In an attempt to regain some semblance of control over my life, I decided to do some much-needed decluttering at home, starting with the sad-looking basket of skincare empties sitting inside my closet. It's been a while since I did an empties post too (or any post for that matter), so the timing's perfect, I guess.
First up—skincare. I've had most of these empties since early 2019, which is why there's a lot.
My holy grail water-based cleanser! I can't even count how many bottles of these I've used in my lifetime. I've tried a lot of different micellar water cleansers but I keep coming back to this one. I use a pump and a half of this on a cotton pad, which is more than enough for light or no-makeup days when I only need to take off sunscreen. If I'm wearing heavier makeup, I just take off what I can and then deal with whatever residue's that still on my face using a cleansing balm. The 300ml bottle lasts me maybe a year? Which is just enough time since I only ever get these whenever we visit KL.
Another favorite from Bifesta. For the longest time there were only two products strong enough to take off my eye and lip makeup, which was this and the Lancome Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover. The latter is way too expensive for me to be using on a regular basis, so I've always stuck with the former. The only problem was that it's SO HARD to find a local seller that's not selling it for twice the actual price, which is why I get this from Watsons Malaysia along with my other skincare goods. Since it only comes in a 145ml bottle, I end up using the whole thing up by the middle of the year...which is exactly what happened with my last one. I have since found a replacement, which is now my new HG eye and lip makeup remover. But I have to say, even though it's not my HG anymore and I won't be repurchasing this product anytime soon, I love it a lot and still recommend it.
Hands down my HG cleansing balm. I have yet to find any oil-based cleansers that I like as much as this one. Will always repurchase, and always in the biggest size available.
Sent to me as part of Althea's Bare Essentials Collection, which I reviewed here. A decent cleanser with a strong herby lemon scent that I liked. The downside is the really high pH (8~9). Would not purchase.
A local favorite that I previously used. Recently though I've started sharing my facial wash with Aian, and this caused him to break out, so I had to replace it with an alternative that worked for both of us.
To be honest it's been SO LONG since I emptied this that I don't remember what it was like, but I remember my skin being at its best state when I still had this in my routine. I really should repurchase soon.
My very first The Ordinary purchase. I bought this right after I used up my COSRX AHA thinking this would be a better, more cost-effective alternative. It certainly was more cost-effective, but sadly it didn't work as well on my face as I wanted to. I feel like it worked well as a toner, but not as well as an actual AHA product, only because I didn't see the same good results that I got from when I used the COSRX AHA. It's strange because before purchasing this I went on r/SkincareAddiction to see what people thought of this product, and a lot of them claimed that the TO AHA would be more potent. In my case I saw more results with the COSRX. But I guess that's why they always say YMMV!
The first time I used this serum (back when it was still called OST C20), I wasn't aware that you were supposed to keep it in the fridge, and so it ended up oxidizing very quickly. I felt bad about not being able to maximize its use back then, so I thought I'd give it another go. I used this well for a few months before it oxidized. Honestly, it didn't do anything special for me. It's a good Vitamin C serum, but it's not worth the hassle of making sure it's not oxidized. I went back to using my usual Vitamin C serum, the Melano CC.
My HG, the love of my life. Since I have a skin-picking problem, the battle with PIH almost never ends. This product has consistently helped me lighten dark spots for years now. Will never not repurchase. I buy mine at Watsons MY as well (taking advantage of Christmas season sales).
Also part of Althea's Bare Essentials. I really liked the texture of this one because it's somewhere between a toner and an essence. I remember this was a favorite from the line, because it made my skin feel nice and bouncy. But I didn't like it as much as my HG products, so I won't be purchasing.
Similar to the Althea Primer Water, this one feels a lot like a cross between a toner and essence. The main difference though is that 1) much like other Hada Labo products, this one isn't scented, and 2) this makes my skin feels SO HYDRATED. Ever since I used the premium I couldn't go back to using the regular Hada Labo lotions anymore. I picked up my second bottle while in Malaysia, but for next time I might just buy the refill. This comes in a blue version as well, which I haven't tried. (Yet.)
Bought this because someone claimed it was as hydrating as the Hada Labo Gokujyun. It....is not, sorry. It's an okay toner, but not like the Gokujyun at all. It's a lot more watery, which makes it more like a traditional toner than the Gokujyun, which is more like a lotion-type toner. Also not as hydrating, for me.
Two bottles! Well, technically, it was one and a half. I bought the first bottle from someone off of Carousell, and I liked it so much that I bought a second bottle. I don't know if the niacinamide did anything to help with my PIH (because I was using products that were already helping with that), but I did notice that my skin got a lot less oily when I used it, most likely because of the zinc. Whatever it was, it made my skin visibly smoother in the time that I had it in my routine. I'm planning on repurchasing a third bottle soon.
Another cult favorite in the r/AsianBeauty community, I was so excited when I finally got to try this. I was a bit let down though, mainly because it didn't do much for me. I'm sure it was doing its job, but for me, there wasn't much difference from when I was using it and when I wasn't. I didn't like the texture, either. (I have rhinitis and the texture just reminded me of snot.......SORRY.) Not a good match for me, I guess.
Two tubes of this stuff. It's a decent gel-type moisturizer, but a little lacking in the hydration department for me. It's super cheap though, so it's kind of become my go-to for whenever I run out of moisturizer.
A lotion-type sunscreen I picked up a couple of years ago in Watsons MY. I read about this a few years back, when I was looking for waterproof sunscreens for swimming, and I made sure to pick one up when I came across it. I really liked the watery texture of this one, since it was a lot easier to spread. It was so lightweight, too. Looking back, I wish I'd picked up more than just one bottle. When I looked for it in Watsons last year, I couldn't find it anywhere anymore. Too bad :(
My current sunscreen. It's a gel-type sunscreen without fragrances or alcohol. It absorbs into the skin quickly, which is great. There's also a very sliiight illuminating effect when I put this on. I don't know if it's just my imagination, but I really think it's there. It works well with my current skincare and makeup, so I like it a lot. I'm actually already on my second tube!
My first venture into facial oils. I was hesitant to try it, but after seeing the magic it's done for so many K-beauty vloggers, I eventually gave in. At first I was on the fence about it, because I felt like it was just breaking me out. Turns out I was using it the wrong way. The trick to it is to apply just a little bit onto areas with dark spots. After doing that for maybe a month or so, I noticed that my PIH lightened SO MUCH. Using both the Melano CC and tamanu oil regularly did wonders for my skin. I feel like it didn't have to be this particular brand, though the bottle with the roller was pretty convenient. I've since repurchased a cheaper tamanu oil from a different shop and used it to refill the roller bottle. Works just as well!
Because I got such good results from tamanu oil, I tried another facial oil that's also highly recommended by Liah Yoo, which is rosehip seed oil. It was...okay. Rather than the oil itself, I feel like I couldn't be bothered with having to mix it with my moisturizer or adding another step to my skincare routine (I've become super lazy these days). It ended up oxidizing without being used much, so I had to throw it out.
We're finally at the halfway point of this post. Next up, sheet masks! I actually don't use masks as often as I used to, so even though I'm showing you more than a year's worth of masks, there really isn't a lot. Now the thing about sheet masks, much like the rest of my skincare I already have my favorites, so unless I find a product that blows my mind I would probably not repurchase even though I liked them. Maybe, but only if I find them on sale or something. I won't necessarily seek them out.
(Was too lazy to take individual photos of the packaging, sorry. It was a particularly humid day!)
Omiyage from friends who came home to Manila from Japan! I've always liked LuLuLun masks, but I've never bought them for myself. Like I said, I already have my favorites, so I don't go out of my way to buy other types. The One Night Rescue masks were really good though, especially the Vitamin variant.
Got this from my tita. Someone from her workplace gave it to her but she doesn't like sheet masks so she gave it to me. It was okay. It made my skin feel soft the next day, and didn't break me out. Decent.
My favorite, favorite, favorite mask. The Bird's Nest variant is my favorite, but I love My Scheming masks in general because they're so good at brightening, have a ton of essence (I keep the remaining essence in the fridge to use with cotton pads another time), and fit my face really well. They're cheaper than most masks too (~P290 for a box of 5 in Watsons MY), so that's a big bonus. I think My Scheming is available locally, but prices are a bit more expensive here. Maybe check Shopee for cheaper offerings.
Got this as a gift from Ashley! It has centella asiatica extract and madecassoside, which are great for calming irritated skin. I'm not looking to purchase sheet masks at the moment, but if I come across this at the mall and it's on sale, I might pick up a couple in case I need them.
The most expensive of my favorite sheet masks at P149 per piece, but I promise you it's worth it. Makes my face SUPER SOFT AND GLOWY the next day. All-caps for emphasis, because it really is THAT good. If I were rich I'd only ever use this sheet mask, but I'm not, which is why I reserve using it for special occasions. If you ever come across it during a sale, make sure to buy like five to ten boxes.
Just your regular sheet mask. But it's decent! Nothing special, but because they're cheap they're good if you just want a little pick me up!
I remember liking LEADERS masks before, so I was excited to try this out. It smelled of peppermint and lime, which I liked! The thing that makes this different from most sheet masks is that the mask itself is made of a gel-like material. It's a bit hard to put on the face, but the cooling sensation feels so good. Quite expensive at P189 a piece though.
Lastly, makeup empties! Just like in my last empties post, there's not a lot of makeup items because I only ever go out maybe once or twice a month. There's actually four items, but I forgot to take a photo of one...
My go-to foundation for more than 10 years now. Over time I've found products that's just as good as the Colorstay, but I keep coming back to this because of the price and availability. But as much as I love this foundation, I've been trying to find a replacement for it because none of the shades fit me anymore. The shade I used to use has become too light for me, but the next shade up doesn't match my undertone. The one that does match my undertone is three notches up, which is too dark. I can't explain it properly, but I find that if I wear a shade that actually matches me, my skin looks too dull/dark. I like foundation that's a little brighter than my actual skintone. Just sliiightly brighter—not a whole shade up. I can't find a match with Colorstay, so I'm thinking of changing foundations. We'll see!
Probably the only gel liner that I've ever liked. Has a hyper-slim tip that makes tightlining super easy. Waterproof and smudge-proof, I cried during a movie one time and my eye makeup was still intact after. It's a little expensive locally though, so if you can get this in Japan, I recommend buying it there.
Back in uni I had classmates who loved using clear mascara but I never understood the hype. I guess it's good for the no-makeup look? I have short, barely-there lashes though, so instead of using this as an actual mascara I used it as a mascara primer/base. It doesn't add any volume or length, but it's great at keeping the curl of the lashes. If you're looking for a clear mascara with great hold, I highly recommend this.
Not in the photo, but I bought this concealer last year thinking it would be good because I've heard nothing but praises for their Fit Me line. I was wrong. It didn't have enough coverage and would fade as the day went by. Which was too bad, because the shade 20 Sand was such a good match for me.
And that's it for my 2019~early 2020 empties! Mostly new things I've tried plus a few old faves. I don't know why it took so long for me to do this post. That little basket was overflowing with empty bottles by the end of 2019 that I thought I should hurry up and do it, but I ended up taking another half year before I could, lol. I'm so glad it's done. I threw everything out the moment I finished taking photos. Because of all the extra space I got to re-arrange my skincare drawer too! I'm super happy about that. I'm planning to declutter my makeup stash next, hopefully I don't take forever doing it.
What products have you finished recently?
DISCLAIMER: Items marked with an asterisk (*) were sent in by their respective brands for review. Opinions remain 100% my own. Also, this post contains affiliate links. Clicking those links before you make a purchase means that Chainyan.co receives a small commission, which helps to support the blog. Please see my full disclaimer for more information.
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