yen’s Daily Solid Perfume – I bought this hip Taiwanese solid perfume in Hong Kong. It smells like white musk (which is what everything smells like there).
- Repurchase? No, but that’s because it’s hard to find.
Chanel Misia EDT (sample) – I bought a full-size of this when it was launched because that was how much I loved it. It’s a very Chanel-y, powdery rose and violet. I never reviewed it and then the next thing I know they reformulated it and made it an EDP.
- Repurchase? I’m delighted I bought it when I did.
DSH Perfumes 1000 Lilies* (sample) – It’s a humid, marshy lily that isn’t suffocating. Full review here.
- Purchase? No, but I like it.
Ayala Moriel Etrog* (sample) – It’s citrus incense. Full review.
- Purchase? No.
Mojo Magique Voodoo Child* (sample) – I really like this slightly spicy orange blossom. Full review.
- Purchase? I don’t know. I want a Mojo Magique perfume but I need to narrow it down to one.
Guerlain Cuir Beluga (sample) – Guerlain did “white leather” in a very Guerlain-y way. I love it.
- Purchase? No. Because I can’t buy all the Guerlains that I love.
BATH/BODY
It was a slow month for bath/body empties. My shower is filled with 1/3 full bottles.
The Saem Chocopie Hand Cream in Marshmallow – LOOK AT THIS PACKAGING! How could I resist a hand cream in a Moon Pie? I couldn’t. It has a light vanilla-marshmallow scent and the cream is light and fluffy feeling. It’s a thicker cream that absorbs quickly (I still use it at night though).
- Repurchase? Maybe. I like these sort of novelty things.
Maja Azahar Soap – I finished up my last soap in this trio. I love it. It smells like orange blossoms and the packaging is fabulous.
- Repurchase? Yes!
Dr. Bronner’s Lavender Organic Shaving Soap – Ugh, this product. It smells like lavender and does a great job. BUT, the packaging is a mess. This is a very liquidy formula so it leaks like a mofo. I put it in a pump bottle because so much was leaking out in the shower.
- Repurchase? No. I hate the packaging.
Rachel’s Plan Bee Original Bee Cream* (deluxe sample) – This is a rich wax/butter cream that smells like orange and vanilla. The texture is sort of rustic. I use it as a cuticle cream. Review here.
- Purchase? No.
L’Annine Hand & Body Cream in Jasmine (sample) – This is a balmy hand cream that has the most amazing (skanky) jasmine aroma.
- Purchase? Yes. I hope I can find it in Europe for cheaper.
HAIR
I emptied some hair products. Go me!
Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo – It’s unpopular opinion, but I hate dry shampoos. They wreck my scalp and make me look brindled. However, this one smells amazing (like jasmine).
- Repurchase? Nope. When I omitted dry shampoo from my routine, my scalp (and hair) became happier and healthier.
Matrix Oil Wonders Micro-Oil Shampoo – I really like this shampoo. It’s argan oil formula helps with that coarse feeling (from grays). And it smells amazing (musky floral with a stone fruit “opening”).
- Repurchase? Probably.
Hask Orchid & White Truffle Moisture Rich Deep Conditioner (packet) – This stuff smells amazing (almost like Narciso Rodriguez EDP) and leaves my hair so soft.
- Repurchase? Yes.
MAKEUP
Slow month for makeup empties…
theBalm Mad Lash Mascara (travel size) – It’s OK. The brush is curved which I don’t really like. But, the formula is good (no flakes, easy to build).
- Purchase? No.
Total: 26 total. 15 full-size. 5 travel/deluxe samples. 6 samples.
What about you? Which products did you empty in July? Did you buy anything new?
Disclaimer – If there is a /*/ next to an item, it was provided by PR. All other items were purchased by me or are samples/gifts with purchase/subscription box products from items I’ve purchased.
Cerave may be basic but damn does it work. Wrecked my skin earlier this year with some Avene soap and Cerave healed it beautifully. And yes to Dr. Bronner’s Shaving Cream being the worst packaging ever, it worked decently, but so messy.
Right?! It’s basic but that’s what my skin needs. I like the La Roche-Posay but I see myself going back to CeraVe because it does such a good job for fussy (oily to normal) skin.
It’s terrible. The first time I used it, too much came out. I was stupid and stored it like the packaging would suggest. It leaked ALL OVER the tub. This was a bit of a mess to clean up because of the ingredients (there’s sugar in there and I let it “dry” all day before I noticed). But, it’s terrible packaging and I can’t recommend it to anyone unless they really, really want to make a mess or use their own bottle.
Hi!
This month, I finished an Avene GWP : the After-Sun gel cream (body). Nice basic body lotion, great light texture, but I didn’t like the powdery fragrance. It does not last, however, which is great thing!
I also finished an Ultrasun SPF 50 face sunscreen. Didn’t like this one at all. Great protection, but way too thick for my oily skin. I used almost all of it while running and took it off in the shower right after my runs.
I did used up a fragrance, which is so difficult, right! It was Les Fleurs de Bach Audace edt (50 ml), a natural fragrance that smelled quite unique. A gourmand floral, but lack of better words. I don’t think it’s still distributed in Québec, so I probably won’t buy again, but I enjoyed it.
Have a great day!
I need more exposure to Avene. I like what I’ve sampled but haven’t tried much.
I’ve heard that Ultrasun is good for sensitive skin. But, I don’t like an overly heavy sunscreen for daily use. I can see how it would be good on days one is outside (like beach or outdoor chores), but I still hate that feel of a heavy sunscreen. I have a La Roche-Posay one that has amazing coverage/protection but the feel is too much for daily use.
Oh, a gourmand floral sounds absolutely lovely!
My July empties:
Pacifica Purify Coconut Water Cleansing Wipes
Dermal Olive Collagen Essence Sheet Mask
Leaders Illuminating Treatment Mask
Olay Complete All Day Moisturizer with Sunscreen
La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Lavant B5 Purifying Soothing Foaming Gel
Acqua di Parma Bergamotto di Calabria sample
Soivohle Leather Krem sample
L’Artisan Parfumeur Premier Figuer Extreme sample
Sisley Eau de Sisley 3 sample
Voluspa French Bourbon Vanille candle
Caswell Massey Lily of the Valley Body Spray (used as roomspray)
Yves Rocher Jardins du Monde Orange Zest from Florida Shower Gel
Lush Flying Fox Shower Gel
Bonny Doon Farm Coure de la Fattoria Soap
Nature’s Gate Daily Cleanse Herbal Shampoo
I didn’t empty as many perfume samples as I would have liked, but I did empty a bunch of shower stuff. I already miss my dearly departed Flying Fox. I do have to point out how odd the scent is in the Bonny Doon Farm soap. It was like dried herbs that you cook with and olive oil. I was ok with the texture and lather, but I really found the smell strange. The YR orange shower gel smelled like McDonald’s orange drink that I used to occasionally drink as a kid. Another weird association.
I just started using the other La Roche Posey face wash in the Toleraine line, the Purifying Foaming Gel in the huge bottle. It’s really simple and seems to work well for me.
Also, I never replied back last month, but it made me happy to find someone else that loves Mousson like I do. I’m just crazy for that scent!
I don’t think I bought that much in July, but I did a decant/sample swap and bought some decants. Also bought that travel spray of Mousson. I got some boring unscented face wipes at the drugstore, and they seem really good for my skin. I’m trying to be very conscious of my extra spending because my trip to Chicago and Ohio in late June-early July was kinda costly. However, already in August I impulse bought Jo Malone Basil and Neroli for a good price on eBay and will probably order a bottle of TF Orchid Soleil before the end of today because my sample is about to get used up. I am seriously addicted to that perfume right now.
Not as much fragrance as usual but you knocked out a lot of full-size stuff!
I’m still mad about Flying Fox. I hope they bring it back, even if it is just LE around a holiday or something. The Bonny Doon Farm one sounds like something I’ll pass on 🙂 I don’t want to smell like a marinade! The YR sounds sort of good. I went to a couple of their stores in Budapest looking to see if I could sniff products in person. They had the perfumes but not all the shower gels (they only had the botanical ones). They also had all the makeup. I was really surprised by its quality. It seemed to all be really good stuff (and not expensive).
I hope this La Roche-Posay continues to work for me because it’s a good price for such a large bottle. I sort of wish I bought the foaming one for summer, but this hydrating one has been really good for me (so far).
I had to put it out for me to use after your comment! I love it so much in the summer. Mousson is a really “happy” fragrance for me.
I’m going to have to no-buy for real next month and probably until the end of the year. I bought too much in Budapest. It added up. On my trip, I wore Orchid Soleil from samples and I’m almost out. I think I’m going to ask for a bottle as an anniversary gift. I have been obsessed with that scent right now. It actually wears amazing in hot, humid weather (I already knew it worked in the winter).
I’m going to Ohio next week. Hopefully I won’t find anything to spend my money on there! 🙂
Where in Ohio are you going? I grew up in Dayton and then lived in Columbus for 11 years (attended Ohio State and then stayed until I moved to Seattle four years ago).
I really hope Flying Fox comes back one day, even as a LE. Re: YR shower gels, honestly I bet you can find a better orange one. Theirs was pretty meh. The only one that I would buy again from the most recent batch that I tried is the Aloe Vera from Mexico one. I think their creamy SGs are more successful than the non-creamy ones.
Ooh I can’t wait to wear Orchid Soleil in the winter because it worked so well in the summer heat. I only first tried it about a month ago and wore it to two days of the Capitol Hill Block Party when it was fully sunny and 85 degrees. It helped for me to stick my nose in my arm to get relief from people’s nasty BO. 😛
In-laws live in The Middle of Nowhere. So West of Columbus (about 1.5 hours) and about an hour north of Dayton. I’m not really familiar with the area so I’m not the best at describing it. All I know is that it is flat and an hour from anything. We’ll be taking the nieces/nephews/NIBLETS to King’s Island. We’re driving to Ohio with the dogs. Which they’ll love. They never get to be in a car and they’ll get to run around on a farm.
It’s weird because I always thought Flying Fox was a popular seller for them. This shows how little I know. It was a popular seller for those that like perfumes, I guess. All they had in Budapest were the Botanicals. Those are pretty good for the money. I’m so into the Olive one (which I didn’t think I would be). Even the fruity ones aren’t that bad. I was so hoping they’d have the World ones because I’m so sick of blind-buying those. I also have some weird problem where I’ll suffer through using a scent I don’t like just because, gah, why do I?
Haha, it was 107 in Budapest so better believe there was some major BO around me (and they were still wearing scarves). I’m so happy I could retreat into Orchid Soleil tbh.