Beauty Empties in July

Last month, I emptied or got rid of 26 24 products. Again, 7 5 of them are makeup products that haven't been emptied completely but makeup products are not that easy to empty and the wearability can be an issue that shouldn't be neglected. With most of the make up products the problem has indeed been the wearability. Either I did not like the colours on me or they did not fit to my kind of lifestyle. The lip gloss by H&M was just not comfortable to wear and hence, I did not want to torture myself with it. Hence, I used stuff up and also did some kind of decluttering.

Usually, I enjoy writing the beauty empties post more than writing any other kind of post in this blog because I experience using up and decluttering as very relieving. Throwing the empty bottles away after having taken photos is the best of all. :-))

Here is a picture of all products I emptied/got rid of in July:

A short summary and my thoughts about the products, I emptied in July:

• Shower Gel (and shower gels that can be used as shampoos)
• Balea Young Dusche Zuckerschnute: I adore the scent of this shower gel. It smells like lemon cake and this scent is just perfect for autumn and winter. It is not the proper scent for summer, hence, it was a bit disturbing to use it up in July. But I just wanted to get rid of it. Next winter I'll repurchase it, if it will be available again. It was a limited edition, unfortunately, and at the moment I haven't seen it in stores anymore. There is also a limited edition body lotion with this scent which is still available in stores but I didn't like the body lotion when I tried it last winter. It was not enough nurturing for my taste - actually, I even found it a bit drying. Hence, I'd repurchase the shower gel but not the body lotion.
• Agronatura Body Shampoo Damask Rose, 50ml sample: This is a shower gel for hair and body - i.e. it can also be used as a shampoo according to my understanding (I am not sure whether I understood it properly, but my hair loves it ;-)) - and has been in my Pink Box June. I love this product and enjoyed using it a lot. Unfortunately, these samples are very small and usually I don't remember such products if I tried them for a very short time only. This one, however, will be remembered. As mentioned, I tried it as a shampoo as well and found that it provides a lot of moisture for my hair. My skin felt great after using it, too. Additionally, the scent is not bad and it does not smell organic as often happens with organic products. I like the scent and think that it smells like roses in a very sophisticated way. I will definitely repurchase it and will also try other products by Agronatura - at first, however, I have to use up a couple of other products already waiting for me in my bathroom. 

• Pure Hair Products(Products for hair and body can be found above)
• Balea Feuchtigkeitsshampoo Aprikose + Milch: This is a great shampoo with a divine scent like apricots. I enjoyed using it a lot. I might even repurchase it some day. At the moment, however, I am washing my hair very often and like to try other shampoos as I am looking for a shampoo that provides more moisture for my hair. This shampoo was not drying but it did not provide enough moisture for my hair either. Nevertheless, there are much worse shampoos out there and this is why I might repurchase it although it is not perfect for me.
• Alterra Feuchtigkeitsspülung Granatapfel & Aloe Vera sample: This is a great conditioner by Alterra, but again it comes - as usual - in a terrible packaging. I didn't want to cut it open again and hence, have lost a lot of product. It's really a pitty: the product is great but the packaging is so terrible that I probably won't repurchase it again.  

• Body Lotions and body butters
• Weleda Citrus Erfrischende Feuchtigkeitslotion, 20ml Sample: This is a very nice body lotion for summer. The scent is fresh and it smells like lemons. The lotion is also very light and is absorbed quickly by the skin. It does not provide much moisture, but in summer moisture is not that necessary anyway in my opinion. I might repurchase it some day. At the moment, however my favourite summer bodylotion is from Dove, but as it is a limited edition I might have to get back to the Citrus body lotion by Weleda anyway some day. 
• Weleda Sanddorn Reichhaltige Pflegelotion, 20ml Sample: This is a wonderful rich body lotion with a divine seabuckthorn scent. It is much more moisturizing than the other body lotions from Weleda which I tried (and I tried them all ;-) as can be witnessed in my Empties posts of May and June as well) and hence also great for spring, autumn and maybe even winter. The scent is fruity and I personally like it a lot. Although the body lotion provides a lot of moisture it is not greasy and is absorbed quickly by the skin. The scent does not stay too long either. I will definitely repurchase it some day. At the moment, however, I have to use up a ton of other body lotions that are waiting for me in my bathroom and should not buy any other body lotion. ;-)
• Alverde Lemon Love Bodylotion: This was a limited edition for mother's day 2012 by Alverde. It came as a bundle with a shower gel which I haven't tried yet. The scent is very sweet and not so fresh, but it's ok nevertheless. I enjoyed using it up and have been even a bit sad when it was gone. It is light (but not too light) and quickly absorbed by the skin. However, I don't know whether I would repurchase it if it was available again. Probably I'd repurchase it since it was not that bad and body lotions which are good or even just not that bad (and available for a reasonable price) are difficult to find ... ;-) 
• Lavera Body Spa Apricot Summer Body Lotion: This is a great organic body lotion. The scent is a bit strange (neither sweet nor fruity - it is very difficult to describe and I cannot find the proper words, sorry) and I didn't like it at all at first but in the end I got used to it (although I haven't ended up liking it either ;-)). It is very nurturing and still light. It does not get absorbed quickly by the skin but with this body lotion this is not that disturbing because it is very light. I liked a lot how my skin felt while I was using it. I might repurchase it some day, but first I want to try other body lotions of the body spa body lotion line of Lavera.  

• Face Creams:
• Nonique Anti Aging Night Cream: I bought this cream last winter together with the day cream of the same line and already tried it last winter and found it to be not nurturing enough during the cold season. In May I started using it again and my skin loved it at first but already in June, it might have provided to much nurture for my skin - I got a couple of spots!! And I usually never get spots. Nevertheless I wanted to use it up and hence, didn't change the face cream. The spots I got weren't that bad but still: a good face cream should not cause any spots. This is why I don't think that I will repurchase it. The scent was not so great either and somehow I have to say that altogether it was not a bad face cream (my skin liked it in May, hence, it seems to be appropriate for spring/autumn) but also not really great either.
• Nonique Anti Aging Day Cream: I bought this cream last winter together with the night cream of the same line and - as described with the night cream - already tried it last winter and found it to be not nurturing enough during the cold season. In May I started using it again together with the night cream and my skin loved it at first but already in June, I got a couple of spots and this happened even when I skipped the night cream. Nevertheless I wanted to use it up and hence, didn't change the face cream. In July, I started to use it as a night cream with my beloved Clarins Hydraquench cream and in this combination, it didn't cause any spots anymore. Nevertheless, I ascribe the great condition of my skin in the end to the Clarins Hydraquench cream. Hence, I don't think I will repurchase the Nonique Anti Aging Day Cream - maybe as a night cream together with the Clarins Hydraquench Cream, because as such it was not bad! Let's see - probably using solely the Clarins Hydraquench Cream alone would be better anyway ... 
• Florena straffende Tagespflege mit Bio-Klettenwurzelessenz, Sample: It is actually pretty ridiculous to add such a small sample to this empties post but I liked this day face cream actually and wanted to report on that. ;-) I used it only once because the sample was so small. But I liked it then - note however, that I used it as a night cream together with my beloved Clarins Hydraquench cream. I think the sample was too small to really judge this day face cream, hence I cannot say whether I'd repurchase it or not. Maybe some day. ;-) 
• Alterra Anti Age Reichhaltiges Serum Orchidee: This is am organic face serum from Alterra. Unfortunately, it went bad recently and was not good anymore when I wanted to use it up in July. Hence, I had to throw it away. I bought it somewhen end of last year and also tried it during Winter and I remember that I did not dislike it but I don't remember how much I liked it. I remember that I compared it with the Weleda Granatapfel Serum at that time and it was much better than the one from Weleda and I wanted to use up other products first and just stumbled again upon it last month when it was already not good anymore. Too bad. Maybe I will repurchase it some day to complete the experiment. ;-) I don't know yet. 

• Hand and Foot Care Products
• Alterra Handcreme Granatapfel & Aloe Vera: This is a hand cream by Alterra for dry and very dry skin and it is very nurturing. I don't like the scent that much, but it is endurable (yes, it's that bad ;-)) and the moisturizing and nurturing properties of this hand cream are so great that it's worth to endure the scent. ;-) I will definitely repurchase it some day as it is organic (and I love organic skin care products), cheap and a really great hand cream for the night.
  
• Herbacin Foot Care, 30ml sample: This product has been included in my Pink Box June and I actually liked using it. It is a rather light, but still nurturing foot cream. I might repurchase it some day. At the moment, however, I prefer the foot creams that I already had in use before I got this one.
• Scholl Fuss Pflege Balsam Vitalisierend, 20ml sample: This is a foot cream by Scholl. The scent is terrible and I didn't enjoy using it and am happy that it's emptied now. It says that it is vitalising but I haven't found it vitalising at all. I definitely won't repurchase it. 
• Alverde Relax Fuss- und Beingel Nanaminze, Rosskastanie: This is a refreshing gel for the legs that has a cooling effect and enhances blood circulation a bit. Usually, I like such products for summer. This one however is not the best one - I had it for ages now and had to force me to use it up since its expiration date is approaching soon (September 2012). It is cooling a bit, but not too much, which is not bad. But I really, really dislike the scent - it is intrusive and I just don't like it. Hours after applying the product in the bathroom, the smell is still there and this is why it annoys me even more. Furthermore, it has a sticky afterfeel which I dislike as well. Note however that this is an older version of the Sport Fuss- und Beingel of Alverde. I.e. the name has changed a bit and maybe also the product itself. I don't know. But I didn't like the old version at all. The new one might be better. However, I won't buy it again because I was really very disappointed by this one and I am very happy that it's gone - finally. Yay!

• Soap, Make up remover and antiperspirants:
• Alverde Pflanzenölseife Verveine: This is an organic soap with a verveine scent. I like it a lot. It's cheap (less than 1 Euro), smells good and cleans well (and does not dry the skin too much). Additionally, I also use it to clean my brushes which works fine as well. Great soap, I'll repurchase it for sure. 
  
• Alverde Feuchte Reinigungstücher Wildrose: These are makeup removing wipes by Alverde and it is a love-hate relationship. They are drying my skin a bit, but it's not that bad that I wouldn't repurchase them from time to time. They are organic, cheap and sometimes attached with another Alverde product as a present and I always get weak when there are sales promotions attached to this product. Currently, I still have a full-sized version of this product in my drawer waiting to be used up (the last sales promotion was "Get 2 for the price of 1" :-P). Nevertheless, since I obviously don't like them, I should probably stop buying them. ;-)
• Nivea invisible for black & white, 48h, Sample: This is a good antiperspirant that does the job and keeps away any sweaty smell. But I don't like the scent and, hence, won't repurchase it. 

• Makeup:
• Nail Polish by Artdeco (No 25 from the Dita von Teese Collection): This is a nail polish I bought in June. It's from the Dita van Teese collection. Unfortunately, I have to admit that it was a mispurchase. I just don't like it. It is difficult to apply as my application tends to be streamy and the colour is just too dark for me. Since I am not that much into red nail polishes anyway, I don't want to keep it as it is and have decided to get rid of it. I'll give it away.
• Nail Polish by Artdeco (188 Nail Whitener): This is actually a nail polish colour from my nail polish predator-prey system - I should have liked it and I did so for one or two years but somehow lately, I did not like it anymore. The problem is that I have much nicer nail polishes in my collection at the moment and this one somehow is to white and sparkly and looks weird on my nails on the hands. On the feet it looks better but the application is not the best either and hence, I decided to get rid of this nail polish as well.
• Catherine Nail Polish: This nail polish came with the Pink Box July and after some experiments with it, I decided to get rid of it. As said: I don't like red nail polish and don't wear it very often. And this one is not my favourite red either. Hence, I will give it away. I changed my mind and decided to keep it. It is a rather festive kind of red and might be great for some parties and Christmas and New Years Eve are approaching as well. Hence, I'll reconsider to get rid of it beginning of next year. ;-)
  
• Nail Polish by Essence (92 better late than never): This is a nail polish I bought in June. After some experiments with it, I have to admit that I don't like it. It's not the colour. The colour is great. I'd keep it for the colour. But the brush unfortunately is not flat as claimed on the bottle and I have difficulties with the proper application. This is why I want to get rid of it and I will give it away. I changed my mind and decided to keep it. The red is really lovely and I am worried that I'll miss it in my collection. Furthermore, the new Essence Nail Polishes are not as good as they were before: they chip within hours after application. Hence, I try to keep the old ones as they were staying much longer on my nails. 
  
• Essence Nail Art Special Effect Topper (08 Night in Vegas): This is actually a nice effect topper, but it's too sparkly for me. I don't have any opportunities for wearing it and prefer toppers that create a look like Tuileries by Lex Cosmetics (actually, Tuileries is not a topper but a nail polish all in one - nevertheless, exactly such kinds of toppers that create such a nice look is what I adore). Since it is too sparkly for me, I decided to give this topper by Essence away, although I just bought in June. 
• Nail polish by Catrice(090 Karl says tres chic): This nail polish has been bought by me in June as well. Many beauty bloggers like this nail polish and, hence, I had high expectations. But the color just does not look nice on me. Hence, it does not make any sense to keep it as I wouldn't use it anyway. Have a look at it on me here.
  
• H&M Orange lip gloss: These lip glosses by H&M in fruit containers (have a look at the one in a cherry container and the one in an apple container in my beauty empties of June) have been very drying my lips unfortunately. The orange one is the last that remained, because it's scent was the best. :-) But as it was as bad as the others, I decided to get rid of this one, too. I have not emptied it completely since I did not like it at all. It was very uncomfortable to wear. I love the package though and will of course keep it. The cute little orange (and of course also the cute little apple and cute little cherry) will provide very nice storage for little things. :-)