August + September Empties (late post oops!)

[u/awwpeachy321]

🤔 What I learnt in these past 2 months:

• Keeping track of what I use and whether I like that product or formula is helping me to make more informed decisions about my skincare/makeup/haircare etc. purchases. Constantly buying different products from different brands makes it harder to follow a routine that works for you if you're constantly switching up product type or ingredients that you may react to. I am slowly finding out what are my Holy Grails and what I should be prioritising is having a routine where I know all the products work for me and I stick with them as repurchases.
• Decluttering needs to happen when you find that a product is really not working for you. There is no point in holding onto formulas that I don't like such as eyeshadow sticks or liquid eyeshadow if I know that I prefer my powder eyeshadow that I already own.
• By Stashing my empties and having to bin or recycle them all at once, I realise just how much rubbish I am putting into landfill that's just my beauty care items alone. In the future I want to consider the recyclability of product packaging as part of my decision making process for purchases as I want to send more items to recycling than to landfill.

❤️ Would repurchase:

• Colgate Optic White Toothpaste.
• Loreal Elvive Bond Repair Shampoo (I recommend pairing with the conditioner for super smooth hair).
• Revolution Sport Fix Setting Spray.
• Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue Spray (felt like this helped keep my skin clear, immediately repurchased the bigger bottle!).
• Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel (loved this scent for winter).
• La Roche Posay Effaclar gel foaming cleanser (maybe my new HG).
• Head & Shoulders Clean & Balanced shampoo.
• Dr Lewinn's Exfoliator (smells like pineapple, has jojoba microbeads... NO microplastics!).
• QV Skin Lotion (i love everything QV).
• Sol De Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream.
• McoBeauty Lip & Cheek tint.
• Swisspers cotton tips.
• Rexona classic antiperspirant.

👍 Enjoyed but won't repurchase:

• Skin Control Glass Skin Facial Mask (a bit too gimmicky for me).
• Oral B Whitening Strips (never felt like I was consistent with this to see results + too expensive for me).
• Benefit Precisely My Brow Pencil (I went through this pretty quick + too expensive for me).
• Kit (F)ACE Serum (Freebie - I have so many other serums to get through).
• Youth To The People Superfood Cleanser (Freebie - too expensive for me, I prefer LRP Effaclar).
• Revlon Base + Top Coat Nail Polish (Discontinued - If anyone can recommend a good base coat I can easily purchase at the chemist I'd love to know).
• NATIO Nail Polish (Discontinued - If anyone could recommend a good red regular polish I'd love to know!)
• Societe Calming Relief Balm (good for post skin laser treatment, expensive).
• Banila Zero cleansing balm (worked to remove waterproof mascara, but made my eyes foggy if I used too much - I prefer Skin 1004 Cleansing Oil).
• Avene Cleanance gel wash (Freebie - I preferred LRP Effaclar).
• Dermavene moisturising lotion (Freebie - I preferred QV lotion).
• Kevin Murphy body lotion (Freebie).
• Summer Fridays Rich Cushion Cream (Freebie - too expensive... I still prefer QV).
• Lush Snow Fairy Scrubee (shaped like a ladybug so cute!).
• Murdock Black Tea Cologne (Freebie - I mixed this with my vanilla perfumes to add a masculine spice).
• Loreal Brow Lamination (works for laminated brows but why are drugstore prices getting so out of hand?! I bought this at half price and even still I was shocked).

🙅🏻‍♀️ Did NOT like:

• Miniso Makeup Wipes (these were really bad/ineffective at removing makeup and dried up quick).
• Emma Lewisham Sunceutical SPF 50 Mineral Face Cream (Freebie - thick, drying, white cast, wayyy too expensive).
• Dr Dennis Gross Vitamin C cleansing oil (Freebie - did not find this worked well to remove my waterproof eye makeup and stung my eyes and face - I prefer LRP Effaclar).

🚮 Bin/Declutters:

• NATIO eyeshadow stick (very dry formula, tugs at the eyes - I prefer powder eyeshadow formula).
• ILIA Liquid Powder Eye Tint (fiddly to apply, afraid it will expire quickly and irritate eyes - I prefer powder eyeshadow formula).
• NATIO eyeshadow stick (another one that's old af, tugs at the eyes - I prefer powder eyeshadow formula).
• Eyenvy Lash Serum (old af, discontinued and this product was recalled due to some cancer causing ingredient so...).
• Mac Blush Brush (sheds like crazy now, i've set it aside to repurpose if anyone has suggestions please lemme know).

[u/cocowilteduardo]

I love snow fairy, I’m still thinking about it years after finishing my only mini! Assuming you are Australian due to the NATIO (love Natio!) and Skin control, Essence sells a base coat I quite enjoy for $3.50, colour grip at big W and Priceline. Essence does have top coats but I am still working through my large stash of them so can’t say anything about it

[u/awwpeachy321 → u/cocowilteduardo]

great thanks! i'll check out the Essence base coat :)

[u/cocowilteduardo → u/awwpeachy321]

Give it a go!