Empties #1 - PART 1

If you are a regular to the beauty blog and/or beauty YouTube world then you may be familiar with a common post/video feature called "Empties".  Since I only have time to post once a week at the moment, it's pretty hard for me to share everything that I'm using-trying-loving.  I think an "Empties" feature is a great idea because it's like several mini reviews all in one post.  Plus, it offers me a chance to use something all the way up and formulate a really good opinion so that I can tell you if I'd repurchase it or not.  When I do regular reviews, most often I'm only about halfway through the product.

Anyhow, all this to say that I've decided to add a new feature about all the products I/we use up.  It could include a mix of skincare, makeup, hair & body care and home products.  This first one is going to be a lot longer than the others because I've been thinking about doing this since the beginning of the year, so that's when I started keeping our empties.  Because of this, I've decided to divide it into 2 parts. 

Well, let's get started!

SKINCARE

1. LAVANILA The Healthy Deodorant - $14 for 1.7 oz - This was the first natural deodorant I tried after quitting the commercial ones that are full of aluminum, parabens and other toxic chemicals.  I got the Lavender Vanilla one, which smelled really nice, but overall this deodorant didn't work for me.  I still sweat, which I expected since it's not an antiperspirant, but I also smelled halfway throughout the day.  It also got crumbly by the end and really hard to apply.  For all of this, I would not purchase this agian.  I've since been using a homemade version that I'm loving.  No more smelly pits!  I'll def be posting about that soon.

2. SheaMoisture Facial Moisturizers - $12 for 1.5oz. - It's safe to say that I loved these moisturizers to the very last bit... read my full review here.  The Raw Shea Butter Anti-Aging Moisturizer I loved slightly more.  I would definitely purchase it again.  However, I recently tried to pick up more of this one and when I got home it was butter yellow in color, not light beige and smelled like chemicals not Shea, Frankincense and Myrrh like the last one I had.  Now, I know that slight differences can occur between batches of products, especially natural ones, but this was like a different product.  I contacted SheaMoisture and they told me they would look into it.  In the meantime, it was so off-putting that I returned it and got the just the plain Raw Shea Butter infused with Frankincense & Myrrh, which is working nicely so far.  I'll keep you updated on that and I'll definitely be checking on the facial moisturizer to see if it's back to normal in a few months...

3. Mario Badescu Facial Spray With Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater - $7 for 4oz. - This was my first experience with facial sprays and it's how I fell in love with rose water.  This was amazing at moisturizing my parched skin and setting my mineral makeup.  It's not only rose water, but aloe and some great skin-loving herbs, BUT it also has propylene glycol, which I try to avoid.  In a nutshell, PG is a synthetic solvent or surfactant, a form of mineral oil.  It hasn't been linked directly to cancer, but it has been shown to cause acute toxicity when ingested in repeated small doses, plus it can cause allergic skin reactions in some people.  More so, I try to avoid synthetic chemicals in general, especially ones that are also in things like engine coolants & paint, like PG.  I've since found a new all natural rosewater spray that I love, and again, I'll definitely be sharing that soon!

4. Sensodyne Pronamel Toothpaste FRESH WAVE - $4.99 for 4 oz. - This was my quick "less toxic" toothpaste option, until I could find a more natural option that I liked.  It's definitely not the best, because it still contains PEG-8, Cocamidopropyl Betaine & artificial sweetener, but at least there are no parabens.  I've since been using The Honest Company's toothpaste, which has none of these and I really like it.

5. 100% Pure Red Wine Resveratrol Nourishing Cream - $38 for 1.6oz. - Both this face cream and the eye cream in #6 I received as a free gift with purchase.  I actually REALLY loved this product.  As you may know, I am an avid 100% Pure product user already, and this gem would definitely be in my top 10 favorites from 100% Pure.  It was very moisturizing, smelled great and made my skin feel super smooth.  I only had two issues... I had to cut the tube to get the last bit of product that was left after the pump wouldn't pump out any more product and the price is kind of high for the amount you get.  I can deal with the tub cutting, but becasue of the price I'm not sure I'd repurchase without a coupon code or something.  It was a very nice cream though.

6. 100% Pure Organic Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream - $21 for 1oz. - This goodie is not new to me, I actually reviewed it here, and have gone through 2 since then.  Like the Red Wine Nourishing Cream, I have to cut the tube open to get the last bits of product out, but at least this one is a better value.  It's not a miracle cream but it does do a pretty good job of depuffing and smoothing my eye area, naturally.

7. Pacifica Purify Coconut Water Cleansing Wipes - $6 for 30 towelettes - Unfortunately, these facial wipes were not a win for me.  As much as I love other Pacifica products, including their perfumes, they weren't as moist as I'd like and they made my eyes sting.  They are a great natural option and smell great, but they just didn't work for me.  I won't be getting these again.

MAKEUP

8. 100% Pure Luminous Primer Vitamins + Antioxidants With Resveratrol - $28 for 1 oz. - I've been using this primer for quite some time now, you can read my review here.  And I'm sure I've gone through a couple before this one.  It's got great ingredients and makes my skin plump and glowing. I actually have another in the wings and one more coming as a free gift with purchase.  The only downside is that the glass container makes it hard to get inside and get the last bits, but I make it work.  I will still keep using this as long as they keep making it.

9. Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara - $20 - LOVE this mascara, especially the deluxe sample size... I think I prefer the shorter wand.  I talk about it more here.  Beyond that, the brush and formula are great.  It separates my lashes and is buildable so I can do natural or glam with no clumping or flaking.  It isn't 100% natural, so I may try to find a natural one that I love as much.  I'll be honest, it's going to be hard!

10. Signature Minerals Light Mint Corrector - $10-$18 - I just did a whole review on this, so if you're interested check it out here.  But basically, it's amazing and my savior against redness.  It's a staple for me.

11. Tarte Amazonian Clay BB Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 20 - $36 for 1.7 oz. - This is a product that I keep thinking about reviewing because I've been using it since last summer, but sometimes I'm still not sure what I think about it.  Weird, right?!  I don't know... Overall I really like it, even if it's not all natural, it's pretty good in the ingredient department.  It offers good coverage for a tinted moisturizer, it goes on smoothly and blends easily and gives my skin a natural even tone.  But I tend to look pretty shiny after about 5 hours, more than the other products I use and I've noticed that it breaks up a bit on my chin by the end of the day.  I can get over this by just blotting once or twice, so it's not a deal breaker.  I actually wore this for my wedding and it looked great in person and in the photos.  I think I just need to play with the amount I apply or the finishing powder I use.  Anyhow, it's a good product, but I might not repurchase because I want to explore some more natural options.

Check back for PART 2 next week!!