Product Empties: January

Welcome to my first empties of the year. And unsurprisingly there is a ton of empties, a lot of them you've seen before and a few you've not seen before.

Let's start with cleansers. There are only a couple of in this empties as I have tons on the go at once. The first is the The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Balm. This is a very gentle cleansing balm that melts make up off easily and doesn't irritate skin. It too me a while to finish this so I'd probably repurchase it for longevity but based off the product alone, I think I've got other balms that work just as well.

The other cleanser I have finished is the Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm. Since my last empties I've gone through two of travel sized pots and am working my way through my first of three 50ml tubs. I love this cleanser so much. It's thick, nourishing and works so well with my skin. I occasionally use this to take my make up off and it melts it off effortlessly but most of the time I use it on my bare skin. It's so nourishing and hydrating, especially after a long day of wearing make up. A little goes a long way so these pots lasted me a pretty long time and I'd happily repurchase any size tub when I no longer have any.

I went through another bottle of my holy grail Clean And Clear Deep Cleansing Lotion. I use this every morning to cleanse my skin and give it a refresh. I've gone through countless bottles of this in the last twelve years and whilst I've been told to stop using it, I haven't because I'm such a huge fan of it. I'm already half way through another bottle and have a back up in place as well.

I went through another bottle of the Simple Dual Effect Eye Make Up Remover. This is one of my favourite eye make up removers, it's bio phase formula the only thing that truly removes all of my mascara at the end of the day. I'm currently using the Nivea Duel Effect Eye Make Up Remover and it's not living up to the standard of this one. I think I'm going to have to stock up so I never run out of it.

I went through another travel sized bottle of Pixi Glow Tonic. I find that these smaller bottles last forever which is why until recently I'd never paid out for a full sized bottle. With 5% Glycolic Acid, Aloe Vera and Ginseng, this is my go to toner after make up removal as it exfoliates, rejuvenates and soothes all at the same time. I'm sure you'll be seeing more varying sized bottles of the Glow Tonic in future empties.

Whilst we're on the subject of Glycolic Acid, I finished another tub of the Nip And Fab Glycolic 5% Fix Night Pads. These give an effective yet somewhat gentle exfoliation and helps retexturise skin. I've gone through countless tubs of these and will probably go through countless tubs more. They're great for an every day exfoliation as they don't strip, irritate or sting the skin.

Another bottle of the Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic Sprizter has bitten the dust. This is my morning facial spritz that soothes, awakens and hydrates skin ready for the ahead. It's lightweight and great for layering under and over make up. I love this and need to buy another as my current bottle is well over halfway used.

I had to give up with this next product. Not because it's terrible but because I just couldn't get the last dregs out. The Botanics All Bright Serum Concentrate is one of several serums I like to apply after I've removed my make up. It has naturally occurring AHA's that lightly exfoliate the skin which reveals skin's natural glow. It's lasted me ages but I had to give up before I finished it completely because it's badly designed packaging. The dropper applicator doesn't reach the bottom of the bottle and once you hit the very last of the serum, not even tilting the bottle gets it out. I have another already in use and will repurchase it again when I've run out even though it's a case of when bad packaging happens to good products.

 Another product I never completely finish is the Loreal Hydra Genius. This is my go to serum, it's just literally Aloe Water and Hyaluronic Acid, two ingredients that agree amazingly with my skin. Yet again that tube from the pump doesn't reach the bottom and the last of the product and no amount of tilting or shaking the bottle helps. Sure it's a waste but it's only minor when the product works this well. Definitely going to repurchase this when necessary, it's completely changed my skin.

I finished a pot of my go to day moisturiser from Garnier. The Moisture Bomb Glow Enhancer Moisturiser is lightweight, hydrating and easy to layer under make up. I layer this over the Loreal Hydra Genius to give my skin a massive, long lasting boost of hydration. And because it's a gel like formula it doesn't affect any make up I apply over top. I've already got another pot on the go and will definitely be buying a back up before that one runs out.

I finished yet another pot of my favourite Garnier Miracle Sleeping Cream.There is just something about this night cream that I can't get enough of. It makes me look fresh, revitalised, hydrated and like I've eight hours sleep when I've most likely only had about four. I have gone through quite a few tubs of this in the last couple of years and will continue to do so but right now I'm also trying out two very similar formula products. I'm sure if I like them, they'll be appearing in either a empties or a favourites post in the future.

Now a few of you may be wondering why I have an empty SPF bottle in my January empties but I make sure to wear SPF 30 everyday to protect my skin. The Hawaiian Tropic SPF30 is the only one that hasn't broken me out and actually works with my skin instead of against it. I've got another bottle of this open already and I'll be repurchasing many bottles of this through the year to keep my skin protected no matter the season.

I actually finished an eye cream. That is unheard of for me. I never manage to finish eye creams as they usually stop working for me before I can or I've moved onto the next one that's caught my eye. The Olay Total Effects Eye Cream has not let me down since I started reusing it in September. It moisturises, depuffs, firms and reduces the appearance of dark circles without weighing the gentle skin under the eye down. I've just opened a new one and whilst I'd like to say you'll see it in a future empties, I'm not sure if it'll be this year as a little goes a long way which makes the small pot last a long time.

 It wouldn't be an empties post if I didn't have at least one of the Maybelline SuperStay Primers featured. This time I've gone through two since my last empties in October. It seems like a lot but I do wear it everytime I wear make up so it does make sense since that's six days out of seven a week. I love how this sink into my skin but leaves a tackiness to my skin that just adheres to whatever base product I apply over top. And it's lightweight so it doesn't clog my pores and cause any irritation or breakouts. It's not going to be the last time this will be featured in an empties this year.

 Surprisingly there is only one Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in my empties bin. Usually there are two sometimes even three but for some reason I haven't gone through them as much as I thought I would. This is a great concealer for covering redness, blemishes and dark circles without looking cakey or heavy on the skin. I'm already nearly done with another tube and have a back up in my collection as well.

Something I did go through two of and found a little surprising was pressed powder. Normally it takes me months to go through a single pan of pressed powder and that's wearing it everytime I wear make up. However between my last empties and today's post, I've gone through two of the MUA Transparent Pressed Setting Powder and nearly finished a third. I love this powder, it doesn't cake skin, settle into any creases or fine lines and sets make up in place all day long. I'm not sure if it's because it's so finely milled that I've gone through two but I have and I'm a little shocked that this was a product I had duplicate empties for.

I finished a bottle of my Barry M Hydro Fix Primer Water. This combined with the Maybelline SuperStay Primer is a winning combination and I've found I can't use another product in place of this or the Maybelline as the remaining product doesn't work as well. I always make sure to have a back up of this in my collection and right now is no exception.

A setting spray that I finished comes from Collection. Their Primed And Ready Fixing Spray is a fine mist that generously sprays the face with it's lightweight formula, setting make up in place with a semi matte finish. It's perfect for everyday use if you've got a little too much glow going on but it's also a brilliant product for holding everything in place when you've got a big event or night out. I've already got one on the go and a back up in my collection.

As always I've gone through a couple of packets of face wipes. I don't use these to take my make up off, I use them to mainly take off any swatches I've done or my lipstick at the end of the day. I usually go for ones aimed at sensitive skin like the Johnsons but I find that the Garnier Oil Infused Micellar Wipes are brilliant at removing liquid lipsticks. Both did what I wanted them to, both didn't cause any irritation like some wipes can and both will probably be repurchased at some point in the future.

I went through a few packs of under eye patches in the last three months. The Rodial, Superdrug and Soap and Glory were all one use packets but the Skin Republic had three pairs in them. Out of all of them the Rodial Dragon's Blood Eye Masks are probably my favourite. They sit on the skin like a second skin and the results when you take them off, last a good few days where the others only last a few hours. I've already repurchased them all except the Superdrug Own Brand ones. It's not because they're bad, I just haven't been able to find them in stores.

Sheet masks are the kind of mask I go through a lot of. And every empties I have a ton to show you. So let's start with three new ones I tried. The first was the Origins Flower Fusion Rose Sheet Mask. It was nice, left my skin feeling hydrated and soothed but didn't do much more to wow me. And at £5 a pop I don't think I'll be repurchasing it. The same can be said for the Nip and Fab Dragon's Blood Sheet Mask. Pricey as hell and it didn't do a lot for my skin, probably because it kept peeling off when I was wearing it. The one I would repurchase is the Nip and Fab Glycolic Extreme Fix Bubble Sheet Mask. It worked wonders on my skin, was hilarious to wear and didn't fall off my face when I moved. It's still a bit pricey but in my opinion worth every penny.

I used and reviewed the Simple Sheet Mask Range. Two were complete duds whilst one was amazing. If you ask me, Simple still has a way to go with their sheet masks as in the quality of the mask itself as well as how much product they add to it. I like my sheet masks well saturated but I don't like them dripping over my carpet. Not sure if I'd repurchase these.

 I used up a couple of the Soap and Glory Sheet Masks. These two are in fact my favourites of the range. The Miracle Moisture Mask whilst dubious in appearance works wonders on hydrating and soothing skin whilst the Pore Refining Mask is perfect for hormonal skin in need of some TLC. It's Witch Hazel based formula is perfecting for combating any excess oil as well as tightening pores and purifying skin. Two masks that I will definitely be repurchasing.

And of course it wouldn't be a empties without a Garnier Moisture Bomb or four. I love these masks, they fit my face perfectly, work well with my skin and show long lasting results with for their £2.99 price tag is pretty astounding. I make sure I always have two or three of each mask in my collection so that when I'm having a shit day I can pop one one and forget about all my worries for fifteen to twenty minutes.