Empties #1

My First Empties post! In my empties posts I plan on writing about the beauty related products that I have finished. I will write a bit about them and if they are cruelty free and if I plan on repurchasing them again. I won't write one every month but as soon as I have accumulated 5-6 products that I have emptied!

Astor Professional Nail Care - Nail Polish Remover - Express

It is a nail polish remover, nothing really special about it. However, Astor is owned by Coty inc and they have the same cruelty "free"statement:

We accede to mandated testing by the authorities on animals only as a last resort.

Cruelty free: No

Repurchase: No

Elizabeth Arden - Eight Hour Cream - Intensive Moisturizing Hand Treatment 

I wrote a bit about this "hand treatment" yesterday in my March Favorites post (see here). I have couple of problems with this hand cream! First I want to show you the ingredients, the ingredients I don't like will be bold. 

Water/Aqua/Eau, Cetearyl Alcohol, Decyl Oleate, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol Stearate Se, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Allantoin, Potassium Stearate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, BHT, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Sulfate, Parfum/fragrance, Citral, Citronellol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Methylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, Propylparaben

Well, these were just the ingredients that I knew I didn't like, way to much of the bad stuff!

Then there is the cruelty "free" statement that Elizabeth Arden has (see here)

We do not perform any animal tests on our product formulations or ingredients, nor ask others to test on our behalf, except in the rare instances where required by law.

The problem with this statement is that it is just empty words, Elizabeth Arden sells products in China! That means all their products must be tested on animals! Cruelty free my ass!

Cruelty free: No 

Repurchase: No

Primex - Nail Varnish Remover - Pflegender Nagellack-Entferner Ohne Aceton

Another nail polish remover, this one is produced in Switzerland by a company called Mibella. It is made for Migros (a Swiss supermarket). I thought animal testing was banned in Switzerland and therefore thought this one must be cruelty free. However, there are apparently two animal testing facilities in Switzerland (and could be more) so I am not so sure anymore. I have asked Migros and I am waiting for their answer.

Cruelty Free: Not sure

Repurchase: Already have (before I read that animal testing is something that is done inside Switzerland)

Maybelline - Salon Manicure - Restructuring Serum - Split Nails (not on picture) 

I think this is the worst nail product I have ever bought! I still managed to finish the bottle. I wanted to see if it worked or not, it didn't! I think this isn't even a nail polish, they call it serum. It smells like a nail polish, it looks like a nail polish, it doesn't work as a nail polish. It literally peals off in one piece of the nail! Horrible.

Cruelty Free: No

Repurchase: No

Clinique - Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion

This is a sample I got when I was trying to decide if I liked the lotion more than the gel. I liked the gel more! But so I wouldn't waste anything I used up the lotion.

Clinique has as well an animal testing policy that pretty much says "we don't but we really do" (see here)

We do not conduct animal testing on our products or ingredients, nor ask others to test on our behalf, except when required by law. We evaluate our finished products in clinical tests on volunteer panels.

Annoying. 

Cruelty Free: No

Repurchase: No

Nivea - Sensitive Balance - For Sensitive Skin

I had the same problems with this one as I had with the Elizabeth Arden hand cream, there are just too many bad ingredients!

Then there is the cruelty free debate, they say they are but they aren't on any of the cruelty free lists! What is up with that?

Cruelty Free: Who knows.

Repurchase: No