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!

Speaking of Elemis, I miss their peptide plumping night mask. Has anyone tried the Superfood night mask, in the pink pot?

@Experiment627 what are your foundation requirements? Coverage level, texture etc etc? I love my Chantecaille Future Skin but it's expensive for foundation so I've only bought in combination with offers, discounts etc. It has a medium/light coverage but buildable and feels natural on your face, no creases or cakey-ness.

Yes, I threw out a quarter empty jar in my empties post on page 2. The cream is lovely but it's so heavily fragranced it was just too much.

@Experiment627

The foundation/tints I currently rate most (dry, mature skin). I've tried quite a lot looking for a decent base.

Eborian CC Red Correct - light tint when I want to apply quickly and go. I also sometimes use it under another base but it works on it's own.

Cover Girl Olay Cream foundation ( the one in a compact not the bottle) - I've nearly panned one of these. It's a lovely light - med coverage that does feel a bit like skincare. I bought it from iherb which seems the only place other than Amazon you can get it in the UK. I use a brush not the sponge it comes with.

In the pricer foundation category I would rate in order
NARS Light Reflecting (med cov)
Prada (light - med cov)
The new Estee Lauder (med -full)

I've tried a few others which are fine but I like less for various reasons.

VBB Foundation Drops - to be fair this is nice but in no way worth the extortionate price when I could buy NARS or Prada for half or less the cost. I'll happily use this up but couldn't bring myself to RP, even on discount.

Hourglass Illuminating Foundation and Skin Tint - both these are very nice but the shade match leans a bit warm on me so I prefer others.

Milk Skin Tint - I love how this looks in the summer, it's very glowy but does pull a little warm so not great outside of spring summer.

I ended up not liking at all

Natasha Denona Hyglam - looks beautiful on first application but within an hour or two slides off my face. Coudn't find a way to fix this so it wears better. Reviews suggest people love it or hate it so maybe it really depends on your skin?

Gucci Skin Tint - Similar issue to the ND Hyglam, looks lovely at first but breaks up badly.

Elf Soft Glam - looked awful on me.

Maybelline Lumi Matte - terrible on me, sucked every bit of moisture and made me look ancient.

@LightandBreezy I would say medium coverage - that does not show up my texture - which is what the disastourous Elf soft glam one does.

@OvaHere THANK YOU!!!! I will definitely check some of your recommendations out.

The serum foundation is back??? This is big news! Although I have since fallen in love with (and yes, stocked up on) the IT Cosmetics CC cream. I’ve still got the remains of the last bottle of the Ordinary serum foundation I could get my hands on, in slightly the wrong shade, which I use on days that I’m not really going anywhere proper but don’t want to be totally bare faced. Right, off to research now….!

@Experiment627 i massively recommend IT Cosmetics CC cream for mid level cover. Really nice “natural” skin effect, excellent range of shades.

Rituals of Ayurveda shower foam. Nice enough but I prefer shower gel.

Elemis pro collagen cleansing balm - liked this a lot, will probably RP when I have used up other cleansers (also have a small rose one from the JL kit to try)

Highland Soap Co organic whiskey and honey lip balm - this isn’t finished but it’s in a cardboard tube and seems to be hardening up and not staying that clean :-( I have about 17 other balms so I’m going to bin it for hygiene

I've had a better week for getting things used up:

60. Black Phoenix Trading Post Exotic Bazaar Atmosphere Spray.

I love this indie brand and have loads of their room sprays. I think this might be the first one that I've actually managed to use up. Gorgeous scent but no repurchase as I have enough room fragrance to last me an eternity.

61. MZ Skin Vitamin-Infused Meso Face Mask.

Didn't fit very well and didn't seem to do anything other than moisturise well. Still have some more in the stash but won't be rushing to repurchase.

62. Molton Brown Orange & Bergamot candle.

Nice but I have loads of scented candles so no repurchase.

63. Manucurist Nail & Cuticle Oil.

This is a staple for me so will repurchase.

64. Jo Loves With Love From Como body lotion 75ml.

Very nice but orange isn't my favourite scent (you'd be surprised to learn that if you saw how many orange-based products I have...) so no repurchase. The bottle for this size is seriously annoying too, it's really hard to get any product out even when full.

65. MZ Skin Rest & Revive Restorative Placenta & Stem Cell Night Serum 5ml.

I really like this and have managed to pick up two 30ml sizes for £125 on Vinted.

66. La Mer The Lip Balm.

Very nice but not worth the cost, I'll stick with my trusty tin of Vaseline!

67. MZ Skin Hydra-Lift Gold Face Mask.

Like the vitamin-infused one, this didn't fit very well and didn't produce any obvious effect other than moisturising. I'll use the others in my stash but not repurchase.

And also a cosmetics item to report:

18. Bobbi Brown Skin Weightless Powder Foundation Warm Ivory. UU.

My favourite foundation and I already had several more in the stash. I'm hoping the weather will improve soon though so that I can move up to Warm Beige once I've had a bit of sun.

It’s online only but if you know your shade you’re good to go. I was worried they might have changed since being away but went with my usual shade and was really pleased with it.

I missed a Caudalie Vinoperfect brightening serum off my holiday list - but also missed a number out when counting so that can be 27. It was a good size sample at 10ml. I like Caudalie products and used to use them frequently, but now I'm a bit older and have switched to stronger products I don't really have room for them in the routine ( I stick to a combination of spf and vit c in the morning and retinol at night usually ) It was actually lovely to use this again, I like the light clean scent and how moisturising it feels. Tempted to RP once I've culled my serum supply a bit.
And there have been a few more to add since I got back, although the last 3 aren't empties as such, I found them in a random liberty print bag under the bed in the spare room - products I didn't like but felt guilty chucking. Ah well!
30.
Another pack of Dr Teals Sativa bath salts, love the very light fresh fragrance, I always have some epsom salts on the go and these have become a favorite because of the scent.
31.
MZ skin Hydra bright eye mask ( the gold ones) used this this morning as I had shocking bags when I woke up - not much actual serum in the packet, these were somewhat drier than other eye masks I've used, but it meant they didn't slide down my face at least and they did smooth the undereye area considerably. These were either a freebie or from this years AC, not something I'd purchase tbh.
32.
Alpha H liquid Gold Midnight Reboot Serum - another 10ml large mini from a GWP, I used this a while ago, no big wows from me and the packaging is poorly thought out. Thick serum + short pipette + solid glass bottle you can't squeeze = Irritation. Thankfully not skin irritation but still, a little common sense would have gone a long way. Unlike the serum, which is just going to the bin😂
33.
White Company Lime and Bay shower gel. This was a gift to a relative with no sense of smell, so they kindly passed it on to me - it was nothing special in terms of scent, although less cif-like than many citrus bath products.
34.
Carmex pot. I love it, nothing else stays on my lips as well.
35.
Lipstick Queen Saint Rose - This brand was bought by the company that owns Morphe 6 years ago so god knows how old this was. Great formulation and a lovely cool pink, but the exterior packaging had gotten pretty grim - it had that matte coating that Nars used to use on their packaging too and it always wore off and went tacky.
36.
Got-2-b brow gel. Someone else on here wrote about this recently and I agreed with every criticism and decided to chuck this. Wand is too big and picks up too much product so then your brows dry crispy and the opening gets gluey. I have another 2 clear brow gels from DODs in advent calendars so on to the next one!
37.
Votary tanning drops. Tried these, they did nothing whatsoever but hey, it was from the beauty drop box a while ago so no great loss, just further evidence to support my suspicion that Votary products are a bit rubbish ( apologies to any fans here!)
38.
Dr Barbara Sturm Lifting Serum. Another brand that consistently disappoints imo😂I now generally discount edits or calendars containing this brand to hike up their 'worth', would love to know if anyone has had a good experience with any of their products and it's just my weird skin. This retails at a horrendous £255, but reminds me of making egg-white facemasks when I was a kid, made my face feel dry and tight but not good tight iyswim. I got it years ago in a Net-A-Porter calendar I think, so spent very little actual £ on it thankfully.
39.
Mystery Hyaluronic serum - I peeled off the top part of the label so no idea what brand and can't remember where it came from. Wouldn't RP anyway

Finally some empties to report:

Habi Hydra Boost Cream moisturiser - liked this a lot, great ingredient list and an absolute bargain as it's a Boots own brand. However I think it's designed for oily skin, a problem long in the past for me. Won't RP but ideal for teens/twenty somethings on a budget

M&S Primrose Hand Cream with Royal Jelly and Honey. Handy mini-size and I am absolutely won over to the mini hand cream. However not this one as it's not hefty enough and I prefer fragrance free.

The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm. Total winner, love the smell, texture, effectiveness and the way it makes my skin feel. Looked at the Boots dupe and the ingredients aren't remotely the same. Will definitely RP.

And forgot - going in the bin

Chantecaille Just Skin Tinted Moisturiser in Alabaster. This was my holy grail for the few times I wear makeup.

Wore it last night and hated it. It pulls orange and coverage is too heavy for someone who is pretty happy with their skin - having just spent a fortune on laser, I don't want to cover it up!

Am going in to town next week and keen to hear suggestions for minimal coverage, fragrance free options for a very pale olive.

@AnnaMagnani have you tried the Glossier perfecting skin tints? Super light formulation, and feels natural on the skin although not sure how well it lasts. FWIW the Chantecaille tinted moisturiser was reformulated not that long ago, so if you used it really rarely your tube might be from the previous formulation and it might be worth trying again. If the tube you just chucked was 50ml not 35ml, it's the old version. I've have a similar experience with a shade from the old version of the Chantecaille TM, it oxidised and looked more yellow on my skin. Not a good look!

Thank-you @LightandBreezy it's definitely an old very old tube.

It's also possible that I'm actually a bit paler and it's just the wrong shade as I'm now being religious about using SPF50 everyday.

Skin Tint sounds more what I am looking for.

Some empties:

Fresh Soy Cleanser - 50ml. The fragrance was a bit much, but otherwise quite liked this.

Beauty of Joseon Calming Serum - 30ml. Feels really cooling and soothing. This and the Skin 1004 centella ampoule are the best things I’ve tried for calming down irritated or sore skin. Definite RP.

Axis-Y Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum - 50ml. Felt nice and hydrating but I didn’t notice any dark spot correcting going on.

Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream - 15ml. Didn’t seem to do anything much.

No 7 Good Intent Dew Bank Water Cream - 30ml. One of the Boots K beauty dupes, presumably for the Laneige Water Bank moisturiser. I wasn’t keen on this one. It left my skin feeling tacky on the surface but still dry underneath. Used up on my neck and chest.

Lush Snowcake Buttercream - 95g. From the Lush subscription box and sort of a cross between a body wash and an in shower moisturiser. It was fine, but not a type of product I need.

Pantene Grow Strong Conditioner - 1 litre. One of my favourite conditioners so I get the big bottles from Amazon on Prime Day. Will RP but will try and use up some of the other bottles cluttering up my shower first.

Ah sorry all keep falling off the thread... Lots of empties (taking my 2026 total to 25, not bad

Love it: Vilhelm Parfumerie Peony Couture this is my actual genuine HG I love it. Love the smell and it lasts so so well. I have stalked eBay for years (it was in the Liberty AC about three years ago) and probably bought all the bottles. Two more in my stash yayaya
Also liked: dermalogica vit C serum, really felt it improved my skin; Liz A lip balm really lovely and liked the lipstick presentation; Jones Road Miracle Balm pinched cheeks, I know some hate it but I really like this one for cheeks and lips; The Ordinary hyaluronic a surprise hit.

@OvaHereiherb was selling the Cover Girl one for £6!! I have ordered- hopefully colour I got is ok!
I fell asleep last night to a YT video of someone comparing that foundation to the Max Factor Miracle one... do not know how it ends!

@Fillybusterthanks - I think I tried the IT Cosmetics cc cream awhile back in store - and did not get cos it had a nasty silicone in it (cyclopentasiloxane), but I will have another looksee.

Medik8 night cream - very nice! My husband liked it too. Would probably not rp as not special enough, but a good moisturiser.

Drunk Elephant Beste no.9 - my favorite. Have been using it for years and will continue to do so.

Kerastase elixir- really liked it. It is much heavier than Olaplex, but my hair seems to drink it all up. Will rp. Although I am curious about their other versions (purple, pink etc)

Kerastase nutritive- I didn’t really use it as a night serum (didn’t like the stiffness), but it worked great as a hair styling cream. Would buy again.

Kopari body lotion - so happy I didn’t buy multiples. Although cream is nice it is full of shimmer and glitter 😬

Milk lip oil - last one! I used about 8 of them i think 😅

Estee Lauder mascara - nothing special.

Fresh rose toner - it’s nice, but petals would sometimes come out and stick to my face.

Davines hair soufflé- nop. Sticky and slimy.

Lancome eye cream - pretty much the only eye cream I use.

Lush Rose body conditioner- odd product. Very oily on skin. Scent was nice though.

Inkey list bio active cream - really liked it, will buy full size to test it properly.

Rodial lip oil - my favorite one. Will definitely buy again.

Opi nail care - I put few drops in my hand cream and foot cream and it did seem to add extra moisture. Not sure if I can be bothered to use it again.

SDJ Beira cream - strong scent as per usual.

Beautypro eye patches x3 - very dry, I prefer slightly more fluid.

• various samples.

I haven’t been on this thread for ages and only realised there’s a new one! Took ages to get any more empties but here’s my lot for now:

Listerene Cool Mint mouthwash- I’m so glad this is finished, it’s soooo strong and a pretty horrible taste but I persisted!

The White Company Winter handwash- lovely scent

Pure Herbs shower gel and body lotion- from a hotel abroad somewhere. Bit meh but obv won’t be buying it!

Gruum sleep mist- fab scent and I think does help me sleep! Have another one on the go so won’t need to buy again for now.

Neals Yard hand cream- lovely decent and good absorption

M&S Apothecary range shower gel- quite nice but nothing stand out ish cos I can’t remember what it smelled like now

Good to have a stash of empties again!

@LightandBreezy your post reminded me that I have a serious stash of brand new, boxed, unopened Lipstick Queen lipsticks in a drawer, which I had kind of forgotten about. About 16 years ago a SNK lady gently shifted me away from my default, bog-standard toffeeish shades and got me to try Saint Wine, a beautiful burgundy shade,which was less scary due to being the Saint (light, sheer) version. Over time, I got brave enough to try Sinner and then the Metal when that was released. And then I massively stocked up on all 3, plus the white shimmer Ice Queen and black (hmmmm, still not sure why that one) lace overlays when SNK sold them all when the brand closed.

It’s still my all time favourite shade, but the truth is that I hardly ever wear lipstick, so the stash is reducing at an incredibly slow pace, only helped by my occasionally losing one 😂

BTW clarins toner/rubbing alcohol does a great job of removing the weird tackiness when the rubber goes odd on the casing!

@Fillybuster they are great lipsticks, such a beatiful formulation! I only ever bought the saint versions, as I'm very lipstick-shy, and Saint Red is still the best colour I've ever found. That and the Saint Rose I mentioned already were like magic, made me look healthy and alive instantly. I also very rarely wear lipstick so have half a Saint Red left for special occasions. You might be onto a goldmine btw, I noticed there are a couple of shades selling on amazon still for £47 each, and some on ebay for £60. In fact now I've gone down the rabbit hole and am considering buying another Saint Red from America 😂

Time to wrap up the last of March empties. Est value this month comes to £156. Used 22 products up. Will take some bits to recycle and Boots today, so a great excuse to shop😁

Perfume samples. JM English pear & freesia. Dries Van Noten fleur du mal. PDM Delina La rose. Creed Eladaria, Creed Queen of silk.

60. Soap and Glory flake away scrub. Not a fan of the Pink scent in S&G, they have better scrubs. This was more like a body wash with bits in. Need a handful to get a decent scrub. No RP.

61. Kérastase Glaze Hair Oil sample. I wasn't fussed about this. I found it too light for what I would usually go for; I like a thicker oil that's really nourishing. I don't think I saw a huge difference in shiny hair either.

62. Mitchum Roll on. Always use.

63. Ouai Melrose dry shampoo. The scent is lovely and quite long-lasting. It wasn't too chalky or heavy-feeling in my hair. I think it's OK, but nothing special. Probably won't repurchase.

64. Sainsbury's sheet mask. Not great. The proportions of this mask were weird. Eye holes looked like someone just ripped them in. I could smell the fragrance in it immediately. Cheap and nasty, imo.

65. Lush Sleepy shower gel. A really calming scent, perfect for the evening when I want to wind down. It just lifts away the stress of the day. I love getting all cozy in my PJs after using it. Will repurchase.

66. Maybelline Build a Brow pen & gel. Im not a fan of brow pens, i just find you have to put more pressure on it to get the product out. The gel also wasnt great. Im going back to pencil.

67. Naturium multi oil body wash. Will be repurchasing ASAP. Not too oily, so it's not a slip and slide. Love the pump. Creates a good lather and you can feel it immediately hydrating your skin; you could get away with no lotion after using this. The scent is very light and doesn't linger. I really love this brand from what I've used so far.

68. Too Faced Ribbon Lash Mascara. I usually have a few mascaras on the go at once, and this is my least favorite out of them. It's not a bad mascara; I just prefer the results of the others. It was a Boots £10 Tuesday, so a bargain, but I RP.

More empties…..

69.. clarins one step gentle exfoliating cleanser. Ok would reuse but not RP as there are nicer ones out there.
70.. vanilla powder pardon. Love this! Would RP but checking my stocks I have another 4 of these already.
71.. DS and D debaser. Liked this but not sure I would RP as not as fresh as I usually like but a nice change.
73.. black rose cream mask. Love this! Great smell and my skin looks and feels lovely afterwards. One I would RP if it was on offer.
74.. Sunday Riley auto correct. Brilliant for days when I don’t wear makeup as it brightens my dark circles and has a lovely texture would RP.
75.. kalelaluyaha exfoliator. Fab! It feels more effective than the Paula’s choice I usually use. My skin is clearer and pores less congested. I would def RP once my stock of Paula’s choice is used.
76 ds and Durga I don’t know what. I wasn’t sure about this at first but I really like it which is good as I have another 5 bottles in my stash!
77.. cultured balm.. binned completely the wrong texture for me, mix between an oil and balm. Just not for me.
78.. l’occtaine creams. Binned far too strong smelling for me.
79.. pai facial oil. I was really looking forward to this but the smell and colour were too much for me. Binned.
80.. malin and goetz face wash. Fine. Would reuse but maybe not RP.
81.. shiseido wrinkle/spot treatment. Tiny sample seemed nice so would retry it.
82.. glow recipe serum tenite. I thought this was like the normal glow recipes serum but I think it’s actually a liquid blush which wasn’t right for me.

I wondered where everyone had gone lol! Thanks for being brilliant @Experiment627 and adding the link to the old one it I would have never found you all again!’ 😅