[Mini Reviews] Six months of finished products! January to June 2022

 

What is this post?

This post is going to be a simple one where I review all of the products I've finished from January to July 2022. I'll link to each product or brand if I can, but please note that these reviews are not going to cover shopping experience or other in-depth points.

My hope is that by doing short-form reviews every so often, I can more easily cover the wide variety of products I try without waiting until I can dedicate a full brand review to each (not to mention that some things do not deserve a full analysis. I only have so much time!). That said, please check out my other posts to find the things I have reviewed in more detail.

I have only included small businesses in the photo collage, but this post covers both indie and mainstream empties across bath, body, home, and more. Lastly, these empty products each began in various phases of use and were simply finished within the given month. Don't think I used an entire eye cream or whatever else in only 30 days. Now, onward!

 

Products

 

January 2022

🖤 Barrett Waxcrafts - Guava & Passionfruit wax melts: not my very favorite scent. It was true to the name, but I would have loved a tart note to perk it up a little. Decent throw but not as good as some of their others. Will not repurchase this one. Brand link here. 🖤 CocoaPink - Linen Spray in Disco Lemonade: we love these in my house! DL is a great scent - very clearly lemonade with some other sour fruits. My nose is guessing strawberry and lime. Lasts a long time, as always. Will eventually repurchase some, and this scent is a contender. Official notes are Raspberry, Strawberry and Pink Lemonade!  It is drool worthy. Link here.

 🖤 Twinkle Apothecary - Eye Serum: I wrestled with my thoughts on this for WEEKS and have officially chosen not to repurchase. It's sustainable and very moisturizing, and the bottle lasted me over a year! Bottom line, though, my skin is too oily to wear this alone. I'd have to layer makeup over it to avoid the oil getting in my eyes, but it takes so long to soak into my oily skin that layering makeup was hard... Yeah. Good item, though this one wasn't for me. See my full review of the brand here.

🖤 Elegant Rose Boutique - Babassu bar soap: Love this and repurchased many times. Great staple for coconut avoiders. Link here.

🖤 Paintbox Soapworks - Clean Slate Emulsifying Facial Scrub: Love this; it is a staple item in my routine. Smells so fresh and clean and is a perfect exfoliant, especially when I want to be scrubbed but feel too tired for multiple steps. Already into my second one. Link here.

🖤 Bath & Body Works - Whipped Delight lotion stuff: I'm afraid to research how old this is. I've had it since I was a child, but it was fine?? Texture of whipped cream but more airy. It was sticky and not as moisturizing as I'd like. I don't shop at BBW (feel free to research their exploitative practices) and couldn't get this even if I wanted to buy more.

February 2022

🖤 Pholk Beauty - Featherlight Cucumber SkinNectar: I really like this! It's a relatively-light oil that I used as a daily AM moisturizer. It didn't get too gross on my oily bare skin, and it layers well under makeup and sunscreen. Bottle lasted about 1.25 years and was just going off on the last day I used it. I missed it when I finished this one and have repurchased another. Link here.

🖤 Diamine - ink cartridge in Claret: a solid, nice magenta! This writes very well and isn't too wet. I am not going to buy more cartridges, but this is a great staple ink. Link here.

🖤 Ceela Naturals - eye makeup remover: a great, natural brand that is super simple. This was pretty expensive ($22?) but lasted a surprisingly long time. Got heavy eye makeup off in two or three passes, which I consider great for a watery formula. Not painful or oily; would repurchase if I can't find a version with less plastic. Link here.

🖤 Twinkle Apothecary - Lavender Hydrosol: I talked shit about this smelling like dirty dish water (it does), but my skin felt so great?? Used this to amp up hydration, for depressed "I can't use lotion right now" days, and more. Totally solid and would repurchase if I liked the brand more. See my full review here.

🖤 CocoaPink - Linen Spray in Sunset Kisses: this smells like very tart cotton candy to me! I did like it. Same great longevity as all of their linen sprays and might be repurchased in this scent one day. Notes are Blood oranges, ruby red grapefruit and lemon sugar dusted generously in fine confectioners` sugar. Link here.

🖤 Paintbox Soapworks - Poesy Complexion & Linen Mist: I bought this on a whim because I love PBSW. It smells like roses, which I hated, but was SO hydrating. Another great skincare and 'I don't have much energy' item. Lasted a good while on my skin, though I went through this size super fast. It said it has a three-month shelf life, so I took that to heart. Might repurchase! Link here.

🖤 Pholk Beauty - H2Oil: I used this at night for keeping marks at bay. I don't think it was the strongest, but it kept my skin hydrated and nice. Black-owned business, too! I was not prepared to miss it so much when I ran out, so I have repurchased it. Link here.

March 2022

🖤 Sephora - waterproof black eyeliner: this was good! Very smooth and smudgable but stayed in place. Won't repurchase until the brand is cruelty-free, though. 

🖤 Nocturne Alchemy - perfume oil in Bastet Amber: Ayyy! My first perfume empty in years! I love this scent and find that it's a perfect 'warm skin' feel on me. I like to wear it alone in basically any situation, though I imagine it layers quite well. I panic-bought 25 mL when it was recently discontinued, so I have plenty still. This was quite the serendipitous free sample! Notes are ...Amber Resin imported from Alexandria and lit from the truest essential oil of Rare and Exotic Guiacwood and Crystal Benzoin and Crystal Frankincense. Brand link here.

🖤 Haus of Gloi - Hair Oil in Aether (unscented): This is great! Truly unscented and leaves my hair/skin feeling much softer. Won't repurchase since I avoid coconut and prefer an all-over oil, but it is good and lasted awhile. I do recommend it. Link here.

🖤 EmpireSquid - Eye Makeup Remover: Uhh... yeah. I used all 4oz of this within a month, and I didn't wear makeup every day. It's a liquid formula and just wasn't strong enough for me, so I had to use a ton. I usually have my eyeshadow 80% gone in my first cleansing step, so this was really just working on eyeliner/mascara. If you don't wear tons of those, maybe this will work for you. Will not repurchase, though I love that it's a plastic-free company. Link here.

🖤 Barrett Wax Crafts - scoopable wax in Blueberries & Cream, Lemon Curd, & Whipped Cream: I love BWC overall and find their scents to be long-lasting. This was a good value for money and smelled fruity, sour, and a little sweet, as described. I wouldn't repurchase this format, as the wax is in tiny beads that are packed tightly but stick everywhere. This makes it hard to get them out, easy to fling by digging in too hard, and then they are not easy to clean up. Brand link here.

🖤 Safflower oil: Not much to say about this! I use this oil to take off my face makeup; it's non-comedogenic, inexpensive from any grocery store and works perfectly. Repurchased.

🖤 Platinum - ink cartridge (light blue): This comes with the Preppy refillable marker and doesn't have a more descriptive name than that. It was a very wet ink that is true to color. Ran out fairly quickly because it was in a marker, but no complaints. Won't keep repurchasing any cartridges, as I have plenty of interesting inks. Link here.

🖤 Glitterati - wax melts in unknown scents (11): Used 11 wax melt packs from a lovely care package I received! I don't believe the brand is around anymore except through Facebook raffles, which is a bummer. I liked all of these! Great throw, nice fruity/clean/sweet scents, and fun colors. Will enjoy the rest of what I have and might scout some destashes if I see these. Facebook link here.

🖤 Paintbox Soapworks - Snowbird Luxury Glycerin Soap: PBSW makes excellent soaps! This was smooth and cleaned well without stripping. It was the perfect size to take on vacation, and I appreciated getting to try the scent via this free sample. The scent was nice and soft - a little bit clean and floral but with a light sweetness from the snow note. Will not repurchase because it broke me out (skin allergies, wooooo), but I recommend it if it returns for winter! Notes are Soft white blossoms, white amber, & snow white feathers. Brand link here.

April 2022

🖤 Paintbox Soapworks - Emulsifying Sugar Scrub in White Snow, Bright Snow: excellent, as always! I love this formula, and this scent is a softer, vanilla-forward mintiness with a whisper of chill. Very nice. I'd consider repurchasing this scent if it returns seasonally. Notes are sparkling, magical snowflakes brushed with nose-tickling mint & the sweetest vanilla. Brand link here.

🖤 Astrid Perfume - linen spray in Apple Cider Doughnut: fantastic, & I wish it were actually sold instead of this one-time free sample! This smelled amazing, just as described, and lingered in the air for a few hours. Will be purchasing a similar scent from elsewhere. Brand link here.

🖤 Hibiclens - anti-microbial cleanser: even the boring empties make it in here! I mostly use this to clean my face-washing scrubber or if I'm feeling really sweaty and want to freshen up. Does what it needs to do and doesn't contain any allergens. Link here.

🖤 Glitterati - wax melts in unknown scents (6): another thank-you to my sweet friend for these! I am enjoying them so much. I will look for more after I finish my other wax. Facebook link here.

🖤 CosRX - AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid: what a name! This is super watery, so it dried fast, and I do think it works. TBD on repurchasing since I don't think it's cruelty-free, so it'll depend on if I can find another item without my allergens. Link here.

🖤 Ceela Naturals - Clear Salve sample: this absolutely works at clearing up acne, but it looks and smells like those melted balloon-blowing toys that were popular when I was little. Awful. I don't always see this in a full size on their site but would repurchase for desperate times, especially on body breakouts. Link here.

🖤 Cuter Cuticles - Cuticle Oil in Blueberry Muffin: smells delicious! Excellent roller and in-between greasy and light. I like this and have more scents. Brand link here.

🖤 Person & Covey - Solbar Shield SPF 40: this is a great sunscreen for my sensitive-skin pals who need mineral sun protection. I didn't use it quickly enough, so it's only half gone, but the bottle is so hard to squeeze that I'd have to cut it open anyway. TBD on whether I'd repurchase! Link here.

May 2022

🖤 Paintbox Soapworks - Emulsifying Sugar Scrub in GTFO: same texture I love; not my fave scent. It's very fruity and bright but does hit with rosemary at the end. I'll stick to fruits only. Great travel size, though! Notes are bergamot, orange, lavender, violet, neroli, rosemary. Link here.

🖤 Paintbox Soapworks - Clean Slate soap sample: I like this soap a lot for heavier cleaning. It also seems to work well for my sensitive scalp; will use up my big size as shampoo and re-evaluate. Link here.

🖤 Fyrinnae - Oil Control Finishing Powder: I don't use liquid face makeup, so this was a primer for me. It's decent for that but not better than their Powder Primer, which is perfection. Will not repurchase this, personally. Link here.

🖤 Vintage Chic Scents - wax melts in Five Families: this was fine; it was vaguely sweet and vanilla-ish. No strong thoughts. Scent notes are Sugar Cookies, Whipped Cream, Birthday Cake, Vanilla Wafers, Cannolis. Brand link here.

🖤 Glitterati - wax in Cucumber Melon Blonde Moment and Passion Fruit Limeade (?): both incredible scents. I don't subscribe to the "blonde" trope, but these were both fruity and delicious + STRONG throw. Will seek out more from the brand. Facebook link here.

🖤 EmpireSquid - Soothing Hydrosol/Witch Hazel toner: this was fine. Love the eco packaging/aesthetic, but the brand has been a little too gentle for me. Will not repurchase, unfortunately. Link here.

🖤 Diamine - ink cartridge Saddle Brown: A decent ink but not my favorite. It's very wet and a little slow-drying but certainly pretty. Wouldn't get more cartridges and unlikely to seek it out again. Link here.

🖤 Clinique - Almost Lipstick in Black Honey: a classic! I won't repurchase from Clinique (not cruelty-free) and also don't really like this color on me. It's also drying, which I don't want in a tinted balm. Fun fact - I dropped this in my driveway once, which is why it looks so haggard! Photo is blurry, but I hope you can see that it's empty.

June 2022

🖤 Glitterati - wax melts in Mandaberry, Yeast Rolls, and Pomegranate Jet Setter: My very last from Glitterati! I enjoyed the brand so much overall. Mandaberry is one I'd absolutely get again, as is Yeast Rolls. It smells just like D&F - Mall Soft Pretzel. Very good. The pomegranate scent was super faint and didn't make an impression on me, however. Facebook link here.

🖤 Pinrose Perfumes - scent wipe in Secret Genius: This format makes great samples! I got two uses out of it and easily could have gotten a third. Caramel and alcohol is what I smell before it dries; settles into warm vanilla and fuzzy skin smell. Mmm. I can see why I finished one of these in a roller. My SO quite liked it and said I smelled good. Once I finish some other perfumes, I'd consider buying this. Link here.

🖤 BodyBeeWell - Eye Makeup Remover: I was surprised at how much I liked this! The sprayer was great, and it smelled like a nice lavender. It was liquid and a little bit foamy, which felt like it worked well. It took off my heavy eye makeup in two-ish passes, which is typical for me. Would repurchase in a bigger size, though this (surprisingly) lasted a pretty long time. Link here.

🖤 BodyBeeWell - Gemstone Lavender Hydrosol: This was good. I use hydrosols pretty quickly, and this was nice. I wouldn't make an order for it alone, since it was pretty basic, but I would get another if I already had an order planned. Link here.

🖤 Neostrata - Bionic Face Serum: I've had this for so long that I don't remember what it's supposed to do. I think it's supposed to plump and fade dark spots. I stopped using it for a long time and found a routine I like in the meantime, so I haven't really missed this. The texture of this is like runny honey, which is interesting. I would be open to trying it again but won't jump to repurchase an $80 skincare serum I didn't adore. It did not irritate my skin, though, which I appreciate! Link here.

🖤 Good Molecules - Bakuchiol for Oily Skin: A friend once said this was useful for making skin "plumpy", and that feels true. It makes my skin feel nice. I have repurchased this and always love how refreshed and smooth I feel the morning after using it. I appreciate how affordable it is but would easily purchase a bigger size! Link here.

🖤 Fyrinnae - Powder Primer: I talk about this all the time. It's perfect and does exactly what I want a primer to do; I look smooth and balanced when using this, so much so that I wear it alone. Have repurchased and will continue. Link here. 🖤 Bluebird Lacquer - Zero Thirst Body Butter in Lord of Misrule: Surprisingly, this was super nice! Kept my skin moisturized for multiple days without feeling heavy, and it has just the right amount of scent. I am not a Lush person and didn't know this scent, but it's a good one. Notes are patchouli, black pepper, and vanilla. I also loooove the seasonal label. I have bad luck with packages from the brand getting lost, but I would get this again somehow, maybe. Note that it does contain coconut and therefore was only used on my legs. Brand link here. 🖤 Cuticula - Limitless top coat in Herculade: This is my favorite nail polish top coat! Limitless is glossy and keeps my nails intact. It also dries quickly and smells good. This was a fruity scent that I would get again. Have repurchased in other scents. Notes for this one are mango, lime, orange, nectarine, and grapefruit; middle notes of peach, gingerflower, pink pepper, and clove leaves. Bottom notes of musk and a hint of vanilla. It smells like a gummy bear slushy. Link here. 🖤 Lanolips - 101 Ointment Balm in Strawberry: My favorite lip balm! I used this one to death. It both hydrates my lips and really does heal them. I also put it on small injuries when I was feeling lazy, and it worked on those, too. I am a convert and will not go back. Plus, even though this smells nice, it never messes with my head/perfume/food/etc. I already have another. Link here.

 

Brief Reflections

I really like looking back on these! It's no surprise to see so much body and skincare in here, because I am pretty consistent about my routine and no longer look around for many brands to try. I have been buying wax melts for a few years but only got serious about using them up this year. It feels good to move through them and start to develop opinions! Generally, bright and fruity scents seem to leave the biggest impression on me, though that one bread melt blew me away. My nail polish empties could be more, but I'm satsfied with these results. Those products last a long time, so it's not for my lack of usage! 

Real focus areas are color cosmetics and perfume - both have been my "I need one of everything" habits of the last few years, so I am actively working to whittle down and develop a core collection, even if it's large. (To be fair, I've decluttered a ton of both, which I don't show in empties.) I am pretty happy overall! Seeing the things that have left my life helps me to feel less overwhelmed with needing new products, and I reference my own reviews often. I hope these will be helpful to others, too!

Number of items finished: 66; 55 indies and 11 mainstream (~83% indie)

Number of items repurchased/will repurchase:  43 (~65% success)