August Empties 2014

Welcome back to my empties posts! I hope you have been enjoying these as much as I am. I have been learning more and more about the cosmetic industry as I do more research, and I find that other people's reviews and thoughts are helpful when looking at products before I purchase them.

* denotes cruelty free
** denotes a cruelty free company owned by a non-cruelty free company
V denotes vegan product and/or brand
Bold denotes product I will be repurchasing or have repurchased already

103. Snowbird Mountain Lodge Soap Sample
I don't usually put bar soap on this list because I usually make my own. But, I do love trying out new soaps, especially when I am at hotels. This is one of the most amazing soaps I've ever used. It smells great, it cleans great, it makes me smile, and it lasts a while. I'm not sure what this is made out of but it smells very herbal and fresh. I love it and I will buy more of these if I can find out if they are vegan or not. They had these for sale in the gift store at the hotel and I should have checked them out while I was there.

104. Diamond Wipes Gentle Cleansing Makeup Remover Wipes with Vitamin E
I wasn't too big a fan of these wipes, although they did their job. I felt like the formula was drying on my face and that I needed to apply lots of moisturizer after using these. They had that greasy formula that leaves a residue on the skin, so I had to wash my face more after using them than I would have had to if I hadn't used them. These were also complimentary bath items at the Snowbird Mountain Lodge, so I tried them. I can't find anywhere on their website that they are cruelty free, but they are big into sustainability and saving the rainforests. I won't be purchasing these.

105. CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30 5 grams*
A sample I received from the dermatologist several years ago that I finally finished. I didn't like this one as much as the PM formula, mostly because the SPF caused my face to become oily throughout the day and it made my makeup melt off. I won't be purchasing this in the future.

106. Diamond Wipes Gentle Cleansing Makeup Remover Wipes with Vitamin E
See number 104 above

107. Catharine Malandrino Eau de Parfum
A Birchbox sample I received in June. This is a gorgeous powdery scent that I wore when I would go out to dinner or to the opera this summer. I loved the elegance of this parfum and the richness it had on my skin. It's a citrus scent that combines orange, jasmine, and gardenia, with a hint of musk. My one problem with this perfume? It doesn't last more than two or three hours. For that reason, I don't think it is worth the price tag (1.7 oz is $80).

108. Ardell Fashion Lashes 105 Black*
These have been my go-to performance lashes for years. I have used them in ballet recitals, operas, plays, singing recitals, and Halloween costumes. I love how thick they make my lashes look and how natural. I have used these kind of eyelashes more than once, but I normally don't wear them for more than a few performances before they get all mangled from putting them on and taking them off for days. They work best with DUO lash adhesive (another brand owned by Ardell International) and stay on for a long time. I have a small stash of these in my performance train case. Ardell is a cruelty free company!

109. DDF (Doctor's Dermatologic Formula) Ultra-Lite Oil Free Moisturizing Dew 1 Fl oz
A Birchbox sample from March or May, this moisturizer was incredibly nice. I loved the way it made my face feel. I loved the pump that gave the perfect amount of product for one use. I loved it. It is not vegan because it includes beeswax in the formula and it is owned by Proctor and Gamble (one of the largest companies that tests on animals), so I will not be purchasing this in the future.

110. Secret Scent Expressions Ooh-La-La Lavender Clear Gel Deodorant 2.7 oz
See May Empties Post Number 50

111. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel 4.2 oz (125 ml)
This is one of those products that I have used for years. I started using Clinique when I was in middle school and started getting acne. I went from having clear skin to looking like a pizza face overnight. I started using their three step cleansing program and used it on and off for years. The Gel is the moisturizing step for people with oily or combination oily skin. I always used this in the summer and loved how it kept my skin moisturized, but clean feeling, instead of oily gross. I have probably used over 20 full sized containers of this in the past. It has a very clean scent and sinks into the skin quickly. I will not be purchasing this in the future because Clinique is not a cruelty free company.

112. Burt's Bees Hand Salve .3 oz**
I've had this little mini hand salve tin for years... My mom used to send birthday presents to everyone in my cabin when I would have my birthday at camp, so she would send little gifts with the burt's bees minis and fun games we could play at camp. I don't actually use this on my hands. I use this on my feet. I have very dry feet and I use this product when I have exfoliated them and I'm about to go to bed. I literally take a blob of this, warm it up in my hands, and rub it all over my feet. I then stick my feet in a pair of socks and go to sleep. In the morning, the salve has soaked into my skin and my feet feel much more smooth and moisturized. I have several more mini and full sizes of this product, but I will not be buying this in the future because it is not vegan.

113. Biotrue Contact Solution 10 Fl oz
Again... I used up one of these. I will not repurchase this if the solution I just ordered from the Vegan Store works with my eyes (I will talk about that when the package comes in the mail).

114. Aqua Fresh Extreme Clean Whitening Action Mint Blast Toothpaste .8 oz
I got this at the Hyatt in San Francisco. It was a rather thin paste, but very minty. I am not sure it made my teeth any whiter, but it did make them clean. This is not a cruelty free company, so I will not purchase this in the future.

115. Chapstick Flava- Craze Straberry Twist .15 oz
Who doesn't have Chapstick hanging around their makeup collection. I seem to have picked up tons of them somehow. This one dates back to the camp era (yup middle school) and expired in May of 2003... yeah... it was ready to die. Surprisingly, it never went bad or rancid or melted. From the time I started using it to the time it died a sad death in front of my vanity, this lip balm was like a strawberry candy on my lips. It was sweet and chapstick-y. I don't particularly like Chapstick. I didn't like the scent because it was too strong and too fake for my tastes. I will never buy this again. (They don't even make this flavor anymore). I am so glad I don't have to look at this thing ever again. It is not cruelty free.

116. VO5 Herbal Escapes Moisturizing Shampoo in Free Me Freesia 18 Fl oz
This was a disappointment that I knew was coming but it still shocked me. I like the smell of Freesia and I like shampoo, therefore I should like Freesia scented shampoo, right? Wrong! I hated the scent, I didn't like the way this shampoo made my hair feel. It made it dry and straw-like. It made my hair knot. It was just bad all over. I bought it for $1 at the Dollar Tree about three years ago, so I guess I got what I paid for. VO5 is made by Alberto-Culver, which is owned by Unilever and is not cruelty-free. I will not purchase this ever again even if it is the last shampoo on the planet.

So that is it for the month of August. I will not be re-purchasing any of the products I used this month because I either didn't like them, or they were not cruelty free and vegan.