Empties- December, January, and Feburary

I have quite the basket in this post. Its my very first empties! So there were a few duds for me, and some wows. Alright, I must post a disclaimer here though. What worked or didn't work for me may not necessarily work or not work for you. 

Love and Beauty by Forever 21 Grapefruit Cleansing Wipes:

I purchased a few of these when my local Forever 21 was moving locations and they were having a liquidation sale. I really liked the Cucumber Lime scent, as well as Green Tea Jasmine and Grapefruit.
These smell wonderful, however, they don't do much for removing your makeup, You have to use a lot of pressure and one wipe just doesn't cut it. I use another makeup remover, as you'll see below, but for $5 each, these really aren't worth it. I use them for mistakes I make on makeup, but that's really all they are good for.

Retails: $5 USD
Not worth it

Mind Body & Soul Body Scrub: 

I recieved this in a giftset for Christmas and while the scent was wonderful, there were exfoliation beads that made small cuts in my skin.. Broke out all over my body in rashes and stopped using it. Now, I'm not allergic to anything in this product, but it was very similar to the St. Ives Apricot Scrub, I think it was the same texture beads here.. 

Retails: Drugstore product

DUD

Maybelline Eyestudio Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black: 

This product lasted me forever.. It's just recently dried up and hard to work with now. I've found cheaper alternatives to this (like Wet and Wild and Milani) but it does work wonderfully, just a bit pricy for the product when there are so many cheaper alternatives

Retails: $8

Great but Expensive

Crest 3D White Luxe Mouthwash in Glamorous Mint:

It sure made my breath smell great! *insert laughing* However, used in conjunction with the toothpaste and toothbrush, I really haven't see a difference in my teeth. Now, I drink a lot of coffee so naturally, my teeth will be a little yellow. It's kind of a waste of money for something that really doesn't work for me. 

Retails: $7-8

Doesn't work for intended purposes as advertised. 

Bath and Body Works Wild Berry Tulips Body Lotion: 

This lotion is amazing! Smells wonderful and works wonders on my dry skin.. Winter-time is horrid for skin and you must keep it hydrated. With Vitamin E, Jojoba, and Shea Butter, this lotion packs everything you need. However, this scent is no longer sold in stores and I am super upset, If your willing to shell out a pretty penny, places like Ebay and Poshmark have sellers advertising this, 

Retails: $11, no longer sold at Bath and Body Works

Wonderful! 

Bath and Body Works Frosted Wonderland Ultra Shea Body Cream: 

I normally love the formulation of these, even more so then their regular line of body lotions. There is much more to these, which is why they are a bit more expensive. The only thing I didn't like about this was the scent. I'm very particular about my scents andthis one just wasn't my favorite. This was from Bath and Body Works Holiday Traditions 2014 and is no longer sold, unless you can find on Ebay or Poshmark. 

Retails: $13.50 

Wonderful formulation, not a fan of the scent. 

Bath and Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in Caribbean Escape: 

I love these hand soaps! The foam is so soothing on the hands, and the fragrance is lightly on the foam but it is not overpowering at all. Caribbean Escape is one of my favorites in their permanent line and one of their best sellers. There is notes of coconut and peonies and as a wierd combination it is, it works! 

Retails: $6.50 

Amazing!

Clean and Clear Night Relaxing Deep Cleaning Face Wash: 

While many speak of this in high regards, I noticed it didn't do anything for me. I have stress related acne and when it flares up, I'm finding I have to use something a bit stronger, like charcoal and prescription strength medication. But it smells great and for the average consumer, would work great. :) 

Retails: $4

Works for the average consumer, not for me though

E.L.F. (Eyes Lips Face) Daily Hydration Moisturizer: 

While doing my research, I found many ladies who hate this and many who do. It's just a matter of skin type. I noticed such an improvement on the moisture on my face and even my fiancee loves this. It does have a lightly fragranced smell, so if you don't like that hint of fragrance, you'll find you hate this just based on the scent alone. I use this every other day and it works wonders. 

Retails: $8

Great product! 

Organix Biotin and Collagen Root Boost Spray: 

I am so bummed this isn't sold anymore.. This has been a lifesaver, with my hair thinning from stress and getting older. It's a quick spray right after the shower and it has so many good vitamins for hair. I noticed my hair getting thicker from using this alone.. No vitamins taken orally or anything else, just this! This was a lifesaver and a miracle product. 

Retails: $5, no longer sold

Miracle Product! 

Aussie Instant Freeze Hairspray: 

This is a great hairspray. It's advertised to instantly lock down your loose strands and hair, and it does just that. I love it for work because all my hair stays under my hat and it doesn't go anywhere.. The only downside to this hairspray though, is like all other hairsprays, it leaves your hair cruchy.. I combat that with Pantene's serious repair detangler, which smells great and smooths out that crunchy feeling. 

Retails: $3

Great but leaves hair feeling crunchy. 

Caress Fine Fragrance Body Wash in Love Forever: 

Now I love Caress Body Washes, and the one below this one is one of my two favorites, but I found this one to be very heavily scented. I normally can't deal with heavy scented body washes such as this.. It is a nice fragrance, just a bit much for me.. 

Retails: $3

Great product but I don't like the heavy scent to it. 

Caress Exfoliating Body Wash in Tahitian Renewal: 

Besides Evening Glow, Tahitian Renewal is my favorite drugstore body wash.. The smell is wonderful and not too heavy, it's exfoliation beads don't cut or irritate my skin and I feel so clean after using it. 

Retails: $3

Lovely Body Wash

Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Wash in Blue: 

I cannot stop raving about this! After my wipes failed, I wanted to try something different and I had heard good things about this. So naturally, my curiosity was piqued and I purchased this. I could not be happier. You just need light pressure and a gentle swipe and poof, makeup is gone. It's light and there is no fragrance to it. It is a bit on the pricey side for a remover, but for a micellar water,which is removing benefits as well as cleansing benefits, its quite inexpensive. 

Retails: $8

AMAZING! 

Pantene Repair and Protect Shampoo and Conditioner: 

These bottles lasted me about 2 months.. Thats a good deal of product. Pantene is a great hair care brand and I've been using them regliously for years. The fragrance isn't strong and it's a nice, pleseant scent. While using the Repair and Protect, my hair gained more volume, moisture and thickness.. I was very happy with the product

Retails: $7 for the big bottles shown here

Great shampoo and conditioner

Overall, there were a few duds and some amazing purchases, I'll be back with another empties post in a few months. Any questions, go ahead and comment. I'll do my best to answer and if i don't know, I'll do my best to find out. Have a great day everyone!