Another week, another empties! 😂 I wasn’t going to publish this post this week, however I‘ve got quite a number of products that I have finished and more I am very close to finishing, so I figured I would publish it today, even though my second last post was also an empties! 🙈
As with my previous empties, there are no photos in this post, just because I have so many products to talk about and including pictures would only make the post twice as long, and I know that for me, with long posts, I prefer less photos so I can focus on the reviews and each item.
Catrice Glam & Doll Boost Lash Growth Volume Mascara — One of the nicest drugstore/affordable mascaras there is. This reminds me quite a lot of Upward Lash by MAC and Outrageous Curl by Sephora Collection. The wands, formulas and effects on my lashes are very, very similar. The main differences are price and availability here in Ireland. MAC’s Upward Lash is €20+, Outrageous Curl is €10+ on Sephora.fr, but unavailable in Ireland unfortunately, unless bought online. Highly recommend this one from Catrice. Review here and here.
Catrice It’s Easy Tattoo Liner — One of the best affordable eyeliners there is! This is super pigmented, longwearing, applies easily and smoothly, doesn’t fade, bleed, feather or smudge and it lasts all day. The tip is a nice size for doing a wing and because of its size and flexibility, it makes doing a wing easy. Best of all? It’s under €4. This is far better than the Marc Jacobs, Soap & Glory & Tarte eyeliners, and costs a lot less too. If you’re on the lookout for a new liner, definitely check this out, for what it costs, it’s worth a shot. Review here.
Catrice ‘One Drop Weightless’ Concealer* — One of my favourite affordable concealers. I was kindly sent this by Catrice earlier this year and have used it more than any of my other concealers, so much so, that I’ve finished it and had to replace it. I can’t be without it; it is an essential for me.
It is such a beautiful concealer to use. It is incredibly creamy, it’s quite possibly one of the creamiest concealers I have ever used and it is weightless on the skin. It never looks cakey, heavy or dry, and I have used it as a foundation/base as well as concealer and it works beautifully for that, too. I dab it on with my fingers and blend with a brush, sponge or my fingers and it just looks gorgeous.
It doesn’t cause any issues with eyeshadows fading, creasing, wearing off quicker, becoming patchy, skipping etc. they all apply and perform as usual. I love how easily it blends into my skin and covers my dark circles. I also love that it creases minimally on me. I have used it to prime my eyes before applying eye shadow and it works wonderfully for that. Review here.
Champneys Citrus Blush Enlivening Shower Gel — This shower gel I did not like. It is described as a shower gel; however, it contains little beads that a reminiscent of those in a body scrub, which I wasn’t a fan of. It reminded me a lot of the body scrub from the same range. I found it drying on my skin and the scent I wasn’t keen on.
I got this as part of the ‘Citrus Blush Travel Gift’ set at Xmas time and when I saw the word “citrus”, I expected it to have an uplifting citrus scent, but it doesn’t have that at all. I can’t quite put my finger on what it smells like, but it is definitely not citrus at all. I’ve used Champneys products before and really enjoyed them, however this disappointed me.
Clarins Skin Illusion Foundation — This is one of the nicest foundations I have tried in the longest time. It’s absolutely beautiful. Lightweight, good coverage and looks stunning on. It is so glowy, but it’s not oily or greasy. It wears well, even in the heat and you don’t need to use much so it’ll last a while. I will definitely be purchasing a full size of this, but first I want to finish up some other foundations and foundation samples that I have.
Declaré Night Essential Serum — I had a sample of this and managed to get four uses from it and I really enjoyed it to be honest. It’s a very lightweight serum that my skin really liked. It smells absolutely gorgeous, it’s one of the nicest scented products I think I have ever used. Despite being so lightweight on the skin, my skin felt moisturised and just really lovely.
According to Declaré, this serum is supposed to “plump the skin and diminish the appearance of fine lines and sagging areas. Pigment and age spots and redness are visibly reduced and the complexion is smooth and radiates youthful freshness. For perfect skin care and a fresh youthful complexion.”
Now, I can’t vouch for all of that given I only had four uses from one sample, but I can say that it left my skin feeling soft and moisturised. I found that I didn’t need to use as much moisturiser after this as I normally would with other serums or products. I’d definitely consider purchasing a full size of this for sure.
Decléor Aroma Lisse 2-in-1 Eye Cream — This is a gorgeous eye cream that I was very kindly gifted by Cosmetics Online and have been really enjoying over the past few months. I’ve been using this twice daily from last October until this year and it only ran out this summer.
It’s very hydrating and moisturising and only a small bit is needed per use. It’s a slightly thick consistency, but it’s by any means heavy or greasy and causes no issues with my makeup application or performance throughout the day. I love the packaging; the tube is very handy and it’s easy to get every last bit out. Highly recommend this. I will repurchase at some point for sure.
Maybelline SuperStay 24 Hour Setting Spray — Another amazing setting spray. This is very like the Urban Decay All Nighter, but for a fraction of the price. Just like the Catrice spray, this has a very fine mist, that dispenses the right amount of product but without overdoing it. This is under €10 in Boots and well worth picking up if you like the UD spray and want a more affordable alternative. I will definitely be repurchasing this.
Marc Jacobs Magic Marc’er Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner — I’ve one word for this: meh. This was only okay. It is absolutely not waterproof — water wipes removed this. It’s not the most pigmented eyeliner I’ve used and it doesn’t last all that well. It fades throughout the day and I find I have to really build it up to get it super black.
Moschino Fresh Couture Eau de Toilette — I spoke about this in my July Hits & Misses (here) and I don’t like it at all. It smells like bleach and Zoflora mixed together, which, let’s be honest, isn’t a good scent. 😉 Don’t recommend it, and if you were thinking of it, definitely check it out in store before splashing out (especially if you haven’t smelt it before.
Omorovicza Ultramoor Mud Mask — I had only one sample of this to use and I tried it recently, and to be very honest, it didn’t really ‘wow’ me. It was okay, but I don’t feel my skin looked or felt any different from it tbh. I know you can’t really tell from only one use, but I dunno, it just seemed kinda ‘meh’ to me.
As you’ll know if you’re a regular reader or follower of mine, I absolutely adore the GlamGlow Supermud mask (review here) and I feel that does so much more for my skin, even with only one use. I would like to try this Ultramoor Mud Mask again, but at £68 / €90 I don’t think I’d be happy to splurge that much on it tbh.
Sometimes there are Omorovicza sets that contain mini/travel size of some of their products, so maybe if there was a reasonably priced set in the Black Friday sales or around Xmas, I might pick it up, but I wouldn’t be splashing out full price on something I’m so unsure about.
Ovelle Aqueous Cream — This is a must-have for me. This must be my third tub to have finished. One of the best (and necessary, for me) items to have in the house, I won’t be without it for any length of time. I will forever repurchase this. It’s cheap as chips and works wonders. What’s not to love!?
Palmolive Naturals Milk & Honey Shower Cream — My most repurchased shower cream. I adore this, it’s the best affordable shower cream I’ve used. It’s only €3 in Dunnes for this 750ml bottle, which is super cheap especially considering how long it lasts. It’s super gentle on my skin, it’s not stripping at all. I love how my skin feels after I use this which is why I keep repurchasing it. It smells incredible too, it’s not strongly scented, but the scent is noticeable, however once you rinse it off the scent mostly dissipates and so the residual scent is very faint.
Phyto Phytojoba Intense Hydration Brillance Shampoo* — This is a gorgeous shampoo for dry hair. It is moisturising and hydrating, but it’s not heavy and doesn’t weigh my hair down. I’ve been really impressed with Phyto’s haircare over the last few months and this is no exception. If you have dry hair this is absolutely worth trying, used alongside my other hair care products this works amazingly for my hair. I will definitely be repurchasing a full size of this.
Phyto Phytokératine Extrême Mask Exceptional Mask* — This was a beautiful mask to use, it left my hair like absolute silk. I loved to apply it early in the day and leave it in for a few hours so it could really work its magic, and magic it was. This left my hair like silk. My hair was incredibly soft, smooth, shiny and there was no dryness in sight.
It also helped tame the frizz, which is a big issue for me, and this tackled it without issue. It didn’t weigh my hair down, make it greasy or leave any residue once rinsed. This is a definite repurchase for me, I will absolutely without doubt be repurchasing this in future.
Ren Evercalm Global Day Protection Face Moisturiser — This is a beautiful face moisturiser. It’s gentle on the skin, it absorbs quickly, it doesn’t leave a film, tackiness or stickiness on my skin and my foundation applies gorgeously over it, both with and without primer. I love that it’s in a clear plastic bottle, with a pump, so you can see how much you’ve used/how much is left and the pump ensures you pump out just enough and there’s no wastage.
I got this in a beauty box from Space NK, but it is available to purchase separately and it retails for £34 / $49 (USD) / €32. I’ve been using this every day since earlier this year and only finished it this week, so it lasts for ages. It’s a beautiful moisturiser and one I will definitely repurchase at some point.
Superdrug Calm Skin Soothing Facial Wash — This has become one of my favourite affordable facial washes. I got it a while ago while it was on offer and really didn’t expect a whole lot from it, but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s a gorgeous gel wash that lathers up really nicely, so a lot isn’t needed per use. It’s very, very gentle, I’d even go as far to say it is one of the gentlest facial washes I have ever used and my dry skin absolutely loves it.
It’s not drying or stripping and my skin doesn’t feel uncomfortable or tight after I use it. I can even use it around my eyes and it doesn’t sting them at all. It’s great for washing off a light layer of makeup (as a first cleanse) and I don’t need to vigorously rub my face or eye area to get my makeup off. I’ve already repurchased this, again it was on offer, buy one get one half price. It’s only £2.99 full price, which is a bargain considering how long it lasted and how great it is.
Sally Hansen Maximum Growth — This is my most repurchased nail product. I absolutely adore it. I have been using it for years and I *always* go back to it, it is, without any doubt, the very best product I have ever used for helping my nails to grow. It’s simply amazing and so cheap too. It’s under €7 in Boots and is regularly on offer so it’s even better value. If you have trouble with your nails breaking or just not growing, definitely check this out, for how little it costs, it’s worth a shot and I am confident you won’t be disappointed.
Sanex Dermo Sensitive Roll-On Deodorant — My favourite roll on deodorant! Absolutely love this stuff, the only one I repurchase religiously. It’s gentle, doesn’t feel sticky like some can, has a nice, delicate, clean scent that’s not strong or overpowering, doesn’t mark my clothes, is cheap as chips and regularly on offer, too! Highly recommend this.
Sisley Revitalizing Smoothing Shampoo — I had two samples of this to use and I’m glad it was only two samples because quite honestly this was rubbish! It was so drying on my hair that I had to leave a hair mask on all day to get some kind of moisture back into it!
When I rinsed this out, I was trying to brush my hair, but because it was so knotty and dry, I couldn’t brush it without it snapping, so I ended up just putting the mask on my knotted mane and leaving it on for about 9-10 hours before having to shampoo it out (with my beloved Alfaparf for more moisture) and then a leave in conditioner for even more moisturisation and conditioning. For something that costs £54 / $75 / €65 I would *not* expect it to leave my hair in the state it did! If you see this, avoid it, unless you want dry and knotty hair!
Skin Republic Collagen Hydrogel Under Eye Patches — I received these as a free gift with purchase from Roches Pharmacy and thoroughly enjoyed using them. They were quite hydrating and helped with puffiness after each use. There was a lot of essence on each patch so I found I was decanting it into a smaller little pot and using it alongside my eye cream for extra moisturisation. Would definitely repurchase these as I really liked them.
Soap & Glory the Righteous Butter Body Butter — My favourite body butter! I absolutely love this stuff; I’ve lost count of how many of them I have gone through and repurchased! It’s a gorgeous thick, rich buttery cream that leaves my skin super soft and moisturised. It has a gorgeous citrusy scent that I absolutely adore, but it’s not overpowering by any means. Because of how thick it is you don’t need much per use.
I love applying this the night before I apply fake tan, leave it on for 24hrs, then a quick shower, and apply my tan. I apply this over my tan every day until I’m ready to scrub it all off and I am convinced it helps my tan to wear off nicely and evenly. If I apply this in the morning, then I won’t wear perfume, because I don’t need to, the scent of this on its own is enough, but as I said, it’s not strong or overpowering.
If I apply this in the evening, I can still feel how moisturised my skin is the following morning, despite that, this isn’t greasy or anything, it’s just extremely moisturising. I’ve already repurchased because I can’t be without it.
Soap & Glory Supercat Liquid Eyeliner — This is a great eyeliner. It’s pigmented, longwearing, and it applies nicely. It wears well too. I would repurchase this, however, the aforementioned Catrice eyeliner does everything this does, and it’s cheaper too, so I’d repurchase that one quicker, but they’re both lovely and they’re affordable too.
Tarte Lifted Sweatproof Mascara — Just like the Bare Minerals mascara, this does nothing for my lashes. I struggle to get *any* product from the wand onto my lashes, no matter how many coats I apply. Maybe mine is drying up, but from the get-go, I haven’t been able to get any product on my lashes. Don’t recommend and wouldn’t repurchase.
Tarte Precision Longwear Liquid Eyeliner — This was only okay. It was better than the Marc Jacobs eyeliner, but not as good as the Catrice or Soap & Glory. It applies nicely, but does need to be built up, especially over eyeshadow, it lasts for a good six hours before starting to fade, however once it starts to fade, it fades pretty quickly in my opinion. I wouldn’t recommend or repurchase, especially as it is €22.
The Inkey List Polyglutamic Acid — I finished this about two weeks ago, and I’m seriously missing it in my routine. I need to repurchase ASAP. This is a gorgeous lightweight serum that as a gel-like consistency, but isn’t sticky and it absorbs quickly into my skin. I have noticed a difference in my skin and how it feels since I’ve finished this, so I am positive it was making a difference.
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 — I absolutely loved this, as did my skin! Lightweight, absorbed quickly, but didn’t disappear. All my other skincare applied as normal and without issues.
Sometimes I would mix a drop or two of this with my foundation (as well as having applied it before moisturiser etc) and I loved how it made my foundation look. It didn’t cause any application, or performance issues and my foundation didn’t break down etc with it. Will definitely repurchase this without any doubt. Cheap, cheerful and works wonderfully. What’s not to love!?
Tory Burch Jolie Fleur Rose Eau De Parfum — This is a sample I’ve had for a few months and finally got around to using. It has a scent that I can only describe as sweet rose. For me, it’s a bit too sweet and so, I’m not really a fan of it.
I love floral scents, but I’m not really a fan of sweet scents, they just don’t suit me and I find them to be overpowering at times. It has great lasting power; I sprayed this on my coat around 7.30am and by 8.pm that evening it was still noticeable and had only faded very slightly.
Tresemme Keratin Smooth Heat Protection Spray — I’m not a big fan of this. It’s okay, but I don’t like how it makes my hair feel. I much prefer the Phyto Phytokeratine Repairing Thermal Protectant Spray. It’s a much nicer and lighter spray and I love how my hair feels when I use it, even when I don’t blow-dry my hair, I use the Phyto spray because of how my hair feels when I use it.
The Tresemme one is okay, it’s cheap and easily available, but because I prefer the Phyto one, I wouldn’t repurchase this, however if you’re not fussed over which spray you use, then the Tresemme one is a nice one.
And that rounds up these empties! I never realised how much stuff I had until I started writing these empties posts, and my god I’m shocked at the amount of stuff I had and I’m so glad to be working my way through so quickly.
As always, if there are any products you are working on towards using up, including in a project pan or have recently finished, I would love to hear from you, please let me know in the comments how you are getting on with shopping your stash!
Thank you for reading, and until next time, take care. xx
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Products marked with an asterisk (*) were kindly gifted to me, however, this post is not sponsored or affiliated with any of the brands or companies mentioned and all opinions are my own. No affiliate links are used in this, or any other post.