I’m a little late at getting to this months empties, for no reason other than being tired and lazy. These last two months were quite busy for me in terms of empties. I started picking products to focus on, that I thought I could realistically empty, and wrote them down next to my desk. Although this didn’t do anything to actually help me use up products, it did remind me throughout the two months to focus back on them if I had strayed.
Let’s get into the empties!
First up we’ll talk about skincare! One of the first things I used up was the mud masky spf mask that I received in a Rocca box a few months ago. I really enjoyed using this. It was cooling, lightweight and hydrating. It’s a chemical spf, which I tend to stay away from, but didn’t feel bad as I hadn’t purposely bought it. Because it’s a chemical spf it doesn’t have any white cast, which was a nice change, as I usually have to spend a good few minutes working others into the skin. The one major downside of this product is that is balls up if you work it too much, which means you can’t realistically use it under makeup. Because of this I wouldn’t repurchase. I want a product I can wear any day no matter what.
Next up is the liz Earle brightening mask. I’ve had this product for quite a while, and focussed on it because it was starting to change texture and was probably past its best. It still did a good job of brightening the skin, and I would repurchase in the future, but as I know it will change if left too long, I’ll wait until I’ve used more of my open masks.
The boots traditional rose water and glycerin toner is a product I’ve repurchased in the past, and like to use it when my skin’s feeling dry or sensitive. This month however, I was using it around my eyes in the morning. I don’t often wash my face in the morning, so I’ll use a toner or something on a cotton pad to freshen up my skin. This was really nice and soothing on my eyes, did the job, but I don’t think I’d repurchase, purely because my skin doesn’t need it at the moment.
I had a mini version of the Clinique hydro blur moisturiser, that I’ve tried to finish multiple times, but I really don’t enjoy it. It’s a more mattifying texture, that I just don’t get on with. I much prefer a regular cream or gel texture. This also had a slightly vinegary smell which I didn’t enjoy. It’s had this scent since I got it, so I know it isn’t an age thing. The only thing about this moisturiser is that it does make my skin look nice. It doesn’t blur much, but it does smooth the skin slightly. I wouldn’t repurchase this, for the brand and the product itself.
The sundari honey and enzyme exfoliating serum is something I’ve had for probably way too long. It was a nice serum, felt nice on the skin, though I’m not sure what it did brightening wise. I wouldn’t buy another, but I’m glad I tried it.
The soap and glory vitamin c facial wash I got as a gift a few years ago. I was really excited about it at the time as I was struggling with hyperpigmentation and thought this would be just what I needed. Needless to say I was disappointed that it didn’t do much to brighten deep dark patches. I put it in my shower at the beginning of the year, and it was about 3/4 full at this point. Using it this time around I definitely preferred it, because I didn’t have high expectations for it. It’s a nice face wash, not sure about the pink bubbles in it, but it cleans nice and my skin does like brighter after using it. I wouldn’t repurchase as I definitely have ones I prefer. If you’re interested in it I’d try it. It will last for a long time if nothing else, very cost effective.
I also finished the Revolution caffeine tonic in October. I’ve been using this by putting some in the palms of my hands, then pressing into my skin. This is what I used to ween my skin off of the boots tea tree and witch hazel toner that I used before. Because this had witch hazel in it I thought it would be similar to prevent blemishes, without being as harsh and drying. I actually found as I transitioned to more hydrating skincare that this was still too drying for what my skin needs, so I’m glad to be done with it. I’ve realised this year that lightweight hydration is just what my skin wants, and it’s happier than it’s ever been.
The final skincare item is the nivea spf daily moisturiser. I’ve had multiple of this product over the years, it’s a good starting place once you realise you need an spf. That being said, you’re not giving your skin adequate protection using this so I’d always follow up with another spf or only use it when I’m inside all day. I like the amount of hydration from this as well. It’s perfect for my oily skin. Nivea isn’t cruelty free so I won’t repurchase but I don’t hate the product.
Now, this month is the first time I’ve managed to use up some makeup items which is exciting for me! Let’s start with NYX’s #no filter blurring primer. I really enjoyed this product. It felt like a whipped gel, and had a slight tint that really did blur the skin, as much as a primer can. I’m not sure how it effected the longevity and application of my makeup, but I never had any issues when using this. The main downside to this product is that there’s only one shade, so it isn’t very inclusive. If I were to ever repurchase a primer it would be this, though I think it’s been discontinued. Hopefully they bring out something similar in more shades.
Next up is my bare minerals brow master brow pencil in the shade coffee. This was a really nice brown pencil, quite basic but did the job. The size and shape of the pencil itself was perfect for me. It was thick enough that it didn’t take ages to fill my brows in, but I could also use the thinner ends to draw in individual brow hairs. The colour was really good for me too. Not quite as dark as my natural hair, and neutral. Realistically though I wouldn’t ever spend £18 on an eyebrow pencil, which is why I tend to stick to drugstore brands for that. I don’t do a lot with my eyebrows so it just isn’t worth the price to me.
Another bare minerals product I finished was a mini of the mineral veil setting powder. There wasn’t much left in this mini so it only took a week or two to use it. I must have left this open at some point as it had started to cling together, so I’m assuming it got damp. It still worked fine and didn’t look bad on my under eye, it just took a little more effort to apply. I have a couple more mineral veils which I’m excited to open as my under eyes always look so nice when I use it.
The final makeup product is the maybelline fit me concealer. This is one of the first concealers I bought, so it’s no doubt expired but it still worked, so better to get my moneys worth. This looked surprisingly nice on my extremely dry and creasy under-eye. The colour was a great match for my whole face, so I did like to add a slightly brighter colour under my eye just to lighten the area, but other than that it worked really nice. I wouldn’t repurchase as maybelline aren’t cruelty free, but the product itself worked well.
Next up we have 1 of 2 body products. The lush sleepy body lotion is something I’d been working on for a good few months. I really didn’t want to finish this as it smells so nice, but it was past its best before so I knew I needed to get it out. This lotion did a decent job of hydrating my skin, though I did find I had to reapply or apply a thicker cream on my legs where I shave because this didn’t give enough moisture with one application. I do think I’d buy this again, or more from this range as I just adore the scent! If they did this in a candle I’d buy so many.
The other product is the nuxe multi purpose dry oil for face, body and hair. I got this mini in a birchbox so I’ve had it a few years. Im not keen on the smell of this. Its very strong, though I’m not sure what of, plants maybe? This is the main reason I used it on just my body, another being that I find dry oils feel weird on my face. This was one of the products I’d apply over the lush lotion on my legs. It was nice, did the job, I wouldn’t purchase it though, it didn’t stand out to me.
The final products are hair care. The first, two products, though I only photographed one, is the Charles Worthington diamond shine shampoo and conditioner. These are only small bottles, but I would only use it once or twice a week, as I have others that help my dry scalp more. I really enjoyed this shampoo and conditioner. My hair looked so shiny and felt so smooth after using this. I’d definitely buy it again, and I know this brand isn’t too expensive either.
The final product is another Charles Worthington one, it’s the moisture seal leave in conditioner. This was such a nice addition to my hair care routine. This year I’ve been trying extra hard to look after my hair, and I’ve noticed that using this leave in conditioner has really helped keep the ends of my hair from thinning too much. I’ve got a different product to use up but I’d repurchase this without hesitation. Charles Worthington is such a good brand to me! It doesn’t cost too much, does a really good job (the products I’ve tried) and they have such a wide range! I’ve seen in store recently that they have a shine serum that looks beautiful, but I’ll be waiting to use some of my creams and oils before purchasing that.
That’s it for my September October empties! How did you do at using up products this month? And you using more products this year, or buying more?
Thank you for reading this blog post! I have quite a few posts scheduled for this month so hopefully I can actually get them out!
Until next time,
LipsNailsLife 