Beauty Blogger Empties: Loving These Things and Repurchasing Them

Product Sent for Review I Bought It Myself Affiliate Links



I've been talking lately about a lot of my beauty blogger friends, and we all agreed that over the past few years, we've been cutting down on the continual product testing. Don't get me wrong, I still use a lot of new products, but I'm allowing myself longer to test them. I'm spending a lot more time with my favorite "in between" products. And while those favorites do evolve a bit over time, I'm doing a lot more repurchasing of products, and I actually have empties! I'm using products up! This was unheard of a few years ago.

So, in honor of all those discussions lately, here's a look at all of the products I've finished and am repurchasing. I'm spending my own money on all of these, despite the offers for similar (free) products. I'd rather use this salt spray than any other. I want my own eye cream, thanks!

1. iS Clinical Youth Eye Complex (at DermStore or SkinStore): This eye cream was mentioned in my Best Eye Creams from Dermatologists post, and somehow has not had it's own post though I've mentioned it a few times! It has vitamins C, E, Retinol, tons of hydration, peptides to increase collagen and it also fights dark circles. I definitely think it makes me look more awake because my concealer looks so much better over it. It is pricey, but the bottle lasted me 6 months! In my shopping cart now. (Not pregnancy safe)

2. It Cosmetics CC+ Illumination Cream (at It Cosmetics or ULTA): This is the newest CC Cream from It, they also have a more traditional (not illuminating) version. They've sent me both kinds, in various shades. Because it is a pretty full coverage product, you do need a pretty good color match. Unfortunately for me, I'm darker than the Fair shade, but much lighter than Light. So, I've bought tubes of both (depending upon what was sent to me) and I've been mixing my own. For my perfect match I need about 75% fair, 25% light. It is hydrating but not overly so for my combination skin, and I love that it is medium to full coverage with almost no blending. I'm going to continue buying 2 tubes all summer long so I can have the perfect match! (Not pregnancy safe)

3. Living Proof Perfect Hair Day 5-in-1 Styling Treatment (at Sephora or Nordstrom, my Living Proof PhD review): This styling cream is in my hair pretty much every day now. I've already gone through 2 bottles! It is the only Living Proof product that combines their anti-frizz ingredient with the volumizing product, and it does a great job of protecting my hair from heat damage as well.

4. Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash (at Sephora and Macy's): I have a big bottle of this in my shower and another next to my sink. I used to reserve this amazing face wash for when I travel (I would hoard bottles of it from hotels), but now I just use it pretty much every day. I do rotate in other products on occasion (like the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser), but this one is my current favorite.

5. Revitalash Advanced Lash Conditioner (from Revitalash, Nordstrom or Drugstore.com): I pre-purchased 4 of these during the summer Nordie's Anniversary Sale, so they were quite the deal! It makes my lashes so long that I have to be careful with my glasses. Yes. I will not test other lash conditioners. (Not pregnancy safe)

6. Garnier Clean + Nourishing Cleansing Oil (at Drugstore.com or ULTA): I mentioned this on Monday in my Favorite Eye Makeup Removers post, I think I'm on my 4th or 5th bottle of this cleanser already. It's meant to be used just as a facial cleanser, but I use it with a cotton round to easily remove all of my eye makeup. It does leave an oily mess behind, I clean that up with the Bliss Face Wash.

7. Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara (at Too Faced or Sephora): I've lost track of how many tubes of this stuff I've gone through!

8. Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Precision Glide Eyeliner (at Elizabeth Arden) and the Beautiful Color Smoky Eyes Pencil (at Elizabeth Arden): These are currently my 2 go-to eye liner pencils. They're well pigmented, smudge just right into my lash line and won't budge all day.

9. Kerastase Spray à Porter (at Kerastase or Birchbox): This is my go-to salt spray. Others are ok, but this one just really works for me. It adds just enough texture that my hair holds styles and it doesn't feel sticky! How did I live without this??

10. Kerastase Bain Chroma Riche Shampoo & Masque Chroma Riche (at Kerastase): Their shampoo and conditioner for color treated, dry or damaged hair. I've discovered that it really is worth it, and if you watch carefully these products come up on Rue La La about every 6-8 weeks, so you should never have to pay full price! I've found that for some reason the shampoo is really the key to a great hair day for me, I use it every other shampoo (I still get those good hair days!). I buy the big, salon size, and I use the super intense hair mask (the regular conditioner is now not so helpful... I go with the masque!)


What have you used up recently? I had a lot of empties this month. So, I'm currently filling shopping carts all over the web!


Product Sent for Review I Bought It Myself Affiliate Links
I feel the need to explain this disclosure a bit more. A few of these items were originally sent by PR, like the Revitalash (which was sent years ago, but I've repurchased so many times that I've lost count), the Kerastase spray was sent, the Living Proof and It Cosmetics sent me the CC+ Cream but I don't actually match any of it so I mix 2 together (and I like it so much that I've repurchased 2 colors a few times). So yes, stuff was sent, but I've been spending my own money!