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Empties are a simple fact of life. Ahh, one of the wiser lines I’ve ever written! The thing about empties is they never stop; we’re also consuming, using, finishing up things… and if we’re lucky enough to hold onto our trash, we can then make a blog post about it & share our thoughts… a la this here post!
Right now, Gav and I are in deep quarantine, unable to leave the house and relying on delivered groceries/my backlog of products to get us through. And we’re doing good! I happened to stock up on a lot of essentials inadvertently prior to this whole pandemic, so we’re trying to just stay chill and relax. And it’s a good time for me to tidy up/clean out my drawers — and lo and behold, there’s a bunch of empties I need to report back about!
A little while back, Gav picked up Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Pure-Castile Liquid Soap from a local store here. I actually remember hearing about this brand from a friend back in Korea, but didn’t really get what all the fuss was about. I also saw a lot of beauty bloggers use this brand in particular for cleaning their brushes.
Apart from the weird religious packaging, I like it! This scent in particular is very zingy, and will wake you up in the morning. It also definitely has an actual cool tingle, which can be surprising but is definitely fresh!
I don’t really know what the difference is between this shower gel and regular shower gel tbh; I mean, I understand the concept of shower gel, but am not 100% why this is such a cult product? Maybe someone can explain it to me.
I did read up about castille soap when we got it, and a bunch of people said it was good for their skin/acne/irritation, but when I tried it on my face it got suuuper dry and flaky. Would not recommend it on the face! If you want my tips for helping with acne/trouble skin, check out my post here (or my ebook in the popup, hehe).
As a fair-skinned gal, I take my SPF pretty darn seriously. Sometimes not seriously enough, I’d say—forgetting to apply when going for a nice long walk in the great outdoors—and other times overkilling it a bit, like applying a thick layer to go stand in my shop indoors. It’s a hard balance!
But my general rule is to at least apply a lighter SPF everyday and more if I’ll be outside. Yes, it wears off, and makeup application can mess with it, but it’s better than nuttin’! Obviously I finished this one before quarantine, as I sure ain’t going nowhere right now… but a gal can dream!
One of my preferred agents is the Avene Very High Protection Emulsion. I love Avene products — and French pharmacie products in general — because of their simplicity and focus on efficacy. There’s no bells & whistles, just simple (and elegant) products that do the job and keep you juicy.
I’ve previously loved the Avene Very High Protection Lotion for Children (lol, yes… I wrote about it here if you want more) and a few other bits from them too. Off the top of my head, the Avene Cicalfate Restorative Skin Cream, which is a thick balm-like cream that has come in handy when I’ve been sunburnt/my skin has just been over it.
A classic makeup remover for me (these days) is the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water. Remember when makeup removers used to sting & inflame? Back in the day, we were not blessed enough to have micellar waters; that elixir of the gods that removes makeup with nary a bloodshot eye.
Of course, I initially dipped a toe into the micellar *water* with the original, Bioderma Hydrabio H2O (I wrote about it here, in fact), and from there, there was just no looking back.
This Garnier one is obviously at a more affordable price point, which means I drown in it and feel no shame. The more the merrier! Apparently one of these babies sells four seconds (?!?!?!?!?) and it’s easy to see why. It really removes even the most stubborn eye makeup with no fuss, no irritation, and no wallet-emptying. It’s an all-rounder.
Now, let’s talk about deodorant. Because that’s what we all want to hear about! I wrote recently about how the Aesop Deodorant is one that *actually* works — and how this is so rare imho. But this Body Crystal Roll-on Deodorant Stick (similar here) is another natural-ish one that did the job for me. I’d say the Aesop one would top it, but this was still a good opponent.
Ahh nail care. Something I’m not really fond of, something I’ve often neglected, but now I’m in the house (legally mandated, I mean), the little things have become increasingly important.
One of the removers I used when doing my own *manicures* is the Cutex Care Nail Polish Remover. This baby is basic, and I mean that in a good way. If you’re doing at-home nails (and thank the lawd I’m no longer relying on the salon, because dayummm there would be some growth happening right now), this is a good nail polish remover to help you on your way. Don’t know what else to say about it, really!
And that’s a few lil’ empties I’ve finished up recently. Basic? Perhaps. But there’s just such a satisfaction that comes from finishing up products, no? Maybe I have an obsession with finishing things, but it’s only because I actually deep down leave most things unfinished (especially books…) that it gives me such a thrill to finally use something up. And right now, I need all the simple thrills I can get!
How about you? Any empties or recommendations you’ve got for me? I might have it hiding in my stash hehe, let me know!
Steph x