Empties! Products I Used Up in August

I used up more than a few skincare items that I've been using for a long, long time.  There is something quite satisfying about that - plus it frees up spots for items that I've been itching to dive into.  I'm also happy to report that there really wasn't any duds in this group of used up items. 

I've even been searching for a comparable replacement for the Shea Sugar Scrub cubes I picked up on my trip to Albuquerque, NM last October, to no great success thus far.  These are the perfect consistency for pinching off a smaller portion if you want to just wash your hands, or using whole in the shower to scrub legs and arms.  The scent was fantastic as well.  Sadly, they seem to only be made/sold in Albuquerque.  I went on Etsy in quest of a similar item, but the ones I bought are much harder and more like a soap with sugar granules in it and not near as moisturizing. 

The Shea Terra Rose Hips Black Soap was part of a set I got from Birchbox.  Billed as anti-acne and deep pore cleansing, it's not something I recommend for sensitive skin, but did work well with my oily skin.  Shea Terra has several different formulations of African black soap and I've enjoyed everything I've tried from them so far.  Good stuff!

Lancome's DreamTone 1 (review here) is not something I would have sought out on my own due to price ($98) and a bit of skepticism at I consider to be overpriced department store brand skincare.  However, I had the opportunity to try it for free thanks to a Lancome sponsored program via SheSpeaks.  In general, I liked it - but almost a $100 is a LOT of money.  On the plus side, it lasted a long time and was a good day time treatment that smoothed out my skin nicely in preparation for foundation.  On the negative side, the price, obviously.  In that price range, I'd probably go with Miracle 10's retinol serums instead ($82-$87).  If you don't want to spend that much, I think Neutrogena's Rapid Repair serum ($21) is quite good.

Origin's A Perfect World SPF25 (review here) works really well with my oily skin, and is probably one of the few moisturizing sunscreens I like.  Period.  I would repurchase, although I'd wait for a good GWP offer as it's a bit pricey at $39.50.

I'm a fan of Clinique mascaras, and the Lash Doubling version (review here) is a good everyday mascara that is fuss free.  Good stuff.

The Amika dry shampoo was nice, but something in me won't pay over $10 for a dry shampoo.  My favorite is Pssssst!, which fortunately both smells good and is inexpensive.  Best of both worlds. 

I also finished two foils and a package of inexpensive facial wipes that I quite liked, will look for those again.  Now, on to September!