070. Empties, The Empty Man
Talking a fresh round of empties, gwp lip balm, and the sleeper hit of 2020.
Hi, I’m Maggie, and welcome to Tender Forms Off-Camera: a weekly newsletter on all things slow: beauty, fashion, living. Links in this newsletter may include affiliate links or discount referrals. If you enjoy and would like to support this newsletter, click the button below or shop through my links! No pressure but thank you if you do.
Editor’s Note:
Before I jump into the fun stuff, it’s clear that I and the newsletter were MIA last week. With everything happening on both personal and global fronts, I wasn’t quite in the right headspace to construct a newsletter.
If you’ve emailed, commented, DM’d me in the past two weeks, I apologize for the delay! I see you and will reply to you soon.
With Love,
M
3rd Ritual MOON ($32, 2.02floz | 60ml) Repurchase? Y
There’s only one body care item, and it’s fitting because it is my holy-grail body lotion. Nothing compares. *Except maybe its EARTH sibling. The scent is so transporting, otherworldly, spiritual. You can read my proper love letter to it in Newsletter 035. It is an absolute and resounding yes when it comes to repurchasing.
Under Luna x Wildcare Tulsi Bloom Shampoo & Conditioner* (from friend, $78, 8oz | 236ml) Repurchase? N
This is my second set of the Under Luna x Wildcare Tulsi Bloom duo. It didn’t work for a friend of mine, and she kindly let me have the rest! It came at the perfect time because it was during the debacle of the following two empties. I was very thankful to have this back in my life. So you may be wondering why it’s a no for me in terms of repurchasing. There are two reasons:
It’s a limited edition, so it’s not available for repurchase.
While I enjoyed these, I love another shampoo and conditioner from Under Luna more.
I’ve since repurchased the two I adore: the Under Luna Warrior Shampoo and Serenity Conditioner. These are my second bottles of both, and I’m overjoyed to be reunited with them once again.
HiBar Soothe Shampoo, Moisturize Shampoo ($11.39–$13.95 ea., 3.2z | 90g ea.) Repurchase? N
HiBar was my first leap into the world of shampoo bars, and it was a terrible experience. It’s rare for me to feel this strongly and negatively towards a product, but here we are. You can read about the shock in Newsletter 058. I tried to use up the rest as a hand soap, but the Soothe stained our white soap dish a bright yellow, and the Moisture didn’t feel cleansing at all. I don’t want to spend any more time writing about these than I already have. A definitive no to repurchasing.
I wanted to ensure my Earthwise Beauty routine update gets the time and resources it deserves. Thus, the following EWB empties are short and sweet for now! My surprise oral surgery set back my schedule quite a bit, but I promise the full-length, dedicated EWB newsletter is forthcoming.
Earthwise Beauty Ambrosia do Cerrado ($44, 30ml | 1floz) Repurchase? Y
I purchased this back in June when I suddenly found myself without any emulsion or light moisturizer in sight! It was meant to be as this has become my holy grail emulsion-serum-aloe-moisturizer step. And yes, it hits all of these categories for me. It is perfect for both day and night. If your skin is easily dehydrated like mine, but you dislike heaviness or overly emollient skincare, this will deliver deep hydration without feeling sticky. Sinks in immediately and is an excellent carrier for any oils you wish would sink in faster. It has one of the brightest, most delightful scents, and it does wonders brightening! I already repurchased this in its larger 50ml size and am currently using it. I don’t ever want to be without this. Period.
Earthwise Beauty Passion Eye Serum* (sample) Repurchase? Y
Speaking of holy grails, meet my ideal, and dare I say, perfect, eye serum. This ticks all the boxes for the minimalist in me. It’s great for morning and evening use. Most eye serums or balms I’ve tried are really for one or the other. This one is lightweight yet deeply hydrating and one of the silkiest oils I’ve had the pleasure of using. It sinks in quickly and doesn’t disturb my SPF or makeup in the mornings. Because this makes my under eyes so smooth and plump, it almost acts as an eye primer! Tinted SPFs, concealers, and eye shadows all sit beautifully on top.
In the evenings, I put on a bit more and wake to the softest and healthiest looking under eyes I’ve ever had. And while it’s unscented, it has a lovely subtle earthy profile with a hint of spice. I am still harvesting the very last drops of this sample because I shan’t waste one drop, but I just repurchased because it’s currently on sale! If you’re in need of an eye serum, both sizes are on sale, and you can use my code “tenderforms” for an extra 10% off on top of the sale price. Go forth, and may your eyes be as merry as mine.
Earthwise Beauty Nap in the Meadow* (sample) Repurchase? Y
I cry tears of sadness because this empty is entirely accidental and 100% my fault. I opened this when I first received it just to smell its delightful scent. However, I didn’t close it tightly, and with all the heatwaves we’ve had this Summer, the color and scent had changed by the time I could rotate it into my routine. So, I shall be purchasing a bottle in the future to test!
Victoria Beckham Cell Rejuvenating Priming Moisturizer in Golden*(decant from friend, 15ml–50ml | starting from $60) Repurchase? Y
My lovely and talented beauty curator friend, Salwa of @bergamotbeauty, kindly decanted the VB Golden Priming Moisturizer for me (housed in the small Trinny London pot). I had been dying to try the Golden, but since my skin tone is relatively fair, I was afraid it would be too dark. Salwa is similarly fair in complexion, and I remembered she had this and loved it! I am so thankful that she let me try it because as much as I hate saying this for the sake of my wallet, this priming moisturizer is stunning. And the Golden does work even for fair skin tones! It’s very silky, moderately moisturizing, and has a smoothing effect on the skin. It simply makes my skin look radiant; what more could I want? When a sale comes around, I’ll be purchasing a full size of this. But I do think it might be a better Summer product than a Winter one. In Summer, I’d be happy to wear this and SPF and call it a day. Whereas I don’t think it would be moisturizing enough on its own during the colder months.
Gather Perfume Spring Ephemeral Beautif-Eye Balm* ($39, .5oz) Repurchase? Y
This is an excellent eye balm for evenings all year round. If you have extremely dry under eyes, this will work wonders on you. It’s richly emollient, healing, and nourishing. A little goes a long way. Because it’s so emollient, I can only wear it in the evenings, but I love it because I wake to smooth, soft under eyes. This is especially great in the colder months. The fact that I used this entire tin is a testament in itself to how much I loved it. I don’t tend to buy eye skincare items because I hardly ever go through an entire one, yet it was easy and a joy using this one. And as with all of Ananda’s creations, the scent is heavenly. Let it gently sway you off to dreamland.
pAra botanica Winter Lip Nourishment Duo* (gwp, $36, 7ml ea.) Repurchase? Y
Christy’s offerings are simply magic. She created a Winter Lip Duo during the holidays last year that included a Lip Polisher and Lip Balm. I fell in love and have used both up in their entirety. I’m hoping she will bring these back because they’re divine. Both are exquisite, but I think the Lip Polisher takes the cake because of its scent and performance. The scent reminds me of my childhood though I can’t quite place the what, where, and why. It is also the finest lip scrub I’ve ever used. My lips can be very dry, cracked, flaky, and most lip scrubs are too harsh. Because this one is so fine, I can use it without causing any discomfort, and the blend of oils in this is so luxurious. I don’t need to follow up with a lip balm when I use it because it’s that good. Again, I hope she brings this back!
Naturallogic UNMASK Detox Hydration Mask* (gift from friend, $58, 60ml | 2floz) Repurchase? M
I wrote all about this mask in Newsletter 050. It was such a kind gift from my dear friend, Andie of @andiethegreenqueen. Like all of Toni’s face masks, they’re incredibly comfortable, easy to use, and each one is special and unique. While I very much enjoyed this one, LUNA remains my favorite. Since I only mask once per week, it’s tough to justify having multiple masks in my collection. If it’s between LUNA or UNMASK, I personally choose LUNA. But if I ever run out of a mask and UNMASK would fit nicely into its place, I would happily repurchase. Thus, it’s a maybe on the repurchasing front for now!
MyCHELLE Sun Shield Liquid SPF 50 in Light ($24, 50ml | 1floz) Repurchase? Y
When I think about repurchasing this SPF, I think it’s an easy, no-brainer, yes. This is one of my favorite SPF mixing mediums. Yes, I combine SPFs, and this is a great “equalizer” in my book because it turns any sunscreen I don’t like into one I enjoy. 95% of all SPFs I use are mineral-based, have a white cast, and are way too glowy for my liking. Mix a bit of this in, and suddenly the glow is toned down, there’s no white cast, and my flyaway hairs don’t get stuck to my face. On its own, it definitely leaves my normal-to-dry skin feeling tight at the end of the day. But during Summer, it’s a beauty to wear on its own. Of course, mixed with SPFs, it’s beautiful too. I’m also delighted that they somewhat expanded their shade range because Light is the most perfect match I’ve come across in tinted sunscreens. Whenever this is on sale, I’ll probably pick one up just so I can always have one around.
MOB Beauty kindly sent me a code to share with you (not affiliate)! Use code “TENDERFORMS” for a GWP free Lip Balm (RePurpose Lip Capsule* + refill) on your order of $50 or more. Simply add the shade of your choice to your cart, and it will be free at checkout with code. I hope this helps in case you have a MOB wishlist lying around!
A quick take of all my favorites is in Newsletter 066 (scroll down to Friends & Family Sale portion). *The RePurpose Lip Capsule also works for their Cream Lipsticks!
It’s been a while since I have been deeply surprised by a film. 2020’s under-the-radar ‘The Empty Man’ was one such film.
No matter what, don’t watch the trailer. I had seen the trailer when it was first released and immediately struck it off my list. I wish I hadn’t because the trailer, like many, was entirely misleading.
The sharp-edged beauty of this film lies in its pacing and ability to transform and evolve. To the common eye, the premise can come off…hokey. After all, a disappearing group of teens believed to be the work of an urban legend can go cheesy fast. Luckily, this one doesn’t.
Its prologue draws you in. You find yourself deep in the snowy mountains of Bhutan in 1995. Not only is the physical setting distant, but so is surprisingly the year. For a film summarized (depending on your source) about missing teens today, I wasn’t prepared to be hiking with a group of four in 1995. In terms of play-by-play, this is where I stop as it would be a shame to spoil the viewing fun.
Though this film only clocks in at just under 2.5 hours, it feels the length of several television series episodes, and I absolutely adored that. The feeling that you’re on the cusp of new knowledge, and you don’t want the episode to end right as you learn of it! The way the story progresses, even with its twists, feels beautifully directed, conducted, and organic in its flow.
The casting is also superb. I’m a fan of James Badge Dale; though his career can be hit-or-miss, he is excellent in this. His name is the biggest in the cast (apart from a brief cameo by Stephen Root in a role built for him), but each performance is singular and well-crafted. The cast makes this urban legend believable and a myth worth telling. Even jarring information and disoriented characters feel like a puzzle piece easing into place. And the original score is a character unto itself: guttural and hauntingly fantastic in its mix of ambient, grunge, and noise genres.
I’m floored by every aspect of this film. It’s easy to see why this has become a new cult classic. It’s spine-tingling, hair-raising, bone-chillingly delicious. Next time you’re in the mood for a thriller or horror, make this movie of the night.
Thanks so much for reading! Somehow empties newsletters always turn out far longer than I anticipated. I would love to know what products you’ve gone through lately! Remember, you can always leave a comment or reply directly to this email to chat one-on-one.
As always, I hope you have a great start to your week! See you next Sunday.