April Empties (2013)

Happy May, everyone! I managed to use up quite a few products in April which makes me extremely happy, though I still have a pesky powder foundation that I use at least 5 days a week and hit pan on in December and it still isn't finished (maybe this will wind up in my May empties?). Nonetheless, here are my empties for April.

Philip B Anti-Flake Relief Shampoo - In case you couldn't already tell, I love this shampoo. It's great for my flaky dry scalp. It's somewhat ridiculously priced, but that's ok since I love it. I recently stocked up at the recent spacenk sale so I won't be running out again anytime soon!
Phyto scalp stimulant Elixir Universel - This was a sample in one of the recent Sephora sample bags. It smells horrendous but it really calmed my scalp down as I was having a bit of a psoriasis outbreak due to the weather change. I actually bought the full size as it is significantly safer than using my prescription ointment.
*NuNaat Intensive Hair Mask - I really love this stuff and I was sad to see it go, weird scent and all. It does a great job of moisturizing my hair and I can definitely tell a different when I use it. I've linked a twit-pic of how nice my hair looked after usage, with no extra leave in products. I believe I mentioned in my review that I've seen some of the range in stores, but not this particular product line. I haven't really seen it online either, otherwise I'd repurchase.

Bath & Body Works Twilight Wood Shea Enriched Shower Gel - Lovely scent. Not the most moisturizing shower gel I've ever used but then again, that's what lotion is for! This is the small 3oz size which I love since I tend to get bored easily.
LaRocca Cellular Gold Hydrating Body Balm - This came in a Beauty Army box, I think. It is super rich and emollient and smells like Sunkist Fruit Gems, yum! This takes forever to sink in, so I preferred it at night with a nice comfy pair of flannel pajamas. I'm not sure I'd buy the big size because not only is it pricey but it's a very particular type of product (definitely can't be used in the summer as you'd stick to everything!).
The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Lip Care Stick - An oldie but a goodie! As I've said before, I love the majority of the lip balms from The Body Shop and this is no exception. Reasonably priced, not too waxy nor oily, just perfect. 
MAC Microfine Refinisher - A discontinued but lovely product. I have only another tube before it's gone for good which is unfortunate as it's so nice.

Olay Wet Cleansing Towelettes - These are ok and I got them for an excellent price at the drugstore. My only complaint was they made my eyes water which is weird since they have no alcohol. I think I have another pack but I'm not sure I'd repurchase.

So there you have it. What did you finish in April? If you have a post about your empties, please link it below!


* Disclosure: Item(s) starred were sent for review.

November Empties

Another month has flown by. Here are the items I finished in November.

H20 Sea Pure Creamy Facial Cleanser - This lasted forever. I received this for review in 2010 and though I would occasionally use other cleansers, I swear this bottle just kept on giving. Only a pea sized amount is needed for each cleanse. I enjoy it and would repurchase but I have quite a few other cleansers to get through in the meantime.
Bare Escentuals/Minerals RareMinerals Purely Nourishing Facial Moisturizer - I bought this when they were phasing out the original Rare Minerals Skincare and I believe it was on sale. It's an ok moisturizer. I'd consider trying the reformulated version but I'm not rushing out to buy it. I like that this packaging is very hygienic and it has a good quality pump. It looks like that new line has a similar version here. I wonder if it's basically the same but repackaged?
Vichy Cleansing Micellar Solution - This is my second empty bottle of this product and while I didn't find it great with makeup removal, I really like the ease of using it in the morning or throughout the day if I'm home as a refresher. I'm currently trialing another micellar water and I prefer this one by far (it's more gentle). I'll definitely repurchase.
Epielle Cucumber Cleansing Tissues - If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you shouldn't be surprised to see a pack of these in my empties. I love these and at the affordable price tag, I can continue to buy them without any guilt.

La Rocca Champagne & Shimmer Acai Sugar Body Polish - I received this in my November Birchbox and if you remember the review, I was a little conflicted regarding the product. While it makes your skin soft, the texture turns me off a bit. I wouldn't repurchase.
The Body Shop Black Velvet Apricot Body Smoother - This is slightly more scrubby than the Cranberry version but it's not my favorite. I love the scent and wish The Body Shop brought this out this holiday season. I've made an effort to use up some of my shower gels as I prefer soaps in the shower. I treated myself to a little Haus of Gloi Soft Bubbling Scrub haul this morning as a treat.

Two hair oil samples. As I predicted with the Biolage bottle, I've been decanting my sample hair oils into the squeezey bottle (after cleansing it of course). This month I got through two hair oil samples. The one in the packet is .25oz which I hope no one actually uses in one sitting! The plastic one is the Redken All Soft Argan-6 Oil Treatment (.14oz) and the other is the Alterna Bamboo Kendi Oil Pure Treatment Oil. Both were quite nice, though I preferred the Redken. The Alterna one had a stronger scent.

That's all for November. Did you finish anything? Do you also do Empties posts? Definitely link below if you do!

Review: LaRocca Champagne and Shimmer Acai Sugar Polish

I know I literally just got this in my November Birchbox but I thought I'd share my first impressions which I imagine will be my long-term impressions of the product as I only have another use out of the sample pot. I'm referring to the LaRocca Skincare Champagne & Shimmer Acai Sugar Polish.

I'm a bit conflicted about this product. First of all, it is super expensive, clocking in at $37.50 for 6.76 ounces. Second, the consistency is quite weird. It's almost like you whipped up some egg whites made meringue and then made it look like it was jelly. Third, it leave a bit of a residue, but not nearly as bad as some of The Body Shop scrubs or at least the last time I tried them. However, after showering and cleansing my body with body wash, my skin was super soft. So soft I didn't feel compelled to slather moisturizer on which is a feat with my dry skin. So, I've got to say it works. I found that this didn't have enough sugar crystals to my liking and they evaporated rather quickly (so I had to use a lot of the scrub) but that simply means it's more gentle. I don't know. If I magically came into a full size jar, I would definitely use it, but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy this. I prefer the Haus of Gloi Bubbling Scrub just because it's so convenient and is the ultimate in scrubbiness.

If you also received this in your November Birchbox, I'd love to hear your thoughts! 


Ingredients: Organic Sucrose, Cocoas Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Hydrogenated Castor Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit, Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract, Euterpe Oleracea (Acai) Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, 24K Gold, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Fragrance.
Not tested on animals, paraben free.