The Shubhkamna: Empties
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Showing posts with label Empties. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Empties. Show all posts

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Empties #35

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I already went through one bottle of this and it was amazing. Idiotic as I always am, I did not instantly open a new one despite having two, instead I saved it and tried other disappointing vitamin C products. When I started focusing on the Ordinary, my skin worsened, so in my desperate attempt to go back to normal, I opened this and hoped it'll get me back on track. Sadly I failed, obviously because I kept on using The Ordinary product instead of going back to my old routine, so I wasted an entire bottle of this (I'm glad to report things have improved since I significantly cut back on the Ordinary). It still remains the only vitamin C product that I've noticed a difference at and when I was using it for the first time, my skin was in the best condition ever. 
Repurchase: Yes.

This was one of the nicest feeling skin care product I've tried. It has such a comfortable formula and it's a pleasure to use. However, it breaks me out, which breaks my heart because this is exactly the type of product I want to use so badly. Products where hyaluronic acid is high on the list very often break me out, so I'm struggling to include it into a routine as a stand-alone product, but my other skin care has enough of it, I use Cosrx 95 Galactomyces Essence, Cezanne lotion and Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream, which all contain a certain amount of it. 
Repurchase: Sadly no.

This isn't bad, but after using the whole tube, I'm not that impressed. I bought this when my skin was terribly dry (unimaginably flaky) and this is simply too light. It's meant for sensitive, dry skin, but the texture is only medium thick and my super dry skin absorbed it in minutes, then it felt like I didn't apply much. Even when my skin was better, normal-dry, this didn't impress me that much compared to my favourite moisturiser from Beauty of Joseon. It's think more suited for normal - combination - moderately dry sensitive skin, but I'm no expert. I had a lot more luck with Mixa Cica Cream with 5% Pantenol when dealing with very dry skin. 
Repurchase: No, I bought the 5% Urea night version instead and it's richer than this, neither I truly love. 


I've praised this in one of monthly favourites and I said I'll definitely repurchase, but I've only managed to track it down yesterday and grabbed two bottles. It smells so nice, an great floral scent, apparently it's lotus. The formula is a thick gel one, which is pleasant to use and though I'm not sure it's nourishing, it feels better than most shower gels. 
Repurchase: Yes. I got two. 

An average shower gel with a scent of candy with blueberry flavour. If you like such scents, it's a nice one. 
Repurchase: No. 

SUBRINA Kids 2 in 1 Shower Gel and Shampoo
Fruity
I have all four of these and Breezy is by far my favourite. This one stands out the least to me. It's got a basic pear-apple type of scent. I've only ever used it as a shower gel and not shampoo.
Repurchase: I have another one.


This is one of the nicest scents TBS ever made. I've said in before that to me it smells like Monte White, though people describe it differently. It's a nutty-tonka bean-vanilla scent, so gourmand, warm and cosy, perfect for autumn/winter. I hear it's very similar if not the same as the famous Brazilian Bum Bum Cream from Sol de Janeiro, but I never owned the latter so I can't confirm if it's true. The shower gel was the thickest creamy one I've tried, but it still foamed and rinsed off completely with some extra time (Dove is similar). The body butter was one of TBS's medium rich consistencies, so not as thick as Shea, but also not as thin like as Black Cherry they had ages ago. I still love their body butters, though I've since discovered that Bath & Body Works Ultra Shea are proper gems too when it comes to rich textures combined with amazing scents. 
Repurchase: Maybe the body butter.


My soles are very dry and I had high hopes for this, but even though the texture is very rich, balm-like and stays on the skin for a long time, it wasn't enough for me. I purchased the 10% version which absorbs much quicker and I prefer the texture of it, but neither are amazing when it comes to very dry skin. The scent of this one is similar to bug repellents. 
Repurchase: No.

AVEO 10% Urea 2 in 1 Handcreme
This was very decent. It's a light lotion type of cream and it absorbed quickly. It was ok for dry skin, but there are better for a similar price. This is a travel size version.
Repurchase: It's nice, but I'd only get it if I couldn't get Balea's Urea 5% 

DOVE Nourishing Secrets Restoring Ritual 48 Anti-Perspirant 
I started to appreciate this more recently. I've been using this one for several months and it always worked, then when it ran out, I got the one that had a discount that week, which was from Fa and it ended up being terrible. I got this one again and all is well. The scent is not a typical tropical coconut, but still very recognisably coconuty and plastic smelling. At first I liked it, then it got too much for me, but now I don't even notice it because I use this every day.
Repurchase: Done. 


You might know I always say the same thing: I don't see visible results from this, but I use it often regardless because it's the only product that help rebuild the bonds. Well, actually since I used Matrix Re-Bond (which is just amazing) this started working better too and when I left it on overnight with a shower cap on and a scarf that helped keep the temperature up, my hair felt so soft, like average people's hair, but only my bottom layers and not the top ones where I've had a very coarse texture since I reached my teens. It was kind of weird to have such soft hair, I'm just not used to it. For most people this will probably feel like a miracle product I'm guessing - I just wish it could do the job for all my hair. I recently bought the n.7 oil which is nothing special in terms of effect compared to others, but it has the same rebuilding ingredient, so I'm all for it.  
Repurchase: Done.

I praised this a lot in the past year and it's an excellent protein treatment especially for bleached/coloured hair. It can do miracles if you know when to use it (my hair becomes even more coarse when it lacks proteins. I do a test with wet hair, stretch it and if it's overstretches like a bubble gum, I know I have to use this) and in combination with Intense Hydrator from this line transforms my hair into something more normal. For some reason this separates in the bottle fast, even when new, so you need to shake it well before use, otherwise when you open it the liquid just pours out (I've had 3 new bottles are all were the same in this respect). Joico doesn't mention this on the tube, which isn't wise because people might think their bottle has gone off. 
Repurchase: Done.


My favourite shampoo for my very dry hair. I've gone through several bottles. 
Repurchase: Done. 

I've been buying this for many years and I've gone through quite a few. It's the cheapest good oil per mililitre and it also smells amazing. To me it's the same as for example Moroccanoil, Macadamia Natural Oil and Joico K-Pack, all are thick and rich formulas that suit my hair better than most oils from the drugstore which tend to be thin and more suitable for fine hair. One minus is that it doesn't have a pump, but I finally found one that fits from a used up COSRX essence, it's just the stem doesn't reach to the bottom. This oil also smells amazing, it has a lovely warm oriental vanilla-amber scent.
Repurchase: Done.


Since I've first tried this and Repair version last year, they've become my favourite drugstore hair discovery. They are best I can get around here that's available everywhere and for an affordable price. 
Repurchase: Done.

I've tried three out of four of these masks and all are fantastic, but also the same as Repair conditioner, at least on my hair. Based on the description I expected a purple mask as grey hair tends to go yellow with time and I thought I might use on my blond hair, but it's a regular clear one. It's only 160 ml which didn't last me many treatments on my long think hair, so it's not the best deal, but the packaging looks pretty. 
Repurchase: If it has a discount, otherwise I'll just buy the regular Intensive Repair.


I've talked a lot about this one. It's a bleach I fully trust. I've done a lot of sessions with it because I was going blonde very slowly, in fact it took me over a year and this never left my hair feeling overly dry, weak or in any way destroyed. The second it ran out I was online ordering a new one. One pack lasted me a lot of uses, about a year and I actually still have plenty of developer left, so I didn't have to repurchase that yet. I've first tried with a 6% developer which was not strong enough for my very dark hair, so I bought a 12%, which I've been mixing with 6% to get something in between instead of buying 9%. With that strength this bleaches my natural dark brown to yellow canary blonde in one session, some hair is even level 10, but mostly I get somewhere between 8-9. This contains succinic acid which creates a protective layer around the bonds and it appears to be working.
Repurchase: Done.


I've already talked about this one and showed results. After testing a few brands I've come to a realisation Subrina has the best cool blonde shades of level 10. I've used this straight after bleaching and it covered/neutralised canary yellow tones well. It can't deal that well with orange, which I expected, some of my pieces are still simply too dark for this. I honestly was blown away how well this worked because I've tried Schwarzkopf's drugstore equivalent and it did very little. I've used this is a weak 3% developer since it's a toning shade. I needed 1 + 1/2 tube for my long, thick hair. I really wish Subrina would focus also on making darker ashy/neutralising shades. They keep sticking to only level 10 ones, I'd really like to see level 9, 8 and 7 too (the only 710 shade they just discontinued). We really need such toning/demi-permanent shades in our drugstores. This actually the only such product available here. 
Repurchase: Yes, but I'm not sure I like myself so pale blonde. I'd like to be darker levels as originally planned and I'll have to buy such a product from another brand online. 

This was the first shade I tried back in autumn when my hair was still a darker shade of blonde and because I got a very pink result, I promised myself to try this when my hair is very blond. This became my favourite Colour Refresh shade, not just for colour, but also for toning. I decided to go full out purple because I was always wondering if such a shade would suit me. I got the colour on the box with a 1:1.5 mix (colour vs. clear conditioner) and it was so intense. It's a pretty colour, the same as Subrina's Saten/Spectra 88 and the newest Butter Colour 880, but too much for me. I'll show you the pictures in monthly favourites, but I already posted one on Subrina IG (I didn't use Butter Colour, but they are the same shades). With every wash I love it more. I got to the colour I've dreamed for a while, a beautiful pastel violet shade and with further washing, so when only a small amount is left (or you use only a drop of this shade in a conditioner/shade Clear) this works like a great toning shade. Diamond Blonde is blue-violet one that in a larger amount tones to a very ashy-grey shade, while this one looks more like their shade 20/2 or 1020 Pearl Blonde, so something like a sandy-beige light blonde. Personally I like this shade for toning more than Diamond Blonde, but you have to use the tiniest amount otherwise you have lilac hair, which is not such a terrible thing because it's a pretty shade. 
Repurchase: I have one more and all other shades.


Papa Recipe and MBD are two of my favourite mask for glow. Papa Recipe is more nourishing, so I use it when my skin is particularly dry and it's overall better than MBD, so it's my treatment for special ocassions. MBD is lighter, suited for all skin types I'd say and helps to make the complexion look more even and healthy. TFS Madecassoside is my "big guns" when my skin is very dry and right after breakouts because it helps to soothe, nourish and heal. Etude House's version is pretty much the same and cheaper, but I found it only after I bought a pack of these. TFS's wins in terms of hold well the sheet fits me, but Etude House tends to be cheaper in most places.  
Repurchase: Yes to all and I still have a few of each.

Have a great day!

Friday, January 17, 2020

Empties #34

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A gel cleanser I use for second cleansing after oil. It's cheap and it does the job. I've recently tried Cerave Hydrating Cleanser which is better, but this is so easily accessible compared to that one.
Repurchase: Done.

I've used this religiously for several months if not over a year, but I saw zero result, which sucks because I read only good reviews before buying it. There was no reduction in lines nor did it prevent them from getting deeper. As a plus I can say that it feels like water and it's very easy include it in any type of routine. 
Repurchase: No.

I finished this a while ago and have since moved to other vitamin C products, however, this was my first such product and I did everything wrong with this one, so it's hard for me to say it's bad. I was using it wrong for a long time (didn't apply it first or after AHA/BHA and I didn't wait for at least 15-20 minutes before applying other products) and after I realised my mistakes, it was already old. I got it because I heard it lightens old spot marks, which nothing helps me with including strong AHAs and despite consistent use this did nothing. But it is a nice vitamin C because it's like a dry oil that's not heavy or greasy on the skin. It's also more affordable than a lot of other vitamin C products.
Repurchase: Not sure yet, I like Eucerin's a lot more, but this is more affordable and maybe I should give it another shot, the right way this time.


I just breezed through this one and was shocked to see it was empty because the packaging is consistently dispensing the desired amount, so I had no indication it's running low. It's so far the best sunscreen I've found in our drugstores for still an affordable price (not that I've tried many), though at 10 € it's not that cheap. It's better suited for normal-dry skin because it's a heavy, rich formula when you apply it, but it sets in about 5 minutes to a decent dry to the touch finish. I could apply a lot of it and it was not greasy, nor did it pile. It's not as nice as Asian sunscreens which are much lighter and fast-absorbing, but it's easily accessible (just not in winter apparently, when they sell the rubbish anti-age version instead).
Repurchase: Yes.

MIXA Cica-Cream
First I was using this for my elbows and feet where I have very dry, rough skin and it worked well on my elbows, but it wasn't enough for my feet. In recent months I've started using it on my face because my skin became so dry and flaky, nothing helped and everything else absorbed in minutes leaving my skin dry again. For a couple of days I was applying this in a very thick coat, then reapplied every two hours after it fully absorbed and it really helped a lot. My skin is currently still dry, but not nearly as much as in those couple of days and I still use it when my cheeks are rough as the last step in my night routine. I hate the packaging though, it doesn't feel full even when new and it gets really hard to get the product out later. When I cut it, I still had a ton left. 
Repurchase: Yes, I have an extra tube that I'm already using.


This boasts with the 2.5% retinol content and though I found it suspicious it caused no reaction on me considering I just went straight to high percentages from almost nothing, I assumed my skin is more hardly than others because I can't even feel 30% AHA for example. But when after using up the 10 ml bottle of Artnaturals, I switched to the weaker The Ordinary 1% in Squalane and saw my skin got drier and flaky, the only conclusion I can draw is that this doesn't have the percentage of retinol stated, at least not in this form. Obviously I have no idea if it's true and reviews of this are generally so good, but I can't explain it any other way or at least I'm not knowledgeable enough. It's a light serum that would fit any skin type, it's not sticky, it doesn't pill when you apply other skin care over it, so the texture is nice, but it was like I was using nothing.
Purchase: I don't know. Great reviews for this are confusing to me now.

On paper this is a great all-in-one because it contains a form of vitamin C (sodium ascorbyl phosphate), hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, retinol and Q10. I liked the texture of this, it's a very light orange serum that absorbs fast (under a minute), so it's great for layering and it has a nice orange-ish scent. I only had it for a week or two (this is a sample, 5 ml), so I didn't see any results.
Purchase: I still don't know.

A light moisturiser that I think would suit oily skin too, since it's more like a lotion-cream consistency. One sample didn't last me nearly as long as the serum did, so I can't say much. It contains retinol, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, safflower oil and green tea extract.
Purchase: Probably not, I prefer Beauty of Joseon.


S&G's scrubs are my favourite because most are quite harsh and that's the way I like them. I don't like this one as much as Flake Away, but it was another great one. It has the same fragrance as Mist me Madly spray, which has a type of vintage scent that won't appeal to just anyone, but from reviews I gather it's overall quite liked.
Repurchase: I'll stick to Flake Away, but these are so hard to get now that Boots International is gone.

L'OCCITANE 20% Shea Butter Hand Cream
I loved this one because it's almost as rich as the original and it smells like their discontinued L'Occitane Vanilla fragrance (the old-old one from 2007-8). L'Occitane's 20% shea butter creams are the best thing I found for truly dry hands.
This smelled amazing, like the name says it's a neroli scent, while I'm not sure I spotted any orchid, but it was a great rich floral scent. The formula is one of L'Occitane's light version which isn't as impressive as the 20% shea butter ones, but these are still nice for the scent alone.
Repurchase: Maybe Vanilla Bouquet, but I'm mostly sticking to the original.

BATH & BODY WORKS PocketBac
Pumpkin Cranberry Cider
This is a very old LE, though BBW tends to repeat their scents a lot every season. BBW has the best anti-bacterial gels for my liking, I love it when they are heavily scented almost like a perfume and these are exactly like that. This one has a fruity cinnamon scent and unlike 99% of cinnamon stuff here, this actually smelled like the real deal.
Repurchase: If only these weren't so hard to get for a reasonable price for us outside USA, but yes.


L'OREAL Elseve Extraordinary Oil Nourishing Shampoo
My all-time favourite because it's the only drugstore shampoo that leaves my hair like I just used some conditioner. It leaves that silicone smooth feeling that my tangy, dry hair really needs. I've gone through many bottles.
Repurchase: Done.

PANTENE Intensive Repair Shampoo
My second favourite shampoo. It's doesn't leave my hair quite as smooth as L'Oreal, but it's close. An excellent formula for dry hair.
Repurchase: Done.


PANTENE Pro-V 3 Minute Miracle Intensive Repair
Every Pantene conditioner I've tried so far has been great, this is no exception. To me it's the same as the Intensive Repair conditioner in the white tube. It leaves my hair nourished, feeling smooth and somewhat softer.
Repurchase: Yes if it's cheaper than the conditioner.

One of my favourite ever treatments. This is a hydrating conditioner/mask that I've been using for years now and I can always rely on it when it comes to nourishing my very thick, coarse, dry hair. In last year I rediscovered the Reconstructor from this line and together they are like magic for bleached, coloured, coarse-feeling (protein deficient) hair.
Repurchase: Done.


A protein treatment that you use under the Bonding mask. I always used this right after bleaching my hair. At first I thought that it works the same as Joico K-Pack Reconstructor, but it not as amazing when it comes to truly coarse hair that has zero softness. Still I enjoyed using it together with the mask when my hair wasn't in a very dire state. The annoying thing about it is that I have no idea how much it's still in the packaging and of course it ran out exactly a day after I made a big hair care order.
Repurchase: Yes.

A violet mask for counteracting yellow tones, but it's much weaker than Subrina Colour Refresh in Diamond Blonde, therefore only appropriate for very light blondes. However, it didn't deal with yellow tones not even with my lightest hair, which granted still aren't super blonde. The formula is a nice one, enough for my thick hair even though it doesn't feel thick or heavy.
Repurchase: Yes.

PHILIP KINGSLEY Elasticizer
This was my second try of the famed Elasticizer. The first time I was very disappointed by it, especially considering the price. The second try was better, my hair did feel a bit healthier, still it's not that special compared to Joico K-Pack. It's mostly castor oil, which is said to promote hair growth, though I don't know if the science supports it. It's a very popular product, but I'm still not completely sold on it.
Purchase: Probably not.


Before discovering Pantene I'd say this is an ok hair mask, one of better ones in the drugstores for dry hair, but post-Pantene, this has nothing on it and it's more expensive. Positive side about this treatment is that you can use it on dry hair as a leave-in conditioner and it's actually very decent, albeit the results don't last very long on my hair. It smells like Casali bananas or some other candy bananas, which is not my favourite scent, but I know it's the type people love.
Repurchase: No. I might try the macadamia one, but I doubt it's as good as Pantene.

This is richer than the conditioner, though the overall result on my hair is still very similar, but for someone with less thick hair, the conditioner and 3 Minute Miracle versions are maybe a better choice.
Repurchase: Yes.

My all-time favourite moisturising mask, though Moroccanoil Intense Hydration is similarly brilliant. This is sadly discontinued, but there are some new masks in the Nutritive line. This mask made my hair feel like "normal people hair". I know it sound strange, but the thing is that my hair has this thick, less pliable, non-soft texture and Kerastase Nutritive products were the only one that gave my hair that silky, light, flowy feel. Obviously if your hair has that average soft, thin texture you really don't even need to think about this mask because you'll get the same effect from a cheap Pantene conditioner, sadly I need to spend more if I want people to not describe my hair as prickly or like I always have a ton of hair spray on.
Repurchase: It's discontinued, but I'd really love to try the new Magistral version for thick hair.


I've been using this protein treatment for many years with some pauses. I usually start using it right after cutting my ends and it keeps them fresh longer as well as less prone to breaking, so I can go without a haircut longer. It just works, but not immediately and it doesn't reverse damage (nothing does, obviously). This is a product that gives long-term results, as it makes the hair stronger, so it doesn't snap off at the ends, which is the reason people complain their hair just doesn't grow. This kind of gives you a feeling the hair grows faster and you get the desired length faster. It's a light lotion that to me feels like nothing, so it's a product I can use in my routine that's full of layering.
Repurchase: Yes.

BALEA Beautiful Long Wunder Serum
This was my favourite cheap thermal protection. It's a silicone serum like any other, so it tames the hair and gives shine, but it was lighter than Orofluido, Moroccaoil and the likes. I liked that it was so cheap and easily accessible.
Repurchase: It's sadly discontinued, as a replacement I have Langhaar Mädchen which is cheap and similar enough, but this was better.

MOROCCANOIL Color Complete Protect & Prevent Spray (mini)
This is a great multipurpose product that prevents blonde colour from turning brassy/yellow (protects any colour from fading), plus it acts as heat protection, UV shield and it's hydrating, so a leave-in conditioner. It's very light, I'd prefer if it felt a bit oily, but I think it would fit most hair types.
Purchase: I don't know, I'd prefer their other products, several of which I have high on my wishlist.


I've tried most of the shades from this (Red, Orange, Purple and Magenta, the two left are Warm Brown and Cool Brown), but I've used this shade most. It's a classic purple mask for neutralising yellow tones, but this one is much stronger than others I've tried, so better suited for me since I'm a dark brunette going blonde, however, since it's purple it can't deal as effectively on orange tones, obviously, but it's not useless like other shampoos and masks I've tried. It's so strong though that you have to be very careful on very light hair because it can tint it blue-grey in seconds when used straight from the tube without diluting the shade with a clear mask. 
Repurchase: Done.


L'OREAL Excellence Crème
03 Ultra Light Ash Blond, 9.1 Natural Light Ash Blonde and 8.1 Light Ash Blonde
Another batch of these. I've already talked about 9.1 and 8.1 extensively before, but 03 is a new shade to me. I used it for toning my lightest hair, which still isn't quite level 10, but close. I tested four shades on individual strands before colouring and this was the second strongest light shade when it came to dealing with yellow tones, but it was beaten by Subrina. All three are the renewed version, so they don't come with the serum anymore, but with a shampoo, which is a change I'm not fond off. Formula is still great since it leaves my hair in nice condition.
Repurchase: Yes to 9.1 and 8.1, I still have some spares, for 03 Subrina's shade 80/8 or 1080 is better.


SCHWARZKOPF PALETTE Deluxe Oil-Care Color
218 Silver Blond
I gave this so many tries, every time I bleached my hair I did a strand test if this will tone. It fails miserably compared to L'Oreal 03 and Subrina 1080, all are meant for the same level hair (10). I think I'll just throw it away. Ironically I got it because reviews praised it as a shade that tones any yellow and brassy tones.
Repurchase: No.

SUBRINA Butter Colour
1080 Ice Blonde
Subrina is praised for their cool blonde shades, in particular 80/8 or 1080. I had this in my stash for years, but only now gave it a go because I finally reached a decently light blonde shade, though I'm still very golden under it instead of pale yellow. It's the strongest toning shade I've tried and it can deal with level 9 yellow hues as well as golden on level 8 to a degree, but not orange. So if you're looking that will give you a very cool looking blonde shade, based on my experience so far Subrina appears to be strongest. Formula of this is like a very thick, rich hair mask, it truly feels buttery as the name says, but it didn't leave me with the same feeling as L'Oreal does, maybe it lacks some extra proteins, though my hair was pretty coarse even before I coloured, so disregard my review of the formula, especially since overall feedback from other users has been that it leaves the hair very soft and nourished.
Repurchase: Yes, I'm also going to try something else from my huge stash.

Butter Colour 1080 on the lower 2/3 (it's meant for much lighter hair though), L'Oreal 9.1 on top. This isn't the best picture because the lighting conditions were terrible and my background created a green cast. I didn't feel I taking better pictures yet. The back is super orange because I couldn't reach well and it's neither well bleached nor coloured, but right now I'm don't feel like fixing it, since this already took me a week to do (together with hair care routine of course, overnight oil treatments).

I'd detailed my experience with this and posted results in the latest new it. Basically I had to bleach this one out. The colour was warmer out of the tube than the back of the box indicated, but results looked nice regardless. There were several things that pissed me off about this one, but intense staining of everything is definitely at the top.
Repurchase: No.


This was nothing special, a light and fast absorbing hand cream for when my skin wasn't very dry. The packaging is adorable and it smelled nicely like peaches.
Repurchase: No.

The only spot product that works for me apart from The Ordinary Salicylic Acid. They aren't miraculous, at least most of the time, but they can help diminish the spot and prevent it from becoming a raging volcano that would normally take days to heal. My spot healing routine includes these, COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid and Etude House sheet mask Snail.
Repurchase: Done.


SHEET MASKS
THE FACE SHOP The Solution Mask Sheet Madecassoside has been a godsend when my skin was insanely dry, as was PAPA RECIPE Bombee Whitening Honey Mask. Both are intensely nourishing and the Bombee one brightest too as an extra bonus. I've used several of ETUDE HOUSE 0.2 Therapy Air Mask Snail recently when my skin was not just dry, but also spotty and I use this to heal & tone down inflamed spot - works like a treat. MY BEAUTY DIARY Natural Key Series Facial Mask Black Pearl is another of my favourites, it's lighter than the rest, but still moisturising and its main plus is the brightening effect. HADA LABO TOKYO Anti-Aging Facial Sheet Mask was a decent moisturising mask, in fact it's the best we can get in our drugstores. I've just recently posted about YEAUTY Eye Pad Mask Deep Hydration, which also impressed me for something that's available in our drugstores. A detailed review of THE BODY SHOP Tea Tree Anti-Imperfection Peel-off Mask is here, but overall I did not like it. TONYMOLY Earth Beauty Bubble Mask Sheet is black mask just for the lower part of the face and it produced a very fluffy, yet rich foam. It didn't do anything to help clear out my pores, but that foam was such a delight to use.
Repurchase: Yes to The Face Shop (though Etude House Madecassoside is almost the same), Papa Recipe, Etude House Snail, My Beauty Diary Black Peral, Hada Labo Tokyo and Yeauty. 


CERAVE Moisturising Cream
I did not expected this to be so thick based on reading the ingredients list, but it's like Nivea or similar cream and it was perfect for my very dry skin. It's the thickest face moisturiser I know, thicker even that Mixa Cica, but that one proved to be more effective, still this came in very handy when I most needed a rich moisturiser.
Purchase: I'm tempted, but at the same time I have no idea if it was this that also broke me out or was it something else. 

Have a great day!

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Empties #33

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I didn't like this foundation when I first got it as it looked awful on my skin, but I still used it regularly because it was one of the rare shades that fit me perfectly. I then completely rewamped my skin care routine and most foundations started to look much better on me, this one included. In fact by the end of the bottle I liked this one a lot. It's got light, maybe light-medium coverage with a nice natural finish. Before the skin care change this emphasised lines, pores and looked patchy on my nose, but after it looked like skin. Shade 110 fit me great and it's still one of the lightest shades in the drugstores (it's lighter than 110 from the Matte + Poreless line). It's more moisturising than Matte + Poreless, but on me they looked about the same, Matte just hides pores a bit and this one doesn't. 
Repurchase: I think I might, though I'm currently checking out their Urban Cover formula because the shades look promising too.

I put these two together because on my skin they looked identical. I wore them once one on each side and I couldn't tell them apart, in fact I liked to mix these two together because Siberia is too yellow and 110 Ivory is passably pink, but together they made the great pale neutral shade. Both are medium-full coverage foundations with a semi-matte or matte finish that isn't drying, the only difference was that Colourstay looked better as it wore off, as for some reason Nars collected around the nose on me. These two aren't actually empty, however, they are very old and I haven't been wearing them for a while because as they aged, the worse they started to look on the skin, but I'm putting them in storage, so I'll at least have them for comparison swatches. By my last use they looked terribly patchy, fake and I just took them off. Otherwise they are still the only high coverage foundations I liked well enough, at least when they were new.
Repurchase: Maybe Colorstay, but I'm happy with the medium coverage of Milani Conceal + Perfect. Sheer Glow is way too expensive, when a cheaper dupe for my skin exist.

I loved the cushion concept, as it's so easy and quick to apply. The formula had light coverage and it looked great freshly applied, but in time turned into a greasy finish that needed powdering. Still I liked it well enough.
Repurchase: I don't know if these exist anymore or if other TM formulas are similar, but I'd love to try some more cushion foundations.


My favourite mascara. It creates the biggest lashes, has the best multiplying effect because it catches individual lashes, it doesn't stick them together and it holds a curl of my stubborn lashes. One minus is the massive brush which almost always touches my lids during application, but I can live with it because it is regardless an absolutely outstanding mascara .
Repurchase: Done.

Another favourite. I use this every day because it's the best liquid eyeliner I've found. It's super black, matte, long-lasting and has never let me down. I always have a spare in stock.
Repurchase: Done.


I never warmed up to this. It's fine, just not really good. The texture is light, non-greasy, but it's only effective on regular makeup and when I'm using a separate eye makeup remover, I expect it to deal with the waterproof stuff too. It's indeed gentle as TBS say and it did not irritate my eyes. It's nice, just not what I need.
Repurchase: No.

My regular cleansing oil. It's one of rare oils that works with my skin as most others I've tried tend to break me out, but it's relatively weak and doesn't remove eye makeup well. This is probably my fifth or sixth bottle in a row and I use this every day without fail together with the Balea gel, but I'd still love to find something cheaper, easily accessible and effective - I just ordered Hada Labo which was 11.5 € for 200 ml (Biobaza is 12.79 € for 150 ml).
Repurchase: Done.

I got this instead of the Erfrieshendes/Refreshing version when it was gone from our DMs for a while. This was a bit more expensive, but I hoped it was similar enough and indeed it is. Only differences are the scent, as this is has none and strangely enough for a sensitive version, this isn't quite as gentle on my eyes as the refreshing version, but it wasn't terrible. 
Repurchase: Only if the Refreshing version is out of stock.


My favourite scrub. It's very harsh, since as the name itself says it's a sugar scrub, but it's the only thing that makes my skin feel smooth and soft. I have the honey version too, but even though it smells amazing, it's not as effective.
Repurchase: Done.

 I've been using this every day for over a year or two now and it has improved the texture of my skin. One of the differences I notice is that my makeup applies so much more smoothly since I started using this and my pores look less severe.
Repurchase: Done, now it has a new name Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence.

I got this because I expected a similar result that I got from COSRX Galactomyces plus brightening. It's just a sample, but it lasted me ages. It's a toner-like product and it contains Black Sugar Extract, niacinamide and galactomyces. I liked it, but I prefer CORSX.
Purchase: No.

One of my favourite toners, in terms of texture it's the nicest one I've tried. It reminds me a lot of Hada Labo Hyaluronic Lotion in terms of texture, which means it's not like our toners, instead a rich toner-meets-serum consistency. It feels so comforting and lovely on the skin, it's just great stuff. The smells is also amazing, like oranges and it became one of my favourite scents of skincare.
Purchase: I'd love to, but my skin care line up is so long already. Cezanne replaced this in my morning routine.


This is the first vitamin C product that is doing something for me. After about two weeks of use my skin started to look so good, it had a nice healthy glow, it was completely clear and started slowly becoming more even, though with my freckled complexion I'm not expecting a lot. The texture of this is so lovely and it's making me want to use it unlike Tiam's where I skipped a day simply because it was so obnoxious to use. It's an emulsion with a lovely smooth liquid formula that applies with ease and feels moisturising. The bottle is very small with only 7.5 ml of product and I find that it's best to keep it stored downwards because the soft bottom can't reach all the way to the end and even though you think it's empty, there is still some left. I love this, it's my favourite Vitamin C product out of the four I tried, but it is expensive per ml, so I don't know how often I'll be buying it. 
Repurchase: Yes.

I saw no results from this apart from a good dose of nourishment. It's very thick, so not easy to apply and it's got a strong fragrance. One plus - the bottle lasted me more than 10 days and I wasn't frugal with it. 
Repurchase: No.

This is the old formulation and actually this bottle is very old, so I haven't been using it for ages. I was very diligent with it for many months, kept hoping to see something, but I saw zero effect on my skin, so I stopped using it and focused on other products.
Repurchase: This version is discontinued, but they have many other versions. I ordered samples from other brands to see if I like those retinol products more. 


My favourite sunscreen, I'm sad to see this go. It's the lightest one I've found, it's got no shine and despite the tons of alcohol, it was never drying on my dry skin. I could easily apply the recommended amount without greasy heavy feeling or having to wait ages for it to set. The gel version works the same on my skin, but I believe people with oily skin prefer that one.
Repurchase: Yes, but they revamped the formula since this one.

This was hard to fall in love with after trying Biore. I just found this in my stash from 2017, so I haven't been using it for a while. It's got a rich texture that took 10 minutes to properly set, so it was not something to use in a hurry, but I could deal with that. The main reason I stopped using this was that it made my skin worse, so something in this must have been clogging my pores. I prefer Nivea's mattifying sunscreen from the products available in our drugstores. 
Repurchase: No.  

This was just awful all together. The thick, stiff sheet was very uncomfortable and there was no visible, not basic moisturising effect from it. K-Beauty masks are so much better.
Repurchase: No.


 SUBRINA Shower Gel
Cherry Blossom and Unicorn Splash
Three more of these have been used up, it's a standard in the shower. I get Cherry Blossom most because everyone likes it (powdery floral strong scent that lingers) and I got Rainbow Splash for a bit of a change. The latter smells like Haribo gummy bears. Currently I have the new Fresh Elder, which is my favourite at the moment. 
Repurchase: Yes.

DOVE Deeply Nourishing Shower Gel
The good old original with its luxurious thick and rich texture. This is by far my favourite shower product even though it's hard to get out when it's running low. 
Repurchase: Yes. I'm so glad this exists in a big bottle.

DOVE Body Wash
Summer Breeze
This is a limited edition scent that I found in Müller. It's a nice fruity-fresh clean scent, but nothing special. I wish Dove had something with grapefruit, orange or like Subrina's Fresh Elder. The formula is one of the new Dove ones, which are not as luxuriously creamy as the original, so I'm not 100% happy with it because when I pay more for a Dove shower gel I expect that fabulous rich texture, but it's fine, still better than most other stuff.
Repurchase: Probably not this scent anymore, but I repurchased Coconut & Jasmine, which is my favourite. 


I had this for absolutely ages and the reason for that is so typical of me it hurts - I love it, so I never used it and kept it only for special occasions, which is just a ridiculous thing to do and I need to stop doing that. I had hopes we would get this here by now, but it probably won't happen. It's actually very similar to Balea's version of shower foam and both are such lovely thick mousses that are just a pleasure to use. This one has a lovely sugary berry scent reminiscent of the discontinued Cedevita Fruit of the Forest I loved.
Repurchase: Yes, if I ever reach Austria again. 

THE BODY SHOP Satsuma Body Butter
This has one of the most refreshing, uplifting scents ever. I always had more of a love/not-loving-it-100% relationship with it because I have to be in the mood for such a zesty scent, but for summer months it's great and the scent is most intense on the skin of all TBS butters. I actually found a better refreshing, uplifting scent for my taste, TBS's, Grapefruit which is on my wishlist. The texture of Satsuma version is somewhere in between TBS's thickest Shea and lightest Honey and Almond Milk, but as is usual very nourishing and one of my favourite ever formulas.
Repurchase: Yes someday, but I'll get other version before it. I still have Shea, Cactus Flower and Pumpkin vanilla

BALEA Rasier Gel
Sweet Passion
I've been buying these for many years and I don't plan to switch. This version had very sweet tropical scent with more prominent notes of passionfruit.
Repurchase: Done.

NIVEA dry comfort Anti-Perspirant
Worked as it should, but the scent was boring. No significant yellow patches to report about, but as a stick deodorant it of course left white marks.
Repurchase: I don't know. I took Dove this time to mix it up a bit.


I liked this well enough. Formula is thin so I have to use a lot, but it's not drying which is a miracle when it comes to my hair. 
Repurchase: Yes. I also found Aveo has a version with 10% urea.

Best drugstore conditioner ever! Why does this not come in buckets? All joking aside, this truly is a marvellous formula that manages to nourish even my extremely dry, coarse and currently bleached/coloured hair, plus it even makes it a bit softer (miracle) and shinier. You have no idea how happy I am that I found this. The Superfood version is equally excellent too.
Repurchase: Done. 

This was my fail safe reasonably priced hair mask that I've been using for the past few years and I always got the 500 ml pot that lasted a long time. It was the cheapest hair mask that actually felt enough for my hair, but now I found Pantene Repair and Superfood lines which is cheaper, easier to get and it also smell better. I might still buy this one day because it has ceramides, but for now I'm happy with the cheaper alternative. 
Repurchase: Possibly.


I've said it before that I get no magical results from this, certainly not in the lines of Joico K-Pack or Schwarzkopf's Blondeme lines, but  since it has a bond rebuilding ingredient I like to use it to prevent damage rather than fix it, especially since I colour and bleach my hair. This promises to reconnect the broken sulphide bonds that are ruined by bleaching, colouring and heat tools. One bottle lasted me a lot more than I expected. A 100 ml usually doesn't go further than 2 uses when it comes to my hair, but this is so easy to spread that I got 6 and a half (I had to start a new bottle for the last treatment). I'm considering getting the shampoo and conditioner too, and I already got the Olaplex N.6 Bond Smoother Reparative Styling Crème, which has superior visible results to n.3 on my hair. 
Repurchase: Done.

My favourite spray leave-in conditioner. It helps my hair stay hydrated longer and helps me get a less frizzy blow-out. I had many bottles of this and for some reason each was slightly different. This bottle was thicker than most, so the spray didn't work as nicely as it should. I hope the next one will be the good old formula. I saw the packaging is different now. 
Repurchase: Yes.

I had this for more years than I should admit, but it's because it's not an oil I used regularly due to it being too light for my thick hair. I got it as a very generous gift with purchase and mine came in a LE bottle by Jade Jagger, though I have the original packaging too just in a small size that's in my car in my emergency bag. Because it's so light, this doesn't have as long lasting taming effects as for example Orofluido, Moroccanoil and Macadamia Natural Oil, which are all much heavier, but I used Elixir Ultime for very quick temporary fixes when my hair was frizzy or tangled. This is a formula more suited for thin hair, though for such a price there are so many cheaper dupes, such as Luxurious Coconut version that's sold in this part of Europe, but for something that's sold worldwide L'Oreal's is most similar (and actually Kerastase is their brand anyway).
Repurchase: No, I'll stick to the heavier Orofluido, Moroccanoil and Macadamia Natural Oil.


Utterly useless on my very dry, long hair. Too little product and I got no heating effect. 
Repurchase: No.

L'OREAL Excellence Crème 9.1 Natural Light Ash Blonde and 8.1 Light Ash Blonde
These two again did their job of toning, covering and lifting my hair colour after bleaching and created a much nicer result. I did another balayage session and made it to levels 10 (very light blonde) to 7 (dark blonde), so my hair was a mess of yellow and orange tones, meaning I couldn't just use a regular toner without either leaving orange tones in the hair or over toning the lightest bits to a blue shade, so I used a combination of these two: 8.1 on the crown (25 minutes), 9.1 in the middle lengths (10-15 minutes) and 9.1 with a 3% developer on the ends (4 minutes). I came out a an ashy blonde with some slightly warmers bits. Again my hair was not dry after use and the conditioner this comes with is amazing. I had the new and the old packaging. The old one has a protective serum and the new one a shampoo instead. I actually liked the shampoo, though it's not the best idea to wash off the colour with a shampoo and you should wait with washing for at least a couple of days (especially true for amonnia-free colours in case you didn't know), but Excellence colours are bloody hard to wash off (based on experience). 
Repurchase: Yes.



ETUDE HOUSE Sunprise Mild Airy Finish SPF 50+ PA +++ - I used up the last of my samples. This is a mineral sunscreen, so though it's very light, it does have some white cast from the start, but it sinks in within minutes and it goes away. It's dry on my skin, so I need to use a good moisturiser under it and a moisturising foundation, but for oily skin it could be a decent choice. Purchase: I prefer Biore, but this one isn't bad and it's mineral. I might get it one day.

PURITO Centelia Green Level Safe Sun Spf50+ PA++++ - In a thin coat it absorbs in a few minutes and leaves film of product, applied as recommended it takes several minutes to dry down to only a slightly tacky layer and after a while to a relatively dry to the touch noticeable layer, but makeup can be applied over it with no problems. It's not as nice as Biore nor even Nivea, but it's ok if you have plenty of time for it to dry down. It's heavily scented with a herbal kind of scent. Purchase: No, there are better ones, though this one isn't bad.

TONYMOLY Banana Hand Milk - this has a strong banana sweets scent (Casali), which disappears quickly. It's a cream-balm type of formula of medium thickness and it needs a few minutes to absorb completely. Ok, but there are better ones. Purchase: No

PURITO ABP Triple Synergy Liquid - this looked like a dupe for COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid and I prefer the latter. It's hard to say anything from a few samples I had, but it's a light liquid product that caused me no irritations. Purchase: No.

L'OCCITANE After-Shave Balm - I think my brother gave them these a long time ago. It smells lovely like cypress and shea butter. Formula is nicely rich. Purchase: As a gift for a man, yes.

TONLYMOLY The Chock Chock Green Tea Intense Cream - one sample was hard to judge from. It felt too thick and it has a strong green tea scent. Purchase: No.

TONYMOLY BCDation Plus - I would have liked this if the shade weren't too dark. It looks good on the skin, medium coverage, but without the heavy look and it looked fresh. Purchase: No.

THE FACE SHOP Le Marche The Therapy Oil-Drop Anti-Aging Serum - Ingredients-wise this is nothing special and I did not like this much. I expected a dry oil type of consistency, but this is a thick gel that just sits on the skin for hours refusing to sink in, so I couldn't even apply other skin care over it out of fear it will pill. I've only used it once, so I can't say much in terms of effect, but I saw nothing. Purchase: No

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