Poubelle Pretties (Empties)

So, I love empties posts. I think it's a combination of the fact that I get so excited when I personally finish a product, and also that I feel that a makeup addict's word that she not only used up a product but will repurchase it, is really a testament to the quality of a product. I love trying new things, as do all beauty bloggers, I assume, so a repurchase carries some serious weight. 

And so, with that in mind, I obviously feel the need to share the contents of my trash. And it's a lot more fun with a catchy name. So, "poubelle pretties" it is. I mean, poubelle means trash in French, forms an alliteration with pretties, AND has the word "belle" in it, so I figure it's as good a title as any. I'm going to stop blabbing now and get to the good stuff.

So, let's get the most embarrassing item out of the way first. Not that this item is embarrassing, but the evidence of me eeking out every last drop certainly is. I considered substituting a stock photo, but I'm just gonna be real here and show you what I do to foundation that I really love when it tries to run out on me:

Since you can't really tell because the bottle is pretty much painted in foundation, this is Covergirl 3-in-1 foundation. I'm ashamed to say that I resisted buying this foundation forever because I associated Covergirl with subpar quality products (in high school, Covergirl was all about the Noxema scented foundation and unpigmented shadows), but I am so glad I gave it a chance. First of all, despite the fact that the dried foundation looks pink, this shade actually matches my neutralish/yellowish pale undertones very well, which is hard to find in a foundation. It also has great coverage, yet isn't unnatural looking (I use a damp Real Techniques Sponge, which helps make it look more natural on my dry skin). By great coverage, I mean that it covers my hyperpigmentation, hormonal acne, and freckles without concealer (yeah, I know, it's a thing now to have freckles show through foundation, but it's not really my thing). The best part is it lasts all day. Oh, and it comes with a pump, which is awesome (though I removed it when it was almost empty, and turned the bottle upside down to get every last drop out, hence the huge mess. Worth it!). 

Verdict: Will repurchase

Next, Jergens BB Body- another item I was surprised to love. I expected it to go on like body makeup, but it's actually nothing like that. It's a very, very gradual sunless tanner that contains some very fine shimmer and a light tint. Essentially, the shimmer and very light tint tend to blur imperfections, and make my limbs look glowy, and the gradual tanner helps extend the life of my weekly tanner. The tint is barely noticable, and I even use the "medium-dark" variety, despite my fair skin. It doesn't transfer to clothing. The scent is kind of interesting- I don't know how to describe it, but it's definitely apparent, and this may be a deal breaker for some if you don't like the scent. So, smell before you buy. As for me, I enjoy the scent, and I use this everyday before I get dressed for work.

Verdict: Already bought 4 backups. 
I saw these on clearance and bought 4 out of fear they were being discontinued. Luckily, they're not. Maybe they repackaged them? Anyway, I definitely recommend.

Aaaaaaand the trend of using everything until the last, embarrassing drop continues. Everyone in my life conspired to buy me the same gift one Christmas after I offhandedly mentioned that I like the Bath & Body Works Winter Candy Apple seasonal scent, so I still have about 3870483 of these puppies to go through. It's a really nice scent, and I like the formulas of the body butters. They are quite thick and can leave a bit of a film is you apply too much, but they're very moisturizing, and great for extra dry spots like heels, elbows and knees. 

Verdict: I have a lifetime supply of these puppies, so no repurchasing for me

I don't buy body scrubs often, because I generally use a brush in the shower with body wash, and that exfoliates very well, is cheaper and is easier to use (usually) than a scrub, but I love the ingredients Shea Moisture uses, and it was on sale, so I tried it. Shea Moisture Olive & Green Tea Hand & Body Scrub is a great, simple sugar scrub. The main ingredients are oils and sugar, so it's exactly as I expected. Although I can easily whip up a similar formula with the ingredients in my kitchen, this smells soooo good. It's a fresh, green tea scent, with light florals. It's just yummy and refreshing. The scrub seems like it would leave an oily film, but the oil it leaves behind absorbs into my skin shortly after I exit the shower and leaves me moisturized and glowy. 

Verdict: May rebuy

Again, I don't generally buy body scrubs, but this one is making me reconsider. I will definitely buy another item with this scent, though. Yum. 

Next, Maybelline Dream Lumi concealer and L'Oreal Miss Manga mascara, two raved about products that fell a bit flat for me. While the Dream Lumi is very pigmented, and does seem to brighten areas on my face, it's very thick, and this just doesn't work on my dry skin (and I may or may not be starting to see wrinkles under my eyes, which this doesn't help, either). I can't keep it from looking cakey after a while, no matter how I apply it. The Miss Manga, while it does seem to give me the doll look if I work at it, is just too hard to use. I have fairly long eyelashes, and the way the head flexes seems to make me whack myself on the eyelid, making a mess. It's also too wet of a formula for my preferences.

Verdict: Won't rebuy

It Cosmetics YSBB CC cream....love! Smells good, excellent SPF, surprising coverage for a CC cream, and a natural finish. What more could you ask for? 

Verdict: Will likely repurchase

And two very similar products: Jordana Fabuliner in black and Physician's Formula Felt Tip Eye Definer. These are both nice, felt tip black liners. They both worked well, were dark enough for my preferences, and didn't smudge. As you can see, the tips are pretty similar:

Verdict: Will probably repurchase at some point. 

Neither are really exciting products, but they serve their purpose. I've been trying liners with more flexible tips lately, because they seem to work better with some of the loose skin on my eyelids, but I'd still recommend these for felt tip liners. I'd probably go with Jordana just because of the lower price, though I have been seeing the PF liners pop up in Dollar Trees, so keep an eye out for those.

Burt's Bees Almond Milk Hand Cream. This came in a kit I got for Christmas, and it is a nice, moisturizing hand cream. I keep it on my nightstand and apply on my hands, and extra on my cuticles, before bed. When I wake up, my hands are very soft and moisturized. The one downfall of this product, is that it leaves a definite, oily residue immediately upon application. So, it's not a product to keep in your purchase. It really only works if you have lots of time to let it set in or put on socks immediately after (in the case of using it on your feet). This doesn't really bother me in the context of a night cream, but I can see how this could be an issue for some people. It smells like almond extract, which is very pleasant and my hubby loves that. 

Verdict: Probably won't rebuy

It's a fine product, but really nothing special, and I have lots of other hand creams

And, finally, not an empty, but a sad goodbye to my Real Techniques base shadow brush. I really loved this brush, as it packs on shadow well, and was also fluffy enough to blend. Turned to the right angle, it could even work color into the crease. Unfortunately, I made the unwise decision to use it to swatch way too many shadows, and vigorously rubbed each color off in between, destroying it. It's particularly tragic, since you can only purchase this brush as a part of the Real Techniques Starter Set.

Verdict: Tempted to repurchase, despite my overflowing brush containers

Hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoy reading others' empties posts!

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