A Whole Lot of Empties 03

Hey guys! Long time, no see. I apologise for the lack of updates this last month. I've just been in the process of moving house (again). Before we moved I did a huge clean out of my room, and when I found this shoebox, filled to the brim with empty beauty products, there was no way I was going to take these with me. So I made sure to take heaps of photos before throwing them away.

QV Exfoliating Polish

This is my favourite exfoliator at the moment. It does have those tiny little exfoliating beads, but they don't seem as rough as some other drugstore brands I've tried. My skin has only improved since I started using this.

QV Gentle Facial Cleanser

Another QV product I'm in love with. This cleanser is so gentle, and so moisturising. It's one of the few drugstore cleansers that doesn't strip my skin. My face feels baby soft after I use this! It also doubles as a really nice body wash as well.

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

This cleansing water is a great dupe for the Bioderma micellar water. There's only a tiny difference between the two concerning a few ingredients (namely some unknown amount of cucumber water). At a quarter of the price, the Garnier cleansing water gets the job done just as well as the Bioderma.

Aesop Parsley Seed Masque

It was a sad day when I realised I had squeezed out the very last drops of this face mask. It was a great mask, but in my opinion, it didn't do enough to justify the price. It will be some time before I try this one again. RIP Parsley Seed Masque!

Naruko Tea Tree Clay Mask and Cleanser

When this one ran out, I quickly jumped online to buy my next tube. This mask won't break the bank, and it really helps with reducing blackheads and congestion.

Origins Super Spot Remover

This spot remover is fantastic for eliminating those pesky pimples quickly. Unfortunately, it can be a bit too harsh to use all the time. This guy can really dry up your skin, and no amount of makeup or concealer can hide scaly skin. That's why I opt for tea tree oil for a daily basis, but without a doubt I'll be re-purchasing this one again.

Tea Tree Oil

Another great pimple fighting treatment. I much prefer the undiluted, 100% natural tea tree oil, that way it won't dry out your skin, and it's much easier to hide pimples under makeup when they're not dried up into flaky little prunes.

Missha's Super Aqua Cell Renewal Snail Cream

This is a product that has been sitting (empty) in my cupboard for years. I'm glad I kept it, because until recently I realised I had given up on snail products. I didn't have much luck with the Benton range, but this gel cream was fantastic. It really helped clear up bad skin with speed and efficiency, and I had forgotten how badly I had wanted to try the other products in this range. I wonder if they're still around…

Physiogel Calming Relief Cream

This is the tube that started it all. If you suffer from sensitive or irritated skin, whether it's allergies, eczema, or even razor burn, this product helps moisturise and remove any irritation. I've since moved on to the lotion, but it's just as moisturising as the cream, and much easier to spread over a large surface area. It also comes in a very convenient pump bottle!

Laneige Perfect Renew Refiner

I used to hate Laneige. The first few products I tried really didn't work for me, and I vowed not to waste my money on another one of their products again. But for some reason I ended up buying this skin refiner (stupid, pretty packaging!). This product alone reversed my opinion of the brand. It didn't break me out (which was my main concern about Laneige products at the time), it moisturised, plumped up and brightened my skin immensely. I will definitely be buying this again, and I can't wait to try out the rest of the range!

Neogence C+ Whitening Serum

This product was actually sent to me by accident. I thought maybe they had sent me a sample to try (albeit a very generous sample), but I quickly realised someone had accidently added it to my order. Oh well, like I was going to complain. Truth be told, this was the first whitening product I ever tried. It took some time and research before I fully understood what that meant and tried it out. It literally cleared up and brightened my skin over-night. This is the only product I've used that made such a huge difference to the scarring across my face. Within a month they had disappeared completely. Since then they have changed up their ranges, focusing more on hyaluronic acid based products, so it's sad to think I might never be able to try this product again, but it's definitely put this brand (a Taiwanese based brand I never would have considered trying in the first place) on my radar.

Benton Snail Been High Content Essence

This was one of the few products that I really enjoyed in the Benton snail-bee range. It was quite mild, and it took time to see results, but it did help bring a little bit more clarity to my skin. Unfortunately, I will definitely be leaving this range behind me. It just didn't seem to do enough for my skin.

Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant +

I eat through rosehip oil like chocolate, so I'm surprised there's only one in this empties post. The Antioxidant + was a pleasant change from the regular rosehip oils. The extra vitamins and antioxidants gave the oil a bit more of a kick, and because the formula was thinner than its counterparts, it absorbed much faster. A little tweak that some may consider a deal maker. I had hoped to see an improvement in the acne and brightening department, but I didn't really see much of a difference between this and their pure rosehip oil.

Physicians Formula Organic Mascara

After reading all the rave reviews on this mascara I caved into the hype and decided to try it out myself. It was a huge disappointment. There were a couple of things I liked about it, it was organic, it didn't contain any nasty ingredients that could potentially damage my lashes in the long run, and I loved that it seemed to quadruple my lashes in number. But it never seemed to set. The mascara never dried, I couldn't wear this out because the slightest touch would cause it to smudge. And the parts that did dry tended to flake. On the packaging it claimed this product was non-comedogenic and wouldn't irritate the eyes, but when it flaked it really stung and itched like crazy. I'm just glad I bought this off iherb.com for $5 instead of at my local drugstore for $30. The mark-up on this brand in Australia is ridiculous. This is not a $30 mascara.

One Day Tattoo 24hr Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner

This has to be the best waterproof liquid eyeliner I have ever tried. When it's on, it does not budge. Seriously, no amount of water, sweat or humidity can deter this liner. You'll need a really good gentle waterproof makeup remover or cleansing oil to remove this. Liquid liners are the only liners I can work, and I really appreciate the length and fineness of the brush.

NYX Photo-Loving Primer

My first NYX product. Yup, I'm being serious, and it was fantastic. This felt identical to the Smashbox primer I had previously been using, but a quarter of the price! There were no anti-redness benefits that I could see, but I couldn't care less at that price. It did its job well.

Swisse Hair Skin Nails Oral Liquid

When my skin was going through a bad phase I decided to give this oral supplement a try. I was quite impressed with the results. They weren't instant, but I saw a huge difference in the bouncy-ness and clarity of my skin. In general I had a bit more energy as well. I didn't see much difference in my hair or nails. My nails are already freakishly strong, and my hair…well, it is what it is.

Batiste Dry Shampoo x2

Last but not least, the infamous batiste dry shampoo. I particularly like this one, that way I don't have to worry about my roots looking too white. I used to use this almost every second day, so I'm surprised I didn't eat through more these last six months.

A Whole Lot of Empties 02

Yup, it's that time of the year again: spring cleaning time. I can't believe I've held onto all these empty bottles for so long. It just goes to show how long it takes me to get through some of these products. Anyway, the sooner I get into this, the sooner I can put all this in the rubbish bin.

Skincare

Missha's Time Revolution First Treatment Essence

Goodbye, my love. Well, not for long. My fourth bottle is already on the way. Yeah, I really love this product. This really helps balance, brighten, and clear up my skin.

Ladykin Vanpir Dark Whitening Ampooule

This is another amazing product I am sad to see go. I was so surprised by this serum, the price, the brand, the name, I definitely didn't expect it to work miracles on my skin, but it did.

Garnier 2 in 1 Gentle Eye Makeup Remover

This is a really great, affordable eye make up remover. There isn't much to say about it, it does its job. It will easily remove thick or waterproof eyemakeup and its super cheap. I'm already onto my second bottle.

Laneige Sun Block Aqua SPF 35++

I really wanted to like this sunscreen. The formula is light and watery, it absorbs super fast, doesn't leave a white cast, it smells nice, and the packaging is really sleek. Unfortunately, it was a bit too greasy for my face, so i found myself using it more on my body. I got my money's worth and used it up to the last drop, but my search continues for facial sunscreen.

Cure Aqua Gel

In my opinion, this is the best exfoliator of all time. It's done my skin so much good. This is my second bottle, and I will buy this again in a heartbeat.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Face Moisturiser

I actually really liked this product. It was really moisturising but it didn't feel heavy on my skin, it also had the extra SPF15 which is nice, but it really was the scent that put me off. It smells like dish washing detergent. Also, there was no ingredients list on the packaging.

Laneige Hydra Eye Cream
Another great product from Lanaeige, but more suitable for dryer skin.

Ladykin Vanpir Dark Repair Cream
This was a great moisturiser, although I felt like the Whitening ampoule was more effective in brightening, combining the two worked wonders for my skin. I also really love the jar.

Skinfood Egg White Pore Mask

I was so upset when this ran out. One of my favourite clay masks of all time, I found it was really affective at minimising blackheads and tightening pores. It made a huge difference to my acne and I think I will always go back to this because it's so affordable as well.

Sukin Rosehip Oil

I love rose-hip oil, I've moved back to Trilogy since, but Sukin was definitely a great, cheaper alternative.

Botani Rescue Acne Cream

 Shouldn't it be acne rescue cream? Not rescue acne cream? No one wants to rescue their acne, they want to rescue their skin from the acne. Anyway, if you're after a natural spot killer, this is a pretty good one. It's quite horrifying when you first use it though. It's not a clear solution, it's a thick, smelly, gunky cream that you concentrate on yours spots in the evening. The only downside is that you can only use this at night. It's the equivalent of applying green toothpaste on your face. It also flakes, so if you don't compulsively sleep on your back you probably won't appreciate scraping the gunk off your pillow every morning.

Makeup

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum

A highly raved product that I really wanted to love, but unfortunately it just didn't suit my oily skin. I loved how it looked for the first 30 to 60 minutes but it just seemed to melt away after that, leaving my skin looking blotchy. I don't know why, but I find it so hard to hate on this product. It smells so nice, and it's such a pleasure to apply, and it looks so good…for the first 30 minutes. What is absolutely bizarre is that I really want to buy another one. I kept saying to myself, maybe today is the day it will work for me? I'm in denial.

YSL Shocking Mascara

Amazing mascara. I'm not usually one for clumpy, gluggy looking lashes, but I really liked this. It made my lashes look so much longer, thicker and more volumised. It also smells really good.

Covergirl Clump Crusher

I'm on the fence with this mascara. I really loved it for a time, but since it's run out I've completely forgotten about it, which tells me I probably wont buy it again. It's good, but I like branching out when it comes to mascara. Maybe's it's because I just haven't found 'the one' yet?

L'oreal Volume Million Lashes (Waterproof)

Not bad, not bad at all. It dried up very quickly though. It defined the lashes nicely but didn't really give me any extra 'oomph' or volume that I was looking for. I couldn't help but feel quite bare when I used this, a problem I find with many waterproof mascaras.

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer

I don't really have much to say about this primer. It's a primer. Would I buy it again? Probably not, there's nothing really special or unique about it, and I think it's ridiculously overpriced for what it is. Since, I've found a far cheaper alternative that looks and feels exactly the same. It's by NYX and you can get it from Target for $10.

Haircare

Lee Stafford dry shampoo

One of my favourite dry shampoo's. Scent it great but it is strong and be overwhelming at times. Also, for the amount of product you get, it's quite expensive.

Polished London dry shampoo

You get what you pay for with this dry shampoo. Surprisingly, not the worst I have ever tried though. The Tresseme dry foam took the cake for that title, but this one came pretty close. The tint stained my fingers and forehead, and made my hair look and feel even greasier. The scent is the only good thing about it. It smells nice.

Nail Stuff

The Faceshop Quick Sponge Nail Remover & Innisfree Sponge Nail Remover

I love these nail sponges. They make fixing and painting your nails so much easier for us lazy girls who like to multitask at the computer or on our phones. There's not much so say about these two brands, they both get the job done, and that is that.

A Whole Lot of Empties 01

This post has been a long, long time coming. This is an accumulation of at least eight months of hoarding, and enough is enough. I need to throw these out now. So here's my first empties post!

Skincare

Avene Thermal Water

It's really just water in a can, and I didn't find it did much for my skin, but it was a great refresher on a hot day out.

Trilogy Rosehip Oil

This was the first oil I ever tried, great for the acne prone! However, I've decided to go for Sukin rose-hip oil now. It's significantly cheaper and works just as well. But Trilogy will always have a soft spot in my heart.

Botani Boost Balancing Moisturiser

One of my favourite moisturizers, and another great for acne prone skin. I am still a little iffy on the texture though, it feels light but can feel quite sticky after a while, so I really only use this during the cooler months. Until next winter, I guess.

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment

This was an amazing lip balm, but I don't think I'll be forking out $30 on another one anytime soon...or ever. I could buy a new pair of shoes with that money...

Shu Uemura Skin Purifying Cleansing Oil

Loooove this stuff! I'm already onto my second bottle.

Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator

Sigh. I really did love this exfoliator, but it's just so damn hard to get my hands on! See review here.

Forumla 10.0.6 One Smooth Operator Scrub

When my Liz Earle exfoliator ran out I turned to the back up. Eh. There's not much I can say about this product. It did the job fairly well, but it was quite harsh, and the artificial, grape-y scent was horrible.

Origins Zero Oil Moisturiser

This was a good moisturiser, but for the price it's a bit too average for me to justify repurchasing again. Sorry Origins.

Origins Super Spot Remover

This product however, I will gladly repurchase. It really helps kill those big nasty pimples quickly.

Laneige Perfect Renew Essence

This was a lovely essence. Unfortunately, because it is more for wrinkle correction, I didn't see any obvious affects on my skin, but it did make it feel really smooth. It also smelled really nice. :D

Haircare

Batiste Dry Shampoo
I cannot live without this product anymore, its really sad. I have very fine hair that's gets greasy very easily, and there's no way for me to get away with not washing my hair everyday. Until this guy came along!


Toni&Guy Leave In Conditioner
This is another product I probably won't purchase again. It didn't really do much for my dry ends, in fact, I think it made them worse. It also made my hair feel very weighed down and didn't improve smoothness and frizz at all.

Cosmetics

Natio Natural Cover Conealer
This was a really nice concealer. The shade was a little light for my skin, but it worked really well as a highlight under my eyes and around my nose. Great staying power as well.

Collection 2000 Concealer
Ah, the infamous collection 2000 concealer... I'm not going to lie, it's pretty amazing. Great staying power and hides nasty red blemishes really well. Already purchased my second bottle of ebay.

Bourjois Flower Perfection Foundation
I wear this stuff religiously in the summer for work. It's a very affordable, high coverage, matte foundation. I do a lot of running around at work and on a long 10 hour day this stuff just won't budge. Already onto my second bottle.

Benefit They're Real Mascara
I was so upset when this ran out. I would go out and buy another one but I still have a few more mascara's to get through at the moment. I must be patient...

YSL Touche Eclat Highlighter
I used this highlighter almost everyday. It was just so easy to use, just click and swipe. But now there are just as many cheaper options available, so I don't think I'll be coming back to this one anytime soon.

Phew. Thank god that's over...now into the recycling bin!