Monthly Empties

Monthly Empties: July-Sep 2025

Maybe instead of Monthly Empties, this should be Quarterly Empties??? Yay, for the Summer of Chaos and Depression, making me not want to do anything other than simply survive each day.

Anyway, here are the products I used up or discarded during the last three months:

Used up:

  1. Redken - Color Extend Conditioner (1 L): [sobs] because this is it, the last of my beloved brand of shampoo/conditioner. They don't make this anymore, and I am distraught. I've relied on this shampoo/conditioner for basically all my adult life and it never let me down. They replaced it with a sulfate-free version that my hair barely tolerates. I'm still hunting for the shampoo/conditioner combo that will fill the void.
  2. Klorane - Dry Shampoo with Nettle for Dark Hair (150 ml): this is my favorite dry shampoo. It went faster than I'm used to and at the end the spray nozzle seemed to die and it fizzled the last of the product, so I'm not sure what went wrong. It's a little over a year old because there was an excellent sale March 2024 and I stocked up. Which means I don't need to buy it again, but I'm going to be cautious when it starts to get low because I don't need dry shampoo spraying all over my bathroom.
  3. Banila - Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm in Original (180 ml): the Orange Store runs sales on this pretty often so I've used it before when I don't have my favorite cleansing balm (which so far I can only buy from overseas). It's fine – does the job, which is all I ask, but it doesn't feel as nice as some other balms. But reasonably cheap when on sale, especially for the size.
  4. Cerave - Hydrating Facial Cleanser (8 fl oz): I bought this because it was recommended and cheap and I was near the end of my favorite cleanser that also comes from overseas. That was... a couple years ago. Yeah. To be fair, I only used this in the shower and not regularly, but it was fine. I think I stopped liking it halfway through because it didn't clean as nicely as I would like for a second cleanse – a little too stripping. But it was fine, so I used it up. And two? three???? years later, I can finally move on.
  5. Bliss - Drench & Quench Cream to Water Hydrator for All-Day Moisture (7.5 ml): I don't remember what I thought about this. It must have been fine since I used it up. But it's a small sample so it probably lasted me a week at most and was completely forgettable.
  6. Indie Lee - COQ-10 Toner (8.5 ml): this was a GWP. I don't know how you're supposed to use it, but I would use it to refresh during the day. Especially nice during the hot summer, especially as I got lazier at keeping up with regular skin care. I'm hoping to repurpose the spray container with one of my favorite toners so I could use it while traveling.
  7. PUR - 4-in-1 Cloud Cream x2 (14g): I don't know why I have so many samples of this (I have another one I haven't opened) but it became my go-to morning moisturizer for a month. I liked it, but definitely noticed when I forgot to wear sunscreen afterwards, which taught me that it does have some sun-sensitive actives in it. Wouldn't buy it for regular use, but will use up the samples.
  8. Shiseido - Facial Cotton (165 count): yes, I went through another one, right on schedule. Yes, it is overpriced, but it's a small splurge that makes me happy.
  9. Perfume samples: Viktor & Rolfe - Good Fortune (this was nice, I think, but more sweet than I prefer); Guerlain - Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic (a nice light summer scent!); Gucci - Bloom (she's a basic floral, but tbh I would wear it regularly in the Spring and Summer months – very tempted to buy a full size); Lancome - Idole (standard inoffensive perfume, it's fine, I have more samples I'll use, but I won't buy it, plus I have a flanker I prefer); Dior - Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet (another basic floral, but I prefer the Gucci).

Decluttered:

  1. Beekman 1802 - Milk Drops Probiotic Ceramide Serum (15 ml): this was a GWP. I gave it a shot and at first it seemed fine, but after a couple weeks, I decided my skin did not care for it and it wasn't doing anything except potentially causing a mild reaction.
  2. Elf - Superhydrate, A Moisturizer With Hydrating Squalane (15 ml): also a GWP. Haaaaated the texture. I tried it once and then noped out of the grossness.
  3. Etude - Bling Bling Eye Sticks in #08 Ivory Baby Star and #18 Moon Star (full size): a couple years ago, I went on a eyeshadow stick buying spree to test out different formulas and shades and appease the dopamine gremlin. I had a craving to buy shadow sticks a couple months ago when some higher end brands were on sale, so instead I went through my older collection to see what I had, and these two smelled like crayons and thus were dismissed. Plus they are super glitter spreaders. Good riddance!
  4. Burt's Bees - Moisturizing Lip Balm in Vanilla Maple (full size): generally, I'm a Burt's Bees fan. I've used their lip balms since I was a teenager. But the scent on this one was awful, it made my lips taste chemically, so I ditched it. No one needs an unpleasant lip balm experience, especially when I have so many other lip balms in my life.
  5. I know I've also discarded other random items but didn't bother noting them down but just know that slowly I'm chipping away at my stash. We just won't talk about the birthday month splurges (yes, more than one splurge, but thankfully it was restrained to that month and I didn't go as crazy as I have done previously. Yay, unemployment!).