My September 2026 Beauty and Health Empties and Reviews

In 2025, I set out on a mission to love my morning and night routine. When I took a look at my bathroom drawers, my piles of makeup, and my vanity, I knew there were products I loved in there, but all I could see was junk. I wanted to enjoy my time while putting on my makeup and while taking it off. Between all the items that were given to me and all of the ones I bought mindlessly, I was in a haze where I didn’t know what I loved and what I put up with. 

To put a stop to haphazard buying and begin purposeful purchases, I began reviewing every “empty” I had. Almost all my empties for September are items that I will not be repurchasing. While part of me is disappointed by this because it feels like I am contributing to mindless waste, the other part of me knows that I used those products instead of throwing them away, and they will now be recycled. A few of these things are also items that I got from others, or they had been sitting around on my shelves, and I finally fully went through them. Now, I am one step closer to having a more sustainable, cruelty-free, and vegan vanity, and for that, I am really grateful and happy. 

Heritage Store Rose Water and Glycerin Hydrating Facial Mist 

I really like this product. I have used the plain rose water one in the past. I am open to buying this one again instead. I like to use this throughout the day to keep my face hydrated, but also to wake myself up a bit. It is something simple and effective that I can do to keep my skin happy, and the products from the Heritage Store are not that expensive, which I also like. I noticed they also have this at Ulta now, so it is easily accessible as well. 

Repurchase: Yes. 

The Ordinary GF 15% Solution 

I was given this by my sister, and I used it just to see if it would do anything. I don’t think it did, but it is probably meant for long-term use, so I won’t judge it too harshly. What I will say is that it didn’t break me out at all, and it was something simple to add into my routine. So, if aging skin is something you are worried about, I think this would be a good, easy addition to your routine. I love how simple The Ordinary’s products are, and I find that the company is also very transparent. For my purposes, I will point out that they are cruelty-free and vegan, but they are owned by Estée Lauder, which is not cruelty-free or vegan. 

Repurchase: No.  

Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream 

I had heard so much about this cream, and I was really looking forward to using it. I bought it in bulk from Costco, but to my disappointment, Dr. Althea is not cruelty-free or vegan. So even though I am going to review this product positively, I will not be repurchasing it. This cream made me break out for maybe two weeks while my skin got used to it, and then my skin loved it. It was light, hydrating, and had no smell. I also really enjoy the packaging because I could ensure that no product was going to waste. I would love to repurchase this, but unfortunately, I won’t be. 

Repurchase: No.  

CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen 

This was my last CeraVe product! If you have read my reviews in the past, you have seen this product before. My mom and I had so many of these lying around, and I finally got through the last one. I liked this product, and I think it worked well, though it made my skin look oily, and they only recently made different tint shades, so if you weren’t the exact color of it, it left an orange cast. I am not buying any more CeraVe products, and I am so happy to be done with my last one. I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to find a comparable tinted sunscreen that was cruelty-free and vegan, but Bubble has one that I really like so far and am switching to. 

Repurchase: No.  

Kitsch Rice Water Solid Shampoo Bar 

I like this shampoo, and I like the smell of it. I think it works well, and I double cleanse when I use it, so there is never any dirt still on my scalp that I can see or feel. I feel like this and the conditioner bar are both very simple and easy switches. For me, I put it directly on my scalp and brush it through my hair, and then create a lather with my fingers. This method works really well for me, so if you are switching to solid shampoo, that is what I recommend. Even though I would repurchase this item, there is actually a solid shampoo that I have found that I may like more, though I have to order it online. If I want to buy one in person, I will be buying this one. 

Repurchase: Yes.   

Kitsch Rice Water Solid Conditioner Bar 

My review for this is very similar to my review of the shampoo bar. I like this and, for being a solid conditioner, it really surprised me. I actually typically do not like solid conditioner bars because I don’t find them to be hydrating enough. I didn’t have that problem with this. Though, the shampoo bar that I order online from a different brand had a matching conditioner, so I ordered it, and I liked it a lot. I think that I will be switching to that conditioner, but if I want to buy one in person, it will be this one. 

Repurchase: Yes.  

Kitsch Adjustable Breathable Satin Bonnet 

I needed a new bonnet, and since I own so much from this brand, I bought one from here. This was the worst bonnet I have ever used. It was uncomfortable, too tight, and the tie didn’t make sense. Maybe I have a big head, but at its loosest, it was hurting me behind my ears and on my forehead. That’s what I get for buying a bonnet from a brand that isn’t owned by a black woman. I tried to give this to my mom instead of throwing it away, but she said the same thing. So unfortunately, I will have to throw this away. I bought a new bonnet from The Satin Diaries, which is where I have gotten a bonnet from in the past, and I really like her products. 

Repurchase: No.  

No makeup empties in September! Check back next month ~

Bath and Body Works Hand Sanitizer - Snowflakes and Cashmere

I got this from my mom, and I can’t complain. It smelled good and seemingly worked well. It’s hand sanitizer, so I don’t have much to say about it, honestly. I really liked it, and everyone else that I gave some to liked the smell as well. I just don’t like spending money on hand sanitizer when I can buy a cheap one that works just fine but doesn’t smell strong, so that’s why I am not repurchasing it. 

Repurchase: No. 

Wild Deodorant Refill - Cotton Clouds 

I am really disappointed by Wild Deodorant. I switched to them a decently long time ago, and I liked them at first. Their deodorant would leave white marks on my shirts, but because I liked the brand and the deodorant was working well enough, I was okay with still buying from them. Then, I had to use the Coconut and Vanilla scent because my normal one was limited edition and the promotion was over. I thought that would be fine, but the deodorant barely worked. I ordered this Cotton Clouds scent, and I actually really liked the scent, and the formula was working again, but the packaging started to become awful. I couldn’t peel the packaging off the deodorant cleanly, so it got everywhere, and the bottom doesn’t stay on. It’s hard to fully explain with such a low word count, but even though I liked this scent, it is also limited edition and came with its own trouble. So overall, it is not worth it to me anymore, and I am switching to a different cruelty-free and vegan deodorant. 

Repurchase: No.  

Bath & Body Works Lotion - Lavender Vanilla

I used to use this lotion all the time. Unfortunately, this was the last bottle that I had in storage. This is unfortunate because I like the smell so much, and it was one of my favorite lotions. The problem is the price. I do not like spending so much money on a decently small amount of lotion. The way I got these was always through coupons, so I would get them for free, but I haven’t gotten one of those in forever. They have also changed the bottle from a nice, classy deep purple to an ombre mess that looks cheugy. I’m very sad to announce it, but this was probably the one I will ever have. 

Repurchase: No.  

Carpe Deodorant - Soft Cashmere

I really liked the smell of this deodorant. I really, really liked it. The price is what I did not like. I had to go on a couple of trips with people and to concerts with big groups, and I was going to be really hot at all of them. So, I went to Target, and I picked this up because I wasn’t in the mood to smell bad because of my Wild deodorant, as I talked about before. Luckily, when I went, this was on sale, so I got a couple dollars off. The container is so small, though, and there is not a lot of deodorant in here. I get why people like this, but they aren’t cruelty-free, and it is too expensive to justify buying only this brand. 

Repurchase: No.  

TheraBreath Whitening Toothpaste - Dazzling Mint 

I am so saddened that TheraBreath is no longer cruelty-free. Have we no conscience? I was so in love with this toothpaste and the mouthwash, and now I have replaced both of them. I switched to Hello mouthwash and Twice toothpaste, and I will no longer be buying TheraBreath. I liked both the toothpaste and mouthwash because they worked, and neither of them had too much of an alcohol taste. I loved supporting them, but I won’t be doing that anymore. 

Repurchase: No.  

PINK Body Mist - Warm & Cozy 

I reviewed this item last month, and my feelings are the same. Here is my review from August: I was at PINK and made an exchange but had a bit of credit that I needed to use up to exchange my item, so I grabbed two mini body mists to match the difference. This used to be my favorite scent growing up, so I wanted to live in that fantasy world again. It was nice at first, but then I remembered why I stopped using these. The smell goes away so fast, and in my opinion, after a while of smelling it, all I can smell is an alcohol-like scent. I also don’t think PINK body lotions and mists are vegan or cruelty-free, so I won’t be making that mistake again, and I will come more prepared the next time I need to make an exchange. 

Repurchase: No.  

Interested in more empties reviews? Check out My August 2026 Beauty and Health Empties and Reviews!

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