The Largest Empties Post I Have Ever Done (Or Likely Will Do)

So in my youtube video I posted of my bathroom tour, I never showed you what I keep under my sink. Under my sink is a straw basket I use to hold my empties. I have been saving them up for about four or five months and they started to grow to the point where they were overflowing out of the straw basket. But I have not had time to properly DO the post, so the pile just keeps growing.

And so this is what it looked like today and I finally said ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. Blog time!. So here goes! As you can see, I have a lot!

Bath And Body Works 3oz Candles - $12.50
Would I repurchase? Yes. And no. I love these and will keep buying them. But I am not likely to re-buy tropical woods or seaside escape. Was not quite feeling those scents. The others, as well as other scents, I will most likely repurchase 5-10 at a time!

Bath And Body Works 14.5oz 3 Wick Candles  - $22.50
Would I repurchase? Yes. And no. I would not actively go out to purchase the 3 wicks. I just prefer the 4oz ones. This was part of a valentines day gift from my mom and its my favourite scent. I will rebuy this scent again, and during the semi anual sale I will buy many more at 75% off if the scents interest me. But they burn for approximately 30 to 45 hours and the 4 oz candles burn for approximately 20 to 30 hours. SO for me, its a MUCH better deal to go with the 4oz ones!

 
Matrix Curl Life Contouring Milk  - $24.99
Would I repurchase? No. I love this. I have repurchased it 2 or 3 times. I recently bought 3 of them! I have one and half more that I am about to giveaway because I am going silicone free. I am making the conscience choice to not use any non water soluble silicones in my hair and sadly that means good buy to this product.

Suave Naturals Lavender Lilac Shampoo  - $4.29
Would I repurchase? No. It washed ok but the scent was not my fav (even though I do like lavender scents usually) and since I stopped using shampoos 20 months ago this has just been sitting there so its time to go. Not using it, and its just taking up space.

Sunsilk Captivating Curls - $4.89
Would I repurchase? No.I liked this. But for some strange reason the one for wavy hair worked much better for me than the one for curly hair. AND its once more a product containing silicone.

Sunsilk Waves Of Envy  - $4.89
Would I repurchase? No. I love this product. This product was wonderful. And I happened upon a big stash of them for $1.99 about a year ago and bought all 10 they had! Which would have been fine if I hadnt already had 3 backups at home. LMAO. Only me. But I am down to 3 and a started one but once more, due to the silicone issue, I will no longer be using it. So these ones are done, and the 3 or 4 backups I have left I will be going away.

Bath And Body Works Pearberry Shower Gel  - $11.00
Would I repurchase? Yes. I love this. I have repurchased it more times than I can count. I am however far too cheap to buy them at full price. Its not that I am too cheap, I pay much more for Lush and Molton Brown. But I am too cheap to spend that much money when I KNOW they will be 75% off during the semi annual sale. It just seems silly. Why buy them at full price when you KNOW you can get them at a quarter of the price? But they are wonderful!

Jardins du Monde Brazillian Watermelon Shower Gel  - $4.29
Would I repurchase? No. It washed ok but the scent was not my fav (even though I do like lavender scents usually) and since I stopped using shampoos 20 months ago this has just been sitting there so its time to go. Not using it, and its just taking up space.

Bath And Body Works Twisted Peppermint Shower Gel  - $11.00
Would I repurchase? No. I like the scent, but not so much in showergel form. Much prefer the fruity scents by them. But I do like the formulas. So yes, I will repurchase, just not in this scent.

Fruits And Passions Georgia Peach Shower Gel  - $9.95
Would I repurchase? Yes. Love these. I don't often get to the mall. I happened upon a sale ions ago and I got I think 10 or 12 of them. My FAVOURITE scents are orange cantaloupe, grapefruit guava, georgia peach and field berry. But orange cantaloupe is my all time fav. The truth is my shower curtain, garbage can and accessories caught my attention so much because it reminded me of the fruits and passion store which I love so much. My mom first teased me for buy the shower gels because they matched the bathroom. But the truth it is that the bathroom looked like it did because I liked the association so much. Yes. I am a dork! haha!

Molton Brown Ginger Lily Shower Gel  - $34.00 for 300ml
Would I repurchase? Yes. Over and over again. I love it! This one and the black pepper shower gel. I have lost track of how many I have gone through, but I love them. A little drop will give you a tub full of bubbles and the scent will linger through the entire bath!

Get Cozy Iced Pomegranate Shower Gel  - 69¢
Would I repurchase? No. I have no clue what the retail price on this was, but it was 49¢ or 69¢ at superstore. It smelled ok. It took almost the entire bottle to make enough bubbles for a bath and the bubbles didnt last at all.

Orange Cantaloup Eau de Fruits  - $34.00 for 3.3 fl oz

Would I repurchase? Yes. I have never really noticed it in the stores, but I do LOVE the scent. I will not actively go out in search of purchasing, but next time I am in the store I am likely to pick it up!

Field Berries Eau de Fruits  - $34.00 for 3.3 fl oz

Would I repurchase? No. It was nice, but I prefer the orange cantaloup scent. The formula was nice though.

Escada Ocean Lounge Eau de Toilette Spray- $62.00 for 50ml
Would I repurchase? Yes. It was a limited edition scent so its not so easy to find. Every so often I head to a specialty perfume store and stock up on some of my old favourites. I have a backup right now of this one but yes, I would repurchase.

Escada Moon Sparkle Eau de Toilette Spray - $62.00 for 50ml
Would I repurchase? Yes. It was a limited edition scent so its not so easy to find. Every so often I head to a specialty perfume store and stock up on some of my old favourites. I have a backup right now of this one in the larger size but yes, I would repurchase this and other of the Escada limited edition summer scents!

Lady Speed Stick Fresh Infusions In Strawberry Splash  - $5.49
Dove Ultimate Supreme Go Fresh Deodorant - $6.39

Would I repurchase? I am putting both of these together. I have never found that deodorant that makes me loyal to a brand. I have found ones I extremely dislike and will never get again, and then like these two. They are fine. They are deodorant. I love the smell of the Lady Speed Stick, I loved the texture of the Dove. I will likely continue to buy whatever is on sale at the time I am shopping. I think I picked up 2 or 3 of the Lady Speed Sticks in different scents last time I was shopping so I have one or two more. I know that I am currently using one now as well.

The Body Shop DeoDry Dry Effect Deodorant In Chilled And Breezy  - $6.00
Would I repurchase? Hell to the NO! This was so terrible, as you can see below, I couldnt even finish it. I really tried. When I bought this I smelled all three. I don't know if I accidentally chose this one, or if they gave me the wrong one, but it smells like sweaty old guy. Really. Like and old man with too much cologne sweating. It took me 2 years to get through this much of it. I kept trying, stopping it was so bad, then trying again. I officially gave up. Its HORRIBLE!

Clinique Moisture Surge Intense  - $43.00 for 1.7oz
Would I repurchase? Yes. I went to 4 different counters trying to find the right moisturizer. Each time they gave me the same sample. I kept thinking I liked it, but wasn't quite sure. Well, now I am sure. I have now gone on to a proper jar of this and have found that its too heavy for my daytime moisturizer, but I love it as my night one. It is a VERY moisturizing cream that actually takes quite a few minutes to fully absorb. My skin went from being dry and peeling in places to NOT. So much so that in the morning now I find it a bit too much. It is however a very light FEELING cream. It is heavy in moisture without FEELING heavy.

Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips  - $12.99 for 8 strips
Would I repurchase? Yes. I really enjoy these. I got these first as samples and liked them so much I purchased them.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion  - $31.00 for 4.2oz
Would I repurchase? No. I found it thin and runny and yet oily at the same time. Its not moisturizing and it clogged my pores.

Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean Splash Away Foaming Cleanser  - $29.50 for 4.2oz
Would I repurchase? No. It definitely feels cleansing. It feels like it takes away half my skin as well. It really feels harsh and drying. I wound up red and irritated every time I used it. Sadly, I was on a trip and it was all I took so I kept using it. I just had sore, red, overly dry skin the entire time. And because I was in a really dirty environment I couldn't go without cleansing. UTTER FAIL!

Kiehl's Light Nourishing Eye Cream  - $23.00 for 1oz
Would I repurchase? No. Not that I could if I wanted to now that its been discontinued. It is still available on some overstock sites but all in all its been about 18 months since it was sold. This is NOT a good eye cream for anyone who has sensitive eyes. I ended up using most of it as a moisturizer on my face away from my eyes.

Body Shop SOMETHING??!!!  - NO CLUE?!
Would I repurchase? No. Yes. Maybe? I have absolutly no idea what was in this. It was a sample of something I got when making a purchase and I used it the same night and can not for the life of me recall what it was I tried.

Dior Hydra Life BB Creme With SPF 30 - $65.00 for 1.7oz
Would I repurchase? No. This is supposedly a universal shade with a warm beige undertone that is meant to suit everyone. This was beyond horrible on me. The sample is itty bitty. I put it on the first time and had to take it right off it was sooooo dark and orange for me. It looked ridiculous. The second tube I tried to make work by mixing it with a moisturizer and still far too dark on me. This certainly is NOT a universal shade (I wear the Dior Forever in 010 Ivory.

DKNY Golden Delicious Eau de Parfum Spray- $75.00 for 1.7oz
Would I repurchase? Maybe. I can not say I would buy it for retail. If I found it at TJ Maxx, Marshalls or Winners I might go for it. For full price there are ones I like more (YSL babydoll, any of the Escada summer scents), but it was nice and at $30-$40 could see myself going for it.

Estee Lauder Lash Primer Plush - $24.00
Would I repurchase? I have probably gone through........ oh 30 tubes of this stuff in the past 4 years? Yes. I will continue to buy this. Over and over. I am right now for the first time since I found the concept of lash primers using a different one (a Dior one) and I do like it. I always assumed this would be a gimmick. But no matter what mascara I put on over top of it, it not only lasts all day without smudging, it just makes the mascaras work better. If its a lengthening one, it adds more length  if its a thickening one it thickens better. Its just fantastic.

Bobbi Brown Lash Glamour Extreme - $29.00
Would I repurchase? No. It wasn't bad. I just like my Diorshow and my Bad Gal Lash mascaras better. I really have nothing to say about this that is bad though. It was not irritating, it was natural looking and it stayed on quite well (over my lash primer plus)

Napoleon Perdis Auto Pilot Lift Off Wipes  - $15.00
Would I repurchase? No. I really really hated these. They were dry yet oily, they didn't do a good job of getting the makeup off and I felt like I had to scrub and scrub to get things off. And then I ended up with irritated skin from rubbing so much.

Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes  - $9.99
Would I repurchase? Maybe. I really liked these. They were gentle and felt really nice, yet got all the makeup off. I have a big stack of other face wipes to try But I did like these and have no reason not to repurchase them. i do not have at this point something that I like better.

LA Fresh Makeup Remover Wipes - $9.99
Would I repurchase? Maybe. I only tried one wipe and I didn't dislike it. It was VERY wet however. It got everything off but again, it was REALLY wet. not really so much that it was problematic, but it really surprised me. Like the simple ones, its a matter of I like them, I don't dislike them, but I don't love them. If I don't find in my current stash (about 5 other brands in my medicine cabinet/closet) that I LOVE, I will likely buy randomly whatever is cheaper!

Clean Up Mud - $1.99
Would I repurchase? I really didn't like this. It didn't dry completely (after 45 minutes) and it was a bitch to take off. I noticed no difference after using it to before. But I will give the brand another try or two. I picked up 3 or 4 of these masks when I purchased this one.

Random little beauty samples 
Ok. The truth is I am just WAY too tired/lazy to finish typing this all out. I LOVE the purity and it has become my go to cleanser. I have a TON of samples of it. Including a deluxe sample from Sephora that was a giant TWELVE OUNCE one from a friends and family last year. Yes, a 350ml sample, as well as countless packets like these and little 30 and 50ml bottles. So I am not planning on needing ANY more for at least a year. But I have made this my regular go to cleanser.

I did not like any of the toners from Kiehls and wont repurchase any of them. And the Biore strips I have already repurchased and will continue to.

The bathsalts were a gift from germany and I liked them but can not buy them here. The pocket back I finished and have moved on to others, but I will keep getting them.

Silicones And Hair Products.

So as you now all know from my last blog post, I have been shampoo free for almost two years. For about 20 months my hair has been washed with conditioner only. I have really had no negative ramifications at all from that once I got through the first few weeks of a disgusting greasy mess. But........ I have been trying recently to conserve my favorite hair product as its no longer available here, and in the process I noticed A BIG build up in my hair. I was just no longer getting it clean!

After a lot of research I realized that the issue I was having was a silicone build up. Now I am not going to get in to an in depth post about what silicones are or if they are bad or good for you. I really have no opinion on if YOU should use them or not.

But silicone in general are used to coat the hair and give the appearance of thicker, healthier fuller hair.  I say they give the appearance because they really do NOTHING to alter or fix the composition of your hair and have ZERO benefit to the hair over time. They simply make your hair look better when you are putting them in your hair.

For a very good in depth post all about silicones in hair products, I suggest checking out the blog post the Pink Sith did just last week. FOUND HERE, the post gives a very good overview without getting TOO technical. But basically, the point I need to explain to you all is that there are two types of silicones. Those that dissolve in water, and those that don't. For those that do, water alone can break them down. For those that are NOT water soluble, you need sulfates to break them down. Can you see the problem here? For anyone who uses sulfate free shampoos, or those like me who use conditioner only (which has much less sulfates and in much lower concentrations) it can lead to a nasty build up.

As it turns out,  my normal go to hair product that I loved so much was silicone free by chance. So when I stopped using it (saving it up) I ended up using a LOT more silicones in my hair than ever before.

Water Soluble Silicones:
Any Silicone with PEG as a prefix
Dimethicone Copolyol
Hydrolyzed wheat protein (Hydroxypropyl Polysiloxane)
Lauryl Methicone Copolyol

Here is a list of some Non Soluble (not water soluble) Silicones:
Amodimethicone
Behenoxy Dimethicone
Cetearyl Methicone
Cetyl Dimethicone
Cyclopentasiloxane
Dimethicone
Dimethiconol
Phenyl Trimethicone
Stearoxy Dimethicone
Stearyl Dimethicone
Trimethylsilylamodimetheicone

Now there is also a silicone called Cyclomethicone. This one is a little different and as such I am leaving it on its own. This one is NOT water soluble, but it does evaporate in the air.

Now I am by NO MEANS saying you should go silicone free. I highly recommend checking out the link to the blog post by Pink Sith and make your own decisions. For me, I will use cyclomethicone as well as any of the ones that are water soluble.

So I had to go through my stash.

Non-soluble silicone containing products to be thrown out (given away as much as possible):

Quick note about this one. I JUST bought it a few weeks ago and I would have been TRASHING it regardless of if it contained silicone or not. I used it once and it worked well but I thought it smelled like bathroom cleaner. I wasn't sure if I was crazy or not, I took it to my dad, said smell this, and he said "why do I need to smell the toilet bowl cleaner?" And he was serious! So beware! Smell before buying! And then get a different heat protecter!

AND NOW FOR THE CHEATING:
This one DOES contain non water soluble silicone but it is just too amazing to toss. I will keep it for special occasions when I need that PERFECT curl and body. And then I will NOT repurchase! Its probably already 80% gone. But SHH! Don't tell anyone!

And then what I am left with!

And the go to product of mine that I am almost out of and that I can not replace. The twisted sista works just as well, but the texture is not quite as easy to work with. But it contains silicone. So I will need to find a replacement.