Tempted by beauty treats? Addicted to buying beauty products? Is your collection bursting with favourites? Join fellow beauty lovers in this supportive group!

[Experiment627]

Welcome to this beauty product lover's haven! If you're constantly tempted by the latest beauty treats or find your collection overflowing with cherished products, you're in the right place. Whether you're looking to share your latest finds, swap tips, or simply indulge in some beauty chat, this is the perfect spot for you. Let’s unite, inspire, and celebrate our love for all things beauty!

This thread has been going for YONKS! Many have been "cured" of their beauty product addiction from the support this group gives... We share reviews and our empties/chucks - so when we do decide to buy something again, we can do so armed with collective wisdom.

Finished today:

anastacia mascara - travel size
brazillian bum bum cream
bar of soap

31/100

ren rose Otto body oil - love it, if I ever see it on a discount I’ll buy again. The scent is stunning
LA Bucket lip balm - lasted forever but sat in rather than sunk in to my lips. Glad it’s finished
temple spa face spritz- no better or worse than any other
Bliss body butter - fabulous! It has a whipped texture so sinks in so easily. Gorgeous scent. The was huge and lasted ages with no loss of scent or performance. Brilliant product.
I’ve slipped on my no buy so more things incoming…

I have some empties to report:

• Wild coconut & vanilla deodorant stick: great way to try out Wild without committing to the case etc. Not a massive fan of this scent.
• Jaysung retainer cleaner: I am still searching for a cleaner that actually removes stains from my nightguard... for now I am trying dissolved bicarb...
• Skin & Me daily defence oil-free SPF 50 sunscreen: this was a sample size tube. This works well - no piling and no yucky taste if inadvertently gets in mouth.
• Avon Anew sensitive+ dual collagen eye cream: I bought this off Amazon (or might have been Superdrug). Really liked this - very hydrating and easy to apply.

Does anyone use a blow-dry cream they like enough to recommend? I'm coming to the end of my current one (Living Proof no frizz styling cream), and looking for something lightweight and non sticky for my dry, frizz-prone hair. Previously tried John Frieda but it didn't work out for me. Currently considering the Umberto Gianni one or Bumble and Bumble.

Fern & Figtree hand cream - fabulous. Absorbed well, not greasy or sticky. Moisturising

L'Occitane hand cream - preferred the fern and Figtree

Hawthorn face oil - love it. Smells amazing, very nourishing, lasts ages

No 7 micellar water - it's micellar water. Not much to say.

Grown alchemist body scrub - liked it

Aldi dupe for L'Occitane body scrub - love it. I have another on the go

Some new empties.

Rituals soap bar in The Ritual of Sakura - like this scent a lot. I've got a soap bar in another scent to use up but will RP at some point.

Sample size of new MediK8 Liquid Peptides - liked this and bought a full size with a discount. The sample only lasted about a week using sparingly so I wouldn't like to say how effective it is but I liked the texture and application.

Ritual of Sakura shower gel - As with the soap I like this and will RP at some point.

Ritual of Sakura hand balm - I like the Rituals hand creams, not too expensive and soak in nicely, not greasy. Will RP but I have a number of other hand creams to use up first.

Sunday Riley CEO Afterglow face cream - Love this. It's a nice brightening cream on a morning. My only complaint is that it can pill easily if you layer under or over it. I have a mini of the cream to use up but probably will RP if I can get it on offer.

Dr Ceuracle Vegan Tea Kombucha Essence mini - Like this a lot. Very hydrating. Bought it in the larger size. Along with the Mary & May Blackberry cream essence I think it's the best of K Beauty hydrating essences that I've tried.

Beauty Pie Japanfusion Cleanser - I like this, it's okay, not drying and does the job. There are cleansers I like better though.

Pearl Ultra Hydrating Essence Mask - This was a K beauty freebie. Didn't wow me. Very saturated with product so ran down my face and neck. Not one I would buy.

More empties:

Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip cleanser - 30ml. A nice cleanser, but nothing special. There are plenty of equally nice, much cheaper cleansers out there.

Cosrx Aloe Soothing Sun Cream - 50ml. A bit thicker than most Korean sunscreens I’ve tried, so took a bit more rubbing in. Had a really lovely finish when it absorbed though, worked well under make up.

Shiseido Vital Perfection moisturiser - 15ml. A thick gel cream formula that felt very hydrating without being greasy and heavy. Very fragranced though.

L’Occitane Neroli & Orchidee hand cream - 30ml. Good hand cream formula but the fragrance was a bit much - really strong and I find neroli a bit overpowering.

Burts Bees honey lip balm and Lush Honey Trap lip balm - both great. I love honey lip balms.

Lush Sticky Banana body wash - 240g. Lush body washes are a thick cream formula, rather than a shower gel. This one had oat extract and coconut cream in, so felt really soothing on the skin.

Tree Hut Papaya Paradise body scrub - 510g. Tree Huts scrubs are my favourite. Nice fruity, tropical scent.

Garnier Mango body lotion - 400ml. This had the thinnest consistency of the lotions I’ve tried from this line, prefer the aloe one or the one in a red bottle.

Lush Sleepy body lotion - 95g. Amazing scent, great as a bedtime hand cream. Already got a replacement on the go.

Empties taking me to 21/100

Lumene Rich Moisturizer - fine
Sunday Riley CEO Rich Hydration Cream - I liked this more than the Lumene but it is a lot more expensive. Not sure it’s worth it.
Lumene Nordic Radiant Youth Cream - fine

Sunday Riley Luna oil - it’s a weird blue colour but I really like this. I love a face oil as my skin is dry and this really made me feel pampered. I might well RP

Sunday Riley CEO glow - another weird colour oil and smells slightly odd too. Initially I didn’t like it as much as Luna but now it’s finished I’m sad. I may RP or find another oil to try.

Valmont Luminocity - sample from a high end pharmacy. Think it’s about £200 for 50ml. Not worth that in my opinion but I scraped out every drop to be sure!

Kiehl’s avocado eye cream. I have had a few pots of this in the last few years and I really like it. This one was bought in the US in a Black Friday sale and compared to buying it here it was really cheap. I have other eye creams to use up but will likely RP on my next trip to the US.

Nivea eye make up remover - always use this but have not RP’d yet as I am using a Bioderma one that I had in my stash. I prefer the cheaper Nivea one.

I’m working through an expensive eye makeup remover right now @Choux. I look forward to it being gone so I can go back to the Nivea, it’s a great product.

Finished a Molton Brown 300ml Orange&Bergamot shower gel , it's my weekend shower gel . Work days get Faith in Nature )

I do have two more MB O&B so I;m not too gutted .

@Choux do you think the Sunday Riley oils gave results? I have some minis of both but can't decide whether to try them or pass on. Lots of people rave about Luna but I struggle with oils as a texture. I just don't love the feeling but every now and again I fall for the hype of an oil product but maybe I could get over it if one really did do something special.

@CorneliaStreet I am too am a massive fan of the Lush sleep cream.

I have some empties to report:

• Garnier Hand intensive 7 days intensive nourishing hand cream: really liked this - lightweight but felt nourishing. Also really appreciated the tube was partially cardboard so less single use plastic.
• Garnier Olia silicone free after color creme: meh. Some silicones (the non-toxic ones) my hair actually likes. This came with the hair dye. Glad to be done with it.
• Garnier Vitamin C Daily UV invisible 50 SPF: really liked this - I also like the Glow one. Comes in very portable tube & easy to apply to a squirming 6 year old!

I really need to buy shares in Loreal... so many of the products I use, including Garnier, are owned by them!

Moschino Love perfume - aquatic lemon. Very meh.

Ouai hair mask - really didn’t do anything. Shame.

Purology Hydrate conditioner - nice but full of minty tea tree. Too tingly for me.

Patchology eye patches - still the best, imo.

Claudelie serum - I think I had a full size of this at some point. I generally really like all their products.

Nip Fab eye patches - quite nice for the price. Better than the blue version.

Nars Light reflecting foundation- I had such great hopes for this. It is not light reflecting, quite matte in fact. Needs a lot of prep work to look even. Staying power is very good though.

Marc Jacobs perfect shower gel - lovely smell. Goes with the rest of the range.

Elizabeth Arden mascara - almost full, flakes horribly.

Empties seem to be slow for me this year, but have a few:

12) Liz Earle Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion - meh, not great for cleansing

13) Pai Cleansing Oil - it’s not bad, but I prefer a cleansing balm personally

14) Soap & Glory Body Butter - this was part of a set. It’s ok but wouldn’t go out of my way to rp.

Total 14/110. Still not bought any products yet this year.

Nude by Nature powder foundation - this is super old so I'm delighted to see it go. It was a bit too orange for me so was never going to be a winner.

Beauty Pie Youthbomb Repair Cream - I liked this, a nice rich cream. Won't rebuy as not a BP member anymore (probably wouldn't have anyway for the price it is).

Beauty Pie Une Balade en Foret shower gel - bought this to go with the perfume (quite a unisex woody wintery scent for me). Liked it for a change but was getting bored of it by the end.

Jo Malone English Pear and Freesia tester - Really liked this and would consider buying if I wasn't on perfume ban! * *

@MidnightMeltdown you are absolutely right about Liz Earle’s eyebright lotion. As a cleanser is rubbish but the shop assistant who sold it to me marketed it as a toner for puffy eyes, so that it depuffs them. Bonus points if you keep it in the fridge and leave it on your eyes as if they were two cucumber slices.

Only a few empties for March

Imperial leather mallow & rose milk body wash- I didn't think I would like this as I'm not a huge fan of rose but this was more of a sweet scent. I would rp this if they still do it as I've had it for ages.
L'occitane Amande conditioner- this was ok, nothing special, loved the scent though.
Aveeno oat milk blend shampoo- didn't really like this, it was too heavy for my hair.
Antipodes Hosanna h20 skin plumping serum- this was from the h&b ac in 2023, it had expired but didn't break me out so I used it. It was a weird brown colour, not due to it been expired that was just the colour of it. It didn't seem to do much so not a rp

Total 27/100

Few more empties from me:

clarins 30ml hand and nail cream. I LOVE this and happily discovered that duty free at Heathrow sell this size so I don’t have to cart a huge one in my handbag all the time!

charlitte tillbury pillow talk push up mascara in dark brown. Really nice but prefer black mascara

a body oil - can’t remember the brand

a rose scented face moisturiser (mini one) didn’t like. Wont rebuy. And can’t remember the brand anyway.

hit pan on an eyeshadow in my pallet.

have bought more thibgs.

before I discovered that the 30ml hand cream above is available in duty free I looked on Sephora and spent £70 on Clarins gift sets to get the mini hand creams. Then got free gifts which included hand creams.

on top of the 4 I bought at Heathrow (two for me two for dsis) I now have 5 to get through.

also purchased some mini toiletries from Superdrug. I will be travelling to and from London over the next 3 weeks for radiotherapy at the Cromwell so need these for luggage etc.

packed away all but my “essentials” from the dressing table too. This means only one eyeshadow pallet is on display. One perfume etc etc. then it’s replaced as it’s used up.

@ememem84 good tip on the Clarins - I'm on my way through Heathrow this week, and have the urge for some beauty treats, but not sure what yet. Anyone care to share their duty-free Wishlist?

Some more empties

Tatcha Camellia Cleansing Oil - I'm not generally a fan of oils but this was very nice. I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it as I prefer balms but if I end up with another as a GWP I will use it.

Tatcha The Indigo Cream - Really like this as an overnight mask, it's gorgeous, but I went through it in about 6 weeks and at that price point I'm not sure it can be a staple. The Laniege Cica mask is a decent 2nd place, is cheaper and lasts longer. I will repurchase but probably not until Black Friday or the January Tatcha Fukubukuro event. I'm going to hang on to the jar in case they start doing refills for the Indigo Cream.

haruharu wonder Centella Phyto & 5 Peptide Concentrate Cream - I was really impressed with this cream. There seems to be almost zero hype or discussion about it online and I'm not sure why? It's only 30ml but very affordable. I think this jar was about £12 from the haruharu amazon store and I just picked up a refill on YesStyle for under £6.

It has the most beautiful texture and absorbs incredibly well. At first I felt it wasn't hydrating enough for my dry skin which on its own it isn't but despite that I found I kept reaching for it on an evening because it's such a nice cream. As I generally use an overnight mask on top I found it didn't matter it didn't provide all the hydration and actually the fast absorption made using the overnight mask easier.

Drunk Elephant B-Hydra serum mini - got this in an advent calendar. It's the first DE product I've tried that I quite rate. It is a nice hydrating serum. Don't think I will RP as I have other cheaper products that I like better but it's a decent serum.

I'm from Rice Toner mini (ignore the pic I photographed Dr Ceuracle from my last empties by mistake) - I quite liked this, it was just okay. Wouldn't RP as it's not the best in its category IMO.

ReVive firming eye cream sachet - didn't like this at all. It pilled really badly around my eyes. Wouldn't buy. Also eye cream samples in sachets suck - it contained enough product for about 4-5 days but keeping a sachet open for a few days is a rubbish delivery system.

Vita Genic Jelly mask - another k beauty free sample mask. Not bad, I liked it better than the last essence mask as the jelly was firm enough not to drip down my neck. Don't think it did much other than feel nice for 15 mins whilst wearing it.

@OvaHere a friend recommended the haruharu centella cream. I've just ordered some from yesstyle. I'm looking forward to trying it out.

Now 25/100
Aussie shampoo - a perennial fave of mine but am going to use up a few samples and leftover bits before repurchasing just in case I decide I like something else more
Living Proof 5 in one styling treatment. Initially I didn’t like this but have been using it regularly for the last couple of months and it’s been growing on me. No idea how much it costs but have no other hair products so am considering rebuying. Unless anyone has another hair smoother that they recommend?

Alpha AHA cleanser - from an advent calendar sometime. Nice rose fragrance but not something I feel the need to RP
Lumene moisturiser - nice enough but not rich enough for my dry skin

i am now feeling enabled by @OvaHerewho also has dry skin to get the Laniege cica mask (on sale at Sephora!) and the Haruharu cream!

I'll be interested to see what you think of it. Hope it works for you.

@Choux sorry to enable but both are great products.

Some empties!

kirkland moisture conditioner. Very heavy and thick. I did not like it. The smell is ok. Took me forever to use it up and I won’t rp this.

The shampoo I finished some weeks ago was even worse. Too thick and it didn’t clean my hair properly. Terrible.

Tresseme strength shampoo. I can’t comment on the claim but my hair is clean and smells amazing. Lathers up well. Might rp

Aveeno cream. A staple.

Mason and miller. Terrible.

Sence exfoliant mask for feet. I won’t rp. It didn’t do much for my feet and the peeling was very light.

Sanex. Staple

sure bright bouquet. Worked well.

Evidance deodorant. Smells like the perfume. The spray jammed and all the liquid got out and I had to decant it in a sprayer bottle. Whatever was left I took out by making a hole. It’s nice but I think it is discontinued.

Avon daily techniques leave in conditioner. Lasted me ages. Nice smell. Too watery though and only usable with wet hair. Won’t rp.

A sample by given by. Lipstick nude silky finish. 109 le rouge interdict intense silk. I am not a fan of nude colour but I really liked this shade. Blends well with my lips and it’s silky and smooth. Does not dry out lips but it transfer so you have to reapply. Would purchase it if I didn’t have that many already.