July Empties 2014 Part One

JULY Part One!

July Empties... so many samples!

Welcome back empties fans! This month we are still in North Carolina so many of the products I used were sample sizes or travel sizes. Because of this, I used a whole bunch of products and I split this into two separate posts. Please remember that:
* 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

83. BentaBerry Crème Hydratante Regulatrice G-1 de qualite superleure visage filles et garcons a base d'actifs 100% naturels 3 ml *
This stuff is pretty good. It has a super long name/ description though. This line of skincare products is made specifically for young skin of boys and girls aged 18 to 24. I guess I'm too old to use it now! Not really. (Some places on the website say 15-30, so maybe it's just his product that goes until 24?)This crème was very moisturizing and smooth. I liked the way it felt on my skin. This was another sample from Birchbox that I may or may not purchase in the future. You can see their animal testing policy and dermatologic profile here.

84. L'Artisan Parfumeur- Coeur de Vetiver Sacre 1 ml (.03 Fl oz) *
I liked this perfume a lot. A whole lot. This is a very woody and tea scented fragrance, but has a fruity and peppery layer to it as well. It was fresh and nice to wear in the day time and at night. I couldn't find this product on their website (because it is new? maybe?) and I couldn't find their animal testing policy there either. I did find this website that had contact with their team, so take the info for what it is worth. I'm not going to repurchase this because it wasn't my absolute favorite for everyday wear but more for special occasions and it is pretty expensive.

85. Tom Ford Black Orchid Eau de Parfum .05 Fl oz 1.5 ml
This perfume is one of those that I can't really tell if I love it or hate it. It is a strong, heady, floral scent and it is definitely a scent that you want to wear when you want to make a statement. I got this sample from my friend Sara (I think... I've had it for several years) and I finally ended up using it. Use it sparingly or you will be drowning in the scent. Tom Ford is owned by Estee Lauder, a company that does test on animals because it sells products in China. I will not be purchasing this product in the future.

86. Crest Glide Deep Clean Floss- Cool Mint Trial Size 4 meters (4.4 yards)
I got this little trial size of floss from my dentist. I have handfuls of these little floss packets/ tins/ containers and I am trying to use them all up since none of them are cruelty free. Some of them have more in them than others, even though the size is the same (which is confusing as heck). This floss works well, but is nothing to rave about. Crest/Oral B/ Glide are all under the umbrella company of Proctor and Gamble, a company that does test on animals. I will not be purchasing this product in the future.

87. Archive Cleansing Shampoo Relaxing Green Tea and Willow Sample
This shampoo was from a hotel I stayed in over a year ago. I finally used this up while I was at Kanuga and I didn't want to lug a full size shampoo with me into the shower with the tiniest shelves ever (they barely fit a soap bar). I liked the smell and how it cleaned my hair. It is not commercially available and no information can be found on their website about their animal testing policy.

88. elf Studio High Definition Powder Shimmer 8 grams * V
This is my go to face powder. I will buy it forever and ever. I love the dewy look it gives without looking like I'm oily. It doesn't make me break out and it doesn't smell. I already have a backup of this at home and I will start using it again when I get there. I love this powder to death. And it is crazy inexpensive at $6. All elf products (except for the non-studio brushes) are cruelty free and vegan. Go Buy It NOW!

89 and 90. Dial Basics White Marble Complexion Bar (27 grams)
These were the soaps supplied by Kanuga for our stay. I used one in the shower and the other at the sink to wash my hands. It is a basic soap that cleans well. It smells ok, but it isn't my favorite scent for a soap. (I'm a little of a soap collector and I love great smelling soaps. One of these days I will get around to showing you my giant shoebox of soap.) This is NOT a cruelty free brand (even though they say they don't test on animals in their FAQs). I will not purchase this in the future.

91. Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner 13 fl oz (385 ml)*
I talked about my hate of the Moroccan Argan Crème Conditioner in my January/February Post. This, however is one of my favorite conditioners of all time. The scent is like no other product I've ever found. It has a slightly spicy, but wonderfully sweet scent that I really can't describe. It makes my hair look and feel super soft and I don't have any tangling problems after using this product. I've bought probably 20 or 25 of these in the past. However, this product contains silk proteins and is therefore not vegan and I will no longer be buying this. This was my last bottle of this conditioner (that I know of ... they sometimes seem to come out of the woodwork!) and I stretched it out as long a I could by adding water to the bottle at the end and using it as a conditioning rinse. It is a cruelty free brand, though, so thumbs up for the right direction!

92. Archive Energizing Grapefruit and Neroli Shower Gel Sample
As you may have seen in some of my other posts (and this one), this brand is not available for retail and is only available for hotels. I loved this shower gel for the scent. Grapefruit is an amazing fruit and this shower gel smells amazingly like real grapefruit without that sickly sweet smell that most grapefruit scented products have. I won't be buying this in the future.

Please stay tuned for PART TWO!