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Empties are a friend of mine. Mainly because it means I’ve finally finished something, and how that signifies huge success to me. Huge! So recently, when trying to clear out my drawers, I found a few more empty products hanging around, waiting to be written about.
Instead of holding onto them for even longer (as they are technically trash…), I decided to re-up the empties posts and give you my thoughts on these babies. The good thing with empty products is that you generally loved them (otherwise I wouldn’t finish them, and would instead let them wait to be used for all of eternity), so it’s a happy post to write. So here we go!
First of all, let’s start with the Tony Moly Floria Nutra Energy Massage Cream. I picked this up a while ago, and put off using it, as I do. It’s some sort of side effect of hoarding methinks, and hence why I am trying in vain to become a minimalist. But anyway! This cream comes in a hefty sized pot, and is a thick, luscious cream. I initially thought this was only for the face, but I ended up using it as a body moisturiser.
It’s a lovely consistency, and the scent is heavenly. I would say it’s quite thick and creamy, which is why I kept it away from my face. The comodogenic-ness of it all! It actually had little “seeds” in the cream, which you can see in the picture below, which I felt were there for gentle exfoliating—but I’m not 100% sure. It also contained argan oil, hence the nourishment, and safflower extract which just doubles up the moisturising properties.
I always loved the smell of Korean beauty products in general; there’s something so light and feminine about them. And this one is no exception. It was a pleasure to use, and I looked forward to using it!
I also think now would be a good time to mention that I was using this product incorrectly—it is meant to be used as a makeup remover of sorts; massaged onto the face (hence the name…) and then wiped or washed off. I did using it as a body cream, though, and did not experience any adverse effects or sinister symptoms!
I still feel like it was too creamy for my face, as even with makeup cleansers/balms and a hot cloth, I sometimes feel the residue and do not like it one bit. But yes, read the labels, or if they’re not in English like this one here… just make it up on the fly.
I also have the Tony Moly Nutra Eye Cream to be used next, and I remember back in the day I loved the Floria Capsule Essence. I remember the sales lady helping me with it, and demonstrating how the capsules burst… and I was so intrigued. I don’t think it’s around anymore, but the Floria family has lived on and evolved!
Of course, we have to mention the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water. This is obviously a holy grail product in the beauty world, and the real world. I literally wrote about this earlier in quarantine, mentioned it again here, and first brought it up a few years back. It’s a staple, alright.
I don’t know if there’s too much left to write on the matter… but it’s affordable, effective, and readily available. Ding, ding, ding!
Next up is the Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil. A little while ago, I read about the benefits of rosehip oil for reducing scarring and reducing inflammation. I have rather sensitive skin, as you probably know, so need to be careful with products in general, and especially heavy oils.
I don’t know how much difference there is between brands when it comes to rosehip oil, as it’s technically meant to just be the oil… but I suppose some are organic, farmed differently, and I swear some have a different consistency. Well, this one is lovely, quite thick and feels… luxurious?! That’s a funny thing to say about a face oil, but it’s true.
I went through spurts of using this; sometimes I would apply it every night (generally would avoid it in the daytime, although sometimes I would do both), and other times I would leave it for days at a time. It just depended on what my skin needed. Did I feel that it really reduced the appearance of scarring? Not necessarily… but it did plump up my skin and keep it feeling and looking smooth. So I’ll take that!
One thing I did love about this rosehip oil product in particular, was the dropper. It was so fat! And the soft matte glass felt quite luxe as well. I figured it was worth photographing the dispenser, although I didn’t quite capture how chubby it is, but take a look for yourself here:
So chubby, no? It reminds me of the Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb applicator, in that it’s FAT and chunky and I love it. Something about it just makes it feel more expensive or abundant, I suppose. It was a pleasure to use, and I would definitely repurchase this baby.
Last of all is the Benefit BadGalBANG! Mascara. I thought I had written about this already, but I can’t seem to find it… but I love this mascara. There’s something about it that just works for me. I originally had the full sized version, which Gav kindly brought back from the US when it had first come out. I then somehow picked up this mini in the Sephora rewards boutique, which is so cute and also features a full-sized brush. Go figure.
The great thing about this mascara is… it just works. It’s not like the Glossier Lash Slick, in that it gives more than a barely-there lacquer of the lashes. It’s also not like the gigantic Maybelline Volum Express mascaras, which look like they’d poke your eye out if given half the chance. It’s a perfect, straight down the middle mascara which lengthens and coats each lash, in just the right way. And I mean this as the highest form of praise!
I’ve already had these two, and am currently using the classic Rimmel Extra Super Lash (which isn’t as dramatic as it sounds), but would definitely repurchase this baby when the time comes. A great mascara is surely one of life’s underrated pleasures, wouldn’t you say?
And that’s a wrap for now! I’m sure I will unearth a bunch more empties in the coming days/weeks, as I’m currently undergoing a spring cleaning of sorts, and determined to take out the trash, as it were. Have you tried any of these products above? Anything else you’d recommend? I don’t really need the enabling, but… I’m all ears!
Steph x