2023 Skincare and Makeup Empties

  Hey Subbies,

It took me a while to do this post because I was waiting for the Lunar New Year which is usually the week of my Birthday and Super Bowl. I have more empties than usual and some decluttering to include because of the panorama. lol. Don't worry it's mostly minis because of those trips I had last year and some things took me longer to get through because of the density/texture of the products I had. I tried to put all the products in their own categories to make it easier but some of the single product shots because I had some empties around my room. Most of these came from Marshall's, the KCON convention, my South Korea trip, or from online orders ( I will recommend Stylevana for skincare enthusiasts doing 14-28-day reviews because they have options for minis.)

Cleansers

First, I really enjoyed the Nivea body wash but the bottle typography did confuse me when I first bought it because I thought it was body cream. I'm currently on my second bottle but white bottle version. It was a great alternative to the Olay body which was really drying and overly fragrant. The Banana Facewash was a 2 set but this one is a declutter because the smell and performance were telling me it was going bad. Sirois gel cleanser was okay but I think I talked about the weird smell last year so it will not be a rebuy. Hemish vs E.L.F. cleansing balm and E.L.F. won this battle in texture, hydration, and spread/density. Heimish caused me to break out so I had to use an electronic face brush to make sure I didn't leave behind any residue but it became tedious to the point I just wanted out of my routine ASAP. I almost forgot about Innisfree Apple Wash which is really great for beginners and this I think was the second bottle I went through.

Toner

Next, Abib Heartleaf toner has to be my favorite out of all four of these. If you have sensitivity/inflammation then pick this up. It calmed my skin and even helped with hydration levels in my skin when I used it as a quick mask. The Roundlab Dokdo 1025 toner I got in Korea before it became viral and I would recommend it for the Spring/Summer if you have a sensitive combo skin type like me. I really enjoyed using the Abib and Roundlab toner last year in the summer going into fall. I want to talk about Cosrx AHA toner for Whiteheads because it's very comparable to The Ordinary's Glycolic acid toner but if you want a simple formulation go with Corsx. The Pacifica Rose Flower Mist was hit or miss for me I just bought thinking it would help with dehydration.

Essences

I LOVE Missha The Revolution and I know it's not SK-II but my skin does amazing with it that my mom even notices a difference instantly. Definitely recommend this to intermediate skincare users looking to add fermented ingredients to their skincare regime. Okay, Elf Skin Pure Skin was really hydrating oat milk/aloe juice and will with texture but I think I need to pick up the full size. Holy hydration is basically the same but you'll smell the witch hazel which may be a bit harsh for some people's skin. I need to buy the Neogen in full size because I finished it so fast and they need bigger minis lol. Medicube Deep Vita C is what I received when I bought the skincare devices set for my mom and me. I personally think it works better with the Booster-H devices or the original formula of the Collagen Glow Bubble Serum. When it comes to vitamin C treatments I found 15-20 min masks or creams better penetrate my skin than the serum that requires daily use. Also, ingredients really help with inflammation and have protective properties.

Ampoules

We talk about the high percentage of Activities when the studies show you only need .25% - 5%...these companies really want to be regulated like what the EU is doing right now. Again Missha is that girl lol, and this is also a dupe for Estee Lauder's advanced night repair and this also a staple that is my backup just like the ELF Antioxidant booster which isn't available anymore online. The Rovectin LHA blemish Ampoule was a nice addition to my skincare regime I think is what helped with the hyperpigmentation I was struggling with since it has Glutathione and wasn't irritating. ELF Skin Superrefine with 10% Niannamide thankfully has that B5 with a buffer from irritation but I would not recommend it. The Skinmiso Pore Vitamin-C Serum is similar in consistency to Medicube vita-C which has 100,000 ppm more. However, I found that the Skinmiso worked faster possibly due to the first key ingredient isn't water, it's Sea buckthorn which is then followed up with moisture-soothing extracts to reduce scars, wrinkles, and treat acne with other antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory extracts but it does contain fragrance. The last two are oils I use for my whole body. I love the smell of Sweet Almond oil and really helps me keep my skin from dehydration which usually causes irritation. This Tamunu oil is really thick so I would add it to my soap, lotion, and baths which helps with fading blemishes.

Mask

I really enjoyed this mask and it does help to brighten the skin.

Moisturizer 

I used the Holika Holika aloe over the summer to help with overheating and inflammation. I liked adding the aloe to lotions after a bath or shower. The d'Alba multi balm has a lot of fruit extracts but it did help with dry patches or helped fade some scarring/blemishes. The belief aqua gel paired nicely with the Isntree hyaluronic SPF because for a while I could not use either one cause they did pair well with other products. I suggest getting aloe, belief, and Isntree SPF with a water-based foundation to avoid peeling. ELF BRING BACK THE CICA SUPERMASK!!! I currently using the Laniege Cica sleeping mask and it is very comparable but the ELF Mask requires you to wash off after 15 mins because it has a higher percentage of Cica.

Body

I bought the Sol De Janeiro 62 set during the spring sale last year and I'm hooked and got the bigger size bottle but I used this when I would go to the gym. Usually, I don't have time to test out the other fragrances but I went to Sephora on my birthday to test them out; 40 which I have mixed thoughts about it because of the jasmine/musk, and the newest 59 which fits with my birthday month (Plum, Violet, Orchid, and wood) but vetiver hits me in the face so it might work better for people born in Spring and or Autumn; however I think the body butter is forgiving. Also, it might be because something I noticed that Sephora had to water down some of their testers because of the issue with preteens/teens messing up the testers. I also bought the full size of the Quai body and hair scrub but the sandalwood is really overpowering to the point I think it smells like tobacco to me but don't worry I finally bought a new body brush.

Protection

The first item is a Korean ointment I was prescribed when I had CO2 treatment for moles and wurts removal. Next to the ointment Differin gel which I highly recommend for beginners. I used it mainly as a spot treatment for acne flare-ups and texture. I went on to try out The Inkey list's Retional which is a cream type. Like I said before the Isntree watery Sun gel works best with other gel types or it will peel. I really enjoyed using Heimish Artless glow balm SPF which I think formulation had mica which helps tone up your skin. Bringgreen Tea Tree CICA Tone Up Sun Cushion made for a really good base especially if you have redness and suffer with ance. Next to it is an EM cosmetics Daydream cushion that I had to declutter because it's past its best-buy date. I'm so happy Ms. Pham added backups but I bought two packs because I thought I might have to buy another one in the future.

Lips

Most of these are old formulations of ELF's lipsticks, glosses, and balms that aren't sold anymore. I wish ELF would bring back the Alissa Ashley formula because it bit more pigmented and could be a dupe for the Rare Beauty lip oils or any of these oil higher-pigmented hybrids.  I don't think I like lip plumpers right not because I feel it burning my lips. I enjoyed using the moisture lipsticks but I had to get rid of them because they are going bad. The last two are NYX and that I can't pull off.

Misc 1

I loved using the ELF liquid eyeshows and are very universal because I use them as a base with an SPF or lotion or highlight or contour. The ELF precision pencils are literally pencils and I went through them really fast and might be more comparable to the new Benefit Precisely, My Brow Detailer. I literally go through ELF products but the fibers remind me of Japanese waterproof lengthening mascara that has me hooked.

Face

The bronzer is an old ELF one which was very beautiful but I think it exploded when I opened it so I had to use the alcohol trick because that's what I found in how to fix broken shadows. Thankfully it didn't change the performance or quality. Next, the Dr. Gio cushion was the best skincare foundation cushion compact I have tried but there haven't been any updates from the founder/company. I was supposed to get a replacement but never received one and I contacted the company so who knows what happened but upset because I really wanted to get another one. The elf bake highlighter and blush is just really old and it's hard to get any pigment now. One of the Black ELF compacts is a cream foundation but it's way past its best buy date and the other was a precursor to the current primers pots but closest to it is the Perfect Finish HD Powder.

Misc 2

These just need to be decluttered because again one is an ELF conceal stick and the other is LABIOTTE Chateau Wine Lip Tint that used to be really popular and was heavily duped. 

Blush

The first I think is a finishing powder but I hit pan on it and the one below is what the  brow kits I used to like. The blushes on the right are really old oranges/peaches that don't fit my deep/ winter color palette which is also this year's color of the year. 

Mousse

I love these two and they smell great. I usually use them to revive my hair when it's feeling dry or I use them to refresh my protective hairstyles.

Dry Shampoo

This is my favorite dry shampoo brand but Marshall's sometimes overpriced them so I haven't been able to get my hands on more. I just found out last year that you should use a blow dryer to get the formula to absorb faster.  I used this manly to help with the oily scalp and bacteria from going to the gym, especially in the summer.

Supplements

I was watching Andrew Huberman's podcast and the expert said Rhodiola Rosea helps with Brain Fog in women and I had been struggling with brain fog probably since the first year of college but this definitely helped. Also, I tried AG1 right before getting this supplement but I noticed that it also had this supplement. If you struggle with insomnia get Lemon Balm, my coworker literally told me to get some coffee which would just make my insomnia worse. I think PMS symptoms are starting to really affect my sleep and anxiety when in the past I could easily just knock out. The Green tea was to helps me walk up and help with oxidative stress. SECRET OF BEAUTY Skin Master collagen chewable is a product I got from KCON and contains collagen, vitamins and minerals to help with skin concerns.

SPF SunStick

Why is this so hard to get your hands on!? I found a seller based in Korea on Amazon because other websites it was sold out. I know a lot of brands don't want to get into trouble with the FDA but I still wish Korean brands would sell their formulation as an option because as an American I hate our sunscreen because they are oily and our government could care less about our FDA's funding in R&D. Anyways, It's really hydrating however when it got to summer this made me look really oily and cause my foundation to smudge during the hot summer heatwaves we had. 

Washcloth

This is my old Japanese body towel but it's in the new Daiso packaging aka both scrub cloth. The new one I have is not as exfoliating as this old one here so look for the COURSE version and you can also find some Daiso products on Amazon.