Monthly Empties

Monthly Empties: Feb 2025

Used up:

  1. Verb – Hydrating Conditioner (32 oz): this was fine. I need more conditioner in my hair but a lighter shampoo, so I paired this with the Verb Ghost shampoo and it worked well. They've reformulated it so we'll see if I like the new version better but it was fine and I'd use it again but it's not my most favorite.
  2. Urban Decay - 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Demolition (full size): I've loved and used the UD eyeliners for many years. Demolition is a good middle-ground between black and brown (I can't really do black – it feels so harsh! But one day I will attempt to use up the dozen or so black pencils I have because I feel like they always pop up as GWPs). I would use again and in fact I do have another Demolition pencil, but first I'm going to focus on some of the weird one-off random brown pencils first.
  3. AOA – Slim Brow Pencil in Dark Brown (full size): this was $1 and supposedly a dupe for bigger name brand eyebrow pencils, but I'm not really a fan. It was... fine. I used it up. But the color was too dark for me and the pencil didn't have staying power – it felt like it noticeably faded by the end of the work day. I wouldn't repurchase and instead would spend a few bucks more for something I really like.
  4. Shiseido – Facial Cotton (165 ct): it's probably silly to consider tools a beauty "empty" but I've discovered that I'm pretty stocked up on these because I would buy a pack or two whenever I had a prestige coupon. Now I want to track how quickly I go through a pack. They are my favorite cotton pads because they don't shed and I can fully clean my face or put on serums and only use one pad. It's soft on my skin and not scratchy. Yes, it's overpriced and probably a waste, but I love them and will continue to treat myself (but only with a coupon!).
  5. Perfume samples: Ouai – Melrose Place (it's fine, but not great – staying power feels more like a body spray than a perfume, and the scent is forgettable. The sample was generous, though!)

Mini Mascara Madness:

  1. Hourglass – Unlocked: generally I love tubing mascaras but this one didn't do it for me. I could tell it added a little length but it just didn't feel as nice as other (cheaper!) tubing mascaras I've used. Also length isn't really my issue so this didn't do much to emphasize my lashes. Definitely would not purchase full size, and may think twice before bothering to use a sample.
  2. Maybelline - Sky High: this was straight-up trash on me. Looked good at first but just going about my day it smeared everywhere and made me look like a clown. I have a few of these samples and they're not just worth me figuring out the best way to use it. I need mascara that works for me from the get-go, and this does not, so it and all its brethren have been tossed. (Upon reflection, I did wear it while shoveling snow that may have attributed to the hot mess, but still, if just a little moisture makes it a hot mess, then a hot mess it will be.)
  3. Too Faced – Better Than Sex: I've used samples of this before and didn't mind it, and I didn't mind it this time. It was fine. Nothing special for my lashes, but it didn't make me look like a racoon, which, after Sky High, was all I really wanted. Wouldn't spend money on buying a full size but would use a sample again.

Decluttered:

  1. Buncha sunscreen samples and other random bits'n'bobs
  2. Colourpop – Brow Boss in Dark Brown (full size): I'm not sure if the pencil was dried up or what, but other than a few scribbles at first, I simply couldn't get it to show up on my skin. I tried and tried and tried, but it just wouldn't work. It wasn't worth it to keep fighting (it's a cheap product, plus I think it was a GWP, not to mention would probably be too dark for me), so I tossed it. Which means I only have four "weird" eyebrow pencils to go!