January Empties

“Clutter is the physical manifestation of unmade decisions fuelled by procrastination” – Christina Scalise 

Happy Saturday lovelies! 

Hi, my name is Ashley and I am a makeup & skincare hoarder. No joke, I buy tons and tons of products…and never actually use them. Perhaps I’m hoping that each lipstick or moisturizer I buy will fill a void, or will make me happy. When you think about it, that’s actually A LOT of pressure to put on a lipstick. Anyways, in the fall of last year, I realized that I had more beauty products than I knew what to do with. More importantly, I made the decision that I was going to keep my spending to a minimum and was actually going to use the stuff that I already had. For the first time in my life, I’ve got a handful of empties that I am so excited to share with you. Along with a little description of each item, I thought I would give you my thoughts and let you know if it was something that I’d be repurchasing. 

But anyways, let’s not waste any more time! Grab something delicious to drink + let’s get right into my January empties! 

1) Bath & Body Works Japanese Cherry Blossom Shower Gel 

A graceful blend of Japanese Cherry Blossom, Asian pear, fresh mimosa petals, white jasmine & blushing sandalwood…that’s how Bath & Body Works describes the scent of our first empty product! If you’ve shopped at a Bath & Body Works before, then you’ll be familiar with their signature Japanese Cherry Blossom scented products. I got this shower gel at Christmas and clearly loved it so much that I went through it in a month. Besides smelling incredible, it’s moisturizing and leaves the skin feeling super soft. It retails for $13.50 CAD (295 mL), which I think is a totally reasonable price. Even though this was a gift, I definitely would consider purchasing one of these shower gels! 

2) Schmidt’s Charcoal + Magnesium Natural Deodorant 

Soooo, I’ve got a confession. For the past 5’ish years, I’ve been using Old Spice. Yes, the men’s deodorant. And it’s not because I sweat like a pig, but some of the scents of these are 10x better than anything Dove or Lady Speed Stick have to offer my lovely little armpits. My scent of choice you ask? Wolfthorn haha I get a whiff of it sometimes and wonder who (or what) smells so amazing…and then I remember it’s my underarms haha. Anyways, with the  increasing concern that deodorants containing aluminum can be linked to breast cancer, I thought it was probably time to ditch the Old Spice and look for a safe alternative. My first experience with an aluminum free deodorant was NOT a positive one. I can’t remember which brand it was from but my pre-conceived notions about these hippie-dippie deodorants were all proved right. TMI alert – it did NOT work. After a couple hours, it was like I didn’t even have any deodorant on, yuck! So I went back to Wolfthorn until I could get my hands on a better option. 

During one of my regular trips to Shoppers Drug Mart, I almost walked into a display…for Schmidt’s Natural Deodorants. While the price tag was a little higher than my manly go-to (Old Spice is $5.97 vs. Schmidt’s at $7.97 CAD), I thought it was worth a shot. And am I ever glad I did! I picked up the Charcoal + Magnesium stick which actually smells pretty great (kind of vanilla-y). It works better than Old Spice + I feel like I’m taking my health and wellness seriously when I use it. Schmidt’s has a number of different scents including: Bergamot & Lime, Rose & Vanilla, Coconut Pineapple, Tea Tree, Geranium Flower, Lavender + Sage as well as a Fragrance Free option. I’m currently on my second stick and will continue to use this line of deodorant for the foreseeable future! 

3) LUSH 9 to 5 Cleansing Lotion 

If you follow me on Instagram (@lipstickandbubbly), then you may have seen my little post on the LUSH 9 to 5. More specifically, you may have seen my rant about how disappointed I was with this product. I definitely jumped the gun with those negative little thoughts because  I finished this bottle…and am now obsessed.  LUSH.ca suggests that you apply their cleansing lotion (aka 9 to 5) to your face and remove with cotton pads or water. I think my initial confusion stemmed from the experience I had when doing as their instructions suggested. I applied the lotion to my face and attempted to remove with water. What I was left with was a greasy and definitely UNCLEAN feeling face. After that first interaction with the product, I practically cursed it and swore that I would never use it again. However, in the spirit of giving things another chance, I decided to use it strictly as a means of removing my makeup. And VOILA, the obsession was born. Instead of reaching for a makeup wipe, I smooth this concoction over my face, and the days makeup is nothing but a distant memory. I then go in with my regular face wash and I’m left with a super clean (and clear) face. Seriously, since I started using 9 to 5, my skin is THE best it’s been in a really long time. I don’t know if it’s because it’s a natural product (+ vegan) or because I’m washing my face pretty thoroughly with this additional step. Anyways, it retails for $10.95 CAD (100 mL) which I think it more than reasonable, considering some makeup wipes cost the same (if not more). IN CONCLUSION, I will absolutely be repurchasing the 9 to 5! 

4) NYX Filler Instinct Plumping Lip Polish in “Let’s Glaze”

The day I decided to start my #nobuy, I heard about the launch of the NYX Filler Instinct Plumping Lip Polish (honestly how cruel is the universe haha!). Needless to say, the no buy lasted a couple of hours before I walked out of a downtown Toronto Shoppers Drug Mart with TWO of these NYX Filler Instinct glosses. These glosses feel pretty thick on the lips, but not in an uncomfortable or sticky way. They’re super glossy + make the lips look SO juicy and plump. In true lip plumper fashion, it does make the lips tingle (which I love). There are a total of 6 ultra-sheer shades to choose from & their names are so cute. Seriously, I can’t not share them!

“Let’s Glaze” – Clear 

“Brunch Drunk” – Champagne 

“Sparkling Please” – Rose Gold 

“Cheap Fills” – Bronze Gold 

“New Money” – Copper Gold 

“Major Mouthage” – Plum Rose Gold 

Honestly, these plumping lip polishes have to be one of the best drugstore products I’ve ever found as well as one of the best lip product launches of 2019. They retail for $10 CAD which is a steal considering how amazing they are! Will I repurchase these glosses?! HECK YA!

5) NYX HD Studio Photogenic Concealer in “CW06 GLOW” 

I think I’ve mentioned this in a previous post, but I just started using concealer maybe a year and a half ago (I guess I was well rested up until that point haha). And of course now that I’ve started, I can’t stop. I seriously don’t know that I’d be able to leave the house without it on. It covers up any dark spots under the eyes and brightens up the area, making you look super well rested and awake. I honestly just can’t believe how expensive concealers are! Seriously, these NYX ones are one of the cheapest drugstore options and at $14.99 CAD (+ tax)…I don’t even think it’s THAT cheap considering how much product you actually get in one of those little tubes. That being said, my heart kind of stops when I see the NARS creamy concealer going for $39 CAD!!!! I think that’s totally insane! Anyways, while I’ve repurchased these concealers time and time again, since finding the Covergirl Trublend Undercover Concealer for $9.97 CAD, I don’t think I’ll be going back to NYX anytime soon. 

6) The Body Shop Strawberry Clearly Glossing Shampoo

On the 4th day of Christmas my Body Shop advent calendar gave to me…the Strawberry Clearly Glossing Shampoooooo! My Mom surprised my bestie + I each with one of these advent calendars and we couldn’t get enough of them. Day #4 was a mini bottle of this delicious smelling shampoo, which I’ll admit, I used as a body wash. Prior to getting the calendar, it had been quite some time since I had used anything from the brand. After 24 days of gifts, my curiosity for The Body Shop has been peaked. The shampoo is 100% vegan and silicone-free which is definitely a selling feature (for me at least). A 250 mL bottle of this stuff retails for only $11.00 CAD, which I think is a steal. Once I’ve finished using my current shampoo, I will definitely consider going to The Body Shop to try one of their products! 

7) Simple Cleansing Wipes 

Before getting my hands on the LUSH 9 to 5, I was using these makeup wipes. I am trying to minimize the amount of waste I’m producing with products like makeup wipes or cotton pads, but since I already had these at home, I figured I might as well use them. While they are great for sensitive skin, which mine definitely is, I found that it took about 2 wipes to remove the days makeup (and I don’t even wear that much). I found that they were also very quick to dry once they were out of the pouch, so you’ve gotta move quickly. I do like that they don’t have an artificial fragrance, parabens, harsh chemicals, drying alcohol or animal derived ingredients. Since using the LUSH 9 to 5, I think I would prefer to use a product like that over these or any other kinds of makeup remover wipes. 

8) Fresh Sugar Coconut Hydrating Lip Balm 

How many lip balms is too many lip balms?! That was a trick question, there’s no such thing as too many haha! That being said, over the last couple of months, I’ve always had 3 (although I’m not sure why haha) of these lip balms on hand. Without a word of a lie, I’ve got one in my purse, one next to my bed and another in my bathroom. Sephora.ca describes these balms as being “a tropical lip balm that delivers 24-hour moisture, an addictive coconut cream flavour, and a subtle shine—but no sticky after feel.” Fresh offers these hydrating lip balms in the following flavours: coconut, caramel, chocolate, peach & lemon. They’re free of sulfates, SLS and SLES, parabens + phthalates. I could seriously go on forever about how much I love these balms. They retail for $24 CAD and in my opinion are definitely worth it! Will I repurchase?! You better believe it sister! 

And there you have it friends! I’m excited to see what products I use up in the month of February, so stay tuned! 

What are some products that you’ve used up this year? 

As always, thanks so much for stopping by & until next time, 

       XO