Monthly Empties - March 2024

 Joy Revivify pH 5.5 Gel Face Wash

INR 225 for 150 ml

I'm really liking this entire range of facewashes from Joy. It cleans well without drying out my skin. The awesome fragrance is a definite plus. I've cut open the tube (as always) & been amazed with the amount of product still inside the tube. Will definitely purchase again. 

Plum Body Lovin' Body Oil in Hawaiian Rumba

INR 550 for 200 ml

I've been using body oils instead of body lotions from quite some time now. This one is so heavily scented that its actually nauseating. How this brand is getting away with claiming to be an all natural product with this much perfume is beyond me! Not repurchasing again. 

Good Vibes Black Seed & Neem Cold Pressed Oil

INR 235 for 100 ml

Good Vibes is a mixed bag. This is one of the good ones. I personally like multi use products & this one can be used for both skin and hair. Not able to see this anywhere on purplle. Probably OOS

Gatsby Water Gloss Hair Gel in #2

INR 35 for 30 gm

Been following the Curly Girl method from a while & this is a great gel. I love the fact that it's available in different holding strengths. I personally prefer 2 or 3 strength as it works great with my hair. Still have a couple more of these after which I will buy the larger packaging. 

Nivea Men Fresh Active Deodorant

INR 199 for 50 ml

I prefer using men's deodorant in summers since it works better at sweat control than the ladies variant. It's also on sale more often. Down with pink tax! 

Biotique Bio Dandelion Serum

INR 230 for 40 ml

A product from biotique that actually works well on my skin. I first started using this a few years back & since then I always pick up a couple of bottles when on sale. I picked this up from purplle at flat 50% off. Complete steal. 

Pink & Plums Soft Rose Lip balm

INR 40 for 10 ml

Not good, not bad. Just a basic lip balm. Still have one more of this. 

Superdrug Fruity Coconut Shower Gel

INR 275 for 250 ml

Bought it for the scent when it was on BOGO on nykaa. Still have one more. I wish this had just straight up coconut scent, the underlying white peach kinda kills it for me.

How many products have you managed to finish up? 

All Things Blue

 Blue Flatlay featuring

St. D'vence Ocean Drop Body Wash

Retino - A Tretinoin Cream USP 0.025%

Alps Goodness French Green Clay

Nivea Frangipani Shower Gel

Beverly Hills Polo Club #2 Perfume

Maliao Intense Gel Kajal

Nail Dotting Tool

Insight Pore Minimizer Primer

Fresh Linen Candle

Spinz EDP in Bloom

Seven Seas Nail Polish Remover

SQ Nail Polish

NY Bae Nail Lacquer

IBA Halal Blue Lotus Perfume Oil

Jesse Mccarthy Wanted Perfume

Faces Ultime Pro Splash Nail Enamel

Kalobio Nail Enamel

Juice Long Stay Nail Enamel

Joy Tan Clear Salt Scrub

Monthly Empties - December 2020

 Last empties of the year or the first first empties post of the new year; depending on how you look at it 

Lacto Calamine 60 ml

I've been using this from forever. It's a life saver for people with oily skin. The only thing I don't like is the packaging... a lot of the product gets stuck at the shoulder (?!) of the bottle. Already have several backups. 

Maybelline Super Fresh Compact 8g

I cannot tell you how happy I am to finally finish this one. It seemed to last forever & a half! 

Vayam Eladi Moisture Restoring Night Cream 30g

Vayam is an in-house brand of Purplle & they are hell bent on copying all of Kama Ayurveda's products. When have I ever not loved a dupe? I bought this immediately to test. It's a nice, rich cream which absorbs easily & dries to a matte finish. As I have oily skin, I used this only on my neck for added moisture. The problem for me is the strong smell of Elaichi.. I constantly feel like I'm applying kheer. If you can tolerate the smell of cardamom go for it. The product is great 

Good Vibes Argan Facial Oil with Silver Leaves 10 ml

After a great experience using GV Rosehip Serum I used this one with great hopes. It's thicker than the Rosehip Serum and smells like oil (meh!). It's a transparent oil with silver leaf. Silver leaf seems a bit extra - I'm not sure it adds anything to the oil other than make it aesthetically pleasing. In any case, how much silver can you possibly put in a product that costs less than 200 bucks? Again I used this only on my neck as I felt it was heavy for my oily skin + I was scared the silver leaf would aggravate acne on my face. 

Nivea Roll on Deodorant 50 ml

I don't know how many of these I bought but I seem to have an endless supply. Good enough but bored now... Looking for a change 

Pond's Cold Cream 7g

I like to use this as my first cleanse as it can melt sunscreen and makeup with great ease. 

Tresemme Shampoo sachets 7. 5ml

Finally done with sachets 

Fiama Shampoo 30 ml 

Fiama Conditioner 30 ml

These seem to be multiplying where I left them. Every time I open the drawer there seems to be more than the last time. At least I'll not run out of shampoo and conditioner during my No Buy. 

How's the new year treating you? 

February 2020 Empties

Restarting empties has been so much fun. I honestly didn't think I would have any products at all this month.
Nevertheless managed to finish using up these

Everyuth Tulsi Turmeric Face Wash

Everyuth Lemon Face Wash has my most favourite scent of all time & I picked this one up with a lot of hopes. It's a decent face wash but I simply couldn't stand the scent. Finished this by using as a body wash. Never purchasing again


Nivea Whitening Deodorant

I had been looking for a good deodorant from some time now. This feels gentle on the skin, probably due to the absence of alcohol. The scent is nothing to write home about though. However I'm not happy with it... Simply does not work for the Indian summer + I'm leaning towards natural products. Still have 2 more of this.


Multani Mitti


I love using a mixture of Multani Mitti and besan to wash my face & go through this quickly. This particular Multani Mitti I picked up from Amazon simply because I was intrigued that the seller was selling it for 1 buck + shipping. I mean just the audacity to offer a product for 1 Rupee was crazy & I was expecting a so-so product at best (if that). I'm surprised that the quality is decent. Will repurchase soon.

Moving on to the decluttering part. I recently did an inventory of all my makeup (post should be coming up soonish) & discovered that I have 80 nail paints! So I am doing the only logical thing & getting rid of the colours I don't like/will never wear. Both of these are from a 24 nail polish set I bought from Flipkart. I absolutely dislike the darker green shade. The lighter green I tried to tone down with white nail paint but the neonness (is this even a word!) would not go. I'm getting rid of both.


Maybelline Colorsensational lipstick in Iced Orchid

Jettisoning this because I hate frosted lip shades + the cool undertones clash with my warm skin. But mostly because I'm trying very hard to follow the one in one out rule. Oh & it is at least 5 years old.


See you soon with more empties. Fingers crossed. 

Project Pan Update

I had originally planned this post about 2 months back so I could update after 3 months. Anyhow, posting now. It's been 5 months since I started my Project Pan in January this year. And in all this time I've actually managed to finish quite a bit. Let's start with the wins

Ponds BB Cream- An old favorite. I've been using it for nearly a decade & it's still the best BB Cream in the market for my skin type. The smell though is a different matter. I positively HATE the signature smell of the White Beauty range. Finally managed to finish this up.

Eyetex Dazzler Foundation- Somehow managed to finish this by using while practising different looks. Definitely don't recommend. Life's too short to use shitty foundation.

Cameleon Mascara- Done, done n done! How proud am I!

Streetwear compact- This was missing when I started my project. Finally found it at the bottom of an unused bag- shattered, mirror cracked & even the compact unhinged! Into the bin.

Now for the list of products I will be using for the next 3 months. Some are carryovers from last time. Seriously how much product is there in these things!

Nivea After Shave Lotion- I only used this as a primer in Jan when it was relatively cold. In the summer months,  not only does this not function well as a primer I literally want to claw it off my face. Quite by accident I discovered that it works pretty well as a makeup remover & I've been using it like that. Only a quarter of the bottle's left. Soon

VOV Loose Powder- Again I've very little left & this is all I'm using these days as it's too hot for the foundation.

Now for the things I will be adding to my Project Pan for the next 3 months

Spinz BB Cream- This looks & even smells vaguely like the Fair n Lovely BB  cream but thankfully blends way better. It even dries to a matte finish so I don't even have to set with powder. This one's pretty much full, let's see if I can use it up

Blue Heaven Signature Foundation- Way too yellow for my skin tone but I plan to use it while practising looks. If I set it with a pink undertoned powder, it looks pretty decent. I still wouldn't wear it outside home though

Lakme 9 -5 Mascara- Currently using this

Maybelline BB Stick- I've had this since forever. It's a bit darker than my skin & suits my tanned skin in summer. I honestly doubt if I'll ever finish this.

Elle 18 Compact- Been using this these days. Quite like it.

That's it folks. Wish me luck

Beauty Basket / Project Pan 2019

There was a time when I would diligently work on my empties. And have a bunch of skincare empties to show for it. I never, however managed to finish a single makeup product though. I even started a Project Pan on my blog sometime back to tackle this. Somehow it didn't work for me as intended. This time around I came across this idea on another blog about creating a Beauty Bag & only using those products for a specified period of time. I will be trying to use up these products for 2 months- January & February of 2019. Following are the products I have selected. They are all half used & I hope I will be finishing up them completely.

Pond's BB Cream- Like everyone else I've been using this from forever. I loved it when it was on their Anti- aging range, I loved it when they reintroduced it in their White Beauty range as well. But now I'm simply bored of using this. It's mostly the smell that I can't stand. This will be my last tube. I only have about a quarter tube of product left.

Eyetex Dazzler Foundation- I bought this back when YouTube was chock- a - block with budget makeup videos. People were sharing foundations that cost 200, 100, 50 & even 30 INR. I ran out & bought this from my local market for just 45 INR. Eventually I realized that it was a mistake & the only reason so many youtubers were able to pull it off was because they were all makeup gurus. They could probably use flour from the kitchen as makeup & come out tops. Anyhow I'm stuck with this product that does nothing. First off I bought the wrong shade, all the other shades were so pale that I bought the darkest shade I could even though it has a pink undertone. It doesn't really matter because it provides no coverage whatsoever + it also has that annoying strong smell that all cheap makeup has. Sigh!

Cameleon Mascara- I don't really remember how much I paid for it but it's pretty decent. It defines every single lash very well. Also when I wash it off it comes off as flakes. The first couple of times I was scared I was losing lashes. It is water- resistant though, you can splash your face a couple of times without the mascara budging.

Nivea After Shave Lotion-  God knows who started this "hack" of using After Shave Lotion as a primer but we are all stuck with it now. It only works on my oily skin in winters & even then feels super- sticky on my skin. Now that a lot of primers are being released around the 300 INR mark, I will not be repurchasing this.

Benetton Colors- Bought this long back on Snapdeal as a blind buy. Totally love the scent- it's fresh with a little bit of spice thrown in. I only have about an inch of product left.

Elizabeth Arden Green Tea- Another perfume I'm tired of wearing. Wil hopefully finish it in the next 2 months

Streetwear Compact- I've hit pan eons ago & turns out its now lost. Can't find it anywhere. If I don't find this by January I will be using Maybelline Super Fresh Compact instead.

VOV Loose Powder- Again something I bought long back. It's a whopping 20 gm of product. I have very little left.

P.S : No pics this time as my camera died an untimely death.

March & April Empties

Hello all, I've managed to finish relatively less number of products as compared my previous posts; mainly because I've been travelling quite a bit. Anyhow, let's get on with the empties.

Khadi Herbal Shampoo with Vanilla and Honey

INR 135 for 210 ml

I really enjoyed using this shampoo & this has got to be the best smelling shampoo I've ever used from Khadi Herbals. It's got Rockside Laboratories written on the side which makes me wonder if this is manufactured separately. Looking forward to repurchasing.

Patanjali Divya Badam Rogan Almond Oil

INR 100 for 60 ml

My second bottle of this oil which should tell you how much I love it. I've switched over entirely from Dabur Rogan Badam Shireen to this one. Will be repurchasing after I whittle down my stash.

Sunsilk Soft and Smooth Shampoo Sachets X 2

INR 3 for 7 ml

My favourite shampoo! Although I think it's overpriced- you can get the same amount of shampoo at 1 Rupee as well. Will be buying forever.

Aloe Veda French Lavender Luxury Shower Gel

INR 180 for 300 ml

Smells fantastic & completely non- drying. Have one more variant of this one.

Vedic Line Lavender Gloss Serum

INR 200 for 100 ml

I really want to like this product but it gives a very shiny look on my oily skin. Maybe that's what they mean when they say "Gloss Serum". I can see this working amazingly well on people with dry skin. Despite the soothing fragrance, no repurchase.

Brihans Green Leaf Aloe Face Wash Gel

INR 90 for 120 gm

I loved the effect of this face wash though it doesn't remove makeup at all- not even compact. It somehow didn't break me out even though it didn't clean as well as I wanted it to. What gets annoying after a point, is to scoop out the product with your hands EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Will repurchase if the packaging is changed.

Nature's Essence Walnut Foot Scrub

INR 150 for 100 gm

This was part of a Manicure & Pedicure kit which I got as a free gift with purchase. It's so mild, ain't nobody's foot getting scrubbed with this thing. I used it on my face & it provided mild exfoliation at best. Also, it's a gel scrub & doesn't get washed away easily. It smells amazing like all Nature's Essence products but no repurchase.

Cemera Cuticle Oil Polish Cleanser

INR 50 for 50 ml

I bought this thinking it was from V.O.V. Quite similar but leaves a white residue on nails after removing polish. No repurchase.

Vaadi Herbals Luxurious Saffron Soap

INR 38 for 75 gm

I'd bought 6 of these. SIX. Took forever to finish + the fact that I hated the smell didn't really speed things up. This one's the last of the lot. HAVE TO STOP BUYING IN BULK.

Vaadi Herbals Heavenly Lavender Soap

INR 38 for 75 gm

Smells divine. Will be buying this & the Kiwi soap for all eternity.

Cinthol Deostick in Aura

INR 69 for 40 gm

Oh God! Where do I begin? Nothing works in this product. It does not control sweat. Nor does it deodorize. And the tube packaging has got to be the worst one I've ever seen. I'm all for innovative packaging but not when it makes using the product that much more difficult. Hated this one. Going back to my trusted Sure Anti- perspirant. Am so glad I didn't buy several of these as I usually do.

Nivea Lip Butter in Caramel Cream

INR for 19 ml

I've been using this as a night lip balm for well over a year & yet it was showing no signs of finishing. By the time I finished using this, even an ardent caramel lover like me hated the smell of it. One more thing I'm glad I didn't buy several of. Definitely something to be said for restraint while buying new products, eh? No way in hell!

Discards

As always discarding a few more makeup items

Faces Makeup Brushes

INR 495 for set of 5 brushe
Bought this when I was starting out in makeup. Super scratchy bristles but nothing better was available back then. Goodbye!

Maybelline Colorsensational in Hooked on Pink &

Maybelline Colorsensational in Blushing Brunette

Don't remember the price

These were my most used lipsticks at one point. As of now, I've several similar looking lipsticks & I'm soooo over minor shade differences. Plus, these happen to be 6 years old. My lipstick drawer has a little more room now.

Do you track your empties? Does it help in curbing excess shopping? It works for me till I reach the last face wash et al....then I go on a mad spree & stock everything back up. Sigh!

June &July Empties

Hi all, life's been crazy busy & I simply couldn't do an empties post for June. So I'm doing a combined empties post for both June & July. Let's begin

Indulekha Coconut Milk Shampoo

INR 135 for 100 ml

Ho-hum shampoo, does nothing for my hair. But the real culprit is the smell. Who uses the scent of lime on a supposedly coconut milk shampoo? No repurchase.

Sunsilk Jasmine Black Shampoo Sachet

INR 1 for 5.5 ml

Love this. Will repurchase forever.

Head & Shoulders Conditioner

INR 4 for 7.5 ml

I generally don't use conditioner but I've a bunch of these sachets I got free with something. Trying to use up. Still have several more to finish.

Khadi Herbals Aloe Vera, Neem & Basil Facial Massage Gel

INR 180 for 100 gm

I'm in two minds about this gel. While I love the smell & texture of this, it somehow imparts a very sticky, shiny look to my face. Mind you, it only looks shiny - it's dry to the touch. Maybe it will look glowy on people with dry skin. Anyhow, I used it up by mixing with an equal quantity of Lacto Calamine & surprise, surprise! The concoction works amazingly well on lines. The lines on my neck were less visible & altogether disappeared on continuous use. I might repurchase after I finish the gels in my stash. I still have a few more to work through.

Vaadi Herbals Olive Facial Bar x2

INR 34 for 25 gm

No good as a facial bar so I'm simply using it as soap. 2 down, just 1 more to go. Hallelujah!

Khadi Herbals Sandalwood Massage Oil

INR 150 for 210 ml

Love the scent of this - very subtle sandalwood. The oil though, I'm not impressed with. It's just mineral oil & doesn't moisturize effectively. No repurchase.

Khadi Herbals Lavender & Ylang Ylang Body Wash

INR 130 for 210 ml

Got this on a BOGO offer. Love the scent, the brilliant colour & the way it cleans without drying but after using 2 bottles, I'm looking for a change. No repurchase in the near future.

Fiama Di Wills Gel Bar Mild Dew (Peach & Avocado)

INR 60 for 125 gm

Love this. I feel like I'm using a luxurious product. Whoever came up with the name Mild Dew, I read it as mildew. Every. Single. Time.

Vaadi Herbals Lemongrass & Lily Body Oil

INR 65 for 50 ml

This is especially useful on days you want to wake up instantly. Love the zingy scent & it moisturizes better than the Lavender variant- probably due to the olive oil it contains. Will be buying the bigger bottle next time.

Biocare Foot Scrub with Apricot,  Jojoba & Organic Rosemary

INR 180 for 500 ml

Biocare products are total value for money. The products work decently & given the price & quantity, you simply can't complain. It has a subtle scent & is super effective at scrubbing away dead cells. I also used it as a body scrub because let's face it - there was no way in hell I was going to finish it by using only on my feet. Love this. Will buy a different variant next time.

Moving on to the decluttering. Getting rid of some makeup this time

Maybelline Expert Wear Blush in Berry Sorbet

Don't remember the price, it's ancient

My very first blush -a dusty pink colour that looked natural on me. I've moved on to newer loves & this one was lying forgotten in the very depths  of my vanity. Time to bid adieu.

MAC Cream Color Base in Hush

INR 1150 for 3.2 gm

My most expensive makeup purchase. Also my most expensive makeup mistake. I went to MAC looking for their legendary paint pots. As always it was OOS. The SA convinced me that the CCB worked the same way as the paint pots. Total fail! It creases like crazy on my lids. And since I have oily skin, my skin produces its own highlighter. I have no use of this product & after staring at it morosely for 5 odd years, I've finally gathered the courage to get rid of it.

Nivea Fruity Shine Lip Balm in Pink Guava

INR 149 for 4.8 gm

Aargh! The only thing I hate more than glitter in lipstick is glitter in lip balms. These Nivea lip balms never cut it for me anyway- with or without glitter.

So many products, so little time. Still have about half of my stash to empty. Cheers.