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 The trouble is I keep buying more 🤣, but yes, I'm really pleased with how much I've used up this year.
I know, I cannot find a decent mascara and I have such short stubby eyelashes!

I've not been on MN much but have tried to keep vaguelly up with this thread - usually at midnight while aimlessly scrolling before bed! @Tarragon123 hope you keep getting better. The post surgery recovery is also so tedious - the impact of the drugs, the exhaustion etc. Hopeffully progress is being made.

I have a few empties so will track down and post soon. One of mine is an eye brow pencil from Maybelline. @Henowner I have tried so many mascaras and eyebrow products and I always just go back to Maybelline so I feel your pain. And there's one Elf one which I buy in brown but is annoyingly elusive to get hold of. I think it will also be in my empties pile this week.

Hi folks, well I’ve been back in hospital, this time with an infection. I am beyond fed up. However, I’m going to be grateful for small mercies. Thanks to this thread, I am very organised with my toiletries. So when I was told that I was being admitted, I was able to say to DH, go home, go into the bedroom and you will find my overnight bag with toiletries and he was able to do that.

Aromatherapy Associates Eye Zone Concentrate 15ml RRP £50. I love Aromatherapy Associates, but only the bath/shower stuff. I dont really rate the skincare and I don’t really feel that this did anything. Would not RP.

Molton Brown Orange & Bergamot Bath & Shower Gel 50ml RRP £8.40. This was a freebie, given to DD by one of her great aunts who was having a clear out. DD knows how much I love Molton Brown and gave it to me. I have the matching Eau Fraiche so I have RP’d. I finished this off in hospital and the lovely nurse who was looking after me said ‘Tarragon, you smell AMAZING.’ Worth a RP on that alone I think lol.

Feather & Down Sleep Pillow Spray 100ml £8. I think this is an absolute bargain! I love it, always RP it. My HG is Aromatherapy Associates, but that is mega expensive. I’m happy to use this as an alternative. Boots usually have it on offer.

So I only have 3 products used up in June with a total RRP of £66.40. I also gave DD four products from the Latest in Beauty Box that I was tempted by. I’ll need to have a look at the products that I took into hospital with me. There may be one or two that I can cut open and use up. However, given that we are half way through the year, 80 products with an RRP of £1,350.97 is none too shabby.

Thank you again for your kind words. You are a lovely bunch.

@Tarragon123
Hope you make a swift recovery and are able to go home soon ❤️

@Tarragon123 hope you’re recovering well, nice to be told you smell amazing, that definitely warrants a RP

Sending love @Tarragon123 what a great compliment from the nurse.

I am currently using a small MB Sunlit Clementine and Vetiver and very nice it is too.

Argh, @Tarragon123 Im so sorry! Sounds horrendous! Hope you are on the road to recovery now.

Collected empties:

1. Clarins double serum. Old formula and I have always loved it. It does irritate me because by itself, it does nothing for me, but somehow, used in conjunction with my other products.... overall glow and good health. I have already RP on previously discussed Boots sale, but the new formula (enjoying so far).

1. Elf mascara in brown. This one is an old one I haven't been able to replace and so I have been eking out the last few drops when I really want a simple brown mascara. I cant toss the tube until I find the replacement as I dont even know which one it is. I like the brown- its very subtle but just stops me looking anemic on "no make up" days.

1. Maybelline Build a brow. I think it is in taupe. This is my 3rd or 4th one. Good value, effective, easy to use and decent selection of shades which works for my ridiculous pale skin and pale/thin brows. Will RP.

1. Laneige water sleeping mask. I actually really liked this but quite frankly, my more reasonably priced neutrogena does a great job so I wont be rushing to buy this.

1. Laneige cream skin. I am not really sure what this is supposed to be. A moisteriser/toner? Its ok. But I got bored and didnt even finish the sample size.

6.bio oil. Its not quite finished but will be in a few days so added it. I have had a bottle of this in my bathroom at all times since I was about 15 . It has 2 main uses for me. 1. Works extremely well on chapped skin as a result of a cold, or cold weather. In particular under the nose when you have been dripping and blowing a lot. When the dc were small I regularly snuck into their rooms after bed time and applied it if they had a cold. Its literally a miracle overnight cure. Ditto if you suffer from chapped knuckles in cold weather

But the main thing I use it for is 2. As the world's best bath oil. A generous squirt into a warm bath and my skin feels soothed and moisterised. And for me, perhaps because I have used it for so many years and its now almost nostalgic, I find it soothes me all over. As i tell dh, if I am overwhelmed and over stimulated, a bio oil bath literally feels like my nerve endings are being smoothed over with a piece of silk. Its ridiculously expensive for what it is so I buy small bottles or on sale or pick it ip when I go home to SA (it is a South African product originally). It was brilliant for the dc when they were small too and dd still.enjoys an occasional bio oil bath.

@Tarragon123 I am so sorry you have had such a long recovery! Good that you went back to hospital to get on top of the infection. Hopefully you respond to the meds asap and feel human again very soon. I can imagine that bergamot would be the perfect scent to make anyone feel clean and human in hospital. I tend to stick to green teas and citruses when working under these conditions too.
@MsMarch Laneige Cream Skin USED to be amazing. Was the OG really famous milky toner. They reformulated and I don’t know who the hell it’s aimed at now. It used to be thicker and more nourishing. It had 1/3rd of a tub of moisturiser in OG formulation and they have switched it out with the much cheaper hyaluronic acid base. Now it’s runny and smells like plastic. It is an entirely different product.

June's empties stats: 19 products used, value £255.

125. Lush Strawberry Shower Jelly. Just a faff to wash with. The scent was nice though, and i did find it quite hydrating. But this is my least favourite Lush product. No RP.

126. Philip Kingsley scalp serum. From the CB AC. I'm terrible for picking my scalp, so I would say that's my only scalp issue. I usually popped this on a few hours before washing my hair rather than overnight. I liked the cooling feeling, and it didn't make my hair look too greasy. I will say this has helped me stop picking my scalp, as it soothed the sore bits.

127. Sungboon Editor Cica Teatree Mask. I like this. I prefer gel masks over paper sheet masks.

128. Biodance Hydro serum. My last bottle. I liked it, hydrating and did the job. Not necessarily a rp.

129. Fenty lip oil in Cherry. Not my favourite. Not sticky, but lacks colour for me. I have a melon one to use up too.

130. Laniege Water bank aqua facial sample. I would possibly buy a full size.

131. Lush Sympathy for the skin lotion. Light enough for this hot weather, im not sweating it off hours later.

132. Biodance bio collagen masks. Love these, i usually use them overnight. My skin looks fresh and plump the next morning. Popped one in the fridge to use, to cool down on an evening during our UK heatwave 🌞Going to try the PDRN ones next.

133. Typebea hair mask sample. Made my hair nice and soft.

I forgot to mention that I binned a Kind Colkective Tubing Mascara. Literally the worst. It shed black bits all over my face and made me look like I had an infestation of creepy crawlies.
I have finished a d’Alba Double Cream. Fabulous product. Contemplating ordering another from Amazon during sale. It’s delicious.
Travel-sized Treecell Collagen Day Shampoo & Triple Bonding Treatment. I still think this is the nicest-smelling shampoo in the world. The treatment is a bit heavy for everyday use for my fluffy cat hair, but it’s still lovely. In terms of how well they suit my hair, I believe the Tsubaki shampoo & conditioner are still better.

Thank you all you lovely people! I am home, but again, due to the dressings, back to showering twice a week. Sigh.

@MsMarch – I did not know that Bio Oil was originally from SA! My surgeon recommended it post surgery, but given how pricy it is, I had a look about. Amazon stock a brand called Pampered, £10 for 150ml. I passed on it and stumbled across it in B&Ms for £1.99. I’ve been using it and it is lovely and moisturising. Its years since I bought Bio Oil, but I think it smells similar. Worthwhile checking out if you have a B&Ms near you?

Thanks for this. But honestly, my brand loyalty on this one is intense! No dupes here! We are talking 35 odd years after all.... i am a bit annoyed that I have had a number of SA visitors recently and forgot to ask any of them to bring some! Will stock up when we go back in October!!!

I dont think its great for scars in itself, but as a supportive, moisturising oil, brilliant. Also, i have often used it to support mild infections (or prevent them) with lavender and tea tree oils in the bath. Its incredibly soothing and moisturising so I can totally see why your surgeon recommended it. A friend uses it sometimes as a oil-cleanser on her face.

According to chat gbt it was launched in 1987. This actually sounds right because while I remember using it in the bath as a teenager, I feel like my mother used to use it on us from small bottles. Who knows what for - if it was originally some kind of alternative and/or natural treatment, she would have been all over it! 🤣🤣🥰🥰. This is a woman who made us wear eucalyptus blocks around our necks to ward off colds!!!

I’m going to pop in and say that most surgeons now say NOT to use Bio-Oil because of the essential oils. These days we know more about scarring and how to minimize it. Plastic surgeons recommend waiting until the scabbing is gone then keeping oxygen off the wound by applying Vaseline, silicone gel or silicone tape. Keeping the oxygen away from the wound allows for a more even healing pattern and helps minimize keloids.

I’ve got an old bottle of bio-oil in my cupboard of potions that I bought to help with post op scarring and never used. I have no idea how to actually use it up 🤦‍♀️

I like using bio-oil as a massage oil - either sore muscles, or old scars. I agree with @Francestein, for scars it's best to let the woulds fully close and scabs disappear, then use silicon tape etc. But later on, bio oil can be nice to massage old scars and help break down any internal tougher tissue.

It's also great for occasional dry skin on my elbows!

Yup, it's not really great for scars. But use it as a bath oil - lovely!

@Tarragon123so glad you are back home 💐 really hope you have a speedy recovery and can resume normal activities soon xxx

I don’t like bath oil 😳 I don’t really like anything in a bath apart from maybe Epsom salts.

edited to add I know that’s a bit weird from someone who likes nice toiletries, it’s post menopausal concern about irritation on delicate areas

Don’t get me started on the sensitive women’s bits post-menopause @MsMarch. I have even had to change toilet papers. I don’t recall reading anything about this shit on the contract when I signed up to be a woman.
I also forgot to mention that my foundation bottle was smashed in my move. (What a mess!) I had a fancy event to go to in Melbourne on the way through so needed to get another. I found what I believe to be a pretty good substitute for Lisa Eldridge skin tint. It’s expensive for KBeauty, (I paid $42 at a different store). The catch is that there is one shade and two mix ins. If you could bother with that faff this might be for you. Luckily the OG shade matches my winter coat perfectly, but I would contemplate buying the deeper one for summer as a mix in or underpainting shade.
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oh my goodness @Francestein @MsMarch me too! My Lady Garden has been so unhappy this past year - more the foliage area than anything. I find applying Aveeno cream helps a bit. What toilet paper are you using @Francestein - I have switched to bamboo toilet paper (most of the time) as I find it more gentle.

Sorry about the foundation explosion - hope it did not go everywhere/ruin stuff.

I have two empties to report:

• Baylis & Harding Kindness hyaluronic acid body wash: this smells soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good - quite hard to find unless buying in bulk
• Tresemme Lamellar Shine leave in cream serum: adore this stuff! Use on my hair, then air dry and I often get lovely waves. Does not add to oily roots - so lightweight enough, which is great. Will defo RP at some point - have so many leave in conditioners on the go, I really need to streamline.

Empties

1. Bronnley Lemon 5% Niacimide body serum. Nice texture, mild smell, potential RP
2. Sample of Liz Earle Skin Repair Light Cream - got stalked around Boots with this one by an employee! It was perfectly fine, I have plenty of light day creams in the queue though

@Experiment627 I have used unscented, many ply, two ply, one ply, water wipes (not flushed), white, unbleached, wholemeal…. You name it, I’ve tried it. Area-specific oestrogen cream made it worse, and I have just started oestrogen pessaries and I have hope that there are signs of healing.
As for the foundation, the bag itself went in the washing machine and Is good aa new, and I wiped everything else clean. The sharpener was chucked in the dishwasher and honestly, looks better than ever. Just glad it wasn’t full of brushes, or the foundation a Chanel one. (I do love a Chanel foundation but haven’t been able to justify it. Was very close the day of the explosion though.)

Latest lot of empties:

Boots Collagen Cleansing Balm - 15g. Felt quite thick and gluey, so not that pleasant to use. Did do a brilliant job at getting off mascara though, one of the best I’ve tried for that.

Anua Rice 70 Milky Toner - 250ml. Very lightweight for a milky toner, which is ok for me but probably not for someone with drier skin. I’ve got another full size bottle in the stash.

Lancome Regenerie Peptide Cream - 15ml. This was lovely. I’ve liked all the Lancome skincare from the Christmas set I got last year.

Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion - 29ml. Too heavy for my face but ok for neck and chest.

Boots Coconut Glossy Lip Balm - a decent dupe for the Laneige glowy balms and much cheaper. 12 year old DD and her friends all seem to own several of these in various flavours.

No 7 Stay Perfect Concealer - I use this every day and a tube still lasts me well over a year. Two more in the stash thanks to a Boots 3 for 2, so I’m well stocked for the foreseeable.

Ouai St Bart’s Shower Gel - 89ml. Love this scent.

Lush Chelsea Garden Body Wash - 230g. One of the nicest body washes I’ve ever tried, so it’s annoying that it was a subscription box exclusive and I can’t buy more. It was a creamy texture without being too heavy and smelled gorgeous.

Lush Fairy Jasmine Shower Gel - 290g. Scent was ok but nothing amazing.

Tree Hut Pineapple Body Scrub - 510g. My HG body scrub in my favourite scent. Luckily this is one of the scents they often have in TK Maxx.

Bath & Body Works Pink Pineapple Sunrise Body Lotion - 236ml. My HG body lotion formula and this is my favourite B&BW scent. I love anything pineapple scented.

@MsMarch – are you on TikTok? Bio Oil just came up with an offer for me. £16.99 for a 125ml bottle, but then I could get a £3 coupon and free delivery. Pretty sure that’s the cheapest I’ve seen.

@Francestein – what a nightmare! Very frustrating indeed.

I subscribe to Who Gives A Crap for toilet paper.

Everyone is doing so well with using up their stash. I had a lovely long shower this morning. It was fabulous.