EMPTIES LATELY

Skin, hair, body and nail care empties

I have a love/hate relationship with empties posts. I love to read them, but they take FOREVER to write! Nit everything ends up in the separate blog post so I keep all my empties to ensure I show you a wider variety and include products I use every day yet never had a chance to write about them. As usual, there will be few flops, but sadly that’s life. So if you’re ready, let’s do this!

Cleanse & tone

Cleanser & toner empties

Just a few in this category, starting with Garnier Oil-Infused Micellar Water. I used to like it a lot so I repurchased, it’s not my favourite and it can be quite harsh on the sensitive eyes. I rarely use micellar formulas anymore but I wouldn’t repurchase this! 

A lot more in toners because I’m obsessed. Starting with Bravura Revitalising Ginseng Toner with Glycolic Acid 5%* - POST - it’s been a firm fave for a while. It smells great and preps skin for skincare in the evening. I don’t remember the time I went without AHA toner but this started it all for me. Love the packaging too! 

Vianek Moisturising Facial Toner Mist** smells fruity which is a huge plus. The mist is fine too, which makes it an all rounder as you can refresh your makeup with as well as toning. 150ml packaging is difficult to use within 3 months of the opening which is a shelf life of this product. It’s all natural though, so fully expected! Definitely, give it a go if you’re looking for a moisturising toner! 

Lastly, the toner of them all, Merumaya Treatment Toner with Vitamin C*** - POST -  is something else. If I don’t use it I notice, it’s that good! I’m addicted to the glow it gives my skin in the morning and I honestly don’t know how I lived without it! Creme de la creme from Merumaya, I have one opened now and already got two more backups on the way. If that’s not a sign of a GREAT product, I don’t know what it! 

A little serum, a little cream

Serum, eye cream & face moisturiser empties

Everyone must know by now I’m obsessed with Deciem skincare. I have a serum or five on the go at any given time but The Ordinary ‘Buffet’ Serum - POST - was the one that started it all for me. A great mixture of Hyaluronic Acid and Peptides, it’s great in the morning or at night. Gel formula goes on smoothly and sinks in quickly. Loved it! 

Etern’l Age Prevention Contours Of The Eyes Serum* - POST - is one of the best products I’ve used. The formula is light yet packs a moisturising punch and really cares for ever the driest under eyes. The one minus is the pump that dispenses A LOT of product which means you waste a lot of it. A shame really because it’s not the cheapest. 

Merumaya Youth Preservation Moisturiser SPF15 - POST - was a superb sample. It’s been reformulated since and now offers SPF20 protection. The cream itself is super buttery and goes on ever so smoothly! Great for preparing your skin for makeup in the morning. If you’re dry/dehydrated or combination, I have a feeling you’ll love this! Plus that Merumaya scent! I have a new formula now, so I’ll keep you posted! 

The Body Shop Oils of Life Intensely Revitalising Moisturiser - POST - was a huge love of mine. I’d repurchase it in a heartbeat too if I haven’t so many more moisturisers waiting to be given a chance. Another buttery formula, great for colder days and nights. I used it under makeup and at night and loved how it left my skin super moisturised and soft! Huge yes from me!! 

Oh so many masks

Face mask empties

It’s no surprise I love face masks and my empties usually show at least a couple. This time I’m all about the Blossom Jeju Sheet Masks* - POST - as they’ve made me look at sheet masks completely different. For once the design fit my face properly, the two-step formula made sure my skin was left hydrated, brighter and simply beautiful! I’ve used nearly all of them now and it makes me so sad!!! Definite repurchase at some point! 

Nothing beats Glamglow Youthmud in my opinion but a close second was the Glamglow Thirsty Mud. The scent is incredible!! It was best if used overnight in my opinion especially if you struggle with dehydration. Dry skin saviour!I've been gifted a deluxe sample of this some time ago, so I'm stocked up for a while and will most likely repurchase afterwards.

Dermalogica Charcoal Rescue* mask reminds me of Pixi Glow Mud in the texture and it's great at decongesting the skin. I applied it every couple of weeks to give my skin a little cleanse but it didn’t work for me when I was particularly spotty. It’s better at prevention than remedying in my opinion. Nevertheless, it was great while it lasted but I don’t see myself repurchasing it. 

My second packaging of Nuxe 24hr Soothing and Rehydrating Fresh Mask didn’t wow me as much as the first. Maybe my skin has changed but I felt like it was blocking my pores if used overnight. I won’t be repurchasing it. 

Body & hair 

Empties: body, hair and bath

The biggest category as always so I’ll try to breeze through it. Starting with my biggest love, Epilfeet has saved my feet! I must admit to being super lazy when it comes to my feet and it’s my own fault it was in a disaster state the last few months. Then I remembered I got these socks as part of my blogger Secret Santa last year so I used it and OMG! 20+ layers of dead skin later and I have nearly baby feet again. I left it on for 2.5 hours as my feet needed a deep peel and after 3 days it started to really work. Few days later the process was complete! I can’t recommend it enough! 

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Dry Oil - POST - was a great addition to my bath and I used it religiously. It kept my body moisturised despite the outrageous times spent in a bath! I have a few oils on the go now, but I’ll surely repurchase at some point! 

Klorane Soothing and Anti-Irritating Shampoo with Peony* - POST - was also a firm favourite as it cleansed well, smelled amazing and didn’t weight down my fine hair. The only minus was a small packaging. I’m not sure if I repurchase given I have so many shampoos still to use, but it was great! 

The Body Shop Blueberry Shower Gel - POST - smelled incredible, lathered well and was well loved. I won’t be repurchasing right now as I try and use SLS free formulas if I can, but if I do, it’ll be for scent, as it’s just juicy! 

Another can of Vaseline Spray & Go Aloe Fresh Body Moisturiser - POST - and I think I’ve lost count how many I’ve used over the years. I’m so lazy when it comes to my body moisture needs that a spray is the only way I can ever keep up. I live this one as it’s super fine and sinks in instantly! I already have two back ups... 

Ecolab Greek Shower Gel is the one when it comes to cleansing my body. Smells of fruits and flowers, it lathers a little but it’s SLS and paraben free plus the formula is 99.8% natural. It’s cheap for what it is and I’ll repurchase this or other scents over and over. This is my 3rd bottle, I think and I don’t plan on changing! 

Sadly me and OGX Brazilian Keratin Smooth Conditioner didn’t part as friends. It was great when I had super long and damaged hair but for my short do and super fine hair it just wasn’t working. It weighed down my hair so much and it looked like I haven’t washed it few hours after a wash. The formula is just too heavy for me, but if you have thick hair this will be your saviour!

Get Fruity Mango Bath Soak smelled lovely but created these strange bubbles that looked almost dry? I like my bath to smell nice but also be bubbly and this just wasn’t it. I got it as part of a set last Christmas and sadly most products were flops. Such a shame as the scent was mind-blowing! 

Finishing touches

Empties: nail, hair styling and lip balm

I have to start with Oribe Dry Texturising Spray which started my love for this kind of product! It really does a hairstyle for you, giving it a little volume, a little hold and a lot of texture. I just can’t justify the price of the full-size packaging and love my OUAI Texturising Spray as much, plus it’s the half price!! 

Nails Inc NailKale Base Coat - POST -  really sorted out my nails when they didn’t it the most. It made them grew stronger and really cared for their condition. Sadly after 6 months, the formula hardened so I have to throw it out despite the fact there’s still almost half a bottle of product left. It’s a real shame as it’s quite pricey! 

Essie Gel Couture Top Coat - POST - is the one if you’re looking to add that shiny gel-like finish to your manicure. It prolongs the life of your mani by a good 2-3 days and all round great top coat. I’m currently using the Barry M gel top coat but I’ll repurchase it after! 

Last and certainly least is Oh-K Lip Balm. The packaging is so cute, sadly I didn’t enjoy it as much as I expected. The scent did nothing for me, the formula wasn’t overly moisturising and after few uses, it basically fell out of the packaging. I won’t be repurchasing this! 

Empties top 3 you just must have:

1. Merumaya Treatment Toner with Vitamin C

2. Blossom Jeju Sheet Masks

3. Epilfeet

I’d like to know how many of you actually survived until the end, or maybe you just browsed through? I apologise if this was too long for a Friday post, but it had to be done and now I can finally throw it all out! 

Have you used any products I mentioned or maybe you found some inspiration here? It’s Black Friday so if you did, there’s no other time to treat yourself! Let me know what you bought and I look forward to reading all of your beauty, fashion and homeware hauls!

* gifted
** available through my online store
***originally gifted but repurchased since
**** some links may be affiliate
All opinions are my own and not influenced, nor sponsored in any way

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Thank You For Reading,

Love