This is a big massive empties post that I’ve been putting off because it’s SO. OVERWHELMING.

My goal had been to post an empties post every month and I was doing alright at it and then December hit me and I just got thrown for a loop. and then I had this big box of bottles and empty stuff that I needed to empty out but kept getting overwhelmed at the idea.

So I’m just going to tackle it.

I had them separated by month and then I’m a dummy and put them all together and couldn’t remember what went where, so they’re all going together.

See ALLLLL the things?! I also decided to get rid of items I’d collected and was trying to force myself to use even though I didn’t like them. Hypothetically, if I was KonMari-ing, if that makeup item didn’t spark joy I got it out of there. There weren’t many, but it was a great start.

Pores Be Pure Skin-Clarifying Mud Mask
This mask was a huge deal in my life. I saw it on Pinterest and I immediately drove to Ulta to buy it. It was one of the first times I can recall being very driven by social media to make a purchase. I have two more masks from this line that I’m trying to work through, but this was the first one I got because pink + strawberry + me = duh 😀 I like this mask a lot, but like I literally ALWAYS say… all masks are kind of the same at a certain point.

Wonderstruck Taylor Swift Lotion
Oh my word, I LOVE this stuff. First of all, Enchanted is like the BEST Taylor Swift song. I’ve had this lotion for YEARS and only used it when I felt ultra fancy because I literally LOVE this scent. I’ve started to keep my eyes open for the perfume or any other products in this scent at like TJ Maxx/Marshalls, since that’s where I got this, but no luck so far. Anyway. LOVE.

Dreamy Amour Cherry Blossom Body Wash
My friend Adriana got me this body wash for my bridal shower, and I have LOVED using it. <3

dōTerra Salon Essentials Conditioner
I’ve been using dōTerra oils for about a year but at the end of the summer, I started branching into their other products. I went for the shampoo and conditioner. My hair is long and since I use shampoo on the roots and conditioner on the ends (and there’s a LOT of “ends”) I use conditioner a lot faster than shampoo. I liked this conditioner, but it wasn’t my favorite. My hair has been going through a lot of changes, so it might be that. I’d definitely buy it again but probably just because I make monthly dōTerra orders. It’s definitely nice having it sent to me.

Dr Jart+ BB Cream
Y’all should know by now that this is straight up one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE products. I’ve been slowly trying to shift my products over to more natural/organic products, so I’ve slowly replaced this with the Root Pretty Pretty Booster, but I still LOVE this stuff. I started using half this + half Root Pretty, and I really liked that combo. I cannot recommend this enough if you’re wanting an easy BB Cream.

The Body Shop Almond Hand + Nail Butter
I LOVE this stuff, but this little tub of it was SO OLD it smelled plasticy and nasty. It’s the curse of buying something I love and never using it because I want it to last forever, haha. It’s really thick and has a really subtle warm, almond smell. It’s perfect for the winter when your hands get dry.

Cover Girl Tru Blend Minerals Blush
I was in desperate need of new blush and I bought this because it was on sale, but I really didn’t love it. The pink was too red for me and it had little dustings of gold that were a little too harsh for me. I didn’t finish it but gave myself permission to get rid of it.

Almay Smart Shade Blush
I (clearly) loved this blush. It was a pale pink that was mixed with slightly darker spots to make a really subtle blush. I’m not a fan of dark/warm colors on my face, so this was perfect for me. I’ve decided that I do want to invest in something that’s more suited for my face (I liked it but I don’t think it was the best). It was good for what it was and was fairly inexpensive.

Laura Geller Baked Blush
I received this in a Birchbox and I REALLY wanted to love it because I obviously need blush and it was free, but it was way too pink for me. I felt like a clown every time I tried to wear it.

The Beauty Crop Glamazon Stick Highlight Crayon
I was excited to try this, but it was damaged upon arrival in my Birchbox. They weren’t able to replace it but they gave me points to spend in the shop. So IDK!

DermaE Purifying 2-in-1 Charcoal Mask
LOVE. I love Derma E and I love masks so yeah. Birchbox sample… probably won’t purchase because I doubt with Birchbox that I’ll ever actually be in need of buying face masks, but I highly recommend.

Root Pretty Fresh Lavender Cleanser
I LOVED this! It had a little bit of unexpected scrub (and I’m ALL ABOUT that scrub life!) and it smelled wonderful AND it’s Root Pretty so I know and trust it’s full of great quality ingredients. Like I’m always saying, you can use this link and get 10% off your purchase of $25+.

Michael Todd Charcoal Detox Cleanser
I used this stuff with my Clarisonic Mia Cleanser and I really liked it. The gel cleanser I’ve been using with the brush is what Clarisonic sent me to try out and it’s great but by using another cleanser I was able to really appreciate the brush itself. I never tried it without the cleanser so I’m not sure how it is on its own, but I really loved it.

Benefit The Porefessional Primer
This one always shows up on my Empties lists because it’s a must-have item. Slightly tinted and matte so you can wear it under makeup or even just on its own to fill in pores. HIGHLY recommend.

Covergirl Plumpify Mascara
I feel like I may have received this as a sample, perhaps from Influenster. but I LOVE it. I use my L’Oreal Primer and then put this on top. I only am getting rid of it because I’ve had it for a VERY LONG time, and I need to start getting rid of things. Great drugstore mascara that offers length and volume.

Sand & Sky Brilliant Skin Pink Clay Mask
Reviewed in my December Birchbox Review post.

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So on my list of 101 things to do in 1001 days is to do an empties post every month for a year. I started this in July. I posted in July and August, and then in September I only used up TWO PRODUCTS and I was like ehhhh not even worth writing about. But then I got back on the using shhh up train and used up more products in October and figured hey, I never said I had to do one empties post per month. So here I’m combining September and October and crossing off both months because I’m the boss of my 101 list and I can do what I want, right?

Here are the products I used up in September:

Eve Lom Cleanser

Okay I have to be honest about this one. I’ve had this for… way too long. I saved up my Birchbox points and cashed them in one day to buy this full sized Eve Lom Cleanser for like a zillion dollars. Not quite a zillion, but you know… $50!!! I got a sample of it in one of my Birchboxes and LOVED it. You spread the cleanser on your dry face and then you get a muslin cloth hot + wet and let it sit on your face and breathe in deeply. You do it twice and the third time you use the muslin cloth to wipe it off. It’s amazing.

But here’s the issue I have with products I really like. I tend to not use them often because I don’t want them to run out. Is this stupid or what? So I’ve had this probably beyond its expiration date but only use it when I feel fancy, until I realized I just need to GET RID OF my products. It’s so good, but I’d highly recommend trying to find a sample of it before investing in it.

Acure Pore Minimizing Facial Scrub

Yo I’ve never really used a red clay product before so tell me this if you have: are they SUPPOSED to smell like butt? I actually gave up on using this one because it smelled so foul! I got this as part of an environmentally conscious skincare Birchbox and really hated it. I’m okay with earthy smells, but not when they smell THIS bad. Abort mission.

and October:

Rimmel Just Let It Go Eye Makeup Remover

I got this years ago as part of an Influenster VoxBox and then couldn’t find it ANYWHERE! Eventually I spotted it at Grocery Outlet so I picked up a bottle. It’s pretty good! I like that it’s gentle on the eyes but it’s really effective at getting eye makeup off. The bottle lasted for awhile, too!

Root Pretty Organic Peppermint Toner

I have this unofficial goal of sampling EVERYTHING from the Root Pretty line 😀 I liked this peppermint toner, but I’d rather stick with my witch hazel + lemon toner. It’s a great option for anyone looking for a new toner that’s full of really great, organic products. Also use this link to get 10% off your first Root Pretty purchase 🙂 

Harvey Prince Petaly Noir

Yeah no. I really don’t like strong floral perfumes and this was one of them, if I remember correctly. I definitely prefer citrus or earthy scents.

100% Pure Coconut whipped body butter

That statement about keeping great products and using them sparingly applies here. Kristen got me this as a gift for Christmas maybe TWO years ago{!?} and I’ve been so stingy with using it! In my efforts to declutter my beauty products and not be scared of emptying products I love, I started applying this coconut body butter with a drop or two of lavender oil on my feet before bed. SO GOOD. It’s really moisturizing and thick so a little goes a long way. I HIGHLY recommend 100% Pure’s EVERYTHING.

GlamGlow ThirstyMud Hydrating Treatment

A few years ago I saw a YouTube video about GlamGlow and they’ve been one of those brands I’ve become quietly in awe over and I have no reason why, haha. Getting this sample was so great because I’ve been wanting to try their products! I really liked this – it’s kind of like a mask but also a moisturizer. You apply it to your face and then let it sit. If there’s anything left over you can rub it into your face so there’s no washing or anything! It didn’t leave a greasy residue but I did feel like my face felt more oily than normal for the rest of the day, so I won’t be purchasing this.

L’Oreal Infallible Paints Eye Shadow 

Okay so true story – I was at the Bins one day and saw this L’Oreal eyeshadow still in its wrapper with a Target salvage sticker on it so YOU KNOW I added it to my cart. Except I literally hated this stuff. I tried it twice. Maybe it’s a user issue (could easily be) but I felt like it was SO MUCH on my eyes. Like the creasing was out of this world after wearing it for awhile and it just felt really chalky and gross. Hard pass.

Living Proof Restore Mask Treatment

Another Birchbox – at some point just assume EVERYTHING is from or originated from a Birchbox – I like hair masks because my hair is really long and REALLY susceptible to breaking/splitting/etc. This was a pretty good hair mask, but nothing special and if I’m gonna shell out money for a hair mask, I want it to be special.

Well there it finally is! You can see that I was so determined to get this posted and those empty bottles out of the apartment that I took iPhone photos, but whatever!

This is coming at y’all a little bit late, but better late than never, yeah?!

Some of these aren’t even actually from August, some are from June but I’d left them at home when I went to Nashville so this is like a complete Empties cleansing. 🙂

So hey let’s just acknowledge that these pictures aren’t the best I’ve ever taken. I was in a hurry and didn’t double check them. I knew it would end up taking me another two weeks to retake them so I just wanted to get these up. and throw these away. 😀

Pink Sugar Perfume
I got this bottle for Christmas a few years ago and it smells like cotton candy! It was such a soft, sweet smell. I’ve realized that committing to an ENTIRE bottle of perfume is a huge deal to me, so I decided to exclusively use this perfume. It was so great! but I’m definitely ready to get back to some of the other scents I have.

L’Oreal Voluminous mascara + primer
OH MY WORD, Y’ALL. I got these in an Influenster box last year (omg I know. I know) and I LOVE them. Years ago I got a Mary Kay primer from Influenster and fell in love and was always searching for a primer to replace it when I got the L’Oreal set in the mail. PRAISE HANDS. I love this stuff, y’all. The mascara was nothing special to me but the primer. I already replaced it 😀

Perfectly Posh Night & Day moisturizer and Bright Young Thang Face Wash
I got these Perfectly Posh samples from someone on Instagram. I’d actually never heard of Perfectly Posh before. I liked the products and the price point. The moisturizer had a really earthy smell to it and the face wash was really good… not scrubby enough for me, though. These products seem really good and at a pretty good price! Have you ever heard of Perfectly Posh?

Herbal Essences Coconut Milk Shampoo + Conditioner
Oh I LOVED this stuff. I got it from.. Influenster, I think? and it’s so great. I loved the subtle coconut smell and it really helped my hair feel hydrated! Definitely a great product.

Yes to Coconuts Coconut Oil Body Wash
Pass. I picked this up on clearance at Ulta, because I love the Yes To brands and I love Coconut, but I was really disappointed in this. It had a really fake coconut smell. Possess.

Cool Golden Organic BB Cream
OMG y’all I used this over the summer AND I CAN’T EVEN REALLY REMEMBER. I can’t say anything either way. Ugh.

Benefit Gimme Brow Gel
This was a Birchbox WIN. I got this in a Birchbox and I LOVE it. The color wasn’t dark enough for me, so I’m probably going to invest in the darker color but this brow gel was really great.

Parlor by Jeff Chastain Moisturizing Sea Salt Spray
I weirdly love this stuff. It has a really salty scent, but I think it does an AMAZING job giving my hair some beach waves – I love that it’s for dry hair. I’d spritz some on when my hair was kind of blah and needed something a little more exciting going on. Seriously LOVE this stuff.

Root Pretty Pretty Brush Cleaner
I’ve never had a brush cleaner so I have nothing to compare this to. I really liked it, though! Remember that you can always get 10% off your first $25 purchase if you use this link. I’ll probably replace it once it’s back in stock and I’m in need of a few more Root Pretty products. I seriously LOVE Root Pretty.

Herbal Essences Blowout Smooth conditioner
Anybody else find that their shampoo depletes MUCH FASTER than their conditioner? I always have a random spare bottles of conditioner. I liked this stuff. It was good spare conditioner. IDK what else to say.

Victoria’s Secret Bombshell Lotion
OMG is it just me, or does anyone else get TONS of lotion/spray stuff for their birthdays/holidays? My mom first gave me a Bombshell spray or lotion or something because she LOVED it, and it’s kind of been around since then. I like this smell. It’s definitely a lotion you use for the smell and not for the moisturizing purposes, lol.

Okay done. See you sooner rather than later for Septembers. If there’s even anything to share 😀

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Justen and I have started the task of apartment hunting (YAYYYYYYY!!!!!). I’m a little overwhelmed with the thought of packing everything up and moving out, but I’m also really excited. Honestly, it will be the best thing to help me declutter. It’s one thing to see hundreds of things and decide to keep or put back or organize or something, and it’s another thing to start with an empty space and have to choose to make it cluttery. Cluttery is a new word I just made up, fyi.

Coming to Nashville, I brought a bunch of small sample products so that I could use up more of them while I’m here. I’ve been keeping them in a little drawer in the bathroom and the drawer was getting hard to open, so I figured it’s time to share what I’ve used up in the past two months. I’m trying to do these once a month for a year, so get used to seeing my garbage more often, haha.

I’ve decided to start allowing myself to just THROW THINGS AWAY if I don’t like them. I’m not sure why that’s so freaking hard for me, but it is.

Derma E Scrub
This is one of my favorites. I decided to try a new Derma E scrub after I received a sample of it in Birchbox, but I would and will always recommend this scrub as a product to always have on hand.

Trusted Health Products Amazingly Beautiful Moisturizing Body Serum
I won this from a blog giveaway awhile ago. I’d actually previously won another product from them, which I LOVED and was so excited to win and try. I really love these products. This had an orange scent to it (which Justen noticed and liked, which was a plus!) and it lasted for like… idk… EVER.

Taylor Swift Incredible Things Body Scrub + Body Wash
A few months ago I found this little Taylor Swift gift pack for $4 at Goodwill. Brand new. FOUR DOLLARS. I LOVE the Wonderstruck scent Taylor Swift makes so I assumed I’d like this but… nah. Not really that great. It had kind of a cleaning product scent to it. I’ve used it consistently (just to get rid of it, haha) and it never grew on me.

Simple Micellar Cleansing Water
I got this in a limited edition Birchbox I had ordered, and it had exploded everywhere! I was really looking forward to trying this product so I e-mailed Birchbox and they sent me an entire replacement box! Anyway that’s a random piece of info. I liked this! It was really effective and it lasted a long time. I really love this whole micellar cleansing water thing. Anybody have any tried + true micellar cleansing waters that you’d highly recommend?

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream
Okay so this could be a HUGE coincidence but when I started using this, my face got REALLY dry around my mouth. I’m not sure if it’s because of some other factor, but once I used this up and started using another cream on the dry patches, it healed up. So who even knows.

Vasanti Brighten Up Moisturizer
This was in my string of moisturizers – I liked it. Nothing great. It moisturized and did its job and there you go.

Origins Original Skin Renewal serum
Oh I liked this serum – it wasn’t greasy at all, and it was a little bit tinted which I loved because it wasn’t as obvious if I didn’t rub it in completely. I really like this.

Jurlique Soothing Moisturizing Cream
This stuff was really thick and felt really good applying it, but the smell was awful. Maybe I’ve had it for too long (QUITE POSSIBLE) but yuck. I can’t stop smelling it on my face and I need to immediately wash it off.

Ponds Rejuvenate Wrinkle Cream
I’ve never been able to commit to a moisturizer, and so I’ve supplemented breaks in getting samples from Birchbox with these travel sized Ponds tubs and then I realized that THIS IS AN ANTI WRINKLE CREAM, not just a moisturizer. And again, I’m allowing myself to just throw it away so GOODBYE WRINKLE CREAM THAT ISN’T ACTUALLY A MOISTURIZER.

Those two lipsticks on the left are ones I’m giving to someone else that can rock the bright, bold lipsticks.

Coastal Scents Revealed2 Palette Sampler Ballerina
I actually have the full palette of this! I’m definitely a light/nude/gold/rose gold eye shadow kind of girl, so I used the two colors I love the most and realize that I’ll never use up the last two colors, so I’m just going to toss it here and now. I love this palette because it’s full of really natural colors.

Root G3.5 Pearl Powder Mineral Foundation Sample
The last time I posted an empties recapping the zillions of products I’d been hoarding, I shared that I’d purchased a color of this powder but discovered it wasn’t as great of a match as I’d originally thought so I bought a sample that sealed the deal.

3 Perfume samples
This is from what I’ve written in the Notes app on my phone.

MMM… – Kind of spicy, earthy tones. Has a kick to it.
TokyoMilk – Creamyish scent that I didn’t like.
Other one (I can’t tell what it is!) smelled like cleaner.

Hard pass on all of them.

The Beauty Crop Fabulous Flocking Lashes
I wanted to love this mascara so bad. It’s pink with flamingos, it’s like everything you could ever want in a mascara… oh, except the actual mascara part itself. It was clumpy and then it literally turned into a big swab of mascara – you couldn’t even see the wand. So disappointing.

Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream
I bought this probably way too long ago when I first got into BB Creams and I was traveling and forgot my trusty Dr. Jart+ at home. At first it was too greasy and bronze-y looking, but as I started blending it with other BB creams to tone it down and then eventually started using the Root Pretty powder over it, I actually really started to enjoy this! I won’t buy it again since I LOOOVE the Root Pretty stuff, but I did eventually enjoy this!

Alright y’all, this is month 1 of 12 months of Empties posts. Let’s deplete my beauty sample stash over the next year!

Previous Empties posts here.

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