Monthly Empties: 4Q 2013

Sad to say that my monthly empties turned into a quarterly empties post! I just haven't been able to finish enough products I suppose, which is not good as I've accumulated so much more products this quarter. ::raises fist to Sephora VIB sales::

First up is the Oct 2013 empties. I can probably even nickname this the toner empties month.

Oct 2013 Monthly Empties

SK-II Facial Treatment Essence 75mL - I emptied another one! Yes this baby retails for $100 alone and I usually go through one of them every 6 months. (How do I know? Because I emptied it out in April! Haha, this is why I write these posts.) Same deal, I just soak a bit on a cotton pad and then dab it all over my face, lightly scrubbing for a little exfoliation. I will be purchasing more in the future. I'm currently using their Clear Lotion and I don't like it as much. The Clear Lotion doesn't leave my skin feeling as hydrated.

Shiseido Benefiance Balancing Softener Enriched - This is a deluxe sample that I have from their old version. Started using this when my Facial Treatment Essence ran out. The current version is the Benefiance WrinkleResist24 line. Works as like all other Shiseido's softeners, nothing really special. The only unique difference I notice is the scent. Maybe because the Benefiance line is geared towards more mature skin, the fragrance for this line always lean too heavily floral for my preference.

Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Balancing Softener - This is also a deluxe sample I have used over and over again (too many Shiseido gift with purchases.) I do like it and I prefer the White Lucent scent over the Benefiance one. Though I can't say I've noticed a difference in it's brightening effect vs the other softeners. This would probably be something I would purchase to use interchangeably with the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence.

Nov 2013 Monthly Empties

If October was toner empties month, November must be eye cream empties month.

Lancome Renergie Lift Multi-Action Eye - Got another sample of this in a gift with purchase for Lancome. This eye cream retails for $68 for 0.5oz. I don't think this is my holy grail eye cream, but it has a light fluffy souffle-like texture that just melts away when applied to the under eye area. I have fine lines under my eyes, but this probably only makes it slightly better. And most importantly, with its lightweight texture, I don't have to worry about clogging my pores and getting milia buildup under my eyes. I think this is the same as the eye cream that comes in the Lancome Renergie Eye Duo that has a concealer with eye cream.

Estee Lauder Advanced Time Zone Age Reversing Eye Creme - Another sample from a gift with purchase (gotta use those samples!) and I'm so glad it was only a sample. I would never ever make a purchase on this eye cream. It absolutely did nothing for my undereyes and if anything, instead of age reversing, it sped up my wrinkliness! Within a week of using this eye creme twice a day, the fine lines under my eyes only became more obvious! I immediately discontinued use and switch over to the Lancome Renergie Lift. I did finish using it up just to give it another chance but I only dare to use it very very sparingly in the mornings just so my eyes are moisturize before concealer. It doesn't super hydrate my undereyes, but it does the job and with its lightweight texture, it works nicely under concealer. I much prefer the Estee Lauder Resilence Lift Eye Creme that I've mentioned here.

Silk Whitia Highly Concentrated Collagen Milky Mask - I've reviewed these before. Works just as well as it did. The only complaint is that these masks are very wide on the cheek area. If I stretch it out properly on my face, half my forehead would be exposed and the two sides will be touching the middle of my ear.

Laura Mercier Foundation Primer - This foundation primer is the probably the only makeup product that I've included in all my monthly empties so far! This is the basic one with no SPF or categorize as mineral/radiance or hydrating. It is not silicone based (at least it doesn't have that texture). Instead it is a very light milky gel. Spread over your face and it instantly gets absorbed away. I'm not sure if it does keep my foundation looking as flawless as it claims. I don't really see any visual differences, but I would use a primer whenever I'm using a thicker foundation just to create that invisible layer. I also noticed a very faint alcohol scent and I do see alcohol as one of it's main ingredients. Retails for $32. I still have a few deluxe samples marked as mineral and radiance. Hopefully will get to try those and report soon!

December was a good month, because I finally get to used up one more of the Philosophy On a Clear Day items. (Total bust on this set)

December 2013 Empties

philosophy on a clear day oil free acne spot treatment - Bought this for my breakouts and totally did NOT work. I'm glad that it's discontinued. It attempts to dry out the big bad ones (you know the ones that look they're about to burst), but in the end it just leaves a dried white film on your skin. You can't use it during the day and don't expect it to work under makeup.  If you follow me on Instagram, I started using the Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Serum, not perfect but works much better.

Bath & Body Works Shea Cashmere Hand Cream - This hand cream is discontinued now and replaced with the Shea Cashmere & Silk Hand Cream but you can still find them here. Nice and moisturizing but leaves that greasy slimy feeling when you wash your hands. I will not repurchase though because I really really dislike that shea butter almost vanilla scent. I don't know why I can never remember that I hate the scent of shea butter. =P

Shiseido Benefiance Pure Retinol Instant Treatment Eye Mask - I got a pair of these eye masks in a Shiseido Benefiance Eye set from Sephora. They retail for $40-50 for 10 pairs. The mask is made of one of those silicone jelly films (not paper sheets) that fit to the contour of your under eyes. I left it on for a good 30 minutes to make use out of the most of it and it felt really nice on my eyes. The little fine lines under my eyes were gone the next morning but not very long lasting. Perfect to use for an uplifting effect on that special day, not sure if I'll continue to purchase though, I'll rather give the eye creams/serums a try.

MUJI Cotton Puffs - These are my all time favorite cotton pads! There's no other cotton pad that can compare, not even the $9 Shiseido ones. For $2.25 you get 120 pads and I usually can double up the amount because I cut it in half. Even when cut in half, they don't lint and you don't have to worry about cotton fibers on your face. It soaks thoroughly without eating away any of your toners or softeners. I use them daily with my Shiseido softeners and SK-II Facial Treatment Essence.

Silk Whitia Highly Concentrated Collagen Milky Mask - Used up another one of these sheet masks (see above).


That's a wrap for 2013! Looking forward to sharing more empties for 2014, these posts makes me feel much better about becoming Sephora VIB Rouge! =)