I’ve expressed my love for the YouTube beauty community many times before, but I’m not quite sure everyone understands the extent to which I follow BeauTubers (beauty YouTubers, obviously). I started watching beauty videos the summer before sixth grade. I was petrified to start middle school and wanted to ~change my image~. I came across a slew of “scene girl tutorials,” which basically consisted of lots of hair teasing and black eyeshadow smudged across your entire eyelid. My mom wouldn’t exactly let me do that.
Plus, you can pick them up at your local CVS right now!
Since sixth grade, my tastes and the entire YouTube beauty community has changed. (For the better? You decide that one.) One of my favorite videos to watch as of the last few years are empties videos. Basically, the YouTuber gathers all of his or her empty products (generally in a small trash can) and shares all the products he or she has used up. I’ve watched so many of these videos (it’s almost as addicting as makeup declutters and vanity tours) that I just might have started keeping track of my own empties.
So, in the business of sharing all the products I’ve used up and have already repurchased, here’s a look into my trash! (Ex-boyfriends not included.)
This is the best mascara I’ve ever tried. I’ll be honest, I picked this up because I love CBD and was intrigued by the marketing campaign. In one coat, your lashes look thick and voluminous. I’m extra, so I always do two (occasionally three) coats, and it looks like I’m wearing false lashes. People stop me when I’m out to ask where I got my lash extensions done AKA this baby is a keeper.
This is my secret to soft skin. (Since all of you were totally wondering how this stranger got such soft skin!) I actually first heard about this product from an empties video on YouTube (I cannot be stopped). I use this while I'm still in the shower before I take off my conditioner. My skin feels smooth and not sticky after I get out of the shower, and I usually don't even feel the need to moisturize afterward. The coconut scent lingers all day, so I always feel like I'm on a tropical vacation when I use this.
I’m a foundation addict. I own more than enough for a year’s worth of product (I’m a collector!!), so I’ve gotten to the point that certain foundations are for different occasions. This Makeup Forever foundation comes in clutch for weddings, photo shoots, and all special events. It makes my skin look flawless on camera without it looking cakey and disgusting in real life. The first time I bought this foundation was when I went through sorority recruitment, and it lasted through a 16-hour day of intense stress-sweat. I remember looking in the mirror when I got home and being shocked that my makeup looked just as good as when I put it on. I haven't been able to go without this in my collection since.
This facial spray is a best-seller for a reason. You can use it as a facial toner, a makeup priming mist, a setting spray, or when you just really need a refresh (basically your mid-day Starbucks run in a bottle!). I use it for all of the above and it's glorious. This spray comes in other scents, but I find the cucumber and green tea ultra refreshing and moisturizing. Tip: I spray this on my brush before I go in with a more matte foundation to add some radiance and help the foundation go on more smoothly!
I used to love a super full-coverage, matte, heavily powdered under eye because it's what every beauty blogger on Instagram was wearing. Fast forward a few months, and this concealer made its way into my daily makeup stash. It's creamy with a natural/luminous finish, doesn't crease too much under my eyes (I have yet to find a concealer that doesn't crease — will update when I get there!), and doesn't need to be set with powder to last all day. If you're still on your perfect concealer journey (we've all been there), this might be your new go-to.
The Ordinary is an office favorite for its affordability and high-quality ingredients. I received a MUCH more expensive lactic acid serum as a gift last year, and when I ran out of it, I decided to pick this one up. The mornings after I use this, my skin looks glowy and smooth. The 5% lactic acid is lightly exfoliating, which is perfect for sensitive skin. Eventually, I would love to test out the 10% option!
After reading about the founder of Briogeo on The Everygirl, I really wanted to try some of their products. I purchased a mini size and almost immediately ran out to get the full size of this deep conditioner. It moisturizes my fine hair without weighing it down. I always use this on days when I want my hair to look amazing, AKA the days I leave my house.
Like I said previously, I love foundations. I pick a new one up basically every time I walk past a drugstore. With that, I end up with a lot of mediocre foundations that cannot be returned. This primer is my saving grace. It makes ANY (pause for even more emphasis) foundation look good. This primer is a moisturizer and a primer infused into one, so it makes your foundations glide onto the skin easily and adds a little bit of a dewiness. If you're dealing with dry skin (or want to use up all your meh foundations before they go bad), you'll be in love with this.
I wear eyeshadow every single day, and I refuse to wear it without a proper eyeshadow base. This Covergirl primer is as good as any high-end primer I've ever used at less than half the price. I don't feel the need for expensive primers when I have this one on hand. My eyeshadows look vivid and they blend out perfectly. Since I first picked this up, I have to force myself to use any of my other primers.
I'm not a huge perfume person, so it's not something I prefer to spend tons of money on. So, on a whim, I added this to an Anthropologie order (probably to get free shipping). It's now become my favorite perfume ever, and I get compliments on it every single time I wear it. In the office, at the grocery store, with friends, you name it, and I've probably had someone tell me I smell good while wearing this perfume. It's so inexpensive, lasts pretty much all day, and the bottle is small enough to carry in my bag. It's a winner, through-and-through.
Winter has no mercy for our dry AF lips. I used to buy lip balm after lip balm trying to cure my chapped lips. Finally, after an intense allergic reaction that left my skin flaky and my lips cracked at the corners, I shelled out the money for this. IT IS MAGIC. I don't know what they put in this stuff — the blood of a royal first born maybe? Apply this lip mask before bed, and your lips will look as if dryness never existed. This lip mask is so hydrating that your lips look fuller every time you use it. Kylie lips without the Kylie price tag, ladies. (OK, more like 2019 Kylie lips post-filler.)
I go through brow pencils so fast (anyone else?!), so I'm always trying new inexpensive options. This is the pencil I always go back to. It's small enough to draw little hair-like strokes on the brows, and the consistency is waxy enough to stick but not too waxy to look too drawn-on. The spooly on the other end of the pencil is so helpful for blending out the product. This brow pencil also comes in a bunch of shades in different undertones, so I'm sure you'll be able to find an option that works for your eyebrows. Say goodbye to sparse brows forever.
Truth be told, I'm not obsessed with setting my makeup. (I know, gasp!) I have pretty dry skin, and I love dewy foundations. Most powders set the makeup down too much and create a matte finish — but not this one. I've been using this powder religiously since ninth grade. (I went back-to-school makeup shopping because I really thought I was going to make a YouTube channel. #Regrets). This powder helps your foundation, blush and bronzer last all day long while giving your skin a gorgeous satin finish.
I kept seeing this dry shampoo on The Everygirl, so when I saw it at Anthropologie, I decided to test it out. I've since set up an Amazon subscription because I don't want to be without this product, ever. I have intensely oily hair, enough to warrant the use of dry shampoo every day if it didn't dry out my scalp! This is the first dry shampoo I've ever tried that makes my hair FEEL clean rather than just look like it. This product is my holy grail, a ride-or-die, my bae, my A1, my main chick. I'm currently sorting out our Valentine's Day plans.
I prefer to use a cleansing balm to remove my eye makeup over a liquid remover. This gets off all of my mascara (a true test!) and leaves my eye area moisturized. A lot of makeup removers can be irritating to the eyes, but this has never given me redness, itchiness, or anything like that. It also removes face makeup, but I usually prefer to remove that with a facial oil doing the double cleanse method. Whether you're using it to remove eye makeup or on your entire face, this balm contains enough product to last you a while!