Empties 8- €1500 Worth of Beauty Products

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*PR Samples

**Repurchase/ Bought after trying a press sample

***Travel Size/ Mini

****Gift/ Gift with purchase

This is my first empties of the year. I've been doing them since 2022 and every three months since the start of 2023. They take a long time to put together and I could do them more often but I don't want to do too many per year. Just in case this is your first time reading one of these posts I'll give you a brief overview of why I decided to start writing them. I wanted to have somewhere to write more in depth review than an Instagram caption so that I am doing the products justice. Everything is so fast on social media and I missed the days of reading a review and getting more detail instead of seeing press drops and never hearing about the product again. I was opening products as I got them and using several in the same category at the same time so I couldn't tell what each product was doing. I decided to only have one product in each category open at any given time and once I finish it I write a short review with my thoughts, whether I think it's worth the money and if I would buy it again. At the end of the post I calculate how much I spent versus how much the press samples add up to as well as the amount of product, the recommended shelf life once opened and the country of manufacture. Most of the links are affiliate links to websites where the products are in stock and at the best price. I find this a great way to keep track of my spending habits as well as the products that I've been sent as press samples. After only having 24 products last time, I now have 43 to review so let's get into it. 

****Maison Margiela Replica By the Fireplace Eau de Toilette 100ml, 24m, Made in France €138

I haven't finished a fragrance this size in a long time. If I remember correctly, I was given this as a gift for Christmas 2020, so it took me three years to finish it. It wouldn't have taken me that long only for the fact that I didn't wear perfume for about a year or so after my daughter was born. I probably could have used this up a lot sooner but I was really rationing it because I know I won't be able to buy it again for a long time as perfume purchases are not exactly a priority at the moment while I'm not working. I'm also lucky enough to be sent perfumes from different brands, including Maison Margiela and I have a number of beautiful perfumes open at the moment. By the Fireplace is one of the first Replica scents I ever tried. I used to spray it on myself every time I was near a counter for about a year before I bought it myself and I was subsequently given this one as a gift for Christmas. As you can imagine from the name there is a smokiness to it, but it's also warm and sweet and sensual. It has top notes of Pink Pepper Essence, Orange Flower Absolute and Clove oil. Middle Notes of Chestnut Accord, Gaïac Wood Oil and Cade Oil. Base Notes of Vanilla Accord, Peru Balsam resinoïd and Cashmeran. I don't know what half of those things are but I adore this scent. If you like Jazz Club, Autumn Vibes or Whispers in the Library, this is along the same lines as it's quite an Autumn/Winter or evening scent, although I'd wear it any time of the year. Despite it being an eau de toilette, I find it lasts really well. You can smell that smoky wood scent at first and as you wear it throughout the day the warmth and vanilla become more apparent. I will absolutely be buying another bottle of this in the future because it makes me so happy to wear it. For now, I have Autumn Vibes and YSL Black Opium both of which I were sent as PR samples and will fill the void of By the Fireplace for now. 

*Lisa Eldridge Seamless Skin Foundation 30ml, 12m, Made in Italy €53

I have a full review of this foundation which you can read here. It's been a while since I wrote that review and I am probably even more enamoured with it now. My sister and I were actually chatting about it recently as I was telling her I was almost finished my bottle and she had recently finished hers. We were both saying that it's such an excellent foundation and nothing really compares to it. I received this as a PR sample in December of 2021 and reviewed it in April of 2022 so I've been wearing it for just over 2 years. Despite having a recommended 12 month shelf life once opened, it was still performing the exact same 2 years later. I’m not recommending that you use your products past their expiry date but I felt comfortable because the scent and texture were the same. It's 30ml of product and I probably would have finished it sooner but you need so little of it to get the perfect finish. I usually use no more than a pump and a half for my whole face and it's the perfect amount for medium coverage. You can build up the coverage in thin layers if you wish. It works so well at concealing redness and marks left behind from blemishes. I am keeping a tiny amount in the bottle so that if I can get my hands on the new Enhancing Tint, I can compare the shades. I also have a sample card of all the light shades so I can use that if I'm really missing it. I'm very curious to see how the coverage compares as I do like a very light coverage most days so hopefully I will get to compare them. 

The Seamless Skin Foundation has been my go-to for events or days when I want my makeup to last. It was so reliable and looked great at the end of the day which is quite a rarity for my combination skin. I am so sad that I finished the bottle as I can't justify buying another foundation. I will absolutely buy this foundation again at some point in the future. If I was working and had more expendable income I would have bought it straight away because it truly is the best. I know that many people are cutting back at the moment and so we want our products to really work for us. I feel 100% confident recommending this product and I feel it's worth the price because it lasts so well and it has versatile coverage.  If I was ever to get married I would wear this on my wedding day. If you haven't tried it yet, I highly recommend trying to get one of the sample cards on the website. I am hoping now that Space NK are stocking the brand, we will see a Lisa Eldridge counter in Dublin soon as I know that would be such a great resource for anyone who likes to try before they buy. For now, I'll have to live without it. Just a reminder that I also have a blog post where I swatched all of my concealers and foundations beside each other so that it might help you to choose the right shade. You can read it here. 

Lisa Eldridge Skin and Makeup Enhancing Mist 125ml, 12m, Made in the UK €45

This is quite a mist heavy empties and I'm starting with my favourite of the four that I finished recently. I bought this on the day it launched last April along with the Skin Enhancing Treatment Cleanser (reviewed here). I've been using it for almost a year so I've really gotten to grips with the formula and what it does for my skin. This is a multi-purpose mist that can be used as part of your skincare routine, to prep the skin for makeup, to settle makeup after application or to refresh your skin throughout the day. It's quite different to the other three mists mentioned below or the likes of the Urban Decay All Nighter which is more of a setting spray although this does set your makeup too. It's formulated with 98% natural-origin ingredients. It contains Filmexel which is also in the Seamless Skin Foundation and the Elevated Glow Highlighter. It restores radiance, smooths and sculpts the skin, prolongs the staying power of makeup and acts as a barrier against free radicals. It also contains Niacinamide which helps to improve skin barrier function and boosts radiance, Aloe Vera Leaf Juice to soothe, refresh and improve the skin's moisture levels as well as a mixture of 8 amino acids.  This product is so much more than a mist and it truly does make a difference to the overall appearance of my skin and my makeup. I found it particularly brilliant for the colder Winter months when my skin can be quite dry and sometimes makeup doesn't sit as well. I had a mist that I was using in my skincare routine so I kept this to use when I was wearing makeup. It was ideal for prepping my skin if it was particularly dry or if it had been a while between applying my skincare and starting my makeup. It was also excellent at bringing cohesion to the makeup. If my foundation wasn't looking it's best, if my skin looked a bit dry, if I applied too much powder or if anything looked disjointed in any way. This mist was a miracle worker for bringing everything together and making my skin and makeup look more harmonious. It has a very fine mist and no scent which is very rare to find in a mist as they are usually quite fragranced. 

I know it's objectively expensive but if I was to recommend one of the four mists from this round of empties it would 100% be the Skin and Makeup Enhancing Mist. If you look at the price per litre, the Clarins Fix' Make-Up is €30 for 50ml so it would be €75 for 125ml. The YSL Nu Dewy Mist probably would work out the same price as it's only 100ml. If this sounds like your kind of product and your budget allows, I really don't think you would be disappointed. This is one I was truly sad to use up and I hope I can buy it again in the future. 

*YSL Beauty Nu Dewy Mist 100ml, 12m, Made in France €33

I've been using this since I got it at a YSL event last year and I've been especially loving it during the Winter months. It is a bi-phase mist like the Pixi Glow Mist mentioned below so you have to shake it up before use. It contains 7% oils, hyaluronic acid and glycerin so it's ideal for anyone with dry skin or anyone who likes extra hydration and a more dewy finish. It has a satisfying ultra-fine mist and a scent that I love. You could use it just as a skincare mist but I loved using it over longwear foundations, if I had powdered too much or if my skin was particularly dry. I didn't use it every day so it's lasted me a long time but I'd recommend it if you have dry skin or if you like a dewy finish to your skin. However, the Pixi Glow Mist below does pretty much the same thing and although it's 20ml less it's significantly less expensive so I'd probably opt for that instead, even though I did love this one. 

**Pixi Glow Mist 80ml, 12m, Made in Korea €20

I've bought this product countless times over the years. If you search "Pixi Glow Mist" in the search bar on the blog you will see it's one of my most used products. I've also reviewed it in a previous empties post in 2022. I usually buy the 160ml size bottle as it's only a few Euro more than the 80ml. This is usually the only glowy mist I have in my collection and I would have used it up sooner but I had the Lisa Eldridge one and the YSL Nu Dewy Mist. I would say it's the most similar to the YSL one as they're both bi-phase with an oil layer and they both add glow to the skin. It contains a mixture of oils including rose flower oil, lavender oil, olive oil, grape seed oil, evening primrose oil, jojoba oil, safflower seed oil and tea tree leaf oil. It also contains niacinamide, hyaluronic acid (in the form of sodium hyaluronate), panthenol (a humectant that helps to moisturise the skin) and adenosine (anti-inflammatory, helps to boost collagen and elastin production and helps with barrier repair and protection). The only reason I'm not buying another one straight away is that I have three hydrating mists that I was sent from other brands in my stash and as I mentioned I'm trying to only buy products if I don't have anything similar in my collection. I have no problem whole-heartedly recommending this to anyone who wants some extra hydration or glow to their skin as it's such great value for money and it genuinely works. I will without a doubt be buying it again at some stage in the future. 

*Clarins Fix' Make-Up 50ml, 18m, Made in France €30

As you can probably tell if you've read the above reviews, this was my least favourite out of the four mists I used up recently. It wasn't a bad product by any means, I enjoyed using it. I've mentioned it in a previous empties post too. It has the same fine mist as the others and a light rose scent which is quite fresh rather than perfumed. It contains glycerin, rose flower water, grapefruit extract, allantoin (soothes, skin-softening, protecting and healing), aloe leaf juice and camellia leaf extract/ green tea (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory). It's more of a traditional setting mist like the Urban Decay All Nighter but it also refreshes and hydrates the skin. The only reason I would choose the others over this is value for money. It's €30 for 50ml which is the most expensive per litre out of the four and sadly that means I would say the others are better value. This is another case of a product that isn't bad, I just have others I prefer that do the same thing. 

*/***Lancôme Monsieur Big Mascara 2ml, 6m, Made in France €8

I know I've reviewed this mascara on my blog before so I'll keep this brief. I still love this mascara, it's up there with my all-time favourites for volume and impact. I first bought it about five years ago and you can see me wearing it here, here, here and here. I also have a video on Instagram where you can see me applying it. Depending on your preferences this may not be the ideal everyday, minimal makeup mascara but it's perfect for when you're wearing more eye makeup and you want your lashes to stand out. I'm sure I will buy this again at some point in the future. 

*Lancôme Idôle Liner Ultra Precision Waterproof Liner 1ml, 6m, Made in Germany 01 Glossy Black, 04 Matte Emerald Green €27

I was sent both of these liners as PR samples last year and I was excited to try them because I know they're the result of Lisa Eldridge working as the Global Creative Director for Lancôme. I tend to prefer a thin brush tip liquid liner so I wasn't sure if I would like this product as it has a felt tip. However, the nib is super thin and flexible so it is very easy to create a line. I loved the matte emerald green shade in particular as it was such a nice alternative to black. I wore this with just mascara quite a bit when I wanted something on my eyes that didn't take too much time or effort. You can see me applying the black here and the green here. While I loved these liners, I still prefer the Hindash Heroline or the Surratt Auto-Graphique and I have recently started using the Lisa Eldridge Kitten Flick which has the thinnest brush I've ever tried. The Hindash Heroline is the least expensive so I would probably go for that but I do think this is a great liquid liner. 

*Clio Kill Lash Superproof Mascara (02 Volume Curling) 7g, 6m, Made in Korea €12.79

I was sent this in a PR package from Stylevana last November. I didn't know what was being sent but I was delighted when I opened the package and saw this because Alexandra Anele always raves about it in her YouTube videos and I've been dying to try it. There are 8 different types of this mascara including a chocolate brown and a rose brown. This is a no-nonsense, waterproof mascara that holds a curl and lasts all day without flaking and smudging. It has a thin wand that allows you to get right into the inner corners and the lash line so that you can coat every tiny lash fully and get most of the volume at the roots of the lashes. It's such a great waterproof mascara, I don't always wear waterproof but I like to during the Summer because I suffer from hayfever and my eyes water a lot. I have three mascaras open at the moment and a few others in my stash so I don't need a new one at the moment but I will definitely buy this myself in the future and I'd recommend it for anyone with particularly straight lashes because it's so great at lifting and holding a curl. I have a few Instagram videos applying this mascara, you can see one of them here. 

 

The Inkey List Tripeptide Plumping Lip Balm 10ml, 6m, Made in UK €12

I have four lip products to review this time around and three of them were disappointing products that I wouldn't buy again. Sadly this is one of those three. I bought it as I had seen someone recommend it on social media and it was on offer in Boots at the time so I thought it would be worth trying as it's always handy to have a tube of lip balm to keep in my bag. From the first use I didn't like this product. It has an artificial, almost plastic kind of scent that I find quite unpleasant. I also find the product seems to separate in the tube so when I squeeze it at first the thinner oils come out and then the thicker balm part comes out so it's a bit messy. I also find my lips feel more dry after using this. It's not nourishing enough for me and I was very disappointed. I'd much rather go for the Naturium Phyto-Glow Lip Balm (reviewed here) which is almost the same price for the same amount and feels much better on my lips. 

NUXE Very Rose Lip Balm 15g, 6m, Made in France €15

This was another lip disaster, it's not technically an empty because I couldn't bring myself to finish it. It's probably 2/3 full. I have bought and used and loved the Rêve de Miel for years, my first mention of it on this blog was 12 years ago! I've bought countless pots of it over the years but I haven't had it in a while because I started using the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask. I know it's been reformulated since the last time I used it so I don't know how much it has changed but last year I decided to try this rose version as I hadn't had a NUXE lip balm in a while and I figured I'd like it since I loved the Rêve de Miel. I don't know if I got a defective one but the texture of this lip balm is so grainy and uncomfortable. It feels like I brought it to the beach and got sand in the pot. The scent is quite sickly and unpleasant too. I usually quite like rose-scented products but it's a sweet, perfumed rose that is not nice to have on my lips just under my nose all day. I hated applying this lip balm and I got to the point where I had to give up because I was dreading putting it on. I hate wasting a product but I couldn't do it to myself. I don't think I'd buy the Rêve de Miel again now either just in case it has that same texture. I do think it was such great value as a tub usually lasted me for 6 months of daily use but I'll have to do some research before spending my money on it again. If you've had a similar experience, or if you've tried the reformulated Rêve de Miel, please do let me know. 

Rhode Peptide Lip Tint 10ml, 12m, Made in Italy €20

This is one of the most hyped products of recent years and it's all down to the brand founder, Hailey Bieber. I can't remember the last time someone was so influential in the beauty world. I know Hailey Bieber as being the "Nepo Baby", daughter of Stephen Baldwin, a model and socialite, married to Justin Bieber and what I would describe as a celebrity Influencer. She could make any product or makeup look go viral and it's truly fascinating to see how she has influenced the beauty industry and social media. Launching her own brand was a genius move and Rhode seems to have gone from strength to strength with products selling out, a viral lip balm holder phone case and rave reviews from Content Creators, Influencers, Makeup Artists and Beauty Journalists. When Rhode started shipping to Ireland last October, I decided to place an order and see for myself what the fuss was all about. The order took a while to arrive and while I was waiting on it I saw a few of the creators that I follow mentioning that their Peptide Lip Treatments and Tints had a grainy consistency. I was hoping that it wouldn't happen to me but sadly both of the Peptide Lip Tints I bought felt grainy. I was able to make this one, Ribbon, work by keeping it in my pocket so that my body heat melted the grains but when I opened Toast it was much worse and trying to warm it up doesn't help it all. It's uncomfortable to wear, it feels like you wore a lip balm to the beach on a windy day and ended up with sandy lips. After paying €20 for each of them I was obviously very disappointed. It was inconvenient to have to preempt wanting to wear the first one and having to keep it in my pocket before applying it but I just can't wear a grainy lip balm, it's not a pleasant experience. When the grains melted in Ribbon it was actually a lovely product that felt nourishing. It wasn't 100% smooth but it looked nice and kept my lips hydrated. I can't recommend them based on my experience. I know people who love these lip products and have never experienced the graininess but I wouldn't risk buying another one and wasting more money. If I receive a reply from their customer service I will update this blog post. If you're looking for something similar and more reliable I loved the Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm and the Naturium Phyto-Glow Lip Balm. 

EDIT: I heard other people say they emailed Rhode and didn't get much of a helpful reply so I didn't bother to email customer service at first but after writing this post I decided to drop them an email. Their customer service team got back to me quite quickly asking for the order details and batch numbers and they then refunded me for the two Peptide Lip Treatments so I'm happy with that. I don't think I'd ever buy from them again though, there are so many brands out there and I wouldn't want to risk something going wrong again. 

*Clarins Lip Comfort Oil (05 Apricot) 7ml, 6m, Made in France €26

I first bought one of these when they launched in 2015 and I mentioned it in my 2017 favourites. It has since been reformulated and I reviewed it again which you can read here. Since I've already written a full review I won't go into too much detail except to say that this is one of those holy grail lip products for me. I've been wearing them for 8 years now, I've bought them myself and been sent press samples. It's also probably the product I have bought the most for friends and family as birthday or Christmas gifts because it seems to be a hit with everyone and the shades are so sheer you can't really go wrong. I love everything about them. The packaging, the applicator, the shades, the scent and the texture. It also genuinely makes my lips feel and look better. I used the shade Honey as an overnight lip treatment. The more colourful shades like Apricot, work great when worn alone, over a neutral lip liner or on top of a stain or lipstick for added shine and hydration. It is formulated with 93% naturally derived ingredients including jojoba, hazelnut and organic rosehip star oil to nourish, comfort, strengthen, hydrate, repair and protect the lips. It has a consistency that's thicker than an oil so it adheres to the lips but feels smooth and comfortable. The scent is fruity and sweet and makes you want to apply it over and over again. If you can't tell I love this product. I have two open at the moment that were sent as press samples and a third arrived last week so I'm stocked up for a while but I would have no problem spending my own money on them again. You can see me applying it here.

**Garnier Express 2-in-1 Eye Make-Up Remover 125ml, 6m, Made in Poland, €4.99 X2

This product has been in multiple previous empties posts so once again I'll keep this brief. This is my go-to waterproof eye makeup remover. I usually only use it when I have a waterproof mascara so I'm not using it much at the moment. I tend to stock up when it's on offer for a third off in Boots. It's inexpensive and it removes waterproof eye makeup with ease without irritating my eyes. I'll continue to buy it unless something better and cheaper comes along. 

**Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm 90g, 12m, Made in Korea €43

I've mentioned this in two other empties posts here and here. I haven't had it in a while because it's expensive but last October Cult Beauty released some beauty edits and one of them was a skincare one that included this cleanser and it was only €2 more than the cleanser itself. It also included some other great products so I took the opportunity to have it back in my life because I've really missed it. I won't go into too much detail as I've already written about the brand and the ingredients in those previous empties posts but I still love this cleanser. It's such a joy to use as it has the most beautiful soft balm texture and a citrus scent that feels invigorating. It removes makeup easily and a little goes a long way. This cleanser and the Lisa Eldridge one are my top two cleansers of all time. It is expensive so I only ever buy it when there is 20% off but if you have the budget it's such a gorgeous product. 

*YSL Pure Shots Clean Reboot Mousse Cleansing Cream-to-Foam, 125ml, 12m, Made in France €40 

I'm not a big fan of mousse/foam cleansers so this cleanser was already at a disadvantage. I prefer a balm, oil or creamy texture. I used this after removing my makeup with a balm and as foaming cleansers go it didn't leave my skin feeling dry which can happen with most foaming cleansers. It's supposed to control excess sebum and cleanse the skin from all urban life impurities like pollution. It has a fresh floral scent too. It wasn't a bad cleanser by any means but it's just not my texture preference and for €40 I would want to love it. 

*Lancôme Crème Mousse Confort (Dry Skin) 125ml, 12m, Made in France €36

I've mentioned this in an empties post from last year which you can read here. It's a similar idea to the YSL one above but it's more aimed at dry skin and I find it more comfortable and creamy. I much prefer this one as I like a cleanser that feels more hydrating. It has a fresh rose scent so if you don't like fragrance I would avoid it. I used this after using a balm to remove my makeup and in the morning if I felt my skin needed a cleanse. I liked it but I wouldn't buy it myself as I tend to spend less on a second cleanser. 

**Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic 200ml, 12m, Made in UK €23

I mentioned this in my first empties post from 2022 as I had been using the Instant Boost Skin Tonic Spritzer which has been discontinued. I decided to buy the tonic version which I had years ago and decant it into a spray bottle. I bought it on offer in Boots so it was about 20% off and because it was 200ml it lasted for ages. I use this after cleansing and before serums as I find it calms and comforts my skin and it has the best scent. I have a couple of mists that were sent by other brands so I'll use those up before repurchasing this but I'm hoping they will relaunch the Spritz version as I loved it. 

*IT Cosmetics Miracle Water Anti-Aging 3-in-1 Tonic 250ml, 12m, Made in Korea €35

This product has been discontinued which seems to be a common occurence with IT Cosmetics products. I was recently at an event with IT Cosmetics and Brand Ambassador Rose told us that usually when they discontinue something it's so that they can reformulate and make it better. Hopefully that will happen with this product as I found it to be a great multi-use product that works as a micellar water, treatment and essence. There's not much point in me writing a full review but if I hear that it's coming back I will update this post. 

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

This is another recurring empty, it's my third bottle since 2022 and I have a fourth open at the moment. The PR team from REN recently contacted me for the first time and sent me another one. I'm delighted as it's one of my most repurchased products and I've been using it for almost ten years now. It's an exfoliating toner containing lactic acid to gently eliminate dead skin cells and excess sebum leaving the skin clarified, hydrated, smooth and more even. This product works really well for my skin and it lasts for ages so it's great value for money. It's probably the product that has been in my skincare routine the most consistently and I can't imagine ever not using it.  

***/****Clarins Comfort Scrub 15ml, 18m, Made in France €9.90

My mam got this as a gift with purchase when she was buying her Clarins Cleanser and Toner and she gave it to me because she knows I like it. I had the full size in 2020, she sent it to me as a surprise during lockdown because she had used it and loved it and thought I'd like it too. I usually go for chemical exfoliants but sometimes it's nice to have a physical one. This is an oil-based scrub with sugar microcrystals made from beetroot. It also contains squalane, glycerin, mango butter, sunflower seed oil and rosemary leaf extract. It's recommended that you use it once or twice a week and the full 50ml size is €33. It does last for a long time as you're not using it that often. It has a beautiful sweet scent and it really does feel warming and comforting on my skin. It's great at getting rid of any dry or flaky skin which I can sometimes get around my nose or after a blemish but because of the oils in the formula, it doesn't feel stripping like some physical exfoliants. It's not something I would always have in my routine but I would definitely buy it again. 

**Farmacy Honey Potion Renewing Antioxidant Hydration Mask 50g, 12m, Made in the USA €42

This is another product that I have reviewed in a previous empties post. I bought it for the third time in December of 2022 along with the Caudalie mask below. This is an excellent mask for the Winter months as it gives your skin a boost of comfort and hydration. This version seems to be discontinued and there is the Honey Potion Plus Ceramide Hydration Mask now. It's a warming mask with a sticky consistency and a honey scent. You massage it onto the skin for a couple of minutes and it warms up and transforms into a white cream which you then leave on for 10-15 minutes before rinsing off. I find it comforts my skin, gives it a boost of hydration and leaves it feeling replenished. I tend to use this once a week during the colder months so I'll probably wait until next Autumn to buy it again. It also has a magnetic spatula that attaches to the lid, a genius idea! It comes in a 50g size and also in a 117g size. 

Caudalie Vinergetic C Instant Detox Mask 75ml, 9m, Made in France €29

I bought this because I like to have a clay mask for my T-zone when it gets particularly oily. I used this once a week or as needed on my T-zone so it lasted me a long time. It contains kaolin and bentonite which absorb excess oil and make pores appear smaller. It also contains grape extract, lavender oil, sandalwood oil, parsley seed oil and glycerin. I hate the word detox used to sell anything but if you want a mask that will remove excess oil it definitely does that. I bought this at 20% off and it lasted me for about a year so I would buy it again but I also wouldn't be opposed to using any other clay mask. It's not a necessity unless you have particularly oily skin and you find these kinds of masks help. It also comes in a 35ml size so that you can try it out before committing to the full size. 

Naturium Multi-Peptide Eye Cream 15ml, Made in the USA €21

I bought this along with the Phyto-Glow Lip Balm from Space NK last year as I needed an eye cream to use during the day. I had heard some great things about Naturium and the products are well priced. There was also 20% off at the time so I think it worked out at around €16. I loved this product, I found it worked well at keeping my eye area hydrated but it wasn't too heavy. My makeup sat perfectly on top of it too. I tend to have dry under eyes and can suffer from milia and dry patches sometimes and this eye cream didn't cause me any issues. I use the Medik8 Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye 3 in the evenings so it was great to have a hydrating eye cream for the daytime. It contains peptides, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, jojoba seed oil, squalane and panthenol. I also love that Naturium has an ingredient library on the website so that you can read about all of the ingredients they use in their products. I have a couple of eye creams I was sent in press drops that I'm using at the moment and once I've used them up I'll be buying this again. 

*Lancôme Rénergie H.C.F. Triple Serum 50ml, 12m, Made in France €125

I reviewed this in my second empties in July of 2022 which you can read here. It's since gone up in price (like everything) from €112 to €125. Since I've already reviewed it I'll try to be brief. It contains a cocktail of hyaluronic acid, vitamin C + niacinamide and ferulic acid. This combination is supposed to visibly correct the look of wrinkles, firmness and dark spots. I loved what this serum did for my skin and the only reason I wouldn't buy it myself is that it's not in my budget.

*bareMinerals Ageless 10% Phyto-Retinol* Night Concentrate 30ml, 12m, Made in the USA €66

For a product that I would consider to be expensive, I didn't find this did anything noticeable for my skin. Phyto-Retinol is never going to do what retinol does but it could be a good substitute if you can't use retinol for one reason or another. There are other night serums I prefer, the bareMinerals Skinlongevity Serum worked so much better for my skin. I wouldn't buy this myself. 

*L’Oréal Paris Midnight Serum 30ml, 12m, Made in Poland €39.99

This serum contains ingredients like glycerin, squalane, salicylic acid, vitamin E, biotin, hyaluronic acid and black tea ferment (which smooths skin and mproves radiance and texture). It’s a nice serum but I didn’t notice much of a difference in my skin with it. The dropper was particularly annoying because half the time it didn’t lift up any product so I had to try over and over to get anything in the dropper and it was always such a tiny amount. I’ve seen other reviews where people have said the same thing so I know it wasn’t just me. If it was an amazing serum I might still have bought it myself despite the dodgy dropper but seeing as I have others I prefer I wouldn’t buy this myself. 

*IT Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream 60ml, 12m, Made in USA, €53 

This cream was recently reformulated and this jar was the older formula so I don't know how relevant my thoughts will be but my mam is currently using the new formula and she loves it. I really love the IT Cosmetics skincare line (even though they love to discontinue products). I've been sent products and I've bought them myself which I think is always a good sign. It's quite a good in-between price point that you can often find with 20% off. This would be more of a cold weather moisturiser for me as it's quite thick but I loved using it. I prefer the gel version during the Summer as it's hydrating but lightweight. I don't think you need to spend this much on a moisturiser, I don't think I'd buy this myself as it's a bit too expensive for my budget and I'd prefer to spend on treatments and serums and buy a less expensive moisturiser. 

Elemis Pro-Collagen Overnight Matrix Night Cream 30ml, 12m, Made in England, €125

I got this as part of the Cosmetips X Katie Jane Hughes collaboration in 2022. It contained 11 full size products for £115 and this moisturiser was £102 at the time so it was excellent value (if you wanted the products of course). I haven't tried much from Elemis, I think the only other product of theirs that I bought was the Superfood Cleansing Butter. I liked this moisturiser but for €125 it would want to be the best I've ever tried. I could never justify spending that much on a moisturiser that will only last a few months. 

*/***Lancôme Rénergie H.P.N. 300 Peptide Cream 15ml, 12m, Made in France X2 €39 (30ml) 

I was sent two 15ml sizes of this moisturiser on separate occasions so I decided to use them one after the other to get a good idea of what I thought of it. As the name suggests, it is formulated with over 300 types of peptides along with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide. This combination is supposed to help the skin regenerate faster, reducing the appearance of wrinkles, evening out skin tone and helping with elasticity. All I know is that I loved the results of using this cream, particularly combined with the Rénergie Serum. It comes in 4 different sizes, 15ml, 30ml, 50ml and 75ml and the 75ml is around €125 so it's an expensive moisturiser which is why I wouldn't buy it myself. If you find these particular ingredients work well for you, you could always try the 15ml to see what you think. If you're looking for something similar, Naturium has a Multi-Peptide Moisturizer (I mentioned the eye version above) and it contains peptides, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid and it's €24 for 50ml. I'm not saying you're going to get the same results with both, I know that products could have the exact same ingredients but be formulated completely differently and have different quality ingredients but it's worth a try if like me, you don't have the budget to spend €100 on a moisturiser. 

*IT Cosmetics Confidence in a Neck Cream 80ml, 12m, Made in Korea €51 

This is yet another IT Cosmetics product that has been discontinued. There's no point in me reviewing something that can't be bought anymore so I'll be brief. I don't think you need a neck cream, you can just bring your facial skincare down further which is what I do. If it's something you would like to use, lots of brands have neck and décolleté creams including Neostrata, Prai, Clarins and L'Occitane, Nécessaire, Dermalogica, Chantecaille, La Mer and StriVectin. I gave the bareMinerals one to my mam last year and she absolutely loved it. However, at the moment it's not a product I would seek to buy again. 

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

I've already mentioned this twice before so if you want to read my full thoughts you can do so here and here just so I'm not repeating myself too much. This was my third bottle and I haven't repurchased it yet because I'm using a different scalp treatment at the moment but I definitely will be once I finish my current one. I get my hair cut once a year and I don't spend any money on getting my hair blow dried or getting treatments done. I don't colour my hair at all either so overall my hair routine is quite low maintenance. I'm happy to buy good haircare products that I feel help to maintain the condition of my hair and this is one that really makes a difference. 

***Oribe Supershine Moisturizing Cream 50ml, 12m, Made in the USA, €24 

I bought the hair version of the Cult Beauty Edit box and this was one of the products that came with it. I've never tried anything from Oribe before so I was excited to try this travel size. It's a lightweight leave-in conditioner that is supposed to even out moisture levels in the hair, calm frizz, elevate shine and protect against heat. I applied it to damp hair and then diffused it dry. I'm always sceptical about hair products because I've tried so many and I've found few that actually make a difference. This product worked so well for my hair. I have fine hair that I would describe as 3A curls and there is a lot of it. It tends to be on the dry side and I would have a lot of frizz. I found this cream moisturised my hair without weighing it down and left it smooth and soft with defined curls. It also smells incredible, not a necessity but it definitely helps. The 50ml size lasted much longer than I thought it would too. The full size is 150ml and it's about €66. I would love to buy this again but it's just too expensive. For now, I'll have to stick to my JVN Air Dry Cream. 

***Hair by Sam McKnight Cool Girl Barely There Texture Mist 50ml, Made in the UK, €13.50

I bought this after my hair stylist used it on my hair the last time I got it cut. She was saying that she didn't like the scent and I can understand why, it's quite botanical and leafy, described as smelling like Sam McKnight's garden in the rain. It contains frankincense, juniper wood and water lily, it's definitely a scent that grows on you. I decided to buy this mini size when Cult Beauty had 20% off so it worked out at just under €11. I know this is one of those hyped up products but I found it worked so well. It's probably the most sophisticated texture mist I've ever tried. It's such a fine mist that doesn't feel heavy or sticky in your hair and can be brushed out easily. I was going to buy the full size but I needed a hairspray and I then saw that they have a product called the Modern Hairspray Multi-Task Styling Mist which is a heat protectant, hairspray and texture mist all in one and I've been loving using that. I don't heat style my hair too often so it should last me for a long time but I absolutely would buy the Cool Girl spray again, if you're looking for extra volume and texture, it could be worth trying this mini size. The brand is now available in Arnotts and Brown Thomas if you're based in Dublin and you want to try before you buy. 

*L’Oréal Paris Elvive Full Resist Reinforcing Shampoo 250ml, Made in France €9.99

*L’Oréal Paris Elvive Full Resist Break-Proof Conditioner 250ml, 12m, Made in France €8.99

I'm reviewing these products together because I feel the same way about both and I used them together. This is a relatively new product line that is supposed to protect and strengthen your hair to prevent breakage and hair fallout. This line contains aminexil (an ingredient that fights hair loss by strengthening the hair fibers attachment to the scalp), arginine (an amino acid that promotes hair strength) and biotin (promotes hair growth). I found both products worked well for my hair, they didn't weigh it down, it felt clean and moisturised and the scent was nice. I'm not particularly loyal to any one shampoo or conditioner and I tend to go with what I can afford because I prefer to spend a bit on styling products. I'd buy these again because they are quite affordable and I liked using them. 

****Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream 100ml, 18m, Made in France, €26 

I have written about this product in multiple other empties posts so I'm just going to copy one of those posts because everything I wrote still stands. This is a product I have used on and off for almost 20 years. My mam would buy it and I'd use hers (probably without her knowing) and then I used to buy it myself almost every time I was in the airport. It's one of those products that when you don't have it you don't think you need it but when you start using it again you realise that it's unrivalled in its excellence and it makes a genuine difference to your hands. I was just sent another tube from Clarins and I was so grateful. I probably won't have this product all the time but I will most definitely buy it again and again in the future.

**O’Keefes Working Hands Overnight Intensive Hand Cream 80ml, 24m  Made in the USA €13.99

I've reviewed this product before and I'm currently on my third tube. It's a great overnight treatment for dry hands, it does what it claims to do and for that reason and the fact it's a good price, I'll continue to buy it. 

L’Occitane Nail & Cuticle Oil 7.5ml, 12m, Made in France €17.50

This is a cuticle oil in a tube with a brush tip that allows you to easily apply it to your nails. It has the L'Occitane shea butter scent and the packaging means it's handy to keep in your bag. However, I repurchased the Essie Apricot Nail & Cuticle Oil instead of buying the L'Occitane one again. It's in a glass nail polish bottle and contains 13.5ml for €12.99. You can get it in a rollerball tube but it's €20.99 for the same amount as the glass bottle. The Essie one in the glass bottle is the best value for money and that's why I wouldn't repurchase the L'Occitane one even though it works well, smells beautiful and comes in convenient packaging.

O.P.I. Start to Finish Base Coat, Top Coat, Nail Strengthener 15ml, 24m, Made in the USA €23.90

This was a handy 3-in-1 nail product. I always do my own nails, I've never had them done professionally so I don't mind buying some good nail products. I'm using another base coat, top coat and nail strengthener at the moment but I might buy this again when I use those up as it would be convenient to have all three in one product and it's more cost-effective. 

The totals are as follows:

19 PR Products: €720.76

19 Products bought by me: €561.37

6 Travel/Sample Size 

4 Part of a Set

9 Repurchases

13 Products previously emptied and reviewed

 Gifts or Gift With Purchase: €173.90

The total is 41 products: €1456.03

I finished these products over the three month period since my last post at the end of December. I've been using some of them for two years or more.  As I always mention, the amount of money I spent on those 19 products is much lower as I rarely buy anything full price. I probably didn't spend any more than €400 on the products I bought and I would imagine it was less as some products were part of sets (like the JVN hair product, the Elemis Moisturiser and the Then I Met You Cleansing Balm). If there's anything you'd like to see me try or anything you'd like swatches of, a Reel on or a blog post about, please do send me a DM on Instagram or leave a comment here. 

You can also visit my ShopMy profile to see collections of all my favourite beauty products by category. If you've made it this far, I want to thank you for taking the time to read such a lengthy blog post. I love putting these posts together even though they are quite time consuming so the fact that other people might find them helpful makes it so worthwhile. If you enjoyed this blog post or found it helpful and you'd like to support what I do, you can Buy Me A Coffee which helps to fund my work as a Content Creator. 

I'd love to know if you've tried any of these products and what you think, does your opinion differ from mine? Are any of them on your wishlist to try? 

Emma x

Empties 4- €1200 Worth of Beauty Products

This post contains affiliate links, if you buy something based on my recommendation using the links below, I will receive a small commission but it won't cost you anything extra.

*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