Can’t stop buying & hoarding beauty treats? You’re in good company here!

[Experiment627]

Welcome to our little corner of beauty bliss! If you can’t resist trying the latest beauty launches or your shelves are bursting with favourites, you’ve found your tribe. This is the place to chat, share reviews, swap tips, and celebrate all things beauty — from budget gems to luxury treats.
This thread has been around for ages, and many of us have even tamed our beauty-buying habits thanks to the wisdom and support shared here. We post our empties and chucks, helping each other make smarter, more satisfying choices next time we shop.
All beauty product addicts welcome!

Thats a really interesting strategy! And one that clearly works for you. Maybe I could try that for every day. If I'm getting dressed up, I look to match my lipstick to my outfit. For example, I was at a Lunar New Year event on Sunday and wore a bright red dress with a bright red lipstick. I wouldnt usually wear a bright red lipstick day to day, but then maybe I should.

I did go through a phase of using lots of different blushes, so maybe I just need to concentrate on one. As you can see from the photo, I am using a Pixi one, which is ancient. I will adopt your excellent strategy and only use this one.

Would anyone like to hazard a guess at how old this is? I see that Pixi have completely redesigned the product lol.

@BlueLimes – thank you. I do have very dry skin, so not for me then. That said, I have 7 50ml and 3 40ml moisturisers in my stash. On a very rough calculation, that should see me for at least three years.

@Mackemlass79 – I’m really bad with hand creams. I have 6 opened hand creams, throughout the house, with the objective of actually using them. I also have 8 in the stash. I only used up a 125ml and a 75ml in 2025. That’s something else I need to work on. Body lotions, I have been really good and since starting on this challenge (July 2024) I haven’t bought any, I have been gifted though and I have managed to keep them to a manageable level, with only 2 250ml and 3 smaller ones from the Rituals AC in December 25. Lip balm, again, I was horrified at how many I had and have not bought anymore. Would it help to share your numbers?

About itchy skin that doesn’t respond to conventional treatments.. apparently itchy skin can be due to a tired liver, and some milk thistle, cAstor oil packs and cutting out alcohol can help the liver to perk up again and itchiness abates. This is a TCM perspective I think. Might be worth looking into.

I always comment on threads about itching as I had some personal experience with it. I don't want to derail this thread, but here's one that I commented on - worth a read if anyone is worried about it:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5475143-fucking-perimenopause-itching?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=app_share

Funny you’re all talking about itching as I seem to have broken out in hives for the first time in my life this week! Or at least I assume that’s what it is.

With respect to the itchiness, I was about to jokingly say that it's the weather but then I looked it up and actually low vitamin D can cause itching, so perhaps the time of year is to blame in some cases.

I have an empty to report 🥳 Caudalie Vinoperfect Glycolic Peel Mask. I really like this (and the serum and night cream) but won’t be repurchasing the mask straight away as I have so many other masks to use up!

3 empties to report
One perfume sample that has been hanging around a while. I can no longer read what it is and when I started to use it up realised I didn’t like it anyone so it still has a little left.

Aussie lightweight conditioner, my son had started a new conditioner before finishing this up so I’d rescued it and finished it myself, there was loads left. I liked it but prefer the Aussie curly hair conditioner for when I want my hair to look particularly good. Most of the time I use MooGoo and get large refills packs and I’ve moved the rest of the family to MooGoo so we don’t have lots of different bottles. I have various hair oils in the cupboard to use up, I don’t use them often as they are a bit of faff.

Elemis face cream, have already RP.

A few more empties:

Skin 1004 centella ampoule - 55ml. Brilliant at calming down sensitive or irritated skin and lovely as a general hydrating serum too. Have already ordered a replacement.

Benefit Roller Lash mascara. Does a good job at doing what it’s supposed to in terms of lengthening and holding curl. I prefer something a bit more volumising though.

Perfume samples/minis - Lancome Idole Power (too strong and rosy for me), Moroccan Oil EDP (ok, nothing special) and Juliette Has a Gun Not a Perfume (couldn’t smell it much on its own, so used for layering).

Lush Twilight body spray - 200ml. Same lovely scent as the Sleepy body lotion. Used as a pillow mist as this scent genuinely does make me feel sleepy.

Future Primitive The Great Pumpkin whipped soap - 50g. Found this a bit drying on the skin.

Lush Lord of Misrule body scrub - 135g. Loved this, one of my favourite Lush scents.

Bath & Body Works Sweetheart Cherry body lotion - 236ml. My favourite body lotion formula so I empty these out pretty regularly and just get whatever scent is on sale or offer at Next when I’m running low.

Another wee used up, Zelens Melatonin B12 Advanced Repair Mask 50ml RRP £65. I was excited to try this as I've seen a lot of hype about Zelens. Not for me. Nothing special. I'm always irritated when the packaging has to be cut open to get a large proportion of the product. I reckon I had to do this to get about half. For that reason alone, I wouldnt consider RP.

I have three night creams to choose from to use next. Two Gatineau and one Ameliorate. I am going for the Gatineau that was purchased in August 2021, hangs head in shame. Mea culpa maxima

I’m just about to start the Zelens @Tarragon123, I hope I have better luck with it!

I’ve enjoyed the Zelens B12 from my Liberty AC. I have a tube squasher which is usually really good at getting scraps out but will keep a check on whether my tube is empty when I get close to the end

I’m also about to start the Zelens from the Liberty AC. My Emma Lewisham serum is nearly done too and I’ll then start the Votary one. I’ve never cut a tube open before the get the last bits out, never thought of that before!

Well reminded@TryingToFindMyStyle I have this small perfume, it’s Estée Lauder Beyond Paradise.

Now out of a storage basket along with a bottle of Color Wow Dream Coat. Shame this wasn’t last week, just got 3 from Vinted 🤦‍♀️

Posted by mistake!

Finished a tiny Sweet pistachio perfume from m and s in a sampler set. Very sugary fragrance, not my preferred “note” but pleasant enough.

@SheilaFentiman I have a green tea pistachio fragrance. I am trying to use it up because the pistachio note has a weird, sicky edge to it. It’s funny how that bloody Dubai chocolate has infiltrated so many areas.

Morning all. I forgot other day when I actually finished it to take a pic and post but I used up a small 20ml I think it is of body shop chamomile cleansing balm I really do like this one but finding my skin is so so dry these days (thanks perimenopause) and cleansing balms are one of the only cleansers not to dry it out more

36. Skin Rocks Retinoid 1 Refill. This is my second tube I have gotten through. Nice light cream, that i leave on 30 mins before doing the rest of my routine. Never any irritation with this, I always wake up with a glow. I think this is one of the reasons my skin has looked clear and healthy. I could do with moving up to No. 2, but I have others in my stash to use first.

37. Garnier spf fluid. My go to❤️ I am trying a couple of Ultra Violette spfs at the moment though. Do have another in stash.

38. Summer Fridays mist. Got this from CB advent, i much prefer Laniege mist from SNK advent. For the price, its nothing exciting. The mist starting leaking when i sprayed it.

39. Olverum bath oil. Really luxurious bath oil. One capfull fills the room with the relaxing scent. Skin is always silky soft, not greasy. Perfect for winding down on an evening. Onto my third bottle now.

40. Lush posh white choc & rose scrub. A creamy rose scent, beautiful. I do prefer the body wash though. As always, i enjoy lush sugar scrubs.

Not used up but being binned:

Lanolips tinted lip balm SPF30

Colour payoff is rubbish, I don't like the tube but worst of all the taste of SPF is overwhelming and hangs around for the whole day.

Am going to have to rethink the lip SPF idea, I suspect it is an impossible product.

I have a Neutrogena Norwegian Formula SPF20 lip balm that I don't think tastes of anything. Clear, not tinted, though.

I have an ultra violette spf lip tint which I love. From reading the reviews I think it's a bit marmite though. I got it free when buying other things (from SNK a while ago), so worth looking out for a freebie one day

A bit pricier, but the Tatcha kissu lip tint is okay - spf 25

Thank you everyone for the tips

I use Blistex Intensive Moisturiser which has spf 10. I’ve never had sunburnt lips!