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January + February Empties / Products I've Used Up

I wasn't able to put together an empties post for January, so this one's going to be a bit of a doozie!  Even though #NoBuyJanuary is over, I've still been focusing on using what I have throughout February and it's always more than a little validating to be able to see some progress with these posts!


Hair
This batch is probably what I'm most excited about using up, since it really streamlined the products that are left in my shower.  The Acure Argan + Argan Stem Cell (review) are still my favorite shampoo/conditioner duo for my curly hair.  I'm currently trying the mint ones, which are also nice, but I expect I'll go back to the Argan again afterwards.  The Organic Excellent Wild Mint Shampoo and Conditioner (review) were what I was using before discovering Acure, but about a year ago, there was a bit of an ingredients hooplah over whether the company was accurately disclosing ingredients and they've just been languishing in my shower ever since.  I wouldn't recommend these anymore, but I wanted to move them out, so I used the shampoo up as body wash.  I tried to use the conditioner as a shaving cream, but my skin was no longer a fan and reacted badly.  A search for alternate conditioner uses found many claims that conditioner will clean your drains, so that's what I tried to do with the bottom half of the bottle.  I'm not convinced it did anything, but I'm happy to finally have these out of my shower (and my life) all the same!

I used Desert Essence's Fragrance Free Conditioner maybe two times on my hair, but I loved it as a shaving cream.  I was all set to buy it again for that purpose, but the bottom of the tube was strangely congealed and lumpy and has turned me off it for the moment.  I'm exploring other options, but I'm sure I'll return to it at some point.  Intelligent Nutrients' Styling Gel (review) is a fantastic hair gel, but prices recently went up and at $14 for 2 oz. ($31 for 5 oz.), I'm not sure I can continue to justify the cost for a product I use up at a decently quick rate.  I'm trying out a couple less expensive options right now.


Body/Skincare
I've written about Earthpaste Toothpaste (review) and Acure's Unscented Cocoa Butter + CoQ10 Lotion (review) many times before.  Both are firm favorites and I've already started on new tubes of both.  I love Weleda, but I'm a little conflicted on the Sea Buckthorn Hand Cream.  I adore the scent, but I do think the Pomegranate Hand Cream is a bit more effective.  Both absorb incredibly fast, but the Pomegranate keeps my hands feeling moisturized for longer.  

This is my second sample of Weleda's One Step Cleanser & Toner and I'm still a fan for morning cleansing.  It's great for refreshing the skin, without being harsh or drying.  Pai's Rosehip Bioregenerate Oil is a bit of a cult favourite, and while I wasn't 100% convinced at first, by the second half of the bottle, I was sold.  It wasn't enough hydration for my skin this winter on its own, but I enjoyed mixing it with other oils, most recently jojoba and goji seed.  This is the only rosehip oil I've used, and while I do believe the combination of fruit and seed oils makes it better than your average rosehip seed oil, the frugal part of me wants to try another, less expensive one before recommitting to Pai's.  


Makeup/Samples
At the beginning of #NoBuyJanuary, I mentioned wanting to use up a bunch of lipstick samples, but so far, Zuzu Luxe's Indulgence is the only one to bite the dust.  It was a pretty color - a plummy-red with gold shimmer - but I'm not a huge fan of shimmer on the lips, so I doubt I'll be buying the full size.  The black rimmed pot was an older homemade lip balm that had been forgotten, but it was something I quite enjoyed once I rediscovered it.  
Lucy Minerals' Juicy Peach Blush is a gorgeous pale peach that might just be my all-time favorite blush color.  I'm not sure how it would suit darker skin tones, but on my fair skin, it looked very glowy and natural.  The sample alone lasted me months, but I'll definitely be ordering the full size at some point.  Another thing I'll be picking up soon is Silk Natural's Splendid Perfecting Glow.  The Perfecting Glows fall somewhere between finishing powders and highlighters and I liked using the Splendid to brighten up under the eyes.  It was slightly yellow-toned and worked really well at boosting other concealers and making everything look more fresh and awake.  

 I managed to accumulate a number of Ella's Botanicals soap samples, but these are the last of them.  Skin Soother is very gentle and great for sensitive skin, or for dry, winter weary hands, which is how I used these last two.  I can't believe how many lip balms I've been burning through this winter, but at least I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed that process with these two.  Young Living's Vanillamint Lip Balm was a limited edition holiday flavour, but my favorite is still the lavender one, which is available year round.  Hurraw!'s Mint Lip Balm (review), while fantastic for indoor application, still isn't what I reach for before going outside and braving the elements.  The mint scent is very fresh and tingly.

 And that's it!  My usually packed shower is so uncluttered right now, I can't even believe it.  I guess the combination of focusing on finishing things up and not bringing in any new product for January helped me get through a bunch more stuff than usual!

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9 comments

  1. Unknown1 March 2014 at 18:14

    Too have used up loads of products x

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    1. Caitie2 March 2014 at 12:13

      It's such a great feeling! Although apparently limited to just us crazy bloggers...not sure anyone else really gets it :)

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  2. Jana2 March 2014 at 10:49

    It's so sad to see empty Pai oil :) Acure hair duo is my favourite too but I'm curious about the mint shampoo, I think I'll try it next time :) And their body lotions are great as well!<3 xx

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    1. Caitie2 March 2014 at 12:15

      Haha, yes! I was sad to use the end, although I made sure to get every single drop out :) I don't notice a huge difference between the two types, but if I were to pick, I think I slightly prefer the Argan.

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  3. Unknown3 March 2014 at 11:51

    So glad to hear you love the Acure shampoo - I'm giving it a whirl this month (FINALLY). Thanks for the link to your thorough review! Hoping this marks the END of my natural shampoo/conditioner quest...I absolutely love Rahua (have you tried?), but it's a bit too pricey for everyday use.

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    1. Caitie3 March 2014 at 12:01

      I hope you like it! I have a couple samples of the Rahua shampoo/conditioner hanging around, but I've been putting off trying them for that very reason. The Acure works well for me AND is affordable...I really don't want to end up falling for a more expensive one! :)

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  4. Anonymous4 March 2014 at 05:41

    I've heard so many good things about Lucy's Minerals but never tried any of their stuff! Good to know you like it :)

    http://beckyalyssasbeautybox.wordpress.com

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  5. Live It, Love It, Green It6 March 2014 at 09:02

    You've finished up so much! Think I might give the Weleda Pomegranate hand cream a go.

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  6. Pranali7 March 2014 at 03:52

    Hurraw mint lip balm is right at the top of my wish list.. I am currently using its lime lip balm and am quite satisfied with its results.. Have you used crazy rumors lip balms?? They are fantastic and yummy too!!

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