Empties #13

Hey guys,

I am back with Empties #13 today and I apologise for the delay in publishing this post. I had intended to post it a few days after my last post, however I moved house and really just haven’t had a chance to do much else between moving and everything that it entails.  Moving takes so much out of you and I have been completely drained, both mentally and physically.

I’ve gone through quite a few products, more than I expected actually, so this post is slightly longer than my empties posts usually are.  I wanted to include everything as I don’t know when my next empties will be, and I didn’t want to exclude products from this, only to add them in to a later post when they’d be long finished.  I love finishing up products as it means I can try new ones, but sometimes I’m quite sad when I finish a product, if I really love it.  This empties post is mostly skincare with a few other bits thrown in.

Alpha-H Lip Perfector — I loved this.  It was thick, minty and tingly, but melted down with the warmed of your skin.  It was very moisturising and left my lips looking plump.  The tingling wasn’t too much and honestly, it was barely noticable.  I got this in TK Maxx for €3 or thereabouts, and if I see it there again, I’m grabbing it!  This is definitely one of nicest lip balms I’ve ever used.

Avène Tolérance Extrême Mask — I adore this, it’s a deeply soothing mask.  It is perfect for when my skin was irritated or if I had used an exfoliating mask.  It really helped with injecting some moisture back into my skin and calming it down.  I miss it a lot and will definitely repurchase it.

Biossance Squalane + Rose Vegan Lip Balm, Nuxe Very Rose & Weleda Skin Food Lip Balms — I wasn’t a fan of these at all.  They did nothing for my lips, in fact, I would go as far as to say my lips felt drier than normal anytime I used them.  The Biossance & Nuxe balms were solid in the pots but melted down with the warmth of your skin and they were quite slippy.  I love the original Nuxe balm, so this was pretty disappointing.  The Weleda balm had a strong scent of essential oils which I wasn’t a fan of, and it was also very slippy.  These three balms did basically the same thing (nothing) so I wouldn’t repurchase any of themt.  

Bobbi Brown Extra Repair Intense Moisture Cream (mini) — I wasn’t a fan of this.  It had a strong scent of essential oils and it was quite a thin cream and it really just didn’t do anything for me.  I personally found the scent overpowering and off-putting, so I ended up using it mixed in with a body moisturiser and used it that way.  

Cacharel ‘Noa Summer L’eau’ (limited edition) — This is another gorgeous perfume.  It’s a little fruitier and sweeter than the original Noa scent, but not sickly so.  It’s still quite a light, floral and delicate scent.  Just like the original this is perfect for daytime, work, college etc. because of how light it is.

Carex Moisture Antibacterial Hand Sanitiser Gel — This was a lovely hand sanitising gel to use.  It wasn’t overly drying like a lot are, but it wasn’t exactly moisturising either.  It was very light and not sticky or greasy and it absorbed quickly too.  I really liked this and have since repurchased it.

CeraVe Moisturising Body Cream — One of my favourite body creams and one I always repurchase.  This is perfect.  It does everything I want and more, it is affordable and the big tub lasts for ages.  I love that it is unscented so I can mix in scented creams if I want something scented without it being strong.  It is brilliant for sensitive skin too. Highly recommend this.

Clarins Extra-Firming Night Cream — This was a beautiful, thick, rich moisturiser that worked wonders for my skin.  I only used a tiny amount each night and the next morning my skin was plump, juicy, glowy, hydrated, moisturised and looked great.  Very few moisturisers do all of those things for me.  Although it was rich and had a thick consistency, it wasn’t greasy or uncomfortable and it absorbed relatively quickly, but it didn’t disappear completely.  I adored this and I will get a full-size at some point in future, for now I have enough moisturisers and nighttime masks to get through.

Danish Skincare Skin Power Treat — This did nothing for my skin.  I wasn’t a fan at all.  I tried applying it with cotton pads, misting it on my skin, putting some into my hands and pressing it into my skin and no matter what way I did it, it had zero effect on my skin.  

Dr Paw Paw Overnight Lip Mask — I adore this! It is the second Dr Paw Paw product I’ve tried and the only one I have liked.  This very moistursing and feels really lovely on.  It’s great on it’s own and over both lip liners/lipsticks, especially if they are matte and you don’t want a matte finish.  I get this in TK Maxx for €2.99 or thereabouts.  A night I apply just over a pea sized amount and I can still feel it on my lips the following morning.  It’s quite a big tube and lasts for about six weeks with daily usage.  You don’t need much per use and it lasts for ages too.

Dove Crushed Macadamia & Rice Milk Body Scrub — I thoroughly enjoyed this body scrub.  It was effective without being harsh or abrasive, It exfiiolated without tearing or damaging my skin, it had a gorgeous scent and the tub lasted a while too.  I got this from Superdrug (along with the Pomegranate one) and I’m pretty sure it was like £5 for them both? Highly recommend, and I will definitely be repurchasing in future!

Elemis Travel White Flowers Eye & Lip Make-Up Remover — This is my second mini of this and I enjoyed it just as much as the first. It’s a lovely, gentle and effective makeup remover.  I don’t need to tug or pull at my eyes to break down makeup as this does it easily.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Lip Balm (Bullet) — The eight-hour lip balms are one of my favourites, I love both the pot and bullet versions.  I’ve gone through a number of each and I do repurchase them.  They are hydrating, moisturising, repairing, soothing, calming and they smell nice too.  They feel very comfortable on the lips, they aren’t stick and there isn’t too much slip either.  I cannot say enough good things about them.  Boots sometimes include them in their €12 Tuesday flash deals, which is usually when I purchase mine, it’s a great way to stock up and save some money!

Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré — This is a very sad empty.  I adore this, it works so well for my skin.  It’s a fantastic multi-tasking product.   It’s very rich and moisturising but without being heavy or greasy.  Highly recommend and a defnite repurchase!

Eucerin Dry Skin Intensive Lip Balm — One of my favourite lip balms and one I’ve repurchased a number of times.  I love how this feels on my lips and it really, really helps them with dryness.  It’s only €7 and regularly on offer.  I’ve already repurchased.  If you suffer with intensly dry lips this balm is worth a try in my opinion.  It’s done wonders for the dryness on my lips.

Fresh Peach Lip Balm — This was a beautiful balm with a divine scent.  It is solid in the pot, but with the warmth of your skin it melts down.  It felt gorgeous on and wasn’t overly sticky.  I didn’t need much per use and it lasted ages too.  The pot looks small, but it lasted me around two months, with daily usage.  Highly recommend.

Herbal Essences Dry Shampoo Naked — One of the best dry shampoos I have ever used. I absolutely adored this and would repurchase in a heartbeat if it was still available.  I used to see in Dealz the odd time, but they haven’t had it in stock in ages, gosh maybe over a year now at this stage.  It’s a real shame because it did everything I wanted it to and it was very affordable too.  If you see it, grab it, I’m sure you’d love it too!

Lacura Intensive Hand Cream with Glycerin — One of the best hand creams there is.  It has the same consistency as the Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream but it is slightly thicker and it’s cheaper.  I’ve gone through a few of these and they never let me down.  I have two back-up’s and it’s one that I will definitely repurchase in future.  At 69cent its a bargain!

Lacura Moisturising Hand Cream — This was pretty disappointing as it just didn’t do anything for my hands.  It wasn’t moisturising really and I ended up mixing it with other hand creams just to use it up.   It’s a very light cream and it absorbs really quickly.  If your hands are not particularly dry and you just want something basic and light, this could be worth trying.  It’s 69cents so won’t break the bank.

Lacura Q10 Hand Cream — Another favourite from Aldi! I love this with a tiny bit of the Intensive Hand Cream mixed into it.  Really light but quite moisturising.  Have gone through a few of these and will continue to repurchase. 

Lee Stafford Coco Loco Shampoo, Conditioner and Mask — I wasn’t a fan of these as they were all pretty drying on my hair. My mam used up the shampoo, conditioner and mask, and just like me, she found they were drying on her hair too.  Our hairs are naturally dry anyway, and these just made it worse.  I love the Blow & Go 11-in-1 Lotion, Agave Shine Oil and Agave Texturising Dry Shampoo,. They are fantastic and the Blow & Go Lotion as become a staple for me.  I adore it. 

La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water — This is one of my favourite and must-have products, I absolutely love it. In my opinion, Thermal Spray Waters are an essential for everyone!  I always have a can of this, the Avène Thermal Spring Water or the Vichy Thermal Spa Water.  I love all three and use them every day, multiple times a day.  When applying my skincare, I apply a light spritz of whichever water I am using before I apply each item in that nights routine and I find this really helps with hydrating and moisturising my skin.  I also use it to spritz my face throughout the day and in the summer time it’s very refreshing to take the water straight from the fridge as it is so cold and really cooling on a warm/hot day!

L’Occatine Mini Hand Creams Almande, Cherry Blossom & Neroli Orchideé — I loved these but the Almande is my favourite one.  I adore the scent and I found it to be the most moisturising out of all three.  I am currently using the full-size Almande one, and I can see myself repurchasing it in future.  It’s absolutely gorgeous, and although it’s pricey for a hand cream, it is well worth it.  I love to slather it on at night, and mix in a drop of a moisturising oil, throw on a pair of cotton gloves and I wake up to deeply moisturised hands.

Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream — This is a lovely hand cream, very similar to Aldi’s Intensive one just a bit more expensive.  It works exactly the same for me and I really like it.  I’d repurchase one.

No7 Instant Results Hydration Mask — One of my favourite affordable hydrating masks that packs a punch and costs very little!  I use this 2-3 times a week, usually in the morning after cleanisng and before other skincare and I bloody love how my skin looks and feels after using it.  I bought these last year, and they were offer, so I ended up getting three for €7.50! Bargain of the year! Highly recommend.

No7 Radiant Results Nourishing Cleansing Balm & Cleansing Oil — The Radiant Results Nourishing rang from No7 has to be one of the best affordable ranges on the market.  I adore everything from this range.  The cleansing balm is my all-time favourite cleansing balm.  It’s effective, gentle, doesn’t sting my eyes, it’s affordable and regularly on offer.  There are other cleansing balms I love, but this tops them all.  The oil is beautiful, it’s exactly the same as the balm in terms of performance, but it’s a different texture/consistency obviously.  A very affordable range that is well worth checking out.  

Nuage Aqueous Cream — A basic, but brilliant and effective cream.  I use it on my hands and body and I love it.  I sometimes mix an oil in with it to give it something extra but it isn’t necessary really.  Very affordable and worth having in the house. 

OGX Damage Remedy+ Coconut Miracle Oil Extra Strength pH Balanced Shampoo — This was a lovely shampoo to use.  It cleaned my hair but without stripping it, which is important to me as I always to two washes when I wash my hair.  I didn’t need much to get a good lather up and it didn’t sting my eyes when I got it into them.  This is very affordable and it is one I would definitely repurchase in future.

Omorovicza Cleansing Foam (sample) — I had a few samples of this to use up and each time I used it, my skin felt dry, taught and stripped.  I had to use a number of hydrating products, making sure to avoid acids, exfoliants etc after this as I didn’t want to risk irritating my skin.  If you had a oily skin it might be worth a shot, but for my dry skin it’s a no unfortunately.

OPI Original Nail Envy — I’ve had this for ages and it’s only now that I am finishing it, mainly because I never found it any good so only used it when I ran out of my base coat!  This did nothing for my nails, at all.  It’s supposed to strengthen them but it didn’t.  I got this about a year ago and used it religiously but then went back to my original and still prefer it as it does more for my nails than this one.

Patchology Lip Service Gloss to Balm — This was grand, nothing special. It was moisturising, plumping and glossy.  My lips tingled ever so slightly when I first applied it, but that soon went.  It is very glossy and worked great over lipsticks and lip liners.  It smelled like the Softmint sweets, which I wouldn’t usually mind, but the scent was quite strong which I wasn’t a fan of.  I’m not sure that I would repurchase this as there are others I prefer.

Philip Kingsley Flaky/Itchy Scalp Shampoo — This is the absolute best shampoo for a dry and sensitive scalp.  It works particularly well when my scalp is irrited.  It helps to reduce any irritation and take away any itch caused by product reaction.  This is very expensive but it is like magic so for me it is worth it.  I use it once a month, which is enough for me, unless I have some irritation or flaking and then I’ll increase usage until that has been sorted and then I can reduce usage again.

The Inkey List & Q&A Hyaluronic Acids — These are gorgeous serums to use. The Q&A reminded me a lot of TIL’s one, in terms of consistency and how my skin felt when I’d applied it,  it did everything I wanted it to. TIL’s HA has long been a favourite of mine, it is my favourite HA serum and I’ve repurchased it endless times.  I would happly repurchase both of these again!

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat — My favourite top coat and the only one I repurchase religiously! I’ve been using this for years and it never lets me down.  This dries super quickly and gives my nails a shine like no other.  It’s affordable and regularly on offer too.  Highly recommend!

Sephora Collection Orchid Sheet Face Mask — This was a lovely mask and very moisturising too.  There was a lot of product on it and I had to squeeze some of it off before I could use the mask otherwise it would have been dripping all over me.  I used the left over serum in the days following the mask and my skin loved it.  It was plumping, hydrating, moistursing and left my skin looking and feeling juicy.  If Sephora sold the serum separately, I’d order it! I adored it!

Summer Fridays Butter Lip Mask — This was a nice balm but I despised the packaging and thankfully the packaging has since changed! This was like the Blistex Relief Cream, the product just kept on coming out of the tube and nothing could stop it!  I ended up putting this into an empty (clean!) pot and used it that way.  There was much less waste to be honest.  It was a grand balm, nothing special, apply too much and it was sticky and uncomfortable.  Not sure if I’d repurchase it, there’s others I prefer and this is pricey and I’m not sure it is worth what it costs.

Superdrug Vitamin E Moisture Boost Serum — This is one of the nicest and most affordable serums I’ve used.  It’s exactly as the names suggests it is — a moisture boosting serum.  It had a crème-gel consistency and absorbed into my skin quickly and left it feeling moisturised.  It had a really lovely scent and layered well with other products without pilling.  I will definitely repurchase in future, I just have some other hydrating serums to use first and then I’ll repurchase this.  I have a full review of this (and the mask) here.

Superdrug Vitamin E Hydrating Facial Mist — One of my favourite face mists and one I’ve repurchased multiple times.  Whenever I order from Superdrug I tend to order a few of these as I go through them quickly.  I adore this and will continue to repurchase for as long as it is available.

Tata Harper Resurfacing Serum (sample) — I only had one use so I obviously didn’t notice any changes to my skin.  I liked how my skin felt after applying it.  It applied nicely and absorbed quickly, it layered well with other products and didn’t pill.  It’s pricey so I I’d need to try a few more samples before splurging on it to be honest.

Tatcha Violet-C Radiance Mask (sample) — This is a gorgeous mask!  This felt like a drink of water for my skin!  My skin felt moisturised and plump after I used this.  I adore the bright lilac colour, too, it makes it fun and it’s a mask I will repurchase a full size in future.   I reviewed this on my Instagram here.

The Ordinary Argireline Solution — This is a gorgeous serum and one I loved.  I loved how my skin felt with prolonged use.  It has a watery consistency but it feels nice on the skin and doesn’t disappear.  It’s very affordable, widely available, highly recommend!

White to Brown Self-Tanning Mousse Medium — This tan gets a lot of good reviews, but I’m not a fan of it.  It’s quite drying and I don’t usually find mousse tans drying.  In fact, I tend to prefer tans that have a mousse consistency.   Sometimes it developed nicely (bar the colour) but wore off patchy and quickly, other times it didn’t develop nicely, it was patchy and looked scaly.  It was around €20 so it was on the pricier side

That rounds up this empties! I hope you enjoyed this post, if there are any products you’ve finished recently, I’d love to hear about them.  Let me know in the comments or on my socials (linked below).  I will link my previous empties posts at the end of this post also if you’d like to read them

You can see my previous empties posts by clicking here.  Thanks for reading, until next time, take care xx

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