August Empties

It's that time again! Time to clear out the junk from the previous month and fill up the recycle bin! Haha!!

Each month I save up things that the fam and I have completely used up and finished. We have tons of new and partially used goodies around our home and I started this project to motivate me to try some new things. It's so easy to just reach for the same thing again and again, you know?? It's actually been really fun and I hope you enjoy this monthly peek "behind the scenes," too! 

I include bath and body products - except things that are obviously TOO TMI! haha! - and some household things that I feel strongly enough about to share! Let's see what we got into in August!! 

Sunscreens

1. Coppertone Ultra Guard SPF 50 - ugh, I've said it before and will repeat it, not a fan of spray sunscreens. They always manage to stain our lighter fabrics and they never seem to last as long as regular containers. I guess you are paying for ease of application?? Idk. This stuff stung eyes, too, so all around fail. Best thing we used it for was to put a quick spray on scalps and it was fine for that... But in general, not a fan.

2. Banana Boat Sport SPF 50 - the winner this summer, my absolute favorite. Does the job, doesn't sting eyes, lasts a long time even on fair skin. Feels good going on, not so thick and white and crazy like some others we have used. Love this stuff.

3. Murad Essential C Day Moisture SPF 30 - I wanted to love this, I really did, to the point that I KEPT using it even after I saw how shiny it made my face. The 3rd or 4th time I exercised with it on and wound up with stinging eyes, though, I gave up. The last little bit goes in the trash. Fail. :(

4. Water Babies SPF 30 Stick - OMG. My kids HATE these sunscreen sticks. Like, for real. Hate them. Unfortunately for them they work really, really well and I have a stash of them that going to take us a while to work through, so too bad!!  LOL

5. SkinCeuticals Sport UV Defense SPF 45 - eh, nothing special, and such a small tube. It wasn't enough for one trip to the pool! LOL

6. Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF 40 - oh my goodness.... This stuff is amazing. It is almost impossible to believe that it's SPF 40. It feels and smells like a luxurious lotion or serum. Absolutely loved it, turned it upside down to get last few drops out, so sad it's empty!!

Stuff the Girls Used

7. Bath and Body Works Honeysuckle Shower Gel - the girls used most of this then I finished it up. Great basic body wash and I love the honeysuckle scent!

8. H2O Disney Bath Soap - I always horde all the bathroom goodies while we are at Disney so the girls will have some fun things for their bathroom at home. The round soaps embossed with Mickey and bubbles are always a hit!

9. Flintstones Multi Vitamins - these are the girls' favorites. Probably because sugar is an ingredient and I think maybe they taste like Sour Patch Kids?? Still vitamins, though, and the only ones they REMIND me to give them, so they are a win for me!

10.  Still working on working through the build up of travel sizes in our guest bathroom!

- Zenology Vitalising Conditioner x 2 - not a big fan of this sycamore fig scent!
- Bath & Body Works Energizing Conditioner - this orange ginger scent was nice!

Hair Supplies

11. Tresemme' Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray - oh Tresemme'. This brand is an official sponsor of Mercedes Benz Fashion week so I have brought home boatloads of freebies over the last few years. They have yet to give me supermodel results, but I use it all up eventually! I used this spray on damp hair to detangle and protect from heat styling and it seemed to work well enough. Wouldn't go out of my way to hunt it down and buy it, though!

12. Moroccan Oil Light - ok... I didn't want to be a Moroccan Oil believer, but I am. The stuff is incredible. I used it on off days between washings as sort of a leave-in therapy and my hair is transformed. It looks overall healthier, thicker, so much less dry. The stuff is fabulous and worth every penny. I have a bottle of the Suave version that came in the Allure Summer Must Haves and I'm trying to give it a fair chance... Maybe it will surprise me!

13. Clear Scalp and Hair Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner - I received this set wayyyy back in the Allure Summer Must Have box and finally got around to using it up. It's actually pretty great! My curly hair seemed moisturized without ever feeling weighed down and my often dry scalp was never an issue! Will rebuy when work through some of the stock around here! :)

Body Cleansers

 14. Bliss Mini Blue Bar - hubs loves a good bar soap and there's nothing from Bliss that I DON'T love, so this is a win win! Smells soooo good, is nice and scrubby like he prefers! Awesome product!

15. LUSH sea vegetable soap - love me some Lush! I kept this one mostly to myself, using in at my vanity in place of my usual pump hand soap

16. Coconut Island Quench Body Wash - smells sooooo good, like summer in a bottle! Loved this!

17. Yes To Cucumbers Facial Towlettes - I received these in my summer FabFitFun box. The strong cucumber smell of these is not my favorite but they are nice, thick wipes and they were perfect for cleaning dirty flip flop feet!

18. Ivory Bar Soap - I had to buy a huge Multi-pack of this stuff for the girls to do that experiment where you microwave it. Have you done that?? It's awesome, for kids and grownups alike! LOL! We are slowly alternating the remaining bars with other soaps in both kid and adult showers!

Misc Household

19. Target Moisturizing Hand Soap Aloe Vera - We've gone through tons and tons of hand soaps from Bath and Body Works and I bought this big refill at Target to try to cut down on our anti-bacterial use. I'm under the impression that this has helped build our immune systems a bit this summer? Is that true?? Lol! I bought the honey one to use now, hopefully it will be moisturizing as we head into fall!!

20. Henri Bendel Wild Roseberry Candle - love these candles! I got this one in the PopSugar Summer Must Have Box and it was thoroughly enjoyed! However, it's a higher price point than the 3 Wick candles at Bath & Body Works and I don't think it scented the whole area as well as those do (and you can grab those all the time on 2 for $20 deals!).

21. Bath & Body Works Mint Chocolate Foaming Hand Soap - love these foaming hand soaps, and the ones like this that smell yummy enough to eat are the best!

22. Kroger brand Wet Wipes - like every other mom, love me some wet wipes. This canister got used up in the car. Also like every other mom, we are busy busy busy and way too often find ourselves eating while driving around!

Body Stuff

23. St. Tropes Self-Tanning Lotion - Boo!! So sad this bottle is empty!! As I mentioned in an earlier post on tanners, this brand is my absolute fave. Don't worry, though, I have a backup! ;)

24. Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Glow Pad (exfoliating face tanner plus active vitamin D) - I have continued to love these things. I got them in my July Blush Beauty box and they are perfect for the face! Such natural color and a healthy glow!

25.  Philip B. Chocolate Milk Body Creme - not very moisturizing, but smells good enough to eat!!

26. Julep Instant Warming Foot Scrub - I got this all the way back in my Julep Boho Glam intro box! The little tiny sample pack really wasn't the massive glob I would have loved to have split between two feet, but it was enough to tell that the stuff is awesome. I've never felt a product  warm up like this before??? It's fantastic and left my tootsies super smooth. I'll be ordering a full size one!!

More general stuff...

27. Crest White Strips - ugh.... Including these just because I'm curious if ANYONE can use these without major tooth sensitivity??? They kill my teeth every time. I can't make it anywhere close to the recommended 30 minutes, usually peel them off about halfway through. Wish I knew a good dentist that could just whiten for me! Oh... Wait.... ;)

28. Target women's daily multi-vitamins - Girls have their vitamins, I gotta get myself in good shape, too! ;)

29. Neutrogena Mouthwash - travel sample that finally got used. Comments... um, it's mouthwash!? LOL

30. Old Spice Fiji Deodorant - ok, still borderline TMI, still my favorite in forever. I can't be the only woman who uses men's products, right???

31.   Crest toothpaste with Scope - I know, I know, toothpaste is borderline TMI, too, but people are always curious about a dentist's family, so I usually include it. As I've said before, the fam uses whatever I buy and I buy whatever's on sale. I tend towards Crest but am feeling a change of heart recently towards Colgate! ;)

Face/skin care

32. Canyon Ranch Balance Light-Weight Moisture - a great, light moisturizer for summertime! I don't think it did anything particularly remarkable for the $75 price tag, though, so wouldn't buy again

33. Clinique Seven Day Scrub Cream - this stuff is has a super fine, gritty texture that always seems too rough for my skin.... I like a good scrub every once in a while, but this it too severe for me (and I'm usually not super sensitive to that sort of thing!)

34. Olay anti-aging eye roller - I always have such high hopes for eye rollers and their claims to massage and de-puff under eye areas... Have yet to find one that wows me. Suggestions?? 

35. Airbrush Refining Eye Cream - received this deluxe sample in my July Blush Mystery Beauty Bag and... Its fine. But I want more than "fine" from an eye cream. This seemed like a basic, decent eye cream. I never felt wowed and I definitely never felt airbrushed! Haha!

36. Simple Eye Makeup Remover Pads - yep, officially hooked on these. I got the first pack in the Allure Summer Must Haves box and have now bought my 3rd pack. They contain vitamins and my lashes have never looked better - probably in part from the fact that I actually take my mascara off consistently now! Lol!

37. Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado - I picked up this free sample in the Atlanta airport with the Foursquare app. I'm always up for free!! Haha! Idk what it is about me and Kiehl's.... I know people love the brand but I've never found a must have item here. This one was no exception. Nobody loves avocado more than me but the waxy, weird texture of this eye cream that refused to sink into my skin? Not a fan.

Makeup/color

38. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 - I've been obsessed with this stuff for years and have used tube after tube after tube. It's what I think so many of the BB (and CC and DD...) creams try so hard to be! Seriously, it's lightweight and uber flattering and PERFECT. I'm in the process of trying to be open-minded to competitors but my standards are HIGH because of this product!!   

39. Carnelian Lip Balm - well, not technically empty, but I finally gave up! I got this stuff in the May Our Local Box and it has seriously taken me two months to get about halfway through it! And I don't even like it! LOL! It's a natural product, which is awesome for lips, but it's super hard and waxy and I had to press and smush and work it to try to get some coverage... Not a fan!

40. Cargo blu_ray Lip Gloss - I've heard about Cargo glosses forever but this is the first I have tried one. If this little sample was a true representation, the stuff is amazing. Slight minty smell/taste, great smooth coverage, never sticky. Seriously awesome, I scraped every little drop out of the container!!

41. Lip Fusion Micro Collagen Lip Plump in Bare - love love love this stuff! It's so rare to actually use up an entire lip gloss but this stuff is perfect. Somewhere between lip gloss and stick in coverage, it's nice and tingly and gives a plumped effect!

42. OPI Nail Lacquer in Absolutely Alice - how rare is it to actually use up an entire nail polish??? This stuff was fabulous and was a hit with grownups and kids alike. Such a deep, rich stunning glitter. Loved it!!



What do you think?? Do you see anything you love on this list?? I'm so nosy by nature and I'd LOVE to see your empties for September! Grab a bag and start saving them up! You might just be surprised at how much - or how little - you actually consume!! 

July Empties! Shew. That's a LOT!! What did you use up last month??

Time again to share what REALLY got used around my house in the previous month! I LOVE being nosy and I feel like this is kind of the ultimate "nosy!" Well, not ULTIMATE, there are some *TMI* things that don't get included, but otherwise it's pretty honest! Haha!

Sunscreens

1. Banana Boat Sport SPF 30 - love this stuff. It is seriously the only kind I can think of right off the top of my head that doesn't sting eyes when used on the face. It claims that it won't run into eyes and apparently its true! There's nothing worse than eyes burning from sunscreen when trying to enjoy the pool or beach!!

2. Coppertone Tanning Lotion SPF 8 - uh... I freak out with less than SPF 30, but hubs goes for the minimal. This bottle was his. It has that great Coppertone smell that just smells like summer! I guess somehow that gets lost when up amp the SPF up to 75! LOL!

3. Banana Boat Sport Coolzone SPF 30 - eh, I'm just not a big fan of spray sunscreens. I feel like they wind up being so much more expensive because they never last very long. I guess you're paying for the convenience of not having to rub it in??? Idk... This one was ok. Didn't notice quite as much fabric yellowing as with some others. The girls were not big fans of the cold effect as it is applied.

4. Hawaiian Tropic Shimmer Effect SPF 20 - I got this little bottle as a free sample with a sunscreen purchase. It was great! It has a golden shimmery effect to it that's really pretty when you're putting it on. I'm not sure that you look anything other than sweaty once you start sweating, but it at least made me feel a little prettier than a regular SPF! Haha!

5. Coppertone Ultraguard SPF 30 - this stuff goes on THICK, like a white coat of paint! Lol! I usually buy 50 for the girls but this SPF 30 works just as well as any 50 out there. I definitely haven't used it successfully on faces, though!

Stuff the girls used

6. Various hotel samples - the girls are continuing to use up some of our guest room supplies that were piling up!

- KennetMD Shampoo and Conditioner - eh, nothing special


- H2O Disney Conditioners - love the smell of this product! And love having little bits of Disney to use at home! :) So thick we couldn't get the end of it out of the bottles!


- REN Pro-Vitamin Conditioner - they are using lots of conditioner??? Lol


- Portico White Ginger Clarifying Shampoo - I love the smell of this stuff!!


- Westin Heavenly Spa White Tea Aloe Shampoo - Dylan requests Westin hotels by name, so she's happy to use anything from there! ;)


- Bath & Body Works Rain Kissed Leaves Conditioner - way too runny for me, I like a thick goopy conditioner!

7. Makeup Palette from Disney - we have several of these around here, from Bibbity Boppity Boutique makeovers. This one was face down on the beige carpet, complete with makeup everywhere, so this particular one is done! Lol!

8. Victoria's Secret Luscious Kisses Eau de Toilette - that name! Scandalous!! Lol! This stuff is way too over the top fragrance-wise for me, which makes it perfect for the girls! Haha! I think maybe the tooth fairy brought this one!

9. Colgate Total Advanced Mouth Rinse - this was a dental sample given to hubs, Dylan used it all up on her post-op instructions of rinsing 3x a day. It definitely wasn't as insanely minty as lots of mouthwashes, I guess, because she never seemed to mind it!

Stuff used in the adult shower

10. Molton Brown Vitalising Bath & Shower Gel - I got this fab little shower gel from my guest room at the Iroquois Hotel in NYC. Perfect little boutique hotel, giving out super posh toiletries just adds to the awesomeness!

11. Zest Body Wash - so cheap, but so good. Great basic soap, love this (manly?) Ocean Breeze one! Pretty sure I used up more than the hubs did! ;)

12. Aveda travel size - we stayed at the fabulous ME Hotel in Cancun this month (maybe you remember it from Rock of Love? Maybe we are the only ones who watched that show?? Lol). They kept our room stocked with tons of Aveda, so I used and hoarded tons of Aveda! Lol! The housekeeping was so efficient, they kept throwing my empties away, so I only managed to make it home with a few of them! I'm sure they thought I was some crazy American, saving my trash! LMAO! Aveda in general, I love it all!

- Energizing Body Cleanser
- Refreshing Bath Bar
- Rosemary Mint Conditioner

13. TRESemme' Split Remedy Conditioner - ugh, the TRESemme'. This brand is one of the official sponsors of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week so I've come home from there the last few years with boatloads of free products from them. Def not my favorite, def no supermodel fabulous results for me, but I have used up a ton of it regardless since it's free! LOL!

14. Spa Touch Salt Glow Body Scrub - this was reviewed highly on Sally Beauty's website and was relatively inexpensive for a big tub of scrub. I was really happy with it! It was super gritty, like I prefer a body scrub to be, but had enough oil to leave my skin feeling exfoliated AND moisturized. Good deal!

Face treatments

15. Lancome Bienfait Multi-Vital SPF 30 - omg... This stuff is AH-mazing!! This was one of the sunscreen samples in this year's Sephora sun care sampler and I am in LOVE. It feels like putting on a super posh face cream. Nothing about it feels like sun protection. So lightweight and dreamy. Unless something better surfaces in the rest of the samples (seems impossible), this is the one I'm buying!!

16. Lancome Genefique Eye Cream - I bought this after reading through a million reviews online. It's okay, seemed to do basically what a nighttime eye cream should, but I wasn't wowed in any way, won't be repurchasing.

17. Murad Age Reform Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture for Eyes - loved this! Super, super rich and hydrating, which is exactly what I want an eye cream to be! This is on my list to look for if I ever use up all my samples! LOL!

18. Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Glow Pad - love these!! I got these in my July Blush Beauty box and was so anxious to try them. They are "anti-aging exfoliating self tanner with active vitamin D" (for the face). They give such great natural color - enough color to tell you put some tanner on! I feel weird about tanners on my face and these are the first ones I've really liked! And judging by lots of other "glowing" reviews I've seen, I'm not the only one in love!!

19. Ole Henriksen Ultimate Lift Eye Gel - this is an eye gel that is used for reducing puffiness and wrinkles. It's got a thick gel texture and I felt like it was instantly tightening the under eye ares upon application. My main issue with it is the fact that it's supposed to be used at night - when I could care less about puffiness and wrinkles! Lol! I definitely felt like the eye area looked rested in the mornings - but was it because i was on vacation?? When I used it in the mornings, there were days that I actually ventured out with no concealer - gasp! - but it doesn't actually do much for darkness under eyes and, when I tried to apply concealer over it, it got all weird and flaky. This little .1 oz packet lasted over a week, even using it twice a day some days, so it felt like there was a lot of value for the price.

Facial cleansers

20. Exuviance Age Reverse BioActiv Wash - A facialist gave me this cleanser a while back. It's ok, I like the foamy texture and my face felt very clean, but sometimes TOO clean, like it was overly drying, and that was only using it once a day instead of the recommended 2x. The stuff runs almost $40 for a 4.2 ounce bottle, won't be purchasing.

21. Chantecaille Rice and Geranium Foaming Cleanser - I can't remember where I got this sample? I thought from sephora but it doesn't look like they sell this brand. I found it online at nordstrom, bloomingdales, etc. and it prices out at $60 for a 2.4 oz tube, making this little sample worth something like $4. Figures, because I LOVED it. It's thick and kind of gritty going on and then turns luxuriously foamy when wet. The price... *sigh*... but I'm definitely putting this one on my "want" list!!

22. Simple Eye Makeup Remover Wipes - these came in the Allure Summer Must Have box and they are wonderful. I'm so bad about sleeping with eye makeup on and these have made it so easy to remove that I take it off every night! Plus they have vitamins! My lashes have always been long but I can seriously see a positive difference in them after a month of using these. I've already bought more. These are a definite must have for me now!!

23. Dickinson's Witch Hazel Towelettes - I also received these individually packaged face cleaning sheets in my Allure Summer Must Haves box and they have been great! They are especially convenient for traveling since they eliminate a potential leaker in the suitcase if you tend to use liquid face wash like I do. I definitely feel like they are environmentally wasteful, with the packaging and the cloth itself all going in the trash, so even though I love them for occasional travel, can't see buying these to use at home on a daily basis. (I know, I know, same logic applies to #22, I'm going to try not to use a pack EVERY month).

Body treatments and products

24. Phillip Thomas Roth Mega-Rich Body Lotion - def wouldn't call this one "mega-rich," more like "barely moisturizing,"  but the smell was nice!

25. Gucci Flora perfume sample - nah, way too "flora," in all the wrong ways for me! ;)

26. Tarte Brazilliance Self Tanner - this sample was included in Sephora 2013 summer sun set and it's fab!! There was plenty in this little bottle to do my legs a couple of times. There is absolutely NO self-tanner smell at all and the color is soooo natural. It goes on kind of purple at first, which was unusual, and I'm not crazy about the 8 hour wait to shower or exercise. Basically you have to do it at bedtime, which is fine. If I didn't have so many tanner products to work through, I would have already bought more of this one!

27. Zenga Intenso - hubs used this little random cologne sample. Smelled good, nothing outstanding!

28. Dove Power Deodorant - this was a mercy freebie given to me when my bags didn't make the trip to Mexico. I def prefer a scent other than super strong baby powder but beggars can't be choosers! Haha!

29. Tan Towel self-tanning sheets - oh tan towel, I have sung your praises louder than anyone and now I'm having my doubts. It's not that the color is bad, it's that there is NO color showing up for me with these anymore. I wonder if your skin can get immune to it or something?? Idk.... Been disappointed in the lack of results lately. Is this the end of an era?? :(


30. Julep Rock Star Hand Creme - great smell, perfect weight for a quick application at bedtime. I have a full size bottle of this from a monthly Julep box that I will get to eventually!

Random stuff! 

31. Crest Complete Toothpaste - a weird thing to include, but hubs is a dentist and people ask us about toothpaste all the time... Haha! The truth is, he uses whatever I buy and I buy whatever is on sale. Always crest or colgate, though! ;)

32. Various toothpaste and toothbrush samples. These are some of the things that were given to us when our bags didn't make the trip TWICE in the last few months (Santa Barbara and Cancun). I will never switch back to a regular toothbrush after having an electric for years, but this is making me rethink my commitment to Crest toothpaste. These Colgate samples were great (and how adorns is that tiny little tube???).

33. Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Grooming Pomade - this was a huge tub! Hubs made it about 2/3 of the way through before the texture started going weird and it needed to be pitched. Not a re-buy, for sure

34. Sally Hansen Hard as Nails - old school formula, finally used it up trying to repair my sad, sad nails. I think they are looking some better but I welcome any and all nail treatment/base coat recommendations!!

35. Mary Kay Signature Nail Polish in Red Hot - I went through a major MK polish phase for a while, it always seemed almost healthy for my nails! This bottle finally leaked/handle broke/gave up on us! LOL!

36. Bath & Body Works pocket bac - we go through a ton of these little hand sanitizers! They are stashed in cars, backpacks, purses, etc. I've been trying to cut back on the antibacterial stuff this summer, though, hoping to beef up our immune systems a little bit, so we haven't been using quite as many!

And a bit more random stuff!

37. Fish Oil soft gels - ok, also kind of weird thing to include, but I'm mostly CELEBRATING them being GONE! It's kind of been a running joke how huge this bottle was and how long it's taken to get rid of them. These were the hubby's, btw, and thank goodness I never noticed any of the "fish burps" that these bottles often warn about.... Omg. :(

38. Softsoap Cherry Blossom hand soap - I picked up a few of these different hand soaps at target on a whim one day when i was thinking of continuing my effort to minimize our use of anti-bacterial stuff this summer. In my head, I feel like this will give our immune systems a chance to catch up a little bit... Possibly completely inaccurate. Haha! Anyways, I normally keep the hand soaps from Bath & Body Works and these Softsoap ones have been such a great replacement surprise! Smell so good, feel so moisturizing, I might just be switching permanently!!

39. Flintstones Sour Gummies Multi-vitamins - not sure why Kroger keeps giving me coupons for kids vitamins that makes them basically free... Probably because I keep buying them??? Haha! The girls loved these. Of course, they would probably take any "medicine" happily if it had sugar in it! ;)

40. So Fresh So Clean makeup remover towelettes - I bought these at an Urban Outfitters clearance sale for next to nothing, like $.40 I think? I love packs of wet wipes like these. I've used these on everything from my feet after a long day in flip flops to the dog's butt after a poop situation! Haha!


41. Cute nail clippers - RIP happy nail clippers I bought in Maui years ago, I hate to see you broken! :( I'll be keeping the "girl" to use as a cuticle pusher, so not a total loss! ;)


This has been such a fun exercise to look back on what we are really consuming! It has made me more aware of actually FINISHING products and of trying some of the piles of new things that we have around! My goal is to use an average of an item a day and we definitely passed that goal in July! 

It's still so early in the month! Start today and show me next month what you used in August!! Your partner might think you're a little nuts when you start saving trash but you can just hang a bag discreetly on the back of a closet door like I do!! Haha! 

Hope you enjoyed this behind-the-scenes peek! Here's the link to June's Empties if you want to peek a little more! Happy August! 

July Giveaway! Blush Beauty June Box - $100 value!

So, after the hot mess that was my Blush Beauty June Mystery Box, I contacted the company and was quickly issued a replacement box! The customer service was actually really outstanding, and was the difference in me canceling this subscription or not. If they hadn't sent a new box, I would have been done. Since they so quickly did, I'm sticking around!

This was my box! Your box is packed up all safe and sound! :)

I've already got these products to try and thought this would be a perfect thing to use for my July giveaway! The products are outlined in my box review post and they have a value right at $100! There are ways to enter each day, so come back and enter often! Good luck!!


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