I really stink at empties, but I am totally commiting to them in 2013. Really, I'll even count them! (This is all inspired by the lovely Liz over at Beauty Reductionista - I can never hope to have as many empties as her!)
Anyways, here's what I was able to finish up in the last few months of 2012.
Again, I managed to finish a decent amount of bath/body items. Fresh Sugar Lemon Shower Gel was a big favorite earlier in the year, and this bottle here was at least my second or third one. While I'm not committed to pricey shower gels, I am always tempted by really bright citrus scented options.
I also collected a number of half-finished products, and Origins Knot Free Shampoo was one I had purchased years ago (like... 4) and never finished. It is a nice shampoo with a subtle scent, but I'm enjoying the shampoos from Organix and Lush that I've been using the last few months and don't need to repurchase this one. (Although, this shampoo did help me in a time when knots were a big part of my hair existence lol)
For a while this year, my boyfriend and I also liked Softsoap Shower Gels. They're really great at making bubbles, actually, and come in a number of scents, and they're cheap! I think this one is called Juicy Pomegranate & Mango... or something! We will definitely purchase more of these in the future, but we definitely have lots of stuff to use up in the meantime!
I grabbed a jar of Bio Oil in the late summer in hopes of helping out some of my scars... In the end, it turned out to be one of my boyfriend's top picks for treating eczema and dry winter skin. I have another bottle that we'll definitely be using, and my boyfriend has already spotted a larger size (and mentioned it multiple times!) for us to purchase in the future.
While I greatly enjoy Ole Henriksen's skincare, it turned out that the Aloe Vera Deep Cleanserwasn't quite right for my skin type. I think this would be great for oily skin types, and I am currently using their On the Go Cleanser, which I love!
I've finished a number of Lush items the last few months too! Party Popper* and Snow Globe Soap* are not pictured, but were two of my favorite, citrusy scented items from the holiday collection. We also managed to finish a pot of Lush Whoosh Shower Jelly* and we have another one that is about 1/3 used up. Demon in the Dark Soap* is a fun minty/earthy scented one for the guy in your life. Hair Doctorwas an exciting hair mask with a short shelf life, and unfortunately I left it out of the fridge for a few weeks long after its expiration date. While I'm enjoying other hair products at the moment, I'd definitely consider purchasing this one again. I am also anxiously awaiting the return of Calacas Shower Jelly*, which I hope will make another appearance in upcoming Lush Halloween collections.
I also had to toss a few mascaras that have been opened for too long. Actually, the Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes has been open since October 2011, and I just feel bad throwing things away. (Don't worry, I hadn't used it since early spring!) Diorshow Maximizer and Maybelline Falsies Flared took me through a great summer and well into fall, and then I decided that 4 months was probably enough...(Does anyone else think the expiration of mascaras is ridiculous and sad? LOL) Oh well, at least I got another Diorshow Maximizer during one of the Sephora sales this winter!
While I feel good about this pile of empties that has taken me 2-3 months to get through, I know I still have a TON of products to use up. The shower is still FILLED with stuff, and I have so many deluxe samples of skincare and haircare...
In 2013, I will continue these posts in hopes of clearing clutter and reducing the collection. I'm also going to keep count of everything, except for sample packets. Now I just have to commit to one product in a category at a time...! Will you be counting your empties this year? :)