Wednesday, August 20, 2014

EMPTIES! #3 | Summer Edition (April - August 2014) ☀ PART 2


"Back again with the second verse, it's all clean so I'm not gonna curse..." - Freak Nasty  Here's Part 2 of my epic summer of empties!  If you missed Part 1, you can read it here.

HAND & BODY CARE //
"Everybody, yeah!  Rock your body, yeah!" - Backstreet Boys

1. Jergens Original Scent Cherry-Almond Moisturizer, $6.99 USD: I love the light yummy scent of this and the fact that it hydrates really well and soaks in quickly.  There's a reason this lotion has been popular since the 1920's!
Would I repurchase? Yes.

2. Nivea A Touch of Happiness Moisturizing Body Wash, $3.99 USD: While I am a ride or die bar soap gal, I occasionally find myself intrigued by a genuine body wash.  This one was a winner!  It smelled so incredibly good, like a thousand nectarines exploded in my shower, and left my skin soft enough after using it to skip lotion.  Party time!  Excellent!  If this came in bar soap format, I would buy crate loads. 
Would I repurchase? Yes.

3. Weleda Calendula Soap, $8.00 USD: This was a nice gentle soap that foamed well and had a pleasant and subtle herbal scent.  I think the price is a bit steep for the size, but you can find it online at various health food retailers for about half the cost.
Would I repurchase? Yes.

4. Tatcha Indigo Soothing Silk Body Butter, $48.00 USD fo 6.8 oz: This has been on my wish list ever since Laurie of 312 Beauty featured it on her blog back in January.  I was lucky enough to win a deluxe sample of Tatcha's Moisture Rich Silk Cream from a giveaway Tatcha sponsored with Sabrina of The Beauty Look Book.  I was also able to try 3 samples from their line, and I jumped at the chance to try the Indigo Body Butter.  It was just as luxurious as I'd hoped, moisturizing deeply and sinking into the skin almost on contact.  Truly lovely!
Would I repurchase? Yes.

5. *Magnolia Foaming Sugar Scrub, $7.00 USD for 2 oz: Full review here.  I love this foaming scrub/cleanser hybrid!
Would I repurchase? Yes.
*press sample

6. L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream, $28.00 USD for 5.8 oz: It took me about a year to finish this monstrosity!  It was a beaut.  If you're overwhelmed by the endless options available in the hand cream game, go with this.  It's a best-seller because it leaves the hands remarkably soft and smells fresh and clean.
Would I repurchase? Yes.

7. Nivea Extended Moisture Hand Cream, $3.99 USD for 1.7 oz: I really loved this one!  It soaked in lightning fast and left my hands feeling like the smoothest of criminals.  The 1.7 oz size tucks nicely into any bag.
Would I repurchase? Yes.


HAIR CARE //
"Bit--es lookin' at me strange but you know I don't care, step up in this motherf---er just a-swinginmy hair" - Snoop Dogg (I'm in a musical mood, can you tell?)
1. Herbal Essences Honey, I'm Strong Shampoo, $4.29 USD: This was my HG shampoo until my scalp went bananas after the blonde ambition experiment.  Now my scalp, and hair as a whole, needs moisture so I had to start hunting down a new shamp champ.  I hope that someday, when my hair recovers from the bleaching, I can go back to this shampoo!
Would I repurchase? Yes.

2. L'Oreal Color Vibrancy Instant Shock Treatment Lightweight Melting Mask, $6.99 USD: This stuff rocks!  Wait, do I sound too much like Vern Yip from Trading Spaces?  Moving on, this deep conditioner sinks into my fine hair quickly and leaves it feeling slippery-soft but not a bit weighed down.  I honestly think it's VERY similar to Aussie's 3 Minute Miracle (my HG for life!), only the L'Oreal smells more like Finesse shampoo.  
Would I repurchase? Yes.

3. Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Refreshing Dry Shampoo, $5.99 USD: LOVE.  This is my favorite dry shampoo ever, and this was my 4th or 5th bottle.  It is very lightly scented and does a great job of de-oiling my roots without any adverse reaction from my scalp (it raises the roof often).  Other dry shampoos I've tried have had the most overpowering scents that lingered ALL DAY LONG.  The one from Drybar being the most heavily scented of them all, to the point where I got nauseated.  If strongly fragranced dry shamps turn you off, give this one from NYM's a whirl.  
Would I repurchase? Yes.  Already have!

4. Herbal Essences Naked Dry Shampoo, $4.74 USD: This one smells (and feels) minty, which I wasn't a fan of at all, and did absolutely nothing to soak up oil.  I tried it numerous times.  I liked that it didn't leave a white residue, but my hair seemed oilier afterwards.  I also didn't find it volumizing.  This one is not empty, but it's going to the bin.
Would I repurchase? No.

5. Aussie 3 Minute Miracle, $2.97 USD: What can I say about this product?  It's my hair's very fave and they've been besties since 2000-ish.  It never leaves my fine hair weighed down, hydrates to perfection, and leaves my hair shining like a new dime once it's dry.  I also adore the packaging.  There is a little pressure-sensitive valve on the bottom of this; you squeeze the tube, you get conditioner.  I love not having to fumble with a cap!  This stuff works better than any high-end conditioner I've ever used and it's STILL UNDER $3 BUCKS!  Aussie 3 Minute Miracle is in my Desert Island Beauty Bag.
Would I repurchase? Yes.  Always!

6. Lush Daddy-O Shampoo, $9.00 USD for 3.3 oz: I do think this deep purple shampoo helped fight brassiness a little during my brief period of blondness, and it smelled really good, almost masculine. 
Would I repurchase? No.  I'm back to brunette so I don't need brass-fighting shampoo any more!

7. Bumble & bumble Gentle Shampoo, $8.00 USD for 2 oz: I found this and the mini Super Rich Conditioner at Sephora during my last visit there before my wedding.  They were perfect travel sizes for the h-moon, so I snagged them.  I really liked the shampoo, I found it did a good job of cleansing without drying out my scalp.
Would I repurchase? Yes.

8. Bumble & bumble Super Rich Conditioner, $9.00 USD for 2 oz: Like but not love.  The only conditioner to ever come close to my HG Aussie 3 Minute Miracle was the L'Oreal Instant Shock Treatment.  The Super Rich Conditioner worked fine, but I didn't find it as softening as I like.
Would I repurchase? No.

9. Bumble & bumble Creme de Coco Tropical-Riche Shampoo, $8.00 USD for 2 oz: True love!  This shampoo is wonderful!  It hydrates my hair and scalp without leaving it oily or weighed down with conditioners, and it smells like paradise.  It's actually a bit difficult to find the travel size version of this one, but I was lucky enough to snap up 2 for $3.99 (!!) from ACW when they had them in stock.  I love B&b's minis because they allow you to test drive a shampoo before committing to a full sized 8 oz bottle.  
Would I repurchase? Yes!  A full sized bottle is on my wish list!

Thanks for sticking with me through this extra long empties journey! :D

What's your HG shampoo and conditioner?  

26 comments :

  1. HG shampoo and conditioner? Hhmmm... I don't use conditioner. Just a leave in oil after drying my hair. I'm still looking for a conditioner that doesn't weigh down my fine hair AND keeping my scalp grease free. I'm trying one from Philip B and another organic brand at the moment. Need to test them longer :-)

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  2. I like that Touch of Happiness body wash from Nivea! It really smells happy! Yep, happiness has a scent :-)

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  3. I see one of my favorite hand creams up there! I don't like ALL L'Occitane hand creams, only the ones that are actually rich in shea butter. If I could stick to the original version, I'd be totally fine!

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  4. I wish I could send you my tube of the L'Occitane hand cream! I just do not like it at all! It's too thick for me and leaves my hands feeling greasy. It also doesn't absorb well and smells sort of... not pleasant to me... there must be something wrong with me because I know people who swear by it! LOL.

    That Aussie 3 Minute Miracle, though! I HEART! Cheap and effective! I also appreciate the easy dispensing mechanism (?)... it's not really a mechanism because you just squeeze it. LOL. No cap to fumble with! #winning

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  5. YAYAY Another! I remember a while back we bonded over that Nivea Body Wash; I still have the little-little-littlest bit I'm trying to get out, HAHA. I have never heard of L'Oreal's Melting Mask but, MAAAAAYN that sounds delightful. Finding a mask for fine hair can be SUCH a challenge so it's good you've already done the work for me and listed out what I should try... ;)


    Now, onto this Bumble & Bumble you've got me on. I HAVE AN EMPTY.... hahah! Tilted upside down now permanently. I can only get the tiniest amounts at a time. It is probably hands down the most luxurious shampoo I've ever used. SO much better than like Wella, Goldwell, Paul Mitchell, Regis....? It beat out all the ones I loved while working in the salon. I looked all over and couldn't find any. I found just the super rich conditioner. What is "ACW" because I'm going to need to find this mystical magical shampoo again.


    Thanks for sharing a whole 'notha round 'o empties!!
    Much Love
    -SS/BBBF/CF1

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  6. Agree on L'Occitane hand cream love and disagree on the Aussie conditioner and Nivea shower cream. The thousand nectarines nearly killed me and I finally overcame that bottle and swore never to buy that large size again. It doesn't stop me from eyeballing the other shower creams by Nivea though. LOL (Don't mind me - I just got tired of orange blossom scented things at some point last year.) I ended up donating the Aussie conditioner to someone because to my nutty hair it just felt like a reg conditioner despite all the raves. Disappoint!

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  7. I love that Nivea body wash, it smells SO good!
    The Aussie 3 Minute Miracle is one of my favorites!
    I actually haven't used it in a while, but it was my go-to's for the longest time!
    xo

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  8. will forever love the aussie conditioners. my fave smell!

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  9. LOL! I feel the same way. I've tried 2 other L'Occitane varieties and didn't come close to loving them like I do the original gangsta Shea Butter!

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  10. Absolutely!! Happiness smells like a nectarine explosion, lol!

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  11. I can't get a comb through my hair without conditioner because it's just too tangly. What kind of leave in oil do you use? I like the Aussie b/c it doesn't weigh my hair down or make it greasy at the roots. It's really hard to find a conditioner that does that!

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  12. Really?! Aw, I'm sorry the L'Occitane hand cream isn't your cup o' tea! It's definitely THICK and takes longer to soak in than other hand creams, but I must just have REALLY thirsty hands, LOL!


    And YES to the dispenser mechanism on the 3MM! That seriously makes me so happy. I love that you know exactly what I'm saying! :)

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  13. Thank you, Tracy! I did my best to use things up like a mofo. And yes, the L'Oreal mask is awesome! And quite affordable!

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  14. Oh yes! A mask that doesn't leave your hair oily for dayyyyyyys can be quite a challenge for us fine haired folks! Both the Aussie and the L'Oreal Melting Mask are GREAT! It would be awesome if you tried either one of them!


    And YES! I am so excited you loved the Creme de Coco Shampoo! I've never used some of the salon faves you listed but I love that you liked this more! ACW is All Cosmetics Wholesale! Beware...that site is PURE ADDICTION! :D They sell the little bottles of it there and it's one of the only places I've found it! Sephora carries the big boy sized bottle only.


    Thank you for reading empties round 2, lol! It was a busy summer of product draining! :)
    Mucho nachos & love,
    KB/BBBF/CF2

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  15. I'm pretty sure the phrase, "The thousand nectarines nearly killed me" has never been uttered before! HA! I love that you go through scent phases! Come to think of it...so do I. Earlier this year I was obsessed with coconut scented everythang. I don't think I'm into any particular scents right now, but that could change momentarily. Sad to hear about your Aussie experience! I've used it most of my adult life and have always found it better than salon conditioners. It's so funny how different we all are when it comes to products and how they work with our skin and hair! It keeps things interesting!

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  16. Yay for Nivea and Aussie love! I've tried other conditioners but I always go back to the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle. I also LOVE the price!

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  17. I totally agree, Elle! And the fact that it's still under $3 bucks?! What other product has stayed the same price for over a decade? I love them for that!

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  18. OH MY FREAKING THANK YOU. That ACW will be the death of me ERRRRNEEEEER. Danger.

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  19. I so want to try that bumble and bumble tropical riche shampoo! I just can't bring myself to spend so much on shampoo!

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  20. If possible, try to track down one of the travel sized bottles of it so you can try it before committing to the full size that costs a lot more. That way you'll know whether it's your hair's new BFF or not without being out mucho quid! :)

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  21. LOLOL! I know right?!? Oh there's another one called Glambot.com that's pretty dope too.

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  22. You are so rude sharing this ACW and Glambot business with me. Girl I'ma be spending before I gots the spend. HahaH!


    PS; You're not actually rude.


    :D

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  23. I know right!?!? It's terrible...yet...awesome?! I have seen so many amazing deals on those sites it's loco! ACW sometimes has Ciate mini polishes for UNDER ONE DOLLARO. WHAT?! Yes! While I know your heart loves me, your wallet's not a fan, LOLOL!

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  24. Definitely going to give the not your mother's dry shampoo next. Psst and batiste were good but are too strongly scented. I still want to wear my perfume without being overpowering. :)

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  25. EXACTLY!! You don't want your hair's fragrance to knock people over, LOL! I've definitely had several run-ins with heavily scented dry shampoos. I wonder why they're typically so strong?! I guess to cover the smell of oily hair? I don't know, but the Not Your Mothers is lovely and light! Thanks for stopping by!

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  26. That's a good hypothesis lol. I'm not sensitive to smells but even the batiste gives me headaches sometimes.

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