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Empties are a funny thing. They are, effectively, trash that sits around in your house, waiting for its time to shine. For the day you’ll photograph it, finally write your reviews, and then toss them into the bin where they belong. It’s a quirky thing to hold onto empty bottles for so long, and yet I do, because a) I idealistically wait for “inspiration to strike” (this could be an eternity, or other times mere minutes), and b) these bottles take up a lot of room! We don’t have much storage as it is, and couple that with my well-documented hoarding problem, and it ain’t a pretty picture.
But today, I finally gussied up the courage to let go of these 5 products that I loved, used, and completely emptied out. They are mostly Korean products, with one exception for smooooth legs. Let’s get started, shall we?
First up is the Cosrx Aloe Soothing Sun Cream. I finished this a while ago, and loved it. Loved! And apart from the Klairs UV Midday Blue Shield I’ve raved about recently, there’s not many SPFs that float my boat. Which is hard when you are a sensitive peach & need to wear it at all times. I’m actually currently trying a few new sunscreens, all physical (containing zinc oxide, as opposed to chemical) so will definitely report back on those.
Next up is the Natio Rosewater Moisture Recharge Night Cream-Gel. Phew, I’m out of breath from that name! Not that I should have any kind of reaction, really, when some of my favourite Korean beauty products have seemingly never-ending names. Names to the gods! But anyway, this product. It’s so rosy, first of all. If you love rose, you’ll love this. If you have an issue with fragrance, on the other hand, it might not be for you. Pick your battle. But good golly, it does smell delightful.
I loved the texture of this product, because it was lightweight but also moisturising, and seemed to absorb really nicely into my skin. I did use it as night, as directed, and it almost felt like a sleeping mask. You know how, when using a sleeping mask, in the morning you wash it off and you can feel the residue — but it’s a good thing?! A bit of that. Definitely was soothing on my sensitive skin, and obviously I worked my way through it pretty quickly.
I also loved the design of this product — something about the big, fat, slow pump was so pleasing to me! It’s kind of like Fenty Beauty’s Gloss Bomb lip glosses, how they have the XL doe foot applicator, and it just feels so… lush. This had that. Loved it.
In terms of ingredients, rosewater is listed as the second ingredient after water, which is a very good thing. It also contains sweet almond oil, sesame seed oil, rose oil and shea butter. So if you’re on the lookout for a hydrating, nourishing night cream/gel, this one’s your guy.
Next up, we’ve got the Benton Snail Bee High Content Essence. Oh, this is a throwback! I think it was around 2014 when Benton popped off, and it was all over the K-beauty blogosphere (do people even still use that word? Don’t know). I couldn’t get my paws on it, even being in Korea — maybe it was available somewhere, but clearly I was busy doing other things and did not donate enough resources to sussing it out. But online, hooo boy! It was all you could read about. So when I saw this product online, I decided to give it a go. Better late than never, right?
It’s a cute lil’ essence, to start. It has quite aesthetically pleasing packaging, almost a soft matte opaque brown with rounded edges. Neat. The essence itself is clear, and definitely had a unique scent. Would I say it smells like either snail mucin or honey? No, no I wouldn’t. It almost smelt more clinical than that, but it was fine. No real complaints here.
I used to love both snail products and bee venom products, and still would if I would remember to buy them! But snail is always lovely and moisturising, while bee venom helps with inflammation/redness — both of which I need. So to see these two key products combined in one essence is quite the treat, and it didn’t disappoint.
This essence applied beautifully, and would absorb gently into my skin so that I could apply other layers on top. From memory, it was a touch tacky, but I don’t really mind that. On top of the snail secretion filtrate (which is the second listed ingredient, btw) and the bee venom, this baby also contains aloe leaf juice and niacinamide, so you know it’s nourishing.
If you have sensitive, inflamed or troubled skin, I would say this product would work for you. I really enjoyed it, I can’t say it completely solved all my life’s problems, but it did seem to help keep my complexion smooth — which is a win in my books!
In terms of makeup, we’ve got just the one: the Etude House curl Fix Mascara. I had this in my stash for quite a while before using it, and to be honest, the thought of a waterproof mascara filled me with some sort of terror. Terror, I tell you! The thought of having to remove a waterproof mascara at night is truly the stuff of nightmares. But I went ahead and dipped my toe in… and it wasn’t so bad!
The mascara itself is lovely, lengthening, curling, dramaticising… all of it. It’s a black mascara and it does its job. I would say it added a nice curl, or enhanced my natural lash curl and would be a great, simple mascara to try. I honestly don’t notice too much of a difference between mascaras (unless they’re really terrible or messy), and this was a great option.
But where it really comes into its own is its longevity. Because it’s waterproof, it lasts a lot longer than it otherwise would. Of course, removing it is more tricky, but if you simply use a good eye makeup remover (I believe I used the Etude House Lip & Eye Remover—yes that’s the name—which is a bio-phase, oilier option and works well on waterproof products), you’ll be fine. A lovely little option to try!
And last of all is… a shaving cream?! Well, this is no ordinary shaving cream, and I beg you to stave off your judgement until the end (I can feel it, I tell you!). The Dr. Carver’s Shave Butter is no ordinary shaving cream — first of all, it’s a butter. Did you hear me? A BUTTER. Anything with that word in it immediately gets my vote.
But not only does it claim it’s the world’s greatest food a butter, but it actually comes through with the goods. It’s so… buttery! And when it comes to shaving, ladies you’ll know, the smoother and more seamless, the better.
Honestly, this product makes leg shaving a joy, and I don’t say that lightly. It’s really nourishing as well, and it just protects your legs and make sure it all gets done. There’s nothing harsh or soapy about it, it’s instead occlusive and… buttery. Highly, highly recommend!
And that’s a wrap for today! Long and luxurious, non? If you’ve tried any of these, let me know your thoughts in the comments — or anything else you think would be up my street. I’m all ears!
Steph x