Empties: October 2019

Skipping last month's empties post means there are a whopping 29 products to look back on this month, so let's get to it, shall we?

Hair Food Honey & Apricot Moisture Shampoo ($9.99 at London Drugs)

Quick notes: This was sent to me as a PR sample. I kept waiting to see if I would love this shampoo all the way to the end, but it left my hair coarse, dull, and frizzy every time. The pump dispenser failed when it was still about a quarter full.

Would I repurchase? No.

Woodlot Recharge Nourishing Body Lotion ($22, previously featured here)

Quick notes: Good to the last drop, but its liquid-y, lightweight texture makes it better suited for warmer weather. When it's colder like this I need to use much more of the Woodlot lotion or switch to a creamier formula. That being said, its texture made flipping the bottle upside-down to get the last bit of product out that much easier.

Would I repurchase? Maybe.

Rocky Mountain Soap Company Lemongrass Body Butter ($15)

Quick notes: I've gone through so many of these body butters. They're very emollient in cold weather, spill-proof, and compact. I always have one in my barre bag.

Would I repurchase? Already have, but in lavender this time!

Milk Shake Leave In Conditioner (previously featured here)

Quick notes: So lightweight and liquid-y, it felt like I was spraying nothing into my thick hair. That probably explains why I went through it so quickly. Good spray dispenser until the end though.

Would I repurchase? No.

Saje Pain Release ($46, previously featured here)

Quick notes: Love this combined with Peppermint Halo for all my post-barre muscle aches.

Would I repurchase? Normally I would, but I'm in the midst of using up and testing other natural muscle recovery products.

BVspa by Bon Vital Grapefruit Salt Scrub (previously featured here)

Quick notes: Still my forever fave body scrub, especially when I can find it on sale for $8.99!

Would I repurchase? Already have!

Saeve Hydra Malva Moisturizing Hand & Nail Cream (previously featured here)

Quick notes: Nice fragrance, natural formula with no silicones or parabens, quick-absorbing, non-greasy.

Would I repurchase? Yes, but only in Paris.

L'Occitane Shea Butter Vanilla Bouquet Hand Cream ($16)

Quick notes: Creamy, good scent, but too silicone-y.

Would I repurchase? No.

Nature Republic Ceramide Sheet Mask ($4.50)

Quick notes: Love a good ceramide sheet mask! This one was full of milky essence that left my skin feeling soft and nourished.

Would I repurchase? Yes.

Mamonde Moisturizing Flower Essence Sheet Mask

Quick notes: Moisturizing, basic, affordable sheet mask option. Not obnoxiously rose-scented.

Would I repurchase? No.

Nature Republic Acai Berry Sheet Mask ($2.50)

Quick notes: Thick material, soothing essence, good fit. Smelled berry-ish. Not my fave of the affordable sheet mask options out there though

Would I repurchase? No.

Nature Republic Vitamin C Sheet Mask ($4.50)

Quick notes: Tingles a little. Natural ingredients are easy to spot in the list.

Would I repurchase? No.

Nature Republic Olive Sheet Mask ($2.50)

Quick notes: Creamier essence, super moisturizing, fresh scent. My favourite of the inexpensive sheet mask options.

Would I repurchase? I want to stock up before winter!

Nature Republic Tomato Sheet Mask ($2.50)

Quick notes: Good basic inexpensive sheet mask. Didn't smell distinctly tomato-y.

Would I repurchase? No.

Pixi Glow Glycolic Boost Sheet Mask ($14 at Shoppers Drug Mart)

Quick notes: The sheet mask material had a nice weight to it but left crease marks on my face. Slightly tingly, but not overly so. The eyeholes are cut small and high up, so it covers the under-eye area. I'm skeptical about how beneficial this sheet mask is for brightening compared to using Glow Tonic regularly.

Would I repurchase? I'll use up my PR samples, but likely won't repurchase.

TONYMOLY Master Lab Snail Mucin Sheet Mask ($5)

Quick notes: Slimy but cooling. Mask fit poorly and was hard to peel apart and made of thin material, but it clung well at the edges.

Would I repurchase? No.

Biore Charcoal Cleansing Micellar Water ($9.99 on sale for $3.99 at London Drugs, previously featured here)

Quick notes: Effective and affordable micellar water option, and I'm still using up my PR samples, but it's not my fave.

Would I repurchase? No.

Trader Joe's Rose Water Facial Toner (previously featured here)

Quick notes: Rose-scented, refreshing, affordable, leaves no residue. The spray bottle dispenser is good, creating fine clouds of all-over mist.

Would I repurchase? Already have!

Biossance Squalane + Peptide Eye Gel ($71, previously featured here)

Quick notes: Refreshingly lightweight gel texture. Moisturized well and didn't sting or make my eyes puffy. The dispenser isn't a straw pump; it pushes the product from the bottom up.

Would I repurchase? Yes.

Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Eye Cream ($59)

Quick notes: Good basic eye cream option. I took this little jar on our trip to LA.

Would I repurchase? No. Although it's good, there are other eye creams I like better.

Saeve Detoxifying Antioxidant Shield Botanical Serum (previously featured here)

Quick notes: LOVE.

Would I repurchase? Yes, but only in Paris.

Pixi DetoxifEYE Depuffing Eye Patches (previously featured here)

Quick notes: Also LOVE.

Would I repurchase? Already have!

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream ($133, previously featured here)

Quick notes: I don't know how Charlotte Tilbury does it, but this moisturizer is like an Instagram filter for the face.

Would I repurchase? Not right now, but only because I have a ton of moisturizers to use up and test. If I didn't though, I'd repurchase in a heartbeat.

Fresh Black Tea Instant Perfecting Mask ($46, previously featured here)

Quick notes: Adore the texture and benefits of this face mask. It's not the first time I've used up a jar.

Would I repurchase? Yes.

Saeve Detoxifying Micellar Water (previously featured here)

Quick notes: No better or worse than other micellar waters.

Would I repurchase? Probably not, just because this is from a French brand not available in Canada and there are plenty of micellar water options at the local drugstore.

Avene Couvrance High Tolerance Mascara ($19 at Shoppers Drug Mart, previously featured here)

Quick notes: Still digging this mascara.

Would I repurchase? Already have!

Nude By Nature Precision Brow Mascara ($24 at Shoppers Drug Mart, previously featured here)

Quick notes: Loved the small precise brush and how natural-looking the brown shade was. I used this in combination with the Diorshow Brow Styler pencil and always got compliments and questions about whether I'd gotten microblading.

Would I repurchase? Yes.

Scentuals Vanilla Tangerine 100% Natural Lip Conditioner ($5.95, previously featured here)

Quick notes: Irresistible orange creamsicle scent.

Would I repurchase? Yes.

Burt's Bees Pomegranate Lip Balm ($4.99 at London Drugs, previously featured here)

Quick notes: I have a soft spot for this lip balm because it was all I used for a few years in my 20s; the nostalgia factor is strong. I don't know what Burt's Bees does to their lip balms, but they have an astonishingly long shelf life compared to other natural lip balms. This tube is embarrassingly old because I've been testing and using other brands, but its scent and texture never changed.

Would I repurchase? Yes.