Empties #30

I could not possibly fit all my skincare empties into one photo because I actually skipped last month due to a hectic schedule and so this month you're in for a massive treat! I have a pretty massive pile and needed to do recycling before I travelled and so here we are!

Let's start off with some samples I received from innisfree. 

innisfree green tea cleansing foam - This was quite pleasant, not overly fragranced but can be drying if used continously on my combination skin

innisfree jeju volcanic pore cleansing foam - This was too intense on my skin, if I use it two days in a row my skin is completely parched so I stopped and gave my other sample to a friend with oilier skin.

Yours Truly Organics Fix Me! Repairing Serum - Lovely serum and the sachet of 10ml is so generous that I make sure I take it when I travel and I am able to use it at least 5 times or I would have to travel with an open sachet - a nightmare at best!

Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S Thirst Quenching Serum - I have a full size of this and I have just purchased another. Caudalie is a much loved brand by me and this is one of my top 3 products from the brand.

Embryolisse Lait-Creème Concentré - This was really hyped in the beauty world for a while and I finally got round to using it. While it was okay as a moisturiser, I noticed that it contains mineral oil quite high up in the ingredients list and was instantly put off. Unless it is cheap as chips, I don't want mineral oil in my moisturiser.

Shu Uemura Anti-Oxi Cleansing Oil - I really put this to the test and I can attest that it breaks down makeup as well as the original formula which had mineral oil. It has a somewhat green scent to it and if you are sensitive to fragrance I would recommend checking it out in person as this is so expensive. I think it is worth the price tag though!

innisfree it's real squeeze mask in cucumber - this is one of my favourite from the range. I like the smell of cucumber and it just feels extra cooling and relaxing.

innisfree it's real squeeze mask in aloe - this is my other favourite and I just feel like it is an easy option and a staple.

innisfree it's real squeeze mask in tea tree - I used this when I felt a little congested and I think that I don't like sheet masks for that. I would rather use a wash off mask and then finish with a sheet mask which is cooling.

Nature Republic Blackhead Clear 3-step Nose Pack - Honestly I did not expect this to work but work it did. It takes a longer time because there are 3 steps as opposed to just 1, but I certainly saw more results than the usual Biore nose strips.

When I introduced this range on my blog (read it HERE) I gave a quick review on all of them and I am pretty much sticking to that opinion. The whole range has a strong scent which I did not mind but my sister flagged as "smelly" so I am informing you. It is also pricey because it is a moisturising, anti-ageing range.

innisfree jeju lava seawater toner - really nice and refreshing but too expensive for me to justify purchasing the full size

innisfree jeju lava seawater essence - really nice and I enjoyed using it but will not repurchase

innisfree jeju lava seawater deep essence - preferred this and of course I enjoyed using it but I have other favourites so I don't think I will not repurchase

innisfree jeju lava seawater lotion - This is the only item that I really do not like from the range. The packaging makes it hard to get any product out and as a lotion I felt like it was heavy on the skin but it also did not feel super moisturising

innisfree jeju lava seawater cream - I enjoyed this and the little beads of ceramide make applying this cream more fun. If I were to buy anything from the range, it will probably be this.

Boots Botanics Refreshing Eye Roll-On All Bright - This is a little old so I am binning it. I like the metal tip which dispenses a gel formula so it is extra cooling and refreshing is definitely the correct description. I was a little wary that it contains AHA and was not sure if I was doing more damage because I don't typically wear SPF around my eyes and AHA makes skin more susceptible to damage from the sun.

Sephora Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover - This is excellent and a really good dupe for the Lancome Bi-Facil Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover which I swear by and I like this one so much that I have bought another one. It comes in various sizes if you need to take one for travelling you could purchase a smaller one. I just decant it to my smaller bottles.

Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover for Lids, Lashes & Lips - I picked this up as the aisle of doom, very appropriately named. I was not expecting much but it works really well and the lid has one of those medicine bottle lock system which makes it leak-proof.  My original standalone review is HERE and I stand by it. I repurchased the Sephora option because it is half the price for 200ml but if you don't like the blue in the Sephora, the Clinique version is colourless.

Monu Firming Moisturiser - This was quite thick so I saved it for evenings usage and while it was alright it was nothing spectacular.

Fresh Rose Hydrating Gel Cream - I initially disliked this for the rose scent but it grew on me and the product really plumps the skin. It makes the skin feel so quenched and plumped up but the trade off is that it is sticky. To counter that I use it on days that I know I am putting sunscreen on top )most mornings unless I am staying indoors) or at night. However, for the price of it, I don't think I should have to work around it so I will not be repurchasing.

Good Things Deep Clean Blackhead Exfoliator Superfruit Extracts Papaya & Licorice - This has gone on forever and I don't think I have ever had a bigger exfoliator! It smells really fruit and is free from many of the skincare "nasties". I enjoyed using this and would recommend it apart from the fact that if you are someone who gets really bored with a product like I do, you may get bored with this and it will still go on and on and on - not usually a bad thing!

Body Buddy Aloe Vera Real Soothing Gel Mist - I like the formula of this because it actually sets powdery makeup down really well (like Mac Fix+ and this is not fragranced) but something that really annoyed me was the really intense spritz so I decanted it. I would not repurchase for the spritz.

The Body Shop Vitamin E Hydrating Face Mist - I love this, this is a repurchase, the product is nice, the spritz very even and light. I will repurchase.

innisfree aloe revital skin mist - This is another spritz that I enjoy and has a good, even spritz. I will repurchase.

innisfree aloe revital sleeping pack - I like this so much that I have purchased the full size of it. It is not too intense for my combination skin, in fact it feels like quite a light night gel-cream.

innisfree orchid eye cream - I don't like this so I used it up as a body cream. I just don't like anything that fragranced near my eyes.

Quality 1st All In One Sheet Mask - This was a gift with purchase from Japan and my god, the masks smell awful. There are 3 in the resealable ziplock packet. I say they smell awful but if I see them, I will repurchase. These were so moisturising and my skin absolutely loved it. Something really unexpected as the packaging is so... unassuming!

Sephora Pomegranate Eye Mask - I find the Sephora eye masks shape too big for my face and it just always looks really funny. The eye mask felt nice, nothing spectacular.

Sephora Ginseng Eye Mask - This eye mask felt nice like the Pomegrante one, but again, nothing spectacular.

We are finally done with skincare empties and onwards to haircare empties!

Bumble and Bumble Surf Foam Wash Shampoo & Creme Rise Conditioner -  I like these and my hair was swishy without being dry. I would purchase it in full size.

innisfree green tea mint fresh scalp scaler - I enjoyed this, I've already finished 1 and this is the 2nd. I have 1 more left because it came in a box of 3. It feels really refreshing on the scalp and I like it!

M Boutique Conditioner - This smells nice but I feel like it is probably a silicone heavy formula from how the product feels and does not moisturise or weigh down my hair enough.

KMS California Moist Repair Shampoo & Conditioner -  This was from a beauty box curated by British Beauty Blogger and  I trust Jane and her judgment. The formula of both the shampoo and the conditioner is really nice. I prefer the conditioner personally but the shampoo is nice too. However I didn't love the scent so I probably will not purchase the full size. Shampoo and conditioner scents are so important because you walk around and you can smell your hair all day long!

The Natural Bar Scalp Treatment Oil - This product is no longer in production, it is now under a different name : The Natural Bar Anti-Frizz Treatment but the ingredients are the same and it is usable on the scalp as well. I enjoyed using this and prefer it to the Aesop because of the inclusion of mint which feels really refreshing and invigorating.

Percy & Reed Perfectly Perfecting Wonder Cleanse & Nourish - This is a wonderful cleansing conditioner. Even though it contains silicones, I liked how it felt and I enjoyed the scent of it so much that I was willing to look past the silicones. However, this is more of a cream than a balm or gel and I went through this so quickly and the product is so small compared to other cleansing conditioners in the market that I cannot justify repurchasing it. I loved this but I can't.

Dove Hair Therapy Style + Care Heat Protect Spray - I had this for such a long time and recently found it. The scent has gone and smells really alcohol heavy now so I am wary of spraying it all over my hair and am just binning it. I remember that this is really fragranced so it really depends if you like the scent of it or not because we can all only pray the heat protect sprays work rather than not!

Now onto makeup empties. This is always the sparse section.

Clarins Rouge Eclat in Woodrose - I first blogged about it HERE and I really like the scent and colour of the lipstick. It was one of the gift with purchases but is seriously tiny. I would purchase the full size but Malaysia does not sell Clarins makeup!?

Shiseido Eyelash Curlers - I have relatively flat eyes/eye space so the Shiseido Eyelash Curlers work better for me than the Shu Uemura ones. I have repurchased these and probably will always use them!

Too Faced Born This Way Foundation - I love this foundation and while people say it's medium to full coverage I think it is really quite high and full coverage, just slightly less than Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation. I am binning it because my bottle was spilt at a point and I think that when I cleaned it up the foundation was exposed to air and the entire bottle has oxidised and it is now too dark for my skin.

Benefit Box O'Powder in Dandelion -  I really love this because it is a beautiful blush and it doubles up as a brightening and setting powder all over my face. The little brush in the box is not the softest or most luxurious but it is handy when you are travelling. I smashed mine up to get more uses out of it and it is now well and truly used up. This is the second box I have finished and I am always tempted to repurchase as I love it so much.

Melvita Nectar De Roses BB Crème - This was a funny shade on me and looked somewhat grey. Although it is all organic , I rather wear something that matches my skin. The texture is really runny and watery and the coverage is quite light but I did not like the greyness. A blogpost with swatched on my arm and face will be up really soon.

Next, we have some body products that I have finished up.

Decleor Post Wax Cream Anti-hair regrowth & Soothing - This was nice but I prefer the inhibitif product so I will not be repurchasing this. This one is a cream texture and inhibitif is more of a gel. It boils down to personal preference.

Naturals by Watsons Blood Orange Body Scrub - I really enjoyed the scent of this. It is a brightening & gentle exfoliation. I did rather wish that the exfoliation was stronger but being housed in a gel-cream, the exfoliation was indeed gentle as promised.

Mercure and Me Bath Shower Gel - Bog standard hotel shower gels which were alright. Nothing to shout about whatsoever.  

Sensual Hygienic Amenity Shower Gel - this shower gel was meant to smell of lavender but was really synthetic and pretty horrible. I used it to wash my toilet.

M Boutique Shower Gel - This on the other hand was Verbena scented and really refreshing! Perfect for mornings.

The final category is all the miscellaneous beauty items which I want to tell you about.

Bourjois 1938 nail polishes - I was gifted 4 mini polishes by Anna and these two do not suit me at all and I am finally bidding goodbye to them. The other two are still in rotation.

Red Seal Bakin Soda Total Mouth Freshness - My parents bought so many of these toothpastes for me and I gave one to Bob because she loved the freshness of it. I've finished one now and while I don't see any real whitening or brightening, I did enjoy the toothpaste and am happy to have more to use.

Tesco Loves Toddle Sensitive Fragrance Free Toilet Wipe - I picked this up at a local tesco and the toilet wipes are really small, presumably for toddlers to be able to hold it. They are not moist enough and the packet does not seal well drying out everything really quickly. DO NOT PURCHASE.

Kleenex Wet Toilet Tissue - I love these. Buy these instead.

Watsons Soothing Baby Wipes Aloe Vera Extract - Nothing revolutionary, not my favourite baby wipes (I prefer the Guardian ones) but these do the job and the pack of 20 makes it very travel friendly.

Bath and Body Works Sea Island Cotton  Scented Candle - I really enjoyed the clean smell of this candle. Bath and Body Works candles have a reallygood array of scents and they last a long time after the candle is blown out.

That is it for the empties post, if you have made it all the way through, you are a trooper! I hope you found the mini reviews helpful and feel free to leave a comment if you want to clarify anything or have more questions about any of the items.