Seven Months of Empties!

 

Hello my lovelies!!! :)

I finally decided to get all my empties together and write another empties post for you guys! I had no idea that I had collected so many :O I've grouped them in order of category and application: cleansers, toners, serums, moisturisers and SPF (plus lip balm, eyecream and a few travel minis). I'm going to be giving you my honest thoughts and opinions on each product, as well as ranking them and whether I would repurchase or not. So let's just get straight into it...

Simple Micellar Cleansing Water: This is a perfectly fine cleanser for eye makeup however it's not very good at removing waterproof mascara. I've since moved onto the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water for oily/combination skin. It performs the same but is slightly more effective (7/10, MRP)

La Roche Posay Thermal Spring Water: I've gone through several of these cans as a way of misting my face before applying toners and serums. I find that they absorb alot better into the skin, as well as refreshing me in the morning. It basically does what it says on the tin and is a no-frills product. However I have since found a cheaper alternative in Savers which does the exact same job for a fraction of the price (7/10, MRP)

Geek & Gorgeous Jelly Joker Cleanser: I bought this based on a recommendation from Abbey Yung (YouTuber). She is always raving about how gentle and effective this cleanser is, so I wanted to try it for myself. The price was very reasonable and I managed to find it on Amazon with no added postage. I found this to be abit thick and balmy rather than jelly-like. It didn't lather and I had to rub quite hard to wash it off (5/10, WNRP)

Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner: This is the 300ml bottle which has lasted me around a year, more or less. I bloody love this toner! It's super hydrating and soothing, and has the calming scent of lavendar which is perfect for nighttime. I've been using this toner for about 2 years now and have never looked back! (10/10, WRP)

Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water: I've used this toner once before and I have to admit I wasn't immediately sold. Mainly because of the herbal scent which is the natural smell of ginseng. Although I didn't appreciate it at the time, my skin was the best it's ever been whilst using this product. So I decided to give it another chance and was not disappointed! I find it's best applied to damp skin in 2 layers and leaves my skin feeling plump and hydrated (8/10, WRP)

iUnik Propolis Vitamin Synergy Serum: I have used about 6 bottles of this serum by now and it has been a firm favourite in my morning routine. I've experimented with a couple of other Vitamin C serums but none have given me the results that this has. It contains seabuckthorn, propolis, niacinamide, centella and witch hazel. The witch hazel and niacinamide help with oil control, whereas the propolis and seabuckthorn help to heal my acne scars and keep my skin barrier strong (9/10, WRP)

Purito Centella Unscented Serum: This is another oldie but a goodie! I've gone through multiple bottles of this serum as it is so effective at soothing and calming my skin. It also helps with oil control and has anti-aging ingredients such as peptides. Centella and ceramides also help repair the skin barrier. Perfect serum if you need something for sensitive skin that has a plethora of benefits for the skin (10/10, WRP).

Geek & Gorgeous aPAD Serum: This gentle serum contains a derivative of azelaic acid which is known for reducing hyperpigmentation and redness in the skin. I mainly used this to help fade my acne scars and it seemed to work a treat! My pimples never last longer than a few days and this serum helps them to heal alot faster. However I am currently trying out a tranexamic acid serum for the same purpose, so we'll see how it compares! (8/10, MRP)

Aveeno Calm & Restore Triple Oat Serum (x2): I have gone through about 3 of these bottles due to a weakened skin barrier about 6 months ago. At first I used it everyday, twice a day, to help calm the irritation. But when my skin got stronger I used it on exfoliation nights (3 times a week) as a way of soothing my skin. I liked the creamy gel texture, however I no longer need this product in my routine (8/10, MRP)

The Inkey List Omega Water Cream: This was another YouTube recommendation which was raved about by several YouTubers, however I wasn't impressed. It provided zero moisture with just a whisper of hydration. It also left a tacky feeling on the skin and didn't absorb very well. Never using this moisturiser again! (3/10, WNRP)

No7 Hydra Luminous Water Surge Gel (x2): This is the closest dupe I have found for the Hydro Boost Water Gel... ever! I have been looking for an AM moisturiser that I enjoyed as much as that one but never found a good alternative. Until I discovered this moisturiser about 6 months ago! It has a lightweight gel consistency that melts into the skin, leaving it feeling plump and hydrated. My skin feels smooth and it doesn't pill under sunscreen, which is very rare with moisturisers. Love it, love it, love it! It's also been reduced at Boots for Advantage Card members... bonus!! (10/10, WRP)

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Sleeping Cream: I have loved this moisturiser for the past 3 years and for awhile I didn't use anything else in my PM routine! However I now have 4 other nighttime moisturisers for different purposes. As this has a slight scent to it I only use it on nights when I'm not using chemical exfoliants. It is the most velvety and rich moisturiser I have ever found! It's so lightweight yet it fills every pore with moisture and hydration. However they have recently reformulated it so I'm interested to see how it'll compares to the original (10/10, WRP)

Nivea Super Water Gel SPF 50 PA+++: Whilst I enjoyed the gel texture of this sunscreen I didn't feel like this delivered any moisture and it felt abit drying on the skin. You definitely need to apply a seperate moisturiser underneath. As a result I've returned to my trusty Missha Aqua Sun Gel which, although it's been reformulated, is just as effective! (6/10, WNRP)

Simple Soothing Eye Balm: I recently got back into eyecreams after a few years of not using them at all. I like how lightweight and depuffing this product is on my undereye area. It's super gentle and absorbs into the skin really quickly. It's a simple formula but it does what it says on the tin... or tube in this case! (7/10, MRP)

Eucerin Acute Lip Balm: I have lost track of how many tubes of this stuff I've been through! It has been my favourite nighttime lip product for many years and it always does the job of moisturising my lips. It has a thick balmy texture that's slightly thicker than vaseline and lasts forever! I always use it up to the very last drop as it is that good (10/10, WRP)

Travel Minis

Soon Jung Centella Relief Toner: I only used this for a week so I can't really speak for it's effectiveness but I found it to be soothing and hydrating. I liked it so much that I decided to purchase the Soon Jung PH 5.5 Relief Toner to see how it compares as they don't seem to do a full size version of this exact product.

Soon Jung Centella 10-Free Moist Emulsion: I loved how lightweight this was however it wasn't super moisturising so I wouldn't recommend it for dry skin types. It's a perfect morning moisturiser for someone who is oily/combo but it's not enough for preventing TEWL overnight. If you like lightweight lotions this is great but if you need something moisturising, this probably isn't for you.

Soon Jung Centella Hydro Barrier Cream: I instantly loved this as it has a nice gel cream texture that melts into the skin. It makes my skin feel super smooth and moisturised and SPF applies really well on top. I loved it so much that I asked my friend to buy me the full size Soon Jung Hydro Barrier Cream for my birthday!

Biossance Squalane + Marine Algae Eyecream: I loved how rich and creamy this eyecream was. It left my undereye area feeling instantly moisturised and plump. 

So there you have it: 21 empties from the last 7 months or so! Is it just me or does anyone else need a lie down after that? Just me? Okay then!

I hope you enjoyed my run down of all the products I've been using and my honest reviews of them all. Some were less loved than others (looking at you Jelly Joker Cleanser and Omega Water Cream!) but overall I've found some real gems that I'll continue to purchase :) I'm currently trying a different serum for fading acne scars but I'll be sure to let you know how it compares to the G&G aPAD Serum. I've also swapped out the Aveeno Triple Oat Serum for the BOJ Calming Serum which I'm enjoying. I'm using a different eyecream and toner as well; the Wonder Black Rice Bakuchiol Eyecream and Scinic First Treatment Essence. The eyecream is a new purchase but I've used the Scinic Essence before and it worked really well for me. Will keep you updated on how all the new products perform and my thoughts on them!

Who Cares, We Care, Skincare :)