Sunday, February 20, 2022

Empties 1- €1000 Worth of Empty Beauty Products

This post contains affiliate links
PR samples are marked with an asterisk*
 

I was going through all of my empty products last weekend as I've been collecting them for 3.5 months now. I usually post them on Instagram with a short caption sharing my thoughts on each product and I thought it would be a good idea to write an 'Empties' blog post too so that I can keep track of the products I've used up and what I think of them. 

I decided to amp it up for the blog post and try something I've never done before which is to add up the combined value of all of the products. Obviously prices can fluctuate and most of these products were bought with some kind of discount because I tend to wait until there is a discount code or sale or offer to purchase anything. I rarely buy full price because I hardly ever have the need. If there was a bit of a price difference between online retailers I took the average price and tried to include links where the product was the least expensive, still in stock and most widely available. 

I also thought it would be interesting to calculate how much money I spent versus how much were PR samples. I found the difference quite surprising. I've been doing a low key "no buy" since December in order to get better use from the products I already have and I have also been enforcing a one in one out rule with products. I'm only opening a new product when I have finished one and have no other similar ones open. This way I'm not wasting anything, I'm using things up within their expiry dates and I'm properly testing every product rather then having three moisturisers open at the same time. 

I'm aware that I have a certain privilege when it comes to doing a no buy because I do get sent a number of PR samples from brands. I absolutely take that into account and that's another reason why I've been trying to exclusively use what I have and not buy anything I don't need. I want to really test out products properly and give honest and thorough reviews. 

Even with the number of products I receive I still buy a lot myself as you'll see with the numbers at the end. I'm going to try to give short reviews of each product as I have a lot to get through.




Uoma Beauty Stay Woke Concealer (White Pearl T1) 5ml, €23

I love this concealer and I can't wait to repurchase it. I have 4 other concealers open at the moment so in following my self imposed rules I can't buy another until I've used all 4 up (or they are expire, whichever comes first) which may take me a while. There are 19 shades so it's not the most extensive range but very inclusive and the Uoma Beauty Say What?! Foundation has 50 shades and one of the best shade distributions I've seen. It's a creamy and easy to blend texture and it's quite pigmented so a little goes a long way. I can't fault this. I've had it for a year and a half and I used it up in that time. The shade I got was in correlation with the foundation shade I got but the concealer is darker. When I repurchase I'll buy shade 0.5 or 0.75. 
 


Refy Brow Pencil  (Medium) 0.06g, €18
 
I was hesitant to try this because of all the hype (which usually puts me off wanting to try a product). But it's genuinely as good as everyone says. It's a twist up, fine, waxy crayon style pencil and the nib is very tiny meaning you can actually draw individual hairs if you like to do your brows in that way. Sometimes I find these kind of brow pencils to be too big or too soft so you get a more blurred look but you don't with this. It's comparable to the Urban Decay Brow Beater and the Delilah Brow Line which I've also enjoyed using. However if I was to choose one in formula and pricing I would repurchase the Refy one again. And that's exactly what I'll be doing once I've finished up the one I'm currently using. 
 



I have mixed feelings about this, I thought it was an excellent setting spray for the look I enjoy which is a bit of a glow to my complexion but I still want my makeup to stay in place. It seems like a contradiction but I think Danessa Myricks has nailed it. When I'm wearing powder products it takes away the powdery look and makes them melt into my skin. I'm torn though because I like having the Urban Decay All Nighter as I feel it sets my makeup like no other setting spray and I also love the Pixi Glow Mist which is a proper glowy finishing spray more suited to drier skin types (it contains 21 different oils). This Danessa Myricks one is almost a combination of those two so in a way it's probably better value. But then there are days I just want All Nighter or Glow Mist depending on the weather, time of year, how my skin is behaving and what products I have used. My Glow Mist is almost finished so I'm thinking I might repurchase this instead this time following my one in one out rule. If you like a setting spray but you still want a glow to your skin, you won't be disappointed with this. It's definitely pricey, similar enough to the Urban Decay All Nighter but I'm sure you could get it at a discount if you shop around. 
 


This is another setting spray I really enjoy using. It works exactly as you'd want it to and it smells like coconuts (not to everyone's taste but I love it). I would have probably repurchased this if it hadn't been for the Danessa Myricks one. There's absolutely nothing wrong with this and it's less expensive so a great option but I think the DM one just tips this off the list for me. 
 


 
This is the second tube of this I have used up. I liked it but I didn't love it. I found it got quite clumpy when I tried to build it up which isn't always a bad thing but it just wasn't my favourite mascara. I much prefer the Urban Decay Perversion Mascara. There are also less expensive ones that I like better. If I was to buy a mascara for in and around €24 I'd buy the Clarins Wonder Perfect 4D which was much more impactful. 
 


 
Another mascara that just didn't do it for me. It wasn't necessarily bad but it just wasn't my favourite. I much prefer the Monsieur Big or even the Hypnôse Doll Eyes that I bought recently. If I was to spend €32 I would buy the Pat McGrath Labs Dark Star or YSL Beauty Volume Effet Faux Cils which both do much more for my lashes then this one. 
 


 
I was given this brush at a press event for IT Cosmetics shortly after they launched in Ireland back in November of 2018. I was so excited to try it out as I'd heard it was a beautiful brush, especially to apply the Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream. It really was beautiful, I enjoyed using it so much until about a year and a half later when I started getting the tell tale signs of a dying brush. It would shed hairs all over my face and it gradually got worse until half the hairs were halfway out of the ferrule and it became completely unusable. I kept it this long because it's a double ended brush and I thought I would keep using the concealer side but I just didn't. It was awkward to store with the larger end down and I ended up finally giving in and getting rid of it. It's such a pity because it applied foundation beautifully. I have less expensive brushes much longer that are still in perfect condition so I was very disappointed, especially given the price. Even more frustrating is that I bought the Love is the Foundation Brush almost exactly a year ago because I had heard great things about it and I saw it was on sale. I'd had it maybe 6 months when the same things started happening and now it's pretty unusable too. I absolutely loved it for applying foundation so once again I was left disappointed. I was actually sent the same brush in PR a couple of months after I bought it so I do have a spare but I'm thinking the same thing might happen again. As much as I love the performance of the IT Cosmetics brushes I just wouldn't risk spending my money on them now after having two bad experiences. 
 


 
This is another brush disappointment. I actually got sent a set of the Rebeluna brushes by Brand Ambassador and fellow content creator Gracey O'Connell. She was sharing the brush sets and I was chatting to her about her favourites and then she offered to send me some to try and I was so delighted to take her up on it. She sent me the 7 Piece Starter Set and a sponge which was incredibly kind of her. I don't actually know what happened with this but not too long after I got it one side must have come away from the glue and it's all sticking up as you can see from the photo. I loved using this, it's a great foundation brush because it's small and flat so it works really well at applying foundation on small areas. I actually bought more of the brushes myself because I loved the ones she sent me so much. I use them all the time and this hasn't happened to any of the others so I'm assuming it was just one of those things that happens. I've actually been meaning to buy a replacement but because I have a few foundation brushes I haven't yet. I do still highly recommended Rebeluna if you're looking for good quality brushes that don't cost a fortune and are excellent at applying makeup. 
 


 
I bought the Brush Cleaning Bundle which includes this and the Microfibre Brush Cleaning Towel when it was on offer for around €45. I had wanted one of the brush towels for ages and I hadn't bought a specific brush cleaner in years so I thought it was worth trying. I love both of these products. I use the towel every single time I wash my brushes. It's so handy I actually don't know what I did without it. The soap is amazing too, I don't think I've ever used anything that has gotten my brushes as clean as quickly and it smells wonderful (clean cotton apparently). The textured side is great for deep cleaning stubborn makeup. I'm someone who is quite vigilant about brush cleaning. Once it's used, it goes in the pile to be washed. I usually do about 3 or 4 days worth of brushes at once. I do have a spot cleaner but I rarely use it. I'm just very careful with my brushes because I've seen how quickly bacteria can grow on used brushes and I don't want that going on my face and ruining the job I've been doing with my skincare routine. As much as I love this brush cleaner, at the rate I wash my brushes, it only lasted me two months and if I was to buy it on its own full price at €32, it works out quite expensive. I don't think I realised the full price when I bought the set and now I'm raging because I know how good it is but I do feel it's expensive for what it is. I think they should sell refills because you could definitely reuse the tin with the rubber side which is actually what I've been doing with dish soap. The regular one is less expensive, €27 and it comes in Sea Salt and Vanilla and Bergamot and Grapefruit scents if you did want to try it at a lower price. Would I buy it again? If I didn't wash my brushes as often or spot cleaned them in between or if it was discounted I probably would. It's also €6.95 for delivery to Ireland which brings the price up to €39. I really love this product but it's too expensive for a brush cleaner that only lasted two months for me. You can actually get one of the regular Spectrum Brush Launderette Bundles on Beauty Bay for €37.50 which is better value if you want to buy both. 




 
I got sent this in PR in late 2019 and I only finished it last month so I'm sure it was expired. I remember buying Bioderma in Paris 10 years ago after I'd been reading beauty blogs for a couple of years and Bioderma was always named as one of those products that makeup artists love and use all the time. You couldn't buy it here so I was delighted to get it in Paris. It's since become available in Ireland along with so many brands that have come out with their own micellar waters but I still think this one is the original and best. However I don't use micellar water day to day anymore. It's just not my prefered way of cleansing. I prefer to remove my makeup with a balm or oil which is why it took me two years to use this up. I mostly use micellar water to clean up my eye makeup if I need to. If anything I would repurchase the small bottle of this as 500mls is more than I would use before it expired. I currently have a 500ml bottle of a Garnier micellar water so I won't be buying one again for a while. However if micellar water is your thing and you haven't yet tried the Bioderma one, it's absolutely worth trying. 
 


 
I received this a while before I started using it because I had several other cleansing gels/second or morning cleaners to use up first. I didn't enjoy using this and I wouldn't buy it again. It's not necessarily a bad cleanser but I didn't like the texture which is quite slippery. Hannah Louise Poston actually reviewed this recently and said the exact same thing about it. It's not an enjoyable experience because of the texture. It's gentle and inexpensive but I just wouldn't spend my own money on it. 
 





This is one of those products that I'd heard great things about for years. Fresh hadn't been available in Ireland until maybe a couple of years ago and I wasn't in a hurry to try this but the cleanser I was using was almost gone and I had a discount code for Cult Beauty so I decide to order it and see if it was worth the hype. Long story short I wasn't crazy about this. It says it cleanses eyes and face but it's a foaming/gel style cleanser and I don't like to remove my makeup with that kind of cleanser. I ended up using this as a second/morning cleanser. I think €35 is too expensive for a second cleanser. It was quite gentle so those claims are absolutely true but it's just not my preferred texture for removing makeup and it's probably my own fault for not reading about the texture before I bought it. 
 

 
This is the second time I've bought this product. I got it after the below cleanser was used up and I hadn't repurchased it yet as it was quite expensive and I didn't want to buy it full price. I got this instead as I knew I liked it and it was significantly less expensive than the Then I Met You one. I really like this, it's an unusual texture almost like a thicker gel but it acts as a balm or an oil would. It removes makeup well but I find I do have to go again with more on my eyes if I'm wearing a long lasting mascara. It doesn't melt it away as easily as it does with an actual oil or balm cleanser. That being said I do find it enjoyable to use and I would buy it again. I like the REN Cleansing Balm too as it comes in the same packaging and removes makeup very well. 
 

 
 
This is one of those products I almost wish I hadn't tried because nothing else seems to compare now. I had read rave reviews of this for a while and I really liked the look of the brand and the idea behind it. It was created by Charlotte Cho, the co-founder of Soko Glam, a website dedicated to Korean beauty products. She moved from California to Korea and learned about the Korean philosophy that skincare should be an enjoyable experience and an investment into our well-being. After launching Soko Glam in 2012, she subsequently got her esthetician license and used her knowledge of Western and Korean skincare to create her own brand, Then I Met You. This cleanser really does give that enjoyable experience. It's described as sorbet soft on the brand's website and that's exactly how it feels. It's one of those skincare products that is pleasure to use. As much as I love skincare and my routine, sometimes it can be a chore and I wish I could just click my fingers and my makeup would be off my face but having this cleanser made me genuinely look forward to removing my makeup because everything about it is a joy. The packaging, the texture, the scent and the result. It has ingredients like grape seed, olive and seaberry oils, rosemary, persimmon and grapefruit and vitamin E. I love this cleanser and I have since repurchased it and I just started using it again after finishing the REN one. It's expensive but I think it's worth it. It's definitely my favourite balm cleanser from the array that I've tried from Emma Hardie, Pestle & Mortar, REN etc. If you can afford it, it's absolutely worth trying. 



 
This is another product I had for a while before I opened and started using it. It's a water activated fruit enzyme exfoliator, a similar idea to the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant if you've ever tried that. You pour some of the powder out and mix it with some water and then apply the paste to your face. I didn't think I would enjoy this. I don't tend to like fiddly products like this as they require more effort than I'm usually willing to put in but I did enjoy using this even though I do prefer chemical exfoliants usually. I have the REN Daily AHA which is a lactic acid exfoliator and that's what I like to use as it's quite gentle. However I like how old school this feels, like using a facial scrub as a teenager and rubbing your face to get that smooth feeling and later you realise it's not actually good for your skin. This gives you that feeling but it's very gentle and doesn't have those horrible microbeads. Instead it contains rice starch to gently buff your skin, vitamin C to brighten skin tone and calamine powder and allantoin to calm and soothe your skin. Would I buy this again? Yes, I absolutely would. I think it's a great price and I noticed a difference to my skin. It's almost like a quick exfoliator for when you haven't been using a chemical one but want your makeup to apply more smoothly. Is it going to be as good as the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant? Probably not, but it's also not €59. I found it to be quite gentle on my hormonal skin too which was much appreciated when I couldn't use my lactic acid exfoliator for a while there as it irritated my skin. It's a great option for anyone who doesn't want to or can't spend lots on a gentle exfoliator. 



 
I bought this is the Summer of 2020 as I was suffering from breakouts from wearing my mask all day in work and I was looking for a mask I could use weekly to hopefully help my skin. To be honest, even though I enjoyed using this I just didn't find it did enough to make it worth buying again. Like any Aesop products I've tried it smells amazing but that's not everything. It's a kaolin clay based mask that contains lots of oils like tea tree, evening primrose, sage, lemon and rosemary oil. It also has glycerin for hydration and bentonite clay which is an anti-inflammatory and absorbs excess oil. Maybe it's that my skin needed more targeted treatment but I just didn't find it did much except maybe calmed my skin a little (it did tingle a bit too). For that price I really wanted it to do more so I wouldn't buy it again. I preferred the Dermalogica Charcoal Rescue Masque which I used years ago and loved but I haven't bought since because I hadn't really needed it. I think I will now If I'm looking for a similar mask in the future as it's the only mask of it's kind that I found actually made a visible difference to my skin. 



 
I had read excellent things about this mask over the years but never thought to buy it until I saw it was in the Boots €12 Tuesdays offers. I jumped at the chance to try it because I can always do with a hydrating mask and I was interested to see if it was as good as the reviews say. I was delighted to find it didn't disappoint. The manuka honey locks moisture into the skin and it's antibacterial which helps with blemishes. I probably would buy this in lieu of a separate hydrating and anti-blemish clay mask because it does a bit of both. You can get a smaller 15ml size of this for about €8 if you want to try it first before paying for the full size. I absolutely will buy this again. 
 


 
This is my second time buying and finishing this mask. I really love it. It's quite similar to the Antipodes one in what it achieves for your skin. It comes in a glass jar and the product itself is a sticky consistency like a thicker version of honey but not as sticky if that makes any sense. You apply and massage it into your skin for a minute or two until it turns white and leave on for about 10 to 15 minutes. Just to warn, it does feel hot on the skin once it's massaged in and I've read reviews of people saying it tingles. I know some people won't like that sensation so it's something to keep in mind in which case I'd say the Antipodes one is probably a better option. It's less expensive and you get more in the tube too. I'd happily buy either mask again as I love the process of using this. It also has a genius addition that I've never seen in a skincare product before which is a magnetised lid that the little metal spatula sits on top of so it doesn't get lost. It makes it so much easier to use and it's something I wish other brands would do as it's much easier to store and more hygienic. They have recently released a Honey Potion Plus Ceramide Hydration Mask which I might try next time I buy it as it sounds like an even more nourishing version of Honey Potion. 
 


Glossier Zit Stick 3.5ml, €14
 
I was sent Zit Stick in PR when it first launched and have repurchased it a couple of times since. I'm in two minds as to whether I'll repurchase it again. It definitely worked for me at reducing that red swelling caused by angry spots. It's a salicylic acid and tea treat oil targeted treatment so if you only get the odd breakout this could be a good way of just treating those small areas rather then applying something to your entire face. It's probably the ideal product for someone who only gets blackheads and breakouts the odd time and only in certain areas. Instead of using this I've switched to the Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHS Liquid Exfoliant which is a treatment for blackheads, acne and clogged pores. I've been using this all over my face because my skin has been more congested over the past year. I feel like it's better value for money too as you only get a tiny amount compares to the Zit Stick. If my skin improves I may switch back but for the moment Paula is my gal. 
 


 
I bought this myself maybe 5/6 years ago and I loved it. I've mentioned this before but just in case there's anyone reading this that may not have read my blog before, the skin around my eye area can be sensitive. I know most people are probably the same but I have found certain eye creams can be too much and I end up with a kind of dermatitis under my eyes or on my lids. I've also had milia in the past so I have to be careful with what I use that it isn't too heavy or too active (I can't use vitamin c eye creams for example). This is a serum so it's lightweight and hydrating and doesn't irritate my eye area in any way. I know some people don't use eye cream and think it's a bit of a scam. Those people are probably able to use their moisturisers on their eye area but most moisturisers are too heavy for me. The skin there is thinner and more more delicate and I just find specific eye creams work really well for me and improve the look of makeup in that area too, particularly concealer. You could probably use this and then an eye cream too as it's a serum but I used it alone as I didn't want to overload my eyes. It contains reflective mica to give the appearance of brighter under eyes, if dark circles are a concern. However you could also use a brightening concealer too. I'd happily buy this again as it genuinely worked for me and if it's within your budget it could be worth trying if you have similar skin to me. 
 


 
I bought this simply because I found it on a website for €8. They must have been trying to get rid of their stock because they no longer offer Pestle & Mortar products. I always use a facial mist before applying my serum as having damp skin is known to help products absorb more effectively into your skin. I also love the ritual of it. I would never pay €32 for a facial mist. I just wouldn't. I would rather spend that money on a better serum or on SPF as a facial mist is one of those steps that isn't all that necessary even though I do love it. I enjoyed using this but I just couldn't justify spending that money on a facial mist. You can buy a 30ml bottle for €15 if you did want to try it without buying the full size.  
 



My heart is a little bit broken by this one. I went to find a link to it for this post and I couldn't find one anywhere. The only place I found it was on Amazon and I refuse to buy skincare from there as I don't know if it's legitimate. I was panicked so I emailed Liz Earle customer service to enquire about it. They replied saying the packaging isn't as sustainable as it could be and they have removed it from sale until they find alternative packaging. I was devastated as I've been using it for years and it's one of my favourite parts of my skincare routine. Thankfully the original Instant Boost Skin Tonic is still available in the 200ml size. The lady who replied to me suggested refilling my old bottle with this but sadly I'd already thrown it out. I have had the original one before which you apply by pouring it onto cotton wool or your hands and then onto your face. I just prefer the spritzer so I'm thinking I might buy a reusable bottle and the original Skin Tonic and pour it into that. I've emailed them with some suggestions so I'm hoping they will bring it back eventually. I'm always happy that brands are thinking of more sustainable ways of creating products and packaging so it's a good thing in the long run.



 
This was my second time using up a bottle of this serum. I absolutely adore it. I think I've realised over the years that hyaluronic acid serums just don't cut it for me and my skin needs different ingredients for hydration. This one is packed with ingredients that work like niacinamide, glycerin and squalane, peptides saccharomyces lysate (a probiotic yeast used to normalise the skin's microbiome, frequently used in anti-aging products) and the 'Long Life Herb' which is a Japanese superfood full of vitamins and minerals, it strengthens the skin and improves tone and texture. This is one of those products that just works for me. I notice the difference in my skin straight away and it makes my makeup look better too. It does everything it claims to and leaves my skin feeling smoother and more hydrated. I've been trying to use up the other hydrating serums I have before I use this again but I really miss it in my skincare routine when I'm not using it. It is expensive but you can get a 30ml for around €42 and the last time I checked the 30ml + 15ml gift set was still available on sale from Boots and McCauley Pharmacy at a sale price. If you're in the market for a hydrating serum I highly recommend getting this smaller size on sale to try out.
 


 
This is the hydrating serum I was using before the bareMinerals one. It's not bad by any means, it's a basic hyaluronic acid serum but for me there's just no comparison between this and the Skinlongevity. It's less than half the price but to be honest I'd rather buy a less expensive moisturiser and spend more on a serum. If I was going to spend close to €30 on this, I'd rather pay an extra €10-€15 and get the 30ml size of the Skinlongevity because I know it does more for my skin. Having said that, if you find hyaluronic acid works well for your skin and you don't want to spend a fortune, this could be a good option.
 


 
Like the bareMinerals serum this is another product that I can see makes a big difference to my skin. It's a 2 phase serum, one side is a vitamin C rich water with 3 types of potent vitamin C and the other side is a lightweight oil that contains squalane, tamarind extract and evening primrose oil. The texture is lightweight but still feels nourishing and it makes my skin look brighter and smoother. I've bought this twice now and I would have bought it again but I was sent another vitamin C serum to try so I'm using that first, although I definitely don't like it as much as this one. Again, it is expensive but both times I bought it with a 30% off discount so it's a bit more manageable and I only use it in the morning so it lasts a long time. If you're looking for a vitamin C serum and you can afford it, this is such a beautiful product and I can't wait to have it back in my skincare routine.
 


 
If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen me mention that my skin had gotten quite bad just before and for a few months after I had my daughter. I had pregnancy acne with a lot of congestion and no matter what I did it just wasn't getting better because it was hormonal. I found my skin was more sensitised and products I used all the time were giving me a reaction. I decided to completely pare back my routine and stop using most actives. I just used a cleanser, hydrating serum and a simple moisturiser. I was so frustrated one day that I went out and bought this because I know it had worked for me in the past. It contains niacinamide to reduce the appearance of spots, salicylic acid and lipo hydroxy acid to unclog pores, glycerin to give hydration and zinc to control excess sebum. I just wanted a one and done product and it's the only thing I found made an actual difference to my skin. I would definitely buy this again if I felt my skin needed it but it's doing much better at the moment. 

 


 
This is another product I used to help my post pregnancy hormonal skin. I got a delivery of this just at the right time when my skin was at its peak breakout stage. It was also quite red from the marks left behind by spots and from being more sensitive then usual. This product was the perfect thing to use as it has creates an optical illusion that corrects redness, it's a lightweight, gel texture that feels refreshing on my skin but it also leaves it feeling hydrated. It also calms and soothes any sensitivity. I would say this would suit anyone who wants to neutralise redness in their skin, is perhaps a bit more on the oily side or for the warmer months when you might want a more light moisturiser. I would definitely buy this if I found myself in the same situation with my skin as it really did work. They also have a Calm-Essentiel Restructuring Oil which I haven't been using for too long but so far I'm finding it a pleasure to use.



 
I was so excited when Ultra Violette launched on Cult Beauty as I had been wanting to try their products for a while. I bought two of their sunscreens last year and loved both but I'll just talk about this one for now. I got this particular one as it's a mineral sunscreen, fragrance free and formulated for those with sensitive skin. It has a slight tint to it, more so to cancel out the white cast a mineral sunscreen can sometimes give the skin. Once it's blended into my skin I didn't notice it. The texture is somewhere between a gel and a moisturiser and it blends in so easily. I found it worked great under makeup too which is always a must for me. I do tend to prefer an SPF 50 which is the only reason I wouldn't buy this again but in the Winter months when I'm not outside as much I don't mind wearing SPF 30. I think the next one I want to try is the Queen Screen Lightweight Skinscreen SPF 50 as it's meant to be a serum-like texture which sounds exactly like my kind of product. If you're looking for a good sunscreen to wear under makeup of in general, I've really been liking the Ultra Violette products so far.
 


 
This is one that I bought last Spring and for some reason I still had it in with my skincare even though it was empty. I was looking for products for sensitive skin when I was pregnant last year as I know sometimes your skin can react to certain things when pregnant so I thought I would err on the side of caution just in case. I really like Paula's Choice as a brand and so I was happy to see they had an SPF moisturiser for sensitive skin. It's thicker than the Ultra Violette one and definitely more of a moisturiser texture but it absorbed into my skin no problem. I'd probably be more inclined to use this during the colder months as I prefer a lighter textured SPF in the Summer. I enjoyed using this and it worked well under makeup. I highly recommend trying it if you have dry or sensitive skin, I would absolutely buy it again.
 


 
I don't want to write too much about this because I already reviewed it in my recent 6 Minute Face article. I tend to prefer potted lip balms at night and a stick or tube during the day as they're more hygienic for when you're out of the house. I enjoyed using this, it worked great under lipstick and my lips felt hydrated. A stick lip balm is always so handy to have and this one is lovely. However I can't see myself spending €27 on a lip balm. I have a few new unopened ones in my collection so I won't need one for a while but I prefer my Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask, it's less expensive and there's more in the tub so I'd buy that instead.
 



I was treating myself to one of the Voya Lavender, Rose and Chamomile Candles and I came across a gift set with their shampoo and conditioner. I was in the market for some hair products and they had 20% off so I decided to give them a try as I hadn't tried many of their products before and I'm always happy to support quality Irish brands. I enjoyed using these, the scents are incredible but to be honest I think I need to stick to products like the Aveda Be Curly Co-Wash for my hair type. They were lovely products but I just have others I prefer as my hair needs a lot of moisture for my curls to be as manageable as possible. I do still want to try their Relaxing Bath & Shower Oil at some point. Their products smell amazing and they make great gifts. If these products sound good to you, you can save money by buying the gift set which is what I did. You can find them on Foxford.com and McGorisks.ie  



 
This is one of those products that was super hyped up and therefore I probably wouldn't have bought it myself. I always have reservations when a product is everywhere on social media like this was. I tried it anyway even though it's meant for long, damaged hair I said I'd give it a go to see what all the fuss was about. I used it and then loosely blow dried and heat styled my hair. Surprisingly I definitely felt this made a difference to my heat styled hair. It seemed more sleek and less frizzy. I don't use heat on my hair often and especially not at the moment as I'm going through some post-natal hair loss. I do think this did what it said it would and as it's not too expensive and I wouldn't use it too often I probably would buy it again. I'm using what I have at the moment first though. If you have longer hair and you blow dry, straighten or curl it, this is definitely worth a try, especially as it's so inexpensive.
 



 
I bought this because I follow Ashley Streicher on Instagram and I love her hair content. She collaborated with R+Co on a line of products so I had to buy them. Well, I bought two, one of them can't be shipped here as it's an aerosol but hopefully I'll get to try it some day. I absolutely love this and I used it all the time on damp hair and also on dry hair to refresh it and add some moisture back in. First of all it smells unbelievable, they actually have this scent in a candle called Stars Align and it has deep palo santo, white cedarwood, smoky tobacco leaf, waterlily and fresh pine needles. Sadly I can't find anywhere that stocks it that ships to Ireland but again, maybe some day. If they made a perfume of this scent I would absolutely buy it. I just find this product works so well for my hair, it has ingredients like vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, vegetable collagen and coconut oil extract. I will definitely be buying this again, but as I mentioned already I'm trying to use the products I have first and I have another leave-in conditioner I'm trying to get through at the moment.
 


 
I bought one two of these last year for my sister and I and we both loved it. I've been trying to leave my hair as natural as possible recently and this product has been great to use on damp hair and then dried with a diffuser on the cool setting. I find it gives my hair volume, definition and moisture and it also smells wonderful, the scent has sicilian lemon, tangerine, eucalyptus, green tea, tree moss and crisp amber. I love how my hair looks and smells when I used this and I would buy it again but I have a couple of other curl creams I have to get through first.
 


 
I bought this at the beginning of 2019 after my hair stylist used it on my hair. I loved what it did and the scent (as you can see scent is of huge importance to me when it comes to hair products). I used it so much in 2019, every single time I heat styled my hair I would used this to finish it off. It's excellent at taming frizz and fly aways and for if I want to slick back my hair too as it makes everything so sleek. I obviously haven't been styling my hair as much in the past two years but once I do I'll be buying this again as I haven't found anything like it and it lasts for ages too. 
 



Body skincare is probably the last thing on my list at the moment. If I get to shower and wash and dry my hair I'm happy. I probably moisturise my body once or twice a month if I'm lucky. So having a body moisturiser that encourages me to use it is a good thing. This is my second bottle of this one and I love it because it's a 400ml size so it lasts for ages, it smells incredible, the pump is convenient and it hydrates my dry skin. There's not much more I can say about this except that I would definitely buy it again.





This is a culmination of 14 weeks of empties. The 36 products totals €1082.50 with €334 worth of PR samples and €748.50 worth of products purchased by me. I definitely didn't spend that amount as most products were bought with some kind of discount. I've had some of these products as far back as 2018/2019 so it's not as though I'd use up €1000 worth of products every few months, I've just been making a concious effort to use up what I have recently. I think I'm going to keep these posts up for the year and track my spending, my PR samples and hold myself for accountable for what I use. I hope you found this interesting, I'd love to know if you've tried any of these products.

Emma x

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