Empties in Ten #2

I thought I would be posting this empties instalment much sooner since my last update, but it proved to be a challenge in the end to make it to 10.* Initially I was finishing product after product but then everything else just took its time. Despite this post being put together ‘later than expected’, nothing has actually gone wrong. If anything, it just means I am being efficient with my products and to be honest, there are some days where I’m much more lower maintenance than other days so I just need to acknowledge that. Do you as a blogger (or reader) sometimes feel the need to finish up products quickly? Sometimes I do but then I always get so fascinated by how long the last remaining bits of a product can still last!

I’ve recently moved onto an almost entirely new skincare routine so you’ll be seeing a lot of skincare empties in this piece. Coupled with that, I have a few makeup essentials here and there plus one hair product. Enjoy!

*I say 10 but in this instalment, I have 11 full empties plus 3 samples! (I didn’t see a point in leaving the 1 full empty behind.)

+ Would repurchase
– Will not bother again
= Neutral/Indifferent

+ Dove Advanced Hair Series Regenerate Nourishment Shampoo
+ Son & Park Beauty Water
+ Simple Soothing Toner
– Suyeonna Whitening Toner
– Suyeonna Moisture Essence
– Suyeonna Moisture Cream
+ NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray
– Etude House Dr Mascara Fixer (Super Long Lash)
+ Etude House Drawing Eye Brow Duo (recently upgraded)
+ Viola Vitamin C Serum
+ Allergenics Intensive Care Non-Steroidal Ointment
+ LUSH Angels on Bare Skin (sample) x2
– LUSH 9 to 5 Makeup Remover (sample)

Let’s start off with our only hair product this time, shall we?

+Dove Advanced Hair Series Regenerate Nourishment Shampoo

I bought this on the whim at a local Savers store near me, which is essentially a bargain drugstore. I was primarily looking for new shampoo and believe it or not, I’ve actually gone back to incorporating SLS again but with extra care, of course. From past experience, I’ve always quite liked Dove shampoo but have never tried their more expensive line so with it being approximately half-price at this store, I picked it up. I love this shampoo! I find that it really cleans my hair without drying it out or making my scalp itchy. It also really balances my hair overall. A happy discovery.

Am I a fan? Yes! I would buy again.

Now, onto the main bulk – skincare:

+ Son & Park Beauty Water

I featured this product in a favourites post right at the start of the year. This is my second used bottle since November, when I first bought it off Amazon. It’s more or less become my favourite toner of all-time. Prior to that, I didn’t necessarily have a favourite toner, just a few go-tos if anything. This contains aloe water which is probably why it feels so amazing on the skin. To put it directly, this is like vitamin water but for the skin – the ingredients are second to none and I would highly recommend this to all skin types.

Am I a fan? Of course! It’s a bit pricey but a bottle lasts me a good length of time. I normally interchange with cheaper toners to prolong its use too.

+ Simple Soothing Toner

I already explained above that I didn’t have a favourite toner per se but I would say the Simple Soothing Toner was the closest product I had to one. I discovered it long before I started blogging and still to this day I buy a few bottles a year. It’s not a life-changing product but it fits the bill and is wallet-friendly. If you are not treating anything in particularly then I’d say this is a good toner to go for/start out with.

Am I a fan? Absolutely! It’s cheap as chips (although I saw some new Simple products and they are getting up there with price as is the rest of the drugstore).

– Suyeonna Whitening Toner

It’s hard to talk about a product if no one knows what you are talking about but since I had mentioned it in my Hong Kong haul last year – I thought I might as well close the door on it. I received a bunch of Suyeonna skincare products via my auntie. I don’t know too much about the ins and outs of this company and there was very little that I could research online. Against all odds though, this toner was a pretty decent product. I don’t think it necessarily brightened my skin but I definitely felt some hydrating properties.

Am I a fan? Actually, this isn’t a bad product and would be more in the maybe pile. However it doesn’t seem to be easily available or perhaps it has ceased to exist?

– Suyeonna Moisture Essence

This is probably my favourite product out of the 3 that I tried from Suyeonna. I am more used to essences being watery so in a sense, I don’t acknowledge this product as being an essence – more like a gel-like serum. Despite so, I enjoyed the product for its simplicity in providing another layer of moisture to my skin pre-moisturiser step. Unfortunately, I do not even know the price points of these products but from trial, they feel more drugstore than anything else. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing and probably doesn’t matter at this point due to its availability.

Am I a fan? Would possibly re-purchase if it were available in the market and drugstore pricing.

– Suyeonna Moisture Cream

A water-gel consistency that I was pleasantly surprised with. It’s not my favourite gel-moisturiser product but I thought it did a decent job in hydrating my skin and giving me that K-glow (i.e. chok chok). Speaking of, my mother actually doesn’t like that type of look as she feels the skin doesn’t look real which I thought was an interesting observation! Any thoughts on this?

Am I a fan? Possibly but it doesn’t matter at this point as there’s most likely no way of purchasing this!

+ NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray

I am slowly ticking off products from my to-try list and one of them was more a case of trying setting sprays. It would’ve been crazy to go luxe straight away so I started off with NYX. Actually I have tried and finished the dewy finish version already and both are very similar in my opinion. They definitely help to prolong my makeup more and re-hydrate my look when things are looking not-as-fresh.

Am I a fan? Yes! I would totally re-purchase though I prefer the dewy finish version a tad bit more.

– Etude House Dr Mascara Fixer (Super Long Lash)

This is another product in which I’ve tried both versions now. I adored its sister, the perfect lash version but this one fails in comparison. It’s not that it didn’t hold the curl in my lashes – I was more grossed out by the fibres that would disintegrate one by one, littering the lid opening. I probably could’ve got a few more uses out of this but I had to call it quits because it was making be feel disgusted as time went on.

Am I a fan? No! I’ll stick to its sister version.

I actually forgot to include this in the group photo! Oops.

+ Etude House Drawing Eye Brow Duo

The version I used of this has been upgraded recently it seems. I personally like this just a tad more than the pencil version alone as you’re able to get the ‘soft eyebrow’ look when you utilise the powder brush end. The only gripe I have is that the lid on the powder end eventually broke meaning that the product was no longer portable without making a mess.

Am I a fan? I’d be down to try the upgraded version one day but I’m in no rush to purchase since I have lots of brow products at the moment.

+ Viola Vitamin C Serum

I’ve been shopping Amazon beauty for a while and they have some very good deals on there. They feature indie beauty brands so it’s likely that you haven’t heard of a bunch of them yet they seem to sell well. I’ve been shopping serums from Amazon that are cheap and cheerful to see if they really work. This generous 60ml bottle lasts me a long time and is my second bottle overall.

Am I a fan? Yes, it’s cheap and cheerful. I am down to try other serums on the market next though as it’s been a while.

+ Allergenics Intensive Care Non-Steroidal Ointment

This product was actually featured in my February Monthly Favourites post this year. If you’re looking for a natural cream to treat your psoriasis, I would recommend this one! It’s reasonably priced compared to a lot of the creams on the market, is non-greasy and very portable. My skin has actually been okay without it but I will definitely have this stored for back-up during the winter months.

Am I a fan? Absolutely. I need to buy a new one actually!

Samples

+ LUSH Angels on Bare Skin

This is an excellent choice if you have sensitive skin or if your skin is recovering from a breakout which is the main reason why I used it. Made up of oats, the product is very gentle on the skin. My only problem is that the actual product is quite pricey and not cost-effective in my opinion (I just know I would run through the product).

– LUSH 9 to 5 Makeup Remover

To be honest, I didn’t really care for this or get any enjoyment whilst using it. I’m not entirely sure how effective it was in removing my makeup either since I went in with my cleansing oil afterwards. 😂It’s a no from me.

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That’s all the empties that I have to report for now! I’m on a major no-spend however I’m moving into new territory with my skincare and makeup routines so you’ll still see some new products on the blog soon.

Would you be interested in a Project Pan post? Let me know. My summer has been packed hence the absence. I’m also off to Edinburgh next week or more specifically, Edinburgh Fringe Festival as part of a work trip.

What have I missed?

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