Today I’ll be sharing my March 2018 empties! I am happy to have used up 8 items this month, even if most of them were sample sized products. The reason I love reading and watching others’ empties posts/videos is because I love to hear about their experience using the entire product – how their opinion changed over time and if they’d repurchase it again in the future.

Empties

Makeup

1. Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer – Radiance with Hyaluronic Acid, sample
   I mentioned in my Project Pan Update #3 that I didn’t really love this product, other than the fact this sample size lasted over three weeks once I started panning it. I did not find this to have a particularly radiant effect, which may be due to the tone of the primer not being perfect for my fair skin, and the texture was thicker than I prefer. It doesn’t have the full silicone feeling of the original Smashbox primer, but it has enough for me to be turned off.
   Repurchase? Not for me, but I’d like to try the Primerizer sometime.
2. Burberry Fresh Glow Luminous Fluid Base – Nude Radiance (01), sample
   I only had a few days of use in this product once I started using it after the Smashbox Primer, and I remembered why I didn’t finish it up when I first got it with my Sephora points. I would say this product was a little more glowy than the Smashbox primer on me, most likely due to the lighter shade of the product, but I don’t feel like it did anything in particular for the longevity of my makeup. I don’t know if that’s this product’s intended purchase, but I didn’t find that it worked for me as a primer. I imagine it would do well to add some dewiness to a matte foundation.
   Repurchase? No. I certainly wouldn’t spend $48 to use this just as a foundation mixer, especially when there’s other luminous products from the drugstore I like a lot better that also double as g
3. Covergirl Peacock Flare Mascara
   Finally. I ended up only using this mascara for 2 months (minus a day), but I just couldn’t stand it any longer. I’ll say first that I truly love some Covergirl mascaras – namely anything in the Lash Blast range – but I really cannot stand the brush on this one. If I hadn’t received this for free in an Influenster box, I wouldn’t have purchased it myself to start with because I could tell I wouldn’t like the brush. I was able to make it work enough for my top lashes, but it was difficult to fully control the overall look. It seemed like once I tried to direct some lashes one way, another part of the brush would move the ones I was already happy with. Also, this brush is not meant for your bottom lashes. I had so many days where I had to wait for the specks of product to dry and carefully try to reapply my lower lashline eyeshadow work because this stuff got everywhere.
   Repurchase? Never.

Skincare

1. BRTC Jasmine Waterful Sleeping Pack, sample
   I’ve spoken about this mask a bit in my Face Mask Challenge posts, and I actually finished this back in February. (Oops!) I got a sample size of this mask in an ipsy bag a while ago, and I’d used it occasionally, but really just a small amount each time. Due to this, I probably got 15-20 uses out of this small tube! However, on the last time I used the mask, I probably used 2-3 times as much as I had typically, so I’m guessing I really should have just got about 10 uses from the tube, if that. Wow, did the extra product make the difference! This is an overnight mask, which is my favorite type of mask, and I’d been sort of disappointed by how little it moisturized my face in comparison to other overnights. When I used more of it and just let it be a little gooey to start with (it fully dried down within 10 minutes) I woke up with that baby soft feeling that I hope for with any overnight mask, but especially one called a “waterful sleeping pack”.
   Repurchase? Probably not. In the end, it was alright for me, but I think it would be a great option for an overnight mask for someone with oily skin due to the gel consistency in comparison to the creamier masks I like for my dry skin.
2. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Face Moisturizer, sample
   Admittedly, my husband used most of this up, but I used it a few times during a weekend trip back in October where I needed a moisturizer without SPF. This is also more of a gel-style moisturizer, which I like more for daytime use in the summer.
   Repurchase? As much as I love the FAB brand, I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy this again, but if it ended up in a kit sometime, I wouldn’t be upset.
3. bonvivant Botanical Mask Pack – Collagen+Olive
   I also used this sheet mask last night, so it’s not pictured. I got it in an ipsy bag quite a while ago, included as one of three masks. I’ve put off using this one because I didn’t like the other two because the serum seemed to peel/flake off later, even after rinsing my face. (I always rinse my face after a sheet mask, even though they say to just rub the excess in.) I checked the expiration before using and it said August 2018, so I was in the clear. I made this work by using my Clinique toner after rinsing off the serum – no weird flakes today! (I can’t find a link for this, so it may no longer be available.)

Bath & Body

1. eos Ultra Moisturizing Shave Cream – Pomegranate Raspberry
   I’ve now used both the lavender jasmine and pomegranate raspberry versionsof this shave cream, and I like it fine for what it is. Repurchase? Yes, but I would want to try the vanilla bliss version. I’m using the Up&Up brand of shaving cream for now because I had a cartwheel deal for it. (P.S. I tossed this right after finishing it up, so it’s not in the photo.)
2. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream – unscented (2 oz tub)
   I’d included this as an item in my Project Pan, but I only ended up having two uses left in it. I adore this for any sort of lotion, balm, body cream/butter type of use, and I will always want to have this on hand in at least one scent and size. I prefer the unscented version most out of the ones I’ve tried so far, but I’ve noticed there’s a few other scents on the FAB brand website, so I may check some of them out later.
   Repurchase? Always.

What products did you finish up this month? What products do you have that just don’t seem to quit?

– Natalie

P.S. Here’s some referral links to some of my favorite sites. Use if you’d like!

• Ebates – This is a great way to earn cash back from online shopping (that you’re already doing) at many of your favorite stores! (Including Sephora & Ulta!) If you join through this link and make a purchase of $25 or more, you’ll get an extra $10 cash back and I’ll get $15, as well as your own referral code.
• thredUP – I love using thredUP to clean out my closet and shop for new pieces at a discounted price – sometimes they’re even brand new with tags! When you join thredUP through this link, you get $10 to spend and I get $10 to shop after you place your first order.
• StitchFix – This is a great way to try out some new items for your closet, without the hassle of going to the stores and the bonus of a personal stylist. If you sign up with this link, you’ll get a FREE styling fee (usually $20) on your first Fix, and I’ll get $25 credit once it ships.