Empties #3

I was under the impression that while hubby was away for two weeks, I would have plenty of time and would post something new every day. Well... that turned out well, now didn't it? I'm sorry to have gone MIA for 20 days, but now I'm back and let's get this party started!

I actually wanted to write some other posts before this one, but as it turns out, cleaning out your closets really makes the empties pile up – I found quite a few products that had only a tiny bit left and that’s now gone.

Pantene Aqua Light, Garnier Fructis Repair and shine 3, Moroccanoil, Goldwell Golden Spray

I used up the Garnier Fructis Repair & Shine shampoo and conditioner. Both contain three nutritive fruit oils: olive, avocado and shea oil. I liked them well enough, especially the fruity scent, but they did nothing really special for my hair. I would not repurchase them.

I also used up the Pantene Aqua Light shampoo (which went a bit faster since hubby was stealing it all the time). This served as a shampoo to get rid of build up in my hair – it really gave them a good wash and they got that squeaky feeling to them – do you know what I’m talking about? I would repurchase this, since it’s inexpensive and works really well. As you can see, I also had some samples of this conditioner lying around so those went as well. 

Keeping up with the hair theme, I finished the Moroccanoil treatment. For some reason, this went really fast – I expected it to last much longer, but to be honest, I was using it twice per days just because it made my hair incredibly silky and healthy looking. I still think that this would last much longer if it was used with a pump, since I sometimes got much more out of the bottle than needed. So I will purchase the full size (after I use up my Keraste oil), but probably keep the pump bottle from Keraste and put it in there.

I got the Goldwell Golden Spray from my hair stylist as a new year present. I liked it well enough – it didn’t make my hair sticky and was easy to brush out at the end of the day. It used to be hard to find a good hairspray, but right now, there are so many good ones out there that I probably will not purchase this, but instead try something new.

Axe Gold Temptation, Rituals, Dvorec Trebnik bath salts, Cadeavera

For a few random items, I ran out of my Rituals fragrance which I always keep in my bathroom. I already purchased the full size. The first time I bought something from the brand was in Barcelona at least 5 years back and I’ve never been able to find it in Slovenia, but there was a recent promotion they did with Petrol and I stocked up big time – I think I bought 5 full size bottles of it. I would definitely recommend you try it. 

I also finished up the Dvorec Trebnik Bath Salts in Vanilla. I’ve already featured this brand in my favorites and don’t want to get too much into it, but in short, this really makes the bath water smell beautifully and gives me a spa-like feeling. I also won’t discuss the Nivea cotton pads again, since they have been in my empties before and will probably continue to make an appearance. 

I went through two deodorants – the Axe Gold Temptation, which was OK but nothing special and also not as nice as my Axe Anarchy (which you have all seen in previous empties so I just threw it away). It did last a reasonable amount of time in normal circumstances, but I wasn’t impressed with it when it came to more... sweaty... situations. 

I also used half of the 2-pack Cadeavera (Müller brand) Anti-Pickel mask which contains salicylic acid and zinc. The reason I only used half is because this was a complete waste of my time – it made my face feel dry and I probably scrubbed it three times that day because it felt like it got in every pore – and not in a good way. 

Yes To!, Nuxe, Decleor Aroma Cleanser, Philip Martin's Delicate Skin Cream

For face products, a lot has happened since the last empties, since I began to run out of my Ole Henriksen products one by one. I went through a deluxe sample of the Decleor Aroma Cleansing milk. If you remember, I featured a full size of this in my first empties about 6 months back. I cannot say enough good things about it – this milky cleanser will get rid of all your make-up, waterproof or regular, without having to put much effort into it. I will definitely repurchase it. 

The next thing that is all done with is the Nuxe micellar cleansing water with rose petals. I didn’t find it to have any special effects on my skin, but let me tell you – it smells amazing, exactly like rose water. I associate it closely with a tonic my mother used when I was young and that’s probably why I enjoy the smell so much.  That is reason enough that I’ll probably go for the full size of this. 

I won’t speak about the Yes To! cleansing wipes again, but you know I adore them and will continue to repurchase them. I also can’t say much about the Philip Martin’s Delicate Skin Cream. If you remember, two of these samples came in the Dashbox and I will say it again – I simply cannot form an honest opinion based on two samples. So there. 

Anatomicals moisturizer, L'Oreal Triple Active moisturizer, Ole Henriksen, Clinique dramatically different moisturizing gel

There are quite a few moisturizers in this photo, but most of them I found during my closet cleanse and only had one or two uses left, so I went ahead and used them up. The exception to this rule is my Ole Henriksen Truth Revealed super cream, which I already did a whole post about here. 

I bought the Clinique dramatically different moisturizing gel last year in the States for about half of the cost in Slovenia. I love this gel – it’s not heavy, moisturizes well and sinks into the skin in seconds, making my face ready for make-up in the morning. This bottle lasted me almost 6 months, so in my opinion, it’s good value for money even if you’re paying full price in Slovenia. 

I also really like the L’Oreal Triple Active night moisturizer. It’s a bit creamier and sits on the skin for a longer time before it dissolves, but I kind of prefer this feeling in the evening – it makes me feel like I’m really hydrating the skin. It’s really inexpensive compared to other night moisturizers I’ve tried in the past and I’ve already repurchased it. 

Finally, let’s talk about the Anatomicals (we never forget a face) memorably good daily moisturizer. First, the name cracks me up. Second, I only used about half of the bottle since I eventually learned that hubby has been secretly stealing it – and he absolutely hates to moisturize. But both him and I agree that this is a good in-a-hurry moisturizer, which is neither good, nor bad – just very unmemorable. The only thing I can say is that I liked the smell and the bottle is really cute. I would not repurchase this again. 

e.l.f. Mineral Face primer, Bourjois healthy balance, Bourjois Silk Edition, Too Faced Better than sex, Bourjois Liner Stylo

Last, but definitely not least, here are my make-up empties. I’ve used up the last drop of the e.l.f. Mineral Face Primer (and didn’t know that it was the last drop until it happened because of the silly matte bottle). This primer will make your face into a great canvas for foundation, but be warned – if you don’t like silicone based primers, stay away from it. It’s pretty cheap, I got it from iHerb for about 6 $. 

Somehow, I finished two Bourjois compact powders in the same month – and I loved both of them equally. They are not the cheapest on the market (I think they come at about 12 € each), but they were both good at evening out my skin tone and keeping my face matte throughout the day. I would repurchase any of them, or maybe try a new one from Bourjois, since they obviously agree with me.  Do you have any recommendations on this front?

If anyone told me a year ago that I will use up a liner, I would have laughed for hours. But it happened – since I hardly ever leave the house without tightlining my eyes, the Bourjois Liner Stylo is well and truly gone. It did transfer somewhat on my lower waterline, but generally it did its job. I did however find a new one that is made specifically for tighlining, but you will have to wait for my USA haul to find out more :)

Last but not least, we have the Too Faced Better than sex mascara. This was another one of those mascaras I hate at first and then grow on me. So...yes... I might have purchased another one....

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Congrats if you made it this far! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram at @low_maintenance_beauty :) 

Until next time, stay beautiful.