December 2019 Empties : Fragrance, Bodycare, Makeup

I mentioned in my November Empties that I was going to attempt to hit 250 products total as a milestone for the year. I had a dig around in my cupboards and found some deluxe sized products I thought would be easily used up during December. So between Christmas and New Year I decided to spend some time adding up the final products to my spreadsheet for the year. and I was shocked at how much I’d smashed where I thought I would be at the end of the year as I finished up 43 products instead of the required 19! As a result of having so many empties, I’ve split my December 2019 empties two posts so it’s a more digestible size!

Bodycare

Boots Zingy Lime Shower Gel
I’ve been loving the Boots own brand shower gels and the lime one was really nice and refreshing. Cheap, cheerful and does the job well.
Repurchase? Yes

Bayliss and Harding Jasmine and Apple Blossom Hand Soap
We finished up a lot of hand soaps in December, this one was one in our kitchen. We both liked the scent of this one.
Repurchase? I would sneak this in again!

Lifeology Wash Away the Day & Lifeology Hey You Feeling Good? Hand Soaps
We had one of these in our downstairs loo and one in our ensuite, and we’ve been using them since when we moved in in November 2018! I like these as the bottles aren’t huge. I preferred the Pink Pepper scent out of the two, but I did enjoy using both.
Repurchase? I believe M&S have discontinued these from their Lifeology line which is a shame as they were pretty cheap!

Dove Maximum Protection Deodorant
I pick this up when I can’t find my beloved Mitchum in shops as a close second in the deodorant stakes. Works well, I like this version which has a light and fresh cucumber scent.
Repurchase? Yes

Aqua Viva Orange Grove Hand and Body Lotion
I found this little sample lingering in my cupboard so I used it up, I think this might have been a hotel swipe (Ben’s favourite past time!). This actually smelt quite nice and the orange scent made me feel all festive so I gave myself a slather of this on Christmas Eve.
Repurchase? N/A

Makeup

Topshop Intense Mascara [Gifted by Very.co.uk] Review
This was a good all round mascara, it wasn’t as volumising as I would normally like but I did like it’s slimline brush for the bottom lashes in particular. This did last me a good few months but the formula started going a bit too dry after around 3 months, so I decided to swap it out.
Repurchase? I’ve heard that Topshop Makeup has been discontinued again?! It’s only been out for about 6 months!

Maybelline Tattoo Brow Pen [Gifted by Latest in Beauty]
This isn’t technically an empty but I am giving up with it. I got this in a beauty box last year and have tried it several times. Firstly the colour is a little too light for me and would probably need a darker colour if I was to ever buy it. But I just can’t get it to work, as soon as you have makeup on your face the felt nip just doesn’t work. On clean fresh skin it seems to smudge.
Repurchase? Nope

NYX Proof It Eye Primer Review
This lasted me around 6 months, which considering it’s quite a small little tube is quite impressive. I have had other products which have lasted me slightly longer, but this has been a good primer and I did enjoy using it. It makes eyeshadows slightly water resistant, but not water proof – but it is a good eye primer overall.
Repurchase? Maybe, I’ve picked up something different to replace this, but I might in future.

Real Techniques Blush Brush
One makeup tool that’s being retired! I’ve had this since Real Techniques first launched in the UK, so it’s served me well over the years. It’s been falling away as I’ve been cleaning for a good year but the glue has remained stuck together so I’ve been able to just pop it back in, but the glue is now falling away and the brush is shedding.
Repurchase? No need at the moment, but I would check them out in future.

Fenty Pro Filtr Foundation Review
I re-reviewed this recently and my thoughts on this foundation seem to be ever changing. I concentrated on trying to finish this up in December and I enjoyed it more than I mentioned in my review. I do find the finish of this foundation lovely, and actually in December I found that it lasted really well on my skin, however I do still feel like I use too much product.
Repurchase? *sigh* maybe, I’m so torn on it. Not immediately required however.

Makeup Obsession Pure Bake Transparent Powder
This was one of the worst powders I’ve used in a long time. Firstly, leaves a white cast when initially applied, you have to wait for it to melt into the skin for a good 30 minutes before this looks okay. Didn’t really control oil, and I didn’t really feel like it set my makeup, just made me feel cakier. Bloody awful.
Repurchase? Absolutely not.

CYO Matte and Blur Primer
I picked this up in August and has been the main primer I’ve been using. This was a decent primer, not the most blurring but it did seem to help keep my skin matter than most blur primers.
Repurchase? No, plus I think CYO is being discontinued.

Urban Decay Shapeshifter Palette [Gifted] Review
I’m declaring this palette finished now, I’ve finished 3 of the powder shades up which has taken me pretty much all year! I liked the contour shade, the highlighter was subtle so tended to use that layered with other highlighters, and the other I finished up was the matte setting powder. The Bronzer I don’t think will be my shade until the summer, I tried using it a few times over Christmas and I just felt like it wasn’t quite right for me. The cream side of this palette I do like, but quite honestly, I can not be arsed with cream contour to keep this around. I’ve recently had a really bad customer experience with Urban Decay and I don’t plan on supporting them anymore, so I was begrudging using this up.
Repurchase? No, but I also believe they have been discontinued.

Fragrance

Fragrance

Armani In Love With You [Gifted Secret Scent Box]
I really liked this, it was a nice balance between fruity and floral. I think that this would be slightly more suited to summer personally, but it would be a fragrance I would consider having it in my collection as a full size.

DKNY Woman Fall Energizing [Gifted Secret Scent Box]
Not my favourite fragrance, a very floral fragrance but it’s quite magnolia which is the one note in florals I’m really not too keen on! Long lasting but just not for me.

Calvin Klein Truth [Gifted Secret Scent Box]
This was a nice light fragrance that would have been good as something fairly neutral for every day. Decent lasting power.

Paco Rabanne Olympea 80ml – Review
I had no intention of finishing this up, but I picked up a perfume with my Boots points once the sale hit, and it’s fairly similar to Paco Rabanne Olympea, so I decided to finish this off between Christmas and New Year. I love this perfume and wore it on my wedding day, I believe this is my third bottle of this and has definitely been my most used perfume over the past five years.
Repurchase? Yes

General Consumables

Colgate Total Toothpaste
Good toothpaste, tends to be on the cheaper side so we pick it up when nothing else is on offer.
Repurchase? Yes

Oral B 3D White Whitening Therapy with Coconut Oil [Gifted by Superdrug]
When it comes to non minty toothpastes I’m normally pretty dubious, but we both really enjoyed this toothpaste and said we would definitely have it again. It’s a blend between a mint flavour, but the coconut does bring it down a notch and adds a slightly coconutty taste.
Repurchase? Yes

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My skincare and haircare empties will be up first thing tomorrow. Let me know in the comments what products were in your December 2019 empties, and if you’ve tried any of these before let me know in the comments what you thought! I will have part two up tomorrow and then we’ll have my yearly spreadsheet and chart review following early next week.

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