085. Empties

Plus: Recent TV that left me feeling empty and a Tender Choice

Hi, I’m Maggie, and welcome to Tender Forms Off-Camera: a bi-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.

---

Dearest Subscriber,

I’d like to apologize for skipping the previous newsletter. I was at the tail end of a strenuous project and was trying to survive and finish strong. Thank you, as always, for your lovely emails and comments. If I haven’t already, I will respond shortly!

With Love,

M

---

Amid all the work chaos, I really built up my empties collection. This round may be the fullest yet! And since taking these photos, I’ve emptied a few more bottles and jars, too. (But I’m keeping those for the next round of empties.) Because there’s so much, I thought I’d try a slightly different format this time around. The empties are split into three categories based on repurchasing: Yes, Maybe, and No. *I’d love to know if you prefer this way or when it’s split into product categories instead (i.e., skincare, haircare, etc.).

Repurchase? Yes.

Earthwise Beauty Ambrosia do Cerrado ($70, 50ml | 1.7floz)

There’s not much else to say about this gem that I haven’t already. And it’s no surprise it sits at the top of my repurchase list because it is my holy-grail, absolute-favorite serum moisturizer. This, combined with the following item, creates my ultimate brightening custom mix. I miss this when I’m not using it. I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to repurchasing this and reincorporating it into my routine.

Earthwise Beauty Rosa* ($48, 30ml | 1floz, plus a generous decant from my friend, Jess)

Another holy-grail item. This works beautifully mixed in with anything: serums, oils, mists, moisturizers, etc. I already have a backup of this and can’t wait to dive back in. As with Ambrosia do Cerrado, I miss this when it’s not in my routine. There’s a noticeable difference in my skin when I’m not using this combo. Any acne scarring takes longer to heal and disappear, and my skin looks duller. Another shout out to Jess for saving me during the “in-between” when I didn’t have it!

Earthwise Beauty Paloma of the High Desert* ($90, 100ml | 3.4floz)

This was a joy to use from beginning to end. And especially when paired with Earthwise Beauty’s Marshmallow Face Cleanser. That makes the most luxurious first and second cleanse routine ever. Paloma is somehow the perfect weight and texture, striking that impossible balance of feeling lightweight yet bouncy and substantial enough to cleanse deeply. While the price may seem shocking at first, I find it lands where green luxury cleansers do. If you’re someone who loves the cleansing step and only uses one oil cleanser at a time, I highly recommend this one to elevate your routine. At the larger size, it also lasts quite a while. I finished mine just within its 6-month PAO.

Heart of Gold Pastoralia Spring Sequence* (discontinued, $110, 30ml | 1floz)

My skin saw such great results with this. I wish I had picked up another bottle before the brand closed this chapter.

Heart of Gold Astral Traveler Cleansing Fluid (discontinued, $44, 50ml | 1.7floz)

It felt very fitting that this should be one of the last Heart of Gold items I finished up as it was one of the first I fell in love with. It is one of my all-time favorite emulsifying oil cleansers—magic in a bottle.

Sunny Ruckus Green Flash Oil Cleanser* ($25, 2.4floz)

I had the great privilege of trying version 1.0 of this cleanser, and it was fantastic. But Marie (founder, creator), being the amazing human she is, wanted this to be at a more accessible price point and now has version 2.0 that retails for $25! I have a feeling it will be as beautiful and I love the new price point. This will be an absolute repurchase once I finish some cleansers!

evanhealy Lemon Thyme HydroSoul* ($29.95, 4floz | 120ml)

I was so surprised by this HydroSoul. Everything about it is simply charming: from the scent to its gentleness to its understated packaging. If you tend to blow through mists, this one is fantastic in both quality and price. Head to Newsletter 069 for more.

Use my 10% off champion (affiliate) code “TENDERFORMS” Subscribe to their Truth Seekers Newsletter too!

SALT & STONE Lightweight Sheer Daily Sunscreen SPF 40 ($34, 2floz | 60ml)

If it wasn’t obvious already, I love this SPF. This is an absolute repurchase. In fact, I’m already well into my second tube of this! Head to Newsletters 064, 079, and 084 for more.

3rd Ritual EARTH ($32, 2.02floz | 60ml)

This is the best hand cream you’ll ever use or need. I will absolutely repurchase this once I finish my current hand cream. Head to Newsletter 035 for more.

OJOOK Toothpaste with NHA + Bamboo Salt* ($18, 3oz | 85g)
OJOOK Silk Floss with Bamboo Salt + Beeswax* ($14, 30m | 32yd)

I’m grouping these two because they were part of a lovely gift set from my dear friend, Asti. And it’s her I have to thank for finding my favorite toothpaste! I have sensitive teeth, and this is the only one I’ve tried that has made my teeth less sensitive over time. I don’t have the best of genes when it comes to teeth enamel either, so the NHA is a welcome step to helping remineralize. I’ve gone through several tubes of these now and purchased the six-pack (one-year supply, best value) over the holidays!

I also love the floss. My teeth are very tightly knit, especially along the bottom row, and this is the only floss that can get in there and not tear into shreds. I find this one much sturdier than the Cocofloss one I remained loyal to for so long.

Anima Mundi Cordyceps ($45, 5oz | 142g)

Something about this particular powder and my body works extremely synergistically. Everything about my body works better when I have this: my energy levels are noticeably higher than before, it keeps me very regular (hallelujah, this has always been a difficult area for me), and it clears brain fog tremendously well. It simply makes both my body and mind stronger. I have it every other day in my morning smoothie. I am so thankful for this. Yes, it’s pricey, but it’s a necessity for me and one I’d happily spend my money on. I have this on subscription because that’s how loyal I am to it!

Repurchase? Maybe.

Rituel de Fille Inner Glow Crème Pigment in Delirium ($29, 0.13oz | 3.80g)

You might be wondering why this particular compact of Delirium is still in my collection after I last wrote about it in a declutter. Clearly, I couldn’t part with it and I’m keeping this around purely so I can compare other multi-use color items against it. As you know, the MOB Beauty Cream Clay Blush overtook the RdF as my favorite cream blush formula. But the singular color that is Delirium is still proving itself elusive. I can’t find a dupe and I have to mix two to three blushes in various finishes and hues to achieve something similar. When I finish a few of the blushes I’m using to custom mix a Delirium-adjacent blush, I’ll likely be repurchasing this. *Unless a dupe comes out in a powder formula or as a MOB Cream Clay Blush.

Under Luna Warrior Shampoo ($32, 8oz | 236ml)

Within the past few months, my hair has been reacting differently toward this and I’ve been losing a lot more hair during each wash. Since I only use one shampoo and conditioner at a time, I waited until I finished this to try a new shampoo just in case it was stress related and not formula related. Unfortunately, it turns out to be the latter. Which is devastating because my scalp absolutely loves this shampoo. Putting this in the maybe category depending on whether I find a better alternative.

Under Luna Unscented Conditioner ($34, 8.5oz | 251ml)

I liked this conditioner but I didn’t love it. It’s silky and hydrating, but not as much as my favorite from the brand, the Serenity Conditioner. However, the brand recently reformulated the essential oil blend for that, and I loved Serenity for its scent. Hair care is one of the few things that I like to have scented, so this one also rests in the maybe category.

Cocofloss in Delicious Mint ($9, 33yd | 2mo supply)

Before I tried the OJOOK floss, this was my favorite. I’ve gone through spools and spools of it over the years. It was the only floss that actually did something. I suspect at some point, I will return to this for its lower price point. This comes in several flavors but I haven’t tried any aside from my favorite mint!

Repurchase? No.

evanhealy Blue Cactus Beauty Elixir* ($46.95, .5floz)

I loved evanhealy’s Blue Cactus Cooling Balm and naturally thought this would be an instant love. While it is very soothing (especially for inflamed skin), this somehow turned out too drying for my skin. Whenever a product is too potent for my face, I end up using it for the body (you’ll notice this same routine for the following two items). It’s beautiful as a body serum, of course, but the price is too steep for that use.

YINA Clarify Botanical Serum* ($75, 15ml | .5floz)

Don’t get me wrong; this is a lovely serum. However, it’s pretty concentrated for my skin, so I can’t use it daily. Because of its 6-month PAO, I started using this on my body (custom mixed with a hydrosol) to get through it in time. It is stunning as a light body oil. The scent is so welcome right out of the shower, and if I had a generous budget for body care, I’d probably purchase this to use as a body serum again! Alas, to use this as its originally intended facial serum won’t be a repurchase for me. Head to Newsletter 065 for more.

Botnia Renewing Face Wash ($37, 7.1floz | 210ml)

I found the warmer months are really the only time I can use this on the face. Otherwise, it’s too easy to go overboard and becomes drying on the skin. Because of the generous amount and short (6-month) PAO, I used this as a body wash instead. It worked wonders for body acne and was a luxurious body wash. I wanted to love this for the face, and I love the fact that it has refills housed in aluminum bottles. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t a match for me. Head to Newsletter 060 for more.

Kosas Air Brow - Clear ($22, 3.7g | .12floz)
Kosas Air Brow - Tinted (Black, $22, 3.7g | .12floz)

I’m going to group these two because I’ve had almost the same experience with both. Like mascara, there’s a perfect window where they perform the best. And while they also work beautifully together, there’s no way I would purchase both to get the brow look I’m after. I find both of these more finicky than I would like every time I use them (clear can get shiny if I layer too much, black gets too dark, and flakes if applied fast and heavy-handed). Head to Newsletter 056 and 075 for more.

Anima Mundi Lion’s Mane ($45, 5oz | 142g)

Prior to using Anima Mundi’s Cordyceps, I first went through this jar of Lion’s Mane. You know my love for Lion’s Mane if you’re a long-time subscriber. Nothing clears brain fog as quickly for me (except for Cordyceps). Of all the Lion’s Mane formulas I’ve tried, this is, by far, my favorite. And had I not tried Cordyceps; I would have stuck with this. This just goes to show though both are great for brain function, each body responds differently. If you’re looking for a Lion’s Mane formula, I’d highly recommend trying this one!

---

---

Below is a list of all the television series I’ve (mostly) watched in the last few months. Many started strong only to fizzle out halfway through. And in the end, I can’t quite recall what they’re about nor remember anything notable aside from an emotional malaise. (Listed in no particular order.)

Pam & Tommy (Hulu) ★★½

I wanted to give this a higher rating because both Lily James and Sebastian Stan truly gave terrific performances. Unfortunately, everything else didn’t hit the same magical note.

Euphoria: Season 2 (HBO) ★★½

I’m not surprised they made a Season 2, but it would have been exponentially better to leave it after the two late 2020 early 2021 specials. Season 2 was lackluster though there were some beautiful moments, especially in the last episode. Episode 5 was also very strong. But at the end of the day, I was disappointed that despite seeming unafraid to dive headfirst into dark subject matters, they wholeheartedly chose likeability over believability (most notably also in Episode 5). And that’s what turned this otherwise great series into just okay.

Foundation: Season 1 (Apple TV+) ★★½

I was hooked from the first episode. The production quality is out of this world (had to), and I loved that the cast was understated (unknown) for the most part. Unfortunately, this took a sharp dive halfway through. We didn’t even finish the season. I will probably finish it before the new season comes out, but only if I run out of tv to watch.

Invasion: Season 1 (Apple TV+) ★★½

I can’t believe this has a Season 2. All I have to say is it better be around Sam Neill’s character. I was hardcore BAITED into watching Season 1 knowing he was in this: he’s only in one episode, the first episode. The first few episodes are riveting but quickly turn idiotic (storyline) and annoying (characters).

Impeachment: American Crime Story (FX) ★★½

The full two and a half stars go into the special fx makeup to turn Sarah Paulson into Linda Tripp. Also, I wished there was more Edie Falco screentime.

The Dropout (Hulu) ★★½

If you watched the HBO Documentary, you don’t need to watch this. The full two and a half stars go to Amanda Seyfried’s wholly dedicated and unerring metamorphosis into Elizabeth Holmes.

And Just Like That…: Season 1 (HBO Max) ★½

Somehow, one and a half stars seem generous. Did I watch the whole season? Yes. Will I watch Season 2? Yes. Was this good? No.

---

I wanted to start incorporating “favorites” back into my content, so I’m introducing Tender Choice: a monthly favorite. Today, we’re kicking this miniseries off with a book.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir ★★★★

I paused my Book of the Month subscription for a while as I didn’t have or make time to read (I was also reorganizing my budget). Now, I’m back on Book of the Month and am so glad I went with this particular one for the return journey.

Project Hail Mary is novelist Andy Weir’s most recent book, and it was everything I expected from the man who wrote The Martian. Humorous, endearing, emotional, and educational. Weir has a great way of breaking down complicated science and relativistic physics into something digestible and understandable. This is a fun read, even if you are not into the sci-fi genre. Like the best of sci-fi, it’s human and emotional. I keep using this word because I got so attached to the characters, and teardrops ran down my cheeks several times in between all the laughs. In many ways, his writing is old-school and very feel-good: classics for a reason. The hero is the underdog nerd you overlook but find out is charming, smart as heck, and just a good guy. The best way to read his books is to simply jump in without any prior knowledge. If you do, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

---

Thanks so much for reading! Wow, today’s was a long one. I’d love to know some of your empties! Empties are always so exciting for me because opinions can change throughout use. You can leave a comment or reply to this email directly to chat privately.

As always, I have you have a great start to your week. See you April 10!