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.

Thanks. I must get it out.

I haven’t set a target. My aim is to use up my stash, for decluttering and money-saving purposes but also for self-care and (hopefully) a bit of a glow up.

When I saw the numbers first, I thought the /number meant the number of items in their stash and I was thinking that's not really a stash, it's just having some bits in reserve. I figured my collection must be totally out of hand and abnormal.

I finally realised it was a target for the year. I'm currently failing dismally in my attempt to use up 100 items in a year as I've only used 58 so far. However, while some people include everything, I don't include things like basic shampoo but for some reason I include fancy shampoo I got in advent calendars etc. (Don't ask, I'm sure there is some logic).

I do find this thread good at reining me in. I haven't bought too much stuff since I started on this thread but do tend to go a bit mad with advents. I had 3 last year but this year I only have one so heading in the right direction.

Me too with advents, 3 last year 2 this year…. But also latest in beauty collections which I find the best value. They are always sending me discount codes and it’s so tempting, as there is often a lot of stuff I’d use and it’s great value. This thread might help to keep me on the straight and narrow! I think 100 by Xmas 2026 should be my target…

My aim is to reduce my stash so I record items in and items out with the hope is seeing more items used up each year than I add to the pile. Some people have a target number to use up but that'd be useless to me because I could be using up items while still merrily adding to the huge stash and still end up worse off than where I started.

I've removed myself from all the mailing lists which does help as it's hard to resist a bargain.

Yes, I'm doing that too and even with the advents I will hopefully still have more out than in this year.

My target this year is 100 @whatsit84, I’m up to 88 so far, great motivation to use things up.

I thought about this but I have such FOMO 😊

Im in! 100 by xmas 2026 😀

I’m in for the 100 products in 2026! (But definitely doing YESSTYLE order before Christmas ‘25 as I need sunscreen and toner.) Given my current neck and décolleté manifesto I suspect I shall be zooming through products faster than before.

@whatsit84 welcome to the thread!

Plus welcome to any I have missed... I seem to have once again fallen off my own thread 🤪

I have an empty to report:

• Kim Kardashian's Femme Fatale perfume - I bought this as someone suggested it could be a dupe for Stella by Stella McCartney. In the ball park but miles from goal!

It cosmetics mascara - very impressive but almost too dramatic for everyday use.

Childs Farm body moisturiser - strange smell, so unfortunately bin.

Tacha matcha cleanser & water cream - nice to use but I don’t think it’s worth the money.

SDJ body spray - great as a deodorant, very, very long lasting.

Dermalogica cleanser - it’s good, washes face well but I can’t say if it does anything.

Revive eye mask and moisturiser samples - again, can’t see why it is so expensive. Very average.

Kopari body oil - love it, would like to try other Kopari body products.

Lancome serum - repeat purchase and already have another.

You are Looking well night cream - strangely cheap feeling, despite being expensive. Thick and somewhat oily.

Hada Labo eye cream - will bin this one too, very sticky and unpleasant.

Farmacy Green clean - similar to Clinique cleansing balm. Good for makeup removal but will cloud contact lenses.

Lancome perfume sample - didn’t really like it. Very sweet.

Tula scrub - far too harsh for face. Used it for my back. Would make a good body scrub.

@ITookYourJoob - that white & red Hada Labo line is really weird. It was made for the “Western” market and it is not at all like the regular Japanese line. It launched in Aus about a year after UK and I was so excited, but it’s twice as expensive, and well basically it’s a bit shit. (I love what I have from the J-line, btw. Their vitamin C serum is my very favourite.)

@Fraaahnces I have very limited experience with Japanese products, but this was definitely the worst so far. Strangely it was marketed as “Bestseller in Japan” or similar, on the box.

I bought the vit c on your advice. It's brilliant.

@ITookYourJoob - that’s hilarious. Such a lie. Maybe “Made by best-selling Japanese company” would have been a better idea. The whole line is unlike anything they sell there.

Last empties for Oct i think.

Byredo Rose of no man's land. Not my favourite rose scented perfume. The pink pepper in it, gives it a nice twist and leans towards an evening scent for me.

Boots dry shampoo. Usually pick these up when doing the boots recycle scheme. Great, does the job.

Bondi sands eye cream. I liked this, i think for the summer months it was lightweight, hyrdating and did brighten my under eyes. I didnt use underneath makeup, but think would work pretty well.

Garnier sheet mask. Again, always get these to use my Boots recycle voucher. My favourite from the whole range i think.

Kate Somerville Exfolikate sample. You feel this working for sure, so 2 mins is more than enough for me. My skin looked and felt refreshed after using. But, i think as it is a strong product i could only use this once a week/fornightly.

Yes I liked exfolikate

my favourite was the elemis exfoliated that seemed similar

Finished a few bits, mainly minis:

Nuxe Very Rose micellar water - 100ml. Did the job and smelled nice, but there’s absolutely no need for posh micellar water.

Kate Somerville Goat’s Milk Cleanser - 30ml. One of my favourite cleansers. Feels really creamy and luxurious.

Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Bakuchiol Eye Cream - 20ml. Probably didn’t do anything much other than hydrate, but I liked it. Lightweight, almost serum-like texture.

Clarins Multi-Active Day Cream - 30ml. A bit heavy for my skin in the day under sunscreen, so used it in the evening instead. It was fine, but nothing special.

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask in Sweet Candy and Lip Glowy Balm in Berry. Both great. I love Laneige lip products (and quite a lot of their skincare too). Have plenty of back ups of the sleeping mask and will repurchase the glowy balm once I’ve got through the way too sticky and gloopy Ole Hendriksen one I’m using at the moment.

Pureology Strength Cure shampoo and conditioner - 50ml each. Liked these, but not enough to justify the price. I’m usually fine with cheap shampoo and conditioner.

Lush Cookie Dough body scrub - 135g. Lush body scrubs are usually good but this one was weirdly rock hard in the pot and then went creamy with pretty much no scrubby bits when mixed with water. Wasn’t off, as was brand new and smelled good. It actually made a nice body wash, but useless as a body scrub.

Delfanti Goat’s Milk hand cream - 250ml. A random TK Maxx purchase and a bargain £3.99 for this big tube.

I’ve finished a couple of things:

Byredo Bal d’Afrique - I love this, it’s fresh and citrussy at first and lifts my mood. Lots of compliments when I wear it. Will repurchase one day! Or drop hints for Christmas…

Medik8 C-Tetra Advanced sample - Really nice texture and feel on the skin, prefer it to C-Tetra Luxe which I’m using at the moment and find doesn’t absorb that well. The sample too small to judge whether it works but will give a full sized bottle a go.

Quite a few empties

Sungboon Editor Collagen Mask - Was okay. I got a box of these as gwp so I've got a few more to use. I don't really love these collagen type masks, I prefer the serum/cream sort. Not a RP.

6x Grace and Stella eye patches - got these in a beauty box. They were nice but wouldn't buy them. I prefer eye patches in a tub. Less wasted packaging.

Tatcha Dewy Cream 50ml - this is just the insert. I've saved the pot and will maybe buy a refill in January during their lucky bag event. If you've got dry skin the hydration does really last through the day with this cream and a little goes a long way which does offset the high price a bit.

Drunk Elephant C Firma mini - It was fine but I don't love the pure Ascorbic Acid type Vit C that are watery and smell like hotdogs. I know they're supposed to be the most effective sort but I prefer the serum kind like CEO. Won't be purchasing.

SKII x 2 30ml - Love this as a first essence. Bought the minis to decant into the larger glass bottle I have. Will keep RP.

Sulwhasoo Overnight Mask travel size - Like this, it's good for redness and hydration. Have one more travel size. Would RP in future.

Laneige Bouncy and Firm Sleeping Mask mini - I prefer the Cica one but this is nice. I've got a large one to use but beyond that will probably just use the Cica one.

Glow Recipe Vit C serum travel size - Nice serum to use. I have another one to use but it's not my favourite so once they're done I won't RP but would use if I got one in a gwp etc.

Diptyque Fleur de Peau EDP sample - Really liked this and bought a larger size.

DDG Peel Pad - Still enjoying these that a MNnetter sent me. Will buy a box.

Sulwhasoo Ginseng eye cream mini - Very nice eye cream. Have a few of these minis.

Sisley Express Flower Gel Mask sample - I love the Velvet Flowers mask but didn't like this. Didn't find it that hydrating.

Oribe Serene Scalp S&C sample - I like the Gold Lust line but this was nothing remarkable.

Dyson Chitosan Pre-style cream - Very tiny sample but nothing special. Not really sure what it's supposed to do.

Summer Fridays Retinol Serum - Tiny sample. Fine I guess but too small to expect it to do anything. Wouldn't buy as prefer others.

Allies of Skin Retinal & Peptides Night Cream mini - There's some AoS I really love but not this one. Hate the smell, the texture and I find it skin clogging. There's about a quarter left in the tube but I'm not going to finish.

Question for @Fraaahnces and the K-beauty experts: what would be your top tips for holy grail products? DH is currently in Seoul and has offered to bring me back some things from Olive Young, but I'm not sure what he can get there that I can't find already in the UK. I don't really like sheet masks but do like deep moisture creams and hydrating/milky toners. Any recommendations?

I'm not sure. Some of the kbeauty popular over here is more aimed at the Euro market and in S Korea their popular brands aren't always ones we are familiar with. If he was willing to go ask for help in store maybe they'd make recommendations.

I know they do sell Hera make up through OY and although they are the pricier end of k beauty their lip glosses are really good. I know this isn't exactly what you asked for but thought I'd mention them in case.