Empties #9 [End of Year]

Holy cow. It's been 4 months since my last empties post. I've been at school and using up a lot of things, beauty inclusive, so here's a big bad load of [67!!!] products I've finished and a few I'm tossing. 

I've got a new rating scale by recommendation from Ling of The Cosmetic Critic. 

(>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ // worthy of dance party (repurchase)   

^u^ ^u^  // pretty great (maybe repurchase) 

-_- // indifference (will not repurchase) 

I reviewed the Tresemme Keratin Smooth System Shampoo and Conditioner* (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ back in July (loved it!) and finally finished up both the full-size bottles. I've got some samples kicking around in my stash. The Fekkai Full Blown Volume* -_-is a lightweight foam that smells delightfully of mangoes, but it didn't do much in terms of conditioning. The Vidal Sassoon Hydra Block Color Preserving Conditioner -_-came with the dye that I used to make my hair purple, just your typical conditioner that comes with box dye, so-so. I really enjoyed using the Dove Oxygen Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner ^u^ ^u^- fairly moisturizing but not overly weighty and made my hair feel nice and clean. 

 If I could afford all and any haircare, I'd probably pick something along the lines of John Masters Organics (available at the Cure Apothecary). The Spearmint and Meadowsweet Scalp Simulating Shampoo* (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^is quite clarifying, great for removing dry shampoo buildup, and the Citrus & Neroli Detangler*(>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ smells like perfection and works quite well as either a leave-in or wash-out conditioner. The John Frieda Luminous Volume Shampoo and Conditioner and Full Repair Shampoo, Conditioner, and Replenishing Oil Elixir -_- were all so-so, nothing noteworthy. I'm pretty into the Garnier Fructis Damage Eraser ^u^ ^u^but I find it a little too hydrating for my hair at the present time. I also finished up a set of the Keratin Smooth. 

Lush D'fluff* ^u^ ^u^is an oddly fluffy shaving cream that smells like strawberries, LOVE! The Eco-tools Loofah* ^u^ ^u^worked like any other. I must have taken quite a few baths in the past 4 months because I finished the HUGE bottle that is the Baylis and Harding Sweet Mandarin & Grapefruit Restful Bath Foam* (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^. It creates big bubbles with a scent that lasts the entirety of my 20-minute bath. The scent is quite light, so I like to mix it with a citrusy bath bomb. The F. Miller Body Oil* (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ (available at the Cure Apothecary) was a surprise favourite of mine. It's jam packed with a ton of good-for-you oils and sinks into the skin immediately, without leaving a greasy finish. 

I fell in love with the length that the Shu Uemura Petal Lash Mascara* (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ gave my tiny little Asian lashes, plus it's the most pleasant smelling mascara ever! The Shu Uemura Lasting Gel Pencil in Black Brown* (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^was also a winner... long-lasting (like the name says) and a fairly fine tip for close-to-the-lashline-liner. Without a doubt, the CoverGirl Clump Crusher Mascara* (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ is my holy grail. I really liked the staying power and pigmentation of the Lancome Artliners ^u^ ^u^ but the packaging went wonky and wouldn't close properly, making the product gloopy... so I'm letting them go. 

I'm so proud of myself for finishing both the Almay Liquid Lip Balm in Just Plum* (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ and the Buxom Lip Polish in Dolly (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^. I rotated the two into my daily routine. They're both ultra moisturizing and smooth over dry patches and lip lines while adding a touch of colour. I've been saving the tiniest bit of the Marcelle Hydra-C Foundation (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^for a rainy day, since it's discontinued. I really enjoyed it - perfect colour match, medium coverage, and long lasting. I finally got through the The Laura Mercier Invisible Loose Setting Powder (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^. A little goes a very, very, very long way, it works like a charm to set under eye concealer and makes skin feel soooo smooth. 

The cap of the Marcelle Eyebrow Pen* (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^fell off and got lost before I could review it fully. As for first impressions, the "universal dark" was actually cool-toned enough to match my jet black brows and added colour to sparse areas without looking fake. I used up the Annabelle Eye Ink* ^u^ ^u^ to the very last drop as an everyday liner but I couldn't wait to throw out the NYC High Definition Liner* -_-, as I found it to be a total fail. Also, I'm saying goodbye to the NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Cottage Cheese ^u^ ^u^, as it's super old (2 or 3 years) and I was mostly keeping it around for nostalgia's sake. 

The Body Shop Nutriganics Softening and Cleansing Gel* -_-worked well to remove face makeup but it stung my eyes like crazy (even though I tried as hard as I could to keep it away from my eye area). Both the Cetaphil Cleanser -_- and the Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser -_-were too gentle to fully cleanse my face. The Annabelle Eye Make Up Remover Lotion  (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^  has to be my favourite eye makeup remover I've tried thus far. Plus, it comes in a pump bottle! The Clinique All About Eyes Serum* didn't do much for my undereye area other than the short- lived cooling sensation from rubbing the rollerball under my eyes. The Kaia 24H Booster Serum ^u^ ^u^ was a super-fast absorbing oil-serum but it started smelling weird when I had a teeny bit left. I found the Pelle Beauty Stellar ^u^ ^u^ to be very multifunctional (and effective!) in my hair and on my face and body. The scent is a little strong for my liking but Stellar provided stellar hydration. I applied the Chantecaille Lily and Jasmine Hydrating Mask (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ to my irritated, itchy skin in the evening and woke up with soft, luminous and plump looking skin in the morning. Given the price, it was the miracle worker I had expected it to be and would totally pick up a barrel of the stuff if it was 95% off. 

I wasn't a fan of the Up and Up (Target) Cotton Rounds -_- or the Walmart Cotton Rounds -_-. They fell apart pretty quickly. The My Beauty Diary Pearl Powder Mask (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^has been one of my favourites for brightening/whitening the skin. I didn't find the Borntree Tea Tree Black Head Nose Pack*  -_- to do anything for my nose, other than feel slightly slimy yet moisturized. 

I love snacks. The Brookside Chocolate Acai with Blueberries, Coffe Crisp, Pretz, Ice Breakers Duos and Frost are all worth the repurchase. (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^

I also finished up a box of mango slices and President's Choice Decadent Chocolate Chunk Cookies (YUM). (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^ (>'-')> <('-'<) ^(' - ')^

I'm tossing some expired contact lens solution (I seldom wear contacts), some JVC Gummy Headphones that are dead in one ear, two broken hair bands both from Goody and two no-name pens that are dried out. 

Yeah... my fingers are out of breath from all of those empties. I also threw out a bunch of expired makeup that I'm too lazy to write about, so there's that decluttering that happened. 

What have you finished up this year? 

This post contains press samples and purchases. Press samples are denoted with an asterisk (*). 

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