Empties 4- €1200 Worth of Beauty Products

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*PR Samples 

**Gifts/ Gift with purchase

If you have read any of my previous three empties posts you'll know what to expect here but just in case this is your first one I'll quickly explain why I like to write these posts. This is a much easier way for me to review products that I have been sent as PR samples or that I have bought myself. I try to include short reviews of beauty products in my Instagram posts but I don't get to write in-depth reviews or talk about skincare much. I like to wait until I have finished a product before I give a full review especially when it comes to skincare. I always find that finishing a product allows you to gather your thoughts more clearly and decide if the product was worth your money, or in the case of a PR sample, worth buying yourself. I think this is the first time that the PR products have outweighed the ones that I have bought myself. This is down to the fact that I've been consciously trying to use what I already have instead of buying new skincare myself. Of course, I love trying out the products that I'm interested in too but my circumstances have changed since my last empties post. I decided to leave my job to care for my daughter as it made the most sense for us both logistically and financially. Therefore going forward I'm probably going to be featuring more PR products than usual as I won't be buying as much myself. I also tend to get more expensive products sent to me than I would buy myself. For example, there's a cleanser in this post that costs €90, an amount I would never spend on a single skincare product, especially one that you wash off your face. You will, as always, still be getting completely honest reviews of products. I've been writing about beauty products online for almost 13 years and my integrity is everything so I will always give an honest review. Most people I know are trying to cut costs where possible and beauty products aren't a necessity but I know a lot of people still want to know about the latest products or if they should buy something else instead of what they're currently using. 14 of these products are repurchases and some I have already reviewed in previous empties posts. 

I always have a round-up at the end breaking down the costs of everything, PR products, those I've bought myself and gifts/gifts with purchase. I've chatted about why before but basically I like to be transparent about the products I've been sent and what they cost and what I actually use. As a consumer of content on social media, I find it frustrating to see people posting press drops with no follow-up content surrounding the products. I want to hear people's thoughts and reviews and that's why I started doing these posts. I said this would be brief so let's get into it.

Glossier Futuredew Oil Serum Hybrid 30ml, 6 Months, Made in USA €28

I think I've featured this in one of my previous empties posts but I'll write about it briefly anyway. I've had a few of these now and I actually have a backup that I bought during a Glossier sale last year. I still love this and I haven't found anything that's quite the same. The texture is exactly what you'd think from the Oil Serum description. It has a slight iridescence to it too which makes me see it more as a makeup prep product than a skincare product. They recommend using two pumps in the instructions on the packaging but for my combination skin I use one pump. If you have dry skin you may like more and if you have oily skin you may want to avoid this. I will generally use this on days when my skin is more on the dry side and usually only in certain areas of my face, depending on the time of year and the condition of my skin.  I'm using different hydrating priming products at the moment but I can imagine I'll continue to buy this when I've used up the unopened one I have.

Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector (Light/ Medium) 4.5g, 18 Months, Made in USA €29.50

I don't think I should write much about this as it's not available here in Europe anymore. Becca as a brand is no more and Smashbox who is now producing this particular product, has pulled out of Europe. As much as I love this I wouldn't go to the trouble of having it shipped with a third party from the US. I actually bought a backup of this when I found out Smashbox was leaving Europe so I'm using a fresh jar but it lasts for ages so I doubt I'll need anything for a while. I actually bought the Fenty Corrector Stick in Rose Quartz as I'd heard that was great for blue/purple under eyes. 

about-face Light Lock Highlight Fluid (Fight or Flight) 15ml, 12 Months, Made in Italy €18

I bought this when about-face launched two years ago. I wasn't sure if I would like it at first as it's quite a molten metallic, high shine and high pigment liquid highlighter. However I really loved this product, so much so that I used it all up. Granted, it's just 15mls of product but you only need a tiny amount as it's so saturated. The shade I bought is the palest shade and it's quite an icy pale pink so my preferred way to wear it was mixed with a cool pink or berry liquid blush like Glossier Cloud Paint in Haze and Storm. It gives the ultimate "Cold Girl" cheeks for lighter skin tones. I would say the only thing to be careful about it that you might want to blend it in quite quickly or it does set and deposit more of the metallic pearl on the skin. I finished this a while ago but I did a big clear out of all of my makeup in January and decided to finally let it go. It's defintely a product I would buy again but I have quite a few highlighters at the moment so I'll wait a while. They also have a powder and a cream stick version of these highlighters if you prefer those textures.

*Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray 118 ml, 6 Months, Made in Canada €32

I have both purchased this multiple times and been sent it in PR drops over the years. It's a cult favourite beauty product for a reason, it actually works. You definitely don't need to wear this every day but it's great for those days when you need your makeup to look fresh all day or for an event when you're wearing more makeup than usual. I alternate between this and the IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Setting Spray as I find them quite similar. There are several versions of All Nighter now for different skin types as you can see below from the next product I finished. 

*Urban Decay All Nighter Vitamin C Setting Spray 118ml, 6 Months, Made in Canada €32

I think this version of All Nighter launched last year, as far as I know there are now 4 versions, the original, this new Vitamin C one which is supposed to brighten your skin and give extra hydration. There is also an Ultra Glow and Ultra Matte if you have dry or oily skin. I know Vitamin C was one of those trending ingredients last year and brands seemed to be adding it to everything. I usually prefer my skincare to be skincare and makeup to be makeup so I probably wouldn't repurhcase this one but I'd like to try the Ultra Glow to see how it compares to the original. If you're looking for a setting spray you can't really go wrong with All Nighter. 

**Essence Bye Bye Panda Eyes! Smudge-Proof Volumizing and Defining Mascara 16ml, 6 Months, Made in Luxembourg €4.40

Last year my sister asked me about tubing mascaras as she prefers wearing them and I can understand why. They're easy to remove and they tend to not flake or smudge as much as regular mascaras. I haven't used that many so I took to my Instagram stories to see if I could crowd source some options for her. One of the ones mentioned was this one from Essence. It's such an inexpensive brand that she decided to buy one for each of us (they were actually on sale too so I think she got both for less than the cost of one full price). I decided to test it out on my lower lashes because that tends to be the issue for me. I like wearing mascara on my lower lashes but I always have to compromise with some flaking or smudging. I was pleasantly surprised by this mascara. For the price I wasn't expecting much, I don't think you have to spend a fortune to get a great mascara, some of my favourites are "drugstore" price mascaras. However I have generally found tubing mascaras aren't as impactful as regular mascaras. I found the length and definition great with this one, it wasn't as volumising but I wasn't expecting it to be. I actually loved it on my lower lashes because I don't like them having too much volume. If you like a tubing mascara or if you're not too bothered about volume and you want an inexpensive mascara I don't think you can go too far wrong with this. I actually have a fresh one ready to go too.

Glossier Brow Flick (Brown) 0.48ml, 6 Months, Made in France €18

I was first sent this as a PR sample when it launched and I've bought it numerous times since. It's the brow product I use when I just want to softly add colour to the areas of my brows that are a bit sparse. I bought the West Barn Co brow pen last year and I've been using that for a while but I do have a fresh Brow Flick to use. I haven't tried that many brow pens but I don't need to because I love this one and I don't really want to waste my money experimenting too much with other brands when I really love this one. The West Barn Co. one is very similar, maybe a bit more pigmented. I like both products equally and would buy either, I just happened to buy a spare Brow Flick during one of the Glossier sales. I will probably buy Brow Flick of The Brow Pen in the furute depending on which one is cheaper or easier to order. 

Glossier Boy Brow (Brown) 3.12g, 6 Months, Made in USA €16

I bought this 6 years ago when I was in New York and I've since been sent it in press drops and have repurchased myself countless times. I have tried other simlilar products from Anastasia and Urban Decay and from the drugstore but I keep coming back to Boy Brow because I don't need to think about it. It's the product I use when I'm in a hurry to get ready and I just want to groom my eyebrows and add a touch of colour quickly. I'd be confident using this without a mirror and I'll continue to buy it until I find something that works better for me. 

Hindash Heroline Liquid Eyeliner 0.4g, 6 Months, Made in Italy €23

This is one of, if not my top product from this empties post. I bought this when it launched in the Summer of 2021 if I'm not mistaken. Most liquid liners tend to dry out after about 6 months if not before that but I was using this for over a year before it started to dry out. I may not have been using it as often as some poeple would but I used it a lot. In fact it was the only liquid eyeliner I used for that year. Previous to trying this, Glossier Pro Tip was my favourite liquid eyeliner and it's still a great one but Hindash has really succeeded in creating both a formula and packaging that surpasses any other liquid eyeliner I've ever tried. The brush is almost like an ultra thin calligraphy pen which means you can achieve the thinnest lines and the formula allows you to easily build it up without it getting thick and flaking or cracking. I am currently using a liner I was sent and one I bought from Half Magic because I was curious to try it but honestly I can't wait until they're used up so I can buy this again. I can't justify it at the moment because I have two open and they don't last too long before drying up so I want to use what I have before buying a new one. I rarely say this, but if you are someone who wears liquid eyeliner regularly and you like a brush tip over a felt tip, you need to try this one!

*Lancôme Monsieur Big Mascara 2ml, 6 Months, Made in France (GWP) Worth €5

I got this in a press drop that had a Lancôme gift with purchase in it. It's a teeny tiny size but it lasted me for about a month and it reminded me how much I love Monsieur Big mascara. It's definitely one of my all time favourites. I have no plans to buy the full size any time soon. If I am going to treat myself to a high end mascara I usually do it after Christmas when the gift sets are on sale. I have lots of mascaras in reserve at the moment so it's one product I don't need to buy but I know I will buy this in the future at some stage as it really is a great all round mascara. 

*Urban Decay Inked Brow (Dark Drapes) 1.8ml, 6 Months, Made in USA €25

This was definitely not the product for me. It was too much liquid, too dark and too difficult to use. It's the opposite of Glossier Brow Flick. I acutally ended up using it to add my freckles back on top of foundation. I used it on a small brush and then patted it so it looked more natural. It might be the ideal brow product for some people but it just didn't work out for me. 

*Lancôme Bi-Facil Non-Oily Instant Eye Makeup Remover 125ml, 6 Months, Made in France €32

This is another product that was sent as part of a gift with purchase press drop. I absolutely love this and I had forgotten how great it is at removing waterproof or long-wearing eye makeup. I tried to only use it when I needed to because this is the kind of product you can go through really fast and that's the reason I wouldn't buy this myself. As great as it is, it's €32 for a product I will use up so quickly and it isn't a necessity unless you're someone who has to wear waterproof mascara or maybe if you have sensitive eyes and you don't want to rub them too much when removing your makeup. I'd prefer to buy a cleansing balm that has the ability to remove waterproof makeup so that I don't have to buy two separate products. Another case of a great product that I just can't justify spending my money on even thought I love it. 

Garnier Express 2-in-1 Eye Make-Up Remover 125ml, 6 Months, Made in Poland €4.99

This is what I'd recommend instead of the above product. I always buy this when it's on special offer so I end up getting two for the price of one. It doesn't remove waterproof makeup as quickly as the Lancôme one but it does the job and it's a much more palatable price. I've bought this time and time again and I'll continue to do so for the foreseeable future. I only wish it came in a bigger bottle. 

*Lancôme Absolue Purifying Brightening Gel Cleanser 125ml, 12 Months, Made in France €90

I've already reviewed this in previous empties post so I'll try to not repeat myself. I enjoyed using it, the texture is beautiful and it does what it claims to do. It does have a strong scent but I didn't mind it. The reason I don't want to write much about it is because of the price. There's no world in which I'd justify spending €90 on a cleanser. It's gone up in price from €84 since I last looked up the price in December. I just think no matter how good it is, there's no way I'd ever spend that money on a cleanser, literally something you wash off your face. I could maybe justify it for a treatment or serum but not a cleanser. 

*CeraVe Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser 236ml, 12 Months, Made in France €15

I went to a skincare event before Christmas with a few brands including CeraVe and I was recommended to try this cleanser as I have combination skin. I had totally forgotten until halfway through the bottle that I actually already tried it when it launched two years ago. I suppose that should tell me something but I try so many different brands and products it's understandable that I won't remember every single one, especially something as innocuous as a CeraVe cleanser. I mean that in the best possible way. It's a product that does the job you want it to, it won't remove my makeup but it's a gentle cleanser for the morning or after you've removed makeup. After I remembered that I had already tried it I also remembered why I had never repurchased it. It had a strange scent which I've heard other people mention too. It's almost like a musty smell which I found offputting. This bottle definitely didn't have that strong scent, it had a slight scent but not the same as it had been before. I'd buy this again purely because it's such an easy product to use, my partner also used it so we went through it quite fast but you can ususally get it at a discounted price which makes it more affordable.  

*IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Makeup 3-in-1 Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm x2 100ml, 18 Months, Made in USA €39

I was sent a press drop of this cleanser when it launched last year. I usually like IT Cosmetics products and a cleansing balm is my preferred way of cleansing so I had high expectations of this. Thankfully it surpassed my expectations and I even ended up buying one myself before I had even finished the first one (and I just recently repurchased it too). I'm using a different cleanser at the moment that I already had in my stash and while I like it, it's just not as effective as this one. It's the only cleansing balm that's come close to my beloved Then I Met You one. Both times I've bought it myself has been with a discount as it is quite expensive. I think it ended up being €30 or less both times I've repurchased and that's probably the top end of what I'd pay for a cleansing balm. The Then I Met You one is more expensive which is the only reason I haven't bought that it a while. It's supposed to be a 3-in-1 product, a makeup remover balm, brightening cleanser (although to me those are the same thing) and a hydrating face mask. I just use it as a first cleanser to remove makeup but it does the job so well I don't really need to use a second cleanser, sometimes I'll use a tiny amount of this just to make sure everything is clean. As I mentioned already, brands seem to be adding vitamin C to everything, I don't think this product needs it as a cleanser isn't my preferred way to use vitamin c but it doesn't bother me. Just to note that it does have a rose fragrance as I know it can be a polarising scent. It's more of a fresh rose than a perfumed rose and I love it but it's something to keep in mind. 

REN Daily AHA Tonic 250ml, 9 Months, Made in the UK €34

I've been using this product for years as I've always found it to be a gentle way to exfoliate my skin. This is an AHA and BHA chemical exfoliant that contains lactic acid, willow bark extract and azelaic acid. It's supposed to exfoliate, brighten, tighten and hydrate leaving smoother skin and minimising the appearance of pores. I find it does what it claims to do and that's why I've continued to buy it for years. It also lasts for ages as I tend to only use it 2-3 times per week, althought you can use it every day if your skin needs it. This is a product that I will continue to repurchase unless I find something that works better for my skin. 

Ole Henriksen PHAT Glow Facial 50ml, 12 Months, Made in USA €48

This is one of those products that I was interested to try because of the hype. I bought a couple of these when they were in the Boots €12 Tuesday offer as it was such a great deal I thought it would be a good way to try it without spending too much money. I gave one to my sister and I didn't open mine until about a year ago because I was using other products. I have to remind myself to use my face masks because it's something I tend to forget as I'm not using them daily. As the name suggests, this product contains PHA (poly hydroxy acids) which are more gentle exfoliants than AHAs, they also don't make your skin more sensitive to the sun. Products with PHA are worth considering if you have sensitive skin or if you deal with rosacea. It also contains pink bentonite clay which I find to be an ingredient that works well for my skin. I found this mask very gentle and it left my skin looking more smooth, bright and it didn't feel tight afterwards. I wouldn't repurchase this full price purely because it is quite expensive but I may buy it again if I got another great deal on it. 

*Yonka Gommage Gentle Botanical Polish 50ml, 6 Months, Made in France €39

This is the first Yonka product I've ever tried. I attended an event with the brand last year and was sent home with a bag of products to try out. When we tried it at the event I was struck by the strong scent which to me, smelled very botanical and almost like the Dettol Liquid Anti-Septic. That probably sounds like a negative and at first it was quite an overpowering scent but after I got used to it, I loved it. If you're sensitive to scents in your skincare you may want to try this out first if possible because it's so frustrating to buy a product and hate the scent as it makes you not want to use it. I enjoyed using this mask, it left my skin looking brighter and feeling smoother. It's quite a gentle exfoliant which is going to really suit some people but others may prefer somthing stronger. When I mentioned Yonka on Instagram I had so many messages from people raving about the brand and this product in particular. It seems to be a real hero product for the brand. While I did enjoy it and saw results I can't see myself buying it myself because it is expensive and I have other masks that I prefer for my skin type. 

Glossier Moisturizing Moon Mask 90ml, 24 Months, Made in USA €23

I think this was my third tub of this mask. I was first given it as a PR sample when Glossier launched in Ireland 5 years ago and I've purchased it at least twice since then. If you're looking for a hydrating mask but you don't want to spend too much, I defintely recommmend this. I've used it alternating with the Farmacy Honey Potion which I tend to use during the Winter months. Mook Mask is more lightweight so I prefer it for the warmer months of the year. It's a great one to use before I apply makeup if my skin is looking or feeling a bit dry as it gives a quick boost of hydration and therefore gives me a better canvas for makeup. Once again, this is the kind of product I tend to buy when Glossier have a discount code and I'm stocking up Brow Flick, Futuredew etc. I'd prefer to buy a tub of this than use disposable sheet masks. It's not a necessity but if you like face masks and you want to treat yourself, I love this product.

*Skin Proud Refresher Hydrating Face Mist 90ml, 12 Months, Made in China €12.25

I used this because I had it but it's not something I would spend my own money on. For me, a face mist is mostly a sensorial experience, it's not necessarily a must-have for a skincare routine. I found the scent to be quite synthetic and sweet and while it worked for making my skin damp before applying serums, I didn't enjoy the experience of using it. I was looking forward to finishing it so that I could use a different mist. It's not a bad product by any means and you may love this scent, it just wasn't for me.

*bareMinerals Skinlongevity Long Life Herb Serum 30ml, 12 Months, Made in USA €47

 

I think I've had one of these in every empties post I've written so far. Thankfully the bareMinerals PR team had been keeping me stocked up but I've now run out and I know I love this product because I really miss it. I would have bought one myself but I have a few hydrating serums in my skincare stash that I have been sent so I'm trying those out first but nothing has compared to this so far. The ingredients just seem to work so well for my skin. I haven't had to yet, but I'd gladly buy this myself because I find it makes a difference to my skin. It's also great to mix with longwear foundations to make them a bit more sheer or hydrating. I use it on my lips before lip balm at night too. You can usually get a deal on this where the 50ml size is the same price as the 30ml size so definitely keep an eye out if you like the sound of it. 

*Lancôme Absolue Revitalizing Eye Cream x2 5ml, 6 Months, Made in France (GWP) Worth €65

This was another one of those products that came with a gift with purchase press drop. The full size of this eye cream is €130 for 20ml and these mini pots are 5ml. I used two of them and it's a beautiful eye cream particularly before makeup as it gives my eye area a perfect base for concealer. However, much like the Absolue cleanser, even though I loved the results I just couldn't justify the price. I could get a whole skincare routine for that price and I didn't find it any more effective than the Kiehls or IT Cosmetics eye creams I've used recently. I think it's only something you'd buy if you tried the small pot as part of a gift with purchase and you absolutely loved it and of course, if you have the budget for it. 

*Laura Mercier The Perfect Cream Multi-Tasking Moisturizer 50g, 12 Months, Made in USA €70

This was a great moisturiser for prepping my skin for makeup, especially during the winter months. I found the texture a bit too rich for the Summer months. However I'd never buy this myself because it had such a strong perfumed scent and it's quite a pricey moisturiser. 

*Lancôme Advanced Génefique Night Repairing Night Cream 50ml, 12 Months, Made in France €84

I was hoping I wouldn't like this because it's obviously so expensive but it did make difference to my skin in the mornings. It's one of those cult favourites because it does actually work. It has a light scent and a gel/serum/cream texture that I loved applying. Once again, the only reason I wouldn't buy this myself is the price. 

*IT Cosmetics Confidence in a Gel Lotion 75ml, 12 Months, Made in USA €40

I've been sent a few of these over the years and it's one of my favourite moisturisers, especially for the warmer months. I have combination skin and I don't do well in hot weather so having a lightweight moisturiser is a necessity especially when you're layering it with sun protection and other products. It's a gel texture which I don't usually like in a moisturiser because I find they're not hydrating enough but this one is perfect. It's 75ml so it lasts for ages too, I think this one lasted me for 6 months. You can buy a 15ml version for around €12 too if you wanted to try it out first before buying the full size. I would have no problem spending my own money on this product. 

Fenty Skin Hydra Vizor Invisible Moisturizer SPF 30 30ml, Made in USA €22

I bought this as part of a set with a couple of other travel size Fenty Skin products so that I could try them out. Sunscreen can be very hit or miss for most people but I really loved using this especially under makeup. It's quite lightweight and blends in easily and I had no issues with my makeup on top of it which is huge win for me. It does have a light sweet scent which wasn't my favourite but it didn't bother me either. I'd gladly buy this again for wearing with makeup as it's rare to find a product like this at such a good price point. I'm planning on writing a blog post about sunscreens that work well under makeup as I know this is something people struggle with quite a lot. 

La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Barrier Repairing Lip Balm 7.5ml, 18 Months, Made in France €8.50

My lips were particularly parched this Winter and I needed something to wear at night to really lock in the moisture. I'm in two minds about this product, especially because I'm now using a lip balm that's sucking the life out of my lips. This product did a great job at keeping my lips hydrated and it's ideal to use at night as it's a thicker texture. The packaging was the only issue for me and I'm not sure if was just this particular tube as I've never used it before. I usually love this kind of tube packaging for lip balm as it's more hygienic than a pot but it was a struggle to squeeze the product out of the tube. I don't know whether it's because of the texture of the formula or there was some kind of air bubble in the tube but it did annoy me. It's a great product and price so I'd give it another try just to see if the one I had was a once off issue. If you've had a simiar issue, or tried this particular lip balm please do let me know. 

*bareMinerals Ageless Phyto-Retinol Lip Mask 13g, 12 Months, Made in USA €26

This is quite simlar to the above lip balm in texture and results but just in a pot instead of a tube. It's a case of would I rather pay €8.50 for annoying packaging or €26 for packaging that worked fine. I also love the Nuxe lip balm and the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask which are less expensive and do the same job as this, so because of that I wouldn't buy this myself. Like I've mentioned before, it's not a bad product but there are other factors to consider. 

**Rituals The Ritual of Sakura Sensational Foaming Shower Gel 200ml, Made in Italy €10.50

This was a Christmas gift from my sister-in-law. She very kindly gave me some Rituals products and they happened to be my favourite Rituals scent, Sakura. I've bought this myself many times, as well as numerous other products in both this range and others from Rituals. I absolutely adore this scent, it's a fresh, powdery and comforting floral and it makes me look forward to having a shower which is usually such a tedious but I suppose necessary task. She also bought me the shower oil which is a great product for using when your skin is dry but you don't have the time or inclination to moisturise your body. I have no doubts I'll be buying Rituals products in the future as I have been for years. 

*The Handmade Soap Company Shower Gel Lemongrass & Cedarwood 300ml, 18 Months, Made in Ireland €14

I was sent this from the Irish business Earthmother as part of a the Christmas campaign I did with Meta last year. I filmed an unboxing of gifts from Irish businesses including a hamper from Earthmother which included some products from The Handmade Soap Company. I gave some of them away but I kept this shower gel as I love the scent and I've used it before and loved it. I also love their candles, they have one in this scent and it's so invigorating. I'd gladly buy this again as it's such a beautiful product and it's always nice to support an Irish business where possible. 

**Kevin Murphy Angel Wash Shampoo 250ml, 12 Months, Made in Spain €27.50

My sister gave me this shampoo as it didn't work for her hair type. There was probably about two thirds of the bottle left when she gave it to me. I used it up a while ago and then reused the bottle to pour in the refill of the Kiehl's Amino Acid Shampoo than I mentioned in my last empties post. I really liked this, it worked very well for my hair which is fine, naturally curly untreated and uncoloured. I have no plans to buy this purely because of the price. My hair is very long at the moment as I haven't had it cut in almost two years so I go through quite a lot of shampoo and conditioner and therefore it doesn't make sense for me to buy expensive ones. Once it cleans my hair and smells nice I don't really mind what shampoo I use. I don't like spending a lot on wash off products like cleansers and shampoo and conditioner so I won't be purchasing this even though I really enjoyed using it. 

*Kiehl's Amino Acid Conditioner 500ml, 12 Months, Made in USA €37

Similar to the Kevin Murphy shampoo, I found this worked very well for my hair. My hair is quite dry but some conditioners can weigh it down and this one doesn't at all. It feels very light but still hydrating. Once again, even though I loved using this I wouldn't buy it because it's quite expensive although much better value than the Kevin Murphy products. Kiehls often do 20% off and it would definitely be worth buying then. 

Living Proof Curl Enhancer For Waves Conditioning Styler 100ml, 12 Months, Made in USA €19

I bought a set with this and the shampoo and conditioner in it when the range first lanched. I'm always interested to try products for curly hair and I really liked the shampoo and conditioner but the full sizes are expensive so I didn't ever repurchase them. I really like this, it did what I claimed and worked well when I diffused my hair. I would actually buy this again but I'm working my way through other curl creams at the moment. If you have curly or wavy hair I'd definitely check out this range, they also have a set for coily hair.

JVN Complete Pre-Wash Scalp Oil 50ml, 12 Months, Made in USA €29.50

I love this product, in fact I'm already on my second bottle. As the name suggests, you apply it as a treatment before shampooing your hair. I like to apply it around 15-30 minutes before I have a shower and use my Tangle Teezer scalp brush to really massage it into my scalp and then let it sit in my hair for a while. You just have to make sure you wash it out of your hair well because otherwise you'll have very oily roots and thats not fun. I have found an improvement to my hair since using this. As I've mentioned I haven't had my hair cut in two years and in that time I've had pregnancy hair and post-pregnancy hair loss and I'm now at the stage where I have such long hair but also lots of regrowth. I don't use heat on my hair too often and I don't colour my hair or do any treatments so I really wanted something to help my hair stay healthy. It has rosemary extract which is one of those trending ingredients at the moment because it's supposed to help with hair growth. It also smells incredible! I bought this in a set with a travel size Air Dry Cream and Instant Recovery Serum from Space NK. I had a 20% discount code so it worked out at such a great price for the three products. So if you're interested in this product, keep an eye out for discounts for Space NK and I'd definitely recommend getting this set so you get to try out the other two products. I mentioned that I don't like spending money on wash off products but this one genuinely works so I've made an exception. 

JVN Nurture Hydrating Shampoo 295ml, 12 Months, Made in USA €21

JVN Nurture Hydrating Conditioner 295ml, 12 Months, Made in USA €21

I'm going to include both of these products together. I bought them in December after trying the other JVN products and loving them. I had a 20% off discount code for Space NK so I thought I'd try them out. I actually couldn't use the conditioner for a while as the pump was broken and wouldn't open so I had to email customer service with a video demonstrating how it wasn't working and then they sent me a new one. When I finished this bottle I kept the pump for the second bottle of conditioner so I get to use another bottle of it. I started using it by shaking the product out but the packaging isn't squeezable so that was quite difficult. It also meant that when I was almost finished it I struggled to get the last of the product out of the bottle. I did love using these products, they made my hair look more hydrated which is always the goal for me to help with frizz. As I've mentioned with other products in this post, I'd prefer to buy leave-in products like the serum below, the Air Dry Cream or Pre-Wash Scalp Oil. I found because my hair is so long, I went through these quite fast and if I was to buy them full price as well as the other hair treatment products I'd end up having a pricey routine. While I'd love to be able to afford to use these all the time I just can't so for that reason I probably won't repurchase. If you have shorter hair or if you like to spend money on your shampoo and conditioner, these are worth trying. 

JVN Complete Instant Recovery Serum 25ml, 12 Months, Made in USA €14

I wrote about this in my last empties post and I feel the same way after using this travel size. I think this is a great product. I used it before Air Dry Cream and as I mentioned last time, it balances your hair's porosity so that other products can work more effectively and your hair retains it's moisture. It also works as a heat protectant. I'm using other products at the moment but I know I'll repurchase this in the future, I found it definitely helped my hair. All of the JVN products smell incredible too which is always a bonus! 

Biosen Deodorant Mineral Protective 150ml, Made in Italy €4.49

This isn't exactly the sexiest product, but it's a very necessary one. I've been using this brand for years mostly because they are for sensitive skin and I love the scents. I've used a couple of their deodorants and I've loved them. I don't feel anything strong about using aluminium free products, from what I've read it's a safe ingredient but as always it's completely up to you. I don't think I'll stray from this again after the debacle with the product below. 

Nécessaire The Deodorant Gel (Eucalyptus) x2 50ml, 12 Months, Made in the USA €20

I had heard very good things about this product and the brand in general and when Space NK had a sale last November I took that opportunity to try this deodorant. For some reason I decided to buy two thinking I would like them and I'd take advantage of the discount. Hopefully my experience with this product will teach me to never do that again with a product I haven't tried before. I started off really liking this, I'm a big fan if eucalyptus so I love the scent. It seemed to be working well but about halfway through the bottle I noticed that the skin in my armpit area was becoming discoloured and any time I used body moisturiser my skin there started to sting so badly that I had to wash it off. I wouldn't consider myself to be a particularly sweaty person and I don't usually notice any kind of body odour, my deodorant has always worked well. But this just didn't work. It was almost as if the more I used it the less it worked. I gave it a chance and finished the first bottle and started the next one but every time I shaved, applied moisturiser or used my usual deodorant my armpits would sting so much and even though my skin there can sometimes be senstive I've never had those issues before. Halfway through the second bottle I put it into the bag of empties and gave up. I had to wait a while before applying my regular deodorant again because after I stopped using this my armpits were still sensitive for a while. I learned a valuable and expensive lesson. I definitely won't be straying from my inexpensive deodorant again. 

*Casmara Body Moisturizing Cream 50ml, Made in Spain €3.50

I received this in a kit with some other travel size products and I'd never tried this brand before. I thought this was a great body moisturiser and it smelled amazing. I wouldn't buy it again because I think you can get similar for less money. I don't tend to spend a lot on body moisturisers and the full size is €15 which isn't expensive but I have cheaper products I love more like the one below. It's also hard to get your hands on this so that always puts me off unless it's a product I absolutely love. 

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Fragrance-Free 400ml, 12 Months, Made in USA €7.99

I bought this after I got a tattoo in September as it was recommend by the artist for my aftercare. I used to use the oil version of this for years as it was great for my dry skin, particularly on my legs. Once my tattoo was healed I kept using it all over my body as it was such a handy product being 400ml in a pump bottle. I also found it to be very hydrating. It's one I'm going to keep in mind the next time I need a body moisturiser. 

Rituals The Ritual of Ayurveda Softening Miracle Hand Scrub 70ml, 18 Months, Made in The Netherlands €12.90

I bought this at least a few years ago and I forgot I had it so it's going into my empties now even though I mostly used it up a while ago. I think I'll buy this again because my hands have been so dry for the past year, well for the past 3 years really. They never really recovered from how often I washed thme in work during the first year of c*v*d. It's an oil based scrub so it gets rid of any flaky skin without leaving your hands feeling dry. I used to use it in the evenings once a week and then applied a rich hand balm to lock in moisture.  It's not a necessity but I'm going to give it another go to see if it helps my hands. I know I've had at least two of these over the years and I do really like it. 

Flexitol Rapid Relief Hand Balm 56g, Made in the UK €6.99

Following on from the previous product, I've bought a few of these too. I use it at night as it's a bit heavier than my usual hand cream. It's another one of those boring but necessary products that actually works. I have just repurchased this again and I'm sure I will continue to do so. 

The totals are as follows:

20 PR Products: €707.75

24 Products bought by me: €488.86

3 Gifts/GWP: €42.40

Repurchases 14

The total is €1239.01 for 47 products  

This is three months worth of empties but I've been using most of these products for a lot longer than that. As I've mentioned in my previous empties posts, I didn't pay full price for most of the items I bought. I usually stock up on products when I have a discount code so I wouldn't have spent any more than €400 on those products and it was probably a lot less than that. I tried to include links to the products where they were the best price and in stock. It's strange to add up how much I spend on beauty products and then see how much is sent to me for free. It's made me contemplate my consumption of products much more than I had prevously. I mentioned in my post in December that I was embarking on a three month no-buy. It's now been three months and I definitely did not succeed in not buying anything. I was quite good at restraining myself at first but then the dam burst and I ended up buying more than I should have or needed to. I managed to resist both Half Magic launches and the new Lisa Eldridge products. Towards the middle of March I picked up a couple of things here and there and then I made an order for some Dieux skincare because they launched international shipping. I also jumped to order one of the new Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oils because their products always sell out and I haven't tried the brand yet. I also ordered the new eyeshadow palette, Give Yourself Grace when I realised they're vegan as I've been trying to find good vegan eye products because of me (self-diagnosed) sensitivity to the ingredient carmine. I had to dispose of most of my eye products that were red, pink or purple because carmine is a red pigment and they had been irritating my eyes. 

So as you can see I have indulged quite a bit, although not as much as I would have if I hadn't been consicously trying to restrain myself but I'm still disappointed. I know going cold turkey probably isn't the best plan of action for me but I think taking a different approach might be better for me. Going forward my plan is to give myself a monthly budget with which to buy products that interest me for both review purposes but also products that I think will integrate well into my collection for the kinds of content that I like to create on social media. I also get sent some press samples of makeup, although not as much as skincare, it is enough to sustain my content. I feel that this will be a better way of me controlling how much I spend and insuring that I carefully consider each purchase without buying on impulse which can be an issue for me. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, my circumstances have changed and I am no longer earning money so I have to reign myself in which is never a bad thing. Any small amount of money I acquire from affiliate links goes straight back into the monthly budget. It's not much because I don't tend to share them that often but it's better than nothing. I've had multiple inquiries about whether I have or plan to do a patreon or substack but for now I'm sticking to this blog, although I may try something else in the future. I am planning on starting a Youtube channel so that I can film more in depth makeup applications and reviews. For now, I've set up a Buy Me A Coffee page so that if people want to support what I do, they can do so quickly and easily on that page. I've linked it in the bio on my Instagram too. 

If you've read this far, thank you for your patience and for taking the time to read this blog post. I'd love to know if it's been helpful or interesting or if you've tried any of the products I've mentioned. 

Emma x