[Mini reviews] Six months of (mostly) small business empties! January to June 2023

Before we begin, a disclaimer: I've been struggling for motivation lately, and doing the fiddly things like formatting is what gets me the most stressed. I've focused on good instead of perfect here, so please forgive if a link is old or bit of text looks off. Please comment if you notice something, and I'll get around to another round of editing when I can! ❤

January 2023 empties

🖤 Witch I Love Your Hair - Hair Magic: This is a vitamin/oil/water spray that is probably easy to DIY, but I really liked it. It has a soothing, herbal smell + a very fine mist with little stones inside, which make a satisfying rattle in the bottle. I liked misting my hair to refresh and found that this bottle lasted a long time!

🖤 Timeless Skincare - Hydrating Eye Cream: I miss this now that it's gone, but I still want to find something with less packaging. It was a great value for money; very hydrating & sat nicely under makeup. Might repurchase!

🖤 Truly - ♥ Your Imperfections Acne Patches: They're fine. They are very cute, & I like the heart shape, though I prefer patches that (cw: gross) draw the fluid completely out and onto the patch vs. what these did, which was bring it to the top of the skin, where you still have to wipe it off. Decent but not my favorite.

🖤 Good Molecules - Bakuchiol for Oily Skin: If you know, you know; love applying this for all-around nicer skin when I wake up. This version is perfectly hydrating and not greasy. A repeat purchase for me!

🖤 BodyBeeWell - Organic Frankincense Eye Cream: So glad I bought this sample; it lasted for MONTHS. I also didn't love it as much as I'd hoped. Frankincense is not my jam, and the texture of this was like thinner and non-sticky petroleum jelly, which is not really the ideal for me. A great value but not one I'd buy again.

🖤 BodyBeeWell - Rose Facial Oil: Feat. the most adorable bottle ever! This was a sample of a nice, medium skin oil. I love the size for taking on trips, and it hydrated well. No complaints.

🖤 Urban Decay - Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Eden: Y'ALL, it finally happened. I bought a backup THREE YEARS AGO but never ran out of this. Locks product in place, and this shade doubled as concealer for me. Bought the OG one to replace it since this could be patchy with the added tint.

 

 

February 2023 empties

🖤 Hibiclens - anti-microbial cleanser: Same as always! Not fun but is functional - I use this to clean my silicone face scrubber and sometimes my body if I feel extra grimy. Works well and lasts a long time, plus it's simple and doesn't irritate my skin. Good.

🖤 Kj Naturals - Eczema Cream: Not in stock right now, but I will keep my eyes peeled! This is great. It took my itchy, cracked hands back from the dead and gave some relief. The jar wasn't cheap but lasted a really long time. Highly recommend!

🖤 Paintbox Soapworks - Sorbetto sugar scrub in Poinsettia: This scent might be a new favorite! It's bright and uplifting with a juicy, berry feel. The formula is soft but powerful, as always, and it manages to feel like it would work in any weather (if you are like me and don't love every scent year-round). Loved it!

🖤 Megababe - Squeaky Clean antibacterial wipes: Another repurchase; you know the drill. I like quick wipes for when I'm feeling sweaty or low on spoons, and these are good. I like that they biodegrade, and hopefully, the packaging will follow suit. Good citrus smell and does the job.

 

 

 

March 2023 empties

🖤 Beautometry - Cuticle Putty in Chocolate Ice Cream: This is the second I've used of the trio I got, and I like this product a lot! It really does sink in quickly and moisturize without greasiness. This scent in particular was way too strong and veered more into pudding, which is kinda nauseating to me, but I would repurchase it in general. 🖤 Bonny Bubbles - Silky Deodorant Body Powder in Unscented: It's good! I am a sweaty gal, and this helps me be a bit less so without irritation or anything I notice at all. Very unfussy product that I have already repurchased. 🖤 Elegant Rose - Babassu Deodorant: Remember five seconds ago when I said I was very sweaty? This almost helps but doesn't quite. I like having a stick format without coconut, which is super rare, but this is best for very light activity and zero stress sweat, which is rarely me. I used the body powder with it to its best results but won't bother with it again. 🖤 Paintbox Soapworks - Clean Slate Hot Process Soap: I have a little soap baggie and don't know exactly when I finished it, but it's gone! I like this a lot and will repurchase next time I'm out of soap. It has a nice lather and feels clean without stripping, plus I like the smell. It was good for my breakouts without being too harsh, and I have even used it as a shampoo bar pretty successfully. Is good! 🖤 Terahdactyl Candles - Candy Cane + Cacao Nibs wood wick candle: I bought this on impulse because it sounded so pretty, and it really was. I met the maker at a local market, and she told me that this would last 60-70 hours, and boy howdy, it did. I bought this at Christmas and burned it on and off as my only home scent for three whole months. It's pretty strong, which was a bit overwhelming on the first burn, but I think it leveled out pretty quickly. It's an expensive candle but definitely delivers on its claims!

 

 

 

April 2023 empties

🖤 iLike - Sour Cherry Toner: I bought this because someone used it on me, and I thought it smelled incredible, which it does. Using it every day, though, I would not repurchase. It dries down sticky, and, despite that, didn't have any extra properties to keep makeup in place or anything. It's very expensive and hard to get for just hydration. 

🖤 Cuter Cuticles - cuticle oil in Hey! Listen!: RIP CC! I love these tiny rollerballs and found this one to have a delightful fruity scent. Will happily finish off my back stock of these in other scents. Notes are cold blue creamsicle, loaded with scents of blue raspberry ice pop filled with the richest vanilla ice cream. 

🖤 Meow Cosmetics - Concealer in 1 Sleek Ocicat: Another beloved brand that has since gone out of business. I adore everything I've tried from MC and enjoyed how brightening this powder concealer is. The shade match was excellent, and I have a full size that I will happily use. After that, we will see. 

🖤 Good Molecules - Bakuchiol Oil Blend for Oily Skin: If you've been around, you know I love this stuff! Truly helps keep redness and hyperpigmentation at bay and also adds a bit of plumpness to the skin. I have purchased many and will keep doing so.

🖤 The Dirty Goat - Room & Body Spray in Blueberry Slushie: I did not realize that this month was mostly filled with dead brands, lol. Look at me getting things gone! This smelled really nice and even had that cool, icy feel that a slushie might. Unfortunately, the staying power was pretty weak, so I would not buy it again even if I could.

 

 

 

May 2023 empties

🖤 Beautometry - Cuticle Putty in Cotton Candy: As this is the final in a trio, I can confidently say that I really like these. I'm glad I saved this scent for last. It was really light and sweet, which was versatile and not overpowering. I do wish the containers were bigger, even for the low price point, because I would have used it more if I hadn't been worried about things running out. It sinks in really quickly and feels hydrating but doesn't leave residue on things you touch. Definitely would consider picking up a refill alongside another purchase.
 

🖤 Willow Waxcraft wax melt in Round About the Cauldron: (A bewitching broth of deep red cherries, bitter almond, saffron, labdanum, Tonka bean absolute, Sichuan Pepper Co2, and rich tobacco.) This scent is SUPER strong and is not playing around. I would be careful if you are sensitive to smells. It's really nice, very similar to Victorian Smoking Room, another from WW (and maybe my favorite home scent ever) but with a little bit more woodiness and focus on spice vs. sweet. I don't know that I'd choose it over VSR, but it was very nice and lasted ages!
 

🖤 Pickle's Potions - Artemis Serum: I really enjoyed this and already got a bigger size. It's not scented but smells good, lightly fruity, and it feels thick and luxe but not greasy. I do think it helps clear up my skin, but I also enjoy the application, regardless. It also layers nicely with all of my other skincare, which is a big win.
 

🖤 Pickle's Potions - Bilberry and Shitake Toner: I tend to like most toners, and I did like this one! Waiting to see if a other one emerges as a favorite from my purchase, but this was nice and hydrated pretty well.

🖤 Pholk Beauty - H2Oil: Behold, the product that made me try new skincare at all! This worked really well for me until I purchased a second bottle, and the formula doesn't feel as potent. It never bothered me, but I never felt like the product worked as well in this batch. I want skincare that I miss and feel excited to use, but this became forgettable and was finished up as a cuticle oil. They are really serious about the expiration, too; this had just started to turn on the last few uses.

 

 

 

June 2023 empties

🖤 Megababe - Squeaky Clean wipes: As already stated, I like these a lot for feeling less sweaty after exercise, but they are sadly discontinued. Boo.

🖤 Barrett Wax Crafts - Scoopable Scented Wax in Blueberry Pumpkin Patch, Sugar Cookie, Bewitched Berry, and Zucchini Bread: Something about this smelled like warm corn chips to me. Already not a huge fan of the teeny wax beads, since they are messy, but I especially was glad to have this done.

🖤 Glitterati - wax melt in Kulu Bay & Coconut: Super fresh and lightly-sweet coconut scent. Really nice throw, too; would repurchase.

🖤 Pickle's Potions - Apple Facial Mister: Hydration aspect was fine, but it smelled more like apple cider vinegar than fresh fruit. It's LE, too, so I won't repurchase.

🖤 Pickle's Potions - Raspberry Eye Gel: Loved this! Really smooth and sinks in well, plus it smells lightly of fruit. Bought a big size.

🖤 Essence - Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara: You know the drill; HG mascara for about 10 years.

🖤 Anastasia Beverly Hills - Dipbrow Pomade in Medium Brown: I have finally slain the beast! I loved this for years but have recently preferred not to use a brush for my eyebrows every day. All of the claims are true, but I don't support ABH's politics. Glad to finally move on.

🖤 Philosophy - Lip Shine in Raspberry Sorbet: Another huge win! These are discontinued and not CF, but I'm enjoying what I have. Excellent formula that acts like a balm and gloss.