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!

Wow, just caught up. It's amazing how many of these products and brands I've never actually heard of.

I did do a Trinny run th eother day. got a free SPF cream as a result which actually, I really like so that feels like a win.

My only empty is my bog standard Nivea Q10 day cream with SPF. I like it and use it frequently but probably will use the travel size of the Trinny BounceBack which I love and bought this week and stick with the SPF in the form of her BFF SPF cream during this hot weather. Then go back to the Nivea when it's finished.

121: L’occitane body cream 20ml in Amande Sublime. What I thought the hand cream was! Again, nice smell, decent texture. But, as I have the mother of stashes, no need to rp anything hand or body at the moment.

122: Sisley Express Flower Gel 10ml. No idea how long I’ve had this but it probably came in a Liberty BD box. Originally smelt lovely, I think it had turned now though as the texture and smell were not the same. I don’t know where I’d add it to my routine or what it would bring so not a rp. Which is just as well as it’s madly expensive anyway.

123: Badedas shower gel - a standard product I buy in bulk.

124: Grown Alchemist hand cream - gave to my mum as she had no hand cream.

125: PK Elasticizer - given to my sister

126: Hair product, can’t remember the brand - given to my sister

127: Hair product, can’t remember the brand - given to my sister

128: Pro-Calm EGF active vital cream. Came in the SK pharmacy box. Bit greasy, often had residue left on my face the next morning. Not a rp.

128: Kiehls men’s face wash. I bought it for my husband probably about 20 years ago (literally) and he never used it. Found it while cleaning a cupboard, it was so out of date I binned it.

I’m very enjoying the challenge of using up. It’s thought-provoking and really making me consider what I buy…

TirTir Airy Bloom Mesh Cushion Blush:- but it takes longer to say the name than it does to use the product. My shade was Fiery Cinnamon. Was neither of those things. More of a dusty mauve.
Hince True Dimension Glow. The darkest one. It was a subtle, natural colour with a nice glow, but it kept hard panning and then the lid snapped off. CBA.
VB eyeliner. Disaster. Goes everywhere. Bin.

Couple more empties and some to throw.

• Cuticura body powder I had another empty of this not long ago this was from my travel soap bag. I’ve replaced the travel bag one with a nicely scented small tin
• VO5 Hot oil hair treatment I found a few of these at the back of the cupboard. These were my HG years ago when we didn’t have so many deep conditioning options. I’ll probably RP some time in the future but I’ve a lot of hair treatments from beauty boxes to use first
• Dead Sea mineral mud, opened pack from 2018! The remainder is going into the rubbish
• L’Oreal instant retouch for grey roots. These are unused and are going in the rubbish/recycling. They were a panic purchase when it was clear we were going to be locked down longer than a couple of weeks and you couldn’t buy home hair dye. My lovely very local hairdresser agreed to pop a tray of hair dye mixed to the right colour in my porch on her daily walk when I needed a touch up and I’d leave an envelope with cash in the porch 😂 if she’s reading this thread she’ll recognise me

That takes me to 98 so far this year (Magic retouch feels like 1 item)

@MsMarch Wow, just caught up. It's amazing how many of these products and brands I've never actually heard of.

I know! this thread has opened my eyes to quite how big the toiletries/skincare market is, and also to how many options there are if what I’m using doesn’t feel good enough

@TryingToFindMyStyle you mentioning VO5 hot oil has brought back some memories. I use to use this weekly when I was in my late teens. I didn’t even know they still did it. I might try to hunt some down for old times. 😂

@TryingToFindMyStyle @Beautyfox I was also a big VO5 Hot Oil fan. It was such a great product.

Murad Essential-C Cleanser 50ml RRP £15. I don’t think that I have used a Murad product that I don’t like. Liked this and the smell was very fresh and citrusy. Would happily RP but I have a few cleanser and fortunately for me, next month’s beauty box has a Murad cream cleanser in, which I think I would probably prefer.

Curlsmith Frizz Rescue Curl Retainer 237ml RRP £24. I found this while I was having a clear out and decided to use it up before buying anymore products. This smells absolutely divine. But I’ve decided that my HG is Umberto Giannini, so I wont be RP.

That’s 100 for the year. Hurrah! The 100 does not include stuff that I have given away.

Well done,@Tarragon123. great to have already hit the 100

Is there a brand of top coat (for regular nail polish not gel) that any beauty peeps recommend to keep varnish unchipped longer?

@SheilaFentiman Seche Vite!

Thanks! Off to google, that’s a new one to me!

@Francestein great idea about the perfume diffuser, I'll get one on pay day!

Some more empties. This brings my total to 173. My target was to use 100 within a year, from November when I started counting. I am pretty surprised at how many products I've used, wonder if I'll get to 200 by November?

Would RP:

K18 Heatbounce heat protectant - Got this slightly cheaper at TK Maxx, it's lovely. Smells really nice too. Keep looking for offers but it's so expensive.
Plur Cherry stem - Adore this. I told my other half I really liked it and pronounced the brand and fragrance name really clearly...
Sunday Riley good genes - I really liked this and will RP when I have more Liberty credit to squander.
Youth to the people papaya and ginger lactic acid face wash - Big fan of this and want to RP, feels very fresh and uplifting. The glass bottle made me nervous, it was the only glass bottle in the bathroom, but nothing went awry.
REN AHA tonic - I think this was the one @TragicMuse sent to me, I was very happy with this, one of my favourite products ever.
Elemis pro collegan cleansing balm - Really loved this, I'm hoping there will be some offers on Elemis during the Black Friday sales.
Omorovicza Budapest rejuvenating night cream - This was in a Liberty box I think, really nice and it took a while to use up.
Aveeno oat milk blend shampoo - love this still.

Chucks:
Getting rid of the two body lotions from Soap & Glory that have now lived at two houses but barely been used. They always seemed to irritate my skin slightly and weren't moisturising enough, and also didn't absorb easily.
Also getting rid of Nivea coconut body lotion, it has been very good about being forgotten in the cupboard but it's time to retire.
Note to self: don't put body lotion in the bathroom cupboard.

Would not RP and replaced with different product:

Tarte cosmetics creaseless setting powder - When this was full I could get the right amount out of it through the mesh thing, but as the amount of product dwindled, it was such an effort to get any out.
Replaced with: Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Pressed powder using Liberty credit, which is apparently 'free money' in my head so I'm allowed to spend it on expensive things. I nearly bought a Maybelline Fit me setting powder but decided to go mad instead.

An empty and a chuck out.

Dr Althea 365 Cream. It’s fine, but nothing amazing. I like the recyclable metal tube…. I just need more. Finished.
Mabelline Sky High Tubing Mascara. Who the hell approved this for sale? Straight to jail. I usually really like Maybelline mascaras but this one is such a mess, it’s not worth battling through. I had black crumbs all over my face/in my hair every time I wore it.

Empties, including a few travel size skincare bits from recent trips away.

Byoma Melting Balm Cleanser - 60g. Texture was thicker than I prefer, but the worst thing about this was the packaging. Annoying twist off lid and stupidly big for a small amount of product.

Elemis Pro-Collagen Hydrating Cleansing Mousse - 30ml. Liked this, felt creamy and luxurious. The scent reminded me of another product, maybe the Eve Lom foaming cleanser.

Youth to the People Superfruit Cleanser - 30ml. Good for occasional use, but I think it would dry my skin out if I used it everyday.

Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Toner - 30ml. Love the serum from this line but the toner was just ok, nothing special.

Lancome Renergie Night Cream - 15ml. Too heavy for my normal/combo/sometimes a bit dry skin. The daytime version is great though.

Dr Ceracle Kombucha Tea Gel Cream - 15ml. Very lightweight, clear gel formula. OK over a decently hydrating toner and serum but definitely not enough for my skin on its own.

Some By Mi Air Fit Sunscreen - 5ml. Have been through a full size of this before. It’s not bad, but has a matte finish on me, so not my favourite. Need a bit of glow these days!

Head & Shoulders Deep Cleanse Shampoo - 300ml. I think this was a recommendation from @Experiment627. Did a good job on oily roots, would RP. Now trying out the OGX rosemary & mint one.

Lush Bananaaa Shower Gel - 120g. Smells like banana foam sweets doused in caramel sauce. I probably shouldn’t like it due to advanced age and not even liking banana sweets, but it was amazing 😆

Bath & Body Works Dreaming of Rio and Sparkling Toast Body Lotion - 236ml each. My favourite body lotion. Several more in the stash.

No. 7 Hydraluminous Dark Circle Concealer. Nothing’s concealing my dark circles, but this does a decent job of brightening up the inner corner bits so I look slightly less like I’ve been in a fight 😂

Delurking to say @DidILeaveTheGasOn well done but also good genes is in loads of kits so often on eBay / vinted. Keep you BD credit for something else!

thanks to @Francestein for helping navigate k- skincare and make up whilst I am here.

❤️ to this thread. I’m on 56 this year (excluding give aways and sales) but about 10 less than what’s come in. Being more ruthless and mindful though, as well and smelling lovely and being well moisturised…

@Lurkingshark you are so welcome. I am absolutely not an expert, but happy to share my experience. Understand it’s all subjective though! X

Thank you @Lurkingshark! I’ll save my credit for more frivolous things 😊

My bag full of empties for Boots Recycling will be fit to bursting soon with all these. Also, I'm going to try not to succumb to the SNK GWP when it launches, as I'll be snowed under with products if I get multiple advents🤭

Anyhoo, empties!

Perfume samples. Diptyque, dont know the name as it smelt awful, so binned it immediately🤢

166. Paulas Choice plumping moisturiser. I think this was pretty average. It was just what i needed for the summer months, as its light and hydrating. You can get similar for cheaper.

167. Laneige water bank eye cream. Elf Holy Hydration is cheaper, and similar imo.

168. JVN Dry Shampoo. I prefer Living proof if im going to splash out on a dry shampoo. I do have k18 in my stash though, so that might become top dog yet!

169. Mz Skin hydra gold mask. I liked this, gave me a nice glow for the day. Would never pay full price mind.

170. Byoma face mist. Affordable and does the trick. Not an aggressive spray. Will RP.

171. Christophe Robin Volumizing Conditioner. I loved the scent, and I could smell it on my hair a day after washing. But, I don't think volumizing shampoos are best for my hair; it made my hair really hard to brush after using.

172. Chanel Hydra Beauty Serum. Nice serum, but the scent was overpowering for something I'm putting on my face. Also, it's £86🤨

173. Briogeo Avo + Kiwi mask. I'm sure I have a few more of these, nothing special. Probably because I've used them so much, I'm just bored of them.

174. James Read Overnight Facial Tan. I used it day and night, and it gave me a nice, healthy glow within a few hours. I felt that once every few days was enough to keep it topped up. It didn't give me an orange hairline. I possibly have another similar product from the CH Liberty kit from earlier this year.

175. Purity blueberry sheet mask. Bog standard cheap mask. Have to humble myself after the MZ Skin😂

@TryingToFindMyStyle what a lovely hairdresser you have! However those sprays are a GOD send - not such a fan of the mascara type applicator ones but the sprays are great for when you are in a bind.

@CorneliaStreet yes was I! I must RP that at some point too! That said I have had some great success finding other shampoos that work on my oily roots.

So to my empties...

• by Amazon fresh baby wipes - lovely smell & cheap as chips
• Tresemme 1 minute wow repair intensive treatment - great if your hair needs a boost and you are short on time
• Ecotoin hydro barrier serum- not the most hydrating of serums but I have seen a marked improvement in my poor face
• Redken amino mint shampoo: I got influenced into buying this - what a gem. Quite spenny but an absolute delight on my oily roots.

@Experiment627 read that too quickly
and thought you had bought some wipes that had a lovely smell of chips 😀

@Tarragon123 I also love that Murad cleanser. I think it smells like a margarita - my favourite drink! But I can't justify it as a rule as it's expensive.

Weirdly, the vitamin C serum is amazing, but I will never buy it again because I just can't get past the smell. I forced myself for about a year because it really is the best vitamin C serum I've ever used but it smells truly awful.

In my endless quest to find a new vitamin C serum as my two favourites (the Murad above and the Ordinary one with Silicon which has been discontinued) are out of the question, I experimented with the Ole Henrickson one at a Space NK the other day. It seems good. But expensive. Anyone used it and have any thoughts?

@MsMarch I sympathise, I’m currently trying to get through a Boots ferulic acid serum that smells absolutely vile. I know it’s a ferulic acid thing, but I think I’d rather have dull skin than a face that smells of hot dog water!

@Experiment627 my hairdresser is the best, she comes to the house so hair appointments feel like having coffee with a friend with bonus of getting my hair done. I’ve gone lighter in colour now so regrowth is less obvious & not sure the magic retouch shade would still work. I should have offered them on a local reuse site as I’m not sure I even tried them but even though it’s obvious I must have my hair coloured I’m not quite ready to declare it so publicly 😁

Some more empties taking my total to 103 for the year, I realised that means I’m averaging 3 a week (approx) I’m definitely not buying that many. Rate will go down next year as I’ll have used up many of the old travel size products that have been hanging around a while

• Travel size L’Occitane shampoo & conditioner, were part of a gift set ages ago so decided to just use up before they went off. Ok but nothing special wouldn’t RP
• Neals yard stimulating bath oil, barely used as I have a bath to relax. Was part of a gift originally, wouldn’t RP, when I looked at the label it had a ‘93 date 😳 poured remainder away
• M&S sweet pistachio perfume from their beauty box, liked the scent but it didn’t last so not a RP. Might look for a pistachio base in another perfume some time
• Elizabeth Arden good nights sleep face cream, I liked this so 2 or 3 pots when it was discontinued. I have one more to use, I’m slightly regretting buying up several as now I’ve got into using toiletries up I’m enjoying trying different products

Hello! Long time no see 😅

I’ve had a few empties but I didn’t take any pictures.

Mercadona Deliplus familiar shampoo in a pump. Great cheapy. Works great and the price is amazing.

Mercadona Deliplus vanilla shower gel. Very gourmand and rich. My DDs love it.

la roche posay mini sample tint sunscreen. Dreadful.

Cien sun 50spf suncream. Works fine.

hidra mask. No clue as dd used it.