I usually have a hard time finishing up products (I tend to rotate products, for better or worse, and then it really takes forever!), but for some reason, I finished up a few items in April.

I’ve seen many other bloggers post about their monthly empties, and while I can’t say I will do this regularly, I think it’s a great idea and I certainly need the encouragement to clear my bathroom out faster!

Last month, I finished using:

Alba Botanica Hawaiian Shampoo in So Smooth Gardenia. I love the intense gardenia scent of this shampoo, though I can see it bothering those who don’t like strong scents or white floral scents. The shampoo is just OK for my normally thick, straight hair; it’s SLS-free and I like it for that, but I have tried other SLS-free shampoos that I prefer (Andalou Naturals, Himalaya), so I would not repuchase this. [Retail US$9.95 for 12 fl oz / 355 mL, and I’ve seen it for around that same dollar amount in Canada. It goes on sale fairly often at Well.ca, and I do see it on occasion at Winners (T.J. Maxx) for around CA$5.99.]

Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser with Shea Butter for Dry or Sensitive Skin. I usually avoid foaming cleansers since I find them very drying on my already dry skin. However, this is marketed to those with dry or sensitive skin, so I thought I’d try it. Its initial texture is that of a rich cream, but when you start washing with it, it foams a little (our water is hard, so we don’t generally get a ton of foaming action). It cleans makeup off really well, and I don’t find it too drying except in winter. It has a pleasant scent, as well, though I can’t describe it any better than “makeup-y” smelling. Haha, helpful, right? I guess it would probably be a better product without the fragrance, but I admit, I love using fragranced skincare. Gah! Overall, I could repurchase it, but really I’d rather just keep looking for THE ONE. It’s always a little tempting at Clarins bonus time, though! [Retail US$24 / CA$34 for 4.4 oz / 125 mL.]

Clarins Multi-Active Day Early Wrinkle Correction Comfort Cream. I like their HydraQuench cream, so I thought I’d “upgrade” myself to this richer cream, which I had tried in sample tubes and thought I loved. Turns out it’s a little too heavy for my skin if I use it all the time. I relegated this for use as a night cream (it doesn’t have SPF), and found it too rich for summer and not moisturizing enough for winter. I have no idea if its wrinkle correction actually works, as I don’t really have any wrinkles yet. (Maybe that’s it? Ha!) Like all Clarins products I’ve tried, this is somewhat heavily fragranced, again with a makeup-y scent, though a different one from that in the Gentle Foaming Cleanser. I wouldn’t repurchase at this time; I think I still have some sample tubes, to use up, too. [Retail US/CA$59 for 1.7 oz / 50 mL. I would really like to know why this is the same dollar amount in US/CA, but there’s a massive discrepancy for the Gentle Foaming Cleanser, which is 42% more expensive in Canada!]

SoftLips by Mentholatum Beautifying Lip Protectant SPF 20 in French Vanilla. I had one of these before in Honeydew, which I loved the scent of, but I didn’t find the lip balm all that great. Who knows why I bought this in French Vanilla! Yay, it’s empty! [Retail CA$2.99 for 2 g, or CA$5.99 for a 2-pack.]

Have you tried any of these products? 🙂