Beauty addicts thread: share empties, chucks and mindful buying tips

[Experiment627]

Welcome back (or welcome in!) to our little corner of beauty bliss, where shelves are full, wish lists are longer than ever, and there’s always something new to try.
This thread has been around for ages (since at least 2015), 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!

@TryingToFindMyStyle I won’t buy anything from Estée Lauder group or L’Oreal, etc either. As this rules out LRP & Cerave also, I would absolutely struggle at the drugstore.

Oh I didn’t realise Estée Lauder owned LRP thanks I’ll check who else they own and won’t RP LRP although I’ve so much in my stash I won’t be buying many new toiletries for a while

I misunderstood I see it’s L’Oreal that owns LRP.

It’s actually amazing to think about how many brands are under those umbrellas…

Thread newbie - why do we hate l'oreal and estee lauder?

For me, it's because their products are tested on animals.

Along with Maybelline, MAC, NARS and a whole load of others I won't buy from for this reason.

4 more empties for me:

66 - Dr Jart Cryo Rubber mask. First off I don’t like that it’s single use and not recyclable. I liked that it was in 2 parts. And the ampoule stuff felt soft. Do I have glass skin? Not really! It’s a nice mask but the lack of recycling is a big drawback.

67 - This Works deep sleep pillow spray. Nice smell. Not sure I’d rp as it feels a bit gimmicky.

68 - SdJ bum bum cream mini. I like the way it sinks in quickly. The smell is too sweet for me. No need to rp because I’m sure I’ll get it again in an edit at some point! Not love, not hate.

69 -Grüum SPF 30 face sunscreen. Lasted for ages! Good value, doesn’t leave a white cast. I think it gave me grease rather than shine/glow but did sink in over the day. I’d rp in extremis but I have others which are more mattifying and which I like better.

I have two empties to report:

• Hismile v34 ciolour corrector serum: this so did not live up to the hype. My teeth are still not white. I had this knocking round for ages so such a relief to have it finished.
• Calypso invisible sunstick SPF 50: so practical for on the go/small children. Very easy to apply and does not leave a white cast/need to be rubbed in. Have bought the new Nivea silky sunstick as a replacement but would defo RP this.

Two empties here too:

• Laneige water bank cream – have RP already

• Lancome Genifique youth activating concentrate – felt nice but not sure it did much

That takes me up to 20 so far this year. Need to up my game! I think I might have said that last time!

33/100

Elnett hairspray - I’m already onto the next one.

Dermalogica rice exfoliating face scrub - love this, absolutely will buy another. So gentle yet effective

nuxe conditioner- fine, did the job

Apologies if I reported this already:

• Lidl Gingerlily handwash: dead ringer for Molton Brown. Will defo RP if I see again - smells so good.

Sephora free gift with £120 spend. App only

apologies wrong thread.

Empties;

Perfume samples. PDM Valaya, Kayali eden plush pear ( have rp fullsize) Kayali Sweet peach (bought 10ml set)

94. Dove Coconut & Cocoa bath soak. Affordable and makes for a nice bath. I have lots of bath stuff atm and will be having fewer baths, so I will repurchase at some point.

95. Tan Luxe Super Glow serum. I love this; it gives you a nice natural glow and colour in your face. I take this on holiday and use it more in summer. If I'm having a no-makeup day, I put this on. I just mix it with my moisturiser. I always buy this off Vinted for no more than £10.

96. DDG Plump lip treatment. From CB Advent. A slight tingle on the lips when you apply, brings a natural colour and plumps them. I used it more for a glossy look on top of other lip products. I'm not keen on the gimmicky packaging either. I think with lip plumping products, cheaper ones work exactly the same in my opinion.

97. Vanilla Powder perfume. Really liked this scent. Not too heavy on the vanilla. Only a couple of sprays needed, and it lasted all day on me.

98. Medicube Collagen Lifting Sheet Mask. Nice enough, not my favourite.

99. Soap & Glory Smoothie Star scrub. Great scrub, love the scent. Would like to buy more from this range. Will RP at some point, and use the Boots recycle scheme. Trying to save up £300 worth of points!

Empties update - 36 total so far this year now

Hits on this list:
Sunday Riley CEO vit C serum - this was a RP and I really love it
Lumène Nordic berry cocktail – I love this also (think it was in an AC but have had it before)
These two really seem to help with pigmentation on my face
Also live Davines hair oil, smells lovely and smooths my post-swim hair. Have some other hair oil to use up tho.
The Sisley night mask was lovely tho tiny.
Neal’s Yard bath oil was also very nice and fragrant – bought with a random Amazon voucher from some market research I did last year
Faith in Nature was a chuck, I can’t get on with shampoo bars
Other things were Ok or nothing special or just my regular (Mitchum)

@MsMarch - for me it is L’Oreal’s lack of transparency. They sell in China which requires animal testing. They had been saying that they hadn’t tested on animals since 1989, but were caught out and forced to admit that they hadn’t tested FINISHED products, but the ingredients… Then there are the political scandals… The Bettencourt family have been linked to bribery, tax evasion and right-wing agenda politicians in France. They also have massive business operations in Israel and support pro-Israeli politics. Also, Nestle are stakeholders and they are known to have been responsible for several human rights breaches in third world countries (aka pushing baby formula in India claiming it was healthier than breast milk, knowing that the demographic they were aiming at had unclean water and little to no ability to sanitize bottles, etc. Many babies died.)
Estee Lauder caught out using PFAS (forever chemicals) in makeup. Dodgy intellectual property breaches/abuse of smaller companies, talc & asbestos usage in older products, plus their founders were Zionists and the company continues to market in Israel despite the current boycotts.

I finished a wee tub of TirTir Matcha Calming Cream. It was nice. Very pretty colour. It had a weird, “pudding” texture that had me quite convinced a sticky mess was in my future, but it disappeared almost immediately. I liked it and would absolutely repurchase in summer or if I was younger. I need more “oomph” so I am using up the dregs of what I have left atm. I am looking at purchasing Bioheal (BOH) Probioderm 3D Lifting Cream and maybe something thicker and more occlusive as well.

@TryingToFindMyStyle Nip+Fab glycolic pads that you liked are in £10 Tuesday today on Boots.

https://www.boots.com/nipandfab-glycolic-fix-daily-cleansing-pads-xxl-100-pads-10347066

@wheresmyshoe how frequently did you use the Dermalogica rice exfoliating face scrub?

3-4 times a week @countdowntonap it’s very gentle. It’s called daily microfolliant so assume fine for every day use

I have an empty to report:

• Clairol root touch up colour & volume 2 in 1 spray: great for a quick fix. Does leave some residue but if applied to wet hair it is less pronounced. I have another 2 of these (different brands) on the go plus a brush thing. Well variety is the spice of life... right?

@Francestein appreciate your insightful comments about L'Oreal and Estee Lauder.

Oh I didn’t see this until today and they are back to £19.95 but thank-you so much for thinking of me. I’ll keep an eye out for offers. I started using a glycolic acid based toner in my stash and it’s too harsh to use daily which has confirmed the pads are a rp for me, and possibly even a hg (holy grail) product.

Empties…

Rituals Ayurveda Body Scrub - didn’t love this, I don’t think I’m a body scrub person. It separated into oil and grains in the tub (I got it in Dec and opened it recently so not a case of being out of date). Now trying a Drunk Elephant scrub which I’m also meh about

Lumene Nordic Bloom Night Moisturiser - liked this a lot, possible RP once the stash is used, good smell and soft skin

Sample of Guerlain Flora Cherrysia - liked this but it’s expensive to buy a bottle and I have lots of scents so maybe in a few years 😀

@Experiment627 I’m not going to advise anyone else about this though. Let’s be totally honest, a boycott of these companies isn’t really much of a sacrifice for me anyway. I use mostly J&K beauty. I know it’s really hard to avoid all of the companies under these umbrellas and they have a lot of great products in all price ranges. They’re accessible and everywhere.

Those Rituals scrubs are lovely, but do separate a lot, I agree. I stirred them all in aggressively, albeit that only works up to a point.

The Clarins body scrubs don't separate. I like the yellow tonic one. But I also don't use them often.

I haven't posted in the last month as I've been busy/unwell with a chronic illness flare up. So this is quite a long list (and sorry for no photos but I cannot get Mumsnet to allow me to upload images). The numbers look very good but it's been a bumper year for incoming items so far less impressive than it seems. This is why I record numbers both in and out. If I only recorded items out I'd be lulling myself into a false sense of security while still continuing to increase the stash.

Toiletries;

74. Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant 13g.

From the Liberty advent calendar. I'm sure it's very nice but I have enough facial exfoliant to last me at least a year so this went on Vinted,

75. Malin+Goetz Recovery Treatment Oil 30ml.

Same as above.

76. MZ Skin Restorative Bio-Placenta Cream 10ml.

Really like this but it's too expensive to repurchase. I have lots of the Rich Cream to use though so it's no real hardship. Would RP if I see it cheap on Vinted again.

79-81) M&S Neroli, Lime & Bergamot candle.

Christmas present. Didn't smell of much, wouldn't RP.

82. The White Company Lime & Bay Votive.

I like this but in no hurry to RP.

83. Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel 50ml.

Nothing special.

84. Augustinus Bader The Rich Eye Cream 15ml.

Was pretty good for winter but otherwise a bit too heavy for me.

85. Votary Super Renewal Serum 30ml.

Nice to use but I'm not sure it did much.

86. Blue vaseline tin.

An absolute staple for me. Cheap and nothing works better for dry lips.

87. The White Company Lime & Bay hand cream 30ml.

Nice enough and I like the scent but it's not a particularly moisturising formulation. I do like that these are a nice handbag size and I can get scents to match my perfume though.

88. Votary Night Star serum 30ml.

Same as the other Votary serum.

89. Sunday Riley Auto Correct Eye Contour Cream 1ml.

Fine but too small to say if it really did anything.

90. Oribe Gold Lust Dry Shampoo 58g.

Decent but my favourite is the loose powder in the purple tin.

91. Sol de Janeiro Rosa Charmosa Dewy Cream 7.5ml.

Very nice, would use again but in no hurry to RP as I don't use rose scents that often.

92. Jo Loves Rose Petal 25 votive.

Nice but no need to RP. Would happily use if I received as a gift.

93. The White Company Lime & Bay body scrub 200ml.

Nice scent but not my favourite scrub formulation.

94. Verden Arborealist Bath Oil 109ml.

I rarely use anything in the bath so mostly used this on my feet and legs. It's very nice but there are body oils I prefer.

95. MZ Skin The Rich Moisturiser 10ml.

Love this and have loads in the stash.

96. QMS Advanced Collagen Serum In Oil 10ml.

I didn't really see the point of this. It's an extra step in my routine that doesn't seem to add any value.

97. Chase & Wonder Tuscan Sunset candle.

Very pleasant but no need to RP.

98. MZ Skin Anti-Pollution Hydrating Face Mask.

I like using these days but they don't do much other than moisturise. I'll use the ones I have but won't RP.

99. Margaret Dabbs Miracle Fabulous Feet Foot Cream 45ml.

I love this and would RP. Note that this is NOT the same one that was recently in the Liberty Beauty Drop. This is the every day version and has a lovely texture and scent.

100. Manucurist Nourishing Nail Pen.

The mechanism stopped working when I was left than halfway through the tube so I had to cut it open to use up, which meant I ended up using too much each time. Poor design, wouldn't RP.

102. The White Company Sea Salt hand & nail cream 250ml.

I'm not that keen on this. I bought it as I thought it might be a cheaper option to go with Jo Malone's Wood Sage & Sea Salt but it's really not at all similar. The formula also isn't very moisturising. Would not RP.

103. Diptyque Mimosa votive.

Very nice for spring but probably wouldn't RP.

104. Jo Malone Tuberose Angelica Body Creme 7ml.

Very nice, already have a big tub.

105. Sainsburys Anti-Dandruff Shampoo 500ml.

A household staple but we RP whatever brand is cheapest/most convenient.

106. Ceremonia Guava Leave-In Condtitioner.

Happy to use again but probably wouldn't RP. Strong fruity scent which wouldn't go with a lot of my perfumes.

107. Lumene Nordic Hydra Moisture Balm 10ml.

Very nice for winter and would RP if I needed a cheaper option than MZ Skin.

108. Overose Chocolate Croissant candle.

Nice but a bit too sickly sweet for me.

109. MZ Skin Hydrate & Nourish Age Defence Retinol SPF 30 5ml.

Really like this and already have two big tubs in the stash.

110. Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt hair mist 30ml.

I bought this on Vinted but returned it as the bottle wasn't full.

Cosmetics:

19. Lumene Dewy Glow Setting Spray 50ml.

I dropped this before it was finished and broke the spray mechanism so I binned what was left. I don't like it as much as the Charlotte Tilbury one anyway.

20. Guerlain Bee Glow Pearly Peach.

Absolutely awful. The lip gloss formulation is absolutely lovely but it's supposed to be peach and it just goes bright neon pink as soon as it touches my lips. I complained to Guerlain but they weren't interested. I would seriously avoid this until you WANT neon pink lips.

21. Stila Labradorite waterproof eyeliner pencil.

Gave this away as I just don't ever wear black eyeliner. Not sure why I'd hung on to it for so long tbh.

22. Vieve Super Skin Nova 1ml.

Gorgeous golden colour but makes my oily skin look like I've dipped it in chip oil. My skin really doesn't help with 'glowing', it does that all by itself. I also don't need massive highlighted golden pores. I gave it two tries then chucked.

23. Huda Beauty Warm Matte Obsessions.

I love these in the palette but they're just too bright on my pale skin and don't blend very well so I gave it away.

24. Bobbi Brown Honey Glow Blush & Highlight Duo.

The colour isn't quite right for me (a bit on the brown side) so I gave this away too.

25. Guerlain Bee Glow Pearly Peach.

Same problem as the lip oil but even worse. My lips went bright neon pink with just one swipe and then remained stained that colour for the rest of the day. It wasn't a particularly nice formula either, not very moisturising. I'm loathe to bin things, especially when they were expensive, but this went in the bin after I got fed up of DH bursting out laughing at my clown lips every time I used it.

26. MAC Naked Lunch eyeshadow.

This is lovely but far too cool for my warm skin so I gave it away. This was a really difficult one because my sister bought it for me and we're currently estranged (not permanently I hope) :( But it doesn't suit me and made me sad every time I looked at it so it was ridiculous to keep it.