Empties vol. 49
Let’s dig into my latest beauty empties! I went through a lot of bath & body products this month, mostly finishing the ones that have been opened for a while now, including some of my favorite body washes from Molton Brown.
SKINCARE:
1// Madara Smart Antioxidants Fine Line Minimising Fluid* ($49) – This natural lotion has a runny texture that feels like heavy whipping cream. It’s particularly nice for oily and combination skin because it’s very lightweight and doesn’t leave an oily sheen. After using up the entire bottle, I’m not totally convinced that it did anything for the fine lines, but my skin always felt comfortable and soothed – that’s worth something.
Repurchase? Probably not. It wasn’t bad, but it just didn’t wow me.
2 // Skinceuticals HA Intensifier* ($102) – This is the queen of all Hyaluronic Acid serums – my skin has never felt more hydrated! No wonder Skinceuticals is considered by many professionals as one of the best skincare brands money can buy, their products are incredibly effective and feature truly innovative formulations. This serum looks and feels like watery jelly, absorbs in seconds, and keeps even the driest skin patches hydrated all day.
Repurchase? I would if I ran out of all my hydrating serums. This one is truly the best, but I feel wasteful not finishing other products in my stash first.
3 // NOW Solutions Vitamin C + Ferulic Acid Serum* ($15) – I always say that my routine is never complete without powerful antioxidants, and this particular combination of vitamins C, E, and F has been studied for its excellent free-radical scavenging properties. While this is not exactly a dupe for Skinceuticals C, E & Ferulic serum, it’s also more than 10x less expensive and you still get excellent antioxidant benefits.
Repurchase? Yes! This is such a good serum, and a great alternative to much more expensive C, E + Ferulic serums on the market!
BATH & BODY:
4 // Rituals The Ritual of Tsuru Body Cream* ($25) – Rituals makes some of my favorite body creams because they are not sticky and actually last a very long time on the skin. I spent one lazy weekend in bed, binging on my favorite shows, and skipped a couple of showers, but my skin stayed hydrated for 2 days straight! Next time I took a shower, I felt the cream on my skin, as it was being washed off. What an amazing formula!
Repurchase? I still have a few spares in other scents, but yes, this is the one I would repurchase if I needed a body cream.
5 // Dr. Hauschka Almond Soothing Bath Essence ($25) – I love a good soak so this almond-scented concentrate made a great addition to my already extensive lineup of bath and shower treats. It’s a pretty unique product because it doesn’t produce a lot of bubbles, but instead it turns the bath water into a scented body conditioner that helps soften the skin while you soak. Also, it smells sooo good!
Repurchase? It seems that the almond variety is no longer available.
6 // Molton Brown Bath & Shower Gel Bizarre Brandy* ($32) – This was a limited edition release for the Holiday season a couple years ago, and yes, I’ve been savoring this bottle of body wash for exactly that long, lol! I really enjoy Molton Brown’s seasonal releases, they tend to be extra special, whether it’s the packaging or the unique ingredients. Bizarre Brandy is one of my favorites for a reason – it reminds me of Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb cologne that I love wearing myself.
Repurchase? I would, but it’s sold out everywhere.
7 // Molton Brown Bath & Shower Gel Rosa Absolute* ($32) – Rosa Absolute used to be my favorite Molton Brown fragrance from the permanent collection. I still like it a lot, but my tastes have shifted slightly over the years and now I prefer spicier and gourmand notes or really sweet florals, like the newly launched Flora Luminare. Like most other body washes, Rosa Absolute stays on the skin for hours and I catch whiffs of it for a good chunk of the day.
Repurchase? I believe this fragrance has been discontinued.
8 // PIXI Bodytreats Glycolic Body Wash* ($32) – I’m usually never this excited about body washes, unless they’re from the aforementioned Molton Brown, but this new release from Pixi is literally my favorite thing from the brand this year. The body wash is super gentle and my skin feels so soft after I use it, plus it smells like Glow Tonic which is perfect in a body product. If only it was bigger and came with a pump!
Repurchase? Yes! It’s AMAZING and I already ordered more from Target!
9 // Vivi Naturals CBDetox Scalp Serum* ($56) – I’ve only been using CBD topicals for a couple of years so I’m still new to this, but I had no idea there were products with CBD for hair! This nourishing scalp and root serum transformed my hair and greatly improved the condition of my scalp, so I’m really glad I gave it a try.
Repurchase? I no longer have scalp issues so I don’t plan on purchasing another bottle, but I totally recommend giving it a try if you struggle with itchy and flaky scalp.
What products did you finish recently? Any favorites or duds?
*indicates PR samples
