It’s been a while since I’ve done an empties post—not since the end of spring! So here is my empties post for this past summer. I think it makes more sense for me to do quarterly/seasonal empties rather than monthly empties, since it really does take me a while to go through products.

All prices are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise specified.

Revlon Nearly Naked Makeup in Nude (150). I’ve been using Nearly Naked for a few years now, after I decided that my previous drugstore liquid foundation favorite, L’Oréal True Match, was a little too greasy and possibly breaking me out (I no longer think it was the culprit, though it’s still a bit greasy to me). I can’t tell you how many bottles of Nearly Naked I’ve already gone through: it’s sheer but buildable, gives a nice, semi-matte finish, has SPF 20 with titanium dioxide, and is quite reasonably priced at around $10–12 on sale. The shade I use, Nude (150), is a good match for my NC30-ish skintone, particularly in summer when I’m more tan. It’s perhaps a tad dark in the winter, but a little powder over it tends to correct that. I like to keep a few foundations in rotation, and Revlon Nearly Naked is my drugstore pick.

Mastey Frehair Daily Conditioner. I bought this from Winners a few years ago in a jumbo sized 32 oz / 960 mL container for about $16. I left it in the main bathroom, which only guests use for showering. Eventually I realized that guests don’t use that much conditioner, and I didn’t really want people to keep coming back every year and seeing the same conditioner still there. I moved it in with my shower stuff, and this summer, I finally used it up. It’s a decent enough conditioner for my thick, straight hair and it smells a bit apple-y, like Salon Selectives. I’ve used better conditioners, though, so I wouldn’t repurchase this.

Andalou Naturals Argan Stem Cells Shampoo Age Defying Thinning Hair Treatment. I bought this on sale for $7.49 at Well.ca, after I noticed that I was getting a thinning spot on my scalp. Shortly after, I also developed postpartum hair loss, which is just great. (My hair is currently half the thickness it used to be, and I’m anticipating hair growth to return in the form of a mullet.) Now, the Stem Cells claim in this shampoo is pretty much nonsense, because dead fruit stem cells in your shampoo aren’t going to make your human hair regrow. That’s ridiculous. On the other hand, the shampoo is actually very nice. My hair definitely looked shinier and healthier after using this shampoo for a week, which is more than I can say for most other shampoos I’ve tried. I have already repuchased this, so it’s a yay!

derma e Vitamin E 12,000 IU Crème. I paid $11.99 for this moisturizer, which regularly retails for $17.99 at Well.ca. Beautypedia doesn’t give this moisturizer a particularly good review, mostly because the antioxidants in it aren’t the best, and the jar packaging means that the antioxidants won’t be effective for long after you open it. However, I thought this was a pretty good basic moisturizer for my dry, sensitive skin. It’s not moisturizing enough for me in the winter (though hardly anything is) but I have enjoyed using it during the summer. It feels reasonably lightweight and absorbs into the skin well enough. It is fragranced: I’ve read online that it is supposed to smell like cucumber, but all I smell is banana cream pie—there could be something wrong with me! Either way, it’s a pleasant but very synthetic fragrance. Would I repurchase this? Probably not, because while it is serviceable, I would rather try a new product in the hope of finding my Holy Grail moisturizer.

Yves Rocher Secrets d’Essences Perfumed Lotion in Neroli. This retails for $30, but let’s be real: with Yves Rocher’s constant sales, you really should not pay more than $15 for this. I did better: they sent this and the matching body wash to me for free! Neroli is a floral note that I normally like a lot, but I’m not in love with Yves Rocher’s version of it, which I find a bit bland. I think Neroli and Vanille Noire are the worst of Yves Rocher’s previously excellent Secrets d’Essences line of perfumes (the unbelievably discontinued Rose Absolue and Voile d’Ambre are two of my favorite perfumes, let alone my favorites from that line), and they are the two newest additions replacements in the lineup. Disappointing. Anyway, the lotion itself is too watery for my liking, and the bottle is too hard to squeeze. Sometimes the lotion just drips out onto the floor when I’m not careful. The lotion isn’t especially moisturizing, either. I suppose it is fragranced well, if you like the fragrance to begin with. I wouldn’t buy this, and I would rather not receive it again for free.

Bvlgari Perfumed Shampoo & Shower Gel in Eau Thé Blanc (hotel sample). This was just a little bottle I picked up from some hotel a while back. It smells amazing. It also lathers up beautifully in our hard water, and a little goes a long way. It isn’t drying at all for my skin. I wish I could bring myself to splurge on the full size (6.8 oz, made in Italy) of this, but it’s US$48 and I’d rather not spend that much on something I can only enjoy for a few minutes in the shower!

Guerlain Rouge G Exceptional Complete Lip Colour in Gracia. I reviewed this back in May. No, I didn’t finish a lipstick in a few months. I gave it to my mom. I guess that’s more of a de-stash than an empty, but I’m putting it here!

Mom also got a few other things that I never used, including:

And that’s it! Sad, right? How did I not use up more stuff? (Well, I did use up some random stuff like nail polish remover, but that’s boring, so I didn’t include it.) Must do better for the Fall Edition.

[The featured image of a sad, empty girl is of Jeanne Moreau in Elevator to the Gallows.]