December Empties / Products I've Used Up

Happy 2014!  Starting off the year by getting rid of old garbage seems pretty fitting, so here are my final empties for 2013:



Kahina Giving Beauty Facial Cleanser*   [Review]
I love this cleanser so much! It gets my face clean without any irritation, leaves my skin feeling great, and smells incredible to boot!  Total win in my book.   The mini was kindly sent to me, but I was quick to restock with the full size as soon as it ran out.
Repurchase? Yes, I already have.

Weleda Almond Soothing Cleansing Lotion
Two cleanser loves in the same month!  I started using Weleda's Cleansing Lotion when my skin was acting up over the summer and even though it's pretty well back to normal now, the cleanser has stayed a part of my regular rotation.  This is my second tube of the stuff, and while I don't think I'll be buying another immediately, I'll likely rebuy it at some point in the future.  With only six or seven ingredients, it's a great product for sensitive skin or anyone looking for a good, gentle, no frills cleanser.  
Repurchase? Yes, just not right away.

Earth Mama Angel Baby Non-Scents Shampoo & Baby Wash   [Review]
I've gone through a few of these body washes and while the actual product is great, I haven't loved any of the scents I've tried.  I thought I'd circumvent the issue by buying the Non-Scents (unscented) and adding my own essential oils, but that didn't work as well as I'd hoped either.  Without any scent, this wash has a decently strong smell from the base ingredients, and it ended up overpowering any essential oils I mixed in.  
Repurchase? Maybe.  I haven't tried the Orange Vanilla yet, so I may give that one a try before I write these off entirely.  

Acure Unscented Cocoa Butter + CoQ10 Body Lotion   [Review]
I've gone through a few different lotions this year, but Acure's is the one I keep coming back to.  It rubs in without a lot of effort, but it also hydrates very well, so you aren't left sacrificing hydration for ease of absorption.  It's also free of emulsifying wax, which you'll notice pops up in a lot of lotion ingredient lists.
Repurchase? Definitely!  This has become a staple in my routine.

Intelligent Nutrients Destress Express Dry Skin Therapy
One of the great things about Intelligent Nutrients is that they regularly give out samples of new products before they're released, asking only for honest feedback in return (follow them on Twitter to catch the next time they do this.)  The unmarked tube in my photo is, I believe, an earlier incarnation of the Destress Express Dry Skin Therapy.  It's seriously magic on dry feet, especially in the winter.  The price ($29 for 3.75 oz) and my current stash of products are the only things holding me back from immediately restocking.  Intelligent Nutrients products are also not the easiest to get my hands on here.
Repurchase? Possibly.

Zuzu Luxe The Mascara in Onyx   [Review]
I don't even bother trying new mascaras very often anymore since I inevitably end up coming back to this one.  The two main selling points for me?  It never irritates my eyes and once it's on,  it doesn't budge (until you take it off that is - removing it is not a problem either.)
Repurchase? Yes!  I have many times before, and I just stocked up on a couple more tubes in December.

Madre Bees Organic Cocoa Butter Lip Balm
I've been getting one of the Madre Bees (now Sierra Bees) lip balms free in every iherb order for the last several months and I was especially excited to try the cocoa butter one.  Badger's Creamy Cocoa Cocoa Butter Lip Balm is one of my all-time favorites, but sadly the Madre Bees didn't come close to the high standard set by that one.  It's a lot lighter in consistency than Badger's and the cocoa butter smell seemed a little fake (even though it isn't.)
Repurchase? Madre/Sierra Bees lip balms, yes.  The cocoa butter one, probably not.





* Indicates press sample.  Post contains affiliate links.

16 comments

  1. You have a few of my favs in here! Love that Acure Organics lotion & Love the Zuzu Luxe mascara! I'm afraid both might show up in my next empties and I'll be so sad :(

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    1. Two of my favorites too :) Plus, you'll be able to rebuy them in February, assuming you don't (re)discover something else in the meantime!

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  2. I've been using Acure lotion in mandarin orange and it is the best!<3 xx

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    1. It is, isn't it? I just bought the mandarin one for my sister :)

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  3. A nice collection of products by the sounds of things. I keep seeing Kahina Giving Beauty popping up on blogs so that's grabbing my attention :-)

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    1. So far I've only tried the cleanser and mask, but I'd say they're definitely a brand worth keeping an eye on!

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  4. Happy New Year, Caitie! I'm turning into somewhat of an Acure Organics junkie, but haven't tried their lotions yet. Was glad to see this as a "re-purchase" item on your list. I've found Acure's quality to be super high while their price points are so, so reasonable.

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    1. Happy New Year! I completely agree, I'm not sure there's anything that compares to Acure in terms of quality and price. The lotion is one of my favorites from them...it's definitely worth trying!

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  5. Great picks! Have you tried the Weleda Almond Soothing Lotion or Cream? They are SO good. I need to try the cleanser because I absolutely love the Almond line - it's great for sensitive skin.

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    1. Thanks! I haven't tried either yet, but I was sorting through my samples pile the other day and found a mini of the almond lotion, so I'll definitely be giving it a try soon :) You should try the cleanser! I like it all the time, but particularly if my skin is ever irritated or inflamed, it calms it down like nothing else I've found!

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  6. These are some great products! The Kahina Giving Beauty Facial Cleanser sounds amazing! I also didn't know about Intelligent Nutrients regularly giving out samples of new products, so thank you for that!

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    1. Kahina's cleanser really is amazing :) I'm not sure how regularly IN sends out samples, maybe once or twice a year? But if you can get your hands on some when they do, it's a great way to try their products!

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  7. I keep meaning to try some of Welda's products but I always seem to pick something else when it comes to buying something. This cleanser sounds nice. Acure lotion sounds nice but I don't really like the scent of cocoa butter for some reason. For a while I had a ton of lotions so I've cut way back and have been trying 1-2 at a time to find one that's a keeper. Maybe I'll check out some of Acure's.

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    1. I actually did the same thing with Weleda for the longest time! They really are a great brand though. I also don't find the Acure lotion smells like cocoa butter. The scent is pretty neutral, but they do have a few different scents if that's more your thing. The tangerine one is really nice too :)

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    2. I was looking at the Acure lotions and none of the scents really appealed to me. Maybe that's why I haven't tried them. I know you don't like florals, but I do! haha I'm just not a fan of lavender, lemongrass, or orange.

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    3. I totally get that! Scent is such a key factor :)

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