March 2019 Empties

I've been making a concerted effort to get through some of the products which have been in my stash for the longest. Slowly and steadily!

 

WR - Will repurchase or have already repurchased.

MR - May repurchase at a later date when other products have been used up first.

WNR - Will not repurchase. Didn't like or didn't work for me. Or too expensive!

 

* Andalou Naturals - 1000 Roses Floral Toner MR

This was a T.K Maxx find and I really enjoyed using this as a morning cleanser. I did have to decant it into another bottle though as the spray was far too fierce on this. Would repurchase in the future if I saw it at a lower price again.

 

* CosRX - Low PH Good Morning Gel Cleanser WNR

Although this is an iconic cleanser for many, it was just kind of okay for me. It would have been perfect for my teenage son and I would buy him another, if only he'd actually use it!

 

* Naturally Thinking - Manuka Floral Water WR

I actually finished this up a while ago but was using the bottle to decant the Andalou Naturals 1000 Roses toner into. I love this as a morning cleanse and multi-purpose product and have already repurchased.

 

* Super Facialist Rose Hydrate Miracle Makeover Facial Oil - WR

Loved this for a first cleanser. Didn't make my eyes swimmy (although I would always use micellar water on my eyes to remove eye makeup first). Did a great job at getting rid of makeup, grime, SPF and impurities and left my skin soft with no oily residue after removal with a warm flannel. I would like to repurchase this in the future after I've finished off some other oil cleansers and tried the Lime & Lilac Passionflower Cleansing Oil first!

 

* Klairs - Supple Preparation Facial Toner - WR

Another iconic product alongside the Hada Labo Gokujyun Lotion. When I first started using this I felt that I favoured the Hada Labo over this one. But after trying this out again after a break, it definitely grew on me! It's such an easy hydrating toner to use - absorbs brilliantly and layers well with everything. A daily essential in both morning and evening routines. I have several similar products that need to be used first (including the Hada Labo Gokujyun Lotion) but I would definitely like to repurchase this in the future.

 

* La Roche-Posay Redermic R for Eyes - WR

I think I can go as far to say that this is my holy grail eye cream! It's been a long search. Positive effects of most eye creams that I've tried seem to plateau after about two weeks of use which made me feel like I was forever searching for (and spending more money on) finding the one!  This has been the only eye cream that I've used that consistently showed positive results after months of use.

I was intending to use up the other eye creams in my stash before repurchasing this again, but they have shown themselves to be woefully inadequate compared to this. And worse still, I've already had to de-clutter a couple of creams from the stash as they've made my eyes watery and sticky.

This is the next purchase I intend to make - although I don't like waste, I also don't like wasting time and time spent away from this is definitely time wasted!

 

* Naobay - Equilibria Gel to Milk Cleanser - WNR

This was a tricky cleanser to 'get behind'. It was one of those cleansers that was rather confusing - is it a first or second cleanser? It didn't really cut it for either. But the main reason I struggled with this was because of the texture. It was very gummy - I actually had to pinch the end off the dispensed blob and more often than not, the globule of product would slip from my fingers down the plug hole!

This cleanser got demoted to shower use (which is generally where the 'meh' cleansers go to die) and I was relieved when I had finally pinched the last of this product!

 

* Rodial - Vit C Brightening Mask - WNR

I didn't hate this, but it didn't wow me enough to want to reach for it regularly. It was one of those 'better use this up' products that was never a first choice when masking. The results were minimal - yes, there was a slight instant brightening, but again, nothing special and it hasn't made enough of an impact for me to remember anything special about it. The Oskia Renaissance Mask would be the mask of choice if I wanted the kind of brightening that this mask promised.

 

* Ponds Cold Cream - WNR

I bought this purely for it's retro appeal and it sat, unused in my drawer for a long, long time. When I finally pulled it out to try it I was in two minds about it. It did a great job of cleansing but did not emulsify at all and left quite a heavy residue on my skin (although my skin certainly felt well-hydrated and soft after use). I also wasn't a fan of the ingredients, so wouldn't repurchase because of that, among other reasons. I wrote a review of this HERE.

 

* Zelens - Z Recovery Intensive Repair Balm - WNR

I absolutely LOVED this! So why wouldn't I repurchase? Quite simply - the price. It's £95.00 which so far out of my budget I could weep. I did pick up another sample from the Feel Unique Pick 'n' Mix sample service and this sample lasted me for several uses, so I'll placate myself with that for the time being.

 

* Cocorosa Beauty - Egyptian Neroli Cleansing Oil (WR) & Superfruit 3 in 1 Cleansing Powder (WNR)

These two samples were from the Skin Organics Clean Beauty Box. I'd not heard of this brand before so was excited to try these out. It was love at first use with the Egyptian Neroli Cleansing Oil and I've already repurchased the full size. It's one of the most sensuous cleansing oils I've ever used - an absolute joy of a product. As for the cleansing powder, I didn't dislike this at all - in fact I really enjoyed using it, both as a mask and an exfoliating cleanser. But, I'm just not that into cleansing powders purely because I find them slightly messy and cumbersome to use.

 

* Bespoke Aroma - Uplifting Bath Tea Infusion - WR
This came in this month's Skin Organics Clean Beauty Box and I chose this for a pampering Mother's Day bath treat. Loved the scent of this tea infusion and also loved using it in the bath as a 'sponge' - gloriously soft and fragrant. I already have another one of these in my stash but would definitely like to repurchase the Uplifting Tea Infusion again.

* L'Oreal - True Match Foundation - MR
Finally finished this off (it was one of my 20/20 Vision Project choices) and as it came to an end I realised that it wasn't too bad after all! I might repurchase in the future, but I currently have the Flower Beauty Light Illusion foundation that I'm very happy with and I also want to buy some Estee Lauder Double Wear in the future.

* Missha - Perfect Cover BB Cream - WR
I much prefer Korean BB creams as they have much better coverage. I absolutely love the formula of this BB Cream, but I did buy a shade that was too light for me. I'll repurchase in the future but will choose a different shade.

* Elizabeth Arden - Standing Ovation Mascara - WNR
This started off really promising, but after a while it became a much messier mascara to apply. Flicking and smudging everywhere - not quite sure how it could change so much!

* Phyto Tree - Get it Bean Mask - WNR
Fab packaging but mask was very mediocre. I bought three of these online from a Korean seller, mainly because I liked the packaging! But there was no real thrill or results from these masks and I was happy to use the last one up.

* DewyTree - Madecassoside Melting-Chou Mask - WR
So glad that I found a pack of ten of these masks as they're one of the best masks I've ever tried. The serum in the pack is so incredibly generous - there's almost 10ml remaining in the pack after you've worn the mask and it's enough to use as a serum for days afterwards. It's such an intensely hydrating and soothing mask - it doesn't dry sticky and all other products in my routine work well with it. I bought these in T.K Maxx and I would grab them instantly if I ever saw them again!