Do you get the urge to splurge on beauty products? Are your cupboards full of your stash? Join this group of beauty addicts!

[Experiment627]

Going strong for more than 8 years! Full of great reviews, reports of empties and despair over our ever growing stashes!

Whilst in theory I like the sound of that box, there's a lot of stuff I've either got already, or won't use, like the no7 lip treatment, and I dislike the feel of any kind of gloss on my lips, whether plumping or otherwise.
@Minnie123456 if you have the Coco Original, not Mademoselle (sp) and it's a few years old, and still smells good, guard it with your life, and eek it out, drop by drop. Might be worth a smell of a tester in Boots or wherever of the Coco to check if it smells different to you, when you were passing, out of interest.

@OchonAgusOchonOh - I think so but I’m not an expert. I had a small size of that Origins toner from an advent Calendar and I used it a bit. I’m not sure it was hydrating enough looking back. It’s more watery than an essence which the DS to be a bit more viscous.

Tends to be not the DS to be!

Thank you both. Stupid question perhaps but do you know how? Last time I ordered online I couldn't find a "pay with points" option at the checkout

Ah, don’t know then, sorry.

Thanks @Peridot1 . That might prevent me buying the box if it's not that moisturising.

I did a quick test on the website and when i go to check out this is what comes up. You just click on the apply button.

I can't get in to the app at the moment - it keeps telling me my password is incorrect so can't check that option.

Oh right! I thought the "apply" box was for gift vouchers or something. Maybe I should click that "converts basket to points" bit too, I never noticed that before. Thanks ☺️

I'd really like to try the 7 skin method as I do have dehydrated dry skin, but I'm wondering if I can use something I already have instead of buying... I'm not sure if I can use the Frances Prenna Jones thing I have as I'm not sure on the ingredients.. it has PHAs - are they active? The blurb says it is v hydrating though so maybe it is ok. I did it last night and this morning with no problems.

Otherwise I'll just have to buy something else! :)

@Experiment627 I am under the impression that the UK version of HL is very low tech indeed when compared to the J versions. (Although the spray sounds delicious for summer.) I have never used a HL cleanser, so no opinions to share.
This is the tranexamic acid (brightening & anti-redness) one I love
https://www.stylevana.com/en_AU/deal-rohto-mentholatum-hada-labo-shirojyun-premium-whitening-lotion-170ml-moist-japan-version-170ml-2021-version.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=CjwKCAjwt52mBhB5EiwA05YKoxFUxYrjh-mpKJOFcuYQADxAud0oR8GwX3GvZB5RL1wNvDPSejWQ9RoCMQIQAvD_BwE
This is the Premiun Lotion. (I think 9 layers (molecule sizes) of Hyaluronic Acid
https://www.stylevana.com/en_AU/rohto-mentholatum-hada-labo-gokujyun-premium-lotion-refill-set.html

Thanks @PomRuns

I definitely have over 100 products, but I'm not going to count them until I've reduced the hoard a bit! There are quite a few minis that I'll use up when travelling.

I haven't been toooo bad so far this year. I've bought two Liberty kits and a Liberty gwp. Only bought one item for the gwp though.

My main downfall this year was in January when I bought two advent calendars heavily reduced in the sale. One was only a 12 day one, but still, that was 37 products added - on top of the plentiful advent calendar hoard that I already had before Christmas! They were bargains though.

Will try to choose one advent calendar very carefully this year. Not sure that I can be held responsible if there are more sales though. My will power isn't that good...

I straight away put the box and some other stuff in my basket but I am going to try and stay strong and not buy.
Am trying to distract myself with some decluttering of my son's stuff.

@Fraaahnces that is what I thought. I will try some of the real stuff at some point...

@Feelingsurreal - PHAs are an acid as far as I know so it’s not recommended really. Don’t want your face to fall off! Have you any other toners? Or hydrating sprays? They would work.

I had that brown Eyeko mascara too, but I gave it to my mum. My eyelashes are naturally black, so I thought that it would be weird to wear brown mascara 🤔

I can imagine that it works well on people who have naturally light lashes though. Particularly redheads and blondes. I've often thought that black can sometimes look too harsh on them, and wonder why they choose it by default.

I also keep my mascara until it dries up, which is usually after about 4 months of daily use.

@Peridot1 I don't have any other toners, I stopped using them when I started skin & me last year and they said just cleanse and moisturise. I've got the tatcha dewy mist spray which I love, so I could use that, but it is a travel size so with 7 layers I'd get through it pretty quickly! I think I need to find a v hydrating toner that I can use because I think this 7 layering method could work quite well.

@Peridot1 in fact, maybe I should get one from Erborian when I order the redness thing that is still in my basket..

My eyelashes are very dark, but I still find brown mascaras preferable, more natural-looking than black. And I note the Boots box I linked above has yet another black eyeliner in it, I wish they’d go for other colours now and then, I don’t know anyone who uses black eyeliner (because I mainly know older people like me, probably).

@Feelingsurreal - if your skin tends towards dehydration it’s definitely a good thing. And the bonus is you don’t have to spend a lot on the toner/essence. If you are going to buy something go for something labelled an essence as they are more hydrating and designed with the seven skins in mind I think. And bear in mind you don’t have to do seven. Certainly not every day.

That's interesting @MavisMcMinty

Maybe I should have tried it first. Tbh I didn't think that the colour would even show up on my lashes. My mum has always worn brown and has always said that it's better, but her eyelashes are brown

@Peridot1 Thank you, I'll google and find something :) in the meantime, I'm using la roche posay toleriane and I'm spraying every time I walk past it - it will help me towards another empty!

One small empty. I think this came with a GWP

L'occtaine immortal Precious cream. I won't rebuy as I didn't like the smell which seemed slightly acrid.

@listsandbudgets that's interesting that you weren't impressed. I have the yellow one still to use, small one, also GWP. It gets ace reviews and is quite spendy. Have you tried the other one to compare? I should use mine, as I've had it a while.

A couple of empties this morning… (told you lots of mine were close!)
Ample:N Cermide Ampoule. It’s lovely and soothing (especially in Winter) but I think I prefer my ceramides via cream on top of actives. This is not to say that it’s a bad product at all, but I have had better.
Skin1004 Brightening Ampoule. This is actually a bit too active for my skin. I have to mix it with the HL Gokujyun Premium Lotion or it flares my dermatitis. The combo is perfect though. It has acids and a higher concentration of tranexamic acid than the HL. I imagine this combo brings it to about even. It’s really improving the texture of my neck and dec skin, which is where I am seeing most signs of aging/sun damage.
Skin1004 ProBio Cica Ampoule. This really didn’t work for me. Very upsetting as I really like other products from this brand, especially their regular Cica line. I used it up on my body, and of course I don’t look anything like JLo yet.
Mini Laneige Vit C Cream. Meh. It was fine, and it smells nice. There are better formulations out there. It feels very silicone-heavy to me, which isn’t a bad thing if your skin is younger than mine. I think this range would be great if you have slightly oily skin and you are in your 20’s/30’s and want to boost the efficacy of your sunscreen. On me it kind of stings around the nose and mouth, like a lot of old-school vitamin c products, and I am clearly not in the desired demographic. I wouldn’t repurchase.

So after just a few days of using my skincare again, the milia seems to be riding to the surface. This is a good thing, right? So long as I don't pick them.

If I can be patient and keep my hands off them, they'll get to a point where they pop out, won't they?

@SpongeBobJudgeyPants It wasn't awful, I just didn't feel like it was doing much for me which was a bit sad really as I'd been saving it up for a few days away.

I think I have a couple of sample sachets of the yellow so I'll get round to them in due course.

DS just came home from a fete and very happily presented me with 2 Avon products he won in the Tombola for me - one hair treatment serum which smells gorgeous and some tea tree hand cream which can line up with my other 101 hand creams. Bless DS (just 11) he deliberately spent his pound on a stall where he knew if he won it would be something I'd like. He only had £4 so I'm very touched :)