December/January Empties!

Hi, everyone! Time to buckle your seat belts: we have an epic Empties post on our hands! With the chaos of the holidays I was not able to post a December Empties, so I saved everything up for a December/January combo. As per the picture below, I polished off quite the selection of goodies, so let's delve right in! 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light
I originally purchased this thinking it was going to be a highlighter. So wrong! It's a couple touches too dark for that on my fair skin. Despite this misunderstanding, I came to love it. It's beautiful as a light setting powder, or more concentrated as a super natural bronzer or contour powder. The soft-focus effect is flawless!
Repurchase? Already have!

Desert Essence Coconut Conditioner
I bought this on a whim, selecting it for its healthy ingredients and yummy coconut scent. So happy I grabbed it! The texture is equally yummy (like a creamy custard) and this left my dry ends moisturized and happy, not at all heavy.
Repurchase? Yes!

BeneFit Fake-Up in Light
This is the second tube of this I've finished, which says a lot! This leaves my under eye area feeling hydrated, without any greasiness and with minimal creasing. Plus, the coverage is quite impressive!
Repurchase? Once I finish my Cle de Peau concealer, yes!

Urban Decay Primer Potion (mini)
Short and sweet: my all-time favourite shadow primer! Not tempted to try anything else. Makes shadows stick around with vibrancy and without creasing.
Repurchase? Duh! Already have a couple back-ups.

BeneFit Watt's Up (mini)
My all-time favourite highlighter! This blends into skin seamlessly and gives a beautiful, flattering glow with no glitter in sight. Always get compliments when I'm wearing it! You can see me sporting it, here!
Repurchase? Already have another mini! Will always have one on hand. 

BeneFit They're Real Mascara (mini)
I love this mascara!Gives incredible volume and length and wears endlessly without smudges or flakes. A pain to remove, but still worth it! I'm wearing it in this post (and many others).
Repurchase? As above, already have another mini on hand!

Jurlique Calendula Redness Rescue Calming Mist
This stuff is awesome! Packed with beautiful organic ingredients and did a great job at soothing the redness in my skin. The scent is fresh and lovely too!
Repurchase? Am loving my May Lindstrom Jasmine Garden at the moment, but this is definitely in my top 3 toners!

Oskia Bedtime Beauty Boost (mini)
I am shedding a tear over finishing this as it was incredible stuff- and it is crazy expensive! I got this as part of the Oskia Secret Weekend Discovery Kit and dedicated January as the month when I would finally use it consistently. This hydrated without greasiness and always led to smooth, even skin come morning.
Repurchase? The price is definitely a draw-back, but if there is a good enough sale, I just might!

Sarah Chapman Skinesis Ultimate Cleanser (mini)
I also got this cleanser in a trial kit. I was skeptical at first, as this stuff is seriously thick. I persisted, though, and it really did a great job at removing all traces of makeup without breaking me out. Plus, the scent is warm, herbal, and soothing!
Repurchase? Maybe. It's quite pricey, so I'm more likely to stick by my go-to Body Shop cleansing butter.

Dr. Jart + Dis-A-Pore BB SPF 30 (sample)
I chose this as a sample in a recent Sephora order because I'd heard great things about Dr. Jart BB Creams. This stuff was truly awesome! The colour match was great, the coverage was impressive, and this smoothed effortlessly over skin while maintaining a satin matte finish for several hours. Totally impressed!
Repurchase? It's definitely on my list of foundations to snag this year. 

Lush Daddy-O Shampoo
I purchased this in the Spring after getting highlights for the first time in ages. I wanted to find a shampoo that would keep my colour bright and lasting and this really did the trick! The bright purple hue was so much fun, the violet scent was intoxicating, and it really worked wonders to keep my blonde tresses looking vibrant.
Repurchase? Next time I colour my hair, definitely!

Boscia Detoxifying Black Cleanser (sample)

I also received this in a recent Sephora order. I'm a fan of the brand and the black colour was a fun novelty, but I generally found this to be too harsh and drying on my sensitive skin.

Repurchase? Nope.

The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter

I've raved about this before and let me reiterate- this is the best budget makeup-remover I've tried! It wipes away my long-wear foundation and mascara amazingly well, has never broken me out, and has a calming chamomile scent. Zero complaints on this one!

Repurchase? Already have!

The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil Shower Gel

I picked this up because I fell smitten to the scent of this range. Warm, nutty, and subtly sweet. Unfortunately, this shower gel was a bit of a let down. The fragrance was nice, but the lather was underwhelming and not quite as rich as expected. Nothing terrible, but not a standout either.

Repurchase? No.

TRESemme Fresh Start Volumizing Dry Shampoo

Honestly, this can wasn't fully empty. I just had to ditch it because it really was not good! The scent was quite chemical and this did not add much volume to my hair, as promised. In fact, this made my locks look a bit more limp than usual. Boo.

Repurchase? Heck no.

Vichy Normaderm 3 in 1 Cleanser+Scrub+Mask (sample)

I received this as a sample from Shoppers with high hopes; the Normaderm range has generally agreed with my skin. Unfortunately, this was quite harsh on my skin and actually led to dryness and increased breakouts the next day. Not good for a product designed for sensitive, acne-prone skin!

Repurchase? No, thanks!

Nude Treatment Oil (sample)

Another Sephora sample, this facial oil was quite nice! This is the first product from Nude that I've tried and was rather impressed. It hydrated the skin nicely, did not irritate or break out my skin, and was non-greasy enough to wear under foundation when mixed with my day cream. 

Repurchase? This was nice, but I have a few other fave face oils that I'd reach for first. 

Vichy Normaderm Night Detox

This was gentle and light-weight on the skin and I indeed woke to more mattified skin. Nothing wrong with it, but I realized that ultra matte skin is not what I'm aiming for, especially during wintertime. Would rather wake with a bit of a glow!

Repurchase? No.

Vichy Liftactiv Serum 10 Eyes & Lashes

This stuff is quite nice! A little goes a long way, so this sample packet lasted ages. This does give an immediate glow to the eyes (thanks to shimmer particles), but I think this did lead to longer-term brightness and hydration as well. Really left me looking awake!

Repurchase? Would definitely consider it!

Jurlique Herbal Recovery Serum (sample)

Since I enjoyed the Jurlique facial mist so much, I was eager to try more goodies from the brand. This serum had a lovely scent and texture, but I think this led to some breakouts and redness. Such a shame- really wanted to like it!

Repurchase? No. 

Aesop Fabulous Face Oil (sample)

Clearly I've been on a facial oil kick lately! This oil is definitely one of the best I've tried. It has a beautiful herbal scent and a mid-weight texture that gives hydration without greasiness. I can wear it under makeup without an oily overload, so that says a lot! Plus, it does not seem to break me out. 

Repurchase? Definitely considering it!

Aesop Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner (samples)

I used these during my trip home over the holidays and was a bit underwhelmed. The fragrance was lovely, as with most Aesop products, but this really didn't seem to do anything special to my tresses, let alone volumizing. Oh well!

Repurchase? No.

Aesop Rose Hair & Scalp Moisturizing Mask (sample)

Once again, underwhelming. Not sure if the product is lacking or if there was just not enough of the mask in the packet to properly treat my mid-length hair. One packet did not demonstrate any notable hydrating effects.

Repurchase? Would be curious to use a couple of sachets at once, to see if a bigger dose makes a difference.

Aesop Violet Leaf Hair Balm (sample)

This stuff I really liked! I used it post-leave-in conditioner as a styling/smoothing/hydrating treatment. This really left my locks looking healthy and smooth, while still bouncy and voluminous. Plus, the violet scent is lovely :)

Repurchase? Likely!

Aesop Rejuvenate Intensive Body Balm (sample)

This is hands-down my favourite body cream! It smells of vanilla, tangerine, and sandalwood and hydrates deeply without leaving a greasy residue. Truly perfection! It is pricey, though, so I can't always have it in my stash. The Aesop sales associate took pity on me and gave me a couple packets to hold me over.

Repurchase? Yes, yes!

So there you have it- all of my Empties from the past two months. Quite a lot! This post was ultra long, so I'll end it here!

What have you finished lately? Did I tempt you with anything?

Have a wonderful weekend!