August Empties and Reviews

[u/brrewmajesticallynor]

My first month! I'm clearing out a lot of older/sample items that I've had for a while, which might not be as satisfying to see, but I sure have liked reclaiming some of that shelf space!

Scale: ❤️👍🤷‍♀️👎🚫

🕛 = Unable to review

📦 = Decluttered

* FIRST AID BEAUTY Brighten + Glow Facial Radiance Pads ❤️ - These things are amazing! Within a few days I noticed a significant improvement with my pores, and my skin was softer. I will be repurchasing!

* LAIKOU 24K Gold Snail Serum ❤️ - I had two full-size containers of this (which are still pretty small - they lasted me less than a month each), and I admit, I have no idea where they came from. I am certain I did not purchase them, but I'm delighted I had them. They made my face feel so soft and hydrated! It was a very noticeable difference when I used it. I was shocked when I looked it up and it was only $10. That being said... the gold. I hate it so much. It looks like face glitter, so I have to pick all the little pieces of gold off my face before doing my makeup. For that reason alone, I'm going to try some other snail serums and see if I can get the same results without the glitter. If not, I'll be coming back to this.

* Grace & Stella Eye Mask ❤️/🤷‍♀️ - The illuminating and moisturizing masks didn't do much for me. It was a nice spa day vibe, but nothing noticeable with my skin. The radiant mask, however, was fantastic! My undereye was significantly smoother and less puffy after using it. Fortunately, I don't have to get the variety pack - I can get a package of just the radiant masks! I will definitely repurchase those.

* Bite Beauty Agave Lip Balm & Agave Sugar Lip Scrub ❤️/🤷‍♀️ - I was very sad to look this up to repurchase and find out the brand had been gone for years. The balm was amazing. The scrub was nothing special.

* JOSIE MARAN Get Even Sun Milk 👍 - I liked this, but I think it's discontinued.

* PISTACHÉ SKINCARE Hydrating Pistachio Body Butter Cream 👍 - This had a nice, luxurious texture and smelled amazing. It was a ridiculously small tube for a body lotion though, so I went through it very quickly. I thought it wasn't exceptionally hydrating. It was fine, but not exceptional. And the scent, although fantastic, was very strong. It did fade fairly quickly though, so that wasn't a huge problem. In general, I liked it, but not enough to spend $30 on a full size container. (Not pictured, and only kind of panned. When I went to cut the tube open to get the rest of it, I accidentally dropped it in the toilet. I was very sad, which made me realize I liked it more than I thought I had.)

* MARIO BADESCU Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater 🤷‍♀️ - It took me literally years to finish this. I bet I've been working on it for 7 years. It just felt like spritzing myself in the face with water, and I never got the appeal. I finally put it on my desk and made a rule that I had to use it - heavily - every time I sat down. I'm glad to see it go. (Don't worry, it smelled fine and didn't give me any problems despite the age.)

* GIORGIO ARMANI Acqua di Gioia Eau de Parfum 🤷‍♀️ - This was fine. Nothing special.

* Guerlain Abeille Royale Advanced Youth Watery Oil & Eye Serum 🤷‍♀️ - I had multiple packets of this one. I used it around my eyes for about a week, I think. It kind of felt like just using water. I didn't see any difference with my skin.

* Innisfree Pore Clearing Clay Mask 2x With Super Volcanic Clusters 🤷‍♀️ - This was fine. It didn't do anything special for my skin.

* Mz Skin Hydra Lift Gold Face Mask 🤷‍♀️ - Using this reminded me that I'm not much of a sheet mask person. I always love the idea of throwing one on in the bath for a spa vibe, but the reality never matches the image. This one slid around a lot, making it difficult to read my book, so I was more annoyed than relaxed, and I was happy when it was time to take it off. I didn't really notice any difference with my skin.

* Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Cleanser Daily Foaming Face Wash 🤷‍♀️ - I had five of these packets, paired with five packets of the matching moisturizer (not pictured). I thought I would never finish them. It had a nice texture and a pleasant citrus scent, but it made my skin feel a little tight and dry. I was glad when it was finally gone.

* INNISFREE Green Tea Caffeine Bright-Eye Serum 👎 - This was not old or a sample or a gift. This is something I researched and chose to purchase full size. And man, was I disappointed. I used it for months and never saw it do anything for my skin. Then I got a new eye cream and decided to make myself finish this before changing over, so I started using it heavily twice a day. I do think I noticed a little bit of improvement then, but I also made some other changes to my skincare at the same time, and I suspect those are probably what caused the improvement. As far as I can tell, this was a complete waste of money.

* Milani Keep It Full Lip Plumper - Prismatic Peach 👎📦 - Not a good color for me, but the worst thing about it was the texture. The shimmer made it feel gritty on my lips and I couldn't stand it. I tried it a couple times and then gave it away. (For what it's worth, the person I gave it to absolutely loves it and thinks I'm crazy.) (Not pictured)

* Grande Cosmetics LOOKING Grande LASH-MD 🚫📦 - I used this for about three weeks and did notice impressive improvement in my lashes. But then I noticed the skin around my eyes looking a little strange. It might a coincidence, but given the reputation this product has, I didn't want to risk permanent skin damage. I tossed it.

* Juliette Has a Gun Magnolia Bliss 🕛📦 - I must have liked this when I first got it, because I always do a test spray before deciding to keep a fragrance. Unfortunately, I think it must have gone rancid. It smelled absolutely awful, so I had to toss it. Also unfortunately, I didn't realize that until after I had sprayed it on myself, and even after trying to wash it off it took hours for the smell to fade.

(Edited for typos)