Hey guys,
I have another empties post for you today. I’ve worked my way through a lot of products over the last while and thought I’d do another of these of posts today for you. I’ve picked up a few bits recently (some repurchases) so I wanted to work my way through as many products as I could before purchasing new ones. I’m down to the last of most of my full-sized skincare items, my samples and my minis now (excl. masks and cleansers).
I really hope you enjoy this post and if you’ve tried any of these products, I’d love to know how you found them. Let me know in the comments below.
Avène Hydrance Optimale Rich Protective UV SPF20 — I spoke about this in my March Hits & Misses (here) and I said that it was miss, but that I’d continue to use it up, well, I’ve ended up giving it to my mam because I couldn’t handle the way it just sat on top of my skin, plus with the smell as well, I just wasn’t bothered even trying to use it up.
Normally, if I don’t like something, but it works for me, I will make an effort to use it up, but with this it is so bad that I just can’t be bothered to be quite honest. It’s a pity, as I thought I would love it, but not every product will work for us unfortunately.
CND Vinylux Weekly Top Coat — This is a very hyped up top coat and I expected great things, but it was a huge miss for me. It left my nails looking dull and left brush marks/strokes on them. I ended up having to mix it with my Sally Hansen Inst-Dri Top Coat as it was the only way I could use it up. I haven’t tried anything else from CND but this has put me off so I don’t know if I will in future.
Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm — This is a very hyped balm, and it is a nice balm, but it’s nothing special. It’s a balm that melts to an oil when massaged into your skin. It breaks down makeup easily, both waterproof and non-waterproof, I can remove eye makeup with no tugging, it doesn’t cause cloudy eyes or irritation, however I don’t like the smell, it’s quite earthy. If it wasn’t as strong/overpowering, I wouldn’t mind it as much but it’s just a little strong for me personally.
It’s also expensive, for what it is. It’s exactly as the name suggests — a cleansing balm, it just isn’t any special. I really love the N07 Nourishing Cleansing Balm, it’s just as good as this (and has a nicer scent), but it’s also a lot cheaper than this one is. I know that Elemis is a luxury brand and No7 isn’t but there is a €36 price difference, and for me, that’s just too much. The No7 balm is €14 for a 125ml tub and the Elemis balm is €50 for 105gm, for products that essentially do the same this, a €36 price difference is a bit much.
Elemis Peptide4 Plumping Pillow Facial — I had a sample of this and managed to get five uses from it, and while five uses wouldn’t normally be enough to sway me to buy a product, it has persuaded me that I *need* to get a full size of this, because quite frankly, it’s fabulous.
It is a thick gel consistency that just melts into the skin when applied, and I’m not joking when I say this gives my skin a serious glow. It’s one of those products that is perfect for giving an immediate glow without having to use several steps or products to achieve healthy, radiant, glowing skin. This would be perfect for a last-minute event, night out etc. as it will really perk up your skin in a matter of minutes.
Despite being a thick gel, it’s not greasy, uncomfortable or drying. It feels extremely moisturising and hydrating on my skin. I have used this at night and in the morning before applying makeup, and my makeup looked much better than it usually would do because of this, I’m convinced of it.
My makeup just glided on like absolute butter and blended into my skin so seamlessly and looked so much nicer than it usually would. It’s expensive, but in my opinion, it is absolutely worth it and it’s something I am 100% going to purchase the full size of.
Footner Exfoliating Socks — These are amazing at removing dry, hard skin from your feet, and doing so painlessly and easily. They contain Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid & Mandelic Acid so they’re perfect for hard skin and make little work of removing the skin. I’d highly recommend these and they will become a regular for me to keep my feet baby soft and smooth.
L’Oréal Pure Clay Charcoal Detox Face Mask — This is a fabulous face mask and one that makes a great affordable alternative (not dupe) for the GlamGlow Supermud mask (my holy grail). This isn’t as good as Supermud, but quite honestly, for the price, it’s pretty damn close!
This does exactly the same as what Supermud does (for me), but it’s a lot more affordable. I ran out of my Supermud a while back, picked this up in a pinch and haven’t repurchase Supermud yet. I will repurchase when I can find it on sale/offer or there’s a promo code, but for the moment, I’ll be sticking with this L’Oréal one, honestly for the price, you really cannot go wrong!
Vernis à Ongles Color Riche Le Vernis à l’Huile ‘209 Ingenious Rose’ — This isn’t actually empty, but it is gone off so I’ve binned it. This is a beautiful peachy coral polish. It’s opaque in two coats, it has a crème finish, it does take a while to dry before you can apply a second coat or a top coat.
It lasts for 3-4 days with no chipping but it does have tip wear. I love the colour; it looks beautiful both with and without a tan (real or false) however with a tan it really pops. I’m pretty sure this range has been discontinued as Amazon is the only website where I can find it in stock. I’d love to repurchase because it is a beautiful colour.
Sally Hansen Maximum Growth — My all-time favourite and most repurchased nail product! I just adore this; I cannot say enough good things about it! I’ve been using it for years and have raved about this multiple times! Highly recommend this if your nails need help with growth and if you need a good base coat! Super cheap and regularly on offer too! I tend to stock up in Boots when they have it on their 3-for-2 offer!
Shiseido UV Protective Liquid Foundation SPF30 — I saw Siobhán’s review of this on Beautylymin and when I read it, I figured this foundation would be one I liked so I went and got a sample, and I have to say, I love this. It’s without a doubt one of the best foundations I have ever used and it’s one I will definitely be purchasing the full size of. It has quite a watery/runny consistency, which is very light on the skin, it’s weightless.
I get a medium coverage with it but you could build it up to full coverage with 1.5-2 pumps. I personally prefer this in a medium coverage, especially on my dry skin. I like to use a large, round top buffing brush to blend this in, something like the Blank Canvas F22, I find that works best for me.
This foundation lasts through sweating, rain, it’s wears extremely well throughout the day without any issues, it doesn’t cling to or emphasise any texture or dry patches on my skin. It looks like I’m having a really good skin day. You’d know I was wearing makeup, but it does not look heavy or cakey by any means.
My only criticism of this foundation is the shade range. There are very few shades available, and if you are fair or very pale, you won’t find one light enough. I use the lightest shade and it’s at least two shades too dark for me, so I have to mix it with a lightener to make it work for me.
Sephora Collection Rose Sheet Mask — This was a lovely face mask to use and one I thoroughly enjoyed. My skin felt really moisturised after I used it and there was a *lot* of essence that I had to squeeze out of the mask before use, and it lasted me eight days with twice daily use. This is something I would consider purchasing in future.
Seoulista Rosy Toes Foot Mask — A gorgeous foot mask and once that great for an instant fix for soft footsies! Not the cheapest at €9 for a one-use mask, but worth it! I prefer the Footner Exfoliating Socks personally, but both are great!
Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara — This is a gorgeous mascara and reminds me of Benefit’s BadGAL Bang and Roller Lash in terms of what it does to my lashes and the effect it gives them. I really like this and would consider purchasing a full size at some point. I’ve gone through endless minis of it and have never had a bad experience with it and never a bad word to say about it! Highly recommend!
Soap & Glory Call of Fruity Summer Scrubbin’ Cooling Body Scrub — I love this. It’s smells absolutely gorgeous, like oranges. 🤤 I love that it was quite gentle and non-abrasive for a body scrub and I love that it really took off any fake tan (well the SoSu Dripping Gold Mousse) without me having to abrasively scrub myself to get it off. I loved how my skin smelt after I used this, it was so bloody good. I will definitely repurchase at some point.
Soap & Glory Smoothie Star Deep Moisture Body Milk — I love Soap & Glory, their body products are some of my favourites, especially their scrubs and their Righteous Body Butter (my absolute favourite body butter), but this Smoothie Star body milk I just did not like, purely because of the scent. It was very strong, frankly, it was overpowering.
Anytime I put this on, it was as if I had doused myself in a bottle of perfume, it was so strong and it was catching me in the back of the throat. I don’t normally have that issue with S&G products, so it was more than likely just this particular batch I assume, but nonetheless, I’ve given it to my mum to enjoy. She quite likes the scent and loves it as a hand lotion, so at least it will be used and loved.
Tahe Magic Mask — This is a lovely hair mask and one that leaves my hair feeling really soft. It does help with detangling and makes my hair easier to brush through after washing, but I have other products that I prefer so I’ve passed this onto my mum to enjoy. It was very inexpensive and if you want a leave-in conditioning product that can do a multitude of things, then this is one I would recommend checking out. It’s available in Hennessey Hair & Beauty.
Tarte Lifted Mascara — This was okay. It didn’t do enough for me to want to repurchase it if I’m honest. It gave some definition, but that’s about it. It’s a nice mascara, and if you wanted natural looking lashes, this would be a good option, but I want more from my mascaras and this just doesn’t float my boat unfortunately.
The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid — This is a gorgeous weightless serum that absorbs quickly and works with every other product I applied over and under it. It didn’t pill and helped provide hydration. It’s lovely pressed into the skin in my skincare routine both morning and night, and it is nice mixed in with foundation also for some added hydration. I’m currently using Boots Ingredient Hyaluronic Acid Serum which I am really enjoying, I will repurchase this Inkey List serum in future though. Both are affordable and work well.
The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution — This wasn’t actually empty, but it was open too long because it had turned a funny brown colour so I ended up pouring the rest of it down the sink because I didn’t want to risk using it on my skin and potentially causing an adverse reaction. I will absolutely repurchase it because it’s a fantastic mask and it’s so affordable too.
Murad Age Diffusing Serum — I only had a sample of this but I got a couple of uses from it, and I really liked it. It’ a lovely light serum that absorbed quickly and layered well with other products in my night time skincare routine. It did tingle very slightly when applied first, but it wasn’t uncomfortable and went away within a minute or two. Murad is a brand I want to try and this is one product I would consider purchasing a full size in future.
Nuxe Rêve de Miel Lip Balm— My holy grail lip balm! I cannot say enough good things about this, it’s just amazing, in my opinion! I adore it. It’s nourishing and moisturising on my lips. I love the orange scent of it. It’s my most repurchased lip balm and it’s one I will continue to repurchase because it works so well for my lips.
Umberto Giannini Curl Friends Natural Curls Styling Spray — This is another product that isn’t empty, but I’m getting rid of it purely because I don’t know how long I’ve had it…🙈 I was having a clear-out recently and discovered this and from looking online, it seems to have been discontinued around 2014/2015…🙈 So it was definitely time to bin this. I don’t think I have ever used it so I have no idea what it is like or where I even got it. I’m guessing maybe a gift set or something as it’s not something I would have bought myself I’m sure.
Votary Super Seed Facial Oil — I had a sample of this to use and managed to get three or four uses from it, and from those few uses, I can tell that I really don’t like this. Firstly, the smell — it’s much too earthy for me and quite strong also. It doesn’t dissipate upon application or throughout. the day/night.
The oil is quite a heavy one, it doesn’t really absorb into my skin, even when I used it during the day, on its own with no other skincare under or over it. It just sat on top of my skin and felt quite uncomfortable. It’s not a product I would use again or would recommend, unless you like heavy oils, personally, they’re not for me. I much prefer when products sink into my skin and leave it feeling hydrating and/or moisturised, I don’t like them to sit on top of my skin, especially if it is during the day when I’ll most likely be applying makeup before heading out etc.
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