Product Empties #2: Makeup, Beauty, Skincare, Health with #reviews

My last empties post was back in April so I've collected quite a few more empties to post and review since then. Many products were close to being finished so I focused on using them up so I could move on to other products. Some are my holy grail products that I always repurchase and others were new to me. Many of my products that didn't make it to an empties post wound up in my Makeup Graveyard post.

Sometimes I feel like a beauty products hoarder, but the truth is that companies are coming out with new products with claims of the latest and greatest technologies at a pace that's impossible to keep up with. And, let's face it, if you love health and beauty products like I do, we're always looking for the latest and greatest in hopes of finding our new holy grail products!

Hair

- Giovanni 2chic Avocado & Olive Oil Ultra-Moist Shampoo for Dry Damaged Hair-  I always look for sulfate free shampoos because I colour my hair. This one is sulfate free and still lathered really well. It has a soft, slightly perfume-y scent that I didn't mind. It worked well but I have my sights set on some other products from this line and also have many others to finish before I even consider repurchasing this one.

-Giovanni 2chic Avocado & Olive Oil Ultra-Moist Conditioner for Dry Damaged Hair- I liked this conditioner, it did the job. I did seem to have less breakage and I like that it's more natural but it seemed fairly basic and I would like to be wowed by my next conditioner! Plus, I would like to try some newer products within this line. I have pretty difficult to deal with hair. 

- Garnier Fructis Style Curl Calm Down Anti-Frizz Cream- I have fine, frizzy and naturally curly hair. This cream did a fairly good job at taming the frizz but I have moved on to more natural oils for my hair that I feel are better for the health of my hair.

Cosmetics

-Elf Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara- This is a repurchase and I will continue to repurchase. I only use this to tame my brows and keep them in place and it does just that. I use both sides of the tube for my brows only. It's so inexpensive at $1.99!

-Sally Hansen Salon Nail Lacquer in Passion Plum- I swear I wore this on my toes for about 10 years it seems! I can't believe I finally finished it. It was such a deep plum it looked black. I will find a new replacement. These colours are easy to dupe these days.

-Jordana Eye Primer- I didn't get to finish this before it dried up but I did use it for a year or two and hit pan. It was a great eye base for only $2! I would repurchase if I ever get through some others I am working on now.

-Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla & Macadamia- This was OK, the lasting time was just mediocre. I would not repurchase as I would prefer lip products that I don't have to stick my finger in.

-Maybelline Dream Fresh BB 8-in-1 Beauty Balm in Light/Medium- This had decent coverage and I liked that it had SPF 30. It says it hydrates all day and I would not agree with this, I definitely needed a good moisturizer underneath and I have combo/oily skin.  I would not repurchase as I am constantly trying out new BB creams and have found others I like better (currently, Physicians Formula Organic Wear BB cream).

Face and Body

-Retin-A Micro (Tretinoin gel) 0.04%- Retin-A is a prescription here in Canada and luckily it's covered under our medical plan. I have been using this for well over a year (maybe 2) and it's a very gentle formula. I've never had any irritation with it but I'm not noticing any more improvements in my skin so I might need to go up in strength.

-Reviva Labs Elastin & Collagen Skin Toner- This is a total holy grail for me! I use other toners as well but this is the one I go to at night. It is the most gentle toner I've ever used! It's very soothing and doesn't cause breakouts or any irritation. It says for dry skin but I have combo/oily and I love it! I do decant it into a glass bottle with a pump from an old toner that I had. Definite repurchase.

-Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Miracle Dry Oil, For Hair, Face and Body- I only used this product on my body so I can't say how well it works as a face or hair oil. I sprayed it on my body after a bath or shower when still damp, this way the product is absorbed better. Miracle Oil? Not so much. There was nothing miraculous about it! In fact, it left my legs dry and scaly and I've never had a problem with that before. I will not repurchase, however, I will re-purpose this bottle and fill it with my Organic Sesame oil that doesn't have any other ingredients and hydrates well.

Health

- Now Foods, Xyli White Cinnafresh Toothpaste- I've been using this toothpaste for years and my dental checkups have really improved for the better since then. I will definitely continue to repurchase this product. I am currently trying out their Neem/ Xyliwhite toothpaste from the same line. Note: it comes in mint flavours for those who don't like cinnamon.

-Jarrow Curcumin Phytosome with Meriva- I've been taking curcumin for quite some time. It's a wonderful antioxidant with an army of purported health benefits. I was mainly taking it as a preventative measure but after I ran out of it and decided not to repurchase, I suddenly gained 5 pounds in a month without changing anything else. I was trying to think of what I had done differently since gaining the weight and the only thing I could think of was that I had stopped the curcumin. I didn't think that would be the cause of the weight gain because I didn't recall reading about curcumin as an aid in maintaining or losing weight. So, I decided to google curcumin and weight and numerous articles came up about how it helps with maintaining blood sugar and weight (especially the excess weight around the abdomen area.) I quickly re-ordered my curcumin and I'm happily fitting into my jeans again! I wont be without this.

So that's it for my empties for a while I think. I'm currently working on my ridiculous amount of samples that I've collected while I was working on my full-size products. I intend to have some fun testing out all the samples and posting about them with some quick reviews.

Have you found any new holy grail products lately? I'd love any suggestions. Still on that hunt!

 Amy