July Empties | #28

You guys... WHERE is the summer going? It's slightly depressing that we're here talking about July empties because it means that the summer is flying by and August feels like the end of the season. Ugh. Enough about that.... let's get to the empties. Read through to see what I used up and whether or not it's worth trying out for yourself. What better way to give a review than when you've used something completely up, right? Let's get to it...

• Michael Todd Charcoal Detox Gel Cleanser (would repurchase) - I'm a big fan of Michael Todd face cleansers, this one being no exception. It left my skin feeling really clean and kept me breakout free, but didn't make me feel squeaky and dry how some cleansers can. I've already bought another bottle. (see full review here)

• Equate Beauty Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover (would repurchase) - This is Walmart's version of the Neutrogena eye makeup remover, and honestly it's just as good and costs less. It gets waterproof makeup off easily and doesn't leave anything behind. 

• Carapex Renewal Facial Cleanser (would not repurchase) - I got this sent to me, along with a handful of other products, but this was my least favorite of all the things I was sent. I had some sort of reaction to it that made my neck and face really itchy, so Jake used it up. It has some grit in it so it gently exfoliates the skin and it doesn't have any offending scent. 

• Origins Plantscription Anti-aging Power Serum (would not repurchase) - This was a free gift with purchase that I'd never tried before. It was fine, but I didn't notice it doing anything for my skin, and for the price I just don't think it's worth buying. I also think Origins is a bit of a greenwashed brand, acting more natural than they really are. The ingredients in this are OK for the most part, but not all of their products are.

• Barefaced Mud Mask (would repurchase) - I really enjoyed this mud mask, but unfortunately it dried up on me and started to smell weird well before I could get all the way through it. I felt like this really did tackle any problem areas on my face and left my skin feeling refreshed. (see full review here) 

• Swisspers Cotton Rounds (would repurchase) - These are always in my empties and they're still great. I get a big pack of them from Costco and use them to remove my eye makeup, apply toner, take off nail polish, etc. 

• Paula's Choice Resist Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum (would repurchase) - It's hard to say from a sample whether or not it did anything for my skin, but I liked it enough to want to test out a full size. 

• Benefit Total Moisture Facial Cream (would not repurchase) - I am not a fan of this moisturizer. It's highly scented with a disgustingly fake fragrance and I'm sure it's loaded with gross chemicals. 

• Batiste Dry Shampoo in Wild (would repurchase) - This is my favorite dry shampoo of all time. It smells like a delicious fancy perfume and it soaks up all the oil in my hair. (See other dry shampoo reviews here and here)

• Nip + Fab body wash (would repurchase) - This was a decent body wash. It smelled fresh and lemony. Nothing super special, but it was good. 

• Alba Botanica Coconut Milk Moisturizing Cream Shave (would not repurchase) - This was a weird shaving cream. It had the consistency of a lotion, it didn't really lather up, and overall it just wasn't a good barrier for shaving. I used this primarily on my armpits and opted to use an oil on my legs because it offered far more protection and hydration. 

• bcBud Moisturizing Hemp & Omega 3 Body Lotion (would repurchase) - I really enjoyed this lotion. It had a subtle fresh scent and moisturized without being greasy or heavy. I liked it enough to include it in a past favorites post.

• Essence Lash Princess Mascara (would not repurchase) - This mascara sucked. It made my lashes clumpy and it flaked off as the day went on. It's cheap, but not worth the couple bucks it costs. 

• Estee Lauder Sumptuous Infinite Mascara (would repurchase) - On the flip side, this mascara was amazing. It separated my lashes, added volume and gave me crazy length. I loved this little sample and I'd definitely buy it in a full size in the future. 

• Covergirl Intensify Me! Eyeliner (would repurchase) - I wasn't so sure about this eyeliner when I first tried it, but it grew on me -- enough to make it in to my top products of 2015. I'd definitely pick it up again. (see full review here) 

• Auromere Ayurvedic Herbal Toothpaste (would repurchase) - This has made it's way in to my top natural toothpastes list. It's made with amazing natural ingredients, tastes good, and foams up when you brush and leaves my mouth and teeth feeling fresh and clean. I've already picked up another tube. 

• L'Occitane Apres-Shampooing Conditioner (would not repurchase) - This was fine, but the smell was a bit too old-ladyish for my taste, enough that I don't want to buy it in the future. It did leave my hair feeling soft, but it's mega scented and I couldn't get over that. 

• Briogeo Don't Despair Repair Deep Conditioning Mask (would not repurchase) - This was just an OK deep conditioner, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it a "deep" conditioner. It worked like any normal conditioner would, and didn't make my hair feel any more soft or silky like I would expect it to. 

• Earth Mama Angel Baby Postpartum Bath Herbs (would repurchase) - If you just had a baby, you need this. They look like big tea bags that you throw in the bath and they're full of healing herbs to soothe all the areas that need it after having a baby. It will leave a tea-like film in your bath tub so make sure to rinse it out after each bath. 

• MyKind Organics Prenatal Once Daily (would repurchase) - You've seen these before, they're my prenatal of choice while I was pregnant. I am still taking them while I breastfeed, but once I'm out I will probably switch to something cheaper. I cared more about how good these were while my little guy was actually in me, and while I still care about the quality of the ingredients I'm putting in myself, I am just ready to transition to something cheaper now that I'm not pregnant. 

• rareEssence Spa Diffuser in Love (would repurchase) - I love this brand of diffusers because they're made with 100% essential oils, not nasty chemicals like most are. This specific one was made with Rose Absolute, Ylang Ylang and Palmarosa. It smelled warm and cinnamon-y and not overly herbal (if you don't like that sort of thing) and it lasted me for months. I would definitely get this again in the future. 

• White Barn candle in Sundress (would repurchase) - This was a nice, fresh Summer fragrance that I got a couple years ago and had sitting in back stock. It's described as a combination of day lilies, tonka beans and bergamot. 

• B&BW candle in Sparkling Limeade (would repurchase) - These little mason jar candles are so cute, and the jars are totally worth keeping around. This smells refreshing, like limes and a hint of sugar. 

That's all of my empties! What did you use up this month? Have you tried any of these products? Let me know in the comments!