May was a good month for using up some beauty products that I had had for quite a while, and a few that I was sad to see go. I confess I wasn’t in purging mode, regrettably, and I only have one product that I am tossing. Maybe next month I’ll do better.
Bath & Body
- Molton Brown Delicious Rhubarb & Rose Bath & Shower Gel: I received this full size Rhubarb & Rose shower gel for review about two years ago. It is another of Molton Brown’s sophisticated and rather unusual scents. The rhubarb note definitely overpowers the rose. Truth be told, I thought this was a rhubarb and pomegranate mix. I forgot all about the rose. Rhubarb is a decidedly sharp note. Because of that, I found that this scent worked best for me as a wakeup in the morning. There’s nothing subtle about it. Yet it is very distinctive. If you are a fan of rhubarb, you really need to try Molton Brown Rhubarb & Rose. Repurchase? I will certainly buy more Molton Brown Bath & Shower Gel, but probably not this scent. I am glad I got to experience it because it is so different from the other MB scents I have tried, but it doesn’t suit me well enough to buy another bottle. Right now, I am still using Molton Brown Muddled Plum, my absolute favorite, as well as Ylang Ylang, another fave.
- Nature Island Botanicals Caribbean Escape Coconut Body Butter: NIB Caribbean Escape Body Butter (the lighter of the body butter and body lotion that is the opposite of what you’d expect) is the first product from Daphne that I ever bought, probably about 15 years ago, and it’s still my favorite. The tropical coconut scent is truly heaven. Repurchase? In fact, I tried to order another one just a few weeks ago, but Daphne sent me the Body Lotion by mistake. No matter, I love them both.
- Nature Island Botanicals Caribbean Romance Body Scrub: Daphne’s new Caribbean Romance Body Scrub was a wonderful way to extend the delicious Caribbean Escape scent. This scrub was like applying pina colada to my body, yum. Like her other body products, it was hand crafted from natural and organic oils like apricot kernel, grapeseed, vitamin E as well as shea butter. The scrub part was organic cane sugar. Delectable. I enjoyed this scrub a lot. Repurchase? I have a feeling I won’t be seeing Daphne this summer at the Cape Ann Waterfront Festival. Mostly likely it will be another casualty of the Coronavirus. But I will probably reorder it next time I place an order. In the meantime, I am enjoying the Qtica Lemon Dream Scrub that I wrote about recently. I prefer Qtica’s tube to the tub.
- Nature Island Botanicals Blood & Sweet Orange Pink Grapefruit & Bergamot Vegan Cold Process Soap: I love this soap. The hot pink, orange and white swirled colors are gorgeous, the citrus scent is divine, and the hydration as well as cleansing is perfection. Repurchase? I always do. I have quite a stash to last me a while.
- Farmhouse Fresh Maypop Steeped Milk Lotion: Like the Molton Brown Rhubarb & Rose, FHF Maypop Steeped Milk Lotion was not my favorite scent from a brand and product line that I love. Also like MB Rhubarb & Rose, the Maypop scent was sharp. Maypop is formulated with passion fruit, so I am guessing that passion fruit (I have never tried passion fruit) is the scent that doesn’t suit me. Repurchase? Right now I have a ton of hand cream, but someday I will buy FHF Steeped Milk Lotion because I love Fluffy Bunny and Honey Chai scents.
Skincare
- Coola Sun Silk Drops SPF 30: Coola Sun Silk Drops is one of my very favorite sunscreens because it is a super lightweight liquid. It’s like applying a milky lotion serum. It sinks in without a trace. I wish it came in an SPF 50 version. Repurchase? Yes, I did.
- Tony Moly The Chok Chok Green Tea Watery Essence: I love this super lightweight gel essence. It has a delightful herbal scent that disappears on contact. It definitely helps give my dry skin a drink of water. Repurchase? Yes, I did. And a set of little samples from the Chok Chok Green Tea product line came with it including a mini-tube of the Watery Essence, and I used that up already. I am now on my third bottle of Green Tea Watery Essence. It’s one of my staple skincare products.
- DefenAge 3D Eye Radiance Cream: I can’t believe it, but DefenAge 3D Eye Radiance Cream is tied for first place or may even have a slight edge as my favorite firming eye cream, along with or over Belif Moisture Bomb Eye. Repurchase? No. Unfortunately, I can’t afford this fabulous luxury eye cream that’s priced at $127, I think that’s the price 😥
- Theraderm Platinum Protection Facial Sunscreen SPF 43, sample packet: Oil-free, fragrance-free and paraben-free, this lightweight sunscreen seems terrific from the small sample I tried. Purchase? I am hoping I may be able to try it for review.
Hair
- JOICO K-PAK Color Therapy Luster Lock Instant Shine & Repair Treatment, travel size: This JOICO conditioning treatment has been my favorite conditioner for the past 3 years. It is thick, rich, and unbelievably hydrating. Repurchase? I think I did with my last order from Ulta. If I didn’t, I will.
- Color & Co Infuse Replenishing Conditioner: I am so impressed by the Replenishing Conditioner that came with the Color & Co by L’Oreal kits that I have been using to color my hair the past two months. It is not as thick as the JOICO K-PAK Treatment, and I don’t have to leave it on as long as the JOICO. Yet it leaves my hair instantly tangle-free and easy to manage. Repurchase? I will probably cancel my Color & Co subscription once I go back to my professional colorist at Vidal Sassoon, but I will check if I can buy the conditioner separately.
- Color & Co by L’Oreal Hair Color Kits: This month, I used up two color kits: permanent color for my roots that I pulled through my hair and another kit that was a demi-permanent glaze that I used a few days later to brighten up my color. Repurchase? Although I am subscribed to this monthly service, I am planning to cancel since I am going to go back to Vidal Sassoon and have my hair professionally colored. Though I enjoyed doing this and it was good while I couldn’t go to Sassoon, my hair coloring process is too complicated to do at home. My colorist was right. Nevertheless, I think that Color & Co provides a quality product. For easier single-process shades, I think it’s a good and affordable option, and the virtual online consultation was really helpful.
Health & Beauty Tools
- PopMask Starry Nights Self-Warming Eye Mask: I have used a few of these single use self-warming eye masks. They are wonderful! And now they are sold at CVS. I am hoping they’re sold at my local CVS. I’m not ready to repurchase yet since I still have some to use, but I felt like mentioning them anyway!
Since the Color & Co Infuse Replenishing Conditioner were packets that came with my kits, I won’t count them toward my month’s empties. But I wanted to mention the conditioner because it’s so darn good!
So in May, I used up 12 beauty products. Not bad. It’s 3 more than I used up in April, though in April, I forgot to count my first Color & Co by L’Oreal Hair Color Kit. Like the April empties, my empties this month tended to be large bottles that give me a feeling of accomplishment.
My total number of beauty empties for 2020 is 41. I am definitely not using up products at the same rate as in 2019, but I am not giving up! What did you use up in May?
Purges/Expired Products
- Cremeplexion by Humboldt Soap Company: I am so upset with myself that I put Cremeplexion aside while I went on to test other moisturizers that I had been sent for review. I forgot where I put it, and now it has hardened and gone off (it’s about 18 months old.) Because Cremeplexion is a handcrafted, natural, anti-aging facial moisturizer, and it has no preservatives, it needs to be tossed. I loved this moisturizer, the creamy whipped, mousse-like consistency was a dream. I am angry that I didn’t use it up. My bad. At some point in the future when I am not drowning in facial moisturizers, I will buy it and also the Whipped Body Butter that I also love.
5 Comments
You did quite an impressive job with your empties, Allison! Like you, I didn’t toss out any expired items, and hope that I can clear some time to do it this month!
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Another big fan of Cremeplexion. Right now I have several great moisturizers open and in use but I’ll buy Cremeplexion next. You are doing a gre job on your empties. It’s hard to use up anything in the cosmetic dept these days though I did use a mascara about 2 weeks ago and had to toss it. I’ll wait to open my new ones for when I go out to a few appointments.
Well done finishing all of these! I also like the COOLA drops because I can use them in the summer and my skin won’t look too oily. Love the serumy texture too!
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The Coola Sun Silk Drops really are the best because the lotion is so lightweight. Now I just wish they’d make it in SPF 50
I feel the same about the Coola Sundrops! It needs to be SPF 50!