June 2017 Empties

This month, I have a ton more products to let you guys know about! For this month’s June 2017 Empties post, I’ve been adding more products that I’ve finished (not just skincare or makeup based!). This summer, I’ve been working on more skincare since it’s so important! Essentially the canvas, your face is fairly important when it comes to creating a great makeup look. As a surprise this month, my fiancé thought to join me with his empties as well! This June 2017 empties post is my first his and hers empties… Watch out, cause this post is long!

June 2017 Empties – Single Use/Sheet Masks

RATA & CO New Zealand Naturals Rosehip Sheet Mask – I love using sheet masks! I try my best to use one at least once a week, but I’ve been too busy in the past to remember. I find that my skin’s texture is smoother and my skin is often brighter after using sheet masks. Repurchase? Although it has a scent that I wasn’t used to the first few minutes I used it, I eventually warmed up to the scent. It smelled similar to a flowery cream, and not too similar to any rosehip oil I’ve used before. Overall, I loved the hydration the rosehip sheet mask gave me and may repurchase this in the future for the winter season.

RATA & CO New Zealand Naturals Kiwi Seed Sheet Mask – Like the Rosehip Sheet Mask, I thought it would be a nice addition to my skincare routine. Most sheet mask serums are gel or serum based, but these RATA & CO Sheet Masks are more of a creamy consistency. The Kiwi Seed Sheet Mask states that it softens the skin and tones and even if I leave the mask on minutes after I’m supposed to remove it, it doesn’t dry up and is still moisturizing. Repurchase? I love how smooth this mask makes my face feel and although I don’t find that it changes my skin dramatically compared to other sheet masks, I do think having this kind of creamy sheet mask is great to have if my skin is ever needing an extra hydration boost.

Boscia Pore Purifying Black Strips – As stated in a previous empties post, I don’t generally use nose strips unless my nose is extremely congested! Since I’ve been fairly busy with events and late nights this month, I haven’t truly been taking as good care of my skin as I should. As a quick fix, these pore strips are great but I wouldn’t recommend using them all the time as they are not a preventative way to keep sebaceous filaments at bay! Repurchase? Once I’m done my stash, I’m probably not going to repurchase. I need to get on and stay on a regular skincare routine because prevention is key!

Sephora Yuzu Cleansing Wipes – Makeup wipes of any kind are always convenient to have on hand! I have a few different kinds on rotation and have been using these on weekend trips when bringing a cleansing oil is not the most ideal. They’re also really nice to bring with you in the summer as it’s a nice refresher when hiking! Repurchase? I will not. I believe I’m allergic to these because after I swipe, my face gets a bit hot and the area around my lips go numb.. yikes!

Dr. Jart+ Pore Minimalist Black Charcoal Sheet Mask – I’m not using this sheet mask for the purpose of minimizing pores because I don’t believe that a sheet mask has the ability to do that. (I use acids & clays for that! More on this soon.) I love the feeling and hydration that the Dr. Jart+ masks give as they’re extremely generous with the serum. Repurchase? Yes! I have a few other Dr. Jart+ sheet masks and keep these ones in rotation as well. I will definitely be keeping Dr. Jart+ in my skincare arsenal!

June 2017 Miscellaneous Empties

REN Clean Skincare Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask – This mask was nice to use as it was a fairly strong product. The instructions advise you to use weekly, but I remember pairing this with an additional acid serum at night which caused my skin (which isn’t usually sensitive!) to feel a bit tingly and was sensitive and pink. Repurchase? Yes. I love using masks and although the percentage of the acids are not publicly stated, it’s strong enough for me to use weekly.

Maybelline Dream Matte Powder in Sand Medium 01 – I’ve had this powder for a long time and have mostly been using this as a setting powder. This powder is great to use as it has just the teensiest bit of colour, it helps to add a little bit of extra coverage. Repurchase? If I was going to be on vacation somewhere hot, or I needed more powder for the summer months, I would definitely repurchase. Unfortunately since Toronto isn’t the hottest year-round, it’s hard to use this powder only for a few months of the year.

Weleda Salt Toothpaste* – This toothpaste was found in the Weleda Mighty Essentials Travel Kit and lasted approximately a week’s use. The toothpaste was a bit abrasive which I didn’t mind, but had a very salty taste. Repurchase? Unfortunately, I didn’t find that this toothpaste tasted all that great. Because taste is a huge factor in liking toothpaste, I’ll pass on repurchasing.

Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Marine Boosting Mist – This spray smelled like oranges! It was so nice to use when it was hot. I mostly used this spray as a refreshing mist and didn’t find that it did much to set my makeup. Repurchase? Although I love sprays, I don’t believe this spray did enough in terms of setting my makeup. This was refreshing to spray outside while it was hot as a pick-me-up, but it’s an expensive product to only use it for that purpose.

Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate* – I received this product with my Influenster review of the Shieseido IBUKI Smart Filtering Smoother Serum and have been using it on and off since. I didn’t see much of a difference in my skin since it was just a small sample size. Repurchase? This concentrate has a very strong alcohol scent and turns me off from it. Due to the scent, I’m probably going to pass on repurchasing.

AmorePacific MOISTURE BOUND Refreshing Hydra-Gel Oil-Free Moisturizer – This gel moisturizer is really great if you’re looking for something lightweight and oil-free. Although quite scented, I got used to the smell after a few uses. Although this deluxe sized sample is really small (about the size of a quarter!), you only need a small amount of this moisturizer as it goes a long way! Repurchase? Given the opportunity, I think I would definitely try this again. But I’m more likely to try its brightening non-oil free counterpart.

Caudalie Hand And Nail Cream – This is Caudalie’s old packaging, but they still use the same formulation. The Hand and Nail Cream was fairly no frills. Repurchase? I don’t think I will. Caudalie has other great products and the hand and nail cream is just average. It’s a good cream if you have dry hands and just looking for something moisturizing yet non-greasy, but I personally like my hand creams to have more frills.

DAVIDsTEA Kokomo Green – I purchased this tea because I was listening to a lot of Beach Boys that summer. Although this tea is now discontinued, I only drank it iced but it had a tropical feel to it when I added sugar. Repurchase? Unfortunately, this tea is discontinued… but if it were to reappear, I might not repurchase as I feel that I need to add additional sugar to this tea to make it taste more fruity.

Body Care June 2017 Empties

Secret Clinical Strength Invisible Solid Deodorant in Powder Protection – This is one of the first clinical strength anti-perspirants I’ve used and is said to reduce excess perspiration. The Powder Protection scent was nice and light and I like that this was a stick formulation as gels can be a bit messy. Overall, I didn’t find that it helped with completely eliminating perspiration, but reduced it a bit. If you’re doing day to day errands, this is a great product. If you’re looking for it to stand against an interview, maybe not. Repurchase? I’ve repurchased this a few times before, but I think I want to keep searching for an even better product.

Dove Go Sleeveless Original Anti-perspirant – This anti-perspirant is fairly no-frills. It has a nice, light powdery scent and is fairly moisturizing. As far as an anti-perspirant goes, I wouldn’t recommend it. I was still a bit damp and didn’t find that this helped much with that. However, the scent lasted all day and was still fresh by the end of the day. Repurchase? If I’m going by the anti-perspirant claims, probably not. Overall, I may. It was a nice light scent and did not feel sticky or transfer to my clothes.

Zoella Beauty Creamy Madly Dreamy Body Lotion – The sweet scented body lotion smells quite sweet and when applied, is creamy. Overall, the body lotion is fairly no frills: it’s got a great scent, cute packaging and decent moisturizing properties. It glides across my skin effortlessly and was an easy product to use. Repurchase? Although I enjoyed the scent, I think I will pass as I’m looking for a body lotion that’s more nourishing.

7th Heaven Soften Sock Masques* – When I first saw the sock masques in the packaging, I imagined they would be similar to a sheet mask: a paper mask soaked in serum. I was very pleasantly surprised to know that only the inside of the sock was infused for easy cleanup! Repurchase? These sock masques were really nice! I definitely would repurchase since they made it super easy to use. Definitely a great product!

His June 2017 Empties

I thought I’d add this little piece in here since my fiancé’s been trying a lot more products. (Hah! Influence works!) Erik mostly uses shampoo and soaps, but we’ll see where it goes in the future!

[not pictured] Dove Men+Care Extra Fresh Antiperspirant Stick – He has sensitive skin and has been using Dove Men+Care for a while now and have only used the Extra Fresh scent. This scent smells fresh and clean, and also great for sensitive skin. Repurchase? The antiperspirant stick has definitely been repurchased multiple times, but he purchased a new product which will be revealed next month!

Dove Men+Care Fortifying Shampoo Oxygen Charge with Caffeine – This shampoo is really great if you need a pick-me-up in the morning. The Oxygen Charge with Caffeine hits you with an energizing feeling. Erik likes the shampoo because it definitely helps with waking him up after a groggy morning. Repurchase? Erik is really fond of his Dove Men+Care line and have used several scents. Although he may not repurchase the Oxygen Charge again immediately (still sticking with the Extra Fresh scent!), he will keep repurchasing the Dove Men+Care line.

Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energizing Face Wash – This facial cleanser is energizing and infused with caffeine. Erik says the citrusy formula (and also minty feeling) is great to refresh the skin in the morning because it wakes him up. Repurchase? Erik says that he has a few other cleansers to try, but really enjoys using this. (This is his third repurchase!) Since he loves the minty and energizing feeling, he says he will definitely repurchase again in the future.

Items disclosed with an asterisk (*) are PR samples.