July 2021 beauty empties
Midsummer Beauty Empties

Happy August! Well…we’re back to indoor masking here in DC, due to the increased community spread and the CDC’s updated mask recommendations. I still don’t go out a lot aside from low key outdoor activities, so the mask mandate doesn’t change much for me. However, it’s frustrating that the delta variant is proliferating because so many folks won’t get vaccinated. Please, please get vaccinated. It’s to protect you AND everyone in your community. Ending the COVID-19 pandemic is a team effort.

Stepping off my soapbox to show you the beauty products I emptied in July:

July 2021 beauty empties

I did a bunch of eye masking, and only used a couple of sheet masks for my face. I’m aware that single-use products are bad for the environment, so I’m trying to phase them out. I still have quite a sheet mask stash, so I’ll be using up what I have in my cabinet.

July 2021 sheet mask empties

Would I Repurchase?
  • Acure Curiously Clarifying Conditioner: I bought this not because it claims to clarify, but because I thought the lemongrass and argan combo sounded nice. I liked how this conditioner smelled but don’t feel like it did anything for my hair, so I won’t buy it again.
  • Wardensville Garden Market Lip Balm: I bought this at the market in West Virginia on one of our Airbnb getaways. I liked it and have since bought two more during later trips.
  • Nécessaire The Body Serum [affiliate link]: the brand gifted me this serum, which I did like and would buy on my own. They actually just gifted me a bottle of the serum’s new formula, which I’ve used a few times and like as well. If you shop at Nécessaire.com using my link, I’ll earn a small commission on any purchases you make there.
  • Elta MD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46: LOVE. I have two bottles of this as backup in my cabinet. I’m currently trying a different SPF, but I’ve gone through many bottles of this stuff and will continue to use it.
  • Youth to the People 15% Vitamin C Clean Caffeine Energy Serum: I bought this in my spring Sephora Rouge haul. Loved it! I feel like my skin tone was luminous while I was using this product. I have some other things to use up before I buy another bottle of this, but I will absolutely repurchase it.
  • Drunk Elephant Beste Jelly Cleanser (mini): I forgot that I used this up in June while on my birthday getaway; I had put the empty in my travel bag and left it there until our anniversary trip this month. I’ve tried this cleanser before and never liked it that much. I wouldn’t buy it full sized. Also, I’m no longer supporting this brand.
  • Farmacy Beauty Dew It All Eye Cream: I’ve gone through multiple jars of this. I would buy it again but I’m also kind of itching to try something different. Such is life when you spend time on Skinstagram….there’s always something shiny and new out there.
  • Celery Green Cream with Hyaluronic Acid + Peptides: I received this cream in my Fall 2020 FabFitFun box, and I liked it. It smells more like cucumber than celery, and made for a not-too-heavy AM moisturizer for me in spring and summer. I’d consider purchasing this for next summer.
  • Eve Lom Moisture Cream: I received this cream complimentary via Influenster. I really liked this cream; it has an herbal scent that I very much enjoyed. The cream actually worked well for me both AM and PM. I’m not 100% sure it would be enough for my skin in the winter, but with an added drop or two of an oil I think it would be do well for my dry skin. This cream is expensive ($115 for 50 ml), but I’d consider purchasing it if I could get a discount.
Mask Up
  • SNP Anti-Aging Cat Sheet Mask: this mask no longer seems to be available, which is a bummer because I liked it and would repurchase (if I wasn’t going to reduce my single-use skin care usage).
  • May Coop Raw Sheet Mask: I believe this was the last mask from the pack I got as a FabFitFun add-on. I’ve continued to enjoy these; they’re nice and hydrating.
  • Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels [affiliate link]: the brand initially gifted me these, but I’ve since purchased them on my own. These are very good, and I do recommend them! If you shop at skyniceland.com using my link, I’ll earn a small commission on any purchases you make there.
  • Wander Beauty Rose Gold Baggage Claim Eye Masks: I feel the same way about these as I do about the Skyn Iceland eye gels. They’re great and I usually have a few of them in my stash.

Thus concludes my July empties roundup. Are you also trying to buy fewer single-use skin care products? They’re so fun to use, but we’re wrecking the environment. We can do better.

Before I leave you, I have a few more things to say about the pandemic.* (Current mood: fired up.) Please wear a mask indoors if your city or town requires it. And don’t be an asshole if someone requests that you wear a mask or asks you for proof of COVID-19 vaccination (doing so is NOT a HIPAA violation, by the way. HIPAA only applies to healthcare settings). Everyone’s been through a rough time. It’s very unfortunate that service workers are again burdened with gatekeeping folks who refuse to listen to experts because uninformed conspiracy theorists on TV and social media are telling them the vaccine will track, harm, or kill them…or whatever other fearmonger-y bullshit is being fed into their eye and earholes. Being American doesn’t entitle you to freely spread COVID-19 and contribute to overtaxing the healthcare system. Just be a decent human. It shouldn’t be hard.  /rant

*These are my opinions and my opinions only, and they do not reflect those of any of the brands mentioned above.