Hey everyone, hope you're all having a good year so far! :) Recently I've been spending most of my free time KonMari-ing, so January went by super quickly for me. In the middle of tidying everything, I realized that I still had my pile of product empties sitting in a corner of our closet. I know I'm still not done with the clothes category, and that I should stick to the proper order of things. But I thought I should do the empties post as soon as possible, so I can go ahead and chuck everything out. And so here it is – my product empties for the latter half of 2017!✨
Just a quick note – those with a 💜 after the name are products that I loved! :)
MAKEUP
Thought I'd start with makeup since I only have two (!!) empties for the latter half of 2017. In my previous empties posts I used to include expired items, but this time I decided to only show products that I actually used up. (Though I do have a lot of expired products that need to be thrown out. I'm saving those for a separate post.)A decent cushion with great buildable coverage, but the formula tends to slide/rub off if you put on too much. Also, their darkest shade, 04 Ginger, is too light for me. I really liked the coverage though, so I might try CLIO's concealers next time.
Everyone's favorite powder! I wanted to love this as much as everyone else did, but sadly it's not a good match for me. Oil control is great, keeps my face matte for about 5 hours or so on a humid day. A+ performance, just as reviews say. The only issue I have with it is that it makes my face look really dry upon application. It looks okay after a few hours once the natural oils on my face blend with my makeup. But I can't exactly wait ~a few hours~ every time, so I'm looking to try something else. I might get the pact version in the future though.
SKINCARE
I used up a ton of skincare this time as well! Mostly old favorites, plus a handful of stuff I tried for the first time.
My favorite point makeup remover, because it's still the only one that can remove all my eye and lip makeup properly. Mascara, eyeliner, lip tint, everything. The only other makeup remover I've tried that can do that is the Lancôme Bi-Facil, which is $30 (!!!) for almost the same amount of product as the Bifesta. The one problem I have with this is that I can only get my hands on them during our yearly KL trips. Can Mandom PLEASE bring back Bifesta in the Philippines?
Still my HG oil-based cleanser! 10/10 will always repurchase, but I'd like to try the Purity version next time.
It's just as everyone says – this is probably the best low pH cleanser around. I'd like to repurchase, but I'm planning on switching to a cheaper cleanser like Celeteque's or Human Nature's instead. The reason for this isn't because I was unhappy with the COSRX. In fact, I like it a lot! It's just that I can do without it. All the other steps in my routine are already pretty good, so I'm okay with using a less-than-stellar cleanser.
A nice gentle cleanser, but way out of my price range. I had to transfer the contents into one of my empty Hada Labo containers, because I broke the cap of the tube it was originally in, lol. I got this during the launch of Grace Cosmetics in the Philippines. You can find my post about the event plus a slightly more detailed review of this product here.
My HG Vitamin C serum! It's helped a lot in fading dark spots. This was my second tube. I'd like to repurchase, but I've been thinking of giving the TIAM MY Signature C-Source (formerly the OST C20 Vitamin C Serum) another try, because I have a ton of dark spots on my arms and legs from mosquito bites that I want to fade as well ; v ;
My very first first essence! I actually liked this product quite a bit. It's supposed to be a boosting essence that made the next steps in your routine 2x more effective, hence the name. And it did just that for me. My routine is packed with hyaluronic acid products, and I could feel that my skin was softer and bouncier on days that I used this product compared to days that I didn't. That said, the reason why I couldn't love this product was because it had such a strong fragrance. I think this is typical for Tony Moly products? Which is too bad, because it would've been perfect otherwise.
Another HG! For someone who's dealing compulsive picking, this product is a godsend. Will always, always repurchase.
I got this during the Club Clio launch in Manila last May. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from this product. The only reason I picked it up was because I was running low on my Hada Labo Lotion at the time. I'm so glad I did because this product was SO GOOD. I didn't check the ingredients list beforehand (lol....don't be like me), so I was surprised to find out that it had both niacinamide and ceramide, which makes my dehydrated skin very happy. Also, it's supposed to be a toner, serum, and emulsion in one, so on nights that I felt lazy I just slapped two layers of this on and then went to bed. But because this is the fresh version, it didn't feel heavy even during hot and humid days, which made it great as a daytime toner. I like it enough to want to repurchase, but not right now as it's out of my budget. In the future, maybe!
My HG moisturizer, will always repurchase, etc etc.
What was I even expecting with this? I picked this up because I saw a lot of people recommend this for oily-dehydrated skin. It was...so-so. I compared it with the Celeteque Hydration Facial Moisturizer, which is the 1/3 of the price of the Mizon Gel Cream, and I couldn't tell the difference at all!
SHEET MASKS
Sheet masks! I love these things, but I stopped using them at some point because I got too lazy. I only used four masks in total—these three in the photo, plus the Papa Recipe Bombee Honey Mask I got from Kang (which was A-MA-ZING).One of my favorite masks. I bought them at the Club Clio event and liked them a lot. A great hydrating mask for its price. These were my last ones; will repurchase when I can.
Picked up a bunch of these while I was at the Innisfree in KL. Not gonna lie, there's nothing amazing about these masks, but I love them anyway! Innisfree masks are my guilty pleasure, because they're cheap but give good results. I used this Aloe one during our trip. My skin tends to get very dry in KL, and this mask gave me the hydration boost that I needed.
SAMPLES & DECANTS
I love samples! They're great for trying out new products you're interested in, but not quite ready to commit to yet. They're also ideal for traveling!A sample sized bottle of my favorite hydrating toner, c/o my love Kang ♥
I found out last year that there are actually local shops that sell decants of skincare products, so I went and tried some products I was curious about. I've been wanting to try the SCINIC AIOs for a long time now, but I didn't want to buy the full jar just yet. Plus, with all the variants, I wasn't sure which one would work well for me. I tried the Aqua, because it was highly recommended for oily-dehydrated skin. I loved it. I'm looking to try the Honey and Snail variants next time, but I also plan to buy the full-sized jar for the Aqua in the future.
A freebie from one of my purchases last year. I was so happy to get this because it's been in my want-to-try list for so long! I was not disappointed. I've tried a handful of sleeping packs before, but nothing as light as this. I used this for about 3 nights (I tried to use as little as possible LOL), and in the mornings I always woke up with soft, hydrated skin. The power of propolis is amazing. I wanted to purchase the full-sized version the moment I ran out, but I wanted to get the tube version and not the jar version, which wasn't available locally at the time. I plan to buy it sometime this year.
Got this at the same time as the Honey variant, so I was able to try it right after I used that one up. Unlike the Honey, which was a gel, this one is more of a slippy cream texture. It's only very slightly heavier than the Honey, and takes a little bit longer to dry, but I love it all the same. After using it, my face was super soft and hydrated in the morning. RICE IS LIFE. I plan to purchase the full-sized tube version of this as well. I'll buy it together with the Honey!
This and a bunch of other samples of Benton products came together with the press sample package I got from Benton last year. You all know how much I love their Snail Bee Essence, so I've been curious about Benton's other products for a long time. This was the first one I tried. I.... can't remember how it was. I read a bunch of good reviews for it on reddit though, it's supposedly a better first essence than the COSRX. I'm guessing it's one of those products that you need to use for at least a month or so before seeing results, so I might give it a second try.
Also part of the Benton sample set. I tried this along with the essence, and it was okay. I saw on an episode of Get It Beauty that you're supposed to use an eye cream for at least 6 months before you see visible results. Since I only used this for a few days, I can't exactly say whether this product is good or not.
Still part of the Benton sample set. I used this in the evenings only, because I read somewhere that it might be a bit too greasy for daytime use. It was so good! The cream is lightweight, yet very moisturizing. It's light enough that you can use it during hot and humid days. The issue of the grease was there, but it felt more like there was a layer of film (?) on my face even after the product dried down. It wasn't a big deal for me though. Maybe because I've dealt with worse? The layer definitely is there though, so I recommend only using it for night. My favorite thing about this cream was the scent. Smells like chocolates!
Something I got from another purchase. Again, I only used it for a few days, so it's not possible to see results immediately. It was okay when I used it. The scent was okay too, for a Tony Moly product.
And that wraps up my product empties for the 2nd half of 2017! I can finally throw all these bottles away, lol! Have you tried any of these items? Any makeup or skincare favorites from 2017? Let me know! :)
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