November 2019 - Skincare Empties
I flew through the products in November and managed to use up more products that were close to expiring. Unfortunately there were a couple of victims that had already expired and had to be de-cluttered. I just need to remain alert about using up my oldest products before eagerly reaching for the exciting and shiny new ones!
WR - Will repurchase or already have repurchased.
MR - Might repurchase at a later date.
WNR - Will not repurchase. Either didn't like the product/didn't work for me or didn't like it enough to repurchase again.
Skincare
* Alteya Organics - Chamomile Water (MR)
This has a very interesting scent! Described as nutty and sweet, I couldn't help thinking that it smelled of wet hay (or wet dog) - but in the end I got used to the scent. I initially used this in place of Cornflower Water on my eyes as it makes for a soothing, cooling and de-puffing compress and also helped to clear up any remnants or smudges of eye makeup after second cleansing. But then as I got used to the scent, I also used it on my face as a light toner and facial mist. Alteya Organics are a fabulous brand and I highly rate their products. I've gotten my hands on some more Cornflower Water (which is my preference for the eye area) but I'd consider repurchasing this at a later date.
* Bravura London - Revitalising Ginseng Toner (WR)
I love this light acid toner as it has just the level of potency that I'm looking for in a daily AHA toner. It has a P.H of 4.5 so is ideal as a neutralising pre-treatment toner when using stronger acids. I prefer this to the iconic Pixi Glow Tonic.
I always love Bravura London's colourful glass packaging with their dragonfly lids too.
* Gatineau - Melatogenine AOX Probiotics (MR)
This was given to me as a gift and not something I could usually afford so it was absolutely brilliant to be able to get the chance to try this. This is a fantastic brightening serum which from day one made my skin look so radiant and healthy. It's always great when you get such instant visible results from a product. It layered well with other products and also was great for hydration and softening my skin. I'd love to buy this again, but only if I could find it heavily discounted!
* Garden of Wisdom at Victoria Health - Vitamin C 23% Serum & Ferulic Acid (WR)
Wah!! This run out without warning and without having a back-up in place!
This is my holy grail Vitamin C serum and I have been using it consistently this year.
It's amazing value - Just £10, and when used every day lasts approx two months.
I do think you need to use Vitamin C consistently to see results. Off the top of my head, I think results show after six weeks if you use it consistently. And there are visible and effective results after using this. My skin is brighter, clearer, more healthy-looking and with a radiant, natural looking glow that I aspire to.
23% is quite a high percentage but I've never really had any irritation after using this - maybe the slightest of tingles on application.
* Cinnamon Jones - Mandarin Face Serum (MR)
This was a custom blend that I ordered on Etsy. It was a lovely facial oil (the scent is delicious) but again, it became a victim of an overload of facial oils in my collection so I did end up finishing it off by using it as a body oil before it expired. Great price and a great oil but won't need to repurchase for ages due to the amount of similar products I already own.
* Omorovicza - Balancing Moisturiser (MR)
A lovely lightweight day cream. Absorbed quickly and moisturises and hydrates nicely. I loved the fresh scent too. Nice glass bottle with pump that dispenses just the right amount. My only issue was that I couldn't get every last single drop of cream out - even when using a pokey stick to try and scoop the last bits out.
* Rio Rosa Mosqueta - Antioxidant Facial Oil (WNR)
Another product that became a victim of my overloaded stash and another product that I ended up using on my body so as not to waste it - it had already expired though.
As a facial oil, this was good - it's a nice light and dry oil so absorbs well without leaving me feeling oily. I didn't reach for it as much because it just didn't seem to offer as many positive results as other facials oils I own. So not a repurchase for me.
* Elemis - Papaya Enzyme Peel (MR)
This always used to be my favourite enzyme peel as it's so gentle and non-irritating but does a great job of brightening my skin. I've had this for so long though - perhaps longer than it should have been opened for because I only use it once a week. I try not to over exfoliate, which is why I prefer an enzyme exfoliation as it's more gentle.
I won't be buying it again for a while as I have too many exfoliation products still to use up. But this still remains one of my favourites.
* The Body Shop - Vitamin E Sleeping Mask (WR)
Sadly, this is not empty but has well and truly expired.
I just didn't use it enough, mainly because I kept it by my bed for use last thing at night. But most times I had completed my skincare routine by the time I went upstairs to bed and so just kept forgetting to utilise it more. My all-time favourite sleeping mask is from Laneige (water sleeping mask) but this is quite similar to the Laneige in that it has quite a light texture and didn't feel like it was suffocatingly heavy.
I never woke up feeling greasy as the mask would completely absorb overnight. I loved the fresh, plump feeling on my skin in the morning. I'm not going to repurchase straight away (and would probably choose the Laneige Water Sleeping Mask over this) but I thought it was great so wouldn't discount buying it again in the future.
* Laneige - Berry Lip Sleeping Mask (MR)
Gutted about this one as it's still three quarters full! Another victim of an expired product that I just didn't get round too using enough.
This is a lovely lip sleeping mask which absorbs brilliantly overnight without feeling sticky or greasy. I wasn't 100% sold on the berry scent and would have preferred the unscented version, but it wasn't too strong or sickly sweet. I sadly, just kept forgetting to use it!
* Indie Lee - COQ-10 Toner (MR)
This was fantastic - a great everyday clarifying toner. I've really been loving the Indie Lee products that I've recently tried. I didn't get too many uses from this sample but enough to know that I'd love to buy a full size. But the price does hold me back, it's three times the cost of what I'd usually spend on a toner. But if money were no object I'd have probably already have bought a full size!
* Indie Lee - Rosehip Cleanser (WR)
This is my second tube of the smaller sized Indie Lee cleanser and it's definitely the best second cleanser I've tried this year (haven't repurchased any others more than once so far). Low ph, super gentle and non-drying, gel texture that I love, gorgeous scent. It ticks all of the boxes except price! I'll stick with repurchasing these smaller sizes.
* Magic Organic Apothecary - The Green Balm (MR)
I primarily used this multi-purpose balm as a cleansing balm. I liked it, but not quite as much as I thought I would! It did a great job as a first cleanser and was non-irritating on my eyes. And it did a great job as a multi-purpose balm - dry patches, cuticles etc. But I have an awful lot of similar balms in my stash and this didn't really shine above the others. I'd definitely use it if it came my way again (in a beauty box, as this did) but I probably wouldn't actively seek out a replacement.
* Omorovicza - Ultramoor Mud Mask (MR)
One of the best skin clearing mud masks I have ever tried. I received this in a beauty box which was great as I'd probably not buy it due to its high price. I only really suffer with the odd hormonal break out so I don't really need a mask like this too often, but when I did, it really got the job done. Would highly recommend for clearing up blemishes and the occasional spot.
* Meadow Skincare - Gently Nourishing Cleansing Balm (WR)
Meadow Skincare were my favourite brand discovery of the year. This cleansing balm was part of their fabulous starter set. With a relaxing lavender scent, this non-emulsifying balm did a great job of removing makeup, daily grime and spf - although I did use a separate eye makeup remover for my stubborn mascara as sometimes lavender oil can make my eyes smart a bit. I'd eventually like to replace all of the sample sizes I received with full sizes from Meadow Skincare as I loved every single one of them.
* Formulathions - Malachite (WR)
I was delighted to come across this Spanish facial serum in T.K Maxx as it's otherwise unavailable in the UK. I've loved every Formulathions product that I've ever tried (all thanks to T.K Maxx) and in fact, already picked up a back-up bottle as I enjoyed this so much. Not entirely sure what its benefits were other than being hugely hydrating and skin plumping. But this beautiful blue serum included one of my favourite ingredients - Blue Tansy, which made it an extremely soothing, cooling and restorative serum. I used this on my face, neck and chest - primarily for its hydrating properties. It always layered well with other products and absorbed beautifully.
* Moksa - Chandra Midnight Oil (WR)
I absolutely love this night time facial oil! Packed full of the most relaxing and calming essential oils such as Lavender, Clary Sage, Frankincense and Jasmine, this was an absolute joy to use last thing at night to help restful sleep. I also love how my skin felt in the morning after using it.
Would repurchase in a heartbeat if it weren't for the huge amount of other facial oils that I need to use up first. I also appreciate when facial oils come in smaller sizes as they take so long to use up.
* Espa - Optimal Skin Pro Serum (WNR)
Whilst I fell in love with this oil-based serum for it's delicious sweet and spicy scent, it unfortunately didn't show any results on my skin. It was a nice light and dry serum which absorbed well but definitely lacked the 'oomph' of other oil-based serums. I felt like I was wasting an opportunity using this alone instead of another, more beneficial serum.
I ended up using a couple of drops of this as a booster in with my morning moisturiser and even as a perfume placed on my pulse points (the scent lingered pleasingly).
Bath, Body etc
* Victoria Health - Superior Hair Supplements (MR)
As this was just one month's supply I can't really make any solid claims about the efficacy of the supplements. I'm guessing that I would need to keep taking these consistently for a longer period to see some positive results. I don't have the money spare to buy a second month's supply at the moment so I won't find out what these may have done for my hair. I'm kicking myself actually - these weren't cheap and I feel like I should have been prepared to use them for at least three months or not started at all! This was a bit of a panic buy!
* Prismologie - Rose Quartz Hand Cream (MR)
I'd never heard of this brand before receiving this in a Latest in Beauty Box. I really liked this hand cream - great scent, no greasy residue, hydrating and softening for my hands. I'm not sure where I'd find this brand for sale, but depending on price, I'd probably buy this again.
* Grown Alchemist - Body Cleanser (WNR)
Here's another product that I wouldn't repurchase But not because I didn't love it! I really enjoyed using this refreshing body wash after receiving it in a recent Naturisimo Discovery Box. I only wouldn't repurchase as it costs more than I'd usually spend on a body wash. But it was nice while it lasted!
* Sally Hansen - Growth Activator (WNR)
I think this was pretty old so I'm not entirely sure if it didn't work through age or just because it didn't work! I never got any visible results from using this long term though.
* TonyMoly - Cats Wink Powder Compact (WNR)
I'm pretty chuffed at completely panning a powder compact like this! This was part of my 20/20 Vision Panning Project and one of the few makeup items I chose that I successfully finished. I think I bought this in T.K Maxx a couple of years ago during my K Beauty obsession! It worked well and the shade was perfect for me. But as I have a few other powders in my stash, I won't be looking to replace it.
* Kutis - Grounded Body Butter (WR)
One of my favourite body butters of the year.
This was my first experience with a whipped body butter and I was absolutely smitten with its light, mousse texture. Although light and airy to the touch, this body butter melted into a deeply rich, silky balm on the skin. The scent of Frankincense, Patchouli and Orange was a perfect combination. All the elements together make this a supremely gorgeous body butter.
I think I may have had this open for just a little too long though (the curse of having too many opened body care products in my stash!) as towards the very end of the jar, this lost its scent a bit. For the next jar I buy (and I will!) I'll need to remember to use it up within no more than three months to keep it fresh.
* Zojo Elixirs - The Bikini Body Formula Food Supplement (WNR)
This sample sachet came in this month's Love Lula Box. I'm more than happy to try samples of food supplements or use them when they come in beauty boxes, but as of yet, I've never repurchased a full size. I think it's very difficult with supplements to have solid proof that they are actually doing something beneficial for you. Usually it's just a case of 'I think they could be doing something but I can't tell!' So for that reason, I never want to spend too much money on them without proof - and they're usually a bit too pricey for me to gamble on 'could be working - who knows?' !
I popped the contents of this sachet in with an orange, mango and ginger smoothie that I whizzed up. No obvious taste and no powdery texture, so both of those were favourable points.
* Tomato Seed Oil (MR)
I originally bought this Tomato Seed Oil when I was making up my own pre-swimming facial oil. But to be honest, other brands make such better formulations that I gave up on making my own! So I used this up on my body and even tried it as a cleansing oil (worked well). I love Tomato Seed Oil as an ingredient and I really like it's smoky, tangy scent.But I think I'll stick to using other people's formulations.
* Alteya Organics - Chamomile Water (MR)
This has a very interesting scent! Described as nutty and sweet, I couldn't help thinking that it smelled of wet hay (or wet dog) - but in the end I got used to the scent. I initially used this in place of Cornflower Water on my eyes as it makes for a soothing, cooling and de-puffing compress and also helped to clear up any remnants or smudges of eye makeup after second cleansing. But then as I got used to the scent, I also used it on my face as a light toner and facial mist. Alteya Organics are a fabulous brand and I highly rate their products. I've gotten my hands on some more Cornflower Water (which is my preference for the eye area) but I'd consider repurchasing this at a later date.
* Bravura London - Revitalising Ginseng Toner (WR)
I love this light acid toner as it has just the level of potency that I'm looking for in a daily AHA toner. It has a P.H of 4.5 so is ideal as a neutralising pre-treatment toner when using stronger acids. I prefer this to the iconic Pixi Glow Tonic.
I always love Bravura London's colourful glass packaging with their dragonfly lids too.
* Gatineau - Melatogenine AOX Probiotics (MR)
This was given to me as a gift and not something I could usually afford so it was absolutely brilliant to be able to get the chance to try this. This is a fantastic brightening serum which from day one made my skin look so radiant and healthy. It's always great when you get such instant visible results from a product. It layered well with other products and also was great for hydration and softening my skin. I'd love to buy this again, but only if I could find it heavily discounted!
* Garden of Wisdom at Victoria Health - Vitamin C 23% Serum & Ferulic Acid (WR)
Wah!! This run out without warning and without having a back-up in place!
This is my holy grail Vitamin C serum and I have been using it consistently this year.
It's amazing value - Just £10, and when used every day lasts approx two months.
I do think you need to use Vitamin C consistently to see results. Off the top of my head, I think results show after six weeks if you use it consistently. And there are visible and effective results after using this. My skin is brighter, clearer, more healthy-looking and with a radiant, natural looking glow that I aspire to.
23% is quite a high percentage but I've never really had any irritation after using this - maybe the slightest of tingles on application.
* Cinnamon Jones - Mandarin Face Serum (MR)
This was a custom blend that I ordered on Etsy. It was a lovely facial oil (the scent is delicious) but again, it became a victim of an overload of facial oils in my collection so I did end up finishing it off by using it as a body oil before it expired. Great price and a great oil but won't need to repurchase for ages due to the amount of similar products I already own.
* Omorovicza - Balancing Moisturiser (MR)
A lovely lightweight day cream. Absorbed quickly and moisturises and hydrates nicely. I loved the fresh scent too. Nice glass bottle with pump that dispenses just the right amount. My only issue was that I couldn't get every last single drop of cream out - even when using a pokey stick to try and scoop the last bits out.
* Rio Rosa Mosqueta - Antioxidant Facial Oil (WNR)
Another product that became a victim of my overloaded stash and another product that I ended up using on my body so as not to waste it - it had already expired though.
As a facial oil, this was good - it's a nice light and dry oil so absorbs well without leaving me feeling oily. I didn't reach for it as much because it just didn't seem to offer as many positive results as other facials oils I own. So not a repurchase for me.
* Elemis - Papaya Enzyme Peel (MR)
This always used to be my favourite enzyme peel as it's so gentle and non-irritating but does a great job of brightening my skin. I've had this for so long though - perhaps longer than it should have been opened for because I only use it once a week. I try not to over exfoliate, which is why I prefer an enzyme exfoliation as it's more gentle.
I won't be buying it again for a while as I have too many exfoliation products still to use up. But this still remains one of my favourites.
* The Body Shop - Vitamin E Sleeping Mask (WR)
Sadly, this is not empty but has well and truly expired.
I just didn't use it enough, mainly because I kept it by my bed for use last thing at night. But most times I had completed my skincare routine by the time I went upstairs to bed and so just kept forgetting to utilise it more. My all-time favourite sleeping mask is from Laneige (water sleeping mask) but this is quite similar to the Laneige in that it has quite a light texture and didn't feel like it was suffocatingly heavy.
I never woke up feeling greasy as the mask would completely absorb overnight. I loved the fresh, plump feeling on my skin in the morning. I'm not going to repurchase straight away (and would probably choose the Laneige Water Sleeping Mask over this) but I thought it was great so wouldn't discount buying it again in the future.
* Laneige - Berry Lip Sleeping Mask (MR)
Gutted about this one as it's still three quarters full! Another victim of an expired product that I just didn't get round too using enough.
This is a lovely lip sleeping mask which absorbs brilliantly overnight without feeling sticky or greasy. I wasn't 100% sold on the berry scent and would have preferred the unscented version, but it wasn't too strong or sickly sweet. I sadly, just kept forgetting to use it!
* Indie Lee - COQ-10 Toner (MR)
This was fantastic - a great everyday clarifying toner. I've really been loving the Indie Lee products that I've recently tried. I didn't get too many uses from this sample but enough to know that I'd love to buy a full size. But the price does hold me back, it's three times the cost of what I'd usually spend on a toner. But if money were no object I'd have probably already have bought a full size!
* Indie Lee - Rosehip Cleanser (WR)
This is my second tube of the smaller sized Indie Lee cleanser and it's definitely the best second cleanser I've tried this year (haven't repurchased any others more than once so far). Low ph, super gentle and non-drying, gel texture that I love, gorgeous scent. It ticks all of the boxes except price! I'll stick with repurchasing these smaller sizes.
* Magic Organic Apothecary - The Green Balm (MR)
I primarily used this multi-purpose balm as a cleansing balm. I liked it, but not quite as much as I thought I would! It did a great job as a first cleanser and was non-irritating on my eyes. And it did a great job as a multi-purpose balm - dry patches, cuticles etc. But I have an awful lot of similar balms in my stash and this didn't really shine above the others. I'd definitely use it if it came my way again (in a beauty box, as this did) but I probably wouldn't actively seek out a replacement.
* Omorovicza - Ultramoor Mud Mask (MR)
One of the best skin clearing mud masks I have ever tried. I received this in a beauty box which was great as I'd probably not buy it due to its high price. I only really suffer with the odd hormonal break out so I don't really need a mask like this too often, but when I did, it really got the job done. Would highly recommend for clearing up blemishes and the occasional spot.
* Meadow Skincare - Gently Nourishing Cleansing Balm (WR)
Meadow Skincare were my favourite brand discovery of the year. This cleansing balm was part of their fabulous starter set. With a relaxing lavender scent, this non-emulsifying balm did a great job of removing makeup, daily grime and spf - although I did use a separate eye makeup remover for my stubborn mascara as sometimes lavender oil can make my eyes smart a bit. I'd eventually like to replace all of the sample sizes I received with full sizes from Meadow Skincare as I loved every single one of them.
* Formulathions - Malachite (WR)
I was delighted to come across this Spanish facial serum in T.K Maxx as it's otherwise unavailable in the UK. I've loved every Formulathions product that I've ever tried (all thanks to T.K Maxx) and in fact, already picked up a back-up bottle as I enjoyed this so much. Not entirely sure what its benefits were other than being hugely hydrating and skin plumping. But this beautiful blue serum included one of my favourite ingredients - Blue Tansy, which made it an extremely soothing, cooling and restorative serum. I used this on my face, neck and chest - primarily for its hydrating properties. It always layered well with other products and absorbed beautifully.
* Moksa - Chandra Midnight Oil (WR)
I absolutely love this night time facial oil! Packed full of the most relaxing and calming essential oils such as Lavender, Clary Sage, Frankincense and Jasmine, this was an absolute joy to use last thing at night to help restful sleep. I also love how my skin felt in the morning after using it.
Would repurchase in a heartbeat if it weren't for the huge amount of other facial oils that I need to use up first. I also appreciate when facial oils come in smaller sizes as they take so long to use up.
* Espa - Optimal Skin Pro Serum (WNR)
Whilst I fell in love with this oil-based serum for it's delicious sweet and spicy scent, it unfortunately didn't show any results on my skin. It was a nice light and dry serum which absorbed well but definitely lacked the 'oomph' of other oil-based serums. I felt like I was wasting an opportunity using this alone instead of another, more beneficial serum.
I ended up using a couple of drops of this as a booster in with my morning moisturiser and even as a perfume placed on my pulse points (the scent lingered pleasingly).
Bath, Body etc
* Victoria Health - Superior Hair Supplements (MR)
As this was just one month's supply I can't really make any solid claims about the efficacy of the supplements. I'm guessing that I would need to keep taking these consistently for a longer period to see some positive results. I don't have the money spare to buy a second month's supply at the moment so I won't find out what these may have done for my hair. I'm kicking myself actually - these weren't cheap and I feel like I should have been prepared to use them for at least three months or not started at all! This was a bit of a panic buy!
* Prismologie - Rose Quartz Hand Cream (MR)
I'd never heard of this brand before receiving this in a Latest in Beauty Box. I really liked this hand cream - great scent, no greasy residue, hydrating and softening for my hands. I'm not sure where I'd find this brand for sale, but depending on price, I'd probably buy this again.
* Grown Alchemist - Body Cleanser (WNR)
Here's another product that I wouldn't repurchase But not because I didn't love it! I really enjoyed using this refreshing body wash after receiving it in a recent Naturisimo Discovery Box. I only wouldn't repurchase as it costs more than I'd usually spend on a body wash. But it was nice while it lasted!
* Sally Hansen - Growth Activator (WNR)
I think this was pretty old so I'm not entirely sure if it didn't work through age or just because it didn't work! I never got any visible results from using this long term though.
* TonyMoly - Cats Wink Powder Compact (WNR)
I'm pretty chuffed at completely panning a powder compact like this! This was part of my 20/20 Vision Panning Project and one of the few makeup items I chose that I successfully finished. I think I bought this in T.K Maxx a couple of years ago during my K Beauty obsession! It worked well and the shade was perfect for me. But as I have a few other powders in my stash, I won't be looking to replace it.
* Kutis - Grounded Body Butter (WR)
One of my favourite body butters of the year.
This was my first experience with a whipped body butter and I was absolutely smitten with its light, mousse texture. Although light and airy to the touch, this body butter melted into a deeply rich, silky balm on the skin. The scent of Frankincense, Patchouli and Orange was a perfect combination. All the elements together make this a supremely gorgeous body butter.
I think I may have had this open for just a little too long though (the curse of having too many opened body care products in my stash!) as towards the very end of the jar, this lost its scent a bit. For the next jar I buy (and I will!) I'll need to remember to use it up within no more than three months to keep it fresh.
* Zojo Elixirs - The Bikini Body Formula Food Supplement (WNR)
This sample sachet came in this month's Love Lula Box. I'm more than happy to try samples of food supplements or use them when they come in beauty boxes, but as of yet, I've never repurchased a full size. I think it's very difficult with supplements to have solid proof that they are actually doing something beneficial for you. Usually it's just a case of 'I think they could be doing something but I can't tell!' So for that reason, I never want to spend too much money on them without proof - and they're usually a bit too pricey for me to gamble on 'could be working - who knows?' !
I popped the contents of this sachet in with an orange, mango and ginger smoothie that I whizzed up. No obvious taste and no powdery texture, so both of those were favourable points.
* Tomato Seed Oil (MR)
I originally bought this Tomato Seed Oil when I was making up my own pre-swimming facial oil. But to be honest, other brands make such better formulations that I gave up on making my own! So I used this up on my body and even tried it as a cleansing oil (worked well). I love Tomato Seed Oil as an ingredient and I really like it's smoky, tangy scent.But I think I'll stick to using other people's formulations.
* Cocorosa Beauty - Body & Bath Oil Concentrate (MR)
Because it was a concentrate, I managed to eke out a couple of uses in the bath of this oil. Scent levels were perfect and left the bath water, my skin and the bathroom smelling beautifully relaxing. Left a silky layer on my skin so was particularly great when shaving my legs.
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